Emerging Technologies - News, Features, and Slideshows

News

• Carmakers put Apple's CarPlay in the slow lane

  Some car manufacturers are delaying their rollout of CarPlay, the software platform from Apple that synchronizes an iPhone to a vehicle's infotainment system.

• As Ebola death toll rises, scientists work on nanotech cure

  Scientists at Northeastern University are using nanotechnology to find an effective treatment for the Ebola virus, which has killed more than 1300 people, and sickened even more.

• VC investors hot for the cloud, mobile and robots

  Venture capital fundraising has picked up steam in the U.S., with cloud computing, mobile technology and robotics getting solid backing.

• Cosmonauts deploy nanosatellites during spacewalk

  Two Russian cosmonauts are in the middle of a spacewalk outside of the International Space Station, in part to release a nanosatellite that will take images of Earth.

• Big tech firms back Wi-FAR for remote broadband

  Google, Microsoft and Facebook are cranking up an emerging wireless technology known as Wi-FAR to help reduce the digital divide in remote and unconnected regions of the world.

• After 10 years, and billions of miles, Rosetta catches its comet

  After a decade of traveling at about 34 thousand miles an hour through deep space , the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft has become the first craft to rendezvous with a comet.

• NASA's Mars rover Curiosity closes in on ultimate destination

  As NASA's robotic rover, Curiosity, approaches its second year on Mars, it's also approaching its first good look at its ultimate destination.

• NASA plans next-gen scientific tools for 2020 Mars rover

  NASA has planned out the new and improved scientific instruments that will be included onboard the next robotic Mars rover. The instruments will look for signs of past life and the ability to create oxygen and rocket fuel on the Red Planet.

• Qi wireless charging spec gets more flexibility with distance extension

  The Qi wireless charging spec added a resonance extension to its existing induction spec, meaning enabled mobile devices can be charged more than an inch away from the pad.

• Stanford surgical students set sights on Google Glass

  Stanford University's medical school plans to start using Google's wearable computer, Glass, to help train students in surgery.

• Solar power war between U.S. and Asia escalates

  New tariffs imposed by the U.S. on Chinese imports of solar cells and (for the first time) Taiwan has infuriated some in the solar power industry who believe the steep taxes will adversely affect businesses and consumers.

• Google's next frontier: What it means to be healthy

  Google has launched a new project, dubbed the Baseline Study, that seeks to develop a greater understanding of what it means to be healthy.

• NASA upgrades humanoid robot in space

  The 300-pound humanoid robot working on the International Space Station is in the midst of getting a series of upgrades, including new processors and software in preparation of having a pair of legs attached to it.

• NASA: Finding life on other planets is within our grasp

  Many scientists believe we're not alone in the universe, and NASA researchers say discovering if that's true is within their reach.

• Money talks, and that's all quantum maker D-Wave has to say

  The quantum computing technology developed by D-Wave gets ongoing scientific debate, but it's also getting money, $28 million last week, bringing its total funding to about $150 million.