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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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. -
Swift-Lock system brings quick-release pizzazz to camera straps
March 06, 2024Carrying your camera could soon get a lot easier. The Swift-Lock system allows users to tote their DSLR in a stabler, more accessible orientation than otherwise, plus they can quickly pop their camera on and off of the thing as needed. -
MicroBOOM lets solo videographers shoot boom-mic'd interviews
February 08, 2024Boom mics are great for shooting interviews on the go, but they have to be held by a sound person who stands beside the videographer. The MicroBOOM pole is different in that it mounts right to the camera, allowing one person to do everything.
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Military
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Video: Hypersonic rotating detonation engine in sustained test burn
March 11, 2024A revolutionary alternative to conventional rockets that uses controlled explosions has completed its first long-duration engine test as part of Venus Aerospace's partnership with DARPA to develop a Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine. -
Declassified video shows DragonFire laser weapon in action
March 11, 2024In a newly declassified video, the $127 million DragonFire high-power laser weapon can be seen spectacularly blasting through mortar rounds and shooting down drones. It's the best look we've had yet of the top-secret battlefield game-changer. -
Maiden flight for the XQ-67A Loyal Wingman – the drone built like a car
March 03, 2024The US Air Force's XQ-67A Loyal Wingman combat drone has taken to the air for the first time. Built by General Atomics using automotive design techniques, it promises to be a cheaper, more flexible alternative to other UAVs.
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Mobile Technology
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Xiaomi launches Leica camera masquerading as a smartphone
February 22, 2024Xiaomi's latest flagship handset has launched in China ahead of an expected Mobile World Congress appearance in Barcelona next week. The 14 Ultra's headline feature is a Leica main camera with a new Sony 1-inch sensor. -
Instant backup device may be perfect for the phone-loser in your life
February 20, 2024If you lose your smartphone, you definitely don't want to lose all the photos and other files stored on it. That's why it's so important to perform backups, and the PhotoCube PD+ offers a particularly simple means of doing so. -
Minimal phone gets back to basics with E Ink display and real keyboard
January 25, 2024We've seen a number of handsets over the years that have been designed to cut down on over-stimulating distractions present on smartphones. The latest looks like a happy marriage between a Blackberry and e-reader, and goes by the name of Minimal.
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Drones
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"Flying milk can" drones to start drop-delivering food in Sweden
March 18, 2024People living in part of Sweden will soon be receiving food deliveries by drone. The service, which utilizes multicopters that look rather like old-timey milk transportation cans, may subsequently be introduced throughout the country and beyond. -
Mosquito-spreading drones could slash the spread of disease
February 23, 2024If you're trying to disperse 300,000 disease-fighting mosquitos per day, using a drone may well be your best bet for doing so. The technology has already been tested in Brazil, where it showed very promising results. -
Auto-follow chopsticks grab flying UAVs from the back of a vehicle
February 04, 2024Mesmerizing video shows Teledyne FLIR's new autonomous drone-catching cradle matching the movements of a model helicopter and grabbing it the instant it's within reach. It'll allow soldiers to launch and recover drones from inside their vehicles.
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Home Entertainment
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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. -
Harman's JBL launches powerful integrated streaming system
February 12, 2024The Harman Luxury Audio Group has added a new family member to JBL's Classic Series, in the shape of a retro-stylish all-in-one music system named the L42ms that puts out 200 watts and features adjustable bass response.
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Deals
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Save $25 off a pack of these ultrasonic pest repellers
March 18, 2024TL;DR: Grab a pair of these ultrasonic pest repellers, capable of driving away household pests, on sale for only $19.99. -
This $40 art-therapy app could help you decompress
March 17, 2024TL;DR: Save 73% on this meditative art-therapy app that helps you use art to reflect on your days, express emotions, journal, and so much more. -
Score nearly $40 in savings on this 4K dual-camera drone
March 15, 2024TL;DR: Through March 17, you can get your hands on this 4K Dual-Camera Drone on sale for only $79.97.
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3D Printing
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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. -
Rapid liquid-metal 3D-printing process produces large parts in minutes
January 26, 2024Researchers have come up with a 3D printing method using liquid metal that's claimed to produce structures at least 10 times faster than existing metal additive manufacturing processes, though it does so at the expense of fine detail. -
New ultrasound tech could be used to 3D-print implants inside the body
December 08, 2023In order to keep surgeries minimally invasive, it would be great if implants could be injected into the body in liquid form, then solidified once in place. Well, a new ultrasound-based 3D printing process may one day make that very thing possible.
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Computers
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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. -
Dual-monitor laptop setup boasts simple connection and multiple uses
March 12, 2024If Apple made a dual monitor system for laptops, it might be a lot like the S2. The setup features aluminum construction, one-cord connectivity, and the ability to be used in five different configurations.
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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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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. -
Apple Vision Pro is about to enable fully immersive 3D music production
February 21, 2024Producing music these days can be something of a flat experience, undertaken using powerful software running on a computer. With the sales launch of the Apple Vision Pro, DAW maker Hit'n'Mix is planning to immerse musicians in their creations. -
Gamechanger embarks on a voyage of sonic discovery with the Mod Series
January 29, 2024When Gamechanger Audio launches a new product, you can expect the unexpected. Previous outings have included the high-voltage Plasma Pedal and the Motor Synth. Now the quirky innovators are bringing dynamic modulation of effects using patch cables.
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Robotics
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Mercedes puts Apollo humanoid to work on the production line
March 18, 2024Humanoid robots are entering the workforce. Following in the footsteps of Figure 01 at BMW and Digit in Amazon's R&D facility, Apptronik's Apollo bot is helping skilled human workers build cars for Mercedes-Benz. -
Lenovo's six-legged robodog promises unmatched maneuverability
March 15, 2024Lenovo probably isn't the first brand that springs to mind if you're on the lookout for a robodog to patrol your warehouse. Yet its Shanghai innovations lab has a versatile six-legged pooch coming this year, which has already nabbed an iF Design Award. -
Video: Shape-shifting ANYmal is starting to climb with cat-like grace
March 13, 2024ANYmal is a truly remarkable robot, capable of standing and lifting things like a humanoid, or slinking around on all fours like a quadruped, with or without wheels. But what's really surprised us now is the eerie grace it's starting to move with.
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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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Wrist-worn patch converts hand movements into messages in real time
February 28, 2024An experimental new wearable could allow people such as stroke victims to communicate via subtle hand movements. The device takes the form of a relatively thin patch that is temporarily adhered to the skin on the back of the wrist. -
Wearable face sensors add to the evolution of tech that "gets" us
February 24, 2024If humanoid robots are ever going to fully integrate in society, they're going to need to get good at reading our emotional states and responding appropriately. A new wearable from researchers in Korea could help them do just that. -
MIT takes a hands-on approach to tactile learning
February 23, 2024Some folks prefer to get a grip on things to better understand concepts. Researchers have developed smart gloves for tactile learners that use haptic feedback and AI to teach users new skills, fast-track precision training and control robots remotely.
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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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