IEEE Spectrum is publishing a six-part series exploring the human history of AI. the_newsbeagle writes: The 19th century British engineer Charles Babbage is sometimes called the father of the computer. But his first design for a massive computing machine, a contraption called the Difference Engine that had some 25,000 parts, was just a giant calculator…

The company says the delayed product, which was about more than just charging, didn’t meet its “high standards.” …read more Source:: CNet

Every few months or so, a new video from Boston Dynamics will make the rounds on the Internet. This is their advertising, because unless the military starts buying mechanical mules, Boston Dynamics is going to be out of business pretty soon. You’ll see robots being kicked down the stairs, robots walking through doors, and robots…

An anonymous reader quotes Ars Technica: People who find security vulnerabilities commonly run into difficulties when reporting them to the responsible company. But it’s less common for such situations to turn into tense trade-show confrontations — and competing claims of assault and blackmail. Yet that’s what happened when executives at Atrient — a casino technology…

A Quiet Place, The Sisters Brothers and more are coming to Hulu! …read more Source:: CNet

On Friday the Ocean Cleanup project posted a status update after their giant U-shaped plastic trap lost a 60-foot section in January and had to be towed back to land: During the first four months that the system was offshore, we were able to confirm many of the key features of the cleanup system. We…

An anonymous reader quotes the Associated Press: Gov. Andrew Cuomo and fellow Democrats who control the Legislature have reached a deal to make New York the third state with a ban on single-use plastic grocery bags as they worked to finalize budget agreements, officials said Friday. The ban would prohibit grocery stores from providing plastic…

As if there weren’t enough VR headsets out there, the game maker Valve is throwing a hat into the ring. More to come in May. …read more Source:: CNet

“The U.S. is recommending a 12.5 year prison sentence for Paul Hansmeier, one of the lead attorneys of the controversial law firm Prenda,” reports TorrentFreak: Last summer, Hansmeier admitted that he is guilty of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, as well as conspiracy to commit money laundering. With the final decision coming…

It was only a matter of time before Apple flew too close to the sun. …read more Source:: ZDNet