Zeit Medical, which makes an early warning system for strokes during sleep, has raised $2 million in a seed round just after leaving Y Combinator’s Summer 2021 cohort. The company’s work suggests the brain-monitoring headband could save lives by alerting people to possible strokes hours before they might otherwise be noticed, and the new funding […]
Salesforce’s Kathy Baxter and Amazon’s Nashlie Sephus talk keeping AI ethical at enterprise scale
AI and big data are an important part of most enterprise-scale companies now, but that very scale can make it difficult to employ them safely and ethically. Kathy Baxter at Salesforce and Nashlie Sephus at AWS have made ethical AI and data collection their business over the last few years, both sounding the alarm on […]
Speechmatics pushes forward recognition of accented English
Speech recognition has gone from convenient to crucial over the last few years as smart speakers and driving assist modes have taken off — but not everyone’s voice is recognized equally well. Speechmatics claims to have the most inclusive and accurate model out there, beating Amazon, Google and others when it comes to speech outside […]
Jessica Rosenworcel becomes the first woman to chair the FCC, and Gigi Sohn is nominated for 5th spot
The FCC has its first-ever woman as Chair of the agency, Jessica Rosenworcel, who has been serving as acting Chair since the beginning of the year. President Biden officially appointed her to the position today, and nominated her for a new term — as well as FCC veteran and tireless policy advocate Gigi Sohn, who […]
Google’s Pixel 6 camera smartens up snapshots with AI tools
Google’s latest flagship phones have an impressive set of automated, AI-powered tools to help make your photos look better, with smart blurs, object removal, and skin tone exposure. While we’ll have to test them out to see if they work as advertised, they could be useful for everyone from pixel peepers to casual snapshot takers. […]
Review: Nintendo Switch OLED is a boon to handheld users but skippable as a home console update
The new version of Nintendo’s hit Switch console is just different enough to justify itself, but hardly a must-buy for any of the millions who bought the launch version. With a bigger, brighter and better screen, it’s a good choice for someone buying now who intends to use it mostly as a handheld — but […]
Regher Solar is ready to meet the new space industry’s demand for cheaper, better solar panels
The math is pretty basic. How many satellites are going to go up over the next decade? How many solar panels will they need? And how many are being manufactured that fit the bill? Turns out the answers are: a lot, a hell of a lot and not nearly enough. That’s where Regher Solar aims […]
Studies say Uber and Lyft offload soft costs on drivers and communities
As the average cost of a ride on Uber, Lyft and other “rideshare” services has risen over the years, it’s become clear these companies were never entirely forthright about their business models. Now a pair of studies suggests even the investor-subsidized prices don’t tell the whole story, with costs being borne by drivers and communities. […]
Pluton Biosciences looks to nature for cutting-edge biotech solutions, raising $6.6M seed
Many of the problems we face today in biology and agriculture have been faced before — but not by humans. Somewhere in nature there is a microscopic creature that accomplishes naturally and efficiently what chemists and bioengineers are struggling to do at all — and Pluton Biosciences claims to have pioneered a way to find […]
Kobo refreshes e-reader line with Sage and Libra 2, adding Bluetooth and stylus support
A pair of new e-readers from Kobo iterate on the company’s high-end options, adding Bluetooth audiobook and stylus support to the now familiar asymmetrical design of its larger devices. The Sage and Libra 2 also gain a new charging cover so you only have to plug the device in every few months rather than every […]