Computer Science

It’s time for smart fitness trackers to smarten up

Smart fitness trackers are actually pretty dumb. And, when it comes to keeping track of activity, so are humans. Your smartphone’s accelerometer, which measures movement, can...

Scientists create low-power, low-cost network for 5G connectivity

Researchers at the University of Waterloo have developed a cheaper and more efficient method for Internet-of-Things devices to receive high-speed wireless connectivity. With 75 billion...

AirDrop is making your iPhone vulnerable to attackers

Whether you're checking text messages on your smartwatch or sharing selfies with a friend at a concert, it's becoming easier and easier to send...

Electric car charging stations may be portals for power grid cyberattacks

Electric cars are an essential component of a lower-carbon future. However, a new report raises the specter that plug-in electric vehicles — and the charging...

Virtual reality may help treat severe pain

In a new study, researchers found that virtual reality (VR) can be used to reduce severe pain in patients. The research was conducted by a...

AI could detect irregular heart rhythm more effectively

In a new study, researchers found that artificial intelligence (AI) can detect the signs of irregular heart rhythm, atrial fibrillation (AF), in an EKG...

Hackers could use few connected cars to gridlock whole cities

Hackers could gridlock whole cities by stalling out a limited percentage of self-driving and other connected vehicles. In the year 2026, at rush hour, your...

How to make electrical muscle stimulation feel natural to virtual reality users

If there’s one familiar sound whenever a volunteer tries out an interactive device that uses electrical muscle stimulation, it is probably laughter. Even for experienced...

Brain-inspired compute could understand how you feel

Could a computer, at a glance, tell the difference between a joyful image and a depressing one? Could it distinguish, in a few milliseconds, a...

Scientists create a super sensitive quantum microphone that could count sound particles

Stanford physicists have developed a "quantum microphone" so sensitive that it can measure individual particles of sound, called phonons. The device, which is detailed in...