https://techxplore.com/rss-feed/hi-tech-news/ en-us The latest news on hi-tech, innovation and new inventions technology, computer news and information Imagine tapping your thumb and index finger together twice to skip to the next song or clicking around your laptop or desktop computer without a mouse, using discreet finger motions. New first-of-its-kind wearable technology from researchers at Cornell and KAIST, in South Korea, brings that vision closer to reality. The system, called WatchHand, equips off-the-shelf smartwatches with AI-powered micro sonar capable of tracking hand movements. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-sonar-stock-smartwatches-tracking-advancement.html Consumer & Gadgets Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:40:05 EDT news694696262 Researchers have developed a solar-powered reactor to break down hard-to-recycle forms of plastic waste—such as drink bottles, nylon textiles and polyurethane foams—using acid recovered from old car batteries, and converting it into clean hydrogen fuel and valuable industrial chemicals. The results are reported in the journal Joule. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-solar-reactor-battery-acid-plastic.html Energy & Green Tech Mon, 06 Apr 2026 11:00:01 EDT news694425241 Electrons have three intrinsic properties: spin, charge and orbital angular momentum. Researchers have long studied how to use spin to more efficiently create an electrical current. But the field of orbitronics—which is based upon using an electron's orbital angular momentum, rather than its spin, to create a current flow—remains relatively new. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-door-efficient-orbitronic-devices.html Electronics & Semiconductors Sat, 04 Apr 2026 14:00:03 EDT news694425997 A major problem with quantum computers is memory, as the information they contain can be quickly lost. Quantum computers are not yet fully reliable—they are far too unstable. However, all around the world, people are trying to improve them—some of whom are based in Norway. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-quantum-memory-problem.html Computer Sciences Sat, 04 Apr 2026 10:00:01 EDT news694354592 A research team at Tohoku University and Future University Hakodate has demonstrated that living biological neurons can be trained to perform a supervised temporal pattern learning task previously carried out by artificial systems. By integrating cultured neuronal networks into a machine learning framework, the team showed that these biological systems can generate complex time-series signals, marking a significant step forward in both neuroscience and bio-inspired computing. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-brain-cells-enable-machine.html Hi Tech & Innovation Fri, 03 Apr 2026 09:20:01 EDT news694426202 While technology has made the world "smaller," it has also pulled individuals apart, thanks to mobile phones and other devices that command our attention. Cornell University researchers are using technology, in the form of a mirror-equipped robot, to help bring people together. Members of the Architectural Robotics Lab, led by Keith Evan Green, have built a four-foot-tall robot—dubbed MirrorBot—with dual mirrors that, when placed in front of a pair of strangers, let each participant see themself in one mirror and the other person in the other. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-mirrorbot-robot-foster-human.html Robotics Thu, 02 Apr 2026 17:00:10 EDT news694366621 The effectiveness of air disinfection devices may now be measured in minutes, rather than hours, with a new technique from University of Michigan Engineering. This is important for researchers developing better antiviral air purifiers, helping to mitigate outbreaks of viral respiratory diseases and prepare for the next pandemic. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-uv-air-disinfection-minutes.html Engineering Thu, 02 Apr 2026 16:40:03 EDT news694364942 Imagine a paint that changes color depending on how hard its surface is hit. It could be used on football helmets to monitor concussion-level impacts, to record the handling history of shipped packages, or placed on insoles to analyze an orthopedic patient's gait. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-revealing-strength-impact.html Engineering Thu, 02 Apr 2026 10:40:03 EDT news694343515 A study by the EHU-University of the Basque Country shows how biomass can be used as an alternative in commercial batteries, thus making them more sustainable. The research is published in the Journal of Power Sources. Dr. Nekane Nieto of the EHU's Materials and Solid-State Group has proven that batteries made from biomass materials not only store sufficient energy, but can also withstand up to 1,000 charge and discharge cycles. This discovery paves the way for more environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional batteries, which are more expensive and pollute more. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-rechargeable-batteries-sunflower-seed-shells.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 01 Apr 2026 10:40:04 EDT news694257841 Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have unveiled a tool to combat climate change, fossil-fuel dependency, skyrocketing home-heating bills, and gentrification all at once—a simple fabric treated with a special photothermal dye that, when placed on outside walls, can help keep a home 8.64ºF warmer over the course of a day. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-photothermal-fabric-panels-energy.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 01 Apr 2026 08:40:05 EDT news694249949 The electronics inside your phone, your car, and every satellite currently orbiting Earth share one critical weakness: heat. Push them past about 200 degrees Celsius and they start to fail. For decades, that thermal ceiling has been one of the hardest walls in engineering. Now a team at the University of Southern California may have just found a way around it. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-memory-chip-survives-temperatures-hotter.html Hardware Tue, 31 Mar 2026 17:20:06 EDT news694195201 A team led by Rutgers University researchers has developed a security system that could change how people log in to virtual and augmented reality platforms by eliminating passwords, personal identification numbers and eye scans and replacing them with something far more seamless. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-vibrations-skull-password.html Hi Tech & Innovation Tue, 31 Mar 2026 06:39:38 EDT news694157757 Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a new way to package photonic integrated circuits—tiny chips that convey information using light instead of electricity—so they can survive and operate in extreme environments, from scorchingly hot industrial settings to ultracold vacuum chambers and the depths of outer space. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-photonic-chip-packaging-extreme-environments.html Electronics & Semiconductors Mon, 30 Mar 2026 17:20:01 EDT news694109881 Nano- and microplastics are increasingly being detected in the human body. However, their detection remains challenging, often relying on invasive techniques and specialized equipment. Researchers at the Institute of Computer Science at the University of Tartu are developing a device that can measure plastic in the human body. Their research is published in the journal Proceedings of the 27th International Workshop on Mobile Computing Systems and Applications. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-smartwatch-device-plastic-particles-human.html Computer Sciences Mon, 30 Mar 2026 16:40:04 EDT news694106881 In biology, defects are generally bad. But in materials science, defects can be intentionally tuned to give materials useful new properties. Today, atomic-scale defects are carefully introduced during the manufacturing process of products like steel, semiconductors, and solar cells to help improve strength, control electrical conductivity, optimize performance, and more. But even as defects have become a powerful tool, accurately measuring different types of defects and their concentrations in finished products has been challenging, especially without cutting open or damaging the final material. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-ai-based-atomic-defects-materials.html Engineering Mon, 30 Mar 2026 16:20:03 EDT news694104719 Consider the chief difference between living systems and electronics: The first is generally soft and squishy while the latter is hard and rigid. Now, in work that could impact human-machine interfaces, biocompatible devices, soft robotics and more, MIT engineers and colleagues have developed a soft, flexible gel that dramatically changes its conductivity upon the application of light. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-gel-boosts-ion.html Electronics & Semiconductors Mon, 30 Mar 2026 15:40:03 EDT news694101518 Machining, involving the precise cutting and shaping of materials, is a key manufacturing process. As industries increasingly adopt the use of high-performance materials with high strength and hardness, traditional machining methods often fall short in delivering the required precision. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-multi-energy-field-diamond-technology.html Engineering Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:50:03 EDT news694100821 Augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) headsets let us see the world around us with virtual elements superimposed on top. For example, many modern AR/MR headsets use hand-tracking cameras to detect hand gestures in the air, which allows users to type on a virtual keyboard that appears to be floating in front of the user. As exciting as this sounds initially, the approach often needs handheld controllers, and keeping your hands in the air for a long time can cause arm fatigue. These air gestures also lack physical feedback, which can make interaction less comfortable. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-technique-everyday-surfaces-walls-desks.html Consumer & Gadgets Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:00:04 EDT news694095059 A soft material developed by researchers at QUT can convert body heat into electricity, opening the door to self-powered wearable devices and more sustainable energy technologies. Published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition, the research found that the flexible hydrogel captured wasted heat and turned it into usable electrical power with record efficiency. The paper is titled "Ionic Coordination and Hierarchical Architecture Enable Record n-Type Thermoelectric Efficiency in Soft Hydrogels." https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-flexible-gel-body-power-generation.html Electronics & Semiconductors Mon, 30 Mar 2026 12:00:09 EDT news694089421 Concrete may be one of the world's most familiar materials, yet much is still unknown about its inner microbial world. Researchers from Hiroshima University and Kyoto University found that once concrete hardens, microbes introduced through raw materials are sealed inside, forming interior communities largely isolated from those on the surface—and whose DNA signatures can survive the 70°C heat of drilling for routine core sampling. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-concrete-distinct-microbial-zones-health.html Engineering Mon, 30 Mar 2026 09:00:04 EDT news694077901 Perovskite solar cells are among the most promising technologies for making solar power cheaper and more efficient. Working with partners from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), DESY (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchroton), and the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, the team uncovered the microscopic mechanisms behind the deterioration of the material through temperature swings and developed a strategy to prevent it. Their approach focuses on stabilizing the fragile crystal structure with specially designed molecular "anchors." https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-molecular-anchors-key-weather-resistant.html Energy & Green Tech Sat, 28 Mar 2026 14:00:01 EDT news693826593 Perovskites are semiconducting materials that have rapidly transformed the field of optoelectronics, demonstrating outstanding performance in light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and photodiodes. For their unique properties, they have also gained attention in photovoltaics. After almost two decades of intensive research, this "wonder" class of materials could provide a cost-effective route to significantly enhance energy generation in both large-scale solar farms and rooftop panels. However, maintaining high efficiency upon scaling up device fabrication still remains difficult for the processes that occur on the molecular level, limiting long-term stability of perovskite materials. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-molecular-umbrella-solar-cells-blocking.html Energy & Green Tech Fri, 27 Mar 2026 13:20:04 EDT news693836041 An international research team has reported an artificial nociceptor system that captures the temperature-dependent threshold modulation of biological nociceptors. Published in Advanced Functional Materials under the title "Temperature-Modulated Threshold Response in a Volatile Memristor: Toward a Biomimetic Polymodal Nociceptive System," the study was led by Professor Hee-Dong Kim of Sejong University and conducted jointly by researchers in Sejong University and at the University of Tokyo, Japan. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-artificial-pain-closer-memristor-links.html Hardware Thu, 26 Mar 2026 17:00:08 EDT news693763021 Wood laminates are used in many different ways, for example, in the manufacture of skis and snowboards or in components for vehicle interiors. However, their weight advantages for lightweight construction also have disadvantages. They are significantly less resilient perpendicular to the grain and when force is applied perpendicular to the surface (peeling load), individual layers of wood can easily become detached (delamination). https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-wood-needle-thread.html Engineering Thu, 26 Mar 2026 12:40:04 EDT news693738794 An optical principle discovered more than a century ago may soon find new applications in such areas as monitoring atmospheric turbulence, tracking airborne objects, and mapping the environment, thanks to researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI). https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-scheimpflug-cameras-lidar-km.html Engineering Thu, 26 Mar 2026 12:00:07 EDT news693745081 Created from noise-resistant, conductive threads, a high-tech new smart fabric could find uses in health monitoring, sports performance and rehabilitation. The work is published in the journal Science Advances. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-smart-yarn-tracks-muscle-body.html Engineering Thu, 26 Mar 2026 11:00:05 EDT news693738301 Researchers have developed a holographic data storage approach that stores and retrieves information in three dimensions by combining three properties of light—amplitude, phase and polarization. By allowing more data to be stored in the same space, the new approach could help advance efforts to meet the growing global demand for data storage. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-holographic-storage-approach-space-encoding.html Hardware Thu, 26 Mar 2026 10:00:02 EDT news693656041 A multi-channel wearable scent display developed at Institute of Science Tokyo allows a user to experience multiple scents while exploring virtual environments. Based on virtual scenes, the device can blend up to eight fragrances in real time and deliver them with precise control of odor intensity. By synchronizing smell with virtual reality content, the device enables better immersion and realism, opening new possibilities for enhanced digital entertainment, realistic simulation training, and future digital scent technologies. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-vr-scent-technology-blends-fragrances.html Consumer & Gadgets Wed, 25 Mar 2026 13:40:05 EDT news693653259 In the fight against climate change, solar power is a promising alternative to fossil fuels. Every second, Earth receives an enormous amount of energy from the sun. Yet solar cells capture only a fraction of it, constrained by a "physical ceiling" that seemed impossible to break. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-flip-metal-complexes-path-solar.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 25 Mar 2026 10:00:10 EDT news693651241 The next time you're scrolling on your phone, take a moment to appreciate the feat: The seemingly mundane act is possible thanks to the coordination of 34 muscles, 27 joints, and over 100 tendons and ligaments in your hand. Indeed, our hands are the most nimble parts of our bodies. Mimicking their many nuanced gestures has been a longstanding challenge in robotics and virtual reality. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-wristband-enables-wearers-robotic-movements.html Robotics Wed, 25 Mar 2026 06:00:09 EDT news693584821