Research
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Boston's Federal Reserve says it has solved technical challenges of a 'digital dollar'
The US Federal Reserve is continuing its research into a "digital dollar" and has unveiled a technical specification for how it might work.
Recommended Reading: How a Netflix series changed Formula 1
Recommended Reading highlights the week's best long-form writing on technology and more.
Twitter says its algorithms amplify the ‘political right’ but it doesn’t know why
According to Twitter’s research team, the company’s timeline algorithm amplifies content from the “political right” in six of the seven countries it studied.
Google turns its AI on traffic lights to reduce pollution
Google is working on a project that could use AI to make traffic lights more efficient and, as a result, decrease pollution in general.
Facebook will publish some of its research on teens and Instagram
Facebook will publish two internal slide decks detailing its research into how Instagram affects teens’ mental health sometime “in the next few days.”
Solid-state silicon batteries could last longer and charge faster
Researchers have created a solid-state battery with an all-silicon anode that could potentially deliver long life, high energy density and fast charging.
Researchers say Facebook is interfering with their tools to study News Feed
Facebook quietly pushed out changes to News Feed that’s “interfering” with the browser-based tools used by journalists and researchers, according to The Markup.
Apple is reportedly working on mental health monitoring using iPhone data
Sensors and algorithms could help detect depression, anxiety and cognitive decline.
Tesla drivers become 'inattentive' when using Autopilot, study finds
MIT researchers studying glance data found that drivers become more inattentive when using Tesla's Autopilot system.
Researchers: Platforms like Facebook have played ‘major role’ in fueling polarization
Social media platforms like Facebook “have played a major role in exacerbating political polarization that can lead to such extremist violence,” according to a new report.
The fight to study what happens on Facebook
Facebook has promised researchers transparency, but some say those promises have come up empty.
Facebook is making it easier for researchers to study fringe groups
Facebook is making it easier for researchers to study its platform, including fringe groups and other “non-mainstream” movements, with a new Researcher API.
Facebook teases wrist-controlled augmented reality
Facebook is offering a new peek into how users could ultimately control AR glasses: via their wrists.
China five-year plan aims for supremacy in AI, quantum computing
China has unveiled a five-year plan that will boost tech research in hopes of leading the world in fields like AI and quantum computing.
Researchers create a swimming robot that can 'heal' itself
Researchers at UC San Diego created a tiny robot shaped like a fish that could reassemble itself when broken apart.
MIT researchers created a system that prints functional drones and robots
LaserFactory cuts out a shape, then adds circuitry and components.
Twitter is making it easier for researchers to study its platform
Twitter just took a major step toward making it easier for researchers to understand the conversations happening on its platform.
Researchers have turned pineapple leaves into drone parts
The bio-composite material degrades within two weeks after it's buried.
Report: MediaTek takes over as world's largest smartphone chipset vendor
Move over, Qualcomm: According to a new report from research firm Counterpoint, MediaTek has overtaken the San Diego-based chipmaker to become the world’s biggest vendor of smartphone chipsets by market share. While Qualcomm (understandably) held onto its title as the biggest purveyor of 5G-friendly chipsets, Counterpoint’s data suggests that more than 100 million MediaTek-powered smartphones were sold in Q3 2020 — a roughly five percent increase compared to this time last year. Counterpoint’s report added some valuable context to MediaTek’s most recent earnings release, in which it reported revenues of NT$97,275 million — a boost of nearly 50 percent over the year-ago quarter.
MIT researchers show quantum entanglement could make atomic clocks more accurate
It could help scientists explore issues such as the effect of gravity on time.