General Tech

Someone get the moon base ready, as we have a “laser” finally worthy of an evil genius. The United States Navy has just posted a video showing the test firing of it's Laser Weapon System (LaWS). In the video, you can see the LaWS weapons platform engaging both waterborne and airborne targets …

BitTorrent wants to take the internet in to a new direction with its new browser, Maelstrom, which will run on the BitTorrent protocol. The web browser is in the closed alpha testing phase currently but the development team wants it to solve several problems the internet is facing at the …

Amazon is threatening to move its drone research out of the US unless the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), gives the company permission to do test flights outdoors. The retailer first attempted to get permission for its Prime Air drone tests back in July. The company has now responded to the …

Wireless charging is set to get a fairly decent upgrade next year as new technology has been developed, capable of tripling current wireless charging speeds. At the moment, charging a device wirelessly can take quite some time as the technology can only run at 5 watts. This will change next …

We are slowly learning more and more about Google's plans for Project Ara and the modular smartphone's launch next year. For those wondering about the sale of modules and where to get them, apparently Google will be setting up its own store to act as a dedicated marketplace for all …

Of all the ways you could have envisaged the Royal Mail postal delivery service being revamped to be more competitive with the likes of international courier firms, who'd have thought 3D printing would be the way to go? But that's exactly what's happening, with the national postal service set to …

Bloodhound SSC has released a video showing the test firing of its 1,000mph hybrid rocket motor. The engine is designed to power the Bloodhound SSC vehicle into the record books and past 1,000 mph sometime in 2016. [yframe url='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22_4ZGGnb_g'] While the first stage of the Bloodhound will use a Rolls Royce EJ200 engine (also …

Amazon has just announced that its streaming service, Prime Instant Video, will now be offering 4K streams in the US, making the company one of the first few service providers to launch ultra HD content, alongside Netflix and YouTube. The content selection is limited, as you would probably expect but …

The number of UK homes with a TV has fallen for the first time ever due to the rise in alternatives like tablets, which offer apps like 4OD, BBC Iplayer and Netflix to watch shows online. Ofcom has confirmed that after years of consistent growth, the number of houses with …

Google has gone ahead and started removing popular Pirate Bay applications from the Play Store. An email sent to developers noted that these apps violate intellectual property and Google's content policy. Google has slowly started getting more involved in the fight against piracy due to intense pressure from media outlets. …

Four UK cities have been chosen to begin testing driverless cars starting in January 2015 thanks to a £10 million funding donation from Innovate UK. These trials will begin in just a few weeks time, taking place in Milton Keynes, Bristol, Coventry and Greenwich. These trials will last 18 to …

It was revealed earlier this week that Google is currently working on the second iteration of its Google Glass wearable, with Intel possibly supplying the chip inside of it and now we have our first peek at what the updated headset will look like thanks to a recent patent. The patent …

Oculus CEO, Brendan Irbe, has decided to once again explain why the company ended up joining Facebook rather than Microsoft , Sony or even Google. The main reason being to avoid the limitations of a closed platform, which Microsoft and Sony both offer with their consoles. Speaking at the Business …

It is safe to say that the Amazon Fire phone hasn't lived up to the company's hopes or expectations, failing to appeal to both critics and consumers but at least Amazon isn't under any delusions as CEO, Jeff Bezos categorizes the device as a “smart failure”. Speaking with NBC, Bezos …

Nintendo and Philips have managed to come to a settlement agreement over a patent legal dispute. Back in May, Philips tried to stop the sale of a few Nintendo devices in the US, claiming that two of its motion control patents had been infringed, this claim was upheld in court …

The Apple Watch is due to launch next year in a large variety of styles at different price points and analysts already have high hopes for the wearable technology, expecting sales north of 24 million within the next year. This report comes from research firm, UBS, which estimates 24 million …

Amazon garnered headlines recently for its teasing of drone deliveries to those that live close to its distribution centres, giving people the chance for same day deliveries without leaving their homes. However that's not the only aspect of its business that the retailer is looking to renovate with robotics, as …

Cypress Semiconductor Corp. and Spansion on Monday signed a definitive agreement to merge in an all-stock, tax-free transaction valued at approximately $4 billion. The post-merger company will be a leading global provider of microcontrollers and specialized memories for embedded systems. Under the terms of the agreement, Spansion shareholders will receive …

Apple's map and search partnership with Google is set to expire in early 2015, meaning that Safari on iOS devices may be due to get a new default search engine. It won't take long for Apple to line up a replacement though as Yahoo and Microsoft have already met with …

Google is reportedly planning to release a new Intel powered version of its Google Glass wearable next year in an effort to re-spark interest in the technology as adoption of the first generation device dies down. Sources are currently expecting Google to call its new eyewear ‘Glass 2', the company …

UK internet providers have been forced in to blocking another 53 piracy websites, bringing the total number of sites banned by court order to 93. The ruling came down from the high court and is the latest in a series of on-going blocks. The Motion Picture Association is obviously supportive …

Sony has developed a new watch made entirely out of e-paper, allowing the band and watch face to change in response to a user's wrist gestures. The device is called the FES Watch and has been worked on at Sony's Fashion Entertainments start-up division, according to The Wall Street Journal. …

GoPro, the company behind the popular HERO range of small, easily mountable cameras, is currently developing a consumer grade drone with a HD camera attached according to new reports. Sources are currently saying that the company is going to start selling ‘multi-rotor helicopters equipped with cameras', these will cost between …

Razer's Nabu smartband will be releasing in the US on the 2nd of December for $100 but members of Razer's insiders club will be able to pre-order one for $79.99 for a limited time. There's only an initial batch of 5000 available to Razer Insider members though so those looking …

Microsoft has some good news for the audiophiles of the world, Windows 10 will have native support for FLAC audio files. The primary advantage of a FLAC file over something like an MP3 is that the Free Lossless Audio Codec doesn't lose any data in compression, resulting in higher sound …

UK based ISP, BT, has gone on another torrent site blocking spree this week, shutting down access to sites that use private trackers and require invites from current members to download from, such as IPTorrents and TorrentDay.  This is the first time that a UK ISP has decided to block …

Samsung has finished work on the latest version of its eye tracking computer mouse, named the EyeCan+. The device helps people with disabilities use PCs through eye movements, allowing them to perform tasks like browsing the web and creating documents. The EyeCan+ is now in its second generation and while …

Last week it was revealed that the European Parliament had drafted a motion that would call for the separation of Google's search engine from its other services, as a way of challenging the company's dominance. This motion has the support of Europe's two main political parties as a way of …

Apple's potential commercial interest in Virtual Reality seems to be growing as a recent job listing hints at the company's future plans for the technology. Apple is currently seeking out engineers to “create high performance apps that integrate with virtual reality systems”. The job listing also said “We are looking …

Sony is reportedly planning to cut back on the amount of Xperia smartphones it releases in an effort to try and turn its failing mobile business around. The firm announced a massive loss this year, which was largely blamed on the mobile division. This move is similar to Samsung's own …