So much happened in tech this year some good, some not so good, and some just plain awesome. Here is a look back at a few headline makers and maybe some that flew under the radar.
January 2023
The Good: Sweden found Europe's largest deposit of rare earth oxides. This was huge news because as CNN Business reported - no rare earth elements are currently being mined in Europe.
The Bad: Massive numbers of layoffs in the tech sector. According to Business Insider, there were more layoffs in tech in the first 20 days of January than in the first six months of 2022 combined.
The Nerdy: Atlas - Boston Dynamics humanoid robot - demonstrated some cool new abilities. Thanks to its new “hands” (more like claws) we saw Atlas lift a keg over its head in a Super Bowl commercial, build a bridge with a 2x8, and carry and throw a tool bag! Watch the videos here.
Bonus: Red Alert! Red Alert! or rather 'Code Red' is what ChatGPT had Google execs declaring in January in an effort to spur new AI development.
February 2023
The Good: Apple reportedly made a breakthrough on a decade-old project that will revolutionize the healthcare industry. They have been working on a no-prick, continuous measuring blood glucose monitor they plan to incorporate into the Apple watch. This is exciting news for the 537 million diabetic adults who have to deal with multiple daily pricks or changing out an embedded sensor every couple of weeks.
The Bad: Technology isn’t perfect? I’m shook! February gave us multiple examples, courtesy of Twitter, Google, Microsoft Outlook, and Bing, of the hiccups that remind us technology is just as unpredictable as we humans sometimes.
The Nerdy: Making a brain from mushrooms?!? You heard that right - Andrew Adamatzky, director of the Unconventional Computing Laboratory at the University of the West of England in Bristol, UK, has been working on growing mushroom computers. Now who’s craving pizza?
Bonus: Tech to fight crimes against teens. Meta launched a new tool, called Take It Down, which is run and operated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
March 2023
The Good: Honda announced a “proof of concept" that would get old hydrogen fuel cells out of retirement and back to work serving as backup powering for its server farm.
The Bad: The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank - the third-largest bank failure in US history and one that hit the tech industry hard as it had a deep connection to the technology world - offering vital services to startups in the US and around the globe.
The Nerdy: Ever feel you need another hand? Or an extra thumb? Researchers at Cambridge University say human augmentation could be…at hand (pun intended).
Bonus: El Cosmico in Marfa, Texas is a fitting site for the world’s first 3D-printed hotel. The project is a collaboration between architecture firm BIG and ICON, who you may have heard has a contract with NASA to build the first dwellings on Mars and the moon - super fitting for a place called El Cosmico.
April 2023
The Good: SuperNode and CERN have begun a collaboration that could have significant impacts in the renewable energy field.
The Bad: Chaos reigned for a time in mid-April when Twitter changes made verification a nightmare for some.
The Nerdy: Ever wish you could get a pop-up warning you of some real-life threat, like in your favorite video game? Malwarebytes is getting us a step closer with WorldBytes.
Bonus: Family Video, Blockbuster,... Netflix?!? In April Netflix announced that they would be ending the DVD-by-mail service (that was still a thing - really?!?) that made them the powerhouse in entertainment they are today. The final red envelope would be sent out on September 29, 2023, marking the end of an era.
May 2023
The Good: A new research project between Rigshospitalet, Aarhus University, and T&W Engineering is aimed at the development of a new home healthcare technology that could lead to early detection, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
The Bad: Meta faced a €1.2 billion EU privacy fine as a result of data transferred to the US.
The Nerdy: Neuralink received FDA approval to conduct its first test on humans.
Bonus: As Sammy Davis Jr sang “Oh, if I could talk to the animals, just imagine it, Chatting with a chimp in chimpanzee, Imagine talking to a tiger, chatting with a cheetah, What a neat achievement it would be…” At Mozilla Labs they are using AI to try and make that a reality - though I already know what my cat is saying “Feeeeeed Me! NOW!”
June 2023
The Good: AI takes on crime, specifically money laundering. Google Cloud launched AML AI to help “solve one of the biggest and most costly challenges in the financial services industry”.
The Bad: Reddit was hit by one of the largest user-driven protests in its history as a result of Reddit’s plan to charge millions of dollars in fees for some third-party apps to continue accessing the platform.
The Nerdy: “Hello, computer.” - Scotty (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home) NASA is aiming to take us one step closer to the worlds of our favorite science fiction starships by developing their own ChatGPT-style interface.
Bonus: The “Beatles” (or should I say ‘Be-AI-tles’) final song to be released this year thanks to artificial intelligence.
July 2023
The Good: Researchers at Cardiff University train AI to help detect breast cancer.
The Bad: Ransomware struck again - the victim this time was the busiest shipping port in Japan.
The Nerdy: “Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads.” - Emmett Brown (Back to the Future ) Alef Aeronautics received FAA certification for their Model A flying car.
Bonus: X - the social media formerly known as Twitter, went live in July to mixed reactions.
August 2023
The Good: This is ‘good’ coming out of ‘bad’. Wildfires devastated Maui and left thousands without internet or cell service to call for help. Portable mobile hot spots were brought in to help those in need.
The Bad: AI became the ghostwriter one author didn’t hire - creepy!
The Nerdy: Code Llama was released by Meta; it's designed to encourage an open approach to AI.
Bonus: Samsung Food makes its debut at the IFA 2023 tech show - I’m still waiting for replicators that will produce my desired food in seconds.
September 2023
The Good: Bees, love them or not, we need them to pollinate our crops - or do we? BloomX, a tech company based in Israel, has found a way to mechanically pollinate crops.
The Bad: NFTs now stand for ‘Not Flipping Treasure’ as researchers say most are now worthless.
The Nerdy: Angry Birds inspired surgeon's 'game changing' tool
Bonus:
If you’ve ever had an error like this pop up it can be a major annoyance - but for Toyota, it turned into a nightmare in September when it stopped production at 14 of its factories in Japan.
October 2023
The Good: Researchers published new findings indicating they found a way, using photoacoustic technology, to improve medical imaging regardless of skin tone.
The Bad: New York AG Filed an over $1 billion lawsuit against certain cryptocurrency companies for defrauding more than 230,000 investors.
The Nerdy: Disney introduced a little robot with lots of emotion at the 2023 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS).
Bonus: ‘Nightshade’ is poison to image-generating AI but for artists, it's “a tool that can help return the power back to the artists”.
November 2023
The Good: A new satellite is being funded in hopes of helping scientists monitor the climate and natural disasters.
The Bad: Live video chat website Omegle shut down - despite its popularity, it has also been a source of controversy.
The Nerdy: The Euclid telescope sent back its first images shedding light into the “dark universe”.
Bonus: The AI Safety Summit was held and 28 governments signed the Bletchley Declaration - agreeing to work together on AI safety research under this declaration.
December 2023
The Good: NeuralSpace launched a transformative new feature in its VoiceAI platform bringing them one step closer to their founding vision.
The Bad: The Apple Watch ban has not only brought sales (of certain models) to a halt but will also affect out-of-warranty repairs and replacements.
The Nerdy: NASA is going to explore the universe on a balloon - with their experiment GUSTO.
Bonus: E3 - Press F to Pay Respects
Here’s to 2024 and all the amazing innovations it will bring!
*Pre-edited Rewind logo: Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik | Pre-edited Photo by Daniel Schludi on Unsplash
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