Technology

The Download: introducing the Accessibility issue

June 28, 2023
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. Introducing: the Accessibility issue When it comes to thinking about accessibility, so many of the dominant stories around technologies for disability, access, and mobility paint them as objects of empowerment or heroic, life-changing…

Ramon.Space wants to take on-orbit computing infrastructure to the next level

June 28, 2023

The commercial space industry is populated with new services and applications that would’ve been unimaginable even twenty years ago. None of this new activity would be possible without a robust computing infrastructure – including processors and storage systems – that ensure that satellites can communicate with Earth, and to each other. But there are limitations […]

Ramon.Space wants to take on-orbit computing infrastructure to the next level by Aria Alamalhodaei originally published on TechCrunch

Shein’s charm offensive is off to a rocky start

June 28, 2023
China Report is MIT Technology Review’s newsletter about technology developments in China. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Tuesday. Shein is launching a charm offensive. The once-obscure Chinese fast-fashion website has become increasingly mainstream. And to respond to accusations of terrible labor conditions, the company is now inviting US influencers to its operations in…

Gleamer, which provides AI software for radiologists, raises $29.5M

June 28, 2023

Gleamer, a five-year-old French startup that has developed AI software to help radiologists diagnose and detect bone trauma lesions in scans among other conditions, has raised €27 million ($29.5 million) in a Series B round of funding. Founded in 2017, Gleamer’s core flagship BoneView software, which it touts as an “AI companion for bone trauma […]

Gleamer, which provides AI software for radiologists, raises $29.5M by Paul Sawers originally published on TechCrunch

Comics beyond sight

June 28, 2023
For an audio adaptation with descriptive text and for annotations, visit: https://spinweaveandcut.com/mitcomic/

Welcome to the big blimp boom

June 28, 2023
Floating is the new flying, at least according to a handful of companies focused on building futuristic blimps, airships, and hot-air balloons.  Lighter-than-air vehicles (or LTAs) depend on the same basic physics that creates bubbles in water. They’re filled with extremely light gas, like helium, which allows them to achieve lift and hover in the…

The forgotten history of highway photologs

June 28, 2023
On May 10, 1985, a tricked-out van drove south on US Route 1 in Pawcatuck, Connecticut, on a sunny spring day. Every .01 miles, a 35-​millimeter movie camera mounted on the dashboard captured an image out of the front of the van, along with a digital readout displaying the date, route, mileage, and bearing.  Highway…

The future is disabled

June 28, 2023
“Technology,” wrote the late historian of technology Melvin Kranzberg Jr., “is neither good nor bad, nor is it neutral.” It’s an observation that often doesn’t stick with people as they think about technologies related to accessibility. So many of our dominant stories about technologies for disability, access, and mobility paint them as objects of empowerment…

Job title of the future: metaverse lawyer

June 28, 2023
Lot #651 on Somnium Space belongs to Zannes Law, a Toronto-based law firm. In this seven-level metaverse office, principal lawyer Madaline Zannes conducts private consultations with clients, meets people wandering in with legal questions, hosts conferences, and gives guest lectures. Zannes says that her metaverse office allows for a more immersive, imaginative client experience. She…