Communication

Google hosts its fourth-annual science fair. Shown here, the 2013 winners.

Google Thinks These 18 Teenagers Will Change the World

The global finalists of this year’s Google Science Fair take on cyberbullying countermeasures, tar sands cleanup and wearable tech

A trim cellphone accessory keeps you in touch when there's no cell service in sight.

No Network? This Device Will Get Texts Through No Matter What

The GoTenna smartphone accessory uses short-wave radio signals to send messages, no cell tower necessary

When Scientists, Social Media, and the Kardashians Collide

A commentary published in a scientific journal sparks a heated debate amongst scientists

Buff-Tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) in flight through Heather flowers

Sometimes Bumblebees Just Want to Do Their Own Thing

Bumblebees are strong communicators, but they don't always listen

An African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) calls out near Table Mountain National Park, Cape Town, South Africa.

Scientists Decode African Penguin Calls

Researchers are trying to figure out how "jackass" penguins—nicknamed for their braying vocalizations—communicate

A wearable wireless radio replaces your PIN code.

This Temporary Tattoo Can Unlock A Phone

Motorola and VivaLnk release an electronic sticker that replaces your passcode

It Will Soon Be Legal (Again) To Unlock Your Phone

A new law expected to go into effect soon will make it legal to unlock your phone

Lasers Make a Fiber Optic Cable Out of Thin Air

Just like a fiber optic cable, without the physical cable

Spider Silk is a Fine-Tuned Alert System

Web fibers can send a wide range of messages

These Psychologists Think We'd Be Happier If We Talked to Strangers More

Though you should definitely take this on a case-by-case basis.

Researchers say they've developed a system that allows them to use dolphins' own language to communicate with the animals.

Checking the Claim: A Device That Translates Dolphin Sounds Into English

Researchers used new technology to interpret a dolphin noise they say translates loosely to "seaweed"

Sometimes Scientists Just Need to Be Left Alone

Proponents for alone time—Isaac Newton, included—think silence can be a precondition for a great breakthrough

Steve Perlman hopes his invention, the pCell, will transform how we transmit data from our smartphones.

Checking The Claim: A Wireless Network That Streams A Thousand Times Faster?

As wireless data networks face more congestion, will entrepreneur Steve Perlman's latest idea be the ultimate fix?

Engineers and entrepreneurs want to make it possible for two people to converse in different languages, while a small device spits out translations in real time.

Kissing Language Barriers Goodbye

Google is paving the way for the universal voice translator, formerly a thing of science fiction. But will they actually help us communicate?

EEG technology allows people to play music and control vehicles with their minds. But can it translate a dog's thoughts into words?

Checking the Claim: This Device Would Allow Dogs to Talk Like Humans

A team of oddball inventors claims they are developing a headset that translates a canine's thoughts into words

Text Me, Ishmael: Reading Moby Dick in Emoji

Why someone would translate Herman Melville’s classic into emoticons

Your Dog Can Tell From Your Voice If You're Happy or Sad

New fMRI research shows that dogs' brains are specially equipped to process human voices, and respond differently based on our emotions

Coming in the fall, the oPhone is primed to make the smartphone experience about smell, too.

With an oPhone, You Can Send Scents to Friends

An inventor has come up with a system for embedding smells into movies, music and text messaging

Sketchy Skype Calls Actually Do Hurt Your Emotional Connection

"If one wanted to go to less trouble in undermining the world's unity, one could start with a dodgy internet connection obstructing conversational flow"

Forget Bulky Smart Watches, Slip On a Smart Ring

A team of developers is taking orders for a ring that displays incoming text and email messages and helps locate lost phones

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