The Internet of Things (IoT) is a rapidly evolving technology changing how we interact with everything. From home appliances to the cars we drive to and from work.

As we move towards the second half of 2023, several IoT trends are picking up steam and will shape the digital landscape in the future.

These trends will, without a doubt, revolutionize how we live, work, and play. But what is the catalyst behind these emerging trends?

It all boils down to technological advances, changes in consumer behavior, and breakthrough business models.

So today, we’ll explore the top five IoT trends that’ll significantly impact the digital world in 2023 and beyond.

1. Digital Twins and the Rise of the Enterprise Metaverse

2023 is the year of digital twins — and the rabbit, according to the Chinese calendar.

But in all seriousness, digital twins are rapidly emerging as a critical technology revolutionizing businesses’ operations.

A digital twin is a virtual representation of a real-world object, system, or process. It enables businesses to simulate, monitor, and optimize their operations.

And according to a McKinsey report, digital twins are becoming the foundation for the enterprise metaverse — a fully immersive and interconnected virtual world encompassing all aspects of our physical reality.

The concept of the Metaverse is gaining traction, and digital twins will play a critical role in building this virtual world.

Why do you think Facebook changed its name to Meta? They are doubling down on the Metaverse, and you don’t want to miss out on this trend.

Mark Zuckerberg said, “the metaverse is the next frontier, just like social networking was when we got started.”

By creating a virtual representation of the physical world, digital twins provide the foundation for businesses to build immersive and interconnected virtual environments.

For instance, a digital twin of a manufacturing plant can simulate and optimize production processes, reducing downtime, improving efficiency, and minimizing costs.

However, building the Metaverse presents several challenges, including interoperability, privacy, and security. Businesses must establish a common standard for digital twins to ensure they’re usable across different platforms and systems.

And not to mention the privacy and security concerns over the collected data. Despite these challenges, Digital Twins will become a critical technology in building the Metaverse and driving innovation in the years to come.

2. Healthcare Takes Center Stage

Let’s face it. The past three years or so have taken a significant toll on the healthcare system in the United States. There was COVID-19, followed by numerous variants, and then RSV.

Sometimes it feels like a never-ending boulder rolling down the hill, collecting moss. But instead of seeing it as a setback, some companies use it as an opportunity for innovation.

And 2023 is the year that healthcare takes center stage. Literally.

“This small thing is the next big thing,” Nick Jonas shared with 113.06 million viewers during the Dexcom G7 Super Bowl commercial on February 12.

Why? The new Dexcom G7 Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) System is setting a new standard of care for people living with diabetes.

How? It delivers real-time glucose numbers 24/7 to a smartphone or smartwatch with no fingersticks, scanning, or calibrations required.

For anyone familiar with diabetes management, that’s huge. Nick Jonas, a type-one diabetic and musician, thinks so too.

Another wearable making waves in the healthcare space is Alio, which won the 2023 IoT Health & Wellness Company of the Year award.

The Alio SmartPatch uses sensing technology to check for problems in dialysis patients and collect data like temperature, oxygen saturation, and blood pressure.

And the increasing popularity of wearable technology doesn’t stop at humans. In fact, for pets, GPS trackers and fitness monitors are also picking up steam. And that means pet insurance companies can gather more data and provide personalized coverage options.

The IoT is changing healthcare as we know it. Helping people (and animals) live longer, healthier, and less restrictive lives. Cheers to that.

3. Security Remains Top of Mind

As mentioned earlier, security is one of the main concerns with all technological advancements as we move closer to an increasingly digital world.

That means there’s plenty of demand for innovations that enhance the security of our proprietary data and introduce additional preventative measures against cyber threats.

Since cookies are an integral part of the digital world, it’s unsurprising that all websites must have a proper cookie consent policy. This policy properly protects users’ rights and the data collected about them. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

The growth of IoT technology has sparked a transformation in enterprise operations, with IoT devices now making up 30% of total devices on enterprise networks.

The rich data these devices collect gives businesses valuable insights to make real-time decisions and develop accurate predictive models.

However, the interconnectedness of smart devices poses a significant challenge for enterprises, as unsecured and unmonitored devices connected to the network can pose grave security risks.

Without proper security measures, IoT devices can quickly become the low-hanging fruit that leaves them vulnerable to cyber-attacks and data breaches.

Businesses must invest in good security and constantly monitor and manage their IoT networks to ensure all devices are secure and protected. Otherwise, it could cost millions in damages.

4. IoT and AI Become a Power Duo

Does your modern data stack include software powered by artificial intelligence (AI)? If not, it’s about to.

Like cryptocurrency in 2021, artificial intelligence is taking over the news headlines in 2023.

ChatGPT is the current buzzword, with Microsoft investing billions in the conversational AI tool. And Google’s not far behind with the introduction of Bard a few weeks ago.

Are search engines changing as we know them? Will hiring freelancers turn into a thing of the past?

It’s too early to tell. But when IoT and AI come together, amazing things are possible. Here are a few examples:

Real-time decision-making: IoT devices generate vast amounts of data, but AI is the powerhouse that helps make sense of this data in real-time.
Predictive maintenance: AI can analyze data from IoT sensors to predict when a device or system will likely fail. This duo enables proactive maintenance, reducing downtime and cost savings.
Autonomous operations: By combining IoT and AI, enterprises can develop autonomous systems with minimal human intervention.
Personalized experiences: IoT devices can collect data on individual users, such as their preferences and behavior. AI can analyze this data to deliver personalized experiences, such as customized product recommendations.

And the transportation industry is among the top players leveraging the power of this dynamic duo.

For instance, a connected vehicle can improve safety by reporting hazards or obstructions on the road ahead of the driver through various methods (e.g., visual alerts on dashboard screens, vibrating seats, or integrated AI dash cams).

Some systems also have features that allow vehicles to alert each other if they sense trouble ahead (e.g., an impending collision).

This technology is especially helpful for commercial trucks, improving delivery times and keeping drivers safe. It’s a win-win.

5. Smart Cities Make Continued Progress

A comprehensive study by The Insight Partners projects that the global smart city market will be worth $3,110.58 billion by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19%.

The increasing adoption of smart city technologies, including IoT, artificial intelligence, and big data analytics, is the driving force behind the rapid growth.

Smart city solutions offer a range of benefits, including improved urban planning, increased energy efficiency, and enhanced citizen services.

Governments and private enterprises invest heavily in these solutions to meet the growing demand for sustainable and efficient urban infrastructure.

For instance, Chatanooga, TN, recently partnered with Seoul Robotics to create a lidar-based traffic management system. This system provides real-time traffic flow and congestion data.

The technology will enable the city to make data-driven decisions to optimize traffic management. And it’ll also help detect accidents and other incidents, allowing emergency responders to arrive more quickly.

Chattanooga’s use of lidar technology for traffic management is part of a broader trend of cities adopting smart technologies to improve urban infrastructure and services.

Cities can reduce congestion, improve safety, and enhance the overall urban experience for residents and visitors using data and technology to optimize traffic flow.

Soon you’ll no longer notice yard sale posters made from free templates nailed to telephone poles at every city intersection. Instead, you’ll see a variety of lidar, weather, and air quality sensors capturing data 24/7.

Overall, the smart city market will experience significant growth in the coming years, driven by the increasing adoption of smart technologies and the need for sustainable urban infrastructure.

Wrapping up

With 2023 underway, it’s clear that IoT will continue to play a key role in driving innovation and progress. Through various industries, from healthcare to manufacturing to transportation and beyond.

Businesses will need to stay ahead of these trends and harness the power of IoT to drive growth and stay competitive in future years.

Featured Image Credit:

The post Top 5 IoT Trends That Will Shape the Digital World in 2023 appeared first on ReadWrite.

Apple’s upcoming watchOS 10 update for the Apple Watch will add widgets, as a part of a redesign, according to a new report.

Naomi Nix / Washington Post:
Sources describe how Meta managers built up “kingdoms” as headcount doubled, and how layoffs led to falling morale and lower confidence in Zuckerberg  —  Roiled by waves of layoffs and a costly investment in the metaverse, many insiders say the Facebook founder has lost his vision — and the trust of his workforce

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a rapidly evolving technology changing how we interact with everything. From home appliances to the cars we drive to and from work.

As we move towards the second half of 2023, several IoT trends are picking up steam and will shape the digital landscape in the future.

These trends will, without a doubt, revolutionize how we live, work, and play. But what is the catalyst behind these emerging trends?

It all boils down to technological advances, changes in consumer behavior, and breakthrough business models.

So today, we’ll explore the top five IoT trends that’ll significantly impact the digital world in 2023 and beyond.

1. Digital Twins and the Rise of the Enterprise Metaverse

2023 is the year of digital twins — and the rabbit, according to the Chinese calendar.

But in all seriousness, digital twins are rapidly emerging as a critical technology revolutionizing businesses’ operations.

A digital twin is a virtual representation of a real-world object, system, or process. It enables businesses to simulate, monitor, and optimize their operations.

And according to a McKinsey report, digital twins are becoming the foundation for the enterprise metaverse — a fully immersive and interconnected virtual world encompassing all aspects of our physical reality.

The concept of the Metaverse is gaining traction, and digital twins will play a critical role in building this virtual world.

Why do you think Facebook changed its name to Meta? They are doubling down on the Metaverse, and you don’t want to miss out on this trend.

Mark Zuckerberg said, “the metaverse is the next frontier, just like social networking was when we got started.”

By creating a virtual representation of the physical world, digital twins provide the foundation for businesses to build immersive and interconnected virtual environments.

For instance, a digital twin of a manufacturing plant can simulate and optimize production processes, reducing downtime, improving efficiency, and minimizing costs.

However, building the Metaverse presents several challenges, including interoperability, privacy, and security. Businesses must establish a common standard for digital twins to ensure they’re usable across different platforms and systems.

And not to mention the privacy and security concerns over the collected data. Despite these challenges, Digital Twins will become a critical technology in building the Metaverse and driving innovation in the years to come.

2. Healthcare Takes Center Stage

Let’s face it. The past three years or so have taken a significant toll on the healthcare system in the United States. There was COVID-19, followed by numerous variants, and then RSV.

Sometimes it feels like a never-ending boulder rolling down the hill, collecting moss. But instead of seeing it as a setback, some companies use it as an opportunity for innovation.

And 2023 is the year that healthcare takes center stage. Literally.

“This small thing is the next big thing,” Nick Jonas shared with 113.06 million viewers during the Dexcom G7 Super Bowl commercial on February 12.

Why? The new Dexcom G7 Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) System is setting a new standard of care for people living with diabetes.

How? It delivers real-time glucose numbers 24/7 to a smartphone or smartwatch with no fingersticks, scanning, or calibrations required.

For anyone familiar with diabetes management, that’s huge. Nick Jonas, a type-one diabetic and musician, thinks so too.

Another wearable making waves in the healthcare space is Alio, which won the 2023 IoT Health & Wellness Company of the Year award.

The Alio SmartPatch uses sensing technology to check for problems in dialysis patients and collect data like temperature, oxygen saturation, and blood pressure.

And the increasing popularity of wearable technology doesn’t stop at humans. In fact, for pets, GPS trackers and fitness monitors are also picking up steam. And that means pet insurance companies can gather more data and provide personalized coverage options.

The IoT is changing healthcare as we know it. Helping people (and animals) live longer, healthier, and less restrictive lives. Cheers to that.

3. Security Remains Top of Mind

As mentioned earlier, security is one of the main concerns with all technological advancements as we move closer to an increasingly digital world.

That means there’s plenty of demand for innovations that enhance the security of our proprietary data and introduce additional preventative measures against cyber threats.

Since cookies are an integral part of the digital world, it’s unsurprising that all websites must have a proper cookie consent policy. This policy properly protects users’ rights and the data collected about them. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

The growth of IoT technology has sparked a transformation in enterprise operations, with IoT devices now making up 30% of total devices on enterprise networks.

The rich data these devices collect gives businesses valuable insights to make real-time decisions and develop accurate predictive models.

However, the interconnectedness of smart devices poses a significant challenge for enterprises, as unsecured and unmonitored devices connected to the network can pose grave security risks.

Without proper security measures, IoT devices can quickly become the low-hanging fruit that leaves them vulnerable to cyber-attacks and data breaches.

Businesses must invest in good security and constantly monitor and manage their IoT networks to ensure all devices are secure and protected. Otherwise, it could cost millions in damages.

4. IoT and AI Become a Power Duo

Does your modern data stack include software powered by artificial intelligence (AI)? If not, it’s about to.

Like cryptocurrency in 2021, artificial intelligence is taking over the news headlines in 2023.

ChatGPT is the current buzzword, with Microsoft investing billions in the conversational AI tool. And Google’s not far behind with the introduction of Bard a few weeks ago.

Are search engines changing as we know them? Will hiring freelancers turn into a thing of the past?

It’s too early to tell. But when IoT and AI come together, amazing things are possible. Here are a few examples:

Real-time decision-making: IoT devices generate vast amounts of data, but AI is the powerhouse that helps make sense of this data in real-time.
Predictive maintenance: AI can analyze data from IoT sensors to predict when a device or system will likely fail. This duo enables proactive maintenance, reducing downtime and cost savings.
Autonomous operations: By combining IoT and AI, enterprises can develop autonomous systems with minimal human intervention.
Personalized experiences: IoT devices can collect data on individual users, such as their preferences and behavior. AI can analyze this data to deliver personalized experiences, such as customized product recommendations.

And the transportation industry is among the top players leveraging the power of this dynamic duo.

For instance, a connected vehicle can improve safety by reporting hazards or obstructions on the road ahead of the driver through various methods (e.g., visual alerts on dashboard screens, vibrating seats, or integrated AI dash cams).

Some systems also have features that allow vehicles to alert each other if they sense trouble ahead (e.g., an impending collision).

This technology is especially helpful for commercial trucks, improving delivery times and keeping drivers safe. It’s a win-win.

5. Smart Cities Make Continued Progress

A comprehensive study by The Insight Partners projects that the global smart city market will be worth $3,110.58 billion by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19%.

The increasing adoption of smart city technologies, including IoT, artificial intelligence, and big data analytics, is the driving force behind the rapid growth.

Smart city solutions offer a range of benefits, including improved urban planning, increased energy efficiency, and enhanced citizen services.

Governments and private enterprises invest heavily in these solutions to meet the growing demand for sustainable and efficient urban infrastructure.

For instance, Chatanooga, TN, recently partnered with Seoul Robotics to create a lidar-based traffic management system. This system provides real-time traffic flow and congestion data.

The technology will enable the city to make data-driven decisions to optimize traffic management. And it’ll also help detect accidents and other incidents, allowing emergency responders to arrive more quickly.

Chattanooga’s use of lidar technology for traffic management is part of a broader trend of cities adopting smart technologies to improve urban infrastructure and services.

Cities can reduce congestion, improve safety, and enhance the overall urban experience for residents and visitors using data and technology to optimize traffic flow.

Soon you’ll no longer notice yard sale posters made from free templates nailed to telephone poles at every city intersection. Instead, you’ll see a variety of lidar, weather, and air quality sensors capturing data 24/7.

Overall, the smart city market will experience significant growth in the coming years, driven by the increasing adoption of smart technologies and the need for sustainable urban infrastructure.

Wrapping up

With 2023 underway, it’s clear that IoT will continue to play a key role in driving innovation and progress. Through various industries, from healthcare to manufacturing to transportation and beyond.

Businesses will need to stay ahead of these trends and harness the power of IoT to drive growth and stay competitive in future years.

Featured Image Credit:

The post Top 5 IoT Trends That Will Shape the Digital World in 2023 appeared first on ReadWrite.

Whoops.

It’s a long-standing belief here at The Verge that copyright law is the only real law on the internet, because it’s the only speech regulation most people on most platforms will accept. (At least in the United States.)

Post something that blatantly infringes someone else’s copyright, and most platforms will spring into action to take it down, because they are protected from liability under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act if they take action in a reasonable amount of time upon request. And the way the DMCA influences user behavior on platforms is really well-known: we have been writing about “no copyright intended” for over a decade now. There are lots of and lots of people out there who know how it works.

Anyway, Elon Musk isn’t…

Continue reading…

Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge

Like many great products, the Elgato Stream Deck wasn’t exactly a new idea.

When the very first one debuted six years ago this month, we instantly compared it to Art Lebedev’s legendary Optimus Maximus keyboard, which promised an array of swirling OLED screens under your fingertips an entire decade earlier. Razer, too, pioneered LCD keys before their time, tacking them onto a keyboard and the company’s very first Blade laptop.

But today, we’re celebrating the simple genius of Elgato — the company that finally turned them into a viable product by making them relatively cheap, comfy, and most importantly: peripheral.

Art Lebedev and Razer both believed we wanted a new keyboard that morphs, where our primary computing input mechanism…

Continue reading…

What is a fixed deposit, and how it works?

A fixed deposit (FD) is a type of savings account offered by banks and financial institutions where you can deposit a lump sum of money for a specific period of time, typically ranging from 7 days to 10 years. The money deposited in the FD earns a fixed rate of interest, which is higher than the interest rate offered on a regular savings account.

The process of opening an FD account is simple. You must visit a bank or financial institution, fill out the required forms, and deposit the money you wish to invest. Once the account is opened, you cannot withdraw the money before the maturity date without incurring a penalty fee.

The interest rate offered on an FD depends on various factors, including the amount of the deposit, the duration of the deposit, and prevailing market conditions. The interest can be paid out at regular intervals, such as monthly, quarterly, or annually, or it can be paid out in a lump sum at maturity.

At the end of the maturity period, you have the option to either withdraw the entire amount or renew the FD for another term. If you do not renew the FD or withdraw the money, the bank or financial institution will automatically renew the FD for another term at the prevailing interest rate.

FDs are considered a safe investment option as they offer a fixed return and are unaffected by market fluctuations. However, the returns on FDs may not keep pace with inflation, and the interest earned on an FD is taxable.

Loan on fixed deposit

You can take a loan against your fixed deposit. This type of loan is known as a “loan against FD” or “FD loan.” It allows you to borrow money against the value of your fixed deposit without breaking the deposit.

The loan amount you can receive will depend on the amount of your fixed deposit and the terms of your bank or financial institution. Typically, you can borrow up to 90% of the value of your fixed deposit.

Interest rates on FD loans are generally lower than other types of loans, as the loan is secured against a fixed deposit. Additionally, since you are borrowing against your own funds, there is no credit check required.

Remember that if you default on the loan, the financial institution may use your fixed deposit as collateral to recover their funds. Also, you may lose out on the interest income that your fixed deposit would have earned during the loan period.

Featured Image Credit: Photo by Monster; Pexels; Thank you!

The post Can I Take a Loan on Fixed Deposit? appeared first on ReadWrite.

These nontoxic beds are easier on the environment and your health—and they feel like a dream.

Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:
Sources: Apple will reintroduce widgets in watchOS 10 as a central part of Watch UI, a combination of old Glances and the style of widgets launched in iOS 14  —  Apple is set to give its smartwatch a big software overhaul with watchOS 10, once again making widgets a core part of the device.

If there’s one thing that ties together all the media coming out of the Apollo era, it’s probably the iconic Quindar tones. These quarter-second beeps served as control tones for the globe-spanning communications network needed to talk to the Apollo astronauts, and any attempt to recreate the Apollo-era sound would be glaringly wrong without them. And that’s why [CuriousMarc] whipped up this Quindar tone system.

The video below starts with a detailed treatment of what Quindar tones are and why they were used, a topic we’ve covered ourselves in the past. To recap, Quindar tones are a form of in-band signaling, with a 2,525-Hz pure sine wave intro tone that signaled the transmitters connected to Mission Control in Houston over leased telephone lines to key up. The 2,475-Hz outro tone turned off the transmitters and connected the line to the receivers.

To recreate the sound quality of the original circuitry, and to keep in the retro vibe, [Marc]’s Quindar homage avoided digital circuitry as much as possible, opting instead to generate the two tones with an XR-2206 function generator chip. The chip can rapidly switch back and forth between two frequencies, making it perfect for FSK applications or, in this case, reproducing the two slightly different tones. [Marc] added a dual mono-stable multi-vibrator to pulse the tone, giving the 250-ms pulse, and an audio gate, which uses a MOSFET to switch the tone into an audio stream. All this got soldered up to a piece of perf board and stuffed in the base of a cheap intercom microphone, which while not period accurate still has a cool retro look — and now, a retro sound, too.

Hats off to [CuriousMarc] and his merry band for probing the mysteries of Apollo-era comms and keeping the accomplishments of all those engineers alive. The methods they used are still relevant after all these years, and there seems to be no end to what we can learn from them.

You may have run into this when setting up a new smart home product: You’ve installed its companion app, created an account, plugged in the gadget, and you’re all ready to go until you realize it won’t connect to your Wi-Fi. What’s happening? You restart the app, the phone, your router, and try all kinds of other tricks to no avail. The app refuses to see or connect to your network. In some cases, you’re not given the courtesy of an error message; in others, developers are kind enough to point out the issue: 2.4GHz Wi-Fi.

The first time this happened to me, I was setting up the $1400 Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra. An eye-watering price didn’t save this robot vacuum from having a cheap Wi-Fi chip, and I was left wondering if it would ever work on my dual-band router or I’d have to return it. (Spoiler: it works, but that requires workarounds that I’ll get to later.)

These nontoxic beds are easier on the environment and your health—and they feel like a dream.

You may have run into this when setting up a new smart home product: You’ve installed its companion app, created an account, plugged in the gadget, and you’re all ready to go until you realize it won’t connect to your Wi-Fi. What’s happening? You restart the app, the phone, your router, and try all kinds of other tricks to no avail. The app refuses to see or connect to your network. In some cases, you’re not given the courtesy of an error message; in others, developers are kind enough to point out the issue: 2.4GHz Wi-Fi.

The first time this happened to me, I was setting up the $1400 Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra. An eye-watering price didn’t save this robot vacuum from having a cheap Wi-Fi chip, and I was left wondering if it would ever work on my dual-band router or I’d have to return it. (Spoiler: it works, but that requires workarounds that I’ll get to later.)

One of the most critical skills in emergency medicine is airway management. Without a patent airway, a patient has about four minutes to live, so doctors and paramedics put a huge amount of effort into honing their intubation skills. They have to be able to insert an endotracheal tube quickly and efficiently, without damaging sensitive structures like the vocal cords. It’s a tricky skill to master without a ton of practice.

The perfect tool to practice these skills is a video laryngoscope, but these are wildly expensive and reserved for clinical use. Luckily, with a little ingenuity and a cheap USB borescope, [Dr. Adam Blumenberg] and [Dr. Erin Falk] were able to come up with this low-cost video-assisted laryngoscopy setup to reach as many students as possible. The idea is to use a single-use laryngoscope blade, which replicates the usual tool used to visualize the patient’s vocal cords. The blade is made from clear plastic, which makes it perfect for the application. The borescope is passed through an opening in the blade and affixed to it with adhesives. A little Dremel work might be necessary to get the optical axes of the blade and the camera to line up; failing that, there’s always the option to disassemble the camera to get a better angle.

The chief advantage of this setup, aside from being cheap, is that it’s something that it’s not intended to be used on patients. Along with an airway manikin, the tricked-out borescope can sit in a conference room waiting for students to have a go. Using a large screen allows the whole group to watch the delicate procedure and learn from the mistakes of others. It may not be as detailed a simulation environment as some, but “blade time” is really what counts here.

Firefox gets a needed tune-up, SolarWinds squashes two high-severity bugs, Oracle patches 433 vulnerabilities, and more updates you should make now.

Large language models like AI chatbots seem to be everywhere. If you understand them better, you can use them better.

If you want smart light switches in your house, you can buy from any one of hundreds of manufacturers. [Brian Boyle] had kitted out his home with TP Link devices, but after a few years of use, he found they all suddenly failed within a few months of each other. Decrying the state of things, he set about building his own instead.

[Brian]’s switches use the ESP32 for its handy in-built WiFi hardware. His aim was to produce smart switches that would fit neatly into standard “Decor” style switch boxes. The design uses two PCBs. One is charged with handling the mains power side of things. It carries an SPDT relay for switching AC power, and a DC power supply to run the ESP32 itself. The controller board holds the microcontroller, a Neopixel as a status indicator, and a pair of buttons — one for switching the lights on and off, the other for resetting to default settings. The physical housing is 3D printed, and looks great with the glowing status indicator in the middle of the switch.

[Brian]’s switches are triggerable via MQTT, a web interface, and the physical button onboard the device itself. Having built the devices on his own, he’ll be well-placed to troubleshoot any usability or reliability issues that crop up in the future. That’s a lot more than we can say about most smart devices on the market!

Richard Feynman’s path integral is a powerful prediction machine and a philosophy. Physicists still struggle to figure out how to use it, and what it means.

Whether you want a beast of a machine with dedicated graphics or a light, easy-to-upgrade PC, we have the perfect rig for you.

Today, earbuds seem more about gadgetry and software than nailing the basics. Newfangled features place you in the center of your favorite movies, and adjust sound settings based on your location. It’s impressive, sure. But the software magic means nothing if I can’t get my earbuds to fit or stay in place. After over a decade of reviewing earphones, it’s clear that earbuds with wings offer more stability and a better fit than non-winged buds.

Wing tips create a more stable fit than other earbud designs

Nidhi Subbaraman / Wall Street Journal:
Some US hospitals test if GPT-3 can cut the time staff spend replying to online queries; a study claims the first ChatGPT version replied better than doctors  —  Pilot program aims to see if AI will cut time that medical staff spend replying to online inquiries

One of the most critical skills in emergency medicine is airway management. Without a patent airway, a patient has about four minutes to live, so doctors and paramedics put a huge amount of effort into honing their intubation skills. They have to be able to insert an endotracheal tube quickly and efficiently, without damaging sensitive structures like the vocal cords. It’s a tricky skill to master without a ton of practice.

The perfect tool to practice these skills is a video laryngoscope, but these are wildly expensive and reserved for clinical use. Luckily, with a little ingenuity and a cheap USB borescope, [Dr. Adam Blumenberg] and [Dr. Erin Falk] were able to come up with this low-cost video-assisted laryngoscopy setup to reach as many students as possible. The idea is to use a single-use laryngoscope blade, which replicates the usual tool used to visualize the patient’s vocal cords. The blade is made from clear plastic, which makes it perfect for the application. The borescope is passed through an opening in the blade and affixed to it with adhesives. A little Dremel work might be necessary to get the optical axes of the blade and the camera to line up; failing that, there’s always the option to disassemble the camera to get a better angle.

The chief advantage of this setup, aside from being cheap, is that it’s something that it’s not intended to be used on patients. Along with an airway manikin, the tricked-out borescope can sit in a conference room waiting for students to have a go. Using a large screen allows the whole group to watch the delicate procedure and learn from the mistakes of others. It may not be as detailed a simulation environment as some, but “blade time” is really what counts here.

Avram Piltch / Tom’s Hardware:
The creator of the GPT4Free GitHub project, which allows free access to GPT-4 and GPT-3.5, says OpenAI is demanding he take the repo down or face a lawsuit  —  GPT4Free uses other sites’ connections to OpenAI.  —  Anyone can use ChatGPT for free, but if you want to use GPT4 …

The Spectronic Intellikeys was an innovative keyboard-like accessibility device that used special plastic overlays that change its functionality. While a USB version of the accessible keyboard exists, it doesn’t work like a normal HID device, so it’s not plug and play as you might expect. It’s also no longer in production or supported by the manufacturer. Where industry falls down, the community steps in, right? To that end, Adafruit has built a tool for interfacing with these useful accessibility devices.

The key is the way the Intellikeys was intended to work with a computer. It was designed to download its firmware from the host machine, using special drivers that are only compatible with certain versions of Windows. That means you can’t use it with iPads or Chromebooks, for example.

To get around this, Adafruit used an RP2040 Feather configured as a USB host to talk to the Intellikeys. It queries the device, determines which overlay it currently has installed, and provides it the necessary firmware. On the other end, the Feather enumerates as a regular USB HID device. That allows it to work with a wide variety of tablets, computers, and even smartphones.

If you’ve got an Intellikeys USB device and miss using it, this could be just the thing you need. Meanwhile, you can check out some of the other interesting keyboard designs we’ve featured over the years.

The RP2040 Feather with USB Host lets us use Intellikeys with an iPad

the Intellikeys is a popular accessibility device with custom overlays, that is no longer supported. even though it has a USB plug it doesn’t work like many USB devices: it doesn’t enumerate as an HID… pic.twitter.com/HpQcwqI1Op

— adafruit industries (@adafruit) April 25, 2023

Reed Albergotti / Semafor:
An interview with Skype co-founder Jaan Tallinn on investing $100M+ in 100+ AI startups and why he thinks he failed to steer AI development toward human safety  —  Jaan Tallinn used the fortune he made selling Skype in 2009 to invest in AI companies like Anthropic and DeepMind …