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Consumer & Gadgets

Asking AI to act like an expert can make it less reliable

To get the best out of AI, some users tell it to provide answers as if it were an expert. Others ask it to adopt a persona, such as a safety monitor, to guide its responses. However, this approach can sometimes hurt performance, ...

Internet

Thousands of websites are accidentally broadcasting sensitive data, study finds

Researchers have discovered a major security leak hiding in plain sight on the internet that could expose the personal data and financial records of millions of people. In a paper published on the arXiv preprint server, Nurullah ...

Engineering

Plasma and lemon juice: Milder method retrieves nearly 95% of critical minerals in battery waste

Critical minerals such as those used in lithium-ion batteries come in limited supply and are concentrated in specific regions around the world. Securing a reliable supply of these materials is a priority for governments worldwide, ...

Hardware

Memristor demonstrates use in fully analog hardware-based neural network

As AI processing demands reach the limits of current CMOS technology, neuromorphic computing—hardware and software that mimic the human brain's structure—can help process information faster and more efficiently. A new ...

Technology news

Engineering

Harvesting heat and electricity from the sun, when you need it

Solar energy is abundant and frustratingly ill-timed. A sunbeam can become either electricity (useful for running modern life) or heat (useful for keeping spaces warm). But conventional solar hardware is single-minded: Photovoltaic ...

Engineering

Why solid-state batteries keep short-circuiting

Batteries that use solid metal as their charge-carrying electrolyte could potentially be a safer and far more energy-dense alternative to lithium-ion batteries. Unfortunately, these solid-state batteries have been plagued ...

Energy & Green Tech

EVs can generate widespread economic benefits, new study says

Putting more electric cars on the road doesn't just benefit those with enough money to buy the often-pricey vehicles, it also pushes down prices at the gas pump while strengthening U.S. energy security, according to new research ...