Apple, Google, Amazon and the Zigbee Alliance have joined forces to develop a smart-home standard that will mean new devices are likely to be compatible with any of their hubs and voice assistants. More
Kids can identify plants, flowers and wildlife in their area while adding to a global biodiversity database that helps monitor the planet's health, using the augmented-reality app Seek by iNaturalist and the WWF. More
The city of Helsinki has revealed a first-of-its kind website meant to empower citizens, businesses and tourists to make more sustainable choices. More
American industrial designer Tucker Viemeister has teamed up with software giant Microsoft to build an electronic voting machine that could boost security of paper ballots. More
Architecture studio Wallgren Arkitekter and Swedish construction company BOX Bygg have created a parametric design tool called Finch, which can generate floor plans adapted to the constraints of a site. More
Apple has launched its first dedicated operating system for the iPad, making it easier to multitask, manage files and use Apple Pencil. More
Apple has developed a dark display mode that will be available on the new iPhone and iPad operating systems. More
Designers can move easily between drawing in a virtual-reality environment and on their tablet using the latest update to Gravity Sketch. More
Researchers have created a series of 4D-printed plastic objects that fold themselves into predetermined shapes when heated, which they believe could be scaled up to create flat-pack furniture. More
An interactive mapping tool provides a scary glimpse of how cities such as New York, Boston and Miami might end up if sea levels continue to rise. More
Drones that deliver blood with parachutes and a sustainable ocean farming system are among the winners of the INDEX: Award 2017. More
London startup Gravity Sketch has officially launched its virtual reality sketching software that lets users create and manipulate three-dimensional objects in mid-air. More
Researchers at software brand Adobe have developed a prototype tool that allows users to mix colours on screen as if they were working in real paint. More
London studio Seymourpowell's virtual-reality tool for automotive design allows people in various locations around the world to work together in real time. More
A beta version of a virtual-reality programme that gives designers the option to draw and manipulate 3D objects has launched. More
Graduate shows 2016: Central Saint Martins graduate Julius Breitenstein has created a device that performs the activities an intern would usually do in a design office. More
Graduate shows 2016: Royal College of Art graduate Ted Hunt has designed a search engine that allows users to search the web using principles based on the Socratic method. More
New virtual reality tools will allow architects and designers to create buildings and products intuitively in 3D space around them, according to the director of visualisation studio VRtisan (+ movie). More
Apple has teamed up with Ferrari, Volvo and Mercedes-Benz to develop software for cars allowing iPhones to be connected up and controlled via a second screen in the entertainment system. More
News: Apple has revealed the design of iOS 7 - the highly anticipated first major user interface redesign since industrial designer Jonathan Ive was put in charge of both hardware and software design across the company. More
