Category: Software

Multiply and subtract your way to more lifelike VR avatars POSTECH’s (Pohang University of Science and Technology) Professor Inseok Hwang’s team has developed ArithMotion, a mobile virtual reality (VR) system that enables anyone to express a wide range of avatar motions with ease. Using simple arithmetic-like controls, users can scale an avatar’s motion up or…

AI energy use: New tools show which model consumes the most power, and why AI users and developers can now measure the amount of electricity various AI models consume to complete tasks with an open-source software and online leaderboard developed at the University of Michigan. Companies can download the software to evaluate private models run…

AI threatens to eat business software—and it could change the way we work In recent weeks, a range of large “software-as-a-service” companies, including Salesforce, ServiceNow and Oracle, have seen their share prices tumble. Go to techxplore

Decoding the shadows: Vehicle recognition software uncovers unusual traffic behavior Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a deep learning algorithm that analyzes drone, camera, and sensor data to reveal unusual vehicle patterns that may indicate illicit activity, including the movement of nuclear materials. The work is published in the…

Software engineering: How hybrid delivery systems adapt to real-world challenges New research into project management in software engineering shows that the most successful systems are not the ones that follow a fixed blueprint from the start, but those that evolve in response to real challenges as projects unfold. Go to techxplore

AI is already writing almost one-third of new software code, study shows Generative AI is reshaping software development—and fast. A new study published in Science shows that AI-assisted coding is spreading rapidly, though unevenly: in the U.S., the share of new code relying on AI rose from 5% in 2022 to 29% in early 2025,…

MorphoChrome pairs software with handheld device to make everyday objects iridescent Gemstones like precious opal are beautiful to look at and deceivingly complex. As you look at such gems from different angles, you’ll see a variety of tints glisten, causing you to question what color the rock actually is. It’s iridescent thanks to something called…

AI is quick but risky for updating old software, researchers warn At first glance, artificial intelligence looks like a software developer’s dream. A recent McKinsey & Company report found that programmers generated code up to 45% faster with the help of generative AI. Go to techxplore

No-code machine learning development tools Since 2021, Korean researchers have been providing a simple software development framework to users with relatively limited AI expertise in industrial fields such as factories, medical, and shipbuilding, providing them with a significant boost. Go to techxplore

Netflix to launch FIFA World Cup video game Netflix is set to release a FIFA soccer simulation game exclusively on its gaming platform in summer 2026, timed to coincide with the World Cup, the streaming giant said Wednesday. Go to techxplore

New software could reduce dependency on big data centers for AI EPFL researchers have developed new software—now spun-off into a start-up—that eliminates the need for data to be sent to third-party cloud services when AI is used to complete a task. This could challenge the business model of Big Tech. Go to techxplore

Software platform helps users find the best hearing protection The world is loud. A walk down the street bombards one’s ears with the sound of engines revving, car horns blaring, and the steady beeps of pedestrian crossings. While smartphone alerts to excessive sound and public awareness of noise exposure grows, few tools help people take…

Open-source framework enables addition of AI to software without prompt engineering Developers can now integrate large language models directly into their existing software using a single line of code, with no manual prompt engineering required. The open-source framework, known as byLLM, automatically generates context-aware prompts based on the meaning and structure of the program, helping…

Love it or hate it? Apple’s ‘Liquid Glass’ explained Apple’s latest design overhaul—aptly named Liquid Glass—has been polarizing to say the least. Go to techxplore

Software tool shows clear advantage in water purity prediction A powerful new software tool that can accurately predict the performance of biofilters used by the water industry could reduce the challenge of maintaining the purity of tap water. Go to techxplore

New haptic system lets soft objects respond to taps, squeezes and twists New technology that invites expressive, two-way communication between a person and the soft, flexible object they are holding or wearing has been developed at the University of Bath. Go to techxplore

Simulation tool improves accuracy and speed of electric grid modeling Covering half of North America, the U.S. electric grid functions somewhat like a vast, complex organism. Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a new simulation platform for understanding and predicting the behavior of this modern grid. Using a combination…

Microsoft offers no-cost Windows 10 lifeline Microsoft on Wednesday announced new options for US and European customers to safely extend the life of the Windows 10 operating system free of charge just days before a key deadline to upgrade to Windows 11. Go to techxplore

Software tool turns everyday objects into animated, eye-catching displays—without electronics Whether you’re an artist, advertising specialist, or just looking to spruce up your home, turning everyday objects into dynamic displays is a great way to make them more visually engaging. For example, you could turn a kids’ book into a handheld cartoon of sorts, making…

How agile is your crypto? Interview study explores opportunities and challenges of cryptographic update processes If you think of software as a building, you might say it’s made up of code blocks. Many of these building blocks are custom-built for a specific application. Others are standard components and used in many buildings—cryptographic algorithms and functions…

New tool offers direct lighting control for photographs using 3D scene modeling Lighting plays a crucial role when it comes to visual storytelling. Whether it’s film or photography, creators spend countless hours, and often significant budgets, crafting the perfect illumination for their shot. But once a photograph or video is captured, the illumination is essentially…

Millions are flocking to grow virtual gardens in viral Roblox game created by teenager Whether it serves as a chill escape from the onslaught of the real world or simply a way to beat vacation doldrums, a viral Roblox game about gardening has become the surprise hit of the summer. Go to techxplore

Video games can help trans players feel seen and safe. It all starts with design There is a comfort in finding and being yourself. Video games offer opportunities for this comfort. They allow people to exist in safe spaces, to develop community, and to explore the self—as well as the potential self. Go to techxplore

JPEG XS: Forward-looking standard for professional all-IP video production The image quality of videos has risen steadily in recent decades. But higher quality also means larger volumes of data to be transferred. There are various reasons for this, including changes in viewer expectations and habits as playback devices continue to improve. This puts rising pressure…

Verification framework uncovers safety lapses in open-source self-driving system Using a newly developed verification framework, researchers have uncovered safety limitations in open-source self-driving systems during high-speed movements and sudden cut-ins, raising concerns for real-world deployments. Go to techxplore

Grand Theft Auto VI delayed again, this time until May 2026 Fans of the hugely popular video game series Grand Theft Auto will have to wait a little longer to play the latest version. Go to techxplore

Diagram-based language streamlines optimization of complex coordinated systems Coordinating complicated interactive systems, whether it’s the different modes of transportation in a city or the various components that must work together to make an effective and efficient robot, is an increasingly important subject for software designers to tackle. Now, researchers at MIT have developed an entirely…

Protecting audio privacy: Speech-filtering technology balances privacy and utility in smart devices Sound is a powerful source of information. By training algorithms to identify distinct sound signatures, sound can reveal what a person is doing, whether it’s cooking, vacuuming or washing the dishes. And while it’s valuable in some contexts, using sound to identify activities…

Transforming real-world doors into gateways to the virtual world: The future of mixed reality People seeking to feel fully immersed in virtual environments will soon be able to experience a revolutionary approach to spatial computing that bridges the gap between real and digital worlds. A collaborative research team from NTT DOCOMO, Inc. and Nara Institute…

Gigaflow cache streamlines cloud traffic, with 51% higher hit rate and 90% lower misses for programmable SmartNICs A new way to temporarily store memory, Gigaflow, helps direct heavy traffic in cloud data centers caused by AI and machine learning workloads, according to a study led by University of Michigan researchers. Go to techxplore

How AI is ‘saving the Mona Lisa’: A paradigm shift in digital forensics In the digital age, the recovery of deleted data is a key challenge in digital forensics. With the constant increase in data volumes and storage methods, conventional methods are reaching their limits. This is where the Carve-DL research project comes in: an…

A new way to make graphs more accessible to blind and low-vision readers Bar graphs and other charts provide a simple way to communicate data, but are, by definition, difficult to translate for readers who are blind or low-vision. Designers have developed methods for converting these visuals into “tactile charts,” but guidelines for doing so…

How NASA’s ‘autonomy choreography’ will impact advanced technologies Imagine your car is in conversation with other traffic and road signals as you travel. Those conversations help your car anticipate actions you can’t see: the sudden slowing of a truck as it begins to turn ahead of you, or an obscured traffic signal turning red. Meanwhile,…

AI-driven software is 96% accurate at diagnosing Parkinson’s Existing research indicates that the accuracy of a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis hovers between 55% and 78% in the first five years of assessment. That’s partly because Parkinson’s sibling movement disorders share similarities, sometimes making a definitive diagnosis initially difficult. Go to techxplore

Viewpoint: How 18F transformed government technology, and why its elimination matters Healthcare.gov, the government health insurance marketplace website, launched in October 2013 only to buckle under the weight of just 2,000 simultaneous users. As millions of Americans stared at error messages and frozen screens, a political crisis unfolded, but so did a new era of…

Next top model: Competition-based AI study aims to lower data center costs Who, or rather what, will be the next top model? Data scientists and developers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility are trying to find out, exploring some of the latest artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to help make high-performance…

New platform helps evaluate AI for complex computer use Imagine asking AI to plan your trip itinerary, book and pay for all your flights, and arrange your airport transport—all within a single click. Fortunately, an international research team is making this vision a reality. Go to techxplore

Contextual analysis for recommending code reviewers Code review is essential in software development, playing a vital role in enhancing product quality by catching mistakes early on. An integral part of this procedure is choosing the right reviewers to examine modifications to the code. Yet, in expansive open-source projects, pinpointing the ideal reviewers for certain changes…

Software empowers users to select quantum program transpilers without being tied to a specific vendor A research team at Osaka University and TIS Inc. has developed software “Tranqu” that allows users to select a transpiler that converts and optimizes quantum programs for execution on quantum chips. This enables users to choose a transpiler without being…

Artificial imagination with the ‘exocortex:’ Researcher proposes software to aid scientific inspiration and imagination Artificial intelligence (AI) once seemed like a fantastical construct of science fiction, enabling characters to deploy spacecraft to neighboring galaxies with a casual command. Humanoid AIs even served as companions to otherwise lonely characters. Now, in the very real 21st century,…

Simulation tool advances climate-friendly district heating management District heating networks are growing increasingly complex as a result of feeding in renewable energy and the trend toward decentralization. In the AD Net Heat project, Fraunhofer researchers are simulating heat flows throughout the entire network, predicting load peaks and helping to plan new grids. Go to techxplore

Novel antenna tech enables multi-signal transmission for 6G networks A breakthrough in antenna technology that could revolutionize the future of wireless communications, particularly for the upcoming 6th generation (6G) networks, has been announced by a research team led by Professor Chan Chi-hou, Chair Professor of the Department of Electrical Engineering at City University of Hong…

Google renews push into mixed reality headgear Google is ramping up its push into smart glasses and augmented reality headgear, taking on rivals Apple and Meta with help from its sophisticated Gemini artificial intelligence. Go to techxplore

Open source system detects new varieties of cyberattacks Cyberattacks have become a major risk for companies and other organizations. To prevent data theft, sabotage and extortion, many companies and government agencies are turning in response to Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems, which use detection rules, also known as signatures, to identify cyberattacks. Go…

Intelligent swarm: Working in a team is also relevant for drones Uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, are omnipresent and have grown in popularity due to their wide potential use in many civilian sectors. Equipped with sophisticated sensors and communication devices, drones can potentially form a multi-UAV system, also called a swarm. Go…