Technology Engineering Thomas Edison's failed rechargeable battery may get a second life The famed inventor's nickel-iron idea isn't suited for EVs, but it could help solar farms and data centers. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. A rechargeable battery based on technology pioneered by Thomas Edison may finally get its due. But while the famous inventor envisioned nickel-iron batteries powering the automobile industry over a century ago, researchers now believe the underlying concepts are more suited for renewable energy centers. According to a study published in the journal, a team including engineers from the University of California, Los Angeles have developed a prototype battery that recharges in seconds and withstands over 12,000 cycles of use--an equivalent to over 30 years of daily activity.

The feature-laden FamiLock Max S3--the first smart lock we've seen with an integrated video screen on its interior escutcheon--works well, but its onboard camera won't make sense in some home environments. As if on steroids, smart locks have been advancing in amazing and surprising ways over the last year, with each few months bringing a new "first" to the market. Eufy's FamiLock S3 Max offers yet another smart lock innovation that would have been unthinkable just weeks ago: It's the first model we've seen that has a built-in, 4-inch video screen on its interior escutcheon, relaying video from a camera mounted on the exterior escutcheon, no secondary device required. It's a neat idea but right off the bat, it's clearly not a lock that's going to make sense for everyone. Like many homeowners, I have a massive window set into the center of my front door, so having a small video screen that displays what is happening on the other side of that door isn't going to do me much good. However, those with fully opaque doors--especially apartment dwellers –might find this a much more compelling proposition than a peephole.

Smart meters play a crucial role in enhancing energy management and efficiency, but they raise significant privacy concerns by potentially revealing detailed user behaviors through energy consumption patterns. Recent scholarly efforts have focused on developing battery-aided load-shaping techniques to protect user privacy while balancing costs. This paper proposes a novel deep reinforcement learning-based load-shaping algorithm (PLS-DQN) designed to protect user privacy by proactively creating artificial load signatures that mislead potential attackers. We evaluate our proposed algorithm against a non-intrusive load monitoring (NILM) adversary. The results demonstrate that our approach not only effectively conceals real energy usage patterns but also outperforms state-of-the-art methods in enhancing user privacy while maintaining cost efficiency.

Kurt "The Cyberguy" Knutsson explains how the new Apollo humanoid can potentially be the end of jobs as we know it. Are we living in the future? Are the robots taking over? No … but for Austin-based startup Apptronik, robots are being developed and are here to stay. Meet Apollo: Apptronik's latest "general purpose humanoid robot" powered by artificial intelligence (AI).

John Goodenough, who shared the 2019 Nobel prize in chemistry for his pioneering work developing the lithium-ion battery that transformed technology with rechargeable power for devices ranging from cellphones and computers to pacemakers and electric cars, has died at 100, the University of Texas announced on Monday. Goodenough died on Sunday at an assisted living facility in Austin, Texas, the university announced. No cause of death was given. The American was "was a leader at the cutting edge of scientific research throughout the many decades of his career", said Jay Hartzell, president of the University of Texas at Austin, where Goodenough was a faculty member for 37 years. Goodenough was the oldest person to receive a Nobel prize when he shared the award with British-born American scientist M Stanley Whittingham and Japan's Akira Yoshino.

Xbox controllers aren't just for the Xbox anymore--controllers designed for Microsoft's game console work just as well on Windows, and most games will understand the control layout automatically. But which one should you get? There are a plethora of third-party options, of course, but Microsoft has also expanded its lineup of controllers to run the gamut from practical to lavishly expensive. While most gamers will be happy with a middle-of-the-road pick, those who play competitively (or like to pretend they do) might want a controller with more capabilities. And those on a budget might want to save some cash for PC components and other upgrades.

Today's rechargeable batteries are a wonder, but far from perfect. Eventually, they all wear out, begetting expensive replacements and recycling. "But what if batteries were indestructible?" asks William Chueh, an associate professor of materials science and engineering at Stanford University and senior author of a new paper detailing a first-of-its-kind analytical approach to building better batteries that could help speed that day. The study appears in the journal Nature Materials. Chueh, lead author Haitao "Dean" Deng, PhD '21, and collaborators at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, MIT and other research institutions used artificial intelligence to analyze new kinds of atomic-scale microscopic images to understand exactly why batteries wear out.

The COVID-19 pandemic has touched every part of our lives, and plans surrounding CES 2021 were no different. But it wasn't just show schedules and venues disrupted by the outbreak. The products showcased during the big tech event were influenced by our new normal during the pandemic. At CES, gadget makers pulled out everything from smart masks to wearable air purifiers, not to mention multiple devices aimed at making both the air and water cleaner. Here's a look at all the CES devices attempting to keep you safer during the pandemic.

The Arlo Pro 4 is a small but mighty outdoor home security camera. The Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight camera has higher video quality and better field of view than almost any camera we've tested--including the popular Nest Cam Outdoor. Other Arlo Pro 4 features include color night vision output, two-way talk capabilities, timely smart alerts, and easy integration with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. The Pro 4 is entirely wire-free and runs on a rechargeable battery that can last up to six months per charge. It also has a built-in spotlight that illuminates when motion is detected, and a smart siren that can be triggered automatically or remotely via the Arlo app.

A spherical, cargo robot that carries up to 40 pounds while trailing behind its owner can be yours for just $3,250. Vespa scooter maker has unveiled a redesign of its personal robot called Gita, which aims to free its human's hands so they can engage with others and enjoy activities. The ball-like machine stands about 26 inches and uses vision sensors to follow you -- and it will be available to the public next month. A spherical, cargo robot that carries up to 40 pounds while trailing behind its owner can be yours for just $3,250. Vespa scooter maker has unveiled a redesign of its personal robot called Gita, which aims to free its human's hands so they can engage with others and enjoy activities Instead of deciding to use an automobile or truck to transport to lug packages and other goods, Piaggio Fast Forward, the creating firm, wants to help people walk, run, pedal and skate through life with the assistance of a family of vehicles like Gita.