A lot can happen in a week when it comes to tech. The constant onslaught of news makes it nigh impossible for mere mortals with real lives to keep track of everything. That’s why we’ve compiled a quick and dirty list of this week’s top 10 tech stories, from what else to watch on Hulu (other than The Handmaid’s Tale) to everything you need to know about artificial intelligence — it’s all here.
5 tech trends that will change the world in 2017
2016 had its share of important technological breakthroughs that changed how we live, work, and play. Virtual reality made a big comeback in 2016, and is sure to get even hotter this year. Virtual assistants moved out of our cell phones and into our homes, while smart home technologies may have finally broken through to the mainstream.
So what do we expect in the new year? There’s a myriad of tech trends we’re watching that will change the world once again in 2017; here’s the top five you should keep an eye on.
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Your wireless carriers are doing better, and we have the numbers to prove it
We constantly complain about our wireless carriers, yet we put up with them anyway. Alongside death, taxes, and the Star Wars prequels, wireless carriers are something we must accept.
While they’re trying to repent with new plans, deals, and enticing features, carriers in America are still capable of displeasing their customers. But if you look at wireless companies in other countries, and the actions of our carriers from a few years ago, you start to realize something: U.S. carriers are charging less than they were before, and they’re more in line with their European and Asian counterparts.
Read the full story here.
Demystifying artificial intelligence: Here’s everything you need to know about AI
Crazy singularities, robot rebellions, falling in love with computers … artificial intelligence conjures up a multitude of wild what-ifs. But in the real world, AI involves machine learning, deep learning, and many other programmable capabilities that we’re just beginning to explore. Let’s put the fantasy stuff on hold (at least for now) and talk about legitimate AI. Here’s how it works, and where it’s going.
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Guess who Mitsubishi hired to turn its first production car into a plug-in hybrid
Mitsubishi is celebrating 100 years in the car business this year, and instead of a cake, it’s cooked up a rather unusual custom car idea. The Japanese automaker commissioned West Coast Customs — the shop made famous on Pimp My Ride — to customize its first production car, the 1917 Model A. While Xzibit probably won’t be involved with this one, the century-old ride will get some unusual modifications.
Read the full story here.
When you run out of TV shows to binge, check out these great movies on Hulu
The streaming wars seem destined to rage on forever, which is great news for cinephiles eager to expand their horizons. Hulu, once an upstart among a swath of veteran broadcasters, now features a particularly robust library of films to choose from.
As with any catalog, however, Sturgeon’s law still applies, and it might seem difficult to find the real gems housed within Hulu’s massive library. That said, our strictly curated list is a one-stop guide to the smartest, most intriguing, and simply best films currently streaming on the platform.
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Canned food-opening robot wants to feed your pets in your absence
Do you trust a robot arm to be able to exhibit the kind of fine-grain precision movement needed to not only open a can and pop its lid, but also place its contents neatly into a bowl and eject it? What better way to test such cutting-edge innovation than by placing it in control of keeping your beloved pet alive while you’re away on vacation? PawBot boasts a touchscreen LCD display for selecting the times to feed your furry friend.
Read the full story here.
Apple vs. Qualcomm: Everything you need to know
Qualcomm is back on the offensive after Apple decided to suspend royalty payments to the chip manufacturer. Bloomberg reports the company will soon make a request to the International Trade Commission to prevent the importation of iPhones into the U.S. The news agency also notes that the American market comprises 40 percent of Apple’s total sales, and the iPhone is responsible for 60 percent of its global revenue. Here’s everything you need to know about the lawsuit battle so far.
Read the full story here.
How 8K cams and torpedo tech made ‘Guardians Vol. 2’ a big-screen blast
This week, the galaxy’s eccentric saviors return in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which promises another spectacular story from director James Gunn set in the corners of Marvel’s cinematic universe. However, in order to make it more than just spectacle, Gunn and Marvel Studios recruited veteran cinematographer Henry Braham as the film’s director of photography. Digital Trends spoke to Braham about his approach to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and the experience of making his first foray into Marvel Studios’ blockbuster movie-verse.
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Surfer Kai Lenny reinvents the boogie board by adding a hydrofoil to it
Water and Kai Lenny go hand in hand, so when the 24-year-old surfer injures his ankle, he finds a way to keep going. Since surfing could worsen the injury, Lenny has turned to the good old-fashioned boogie board. To spice it up a little, his version happens to have a hydrofoil attached to it. Lenny injured his ankle while windsurfing a few weeks ago. Itching to get back in the water, he used his down time to create what he is calling the Boogie Foil.
Read the full story here.