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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Stealthy Royal Navy ships will be hidden by stealthier decoy launchers
March 27, 2024The Royal Navy is banking a state-of-the-art launcher to protect its stealthy ships with even better hidden hush-hush decoys. The $170 million Ancilia Trainable Decoy Launcher project will counter the latest missile and drone threats. -
Final tests completed on Lockheed Martin' hypersonic missile
March 21, 2024The US Air Force has completed testing of its hypersonic AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon. The test was carried out on March 17, 2024 when the missile was dropped from a B-52H Stratofortress at the Reagan Test Site in the Marshall Islands. -
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.
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Mobile Technology
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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. -
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.
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Drones
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Streamlined "submersible quadcopter" is an underwater inspector gadget
March 19, 2024The Chasing X brings a new form factor to mini ROVs, looking a bit like a submersible quadcopter. It's designed mainly for the underwater inspection of things like ship hulls and aquaculture operations, although it can also grab stuff if need be. -
"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.
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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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Go from beginner to fluent with Babbel, now at the lowest price ever
March 28, 2024TL;DR: Babbel offers interactive lessons, personalized review sessions, and real-life dialogues to help you master language skills and confidently navigate foreign terrains, and is now being offered for the lowest price ever—only $139.97 (reg. $599). -
Harness the power of Office Pro 2019 and Windows Pro 11 for only $50
March 27, 2024Few partnerships rival the efficiency and productivity offered by a lifetime license to MS Office Pro Plus 2019 combined with Windows Pro 11. Together they pack a powerful punch for proficient workflow and enhanced user experience. -
Embrace continuous learning with this self-growth app, now $59.99
March 26, 2024TL;DR: Take on personal growth in bite-sized increments with a lifetime subscription to Headway Premium and pay only $59.99 (reg. $299).
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3D Printing
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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. -
Inkbit tech 3D-prints complex multi-material items in a single session
November 16, 20233D printing single objects out of different materials can be difficult, if those materials cure at different rates. The new Inkbit system addresses that problem, and has been used to print a complex functional robotic hand… in just one print job. -
Full-color 3D scanner accurately models objects of "any size"
October 27, 2023If you can 3D-scan it, you can 3D-print it – and Matter and Form has announced a super-versatile new way to do so. The Three system creates photorealistic, high-detail, full-color 3D scans of objects from coins to cars, and potentially beyond.
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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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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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Star-Wars-inspired robot rolls on a round body and uses legs to steer
March 28, 2024Inspired by the wheel-bodied battle droids from Star Wars, a scientist has created a robot that rolls along on one big wheel, using its legs to steer. Instead of smashing the Rebel Alliance, however, this bot may one day be making deliveries. -
Emo senses your smile before it happens and responds in kind
March 28, 2024A robot that senses when a human is about to smile and simultaneously responds with one of its own could represent a big step towards developing robots with enhanced communication skills more conducive to building human trust, a new study suggests. -
Hybrid underwater robot takes aim at scuba-diving tasks
March 27, 2024The uOne underwater robot may soon be taking on risky, labor-intensive tasks currently performed by human scuba divers. It boasts a unique combination of traits from two different types of undersea bots.
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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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XR-4 aims for mixed reality that's "indistinguishable from natural sight"
November 28, 2023Finland's Varjo has announced the latest edition of its mixed-reality headset for enterprise and military, which is claimed to offer "virtual and mixed reality experiences practically indistinguishable from natural sight." -
Fluid Reality introduces its untethered, high-res haptic VR gloves
October 30, 2023Fluid Reality is offering a cheaper, more lightweight haptic VR glove that doesn’t need to be tethered to bulky backpacks or multitudes of tubing. It’s designed to provide users with a high-resolution VR experience, direct to their fingertips. -
Zuckerberg and Fridman show off insane leap in face-to-face VR chat
October 02, 2023"This is really the most incredible thing I've ever seen," said podcast host Lex Fridman, interviewing Mark Zuckerberg in VR using Meta's stunning new photorealistic avatars, coming soon to Quest, so lifelike that they "cross the uncanny valley."
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