That new technologies could actually be bad for us, by sapping our attention or ruining our memories, is an argument that goes back to Socrates. It's tempting to summarily dismiss these concerns, but such tech-doomsaying is actually an important part of economic discovery. Our societies are organised by rules, embedded in our collective knowledge, about the proper way to behave and interact with each other. These rules are worked out over a long, often bitter process of debate and competition between rival ideas about society. Some of the most important rules we need to discover are about how to use technology and, just as importantly, how not to use it.

Amazon is making it easier for those with hearing and speech impairments to utilize Alexa. Starting today, the Echo Show will have an option to toggle on a new feature called "Tap to Alexa," which will let users tap the device's screen to access the digital assistant. The feature includes shortcuts to common Alexa items like weather, timers, news and traffic, and users can also type out Alexa commands. Additionally, while Amazon launched its Alexa captioning feature in the US a few months ago, it's now releasing that feature to users in the UK, Germany, Japan, India, France, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. To activate Tap to Alexa, head over to the Echo Show's device settings, select the accessibility settings and switch the feature on.

A UK government backed drone innovation project that's exploring how unmanned aerial vehicles could benefit cities -- including for use-cases such as medical delivery, traffic incident response, fire response and construction and regeneration -- has reported early learnings from the first phase of the project. Five city regions are being used as drone test-beds as part of Nesta's Flying High Challenge -- namely London, the West Midlands, Southampton, Preston and Bradford. While five socially beneficial use-cases for drone technology have been analyzed as part of the project so far, including considering technical, social and economic implications of the tech. The project has been ongoing since December. Nesta, the innovation-focused charity behind the project and the report, wants the UK to become a global leader in shaping drone systems that place people's needs first, and writes in the report that: "Cities must shape the future of drones: Drones must not shape the future of cities."

Leveraging robotics to undertake dangerous missions has obvious benefits for mankind, and space travel is no exception. In 2011, NASA sent its dexterous assistant'Robonaut 2' on a trip to the International Space Station (ISS) with the objective of working alongside presiding astronauts. Now a "source in the rocket and space industry" tells RIA Novosti that a Russian android duo could be following suit as early as next year. According to Defense One, the FEDOR androids will, in an unprecedented move, fly on the unmanned Soyuz spacecraft not as cargo, but as crew members. The Roscosmos space agency has reportedly given the flight its preliminary approval.

Snapchat has dropped a feature that let users receive cash through the app. The tool – known as Snapcash – will now be removed from the app. It is just one of a wide variety of features that owner Snap has been gradually introducing to the app. Those have included addition as diverse as glasses and videos that can live outside of Snapchat. The I.F.O. is fuelled by eight electric engines, which is able to push the flying object to an estimated top speed of about 120mph.

The lack of computing skills has been a topic I've covered a number of times, with the skills shortage holding back developments in both data science and AI. The issue was nicely encapsulated in recent news that there were more vacancies for IT-related jobs than people looking for them in the United States. A number of attempts have been made to close this gap, including projects by both Google and NVIDIA that I've covered before. Putting their hat into the ring are open source giant Red Hat, who have recently teamed up with independent school Lord Wandsworth College and the University of Surrey to produce the Open Schools Coding Competition, which the consortium hope will inspire the next generation of coders. The competition is in its second year and has 10 schools competing.

An ethics committee says creating GM babies is "morally permissible" AI experts vow they won't help create lethal autonomous weapons

Something as simple as being welcomed to a shop with a "Good morning, how can I help you?" could soon be a thing of the past, or, at least, not hearing it from a person but a robot that customises the interaction according to the data the establishment has on the customer. Even now, both the role played by the shop assistant and the management of online information and purchases are fundamental. "Retailers are working to provide a seamless experience for customers, between online and offline shopping. We are now seeing customers browse online and pick up in the store; or visit a physical store to touch and feel the product and then purchase it online," explains Barbara Kahn, professor of marketing at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Building a strong brand that the consumer can identify with and a supportive brand experience is one of the approaches retailers are taking to adapt to these changes.

Astronaut Tim Peake has launched a competition to name the British-made Mars rover set to search for life on the red planet -- and'Rover McRoverface' is already in the running. The rover is scheduled to land on the red planet in August 2021 and will be part of a mission to investigate how Mars evolved and whether it has conditions for life. People with suggestions can submit them on a designated website set-up by the European Space Agency (ESA). However, it is not a popularity poll, with an expert panel scheduled to make the final decision. As a result, 'Rover McRoverface' is unlikely to be the winning entry.

Cisco is set to pump $100 million (£76.8 million) into building one of the world's largest AI research centres with University College London (UCL), aiming to spur innovation in machine learning, big data and autonomous vehicles. The UK government welcomed the plans, with prime minister Theresa May and digital secretary Jeremy Wright saying the initiative will run hand-in-hand with the government's industrial strategy that aims to generate £230 billion to the UK economy by 2030. Once build, the centre will house more than 200 academics and researchers, and will train new talent in AI and innovation, digital skills and more as the centre seeks to expand the use of AI to different industries. "The UK has become the natural destination in Europe for the largest and most innovative tech companies to operate and invest," Wright said, according to City AM. "Cisco's strong commitment to the UK highlights we have the ambition, research excellence and regulatory environment for world-leading firms to develop the innovations that will change people's lives for the better." The scheme was unveiled at Downing Street at the end of last week and May described it as a vote of confidence in the government's industrial strategy.