Garbage cans are the latest previously un-smart objects to become Wi-Fi-enabled. Waste management company Bigbelly equipped two of its smart bins with wireless internet in downtown Manhattan last winter, providing 50 to 75 megabits per second. That’s fast enough to download an HD movie in nine minutes, or upload 200 photos in about 27 seconds.…

A new technique for growing diamonds in a lab can produce gems that are almost identical to their natural counterparts. These synthetic diamonds are 30 to 40 percent cheaper, and can be produced in a matter of months. They’re so indistinguishable to the naked eye that thediamond industry is in an arms race to produce…

See full story, which appeared on Popular Science’s website on June 15, 2015, here.