https://techxplore.com/ en-us Tech Xplore internet news portal provides the latest news on electronics, technology, and engineering. Houston has already felt the first wave of World Cup traffic. Now, with a high-stakes July 4 match approaching, officials are prepared to keep the city moving, using real-time data, adaptive signals and other tools developed by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI). https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-houston-real-strategy-world-cup.html Automotive Thu, 02 Jul 2026 07:00:03 EDT news702188221 India has asked Meta to hold off launching its username feature on WhatsApp in the world's most populous country, citing concerns over fraud and impersonation, media reports said Thursday. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-india-meta-whatsapp-username-rollout.html Business Thu, 02 Jul 2026 05:00:02 EDT news702185407 Long looked down upon, skilled trades are booming in the United States, especially among young adults drawn by strong demand—even as artificial intelligence (AI) eats into service-sector jobs. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-job-schools-rage-ai-era.html Business Thu, 02 Jul 2026 04:50:01 EDT news702185359 The EU's top court will decide Thursday whether to uphold a record 4.1 billion euro ($4.7 billion) fine the bloc slapped on Google for anticompetitive practices related to its Android operating system. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-eu-court-bn-euro-google.html Business Thu, 02 Jul 2026 04:31:12 EDT news702185432 Summer is time for that well-deserved vacation. To get ready for your trip, make sure to get your tech life in order alongside other tasks like packing and making sure you've got passports and tickets. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-summer-dont-neglect-tech-safety.html Security Thu, 02 Jul 2026 04:25:07 EDT news702185078 Businesses are facing an increasing shortage of skilled workers. In some industries, like the logistics sector, specialists are so scarce that many companies have to rely on career changers and unskilled workers. What's more, the sector is characterized by high staff turnover and the need to hire additional temporary staff to handle seasonal peaks. Training new, inexperienced staff members in complex work processes can be time-consuming. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-laser-based-workers-warehouses.html Business Wed, 01 Jul 2026 22:00:01 EDT news702117332 Scientists from the Faculty of Physics at Vilnius University (VU) have developed a sensor capable of accurately detecting radiation, identifying its sources, and determining its intensity and precise location. The device, developed by physicists at the Institute of Photonics and Nanotechnology, Photoelectric Phenomena Research Group, can detect doses ranging from very small to very large, including those typical of industrial environments or nuclear emergencies, from a few gray to megagray. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-physicists-sensor-precision.html Engineering Wed, 01 Jul 2026 20:00:02 EDT news702116865 Rare earth elements, a group of chemical elements, and other critical minerals are generally costly and difficult to procure and depend on complex supply chains. Yet some of these elements, such as lithium, are essential for technology from wind turbines to cellphones. Northeastern University researchers are proposing a new source for some of these critical materials: wastewater. The finding is especially critical as the world transitions to clean energy, the researchers said. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-energy-revolution-powered-wastewater.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 01 Jul 2026 18:40:03 EDT news702128516 Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have found that while artificial intelligence can spin increasingly convincing stories, its characters may still lack one of the qualities that make human-written fiction memorable: mystery. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-ai-fiction-flat-characters-lack.html Consumer & Gadgets Wed, 01 Jul 2026 17:20:07 EDT news702144781 Like a delicate fabric that becomes damaged during drying, a promising next-generation battery material has faced an unexpected challenge: Removing water to improve performance can actually shorten battery life. Now, a Korean research team has identified surface oxidation occurring during the dehydration process as the true cause of performance degradation and developed a new dehydration process to overcome it. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-surface-oxidation-prussian-blue-battery.html Engineering Wed, 01 Jul 2026 16:40:04 EDT news702141061 Human-AI relationships are no longer confined to the domain of science fiction. As the technology has developed, AI chatbots have evolved from playing a role in search engines and image-generation tools into confidants, therapists and even romantic partners. It's a radical evolution of human-AI interactions that brings with it new risks in how it is reshaping the way we think and talk about relationships, including with ourselves, finds new research published in the journal Nature Machine Intelligence. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-ai-human-relationships-real.html Consumer & Gadgets Wed, 01 Jul 2026 16:20:08 EDT news702140763 A Berlin-based team from HZB and Center for the Science of Materials Berlin (CSMB) at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin has set a new record for a tandem solar cell. Using a combination of a CIGS semiconductor layer and perovskite, along with several optimized intermediate layers, the team converted 25.5% of sunlight into electrical energy. The previous record for this combination of materials and this size cell had stood at 24.6%. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-tandem-solar-cell-efficiency-cigs.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 01 Jul 2026 16:00:07 EDT news702136900 Shares of Meta Platforms jumped more than 6% on Wall Street on Wednesday after a report said the social media giant is preparing to launch a cloud computing business that would sell AI computing power to outside customers. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-meta-surge-ai-cloud-business.html Business Wed, 01 Jul 2026 16:00:05 EDT news702139074 Sony said Wednesday that it would stop releasing new video games for the PlayStation on disc in January 2028 following a shift in consumer preferences. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-sony-playstation-games-discs.html Consumer & Gadgets Wed, 01 Jul 2026 15:40:02 EDT news702138885 Solar energy is becoming increasingly popular in industries seeking alternatives to the conventional market, with its price fluctuations. In agriculture, solar panel installations are very common on farms, and in recent years, they have also become popular among irrigation communities, which are increasingly powering their systems using energy from the sun. However, this sector requires irrigation availability during times when there is no sunlight, which means that this clean and inexpensive energy source has thus far been viewed as auxiliary and complementary, without fully addressing market dependence. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-combining-solar-hydropower-energy-sovereignty.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 01 Jul 2026 15:20:03 EDT news702137462 In the underwater world, sound is the primary means of communication, as light quickly fades. A Korean research team has developed an underwater acoustic lens capable of focusing sound precisely at a desired point while reducing weight by about 40% compared with conventional designs. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-cavity-based-underwater-lens-focuses.html Engineering Wed, 01 Jul 2026 15:20:01 EDT news702136381 The supply of lithium—the battery material that keeps digital devices humming, EVs racing and renewable energy on the grid—will not meet even half the expected demand by 2040. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-electrochemical-major-harvesting-vital-battery.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 01 Jul 2026 15:00:08 EDT news702136022 In horror movies, music is a dead giveaway. Tension builds with each note, and you brace for the inevitable jump scare. The same sense of anticipation has taken a leading role in an unlikely venue: a Georgia Tech robotics lab. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-horror-movie-cue-wearable-robot.html Robotics Wed, 01 Jul 2026 14:40:01 EDT news702135423 Researchers from North Carolina State University and Rice University have created a nontoxic, stretchable battery that operates by extracting moisture from the ambient environment—even in climates as dry as the desert. The batteries could be useful in Internet of Things (IoT) applications ranging from wearables to advanced surveillance monitors with built-in kill switches. The study is published in the journal Science Advances. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-moisture-driven-tech-power-green.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 01 Jul 2026 14:00:05 EDT news702053590 Artificial intelligence doesn't just learn how humans talk. It may also be learning who gets listened to. A new study from researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that large language models, the technology behind popular AI chatbots, change the way they communicate depending on the social role they're assigned in a conversation. When cast as a "boss," they adopt different language patterns. When positioned as a subordinate, they become more accommodating, sometimes in ways that could undermine safety. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-ai-behavior-authority-risky.html Security Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:40:12 EDT news702131461 Data center projects continue to generate controversy around the country. In part, that's because a variety of groups have competing interests—some in favor, some opposed and others with no direct view on data centers themselves but with concerns related to aspects of data center operations and effects. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-center-pit-social-values-democracy.html Business Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:40:05 EDT news702130742 The building sector is responsible for about 31% of global CO2 emissions, with 82% stemming from energy use during building operation and the remaining 18% from embodied emissions. At the European level, the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive establishes ambitious targets for national building stocks. Its ultimate aim is to achieve full decarbonization by 2050, primarily by reducing energy consumption in existing buildings through renovation and by making zero-emission standards the norm for new construction. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-efficiency-europe-renovation-investment.html Engineering Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:20:01 EDT news702129181 A research team led by Prof. Junghyup Lee of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at DGIST has become the first in the world to develop a "time-interleaved noise-shaping SAR ADC (analog-to-digital converter)" semiconductor chip capable of simultaneously measuring multiple biosignals, including electrocardiograms (ECG) and electromyograms (EMG). The team developed this technology in an actual semiconductor chip and successfully completed functional validation. Their findings were presented at the IEEE Symposium on VLSI Technology & Circuits (VLSI 2026), held in Honolulu, June 14–18. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-world-ultra-compact-semiconductor-chip.html Hardware Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:00:03 EDT news702128633 Electric vehicle batteries could last twice as long, preventing costly replacement, with a new approach to heating and cooling the batteries, according to a study led by University of Michigan Engineering. The system is designed to work with voltage and charging data that today's battery management systems already collect, rather than requiring new sensors inside the battery. It is best suited for lower-power Level 1 and Level 2 charging, which is common at homes, workplaces and public parking areas, and is expected to cover most EV charging demand. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-smarter-diagnostics-silicon-ev-batteries.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 01 Jul 2026 12:40:09 EDT news702127861 Ammonia rarely makes headlines, but much of modern life depends on it. The compound of nitrogen and hydrogen is the key ingredient in the fertilizers that help feed roughly half of the world's population. It is also attracting serious attention as a carbon-free fuel for ships, power plants and heavy industry. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-ammonia-wastewater-pollutant-fertilizer-fuel.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 01 Jul 2026 12:40:06 EDT news702128229 You expect to be safe when you go to work or when your kids play at the school playground. When you go to the doctor or get financial advice from the bank, you expect they'll act in your interests. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-australia-digital-duty-big-tech.html Consumer & Gadgets Wed, 01 Jul 2026 12:00:03 EDT news702124201 A new approach to battery recycling could turn today's electric vehicle waste into the building blocks of tomorrow's higher-performing batteries. Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed an environmentally friendly method to upcycle cathodes from used lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries into a more powerful battery material known as lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP), which can store more energy than LFP. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-spent-ev-batteries-life-higher.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 01 Jul 2026 11:40:08 EDT news702122515 Music from Kylie Minogue, John Farnham, INXS, Midnight Oil, AC/DC, Tones and I, Gotye, Ben Frost, Nick Cave, Tame Impala, Parkway Drive, The Living End and Vance Joy has been found in a database of 12 million songs used to teach artificial intelligence. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-australian-musicians-ai-songs-legal.html Internet Wed, 01 Jul 2026 11:40:05 EDT news702124021 Lime, a key component in cement, can be used for both interior and exterior plastering. However, the production of this versatile building material generates significant emissions. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS in Hermsdorf, Thuringia, are developing a membrane reactor that enables climate-neutral lime production while also recovering new raw materials. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-green-lime-carbon-emissions-materials.html Engineering Wed, 01 Jul 2026 11:20:08 EDT news702116461 Most prosthetic hands today still struggle with a fundamental problem: No two amputees are the same, yet most devices are designed as if they are. That mismatch makes natural, intuitive control difficult, often turning what should feel like a seamless extension of the body into something that requires constant learning and adjustment. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-custom-prosthetic-user-decoding-gestures.html Engineering Wed, 01 Jul 2026 11:00:20 EDT news702121762