Tech advancements continue to rollout as resources grow
Emerging Tech Roundup — December 3
The Quantious team’s top picks for timely trending news in the tech world.
This week in tech: Seoul begins the rollout of their digital world, Democrats work to have ‘Grinch bots’ outlawed, Apple is rumored to be working on a new charging device, companies begin hiring in the metaverse, researchers develop a high-quality camera less than a millimeter long, researchers see tiny living robots replicate themselves, and Square changes its name to ‘Block’.
Seoul Wants to be First with the Metaverse
(The Seattle Times, November 28)
In an effort to drive early adoption within the metaverse, Seoul, South Korea plans to begin rolling out its city in 2022. The city is expected to reach completion by 2026 and will require AR headsets, controllers, or similar tools for participation. With a $34M budget, the city has big plans for its digital world.
Bot Outlawing Bill is Pushed to Reduce Snatching of Online Goods
(PCMag, November 29)
As various video games and other retail goods grow in exclusivity and popularity, consumers are having trouble buying them upon initial release. As a result, some consumers use bots to purchase the goods quickly and then resell them at higher prices, especially around the holiday season. In an effort to stop this, U.S. Democratic lawmakers are working to finalize a bill that will make the use of bots illegal.
Apple Could be Working on AirPower-like Charger, Universal to All Devices
(MacRumors, November 29)
Apple is rumored to be working on an enhanced charger that will be capable of charging up to three products at a time. The company had plans to work on this in 2017, but the product was never released. The rumored new technology would be a step up from the MagSafe charger, currently available for sale, but is not yet confirmed by Apple.
People Could Soon Get Hired via the Metaverse, Experts Say
(CNBC, November 30)
As companies establish their places within the metaverse, they’re seeking out candidates for hire. Hyundai has already begun the hiring process in the virtual world, although experts are worried about employers encountering privacy issues along the way.
Salt Grain-sized Camera Rivals Others that are 500,000 Times Larger
(Interesting Engineering, November 30)
Researchers at Princeton University and the University of Washington have developed a miniature camera that outshines other compact cameras with its impressive capabilities. The camera uses a ‘metasurface’ instead of a traditional, curved lens, and it is only half a millimeter long. Paired with machine learning, the camera captures high-quality, vibrant photos.
Living Robots Made from Frog Cells Can Replicate Themselves in a Dish
(New Scientist, November 29)
Last year, researchers at the University of Vermont and Tufts University created miniature, living robots out of frog cells, dubbed Xenobots. Now, the researchers have seen these cells ‘push together loose cells in a dish’ after being grouped into 3,000-cell clumps and, over time, reproduce new xenobots. For the first time, multicellular organisms have reproduced without ‘involving growth on the organism’s body.’
Square Changes its Name to ‘Block’
(Wired, December 1)
Payment company, Square, has changed its name to ‘Block’ in order to reflect its recent growth as a company. Block’s payment systems and banking products will keep the name ‘Square,’ whereas the rest of its entities will reside under the Block umbrella, including Cash App, Tidal and Block’s open developer platform.
