Author: Zech

Wearable computing technology is nothing new in the world of film—think James Bond’s wristwatch or (if that’s a stretch) the wired monkey brain scanner worn by Rick Moranis in Ghostbusters—but in the real world, wearable technology has yet to make a big impact on consumers or businesses, except in the healthcare industry, where wearable devices, particularly Google Glass, seem to be gaining enthusiastic acceptance for the first time.Today’s wearable tech movement began with Nike+ technology, which started as sensors in running shoes designed to track performance. It was 2006, when Nike and Apple teamed up on the first killer collaboration…

Autonomous aircraft have been in the spotlight since the start of the Ukraine war, causing commercial drones to change tactics almost overnight and prompting policymakers to call for a renewed focus on autonomy on the ground.The U.S. Department of Defense is at a critical crossroads as it thinks creatively and ambitiously about how to leverage this important new technology at scale for strategic advantage.The past decade has seen significant technological advancements on the ground. American roads are currently undergoing an AI-driven revolution that has significant implications for both economic competitiveness and national security. After years and billions of dollars of…

If you were looking for online therapy between 2017 and 2021 (like many of you were), you likely ended up on BetterHelp. BetterHelp currently bills itself as the world’s largest online therapy provider with over 2 million users. Once on BetterHelp, with just a few clicks, you’ll fill out a form similar to the paper questionnaires you’d fill out in a therapist’s office. Are you new to therapy? Are you on medication? Are you having intimate relationship problems? Are you feeling overwhelming sadness? Are you thinking about self-harming? BetterHelp asked if you were religious, LGBTQ, or a teen. These questions…

Sara Hussein covers the climate crisis, environment and science across the Asia-Pacific region. She was previously deputy bureau chief in Tokyo, where she led coverage of events ranging from the pandemic-postponed Tokyo Olympics to the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Prior to that, she was based in the Middle East for almost eight years, reporting from areas including Israel, the Palestinian Territories, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Egypt and Libya. In 2011, she won the Bayou Calvados Award for War Correspondents in the “Young Reporter” category for her reporting in Libya. Hussein began her AFP career in 2009 on the…

What began as a self-driving car project within Google, Alphabet-owned self-driving specialist Waymo was founded in 2009 as a venture to bridge the gap between self-driving cars and robotaxis. As of March 2023, the company plans to test one of its autonomous EVs on the streets of Austin, Texas, showcasing the first prototype of the Waymo Driver, called Firefly. Waymo One ride-hailing services are already available to the public in Phoenix, Arizona, and San Francisco, California. In August, the company announced it had received a permit from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to deploy driverless vehicles, the final step…

The Richmond-based Red Gates Foundation has committed $50 million to Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute to advance health sciences research at Virginia Tech, one of the university’s largest gifts ever. “The Red Gates Foundation is committed to funding transformative research that has the potential to make a real difference in the world,” said Jeff Galanti, executive director of the foundation. “The Fralin Biomedical Institute is a world-renowned research institution that pushes the boundaries of what’s possible. We are confident that the institute’s agile research approach, focused on the intersection of science, medicine, engineering and data analytics, will lead to…

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (September 11, 2023) – The Techstars Alabama EnergyTech Accelerator is proud to announce the 12 startups selected for the Fall 2023 semester. These promising early-stage companies are addressing challenges in areas including energy tech, climate tech and sustainability.Set in Birmingham, Alabama’s vibrant tech ecosystem, the three-month mentorship-focused program brings together founders from around the world and represents a large number of U.S. companies, including one local Alabama company. The Class of 2023 was selected for their innovative products and solutions in areas that are revolutionizing the way we live and work. This class further strengthens our commitment to…

Over the past decade, Congress has held more than 20 hearings on autonomous vehicles (AVs), with a third of those hearings taking place in just one committee: the House Energy and Commerce (E&C). Lawmakers have heard from technology experts, safety advocates, and Americans with disabilities who argue for AVs to expand mobility access. Lawmakers have held hearings on AVs on insurance impacts, trucking, competition from China, and more. But after more than 55 hours of hearings, an AV bill has yet to reach the President’s desk. Meanwhile, human drivers are increasingly causing fatal accidents on U.S. roads, and Chinese self-driving…

As the rollout of autonomous shuttles expands across the U.S., these vehicles are increasingly being used to improve mobility on college campuses. This week alone saw the announcement of new deployments by Beep at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte) and the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), as well as Florida State University at Jacksonville (FSCJ)’s Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA). UNC Charlotte Beep and NCDOT are conducting a six-month pilot program at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte to demonstrate autonomous and electric shared mobility solutions. North Carolina Department of Transportation and Beep begin testing…

During a visit to Detroit this week, Sierra Club Executive Director Ben Jealous told the Michigan Advance that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s climate action bill, if passed, would mark a milestone in ensuring communities most affected by climate change can benefit from federal investments. From Senate Democrats’ release of their “Clean Energy Future” plan in March to Governor Whitmer’s call for a 100% clean energy standard in her “What’s Next” address last week, Michigan Democrats have been pushing policies to transition the state’s energy grid to renewable sources in an effort to meet the Governor’s climate goals and improve the state’s…