Devin Coldewey
Writer & Photographer
The Latest from Devin Coldewey
R&D Roundup: Tech giants unveil breakthroughs at computer vision summit
Computer vision summit CVPR has just (virtually) taken place, and like other CV-focused conferences, there are quite a few interesting papers. More than I could possibly write up individually, in fact
Festo’s latest biomimetic robots are a flying feathered bird and ball-bottomed helper arm
You could be excused for thinking that German robotics company Festo does nothing but put together fabulous prototype robots built to resemble kangaroos, jellyfish, and other living things. They do in
Police roll up crime networks in Europe after infiltrating popular encrypted chat app
Hundreds of alleged drug dealers and other criminals are in custody today after police in Europe infiltrated an encrypted chat system reportedly used by thousands to discuss illegal operations. The to
State-backed COVID-19 disinfo spreads faster and farther than local news outlets in 4 languages
Questionable stories on COVID-19 from state-backed outlets in Russia, China, Turkey and Iran are being shared more widely than reporting by major news organizations around the world, according to Oxfo
NASA pays out $51 million to small businesses with big ideas
NASA has announced its latest batch of small business grants, providing more than 300 businesses a total of $51 million in crucial early-stage funding. These “phase I” projects receive up
Oculus co-founder and games industry vets form Mountaintop Studios
Oculus co-founder Nate Mitchell is heading up a new game development house called Mountaintop Studios, joined by colleagues from around the gaming industry. The company aims to leave the crunch and to
FCC formally declares Huawei, ZTE ‘national security threats’
The Federal Communication Commission has declared Chinese telecom giants Huawei and ZTE “national security threats,” a move that will formally ban U.S. telecom companies from using federal
Blackbaud’s cloud for ‘social good’ serves customers that work against human rights
Blackbaud offers enterprise tools ostensibly in a campaign to support social good, but the company also provides services to far-right organizations the Heritage Foundation and the Center for Security
Four perspectives: Will Apple trim App Store fees?
The fact that Apple takes a 30% cut of subscriptions purchased via the App Store isn’t news. But since the company threatened to boot email app Hey from the platform last week unless its develop
iOS 14 lets deaf users set alerts for important sounds, among other clever accessibility perks
The latest version of iOS adds a few smart features intended for use by people with hearing and vision impairments, but some of which may be helpful to just about anybody. The most compelling new feat
PACT Act takes on internet platform content rules with ‘a scalpel rather than a jackhammer’
The PACT Act is a new bipartisan effort to reform Section 230, the crucial liability shield that enables internet platforms to exist, approaching the law’s shortcomings “with a scalpel rat
Relativity Space gains new customer in Iridium and new launch site at Vandenberg
Relativity Space has a new customer for its 3D-printed rockets: Established satellite maker and operator Iridium, which has picked the company for launches in 2023. To accomplish those, and other laun
Google’s 46-camera ‘light field videos’ let you change perspective and peek around corners
Google is showing off one of the most impressive efforts yet turning traditional photography and video into something more immersive: 3D video that lets the viewer change their perspective and even lo
Apple will soon let developers challenge App Store rules
Apple has announced an upcoming change to App Store rules that could mark a major shift in how the marketplace operates. Developers will soon be able to challenge not just the rejection of an app, but
Apple’s new Translate app works offline with 11 languages
Translation is an everyday smartphone task for millions of people, but outside a few minor features, Apple has generally ceded the capability to its rivals. That changes today with a new first-party i
R&D Roundup: Automated peach sniffers, orbital opportunity and AI accessibility
I see far more research articles than I could possibly write up. This column collects the most interesting of those papers and advances, along with notes on why they may prove important in the world o
Somehow, Twitter does not have a team dedicated to accessibility
Twitter does not have a team dedicated to accessibility, the company confirmed after a developer alluded to the fact. It’s a baffling omission for a company that employs some 4,000 people and a
FCC Commissioner disparages Trump’s social media order: ‘The decision is ours alone’
FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks has examined the President's Executive Order that attempts to spur FCC action against social media and found it wanting. "There are good reasons for the FCC to stay ou
Drone-deployed sterile mosquitoes could check spread of insect-borne illnesses
Drone deployment of sterile mosquitoes could accelerate efforts to control their populations and reduce insect-borne disease, according to a proof of concept experiment by a multi-institutional resear
Rocket Lab’s next mission could launch just weeks after the last one
Rocket Lab is creeping closer to its goal of weekly launches with its 13th commercial mission, nicknamed “Pics Or It Didn’t Happen,” which, if all goes well, will take off only three