Technology

The greatest space photography competition in the universe has revealed its 2022 shortlist and its nothing short of spectacular – from a stunning moonrise over an ancient tower to a glimpse of the Milky Way above the highest motorway in the world.

Presented by the California Academy of Sciences, the BigPicture Competition annually delivers an incredible collection of nature photographs. This year’s shots span from a bizarre cactus bee mating ritual to a surreal glimpse at a sea star spawning.

Nikon has launched its third DX format mirrorless camera, following the Z 50 from 2019 and last year's Z fc. The new model shares much with both of its ancestors, and is being aimed directly at vloggers, streamers and other content creators.

Israel is gearing up to test a new robotic combat vehicle equipped with a 30-mm autonomous turret, an array of active sensors, and an onboard drone it can deploy and retrieve for reconnaissance missions. The missile launcher is optional.

Milrem Robotics and Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace teamed up for the first live-fire exercise of a medium-sized robotic tank based on Milrem's Type-X Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV), fitted with a Kongsberg Protector Remote Turret (RT-40).

Israeli defense company Plasan Sasa has rolled out its Wilder ground vehicle at the Eurostory 2022 defense exhibition in Paris. Designed for military patrols and special forces, the 3.7-tonne armored 4x4 provides NATO Stanag 4569 Level 2 protection.

The gaming wing of consumer tech giant Asus, the Republic of Gamers, has unveiled the latest edition of the ROG Phone, a mobile gaming powerhouse running Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon chipset and sporting a 165-Hz AMOLED HDR10+ display.

Xiaomi has announced the mainland China launch of the 12S Series smartphones. Aiming to redefine what's possible with mobile photography, the range-topping Ultra model features a new 1-inch Sony sensor and imaging systems co-engineered with Leica.

Samsung has pulled back the curtain on a new rugged phone. The Galaxy XCover6 Pro is designed for reliability and flexibility in the field, coming with a user replaceable battery, the ability to act as a mini PC and 4K video recording capabilities.

German company Wingcopter has signed a deal to roll out 12,000 of its long-range, triple-drop delivery drones across Africa over the next five years, in what promises to be the largest commercial drone deployment ever attempted.

Aerial drones are much more useful if they can grasp and carry objects, plus they use much less power if they can perch on stationary objects instead of hovering. A new attachment allows drones to do both, without using any electricity.

Although aerial drones can travel much faster than their underwater counterparts, they certainly aren't as good at gathering water-related data. The MEDUSA multi-rotor drone addresses this conundrum, by landing on the water and deploying an underwater pod.

Californian startup Nomvdic is turning on the retro charm for the launch of a portable Bluetooth speaker with Harman Kardon sound that features a pop-up top which directs Full HD projected visuals to a nearby wall or screen.

Philips has launched a compact Full HD ultra-short-throw projector called the Screeneo U4 on Indiegogo for folks looking to beam recipe vids on the kitchen wall, play console games in the spare room or gather in the living room for movie night.

At 2022 Milan Design Week, assemble-it-yourself furniture giant Ikea has announced the results of a partnership with supergroup Swedish House Mafia to create a new product line for music production in the home, including a boxy record player.

Every home has a couple of dull corners that could benefit from extra light. With the Lamp Depot Minimalist LED Corner Floor Lamp, you can brighten up the place with a couple of taps. In our Deal Days events, it’s now only $59.99.

Programming and robotics are two fields that will shape the future of technology. You can learn about both subjects by building and coding the Petoi Bittle bionic dog — and this fun kit is currently 20% off for a limited time.

Summer is here, and that brings the itch to travel. The World Traveler Bundle ft. Rosetta Stone Lifetime Subscription brings you three services that will get you up to speed with traveling. Save an additional 20% with code JULY20 for a limited time.

3D printing typically involves depositing layers of molten plastic, laser-melting powdered metal, or using UV light to harden gelatinous resin. A new technique takes yet another approach, however, by utilizing sound waves.

Researchers at EPFL have demonstrated a light-based 3D-printing method that's about 30 times faster than conventional additive manufacturing, creating objects in 20 seconds that would normally take more like 10 minutes thanks to photocurable resins.

When most people think of 3D printing, they think of fused deposition modelling, wherein an object is built up in successive layers of molten plastic. A new computer system is able to tweak that process, in order to build structurally stronger items.

Last year, the Raspberry Pi Foundation launched the first product based on silicon that was developed in-house. Now the Pico microcontroller has been upgraded with built-in Wi-Fi for running new Internet-of-Things projects.

Traditional computer chips run on electricity, while the emerging photonic chips use light. Now, scientists at Harvard have demonstrated a new kind of chip that transmits data in the form of sound waves.

Engineers have demonstrated a quantum integrated circuit made of just a few atoms. By precisely controlling the quantum states of the atoms, the processor can simulate the structure and properties of molecules, which could unlock new materials.

Sony Electronics has announced a new brand to support its gaming universe. The Inzone line combines the company's expertise in audio and visuals, launching with a 4K monitor and a pair of noise-canceling headphones.

The classic keyboard and mouse setup is a gaming staple, but there are two other appendages slacking off under the desk: your feet. Gamer brand MSI is now launching the Liberator, a programmable foot pedal that can be used for any action in any game.

Alienware's new Concept Nyx game-streaming device would supply all the necessary horsepower for four concurrent gaming sessions on any screen in the house, opening up some interesting options like super-simple switching between different screens.

Getac has added two new additions to its family of rugged mobile workstations, both built to survive extreme operational conditions faced by defense personnel, in transport and logistics operations and field work in the energy industries.

In June 2020, Apple revealed that its computing products were about to follow iPhones and iPads and use its own bespoke system-on-chip. Now the company has revealed the M1's successor, and the first models to benefit from a marked performance boost.

Panasonic has supported the mobile workforce for a good many years with its line of Toughbook business laptops. Now the company has announced its most rugged laptop yet, the modular 14-inch Toughbook 40.

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have presented some remarkable audio from a new optical microphone system that uses cameras to see and reconstruct sonic vibrations. Remarkably, it can cleanly separate a single instrument playing in a group.

Celebrating the company's DIY legacy, Moog has launched a semi-modular build-it-yourself analog synthesizer called Mavis, which delivers the unmistakable Moog sound in a compact, wallet-friendly package to new users and seasoned musicians alike.

After showing off a clever folding system for its Ascender travel guitar at NAMM 2019, Ciari Guitars has returned to the music industry expo with a cheaper model rocking a new look and a new folding mechanism.

Engineers at MIT have added a new ability to existing flying robots – they can now glow when they flap their wings. Inspired by fireflies, this fluorescence could help with communication or tracking of the tiny, lightweight robots.

Ghost Robotics' Vision 60 quadruped robot is already quite a versatile beast, capable of walking, running and even carrying a gun. Now, thanks to a third-party attachment, it can also "swim" through the water.

Opening a pizzeria could soon be as simple as leasing a small business space, then sticking a robot in there. That's the idea behind the Pizzaiola system, which takes human cooks and other kitchen staff out of the equation.

If 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.

Google 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.

Google'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.

Your smartphone continuously emits Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) signals, even when it isn't paired to a Bluetooth device. Scientists are now reporting that by analyzing those signals, it could be possible for someone else to track your whereabouts.

Researchers in Japan have clocked a new speed record for data transmission – a blistering 1.02 petabits per second (Pb/s). Better yet, the breakthrough was achieved using optical fiber cables that should be compatible with existing infrastructure.

SpaceX has found a new home for its satellite-powered internet, inking a deal with independent air carrier JSX to offer onboard Wi-Fi to customers later this year, making the airline the first to carry SpaceX's Starlink internet service.

Sleeping while wired up with an EEG cap would be hard enough here on Earth, but can you imagine trying to do so in the zero-gravity environment of outer space? It could be quite awkward, which is why an earbud has been designed to do the same job.

Forget your bulky AR headsets, smart contact lenses are coming to place augmented reality displays right there on your eyeball. Last week, Mojo Vision CEO Drew Perkins volunteered to test the first feature-complete prototype of his company's design.

Personalized audio pioneer Nura has released a "no compromises" flagship to top its true wireless earphones range. NuraTrue Pro introduces a host of high-end enhancements including lossless audio and multipoint connectivity – but it comes at a price.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is laser-focused on creating VR headsets that deliver visual experiences that are indistinguishable from reality, and has shown off some extraordinary prototypes of next-gen hardware to highlight the massive challenges ahead.

Along with providing users with sights and sounds, some VR systems also deliver tactile sensation to the hands. A new ultrasound-based setup, however, lets users feel the virtual world on and in their mouths – without making physical contact.

Although few people would describe roller coasters as boring, they can get a bit "samey" if you always ride the same one. That's where ROCO comes in, as it lets users create their own unique virtual roller coaster ride, every time they use it.