{"id":854563,"date":"2025-06-10T06:12:20","date_gmt":"2025-06-10T11:12:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/10\/the-download-an-inspiring-toy-robot-arm-and-why-am-radio-matters\/"},"modified":"2025-06-10T06:12:20","modified_gmt":"2025-06-10T11:12:20","slug":"the-download-an-inspiring-toy-robot-arm-and-why-am-radio-matters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/10\/the-download-an-inspiring-toy-robot-arm-and-why-am-radio-matters\/","title":{"rendered":"The Download: an inspiring toy robot arm, and why AM radio matters"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Plus: Los Angeles protestors set Waymos alight while opposing Trump’s immigration raids<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n

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This is today’s edition of\u00a0The Download<\/a><\/em>,\u00a0our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology.<\/em><\/p>\n

How a 1980s toy robot arm inspired modern robotics<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u2014Jon Keegan<\/em><\/p>\n

As a child of an electronic engineer, I spent a lot of time in our local Radio Shack as a kid. While my dad was locating capacitors and resistors, I was in the toy section. It was there, in 1984, that I discovered the best toy of my childhood: the Armatron robotic arm.<\/p>\n

Described as a \u201crobot-like arm to aid young masterminds in scientific and laboratory experiments,\u201d it was a legit robotic arm. And the bold look and function of Armatron made quite an impression on many young kids who would one day have a career in robotics. Read the full story<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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If you\u2019re interested in the future of robots, why not check out:<\/strong><\/p>\n

+ Will we ever trust robots?<\/strong> If most robots still need remote human operators to be safe and effective, why should we welcome them into our homes? Read the full story<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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+ When you might start speaking to robots<\/strong>. Google is only the latest to fuse large language models with robots. Here\u2019s why the trend has big implications<\/a>.<\/p>\n

+ How AI models let robots carry out tasks in unfamiliar environments. Read the full story<\/a>.<\/p>\n

+ China\u2019s EV giants are betting big on humanoid robots<\/strong>. Technical know-how and existing supply chains give Chinese electric-vehicle makers a significant head start in the sector. Read the full story<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Why we still need AM radio<\/strong><\/p>\n

The most reliable way to keep us informed in times of disaster is being threatened. Check out Ariel Aberg-Riger\u2019s beautiful visual story<\/a> illustrating AM radio\u2019s importance in uncertain times.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Both of these stories are from the most recent edition of our print magazine, which is all about how <\/strong>technology is changing creativity<\/strong><\/a>. <\/strong>Subscribe now<\/strong><\/a> to get future copies before they land.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The must-reads<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve combed the internet to find you today\u2019s most fun\/important\/scary\/fascinating stories about technology.<\/em><\/p>\n

1 Protestors set Waymo robotaxis alight in Los Angeles<\/strong>
The groups clashed with police over the Trump administration\u2019s immigration raids. (LA Times<\/a> $)
+ Much of the technology that fuels deportation orders is error-ridden. <\/em>(Slate<\/a> $)
+ Immigrants are using a swathe of new apps to stay ahead of deportation. <\/em>(Rest of World<\/a>)<\/p>\n

2 What\u2019s next for Elon Musk and Donald Trump<\/strong>
A full breakdown in relations could be much worse for Musk in the long run. (NY Mag<\/a> $)
+ Trump\u2019s backers are rapidly turning on Musk, too. <\/em>(New Yorker<\/a> $)
+ The biggest winner from their fall out? Jeff Bezos. <\/em>(The Information<\/a> $)<\/p>\n

3 DOGE used an inaccurate AI tool to terminate Veteran Affairs contacts<\/strong>
Its code frequently produced glaring mistakes. (ProPublica<\/a>)
+ Undeterred, the department is on a hiring spree. <\/em>(Wired<\/a> $)
+ Can AI help DOGE slash government budgets? It\u2019s complex. <\/em>(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)<\/p>\n

4 Europe\u2019s shrinking forests could cause it to miss net-zero targets<\/strong>
Its trees aren\u2019t soaking up as much carbon as they used to. (New Scientist<\/a> $)
+ Inside the controversial tree farms powering Apple\u2019s carbon neutral goal. <\/em>(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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5 OpenAI wants to embed ChatGPT into college campuses\u00a0<\/strong>
The ultimate goal? A personalized AI account for every student. (NYT<\/a> $)
+ Meanwhile, other universities are experimenting with tech-free classes. <\/em>(The Atlantic<\/a> $)
+ ChatGPT is going to change education, not destroy it. <\/em>(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)<\/p>\n

6 Chinese regulators are pumping the brakes on self-driving cars<\/strong>
They\u2019re developing a new framework to assess the safety of autonomous features. (FT<\/a> $)
+ The country\u2019s robotaxis are rapidly catching up with the west. <\/em>(Rest of World<\/a>)
+ How China is regulating robotaxis. <\/em>(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)<\/p>\n

7 Desalination is finally becoming a reality
<\/strong>Removing salt from seawater is one way to combat water scarcity. (WSJ<\/a> $)
+ If you can make it through tons of plastic, that is. <\/em>(The Atlantic<\/a> $)<\/p>\n

8 We\u2019re getting better at fighting cancer
<\/strong>Deaths from the disease in the US have dropped by a third since 1991. (Vox<\/a>)
+ Why it\u2019s so hard to use AI to diagnose cancer. <\/em>(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)<\/p>\n

9 Teenage TikTokers\u2019 skin regimes offer virtually no benefit
<\/strong>And could even be potentially harmful. (The Guardian<\/a>)
+ The fight for \u201cInstagram face\u201d <\/em>(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)<\/p>\n

10 Tech\u2019s layoff groups are providing much-needed support<\/strong>
Workers who have been let go by their employers are forming little communities. (Insider<\/a> $)<\/p>\n

Quote of the day<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cEvery tech company is doing similar things but we were open about it.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2014Luis von Ahn, chief executive of the language-learning app Duolingo, tells the Financial Times<\/a> that his company is far from the only one adopting an AI-first strategy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One more thing<\/strong><\/p>\n

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How to break free of Spotify\u2019s algorithm<\/strong><\/p>\n

Since the heyday of radio, the branding of sound has evolved from broad genres like rock and hip-hop to \u201cparanormal dark cabaret afternoon\u201d and \u201csynth space,\u201d and streaming has become the default.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the ritual of discovering something new is now neatly packaged in a 30-song playlist. The only rule in music streaming is personalization.<\/p>\n

What we\u2019ve gained in convenience, we\u2019ve lost in curiosity. But it doesn\u2019t have to be this way. Read the full story<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u2014Tiffany Ng<\/em><\/p>\n

We can still have nice things<\/strong><\/p>\n

A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? <\/em>Drop me a line<\/em><\/a> or <\/em>skeet ’em at me<\/em><\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n

+ Happy birthday to Michael J Fox<\/a>, who turns 64 today!
+ Whenever you need to play the world\u2019s smallest violin<\/a>, these scientists can help you out ????
+ An early JMW Turner oil painting<\/a> has been rediscovered.
+ Watching robots attempt to kickbox<\/a> is pretty amusing. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Read More<\/a>
\n Rhiannon Williams<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Plus: Los Angeles protestors set Waymos alight while opposing Trump’s immigration raids This is today’s edition of\u00a0The Download ,\u00a0our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. How a 1980s toy robot arm inspired modern robotics \u2014Jon Keegan As a child of an electronic engineer, I spent<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":854564,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24097,28630,46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-854563","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-download","category-inspiring","category-technology"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/854563","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=854563"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/854563\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/854564"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=854563"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=854563"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=854563"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}