Technology
The latest in technology news, from advanced robotics to the smartphones, digital cameras and home entertainment gear.
Positive Grid Spark review: A smart game-changer for guitarists
April 04, 2021
A world-leading guitar amp and effects emulation company has distilled much of its digital wisdom into a tiny but mighty sub-$300 practice amp that gives you one-touch, free access to more than 10,000 editable tones and some very smart learning tools.
Photography
-
The incredible overall winners of the 2021 Sony World Photography Awards
April 15, 2021The Sony World Photography Awards has revealed its professional winners and overall Photographer of the Year. In its 14th year, this prestigious competition delivers a strong assortment of images, from striking photojournalism to surreal landscapes. -
Canon puts professionals in focus with EOS R3 full-frame mirrorless camera
April 14, 2021Canon broke into the full-frame mirrorless camera space in 2018 with the launch of the EOS R system. A compact RP joined the lineup the following year, and prosumers got two models in 2020. Now a new flavor aimed at professionals is on the way. -
Spectacular sights in the 7th Fine Art Photography Awards
April 13, 2021The winners of the 7th Fine Art Photography Awards present a surreal assortment of shots from sci-fi styled snaps of subways to spectacularly sublime landscapes. We’ve handpicked our highlights from this year’s massive collection of celebrated images.
Military
-
US Army to test Beowulf arctic amphibious all-terrain vehicle
April 15, 2021BAE Systems has been engaged by the US Army to deliver two evaluation prototype arctic field vehicles. Called Beowulf, the amphibious all-terrain vehicle is designed for moving soldiers and supplies to remote areas under the harshest conditions. -
Hypersonic weapon setback after USAF missile prototype fails to launch
April 08, 2021The US Air Force's long anticipated first powered flight test of the AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) hypersonic missile was scrubbed this week when the booster vehicle failed to launch from the B-52H Stratofortress bomber. -
Valkyrie combat drone launches another drone during test flight
April 06, 2021Like a high-tech Russian nesting doll, a prototype US Air Force Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie combat drone being developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory dropped a smaller drone from its weapons bay during flight.
Mobile Technology
-
Samsung Galaxy A52, A52 5G and A72 vs. Galaxy S21, S21+ and S21 Ultra
April 14, 2021Samsung has already unveiled its flagship and mid-range phones for 2021. But just how much of a difference is between them? New Atlas compares the specs and features of the Samsung Galaxy A52, A52 5G and A72 versus the Galaxy S21, S21+ and S21 Ultra. -
Xperia 1 III leads the charge for Sony's new camera-focused phones
April 14, 2021Sony has three new phones to show off: the flagship Xperia 1 III, the more compact Xperia 5 III, and the more affordable Xperia 10 III. As is traditional for Sony handsets, the devices are particularly appealing in the camera and display departments. -
Apple opens up global device location network to third-party manufacturers
April 09, 2021If you misplace your iPhone, or someone makes off with it, Apple's Find My network can help zero in on its location so you can retrieve it. Now the application has been opened up to third-party products, and among the first are ebikes from VanMoof.
Drones
-
DJI doubles sensor size for 5.4K-shooting Air 2S drone
April 15, 2021It was just a year ago that DJI announced its compact-but-capable Mavic Air 2 quadcopter. Now, the company has shortened the name and doubled the image sensor size, with the 5.4K/30fps-capable Air 2S. -
Rugged Scout drone designed to inspect tanks for leaks
March 22, 2021The liquid-carrying tanks on tanker ships have to regularly be inspected for cracks – a task which is typically performed by humans. A new drone, however, is claimed to do the job much quicker and more thoroughly. -
Collaborative tech lets drones work together to lift heavy loads
March 22, 2021While aerial drones do show promise as a means of urban parcel delivery, their small size will limit them to carrying relatively light packages. An experimental new system, however, lets multiple drones team up to hoist heftier items.
Home Entertainment
-
LG prepares for return to school and office with ProBeam projectors
April 16, 2021The global pandemic has seen many business people and students working from home. As lockdowns ease, offices and schools are starting to reopen and LG is readying two projectors for release to help make boardroom and classroom presentations pop. -
B&O reimagines the bookshelf speaker with the Beosound Emerge
April 15, 2021Bang & Olufsen shrugs off the blocky old persona of the average bookshelf speaker, and has instead launched a slim full-range model called the Beosound Emerge that can take its place well among the hardbacks and paperbacks on your library shelf. -
Xgimi's flagship projector promises cinematic audiovisuals in any room
April 07, 2021China's Xgimi says that it's building on the success of its portable MoGo Pro DLP projector and sound system with the launch of two new flagship models, the Horizon and Horizon Pro all-in-one entertainment systems.
Deals
-
This PocketGuitar uses AI tech to teach you how to play guitar
April 15, 2021Playing the guitar is a great talent to have. But sometimes, you may want to practice without lugging your guitar everywhere you go. The PocketGuitar Bluetooth-Enabled AI Guitar allows you to play music anywhere, and connects right to your phone. -
What is an N95 Mask? The Right Mask, For The Right Situation
April 14, 2021Disposable masks, like these masks from SureWay Health, that meet or exceed NIOSH certifications are designed to protect the wearer from airborne particles, whether they're germs, fine soot, or other floating matter. -
The highly-rated VANKYO MatrixPad Z10 10" Tablet is now on sale
April 14, 2021If you're in the market for a new tablet for everyday use, the VANKYO MatrixPad Z10: 10" 3GB+32GB Tablet is an excellent contender. It sports a 10.1" IPS display, with a resolution of 1920x1200, and best yet, it's now price-dropped at 21% off.
3D Printing
-
Tusk-free ivory substitute can be 3D printed into complex shapes
April 15, 2021The ivory trade has been banned for over 30 years now, which means that technicians restoring ivory artifacts have to get creative in finding alternative materials. A new 3D-printable substance known as Digory appears to fit the bill nicely. -
Moving bed designed for faster, more cost-effective 3D printing
April 06, 2021When objects are being 3D printed, they often have to include supportive structures that are subsequently discarded. A new print bed, however, is designed to eliminate the need for such structures, thus reducing both waste and printing time. -
Plybot 3D printer swaps conventional tech for robotic arms
March 11, 2021On most consumer 3D printers, the print head moves by sliding horizontally along rails, and vertically along rods. The Plybot is different, though, in that it "holds" its head in two robotic arms.
Computers
-
Nvidia's new Grace CPU is designed for AI-powered supercomputers
April 13, 2021Nvidia's newest Central Processing Unit has been unveiled, and it's quite a chip: offering a 10x performance leap over current solutions, it's focused on artificial intelligence calculations and natural language processing. -
Elon Musk's Neuralink has a monkey play Pong with its mind
April 08, 2021Elon Musk's startup Neuralink has shown off the latest version of its brain-machine interface, which a monkey uses to wirelessly play Pong with its mind, marking another step forward for the ambitious company. -
Microsoft's new cooling system dunks data servers in boiling liquid
April 08, 2021Liquid cooling is one of the most effective ways to keep computers from overheating. Microsoft has now put a unique spin on the technique, demonstrating a system to cool its cloud servers by dunking the computers into a tank full of boiling liquid.
Games
-
Sony reveals PlayStation 5 VR controllers
March 18, 2021Just weeks after confirming a PlayStation 5 VR system is in development, Sony has now shown off the controllers. The new designs look lightyears ahead of the PS4’s clunky old sticks, and pack features from the PS5’s DualSense and Sony's competitors. -
WowCube takes gaming to another dimension
December 24, 2020Imagine if you crossed a handheld gaming system with a Rubik's Cube. What you'd get is CubiOs Inc's WowCube, which is currently an honoree in the CES 2021 Innovation Awards. -
Touchscreen table packs dozens of digital board games and puzzles
November 19, 2020As fun as board games are, they can be a fiddly to set up and expensive to keep buying the new ones. Arcade1Up's Infinity Game Table, currently on Kickstarter, digitizes dozens of classic games like Monopoly and Scrabble into a touchscreen table.
Laptops
-
Asus launches world's lightest OLED laptop
March 16, 2021With many folks working from home thanks to the global pandemic, demand for laptops is on the rise. Asus has responded with the launch of a lightweight portable powerhouse named the ZenBook 13 OLED. -
Framework Laptop designed for customization and repair
February 25, 2021Californian startup Framework says that it was founded to provide quality products that can be customized, upgraded and repaired with ease. The company has today launched a 13.5-inch laptop aimed at ticking all of those boxes. -
Super-light laptop carries heavyweight price tag
February 20, 2021Sony's Vaio range of computers and laptops were always eye pleasers, but also pricey. The Vaio brand was sold off in 2014, and now a new Vaio Z laptop has surfaced that's wrapped in contoured carbon fiber and commands a starting price of US$3,579.
Music
-
Fender Master Builder creates stunning one-off Acoustasonic Jazzmaster
April 13, 2021Last month, Fender launched its third Acoustasonic hybrid acoustic, and we got to play with the Jazzmaster and interview the company's R&D chief. Now Master Builder Ron Thorn has given the Custom Shop treatment to the guitar, and it's a beaut. -
Custom Shop recreates Mike McCready's extremely road-worn vintage Strat
April 09, 2021Pearl Jam's Mike McCready is perhaps most associated with a Fender Stratocaster, and his vintage '59 model is his most prized. So it was this instrument that was chosen for a very limited Custom Shop replica run. But not all was as it seemed. -
Fender's R&D chief: The Acoustasonic "is the transitional guitar"
April 09, 2021Fender conceived the Acoustasonic as the "modern acoustic" guitar. Slim, lightweight and super easy to play, it's a digital twist on a familiar organic form. We spoke to Fender's VP of R&D about how this "transitional" guitar works and what it means.
Robotics
-
Submersible snake-inspired robot can inspect ships and infrastructure
April 13, 2021Scientists at Carnegie Mellon University have spent a number of years developing modular snake-like robots for all kinds of purposes, and the latest adaptation sees its serpent-inspired tech headed underwater. -
Modular mobile robot can take on multiple roles at construction site
April 13, 2021Austrian startup Printstones has been developing robotic 3D-printing robots since 2017, and has just pulled back the curtain on its latest prototype, a mobile multi-tasking construction bot called the Baubot. -
MIT system allows robo-starfish to be created in hours, not weeks
April 08, 2021When studying underwater marine life, it helps if you can use a device that doesn't scare the animals by appearing unnatural to them. MIT scientists have created a robo-starfish with that in mind, utilizing a new rapid development system.
Smartwatches
-
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. -
Affordable, health-focused OnePlus Watch makes its debut
March 23, 2021As well as unveiling the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro flagship phones today, OnePlus has also debuted a brand new smartwatch, the OnePlus Watch. It's the company's second wearable after the OnePlus Band, which is currently only available in India. -
Fitbit Sense review: Fitbit's most advanced smartwatch yet
March 03, 2021The Fitbit Sense is the flagship device in the Fitbit range, the top device from one of the top names in wearables – and we've been trying to figure out whether or not it's worth the US$299.95 that you'll have to pay to get hold of one.
Telecommunications
-
New Stanford “Zoom Fatigue” study finds women affected more than men
April 13, 2021Stanford University scientists have conducted the first large survey into the modern phenomenon of "Zoom Fatigue." They found women suffer from greater exhaustion following videoconferencing compared to men, and the researchers think they know why. -
Drop the Zoom video? Audio-only communication boosts group IQ
March 25, 2021A new study is challenging the common assumption that video conferencing is better than audio-only communication for collaborative group activities. The findings suggest video cues may in fact lower a group’s collective intelligence by disrupting interpersonal synchrony. -
Lockheed Martin and Omnispace pursue global 5G hybrid network
March 24, 2021Lockheed Martin and Omnispace are teaming up to explore the technology needed to deliver 5G connectivity on a global scale by combining a constellation of non-geostationary orbital satellites and terrestrial mobile networks.
Wearables
-
Smart ring lets users maintain distancing ... from their computer
March 30, 2021Due to the ongoing pandemic, more people than ever before are currently stuck sitting at their computers, using services like Zoom and Skype. The just-announced Wave for Work smart ring, however, is made to help free them up. -
Backpack AI system helps the visually-impaired navigate safely
March 28, 2021Autonomous vehicles and robots navigate with sensors and cameras – but visually-impaired people still get by with canes and guide dogs. Now, engineers have developed a wearable AI system that tracks obstacles and describes a person’s surroundings. -
Master & Dynamic launches its first ANC true wireless earphones
March 24, 2021Luxury audio brand Master & Dynamic has announced a follow up to its MW07 true wireless earphones. The MW08 model brings a number of firsts for the company, including active noise cancellation.
Virtual Reality
-
Microsoft to build $22 billion worth of AR headsets for the US Army
March 31, 2021Microsoft has won a 10-year contract to build advanced augmented reality systems for the US Army, giving infantrymen videogame-style super-soldier capabilities. A new production contract will net the company up to US$21.88 billion over ten years. -
Facebook's upcoming AR wrist controllers will hijack your nerves
March 18, 2021Facebook has taken the unusual step of revealing its next-gen augmented reality gear at a working prototype stage, including a staggering neuro-motor controller that reads nerve impulses in your wrist at single-neuron resolutions. -
Microsoft melds the real and virtual with new Mesh platform
March 03, 2021Video calls are handy, but you lose that sense of presence. To make remote meetups a bit more personal, Microsoft has unveiled Mesh, a “mixed reality” platform that lets people work and play together as virtual avatars overlaid on real-world spaces.