5 hours a week

October 22, 2024

Minimum time spent gaming to make your brain perform like it’s 13.7 years younger. A study found people who played video games regularly had better cognitive abilities, like memory and problem-solving. Here’s your great excuse to pick up an Xbox or PS5 console.

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

Tags: brain, gaming, Sony PlayStation, video games, Xbox

Printer friendly

LaserWeeder: AI-powered robotic weed control

🚜 Agricultural revamp: Carbon Robotics just raised $70 million for AI-powered robots that help farmers blast weeds with lasers. The LaserWeeder attaches to a tractor and uses AI to detect and zap weeds without disturbing the soil microbiology. Bonus? It could reduce the need for harmful herbicides. No word on the cost yet, but the video sure looks cool.

🎈 Not just a lot of hot air: Sir Richard Branson plans to copilot the world’s first stratospheric balloon flight in 2025. This balloon is nearly as tall as the Eiffel Tower and will float 20 miles above the earth’s surface for amazing views. If they pull it off, it could kickstart space-like tours for regular folks … well, regular folks with $125,000 lying around for a six-hour trip.

Share via email - 'The Astronaut Wears Prada'

Share on Facebook - 'The Astronaut Wears Prada'

Share on LinkedIn - 'The Astronaut Wears Prada'

Share on X - 'The Astronaut Wears Prada'

Prada-designed Axiom Space spacesuit — Axiom Space

The luxury brand Prada worked with Axiom Space to keep astronauts stylin’ on the upcoming Artemis III mission. There’s a ton of tech included in these suits, from cameras and biometric sensors to regenerable CO2 scrubbing. Details here.

I’m watching this: Mats Steen suffered from Duchenne muscular dystrophy and passed away at 25. His parents thought he lived an isolated life, but they were so wrong. After his death, they received hundreds of emails from people who’d known him through the game World of Warcraft, revealing he’d found both friends and romance online. A new documentary about Steen’s story is coming to Netflix on Oct. 25.

👁️ Eye see the point: A new device from OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, called the Orb will scan people’s eyes to provide biometric identification, helping to fight the growing deepfakes (paywall link). The goal: To have an Orb in every home to scan our eyes for verification when banking online and other similar transactions. Interestingly, Altman’s AI is pushing the very tech used in developing deepfakes …

🔥 Anker recall: I mentioned this last month, but two people have already suffered burns from faulty power banks that can explode. Affected models are the Anker 334 MagGo Battery (PowerCore 10K), Anker Power Bank and Anker MagGo Power Bank, with the model numbers A1642, A1647 and A1652, respectively. These were sold between Jan. 3 and Sept. 17, 2024. If you own one, fill out the recall form.

🛒 You’re paying more: Grocery chain Kroger is working on electronic shelf labels that can adjust prices in real time based on factors like demand or the weather. It gets worse — they’re also planning to use facial-recognition cameras to serve shoppers more tailored ads. The real worry? Over time, Kroger could build customer profiles and figure out the maximum price you’d be willing to pay. Yikes.

🛑 Nothing but blue skies: X recently changed its policies to where if you block someone, they can still see your profile and posts. Competitor BlueSky, meanwhile, added 500,000 new members in just one day. I’m going to start posting on BlueSky and see what happens. Too many people on X are mean.

🏠 Phony landlords: Scammers are flooding Facebook Marketplace with fake rental listings. They use real addresses and legit-looking pics at prices that seem like a steal, and they’ll even let you check it out in person. Major red flag: They’ll demand an application fee upfront via PayPal, Venmo or Zelle.

Cute … for now: Meet Proteus, a little bot zipping around Amazon’s Nashville facility. It can load packages up to 880 pounds into trucks. When its battery runs low, Proteus recharges in 8 minutes and then gets back to work. Amazon says they aren’t replacing humans (yet), but these little helpers already have fulfillment costs down 25%.