Consumer & Gadgets news

Consumer & Gadgets

Smart meters haven't delivered the promised benefits to electricity users. Here's a way to fix the problems

Billions of dollars are being spent worldwide to modernize electricity grids with smart meters. These meters promise to save households money by making it easier for us to understand and manage our energy use. However, our ...

Consumer & Gadgets

Apple must face lawsuit claiming AirTags are weapon of stalkers

Apple Inc. lost a bid to dismiss a lawsuit alleging that its AirTag devices help stalkers track their victims.

Consumer & Gadgets

Should you be concerned about flying on Boeing planes?

The American aerospace giant Boeing has been synonymous with safe air travel for decades. Since the 1990s, Boeing and its European competitor Airbus have dominated the market for large passenger jets.

Software

Researcher: I created a 'cozy game' and learned how they can change players' lives

The COVID pandemic transformed our lives in ways many of us are still experiencing, four years later. One of these changes was the significant uptake in gaming as a hobby, chief among them being "cozy games" like Animal Crossing: ...

Consumer & Gadgets

What we know so far about the rumored Apple smart ring

Samsung officially announced the launch of a new smart ring-shaped wearable device, Galaxy Ring, as part of its Galaxy Unpacked event earlier this year. The ring, expected to be on sale in late summer 2024, will be able to ...

Consumer & Gadgets

How AI is shaping the music listening habits of Gen Z

For four years, we've been teaching a class on music and the mind. We've asked the students at the start of each semester to complete a short, informal survey on their music education and favorite songs and artists.

Consumer & Gadgets

Game lab provides accessibility toolkit for the game engine Unity

The growing popularity of video games is putting an increased focus on their accessibility for people with disabilities. While large productions are increasingly taking this into account by adding accessibility features, ...

Consumer & Gadgets

Why your e-scooter may pose higher risks than a rental

What we colloquially refer to as "e-scooters" can differ greatly when it comes to steering and braking capabilities, wheel size, and suspension systems; something that can have harmful consequences in the event of a crash. ...

Consumer & Gadgets

An AI system that offers emotional support via chat

The rapid advancement of natural language processing (NLP) models and large language models (LLMs) has enabled the development of new use-specific conversational agents designed to answer specific types of queries. These ...