News

There isn’t much space between your ears, but what’s in there can do many things that a computer of the same size never could. Your brain is also vastly more energy efficient at interpreting the world visually or understanding speech than any computer system. That’s why academic and corporate labs have been experimenting with “neuromorphic” chips modeled on features seen in brains. These chips have networks of “neurons” that communicate in spikes of electricity (see “Thinking in Silicon”). They can be significantly more energy-efficient than conventional chips, and some can even automatically reprogram themselves to learn new skills.

Read More

Facebook.com is one of the most frequently accessed URLs in the world, but on Friday the social network unveiled a new one: facebookcorewwwi.onion. That address serves up a version of Facebook’s service accessible only via the Tor anonymity software. Tor users include dissidents trying to avoid censorship, criminals, and U.S. government workers who need to escape scrutiny from foreign security services.

Read More

Pebble, the first widely available smartwatch, cleared $10.2 million on the site. Ouya, an affordable game console running Android, cleared $8.6 million. Virtual-reality system Oculus Rift got a $2.4 million start, and rock legend Neil Young turned to Kickstarter to fund Pono, a high-quality digital music player, to the tune of $6.2 million.

Read More

The report demonstrates that “we have the means to limit climate change,” said Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the IPCC, in a statement. “The solutions are many and allow for continued economic and human development. All we need is the will to change, which we trust will be motivated by knowledge and an understanding of the science of climate change.”

Read More

Andy Rubin, co-founder and ‘father’ of Android, has left Google to set up a startup incubator for technology hardware. Rubin sold his Android company to Google in 2005, heading up its development until March 2013 when he moved to take the lead in Google’s “moonshot” robotics projects. “I want to wish Andy all the best with what’s next,” Google chief executive Larry Page said in a statement. “With Android he created something truly remarkable – with a billion-plus happy users. Thank you.”

Read More