Technology
The latest in technology news, from advanced robotics to smartphones, digital cameras and home entertainment gear.
Britain's Dragonfire laser weapon engages first aerial targets
January 21, 2024
Britain has fired its Dragonfire high-powered laser weapon at aerial targets for the first time. The test of the Laser Directed Energy Weapon (LDEW) on the Ministry of Defence's Hebrides Range was designed to demonstrate its power and accuracy.
Photography
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Mirrorless goes micro with pocket-friendly travel camera
March 28, 2024Colorful photo-tech inventor Samuel Mello Medeiros and camera/optics veteran Yashica have joined forces to create what's billed as the world's smallest mirrorless camera, the Micro Mirrorless Yashica – I'm Back. -
Coalax Lancer 300 modular backpack may just be the Robocop of camera bags
March 26, 2024The Coalax Lancer 300 modular photography backpack is very much a modern-day descendant of the humble camera bag. Among other things, it sports a removable power bank, solar panel, drone-carrying compartment, and extendable rotatable selfie sticks. -
Hare for it: 2024 British Wildlife Photographer of the Year winners
March 14, 2024A dramatic image of a soccer ball covered in invasive goose barnacles has taken out the top prize in this year's prestigious British Wildlife Photography Awards, beating out more than 14,000 entries that aimed to cleverly capture the world around us.
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Military
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Northrop Grumman debuts Manta Ray robotic underwater glider
April 10, 2024Northrop Grumman introduces its first completed prototype Manta Ray Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle that it is developing for DARPA. The extra-large submarine glider is designed to carry out long-range undersea missions without human assistance. -
Four long-range anti-ship missiles team up in historic test
April 08, 2024Demonstrating that semi-autonomous weapons are the mainstay of the future and not an oddity, the US Navy and Lockheed Martin have completed a test of four Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASM) simultaneously in flight with minimal human guidance. -
Decoy launchers clone entire Navy stealth ships on an enemy's radar
March 27, 2024The Royal Navy is banking on state-of-the-art decoy launchers to protect its stealth ships. The £135 million (US$170 million) Ancilia Trainable Decoy Launcher project will counter the latest missile and drone threats.
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Mobile Technology
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Hybrid camera system gives your smartphone "super-telephoto" zoom
April 18, 2024Tech company Beaverlab has launched a Kickstarter to raise funds for a smart super-telephoto camera called the Excope DT1 that can be had with a 400-mm zoom lens, and works with a smartphone to capture distant imagery. -
Logitech simplifies livestreaming with wireless 4K MFT camera
March 20, 2024Ease of use, lens flexibility and Micro Four Thirds image quality is what Logitech is offering digital content creators with the launch of the app-controlled Mevo Core wireless livestreaming camera. -
The first Android 13 E Ink tablet is here: Bigme's full-color InkNoteX
March 19, 2024Bigme has launched a color E Ink tablet that's billed as the first to run Android 13 out of the box. The latest InkNote has access to Google Play, sports a 10.3-inch Kaleido 3 color display with stylus support, and comes packing front and rear cameras.
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Drones
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Video: Ultra-efficient flying pogo robot bounces around on its tail
April 12, 2024It might look hilarious in motion, but this remarkable aerial drone extends its battery life from a few minutes up to a full hour by bouncing around on a springy pogo tail. That incredible efficiency makes it attractive for a wide range of missions. -
Video: Deformable ring drone morphs into a rolling wheel to boost runtime
April 08, 2024A new experimental drone can fly in the air as needed, then morph into a motorized wheel and roll on the ground to save energy. It could one day find use in applications such as searching disaster sites for victims trapped in the rubble. -
Video: Crafty quadcopter sits on power lines to recharge
April 05, 2024Battery life wouldn't be an issue for drones if they could just recharge on power lines as needed. That's exactly what an experimental new quadcopter can now do, allowing it to stay aloft pretty much indefinitely.
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Home Entertainment
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Ranking Apple TV+ sci-fi shows: From 'Severance' to 'For All Mankind'
April 12, 2024Apple TV+ has clearly invested in top-shelf science fiction as a defining pillar of its offering – and overall, it's put together an impressive slate. From outright successes to grand artistic swing 'n' misses, here's our ranking, worst to best. -
Review: Horizon Ultra 4K smart projector first with laser/LED light source
March 11, 2024A smart projector with a novel five-channel dual-light optical engine and Dolby Vision? The Horizon Ultra went on sale late last year, and when I was recently given the opportunity to play catchup with the tech-packed home projector, I jumped at it. -
Review: Compact Atom laser projector puts Google TV in sharp focus
February 19, 2024We've spent the past few weeks having our streamed entertainment served up by a mini-PC-sized Full HD laser projector that Dangbei launched at IFA 2023 in Germany last year. The Atom made its way to the US for CES recently, and is now up for sale.
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Deals
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MS Office Professional 2021 for Windows is just $56
April 17, 2024TL;DR: Get a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows for just $55.99 (reg. $219) with the code ENJOY20 when you order through April 21. -
This pre-loved iPad Pro has the power you need at a price you'll love
April 16, 2024TL;DR: For only $170.99 (reg. $599), this refurbished iPad Pro offers a balance of affordability, portability, and everyday performance with a crisp Retina display, long battery life, and bonus accessories. -
Double the clean for half the price on this 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum & Mop
April 15, 2024TL;DR: The ZCWA Robot 2-in-1 Vacuum & Mop conquers dust and dirt with powerful suction, mops your hard floors with its smart app control and voice command compatibility, and all for $99.99, half the suggested retail price.
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3D Printing
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Smart 3D printer tunes itself to build with unfamiliar materials
April 08, 2024A recently developed system could revolutionize the world of 3D printing, by streamlining the adoption of new print media. Such materials could include ones made from all-renewable ingredients, or that are more recyclable than current options. -
In a world-first, wooden items get 3D-printed out of wood-only ingredients
March 20, 2024Scientists have developed a new "ink" that allows objects to be 3D-printed out of wood. The material could reduce the amount of wood that gets wasted in the manufacturing of various products, plus it could utilize existing wood waste. -
New 3D-printing ink changes color for different parts of one print job
February 20, 2024Scientists have created a 3D-printing media that can take on different colors in different parts of a single print job. The secret lies in utilizing ultraviolet light to selectively alter the surface structure of the material as it's being dispensed.
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Computers
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Logitech lets users cook GPT shortcuts into its mice and keyboards
April 18, 2024Logitech has introduced new software that gives users of its peripherals easy access to ChatGPT. After matching the feature to a keyboard key or mouse button, the user can quickly tap into the power of GPT via preset or custom recipes. -
Hold on: World's fastest AI chip will massively accelerate AI progress
March 17, 2024If you think things have happened fast in the last year, hold on: Cerebras Systems present the Wafer Scale Engine 3 (WSE-3) chip, which powers the Cerebras CS-3 AI supercomputer with a peak performance of 125 petaflops. It’s scalable to an insane degree. -
Portable 'transflective' LCD monitor uses the Sun as its light source
March 12, 2024Backlit monitors can be harsh on the eyes, causing some people to suffer from eye strain. Introducing the Eazeye Radiant, the world's first portable monitor to incorporate transflective LCD to effectively use natural light as a light source.
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Games
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5 video games we wanna smell, now that it's kinda possible with GameScent
March 19, 2024Have you ever wondered what all 1,000+ Pokémon smell like? Because we have. With the news of a weird AI smell-o-vision device called GameScent, we’ve rounded up a list of which game worlds we’re most curious to get a whiff of – for better or worse. -
Dawn of the arcade game: Three pivotal video games from the early 70s
March 12, 2024Atari's first three video arcade games tell a fascinating story of rapid evolution: the first ("Computer Space" - 1971), the game it inspired ("Pong" - 1972) and the sequel to Pong ("Space Race" - 1973) which introduced the arcade world to the joystick. -
AI robot buddy aims to teach gamers social skills
January 10, 2024This charmingly Japanese robot acts as a gaming buddy, taking the other controller and playing against you while chatting about what's happening on screen. It's designed to stave off loneliness, and teach increasingly isolated gamers to be social.
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Laptops
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2024 Macbook Air gets M3 chip – and serious performance upgrades
March 04, 2024Apple has treated its most popular portable workstation to a significant performance boost thanks to building the new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air laptops around its latest silicon, the M3 chip announced last year. -
First transparent laptop shows Lenovo's clear vision for future working
March 03, 2024Lenovo has unveiled a ThinkBook concept that boasts a futuristic transparent display and combined touch keyboard/drawing pad. The concept is part of the company's new tech offerings announced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week. -
Dual-OLED Zenbook Duo laptop now available for pre-order
January 31, 2024Asus launched what it called "the world's first 14-inch dual-screen OLED laptop" at CES 2024 earlier this month, a similar but different proposition to its 17-inch folding model from 2022. Now the Zenbook Duo has gone up for sale.
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Music
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Plant-based records take the PVC out of vinyl
March 26, 2024Sales of vinyl records have been on the rise for a few years now, but the plastic used to create them is bad news for the enviro-conscious listener. A UK startup is hoping to change that by pressing for plant-based alternatives. -
Suno V3: Song-on-demand AI is getting insanely good
March 22, 2024It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel like making some AI-generated tunes. Massachusetts-based company Suno has released its third text-to-music tool, and it chops out fully-produced two-minute songs in any style, complete with vocals. -
Beloved family pianos are reborn as stunning phoenix sculptures
March 15, 2024Pianos can become the heart of a home, and some become intergenerational heirlooms loaded with memories. Letting them go once they're unplayable can be very hard, but an Australian sculptor has found a way to resurrect them, to jaw-dropping effect.
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Robotics
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Video: Bio-inspired aquatic robot shoots through the water like a penguin
April 18, 2024Penguins are fast, fantastic swimmers, so why not make an underwater robot inspired by them? That's just what German underwater tech company EvoLogics has done, with its new-and-improved Quadroin AUV (autonomous underwater vehicle). -
Video: Boston Dynamics unveils stronger, more capable electric Atlas robot
April 17, 2024Boston Dynamics has unveiled a stronger, more agile, fully electric version of its Atlas humanoid robot. The kinda creepy-looking thing is already slated to enter use on Hyundai's automotive production line. -
AI-powered robots can now autonomously repair other bots
April 17, 2024Back in January, researchers showed off the kitchen skills of an open-source Aloha housekeeping robot. Now the Unleashed project gets to grips with knotting shoelaces, hanging shirts and even repairing other robots.
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Smartwatches
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Coros PACE 2 review: A lightweight, long-lasting smartwatch
July 04, 2021If you want a wearable to track workouts, runs, sleep and plenty more, then there's no shortage of devices to pick from – and after a couple of weeks of testing we can tell you that the Coros PACE 2 has a few features that might make you choose it. -
The budget TicWatch E3 shows off Wear OS at its best
June 16, 2021Google has promised big improvements for its Wear OS wearable platform later this year, but in the meantime Mobvoi has launched a new device that could be the best value smartwatch on the market right now: the TicWatch E3. -
The newest Casio G-Shock smartwatch is the first to run Wear OS
April 01, 2021Google's Wear OS platform could certainly use some more actual smartwatches to run on, and Casio has obliged with the GSW-H1000 – the first G-Shock smartwatch from the brand to come with Wear OS on board.
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Telecommunications
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FCC bans AI-voiced robocalls in wake of ‘Biden’ calls to NH residents
February 08, 2024The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced on February 8th that robocalls made using AI-generated voices are illegal, effective immediately. The announcement gives law enforcement agencies greater powers to deal with scammers. -
Lightweight woven antenna could replace field-deployed dishes
January 22, 2024Ordinarily, in order to establish communications at disaster sites, rescuers have to transport and set up relatively bulky, costly satellite dishes. Soon, however, a simple tubular antenna made of woven strips of material may get the job done. -
Record-breaking fiber transmits 20x global internet traffic per second
December 03, 2023Everybody wants a faster internet connection, and now engineers in Japan have shattered the record for data transmission. The team managed to transmit more than 20 times the global internet traffic per second through a single optical fiber.
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Wearables
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Upgrade-friendly TWS earbuds designed to let the music play on
April 15, 2024Many of the gadgets we use every day have a limited shelf life, and often end up as e-waste before their time. The Dutch company that launched a repairable, upgradeable, sustainable smartphone has now taken the challenge to true wireless earphones. -
Odd-looking glasses track your eyes and facial expressions without cameras
April 12, 2024Two new technologies allow a single pair of glasses to track eye movements and read the wearer's facial expressions, respectively. The systems use sonar instead of cameras, for better battery life and increased user privacy. -
Smart helmet tracks shake to keep brains safe on the job
April 04, 2024An experimental new helmet could save drivers of construction vehicles from serious injuries. The device measures the extent to which its wearer is being shaken up while driving, and sounds an alert when the shaking gets to be too much.
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Virtual Reality
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C-Infinity VR platform designed to keep gamers from losing their lunch
February 01, 2024Realistic and immersive as VR gaming may be, it produces feelings of motion sickness in many people. The C-Infinity platform is claimed to keep that from happening, by better engaging the user's body in their avatar's actions. -
Phantom VR glove delivers a sense of touch, but leaves fingers free
January 29, 2024There are now a number of gloves that deliver tactile sensations to VR users' fingertips when they touch virtual objects. The Phantom glove is unique, however, in that it doesn't cover the fingers, leaving them free for real-world interactions. -
AR vacuuming app makes sure you don't miss a spot
January 23, 2024As VR/AR headsets become more and more common, they'll open up all sorts of opportunities to "gamify" what's happening in the real world. Here's a fun example: an app that tracks your vacuum, showing which bits of floor you have and haven't done.
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