Tech Xplore news

Tech Xplore / OpenAI launches GPT-5.5 as rivals race to build more autonomous AI assistants

OpenAI released a new model it touts as its best yet for handling research work like making improved versions of itself, as rapid-fire releases by AI rivals pick up pace.

Apr 24, 2026
Tech Xplore / SmartDJ lets users reshape audio experiences with simple words

Penn Engineers have developed SmartDJ, an AI-powered editor that lets users modify immersive audio environments with simple instructions in everyday language, with potential applications in virtual reality, augmented reality, ...

Apr 24, 2026
Tech Xplore / Why faster AI isn't always better

In the race to make AI models not just reason better but respond faster, latency—the delay before an answer appears—is often treated as a purely technical constraint, something to minimize and move past. But how is this relentless ...

Apr 24, 2026
Tech Xplore / DeepSeek rolls out V4 update with 1 million-token context and stronger reasoning

DeepSeek, the Chinese artificial intelligence startup that shook world markets last year, launched preview versions of its latest major update Friday as the AI rivalry between China and the U.S. heats up.

Apr 24, 2026
Tech Xplore / Tesla begins robotaxi production, with Cybercab ramp expected to accelerate by year-end

Tesla's much-touted autonomous "robotaxi," called the Cybercab, has started production, CEO Elon Musk said on Friday, the same week that the carmaker reported first-quarter profits that beat expectations.

Apr 24, 2026
Tech Xplore / AI smart glasses will help visually impaired runners take on the London Marathon

Running past Buckingham Palace during training, Tilly Dowler is closing in on a goal she once thought out of reach.

Apr 24, 2026
Tech Xplore / New 3D device harnesses living brain cells for computing

Princeton researchers have combined brain cells and advanced electronics into a single 3D device that can be programmed to recognize patterns using computational techniques. Past attempts at using brain cells to do computation ...

Apr 23, 2026
Tech Xplore / Why solid-state batteries short-circuit: New evidence points to stress-driven lithium cracking

Smartphones, electric vehicles and many portable devices rely on batteries. Their energy storage capacity, lifetime and safety will strongly shape the future of electrification. Among the most promising next-generation technologies ...

Apr 23, 2026
Tech Xplore / Tiny, knotted robots jump, fly and plant seeds

When a knot lets go, it doesn't just fall apart. It snaps. That simple observation led Penn Engineers to rethink what a knot can do. Instead of treating it as something that holds tension, they asked a different question: ...

Apr 23, 2026
Tech Xplore / Creating green materials with light could transform clean energy

Metal-organic frameworks, better known as MOFs, are among the most intensely studied materials for addressing major environmental challenges. Their highly ordered, ultra-porous architecture enables applications ranging from ...

Apr 23, 2026
Tech Xplore / Engineers boost sustainable acrylic acid production using next‑generation membrane reactor

Acrylic acid is essential for everyday products—from paints and coatings to absorbent polymers—yet almost all of it is currently made from propylene, a petrochemical. As global biodiesel production rises, so does the supply ...

Apr 23, 2026
Tech Xplore / Universal model sets standards for perovskite solar cells

Perovskite solar cells, PSCs, have emerged as one of the most promising renewable energy technologies of the past decade. Besides their remarkable power conversion rates, perovskites are lightweight in nature and can be manufactured ...

Apr 23, 2026