We're barely seeing 4G take hold here in the States and the FCC has begun the process to push into 5G for mobile data. The government's communications council voted unanimously to start looking into accessing the higher-than-24GHz frequency spectrum that was previously thought to be, as Reuters notes, unusable by mobile networks. So what are the benefits? Gigabit internet connections on the go, for starters -- something our current sub-3GHz spectrum can't quite handle -- similar to the ones Samsung just tested. Yeah, now you're excited. The feds believe that using these "millimeter waves" would allow for higher bandwidth for more people and devices at speeds that outclass most homes' broadband.

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People used to think it's harder to make computers play chess (or Jeopardy) and do mathematics than it is to make them understand human language. Turns out the opposite is true -- yes, engineers have made great advancements in voice recognition (Siri and Google voice commands are perfect examples), but they've yet to create a system that can speak with us like another human can. Google's documentary (after the break) talks about the beginnings of voice recognition, the current state of language understanding, as well as the future of artificial neural network technology, which can be used to improve both. The main goal of scientists and engineers is to make computers reach human levels of language understanding, but whether that'll ever happen remains to be seen.

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Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read.

How Palmer Luckey Created the Oculus Rift
by Taylor Clark,
Smithsonian Magazine

If you've yet to read up on the origins of the Oculus Rift, there's no time like the present. Smithsonian Magazine details the headset's origins, giving its creator, Palmer Luckey, an American Ingenuity Award this week. The piece offers a look into the gaming gadget's brief history, including the first meeting between Luckey and Brendan Iribe, Nate Mitchell and Michael Antonov back in 2012.

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The legality of Airbnb rentals in New York City have been under fire for awhile now, and the city just fired another volley: New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has released a report titled "Airbnb in the city," and it's not particularly favorable. The report claims that 72-percent of all private short-term rentals (read: Airbnb rentals) are illegal -- specifically because they were rentals for an "entire/home apartment" for terms of less than a month. The report explains that these kinds of rentals probably should be paying hotel occupancy taxes, and estimates that the city has lost $33 million in tax revenue as a result of the illegal Airbnb rentals. Worse, the report says, a small contingent of hosts seem to be using Airbnb to run illegal hotels.

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Back in the day, British Star Wars fans could send off for a figurine enclosed in an opaque white box. Of course, if you wanted to peek at whatever was hidden inside, you'd have to open the packaging, which would take a massive chunk off the value. Without it, however, you'd never know what was inside, with toys ranging from standard-issue models through to ultra-rare Boba Fett pieces that are now worth around $8,000. UK collector Dave Moss paid just $8 for one such box, and began to wonder if it was possible to peek inside using more modern methods.

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Apple has chosen to focus on the iPad's camera abilities with the upcoming Air 2 (we wish they wouldn't) and apparently, finally snagged Flickr's attention. Yahoo's photo sharing service somehow managed to beat Instagram to the punch so perhaps the introduction of its first iPad-ready app (four years after Apple's slate arrived) isn't that late. So what's in the (now universal) Flickr iOS app? iPad-optimized layouts for members to browse pictures whether their own or others that "cascade in a lovely waterfall format." If you must take a picture with your tablet, the app can record photos or videos with live filters and a full suite of editing tools. It requires iOS 8 to work, and some of the upgrades that stretch across devices include support for the new sharing extensions, photo detail editing and a new unified search. The update is live in the app store now, and of course there's no time like 3AM ET on a Saturday to give it a try.

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Fitbit recalled its Force wearable back in February after owners reported skin irritation, but after an investigation, says it will not do the same for the Fitbit Flex. The New York Times reports that the company and the Consumer Product Safety Commission decided a recall was not necessary, as long as the company makes a few changes. New wristbands will ship with a warning that it contains nickel, a common allergy, as well as a sizing guide to keep users from making it too tight. In a just-posted (at such a convenient time) letter to customers, CEO & co-founder James Park said "we are now confident that our users who experienced allergic contact dermatitis likely reacted either to very small levels of methacrylates...or, to a lesser degree, nickel in the stainless steel casing." He goes on to say that Fitbit is taking this experience into account in the design for its next-generation trackers, which should include the new Charge and ChargeHR devices that recently surfaced.

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If Google Glass and lifelogging cameras aren't enough to make you feel safe, then maybe what you really need is a surveillance blazer. See, nothing can get past the camera-dotted jacket above -- not when it can capture 360 videos of your environment and instantly upload it to the internet with the click of a button. Its Korean creator, Shinseungback Kimyonghun, believes all the cameras (controlled by an onboard Raspberry Pi) give off an "I can record you" warning, which can deter people from messing with you. It doesn't seem like he has plans to sell it en masse, though, so you might have to make your own if you desperately want one. Make sure to watch the video after the break, if that's the case, for more clues on how to get it done.

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Sure, we were only just introduced to Apple's 27-inch iMac with Retina 5K Display, but the folks at iFixit are already tearing one apart. Inside they found a screen made by LG Display, and a setup similar to previous iMacs, including easily-accessed RAM slots for memory upgrades. Overall, the layout is almost exactly like last year's 27-inch iMac, plus that new display controller Apple bragged about and a slightly wider display data cable, enhanced to feed all those pixels. Repairing things might be tricky given its design, but you should check out the teardown for more details and a look at the carnage.

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So, why hasn't Apple updated its MacBook Air line with a Retina display? Here's our two-word answer: battery life. That's not all we have on deck though -- check out the rest of our news highlights from the last 24 hours, including a breakthrough in fusion power, further decline of the record industry, a Comic Sans typewriter and more.

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