BMW to show a free-floating display. HoloActive Touch is a virtual touchscreen next to the steering wheel and is operated using finger gestures, without any physical contact with surfaces. So yes, forget buttons and touchscreens. Just wave your hand and stuff happens! The feature will debut at CES in Las Vegas next month.
Europe’s navigation systems Galileo goes live. After 17 years, Europe’s own satnav, a 10 billion euro project, is finally online and promising to outperform rivals in precision and self-reliance. It’s free to users worldwide and available on smartphones with Galileo-compatible microchip. Full functionality is expected to be reached by 2020.
Tech virtually recreates concert hall acoustics. A live orchestra performance sounds different at different venues. Researchers are measuring what makes for an "enveloping" experience and virtually recreate different concert hall acoustics to help build more "enveloping" venues in the future, among other applications.
Smartphones to help combat antimicrobial resistance. A UCLA team developed a smartphone attachment that can conduct automated antimicrobial susceptibility testing. With the spread of drug-resistant bacteria, it’s set to be a life safer especially in areas with limited resources.
World’s smallest radio receiver with building blocks the size of two atoms. The tiniest radio receiver, built out of an assembly of atomic-scale defects in pink diamonds, can withstand extremely harsh environments and is biocompatible, meaning it can go to outer space or a human heart.
Bonus track: Enjoying your coffee? Check out 2016 in Pictures by Nature.
Photo caption and credit: Fantastic Foot — a 2 millimeter in diameter lower segment of a leg that belongs to a male diving beetle. He uses it to attach to a female’s back during mating. And you thought your mate was exciting…
