Consumer & Gadgets news

Consumer & Gadgets

Great potential exists for solar cells on grain fields or pastures, finds study

Photovoltaic systems are increasingly being installed not only on roofs but also on open land. This does not always meet with citizens' approval. What is known as agrivoltaics (Agri-PV), however, is viewed more favorably, ...

Consumer & Gadgets

Efforts to reduce TikTok screen time often increase usage

Efforts by social media platforms to encourage users to take breaks from screen scrolling may actually lead to some of them spending even more time online. That's according to research coauthored by University of Mississippi ...

Consumer & Gadgets

Google unveils major Android redesign ahead of iPhone overhaul

Google unveiled the biggest update to its Android mobile operating system in years, weeks before its biggest competitor in the space, Apple Inc., is expected to give a preview of its overhauled iPhone software.

Consumer & Gadgets

Tariffs set to level up game console prices

The US tariffs barrage and the bounding cost of producing games have prompted manufacturers like Sony and Microsoft to announce price hikes on consoles, in an industry shift experts say is set to last.

Consumer & Gadgets

AI model analyzes social media posts to detect signs of depression

Social media is a sounding board of sorts in today's world. It's a place where people go to share their thoughts, opinions and feelings—and to test the reactions of others, too. In return, they receive feedback, often in ...

Consumer & Gadgets

Nintendo forecasts 15 million Switch 2 sales in 2025-26

Japanese gaming giant Nintendo forecast Thursday that it would sell 15 million units of its hotly awaited Switch 2 console in the current financial year but warned US tariffs could hit its bottom line.

Consumer & Gadgets

Amuse, a songwriting AI collaborator for music composers

Wouldn't it be great if music creators had someone to brainstorm with, help them when they're stuck, and explore different musical directions together? Researchers at KAIST and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) have developed ...

Consumer & Gadgets

TeleAbsence: Poetic encounters with the past

In the dim light of the lab, friends, family, and strangers watched the image of a pianist playing for them, the pianist's fingers projected onto the moving keys of a real grand piano that filled the space with music.

Consumer & Gadgets

Bay Area mom creates app to help parents find childcare on demand

The COVID-19 pandemic forced hundreds of daycare providers across the Bay Area to shut down, creating a "childcare desert." That shortage inspired entrepreneur Gretchen Salyer to launch June Care, a platform that connects ...

Consumer & Gadgets

Transforming aircraft maintenance with augmented reality

In the dynamic world of aviation maintenance, precision, quickness, and meticulous documentation are essential. Maribeth Gandy Coleman, director of research and a Regents' Researcher in Georgia Tech's Institute for People ...

Consumer & Gadgets

In the US, saving money is top reason to embrace solar power

Financial benefits, such as saving on utility payments and avoiding electricity rate hikes, are a key driver of U.S. adults' willingness to consider installing rooftop solar panels or subscribing to community solar power, ...

Consumer & Gadgets

How architecture shapes video game play

When players enter the virtual worlds of video games, they are greeted by complex architectural environments. These virtual spaces do more than serve as mere backdrops for gameplay. The design of buildings, streets and entire ...

Consumer & Gadgets

Human-AI relationships pose ethical issues, psychologists say

It's becoming increasingly commonplace for people to develop intimate, long-term relationships with artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. At their extreme, people have "married" their AI companions in non-legally binding ...

Consumer & Gadgets

Using virtual reality to connect players with ocean ecosystems

Fewer people have been to the deepest parts of the ocean than have walked on the surface of the moon. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University's Center for Transformational Play are hoping a virtual trip into the watery ...