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CES 2020 Proved VR And AR Are Thriving

Virtual and augmented reality have had a rough few years: Pundits tried to proclaim VR “dead” despite growing consumer interest and sales, while AR’s high prices and limited utility relegated dozens of competing headsets into various “enterprise” niches.

Algorithm Identifies New Treatment For Neuroblastoma

Using a computer algorithm, scientists at Uppsala University have identified a promising new treatment for neuroblastoma. This form of cancer in children, which occurs in specialised nerve cells in the sympathetic nervous system, may be life-threatening.

US Cancer Death Rates Report Reveals Sharpest Ever Single-year Decline

The steady decline is attributed to a range of factors, with the period examined including the sharpest one-year decline ever recorded.

Google Assistant Passes 500 Million Users, Will Get Longform Reading And Deeper Smart Home Integration In 2020

Google Assistant is now used by 500 million monthly active users, and today Google is previewing features on the way in 2020 like a new voice that reads articles and web pages aloud to users with a more natural and humanlike voice.

NextMind Is Building A Real-time Brain Computer Interface, Unveils Dev Kit For $399

NextMind is part of a growing number of startups building noninvasive neural interfaces that rely on machine learning algorithms.

Apple's Working On A Powerful, Wireless Headset For Both AR, VR

The headset, which would straddle the two technologies and tap into Apple's own chips, is slated for 2020. It’s the biggest sign of Apple’s interest in virtual reality.

U.S. Government Limits Exports Of AI Software

The measure covers software that could be used by sensors, drones, and satellites to automate the process of identifying targets, a boon for industry, which feared a much broader crackdown on exports of AI hardware and software.

Brain Imaging Breakthrough Predicts Alzheimer's Decline In Early Stages

Utilizing a recently developed brain imaging technique new research suggests that measuring accumulated levels of a protein called tau may predict future neurodegeneration associated with Alzihemer’s disease.

Flue Gases Extract Methane From Permafrost While Reducing Emissions

University in Edinburgh are looking at a way of extracting methane from Arctic permafrost in a manner that reduces carbon dioxide emissions.

Protein Infusion Could Reduce Heart Failure Risk After Heart Attack

Heart disease is the biggest killer in the Western world. A part of the problem is that even if one survives a heart attack, damage to the heart muscle results in the formation of thick scar tissue that can increase the chance of heart failure.

Novel Dementia Vaccine On Track For Human Trials Within Two Years

The researchers suggest this "dementia vaccine" is now ready for human trials, and if successful could become the “breakthrough of the next decade.”

Review Of Intermittent Fasting Research Suggests Broad Health Benefits

A new analysis of current intermittent fasting research suggests the dietary strategy could soon be incorporated as standard medical health and diet advice.