Mock forest from KevinDavidkin's blog

It's the way you use it that matters

Technology doesn't need to be either good or bad. It's the way we use it and the culture around it. VPNs are an excellent example. They may either safeguard your privacy, or harvest your personal information based on the VPN you choose to use. Technology that is designed around the gathering of data could be used to greatly improve our lives with the right rules. However, it is a question of whether there's a push for these regulations that holds groups who violate these regulations--and people's privacy--accountable.

Google and Facebook were affected by faulty Chips that silently corrupt data

Google and Facebook two of the most popular internet businesses have found out that their computer chips are failing. This could lead to data corruption or make it hard to unlock encrypted files. Facebook says that hardware makers should be aware of this issue due to the massive computing power used by these companies.

Google discovered the issue after engineers reported issues with their calculations. Google's standard diagnostic tools did not detect any indications of problems. A thorough investigation revealed that the problem was due to specific chips.

Autonomous walking excavator can build walls and dig trenches

An autonomous prototype construction vehicle, weighing 12 tonnes, has demonstrated its ability to work in difficult terrains without human intervention.

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Swiss-German specialists were the first to convert an excavator to be capable of "walking" on struts that extended. They also mastered steep slopes with ease, so it could operate without the aid of humans. They utilized the adaptable walking excavator for constructing a 4-metre high stone wall, and also to grab trees for mock forest. The team also utilized it to dig...

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Stealthy marine robot begins studying mysterious deep-water life

We could gain from a stealthy and self-contained underwater robot that can detect and disturb creatures that are difficult to find under the water.

Mesobot, a 250-kilogram robot that operates either unconnected to an energy source or tied by a fibre-optic cable that is light in weight, can move beneath the surface without causing any disturbance.

The ocean's twilight zone - known more formally as the mesopelagic zone - lies between about 200 metres and 1 kilometres in depth. This is where you will find the daily phenomenon of the diel vertical migrating (DVM) which is when deep-dwelling animals are drawn closer to the surface to consume the plentiful food supply and avoid predators.

Biologists regard the DVM as an important method by which nutrients like carbon dioxide, that are captured through photosynthesis can be transported rapidly to depths, where they can be stored for future use. However, studying the organisms that are involved within the DVM is tricky, because they often flee from any thing that could disturb the water or sunlight.