Electronics

‘Surfing attacks’ could hack your Siri, Google

Ultrasonic waves can activate Siri on your smartphone and have it make calls, take images, or read the contents of a text to a...

‘Surfing attack’ hacks Siri, Google with ultrasonic waves

Ultrasonic waves don't make a sound, but they can still activate Siri on your cellphone and have it make calls, take images or read...

Scientists develop simple self-charging battery to power electronic devices

A new type of battery combines negative capacitance and negative resistance within the same cell, allowing the cell to self-charge without losing energy. This has...

Small mirrored chip helps create handheld dark-field microscopes

Do a Google search for dark-field images, and you’ll discover a beautifully detailed world of microscopic organisms set in bright contrast to their midnight-black...

Hey, Alexa! Sorry I fooled you …

A human can likely tell the difference between a turtle and a rifle. Two years ago, Google's AI wasn't so sure. For quite some time, a...

8 tips to make your gadget’s battery last longer

These best practices can make the lithium-ion batteries in your devices last longer, researchers say. Researchers plowed through scores of academic papers and manufacturers’ user...

Scientists solve major safety issue with lithium metal batteries

A Washington State University research team has developed a way to address a major safety issue with lithium metal batteries - an innovation that...

New chip brings ultra-low power Wi-Fi connectivity to Internet of Things devices

More portable, fully wireless smart home setups. Lower power wearables. Batteryless smart devices. These could all be made possible thanks to a new ultra-low power Wi-Fi...

People with longer thumbs mistype on their smartphones more often, says study

People with long thumbs have a tougher time hitting the right phone keys. According to a recent study from the University of Copenhagen, thumb...

Scientists learn more about the first hours of a lithium-ion battery’s life

The first hours of a lithium-ion battery's life largely determine just how well it will perform. In those moments, a set of molecules self-assembles into...