Category Archives: Technology

Review: Google music plan solid, serendipitous

Google’s new music service offers a lot of eye candy to go with the tunes. The song selection of around 18 million tracks is comparable to popular services such as Spotify and Rhapsody, and a myriad of playlists curated along … Continue reading

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High school student develops supercapacitor, wins Young Scientist Award

Saratoga California high school student Eesha Khare is a co-winner of this year’s Young Scientist Award sponsored by Intel. She won the award for her battery-sized supercapacitor design which allows for recharging in just a few seconds. The award was … Continue reading

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EcoBoomer iGo joins the self-balancing electric unicycle parade

It seems strange to be saying that there’s now another self-balancing electric unicycle on the market, but hey – that’s technology for you. Joining the likes of the eniCycle, Solowheel and SBU, we now have the LED-light-strip-adorned EcoBoomer iGo. The … Continue reading

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Samsung announces 5G data breakthrough

Samsung Electronics said Monday it had successfully tested super-fast fifth-generation (5G) wireless technology that would eventually allow users to download an entire movie in one second. The South Korean giant said the test had witnessed data transmission of more than … Continue reading

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In first head-to-head speed test with conventional computing, quantum computer wins

A computer science professor at Amherst College who recently devised and conducted experiments to test the speed of a quantum computing system against conventional computing methods will soon be presenting a paper with her verdict: quantum computing is, “in some … Continue reading

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Towards a quantum internet

A UNSW-led team of Australian researchers has achieved a breakthrough that brings the prospect of a network of super-fast quantum computers – connected via a quantum internet –closer to reality.

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World’s first 3D-printed gun fired in US

The world’s first gun made with 3D printer technology has been successfully fired in the US. The controversial group who created the firearm plan to make the blueprints available online. Anti-gun advocates have criticised the project and Europol, Europe’s law enforcement agency, … Continue reading

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Smart Robot Tends to Your Every Need

A new robot that can predict human actions with surprising accuracy is giving restaurant waitstaff and bellhops a run for their money. The Personal Robotics Lab at Cornell University has churned out a machine that can, among other things, refill … Continue reading

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Why Virtual Reality Doesn’t Work Yet

It’s another blow for immersive virtual reality. University of California researchers have shown that even people with perfect eyesight navigate the world by relying on a lot more than what they see. Here’s why VR won’t really work until we … Continue reading

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Robotic insects make first controlled flight

In the very early hours of the morning, in a Harvard robotics laboratory last summer, an insect took flight. Half the size of a paperclip, weighing less than a tenth of a gram, it leapt a few inches, hovered for … Continue reading

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3D printing ‘could herald new industrial revolution’

As potentially game-changing as the steam engine or telegraph were in their day, 3D printing could herald a new industrial revolution, experts say. For the uninitiated, the prospect of printers turning out any object you want at the click of a … Continue reading

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All-terrain vehicle – Quad Bikes

An all-terrain vehicle ATV, also known as a quad, quad bike, three-wheeler, or four-wheeler, is defined by the American National Standards Institute ANSI as a vehicle that travels on low-pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the operator, … Continue reading

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Evolution in Action

By using Darwin’s principle of natural selection, researchers from Cornell University’s Creative Machines Lab got these virtual robots to evolve into proficient (albeit goofy) walking machines. It was an experiment that led to some rather bizarre — and laughable — styles … Continue reading

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EV charge times down to 90 minutes

When it comes to electric vehicles, the conversation invariably diverts to concerns about vehicle range, infrastructure, and recharge times. To address the last of those issues, Volvo and Siemens have developed a new fast-charging system that cuts recharge times down … Continue reading

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Energy efficient brain simulator outperforms supercomputers

In November 2012, IBM announced that it had used the Blue Gene/Q Sequoia supercomputer to achieve an unprecedented simulation of more than 530 billion neurons. The Blue Gene/Q Sequoia accomplished this feat thanks to its blazing fast speed; it clocks … Continue reading

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The world’s fastest roadster is a Bugatti

The world’s fastest roadster is a Bugatti. The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse has set the world speed record for open-top production sports cars at the Volkswagen Group’s proving grounds in Ehra-Lessien where TÜV, the renowned independent German organisation … Continue reading

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Solar Dish Pulls In Power of 2,000 Suns

It seems like everyone and their uncle is working on a better way to get more energy out of photovoltaic solar cells, from using quantum dots to fiber optics. Now a Swiss company has decided on a brute-force method: hit … Continue reading

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New microbatteries the most powerful yet

This graphic illustrates a high-power battery technology from the University of Illinois. Ions flow between three-dimensional micro-electrodes in a lithium ion battery. Credit: Beckman Institute/University of Illinois Though they be but little, they are fierce. The most powerful batteries on … Continue reading

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Plans for special week of lessons on Shakespeare

Children in UK primary schools are to learn about Shakespeare through drama, cookery and sport lessons. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust is planning a Shakespeare Week, saying it wants every child in Britain to understand the playwright’s legacy. The week will … Continue reading

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Google Glass: Specs on specs

For those who are just plain curious if not serious about owning Google Glass, the specs are here on Google Glass. Officially announced for Glass Explorer edition, the spec details presented this week carry the official word about display, camera, … Continue reading

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