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 Virginia Tech researchers are developing virtual tools to help teens protect themselves against cybergrooming. Using survey data from parents and teens and leveraging artificial intelligence, the research team created a chatbot that gradually advances interactions from innocent to predatory, giving teens firsthand experience of cybergrooming tactics without the risk of actual harm. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-chatbot-teens-cybergrooming-tactics.html Hi Tech & Innovation Thu, 17 Sep 2026 15:00:13 EDT news708874981 A team of researchers at the University of Stuttgart has developed a new method that could make MRI even more precise by eliminating "dead time," a key limiting factor in the measurement process, thereby enabling the detection of signals that are lost using conventional methods. This opens up new possibilities for medical diagnostics and non-destructive materials testing. The new approach is published in the journal Science Advances. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-mri-technique-dead-capture-rapidly.html Engineering Thu, 17 Sep 2026 11:20:25 EDT news708860285 Scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, have designed a device that harvests sunlight to generate clean hydrogen from seawater and simultaneously degrades hydrazine, a highly toxic contaminant from industrial wastewater. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-artificial-leaf-generates-hydrogen-contaminated.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 17 Sep 2026 10:40:01 EDT news708859683 A digitally fabricated guide developed by researchers at Science Tokyo captures and reproduces the spatial relationship between a musician's lips and an air-reed instrument, such as a shakuhachi flute. By combining facial and intraoral scans using CAD and 3D printing, the team created a lightweight positioning guide based on an experienced player's embouchure. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-prosthodontic-digital-lipinstrument-positioning-instruments.html Computer Sciences Thu, 17 Sep 2026 07:50:01 EDT news708847879 MIT researchers have created a computing platform that could be used to develop intelligent and adaptive next-generation electronics that can perform multiple functions, like computing and memory, within one extremely compact, energy-efficient device. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-tiny-polymer-devices-mimic-neuron.html Computer Sciences Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:00:17 EDT news708776461 Since 1665, scholarly journals have served as written records of scientific advancement—static words on a page, references written by people for other people to read. That's about to change. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-manuscripts-ai-agents-discoveries.html Hi Tech & Innovation Wed, 16 Sep 2026 13:41:02 EDT news708784817 Researchers at Maynooth University (MU) have developed a first-of-its-kind DNA computer, described as one of the most complex and fastest molecular computers yet reported. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-dna-bit-salt.html Computer Sciences Wed, 16 Sep 2026 11:00:13 EDT news708694441 From friendship networks and the internet to connections in the brain and trade relationships between countries, networks are everywhere. Physicists at Leiden study the fundamental principles underlying all these networks, leading to new insights into how they work. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-network-meaningful.html Hi Tech & Innovation Tue, 15 Sep 2026 14:00:03 EDT news708698654 Scientists have used an X-ray detector on a sounding rocket, a type of research rocket that flies to the edge of space, then returns to Earth within minutes, to document metal dendrites—the branching structures that form as liquid metal cools—forming in microgravity conditions for the first time. By analyzing the images using machine learning, they reveal insights that could improve how metal components are solidified and manufactured. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-rocket-tracks-liquid-metal-solidifies.html Engineering Tue, 15 Sep 2026 08:40:06 EDT news708680166 Monitoring Earth from above is a messy, inconsistent business. Clouds can block a satellite's view, the angle of the sun can create huge shadows, and orbital paths might not take a system across the same general area for weeks. That inconsistency is hard for traditional software to handle and can even confuse standard deep learning algorithms. But, according to a new review paper by researchers Raul-Alexandru Gorgan and Dorian Gorgan of the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, a new frontier AI could help—bio-inspired Liquid Neural Networks. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-earth-orbit-unpredictable-messy-liquid.html Hi Tech & Innovation Mon, 14 Sep 2026 22:00:01 EDT news708611549 Kyocera Corporation and the Research Institute of Electrical Communication (RIEC) at Tohoku University have developed a new technology that integrates optical isolators directly onto silicon photonics chips using laser annealing, a method that applies localized heat treatment using a laser. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-laser-annealing-optical-isolators-silicon.html Electronics & Semiconductors Fri, 11 Sep 2026 12:20:07 EDT news708341300 Scientists have taken solar cells to new depths, demonstrating that they can function 10 meters (33 feet) below the surface of the South China Sea. The study, published Sept. 11 in the journal Joule, found that solar cells could generate 324 milliwatt-hours of electricity during two hours of underwater illumination and could operate continuously at a depth of 10 meters (33 feet) for about 5.5 years. The findings suggest that underwater solar cells may be able to power submerged sensors, cameras and communication systems far from land. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-underwater-solar-cells-meters-ocean.html Energy & Green Tech Fri, 11 Sep 2026 11:00:01 EDT news708178423 Deep within the underbellies of online forums and social media sites, a global network of passionate knitters, crocheters, sewists and stitchers is quietly pioneering a bespoke form of data visualization, conveying complex statistical ideas through artistic handmade crafts. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-secret-society-blankets.html Hi Tech & Innovation Fri, 11 Sep 2026 09:20:02 EDT news708336624 A new printable textile combines passive cooling with biomechanical energy harvesting to enable motion-controlled, adaptive thermal management. Led by researchers in The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the textile uses passive radiative cooling to stay cool under sunlight by reflecting solar energy while releasing heat to the surroundings. At the same time, it can harvest energy from human motion and generate electrical signals for sensing and thermal control. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-cool-power-printable-textile.html Engineering Fri, 11 Sep 2026 09:00:02 EDT news708335101 A future in which AI can recognize a person's unspoken "that's not what I meant" response from brain signals and adjust its behavior on its own is coming closer. KAIST researchers have developed a technology that detects cognitive mismatch between humans and AI through brainwaves, enabling AI systems to revise their actions in real time according to human goals. The achievement is expected to accelerate the shift from AI that follows explicit commands to AI that can infer human intent. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-ai-infer-human-intent-meant.html Hi Tech & Innovation Thu, 10 Sep 2026 14:20:04 EDT news708268441 Hydrogen fuel cells are a promising clean-energy technology with the potential to reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions if widely adopted. As they generate electricity, the only byproduct of their reactions is water. However, improving their performance depends on developing better materials that can more efficiently transport ions. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-unexpectedly-rigid-polymers-boost-ion.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 10 Sep 2026 12:40:07 EDT news708262621 Circular-economy thinking is becoming increasingly important in the construction sector. It helps reduce raw material consumption and emissions and can provide a well-thought-out reuse and recycling scheme to cut costs. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-tool-raw-materials.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 10 Sep 2026 09:00:01 EDT news708248493 Plastic packaging is designed around appearance, convenience and function, but what happens after disposal is often considered separately—yet managing this waste is key to building a circular economy, since good recycling requires sorting plastics correctly by type. Transparent polyethylene terephthalate and polystyrene, for example, can be difficult to distinguish visually, making accurate separation challenging. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-plastic-easier-recycling-terahertz-technology.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 09 Sep 2026 11:20:09 EDT news708171541 What happens when water, ice and more thunder down into a valley? Researchers from ETH Zurich and the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF are investigating this using an accurate 3D model of the area around Blatten. The experiments aim to improve computer models and help more reliably assess risks to settlements and infrastructure. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-day-3d-recreates-blatten-avalanche.html Engineering Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:00:20 EDT news708165840 Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are tiny devices used in technologies such as microphones, accelerometers and biosensors. MEMS are highly useful but prone to physical stress that affects their performance, stability and reliability. Tracking this interference is important, but attaching a separate sensor to such a minuscule structure is no easy task. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-built-quantum-sensor-stress-microscopic.html Engineering Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:00:09 EDT news708166081 Quantum error correction must detect and correct errors without directly reading the quantum information. Classical low-density parity check (LDPC) codes have a well-established design theory: by choosing how many checks connect to each bit, retaining appropriate randomness, and avoiding short loops, designers can pursue both a large minimum distance and a threshold phenomenon in which the decoding failure rate drops sharply below a predicted noise level. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-classical-ldpc-code-theory-quantum.html Computer Sciences Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:20:04 EDT news708163863 A working prototype that can see, remember and interact with the world like the human brain could one day underpin smart bionic eyes while using far less energy than today's technologies. The invention from RMIT University combines sensing, memory and information processing within the same system, reducing the need to constantly move data between separate sensors, memory banks and processors. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-smart-bionic-eye-sight.html Electronics & Semiconductors Tue, 08 Sep 2026 16:40:10 EDT news708103561 Almost all the energy that flows into computing devices is eventually squandered as waste heat. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-tracking-energy-reveals-voltage-pattern.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 08 Sep 2026 13:00:01 EDT news708090901 Lithium-ion batteries power everything from portable electronics to electric vehicles, but their performance gradually declines as repeated charging and discharging alter the interfaces inside the cell. One particularly important interface forms on graphite, the most widely used commercial anode material. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-electrolyte-additive-graphite-layer-lithium.html Energy & Green Tech Mon, 07 Sep 2026 18:00:08 EDT news708006354 A novel approach for making carbon-carbon composites could replace the slow, labor-intensive manufacturing process that has constrained the material's availability and driven up its cost. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-method-resistant-materials-days-months.html Engineering Fri, 04 Sep 2026 10:00:02 EDT news707734441 Wearable sensors, such as wristbands, rings and adhesive patches, are becoming increasingly common for health care monitoring, fitness tracking and human-machine interaction. While most wearable devices are made from flexible polymers or textiles, paper-based sensors are emerging as cheaper and more sustainable alternatives. Such sensors could be used for applications such as medical diagnosis or detecting contaminants and toxins and could be safely discarded after use. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-framework-paper-wearable-sensors-tailored.html Electronics & Semiconductors Thu, 03 Sep 2026 16:00:07 EDT news707669582 The field of silicon photonics, which uses light rather than electricity to transmit and process data on semiconductor chips, has enabled optical systems to evolve from bulky setups to compact, advanced systems. Typically, however, these silicon-photonics chips are rigid and opaque. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-transparent-silicon-photonics-chips-advanced.html Electronics & Semiconductors Thu, 03 Sep 2026 15:40:07 EDT news707668561 Physicists from the University of Amsterdam have developed a method to print three-dimensional structures in ice. The researchers show how small pillars can be printed at an angle, making it possible to print arbitrary profiles in ice that don't need additional support. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-supercooled-enables-3d-ice.html Engineering Thu, 03 Sep 2026 09:00:04 EDT news707644383 Touchscreens and other touch-based controls, from smartphones and tablets to smart devices and wearable electronics, have become part of everyday life. However, many touch interfaces depend on batteries, external power, electrodes and wiring, which can increase costs and make them difficult to install in places where conventional electronics are impractical. Finding a simpler way to create touch-sensitive controls could therefore open new possibilities for wearable devices and the growing Internet of Things (IoT). https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-laser-pvc-interface-tracks-finger.html Engineering Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:40:10 EDT news707575081 Research led by RMIT University shows the 3D-printed titanium lattice—made up of hollow, interconnected struts filled with foam—not only floats but also withstands seawater exposure and is stronger than the stainless steel or high-density plastic currently used in jetties, buoys and floating sensors. The paper is published in the journal Advanced Materials. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-world-titanium.html Engineering Wed, 02 Sep 2026 12:00:09 EDT news707568422