It may not be Hal—at least we hope not—but artificial intelligence is bringing computers ever closer to humans.http://www.newser.com/2008 - Newseren-usNewser Feed GeneratorMon, 06 Oct 2008 13:41:46 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/38290/internet-hookup-would-make-appliances-more-efficient.html?refid=rss_all_defaultElectric bill breaking the bank these days? Your fridge might be able to help, when developers start bringing Internet-ready appliances to market, GigaOm reports. Proactive dashboards could control energy usage to save money and conserve by telling wired appliances to reduce power during certain time periods without human input, and download new settings to lessen consumption.http://www.newser.com/story/38290/internet-hookup-would-make-appliances-more-efficient.html?refid=rss_all_defaultWed, 24 Sep 2008 16:08:58 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/37782/tech-tools-gauge-politicians-spin.html?refid=rss_all_defaultWant to know if John McCain and Barack Obama are stretching the truth? Speech, voice, and facial recognition technology is helping researchers determine just that, New Scientist reports. Analyzing words from 150 speeches from the presidential election, one researcher found that Obama used much higher “levels of spin” than McCain. “Obama is very good at using stirring rhetoric to deal with the issues. And it seems to work if you look at what happens in the polls afterwards,” he noted.http://www.newser.com/story/37782/tech-tools-gauge-politicians-spin.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThu, 18 Sep 2008 12:11:55 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/37122/supercollider-beautiful-so-far-scientists-say.html?refid=rss_all_defaultScientists working with the massive atom-smasher buried under the French-Swiss border have already “seen some beautiful tracks coming off” the beams of protons circling the 17-mile loop, Bloomberg reports. “Things can go wrong at any time, but luckily this morning everything went smoothly,” one scientist told National Geographic . With the first test behind them, scientists will now gradually ramp up the experiments.http://www.newser.com/story/37122/supercollider-beautiful-so-far-scientists-say.html?refid=rss_all_defaultWed, 10 Sep 2008 16:35:54 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/31738/thinking-bots-may-probe-planets-for-us.html?refid=rss_all_defaultWALL-E they aren't, but future space robots may decide how and where we explore other planets, Space.com reports. Using what expert Wolfgang Fink calls “tier-scalable reconnaissance,” orbiting spacecrafts could choose where to deploy airships that drop rovers on planet surfaces. NASA and Europe may test the software on a planned 2017 mission to Titan and Europa.http://www.newser.com/story/31738/thinking-bots-may-probe-planets-for-us.html?refid=rss_all_defaultSun, 06 Jul 2008 8:11:56 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/30760/googles-data-avalanche-trumps-scientific-method.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThe data avalanche Google made possible has buried the scientific method, Chris Anderson argues in Wired , begging the question, “What can science learn from Google?” We’re in the “Petabyte Age,” he argues, when massive amounts of data obviate need for models and theories—the imperfect, if useful, imaginings of data-starved scientists. The petabyte revolution that lets Google conquer advertising is transforming science, he says.http://www.newser.com/story/30760/googles-data-avalanche-trumps-scientific-method.html?refid=rss_all_defaultTue, 24 Jun 2008 14:23:27 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/30468/home-is-where-the-robot-is.html?refid=rss_all_defaultA kinder, gentler, smarter Frankenstein may soon be mowing your lawn and folding your unmentionables. Manufacturers are developing a new generation of metallic humanoid that will not only carry heavy objects, but pull their weight around the house and at work, the Economist reports . These new-age robots can touch, see, and may even respond to commands.http://www.newser.com/story/30468/home-is-where-the-robot-is.html?refid=rss_all_defaultFri, 20 Jun 2008 18:18:51 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/30508/japan-unveils-robot-girlfriend.html?refid=rss_all_defaultIf you’re looking for love and the electronic variety is good enough, a Japanese company may have just the thing for you. Sega unveiled “EMA” today (that’s Eternal Maiden Actualization), a 15-inch robotic girlfriend that can find and kiss human faces on command, Reuters reports. The company hopes to sell 10,000—mainly to lonely adult men—in the first year; the retail price is $175.http://www.newser.com/story/30508/japan-unveils-robot-girlfriend.html?refid=rss_all_defaultFri, 20 Jun 2008 12:49:36 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/30044/get-ready-for-some-hot-robot-lovin.html?refid=rss_all_defaultHuman-robot love is no longer the stuff of science fiction, AFP reports. At least one researcher predicts that 40 years from now, robots will tell you stories, make you laugh, and swear that they love you. As for sex, robots will be capable of it in 5 years: It's "a sort of an upgrade of the sex dolls on sale now," one expert said.http://www.newser.com/story/30044/get-ready-for-some-hot-robot-lovin.html?refid=rss_all_defaultSun, 15 Jun 2008 9:30:45 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/29812/smart-software-programs-write-your-to-do-lists.html?refid=rss_all_defaultBusy? A new kind of online organizer works like a personal assistant, interpreting loose statements—like “have brunch with Margaret on Sunday"—and turning them into scheduled events on users’ calendars. Free programs like Presdo, IWantSandy and reQall use natural language processing to organize casually written, and sometimes even spoken, commands, reports Technology Review .http://www.newser.com/story/29812/smart-software-programs-write-your-to-do-lists.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThu, 12 Jun 2008 12:33:07 CDT