Technology
Japanese scientists develop special ‘ostrich’ masks that glow if wearer has COVID-19
Scientists in Japan have created special masks that are able to detect and possibly help prevent the spread of COVID-19 using ostrich antibodies.
The masks, developed by researchers at Kyoto Prefectural University, are coated with ostrich antibodies to capitalize on the bird’s strong immune system that makes it resistant to certain diseases, Dezeen reported.
Billionaire DoorDash founder Tony Xu joins Meta’s board of directors
- Following Facebook’s rebrand in October, Tony Xu has joined Meta’s board of directors.
- Tony Xu, 37, co-founded DoorDash as an MBA student in Stanford in 2013.
- He was the highest-paid CEO in the Bay Area in 2020, earning $413 in compensation.
Meta Platforms, Facebook’s freshly-minted parent company, named DoorDash co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Tony Xu to its board of directors on Tuesday.
In a news release, Mark Zuckerberg described Xu as “a great tech leader” who “has direct experience in both running a tech company and solving complex challenges in commerce.”
Chinese lab claims world record with 6G breakthrough, 10 to 20 times faster than 5G
- A state-run lab in China has reportedly recorded the world's fastest wireless transmission speed of 206.25 gigabits per second (Gbps) via 6G.
- The recorded speed was about 10 to 20 times faster than those of most 5G networks.
- Experts predict that the commercial rollout of 6G technology could occur as early as 2028.
A government-backed lab based in the Chinese city of Nanjing recently announced a massive achievement in sixth-generation (6G) mobile network technology.
Researchers at Purple Mountain Laboratories revealed in a statement that they “achieved a wireless transmission speed of 206.25 gigabits per second (Gbps), a world record for real-time wireless transmission,” reported South China Morning Post.
Japanese scientist develops TV screen that viewers can lick to taste displayed foods
- A Japanese professor at Meiji University in Tokyo developed an interactive lickable screen allowing viewers to taste what they see on TV.
- The “Taste the TV” prototype contains flavor canisters that spray across the surface of the screen, recreating the specific taste profile.
- A video demonstration shows how the device recreates a range of flavors, including sweet chocolate, wine and ramen.
Professor Homei Miyashita of Meiji University in Tokyo has developed a prototype lickable screen that allows users to taste what’s on their screen.
Miyashita and a team of 30 students developed the “Taste the TV” (TTTV) project over the course of the past year.
China develops AI ‘prosecutor’ that can charge citizens with crimes with ‘97% accuracy’
China has developed an artificial intelligence capable of charging people with more than 97% accuracy, replacing prosecutors “to a certain extent,” according to its researchers.
How it works: The machine, built and tested by the Shanghai Pudong People’s Procuratorate — China’s largest district prosecution office — can file a charge based only on verbal description, according to the South China Morning Post. The program runs on a desktop computer.
Australian man claiming to be Japanese Bitcoin inventor wins $27 billion court case
Craig Wright, an Australian computer scientist who claims to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the inventor of Bitcoin, has been cleared of six out of seven civil charges during a trial in a Miami court on Dec. 7 that put him up against the estate of his deceased business partner.
Trial and claims: The plaintiff of the civil court case declared that Wright and David Kleiman, a computer forensics expert and Wright’s friend, pre-mined 1.1 million bitcoin together (worth $54 billion), fueling an argument over whether Wright owed half of his assets to Kleiman’s family.
Japanese YouTuber reveals he bought the $10,000 Gucci Xbox in unboxing video
One of Japan’s most subscribed-to YouTubers bought a limited-edition $10,000 Gucci Xbox, which he revealed in an unboxing video he posted on Sunday.
Super rare: Japanese YouTuber Hikakin has over 10.3 million subscribers and is a musician known for beat-boxing a cover of the “Super Mario Bros.” theme song in 2010, which currently has close to 53 million views.
Parag Agrawal replaces Twitter founder as its CEO, joins growing club of India-born tech leaders
Twitter appointed Mumbai-born Parag Agrawal as its CEO on Tuesday, following founder Jack Dorsey’s announcement that he would step down from the role on Monday.
Man of the hour: Agrawal climbed the ladder at Twitter, Inc., going from the role of chief technology officer to his new position in 10 years’ time since he joined the company in 2011.
Tokyo company unveils futuristic $680,000 hoverbike
Tokyo-based drone startup A.L.I. Technologies is hoping to attract supercar enthusiasts with the fully-functioning hoverbike it officially launched on Tuesday.
Ready for take-off: The “XTurismo Limited Edition” hoverbike, which is built with a motorcycle-like body atop drone propellers, is currently on sale for 77.7 million yen (around $680,000) per unit, reported Reuters.
This $700-million nuclear superyacht costs $1 million to travel on and is meant to save the planet
A Singapore-based entrepreneur wants to take scientists, students and billionaires aboard an ambitious nuclear-powered megayacht for a research tour around the world’s oceans.
Thinking ship: Gibraltarian businessman Aaron Olivera has set out to build the “Earth 300,” a 984-foot (300 meters) research vessel that will bring together the world’s wealthiest people and smartest scientists to help find solutions to the most pressing environmental problems, reported CNN.
Chinese tech company unveils ‘Little White Dragon’ pony robot that kids can ride
On Tuesday, Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Xpeng Motors unveiled its first smart vehicle, a four-legged robot pony that children can ride called the “Little White Dragon.”
Children’s toy: Designed by Xpeng Robotics, the Little White Dragon pony is equipped with power modules, motion control, obstacle detection, face and voice recognition and the ability to express emotions through its front face screen, Seeking Alpha reported.
South Korean professor develops toilet that turns poop into power and cryptocurrency
Cho Jae-weon, a South Korean urban and environmental engineering professor at the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), developed an eco-friendly toilet that pays students cryptocurrency and turns feces into fuel.
The invention: The BeeVi toilet uses a vacuum pump that sends feces into an underground tank where microorganisms break down the waste and turn it into methane, according to Reuters.