Gwendolyn Rak

It's a running joke in the Type 1 diabetes community that a cure is always 5 years away. After 20 years of learned cynicism, I'm finally starting to believe that might be true. (And how cool would it be if that cure came with cyborg cells!)

Big thanks to Elie Dolgin for writing this for us.

Are AI Companions Helping or Hurting Our Well-Being? Are AI companions easing loneliness or adding to it? Before hard evidence is in, some researchers seek to better understand the potential harms.

Can AI companions genuinely improve emotional well-being, or do they risk isolating us further?

Why Are AI Companions Gaining Popularity? From chatbots to desktop devices, AI companions are evolving. What does this mean for our emotional connections with machines and each other?

As AI companions become more common, how do we balance their benefits with potential privacy concerns?

I live blocks from this oft-overlooked gem of Old City and walk by all the time. But the first time I visited was for a history class during my first semester of college. Its central theme: the stories we remember--or willfully forget--about our past are always a reflection of the current moment.

For this story, I got to dig into the details of tech that I've personally relied on for many years. I don't use Dexcom CGMs, but I do know firsthand the difference an accurate sensor can make.

Can You Solve the Puzzles That Stump AI Models? Think you can outsmart AI? Try these visual puzzles and see how you measure up.

Captcha meets "Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?" in this fun game from @newsbeagle.bsky.social and @ericoguizzo.bsky.social
spectrum.ieee.org/arc-prize-ag...

And while you're at it, check out the first articles from our special issue all about scale! spectrum.ieee.org/special-repo...

Defense Secretary Hegseth requires new 'pledge' for reporters at the Pentagon The Pentagon is implementing new guidelines that will require journalists to sign a pledge and agree to report only approved and officially released information.

The Pentagon is implementing new guidelines that will require journalists to sign a pledge and agree to report only approved and officially released information.

‘Never would have imagined it’: Pennsylvania NPR station set to be first to shutter following Trump’s cuts WPSU, which has been broadcasting out of Penn State since 1953, will shut down following federal cuts to public media organizations

WPSU is set to be the first in the country to go dark after the Trump administration stripped away federal funding for NPR and PBS.

“The news devastated me, it devastated all the employees,” said Jeff Hughes, WPSU’s former program director.

Natcast to Lay Off Majority of Its Staff The loss of Natcast halts semiconductor innovation, impacting industry-wide R&D, and access to advanced chipmaking technology, sources say.

Natcast to Lay Off Majority of Its Staff

Crying in Apple Vision Pro Is No Laughing Matter Our writer watched a steady diet of sad movies in Apple’s headset. It was strangely emotional, but the weight of the headset—and aloneness—distracted from the movies.

Taking a moment on this Apple product launch day to revisit one of my most memorable review experiences, in which I snot-cried all over the Apple Vision Pro. I have not been invited to Apple events since www.wired.com/story/crying...

My mom and Dr. DeepSeek In China and around the world, the sick and lonely turn to AI.

When her mom became smitten with Dr. DeepSeek, @violazhou.bsky.social asked human doctors to review the chat logs. They said the AI bot is giving alarmingly flawed advice. But maybe her mom is after something more than just medical help.

Read our new feature: restofworld.org/2025/ai-chat...

I always learn so many interesting tidbits from @ernie.tedium.co's articles, and this one's no exception. Read on to learn about AOL dial-up's connection to the deaf community, continued use in rural areas, and why its September shutdown is so fitting 👇

Could an AI Barbie Take the Place of Real Friends? Are AI toys the future of playtime or a risk to emotional development? A collaboration between Mattel and OpenAI raises sobering questions.

"If conflicts are neatly resolved or avoided altogether, if every emotion is met with perfect affirmation, children may lose the opportunity to practice one of the most important developmental skills: learning to connect with people who are not programmed to go along with them."

AI Could Never Be ‘Woke’ | TechPolicy.Press The Trump administration’s plan, in targeting “ideological bias” and “social engineering agendas” in AI, ultimately enforces them, writes Eryk Salvaggio.

In targeting “ideological bias” and “social engineering agendas," the Trump administration’s AI Action Plan ultimately enforces them, writes Tech Policy Press fellow Eryk Salvaggio.

photo of a scientist with hands over her mouth in a crowd of people. Caption reads: Commissioning scientist Marina Pavlovic watches Rubin’s first photon image appear on a monitor in the observatory’s control room on 15 April 2025. Rubin Observatory/NOIRLab/SLAC/NSF/DOE/AURA/W. O'Mullane and R. Gill

You'll have to read the story to see the telescope's first images, released today, but this pic of the scientists is a pretty good representation of what to expect

If you need some good news this morning, go read @evanackerman.bsky.social 's fantastic feature about the Vera Rubin Observatory

It's a botch-up! Monkey Christ and the worst art repairs of all time As another religious painting restoration goes horribly wrong, we take a look at some of the finest examples of butchered statues, art installations and frescoes

Sure, AI generates some pretty wacky images, but could a machine ever make something so perfectly terrible?? www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...

Art Restoration Gets a High-Tech Makeover Art restoration meets cutting-edge tech with a new removable overlay. Is this the future of preserving masterpieces?

Enjoyed editing this story about a new technique for art restoration, and the debate it's raised about the role of a human touch—but I couldn't help but think of some famously botched (human) restorations... spectrum.ieee.org/digital-art-...

These Companies Were the Patent Powerhouses of 2024 Amazon, Apple, and Snap dominate the rankings

#Samsung produced the most tech #patents this year, but analytics company 1790 determined that #Amazon's patents were more influential. Explore the top patenters of 2024 for yourself in an interactive data visualization.

Get expert-curated career strategies with IEEE Spectrum's free Career Newsletter. Tackle layoffs, industry changes & career advancement with actionable insights that keep you ahead in tech. Subscribe now: bit.ly/4bWuFIl #TechCareers #EngineeringExcellence #CareerGrowth

The Tiny Star Explosions Powering Moore’s Law The same math that describes supernovas makes EUV lithography possible

How do you keep 200,000 C tin plasma from killing a $250-million EUV machine? Look to the stars.

Thank you @charity.wtf for letting us share your work!

I had the privilege of seeing the XoMotion exoskeleton in person at CES! Check out @newsbeagle.bsky.social's article about this inspiring tech

Read to the end to find this great quote, from @harvardlil.bsky.social's Jack Cushman: "The government data that we have is like a GPS signal... It doesn’t tell us where to go, but it tells us what’s around us, so that we can make decisions."

Saving Public Data Takes More Than a Single Snapshot Digital archivists combine efforts to preserve complex government sites

My latest: spectrum.ieee.org/internet-arc...

As a journalist, onetime archival library employee, and just a citizen, it was heartening to hear about the hard work digital archivists are constantly up to behind the scenes.

Teens across Asia migrate to Taiwan for promises of semiconductor jobs Student-interns are paid for low-skill factory tasks and spend little time in the classroom.

They’re supposed to be students, but they’re working long hours for low wages in Taiwan’s semiconductor factories: “The time spent in school is very, very little — in some cases, just one day or less. What’s the reality? Most of their time is spent working.”
restofworld.org/2025/taiwan-...

Alan Turing's Top Secret DIY Project In November 2023, a large cache of Turing's wartime papers—nicknamed the “Bayley papers”—was auctioned in London for almost half a million U.S. dollars. The previously unknown cache contains many shee...

When you think Alan Turing, you probably think computer scientist and codebreaker. Now, add electrical #engineer to the list.

Sony Kills Recordable Blu-Ray And Other Vintage Media Once popular in Japan, MiniDiscs, MiniDV, and blank Blu-Rays are out

This one's for the physical media fans. After some panic last week about Sony ending production of what turned out to be *recordable* Blu-Rays, I decided to take a quick look back at the history of the blue discs, plus the now officially defunct MiniDisc

spectrum.ieee.org/recordable-p...

Eagles Fans Would Celebrate a Super Bowl Win With a Dangerous Tradition. Here’s How to Do It. We asked a physicist, a pole dancer, and some veterans for tips.

Seems like it’s time to bring back this story from @timmybroderick.bsky.social

slate.com/culture/2023...

Calm Tech certification wants to "reward" unobtrusive tech The first certified devices were shown at CES 2025

At CES 2025 I spoke with Amber Case, founder of the Calm Tech Institute. She laid out the Calm Tech certification, which is touted by several devices including the ReMarkable Paper Pro and Mui Board Gen 2.

If you feel like the tech in your life is too distracting (and who doesn’t?) check it out.