Urbanears unveils new earbuds made from 97% recycled plastic
These new earbuds are made almost entirely from recycled plastic, making them a more eco-conscious option compared to traditional AirPods or Bluetooth headsets. Want to listen to your favourite songs on the go but don’t want to invest in Apple’s extensive ecosystem? Music goers looking for a more environmentally friendly...
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New AI tool recreates faces solely through voice data
As deep fake technology becomes increasingly difficult to suss out online, from AI voices to celebrity lookalikes, a new tool has allowed researchers to recreate faces through voice recordings. The era of deepfakes and artificial personas is steadily creeping up on us, one technological breakthrough at a time. While you...
Ukraine moves to digitally preserve its national landmarks
Amid the continued conflict with Russia, Ukraine is moving to digitally preserve its national landmarks in case of potential damage or destruction. Crowdsourced Polycam scans are helping to build detailed renderings for future restorations. Crowdsourced material is becoming increasingly important for Ukrainians amid Russia’s invasion. Some of those who’ve remained within...
VICE launches specially designed virtual Metaverse offices
Danish architecture firm BIG has created virtual office spaces for VICE, which it calls the Viceverse. The launch demonstrates the potential for mainstream use of the Metaverse. It seems we may finally be entering the real-life Matrix. Okay, that may be a little melodramatic, but the Metaverse’s continual growth in popularity...
You can now place your NFTs in a real-life display
Bought yourself an NFT and want to show it off in your own home? You can now purchase a real display that will broadcast each NFT from various angles, like a moving picture frame. NFTs are questionable - both environmentally and economically - but that won’t stop the market...
Is the gene-editing technology CRISPR a good idea?
The scientific discovery of a genetic code called CRISPR could help eradicate diseases in humans forever, but could altering genes become a slippery slope? There are over 6,000 known human genetic disorders, with more being discovered and named every day. At the time of writing this, only 10 percent of...
Hacktivists up the ante in ‘cyberwar’ against Russia
Hacktivist groups are continuing to punish Russia with a multi-pronged digital assault. Last week, decentralised groups released some 820GB of sensitive files, crashed the Moscow Stock Exchange website, and hijacked live Russian TV broadcasts. Whether you cheered or rolled your eyes at its declaration of ‘cyberwar,’ the rogue hacker outfit Anonymous has returned to make trouble for Russia. Back in late February, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced the formation...
Bitcoin miners are reviving dying coal plants in the US
As the US strives to decarbonise the energy industry, Bitcoin miners are becoming a thorn in its side. The enormous electricity consumption needed to sustain crypto is now fuelling a partial resurrection of coal. Coal is no longer fashionable, but Bitcoin definitely is. The two, unfortunately, are now becoming intrinsically linked. As investment throughout the energy sector transitions to renewables, the shutters are being pulled down on coal plants throughout the...
Why are people outraged at this music NFT startup?
A new music-based NFT company called ‘HitPiece’ has emerged online, but it has been accused of widespread theft from both mainstream and indie artists. The situation highlights the unregulated, problematic rise of NFTs. Anyone who follows creatives on Twitter – musicians, graphic designers, and producers – has likely seen the controversy surrounding HitPiece this week. Popping up seemingly out of nowhere, HitPiece describes itself as a ‘community’ that offers...
How AI can lead to verbal abuse and unhealthy attachments
Smartphone app Replika is enabling users to find companionship in artificially intelligent chatbots. But what happens when the human emotion of users gets in the way of keeping things casual? It’s getting a little too real in the world of tech right now. The recent and rapid expansion of the metaverse, together with advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR), have brought forward serious questions about human behaviour and...
