{"@attributes":{"version":"2.0"},"channel":{"title":"Hi-Tech Innovation News - Information Technology, Inventions News","link":"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/rss-feed\/hi-tech-news\/","language":"en-us","description":"The latest news on hi-tech, innovation and new inventions technology, computer news and information","item":[{"title":"Standalone 'leaf' produces liquid fuel from sun, water and CO\u2082 with record efficiency","description":"A Yale-led research team has developed the first standalone device that produces the liquid fuel methanol using only sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide as the ingredients. The artificial \"leaf,\" like its namesake in nature, is a chemistry marvel. It brings the scientific mimicry of photosynthesis\u2014the process of converting sunlight and water into chemical energy\u2014to a new level, converting sunlight to methanol 32 times more efficiently than the previous conversion record for artificial leaf technologies that generate alcohol products.","link":"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-06-standalone-leaf-liquid-fuel-sun.html","category":"Energy & Green Tech","pubDate":"Thu, 04 Jun 2026 13:20:01 EDT","guid":"news699797941"},{"title":"Looping lasers whisk molten metals together during 3D printing, opening new alloy design route","description":"Like modern-day alchemists, metallurgists are constantly discovering and perfecting recipes for better alloys. A crucial step in those recipes is to get different metals to mix evenly. Unveiling a new utensil for the metallurgical kitchen, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have invented a way to whisk metal with a laser as it's 3D-printed, opening a new route for creating hard-to-make metal alloys. To verify their success, they also developed a way to watch changes in the metal using X-rays as they melted and solidified in a fraction of a second.","link":"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-06-looping-lasers-whisk-molten-metals.html","category":"Engineering","pubDate":"Thu, 04 Jun 2026 12:20:07 EDT","guid":"news699793802"},{"title":"Battleship-trained AI learns to ask sharper questions, boosting win rate from 8% to 82%","description":"In 2026, the hype for artificial intelligence agents is louder than ever before. These semi-autonomous programs can \"think\" and execute well-defined tasks in areas like customer service and software development, typically using language models (LMs). But fields like medical diagnosis and scientific discovery require them to inquire about a vast range of solutions in uncertain environments which LMs struggle with.","link":"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-06-battleship-ai-sharper-boosting.html","category":"Hi Tech & Innovation","pubDate":"Thu, 04 Jun 2026 08:40:02 EDT","guid":"news699780783"},{"title":"From tough plant waste to everyday products, this light-powered advance opens a path to greener plastics","description":"A pioneering technology capable of converting lignin, one of the world's most abundant organic compounds, into vanillin and biodegradable materials has been unveiled by the University of Alicante (UA), in collaboration with the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV). The study, published in Nature Communications, offers a sustainable method for repurposing plant waste and identifies viable alternatives to the fossil fuels that currently drive the chemical industry.","link":"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-06-tough-everyday-products-powered-advance.html","category":"Energy & Green Tech","pubDate":"Wed, 03 Jun 2026 14:20:04 EDT","guid":"news699711482"},{"title":"Next-generation computing relies on extremely thin semiconductors\u2014now there's a better way to make them","description":"The ability to develop extremely thin semiconductors is key to advancing the fields of electronics and computing. But so far, there's been a trade-off between the quality of these semiconductors and the ability to make them at industrial scale. Prof. Cong Su and his research team have found a solution that combines the best aspects of two methods to make high-quality materials at scale.","link":"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-06-generation-extremely-thin-semiconductors.html","category":"Electronics & Semiconductors","pubDate":"Wed, 03 Jun 2026 13:20:02 EDT","guid":"news699710402"},{"title":"'Baked' yeast-based materials power 3D-printed architectural materials","description":"Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have developed a new, entirely bio-based material from a somewhat unexpected ingredient: yeast. The material is 3D printed and customized for use in architectural and interior design elements that are currently made from non-renewable or fossil-based materials, such as plaster, plastic or synthetic textiles. These may be daylight modulating and sunlight protecting screens, room partitions or wall systems.","link":"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-06-yeast-based-materials-power-3d.html","category":"Engineering","pubDate":"Wed, 03 Jun 2026 11:40:06 EDT","guid":"news699705541"},{"title":"Real-time X-ray compression shrinks file size by 8,000 times","description":"Researchers led by Takaki Hatsui at the RIKEN SPring-8 Center (RSC) in Japan and collaborators have developed a new approach to compressing X-ray imaging data in real time, reducing the size of data files by more than 8,000 times, while at the same time preserving the detailed X-ray intensity information required for quantitative analysis.","link":"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-06-real-ray-compression-size.html","category":"Hardware","pubDate":"Wed, 03 Jun 2026 09:00:01 EDT","guid":"news699695943"},{"title":"Ultra-thin semiconductors overcome performance limits with localized thick-contact design","description":"As semiconductor chips become increasingly thinner, the components inside chips are locked in a fierce race to achieve the ultimate ultra-thin state. However, this has presented a structural limitation: the thinner the device, the harder it is for electricity to flow.","link":"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-06-ultra-thin-semiconductors-limits-localized.html","category":"Electronics & Semiconductors","pubDate":"Tue, 02 Jun 2026 13:00:09 EDT","guid":"news699622374"},{"title":"AI brings object-level vision prosthetics closer to reality","description":"EPFL researchers are developing AI models that could one day enable vision prosthetics able to restore meaningful, object-level sight for the blind. The research, from the NeuroAI Lab of Martin Schrimpf, part of EPFL's Schools of Computer and Communication Sciences and Life Sciences, uses AI models to predict exactly where to stimulate the brain to evoke images of faces and specific objects in the users instead of simply evoking spots of light.","link":"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-06-ai-vision-prosthetics-closer-reality.html","category":"Hi Tech & Innovation","pubDate":"Tue, 02 Jun 2026 09:40:03 EDT","guid":"news699610999"},{"title":"New 3D gaze forecasting could help AR devices render scenes before users look","description":"Augmented reality (AR) devices like smart glasses may soon be able to predict where a user will look and provide an enhanced interactive experience.","link":"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-06-3d-ar-devices-scenes-users.html","category":"Hi Tech & Innovation","pubDate":"Mon, 01 Jun 2026 16:20:01 EDT","guid":"news699549183"},{"title":"Wafer-thin silicon with millions of patterns redirects vibrations along predefined paths","description":"Metamaterials\u2014the term may sound esoteric to the layman. In science and engineering, however, this is an interesting field of research that has developed at a highly dynamic pace, particularly since the 1990s.","link":"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-05-wafer-thin-silicon-millions-patterns.html","category":"Engineering","pubDate":"Sun, 31 May 2026 09:00:03 EDT","guid":"news699200635"},{"title":"Tabletop 3D printer cuts semiconductor 3D patterning from days to minutes","description":"Faculty in the Cockrell School of Engineering have developed a rare printer as part of a larger project to speed up production and lower costs of manufacturing semiconductors critical to modern electronics.","link":"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-05-tabletop-3d-printer-semiconductor-patterning.html","category":"Electronics & Semiconductors","pubDate":"Sat, 30 May 2026 15:50:01 EDT","guid":"news699115290"},{"title":"Computer scientists clear a path to stream 3D 'volumetric' video","description":"New research by Brown University computer scientists may be a key step in bringing volumetric video\u2014video that can be viewed from virtually any perspective in a 3D scene\u2014to computers and smart televisions.","link":"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-05-scientists-path-stream-3d-volumetric.html","category":"Computer Sciences","pubDate":"Sat, 30 May 2026 09:00:01 EDT","guid":"news699204074"},{"title":"Quantum computing could transform energy grid optimization and security","description":"Modern power systems are rapidly evolving into highly digitized smart grids, increasing their complexity at an unprecedented pace. Renewables, batteries, electric vehicles, power electronics, sensors and real-time control systems are all expanding rapidly, and this is making electricity grids significantly harder to simulate, optimize, secure and operate.","link":"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-05-quantum-energy-grid-optimization.html","category":"Energy & Green Tech","pubDate":"Fri, 29 May 2026 12:40:07 EDT","guid":"news699276182"},{"title":"Underground acoustic signals reveal hidden tunnels","description":"For decades, engineers have searched for underground tunnels by sending signals from the surface downward\u2014an approach that can miss what lies below. By reversing that approach, researchers at the Department of Energy's (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have demonstrated a method to reveal hidden underground structures using acoustic signals generated below ground.","link":"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-05-underground-acoustic-reveal-hidden-tunnels.html","category":"Engineering","pubDate":"Fri, 29 May 2026 10:00:03 EDT","guid":"news699267364"},{"title":"Everlasting copper becomes a reality with novel reactive printing ink","description":"A new invention from a team that includes a University of Maryland researcher halts the copper degradation cycle that turns statues, roofs, and even nickels green. Researchers have developed a liquid reactive ink that can print copper onto nearly any surface without oxidation or corrosion.","link":"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-05-everlasting-copper-reality-reactive-ink.html","category":"Engineering","pubDate":"Thu, 28 May 2026 17:20:01 EDT","guid":"news699207301"},{"title":"MetaBeeAI could speed systematic reviews of nearly 1,000 papers with human oversight","description":"Queen Mary University researchers have developed a new AI-powered framework, MetaBeeAI, designed to help scientists review and analyze vast amounts of literature faster, more transparently, and with greater human oversight.","link":"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-05-metabeeai-systematic-papers-human-oversight.html","category":"Hi Tech & Innovation","pubDate":"Thu, 28 May 2026 13:00:02 EDT","guid":"news699190931"},{"title":"Robot learns to play music by ear, opening new possibilities in medicine and therapy","description":"Scientists at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering have developed a robotic hand that can hear a melody once and play it back after just two minutes of self-taught practice on a keyboard, without relying on sheet music or preprogrammed scores.","link":"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-05-robot-play-music-ear-possibilities.html","category":"Robotics","pubDate":"Thu, 28 May 2026 12:00:02 EDT","guid":"news699186841"},{"title":"Optical device uses humidity to unlock hidden information and offers new option for data storage","description":"Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed an optical device that reveals hidden images and changes colors in response to different levels of humidity. The technology, published in Light: Science & Applications, could lead to the development of new anti-counterfeiting labels, secure data storage, interactive displays, and environmental sensors.","link":"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-05-optical-device-humidity-hidden-option.html","category":"Hardware","pubDate":"Wed, 27 May 2026 16:20:05 EDT","guid":"news699116461"},{"title":"Quantum computing may need far more than power as future data centers scale up","description":"As quantum computing moves closer to large-scale deployment, new research is examining its future energy, water, and material demands.","link":"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-05-quantum-power-future-centers-scale.html","category":"Energy & Green Tech","pubDate":"Wed, 27 May 2026 16:00:04 EDT","guid":"news699115023"},{"title":"Pea-size liquid-metal pump runs robot butterfly on under 0.1 V","description":"Engineers have invented an ingenious liquid-metal pump that could make future soft robotics and wearable devices much more portable and agile. The innovation, led by the University of Bristol and published in the journal Nature Communications, presents a low-voltage power source with the potential to transform robotic systems for a wide range of applications, from robotic legs to haptic gloves used in medical and industrial settings.","link":"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-05-pea-size-liquid-metal-robot.html","category":"Robotics","pubDate":"Wed, 27 May 2026 15:40:04 EDT","guid":"news699114181"},{"title":"Photonic chips could process light directly for AI networks thanks to a self-aligning molecule","description":"Every second, the data behind billions of emails, TikTok videos and AI queries travels around the world as pulses of light through fiber-optic networks. Along the way, these signals pass through tiny components that act as channels for light: photonic chips. These devices don't just carry signals\u2014they direct and combine them, ensuring information moves efficiently across complex networks.","link":"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-05-photonic-chips-ai-networks-aligning.html","category":"Hi Tech & Innovation","pubDate":"Wed, 27 May 2026 14:00:12 EDT","guid":"news699089281"},{"title":"Inspired by armadillos, this soft robotic shell flips from flexible to fortress in an instant","description":"Researchers have drawn inspiration from armadillos to create a protective structure that responds to external threats by curling into a protective ball to protect electronic devices or other payloads. The structure is designed to automatically respond when it detects strain and can be tuned to respond to anything from a delicate touch to a significant impact.","link":"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-05-armadillos-soft-robotic-shell-flips.html","category":"Engineering","pubDate":"Wed, 27 May 2026 14:00:05 EDT","guid":"news699074152"},{"title":"Solar-powered desalination system turns ocean water into drinking water, without waste","description":"The United Nations estimates that 2.2 billion people lack safely managed drinking water, and communities from California to the Middle East rely on desalination plants to convert ocean water to fresh water. Common desalination techniques such as reverse osmosis and thermal distillation are energy-intensive, require pre- and post-water treatment, and leave behind a concentrated saltwater byproduct called brine that wreaks havoc on sea life when it's deposited back into the ocean by raising the salt level and lowering oxygen in the water.","link":"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-05-solar-powered-desalination-ocean.html","category":"Energy & Green Tech","pubDate":"Wed, 27 May 2026 11:20:05 EDT","guid":"news699099057"},{"title":"Can AI really be conscious? Researchers call for more rigorous scientific standards","description":"As artificial intelligence systems become increasingly sophisticated, questions once confined to philosophy are rapidly entering mainstream scientific and public debate: Can AI possess consciousness? Could animals, organoids, or even fetuses have subjective experiences?","link":"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-05-ai-conscious-rigorous-scientific-standards.html","category":"Hi Tech & Innovation","pubDate":"Wed, 27 May 2026 10:00:42 EDT","guid":"news699092821"},{"title":"Moldable glass screen sharpens X-rays while cutting radiation, even underwater","description":"X-rays allow professionals to diagnose injuries or ailments and peer inside suitcases at the airport, along with a variety of other applications. A team reporting in ACS Energy Letters has improved the glass screen that \"translates\" between X-rays and visible light, creating an X-ray system that produces high-resolution images with less radiation, and it even works underwater. The screen can be molded into curved shapes, a feature that could one day lead to more comfortable mammograms.","link":"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-05-moldable-glass-screen-sharpens-rays.html","category":"Energy & Green Tech","pubDate":"Wed, 27 May 2026 08:00:01 EDT","guid":"news699025644"},{"title":"Low-power, flexible radio-frequency transistors break 100 GHz barrier","description":"Over the past decades, electronics engineers worldwide have been trying to develop devices that could enable even faster communications between devices, all while consuming less energy. To meet the demands of the sixth generation (6G) of wireless communication technology, these devices should operate at frequencies above 100 gigahertz (GHz).","link":"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-05-power-flexible-radio-frequency-transistors.html","category":"Electronics & Semiconductors","pubDate":"Tue, 26 May 2026 12:00:08 EDT","guid":"news699014386"},{"title":"'5-in-1' seed-sized surgical robot switches tools in under one second","description":"Scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed a tiny seed-sized robot that can navigate across soft and uneven surfaces to perform five surgical functions wirelessly, paving the way for developing robots to make surgeries and medical treatments more precise.","link":"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-05-seed-sized-surgical-robot-tools.html","category":"Robotics","pubDate":"Tue, 26 May 2026 07:40:04 EDT","guid":"news698999821"},{"title":"New magnesium alloy design improves stability and ion transport in solid-state batteries","description":"The modern world runs on invisible energy. Hidden inside smartphones, laptops, and electric vehicles, are batteries that quietly power everyday life. As society becomes increasingly dependent on portable and sustainable energy, the development of compact and reliable battery technology has become one of the most important technological challenges of our time.","link":"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-05-magnesium-alloy-stability-ion-solid.html","category":"Energy & Green Tech","pubDate":"Mon, 25 May 2026 15:40:01 EDT","guid":"news698941981"},{"title":"Laser-powered engines may soon support 'intelligent' 6G networks","description":"In a step toward developing next-generation, AI-enabled 6G wireless networks, scientists have demonstrated a laser-driven engine made from an easy-to-manufacture ceramic material that uses white light to move information over large distances. While conventional LED-based visible light communication (VLC) systems typically operate over only a few meters, the novel photonic engine\u2014described in a study published in Matter\u2014can move data over 1.2 kilometers.","link":"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-05-laser-powered-intelligent-6g-networks.html","category":"Telecom","pubDate":"Fri, 22 May 2026 11:00:02 EDT","guid":"news698575201"}]}}