The coronavirus pandemic completely disrupted the global travel industry. While things are slowly opening up, the current situation of world affairs makes travel returning to its former glory seem a rather far-fetched idea. But wouldn't it be nice to be able to'be there' without actually being there? Like take a tour at the famous Singapore museum or attend an important press conference across the continent or participate in your best friend's wedding all from the comfort of your home? Well, that's the idea behind telepresence, a technology that has been making waves in the market for a while.

The robot arm is performing a peculiar kind of Sisyphean task. It hovers over a glistening pile of cooked chicken parts, dips down, and retrieves a single piece. A moment later, it swings around and places the chunk of chicken, ever so gently, into a bento box moving along a conveyor belt. This robot, created by a San Francisco–based company called Osaro, is smarter than any you've seen before. The software that controls it has taught it to pick and place chicken in about five seconds--faster than your average food-processing worker.

I joined the Star Wars fandom late in the game. I grew up in India, where Star Wars is less of a thing, but in 2015 I watched "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and set out on a quest to watch everything. They can move and talk (though mostly in gibberish) and act intelligently. As we all know, technology is often inspired by movies. Just look at how speech technologies are evolving and inspired by movies like Star Wars.

This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. When readers choose to buy The Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. After spending 20 hours researching telepresence robots and testing two of the most promising models in office and home settings, we don't think these devices are ready for prime time. But if you want a telepresence robot to give remote employees a physical presence in your office, the Suitable Technologies Beam Enhanced is the only bot that's reliable and user-friendly enough to consider. A telepresence robot is a videoconferencing screen mounted on a moving base.

Nasa has announced that it has found evidence of flowing water on Mars. Scientists have long speculated that Recurring Slope Lineae -- or dark patches -- on Mars were made up of briny water but the new findings prove that those patches are caused by liquid water, which it has established by finding hydrated salts. Several hundred camped outside the London store in Covent Garden. The 6s will have new features like a vastly improved camera and a pressure-sensitive "3D Touch" display