The ZX Spectrum is being relaunched as a handheld games console, shipping with 1,000 games built in. The Vega+, currently on crowdfunding site Indiegogo, is a follow-up to the ZX Spectrum Vega released just over a year ago. Whereas that was a plug-in controller to work with a TV set, the Vega+ is a fully-contained […]
1960s toy the “Thingmaker” is getting a revamp for 21st century technology. What was once a set of molds for making gloopy replicas is now a 3D printer for kids. Mattel has relaunched the range, which was originally used to make everything from Creepy Crawlers to characters from Peanuts. It involved pouring a liquid plastic […]
Researchers have successfully tested a way to get GPS accurate to a matter of centimeters in handheld devices. It could be a key part of driverless vehicle technology. The University of California team refined an existing approach which previously needed the type of computers that have their own room. They were trying to overcome the […]
Attempts by two states to weaken the encryption available on smartphones could be blocked by a federal law. The measure would stop laws which could mean a major redesign of many high-profile handsets As we’ve previously covered, state legislators in New York and California are both considering suspiciously similarly worded bills on the matter. Both […]
A puzzle in the Christmas card sent out by a British spy chief has successfully flummoxed around 600,000 people. The card turned out to be part of a five-stage challenge that only three people came even close to finishing. It was the work of Robert Hannigan, the director of GCHQ. That’s the United Kingdom’s communications […]
80s and 90s computer nostalgia is usually about floppy disks and waggling joysticks, but one virtual “museum” is celebrating a less savory aspect of the era: early MS-DOS malware. The collection is part of the Internet Archive, which aims to preserve web pages and other computer media for posterity. Archivist Jason Scott has selected 79 […]
Google’s Go-playing software is to take on one of the world’s best players. The match, to be shown live on YouTube, follows the software beating a professional player for the first time. The software, dubbed AlphaGo, is to take on Lee Sedol. Although the game doesn’t have a single undisputed world championship, Sedol is often […]
A fleet of GPS satellites broadcasted the wrong time for several hours last week thanks to a software mistake. It caused problems with telecommunications and digital radio, but could have been much more serious. The problem appears to have started during the decommissioning process of a US Air Force satellite named SVN 23. It seems […]
Google is to start warning users when a “download” button on a website might be a malware trick. Let’s hope it means less work for those of us who act as IT support, for work, friends or family. Bogus download buttons will be particularly familiar to anyone who has searched for software download sites, often […]
A Google engineer with something of an obsession with USB Type-C cables has finally paid the price. Benson Leung seriously damaged his laptop during his latest review. Leung had become something of a cult hero for his online reviews of the cables. While most consumer reviews of a USB cable or adaptor are inherently limited […]