Yet more technology (like these real tractor beams) that seems inspired by the wonderful Star Trek Universe. It seems Microsoft have started developing a Universal Translator-esque system that outputs translated text in real time…in the voice of the speaker. Obviously, speech-to-text recognition software isn’t exactly brand new – Siri has become quite an established example […]
It’s one of those things that Apple fans love to lord over the PC-lovers and, more recently, the Android-lovers. Viruses and malware. Apple just seems to get fewer. It probably has to do with the fact that the Google Play system is a lot more open than the Apple App Store. With all the good […]
Sound quality on this Geek Beat video isn’t the best, but if you’re a bit of an aviation geek, this is a pretty cool report on a really unique sort of aircraft. Only 11 were ever built and only 5 are in existence – and this is the first composite plane ever built. I’m a […]
Google gets ready to piss Apple off (some more) and takes on iTunes. Oh, and Amazon too. Google actually launched its music service last November, but it hasn’t really taken off. In fact, since major label Warner Music was holding out, the whole thing was hampered by a lack of good music. That has now changed, […]
Now imagine if they can get this thing to move 100 times faster, which will eventually happen, and then they ask it to hunt you down. Scary. In this video, the Pet-Proto, a predecessor to DARPA’s Atlas robot, is confronted with obstacles similar to those robots might face in the DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC). To […]
In a world where ‘modern design’ usually involves glass and polymers, Robbie Tilton was sick of nature being left out in the cold. For those glued to their desks and missing a little greenery in their lives, allow us to introduce you to the “Natural Keyboard”. Tilton went through a lot of effort to figure […]
We’ve heard lots of tales of staff at tech companies being allowed to use “breakout rooms” with all manner of beanbags and foosball tables to promote creative thinking. But most companies would draw the line at spending your working day going off for a hike. Not Google, where two executives are among those who’ve been […]
If you ever watched Star Trek, I’m sure you’ve fantasized about one day being able to say, “Lock a tractor beam on that ship! Don’t let them escape!” It can’t be only me right? Well, you know that there are definitely a couple of (thousand) physicists out there who want that sort of power. And […]
If you’re a fan of San Fran, or a fan of some clever Photoshopping, then you’ll find this video pretty cool, if a little bit haunting. Inspired by the “Empty LA” photography series by Matt Logue, this is the first of a series called “Empty America” by Ross Ching. He didn’t have the budget to […]
Windows 8 is coming and it’s bringing with it touchscreen computing. Of course, touchscreen computers aren’t anything particularly new – I believe HP has had one for ages. The difference is that the actual system is going to be built for it – Windows 8 is going to be designed for touch screens. And Lenovo […]