Gun-Toting Robots May Fight Alongside Soldiers in Future Battles

American soldiers may soon be joined on the battlefield by machine gun-toting robots on wheels, according to U.S. Army officials.

Earlier this month, military leaders attended a technology demonstration at Fort Benning, Ga., where robotics companies exhibited their most advanced weaponized creations. The display was designed to show the potential ways robots could support troops in combat.

Army leaders watched a human controller command a wheeled robot, positioned more than 490 feet (150 meters) away, open fire with an M240 machine gun. The robot, which also uses thermal-imaging technology to spot concealed enemies, could protect soldiers from potentially dangerous assaults.

Humanoid robots fighting alongside troops on the battlefield may be some time off, the current wheel-bound creations already show strong promise, according to the Army.

"We were hoping to see how they remotely control lethal weapons," Lt. Col. Willie Smith, chief of unmanned ground vehicles at Fort Benning, told ComputerWorld of the technology demonstration. "We were pleased with what we saw here. The technology is getting to be where it needs to be. It's a start."

While gun-toting robots are not yet officially used by the military in combat, the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marines have experimented with prototype machines.

The Pentagon Creates 6-Foot, 330-Pound Life Saving Robot

With all the natural disasters that happen these days, the Pentagon thought it was about time that it created a humanitarian robot to save lives. The 6-Foot, 330-Pound robot nicknamed Atlas is supposed to save lives in disaster zones like Fukushima. Although it looks pretty capable, the robot still lacks a brain, with seven teams of scientists from top places like MIT and Virginia Tech competing to code the robot for action come December. The competition will have each team sending their own Atlas into trails like how it can navigate terrain, drive a utility vehicle and enter buildings. According to Marc Raibert, president of Boston Dynamics, Atlas’ maker, Atlas was designed to facilitate programming, with the upcoming competition pretty challenging for the teams.

Atlas features an onboard computer system that monitors sensors, controls, collects data and communicates with a remote user, while its vision is powered by liar, stereo cameras and perception algorithms in the robot’s head-mounted sensor package for a wide field of view. Its wrists can accept all sorts of accessories given the situation, with some including fingers so that Atlas can use tools. Its 28 hydraulically actuated joints allows Atlas full range of motions (crunching, kneeling, jumping, etc.) and can handle stairs and rough terrain. Made of mostly aluminum, steel and titanium, it’s good for crash protection, while it’s feet can take heel-to-toes strides.

Magnetic fields could super-cool your gaming PC, nuclear reactors

As any good chef knows, mechanical stress aids the transfer of thermodynamic energy in a closed system. They employ this knowledge every time they press an ingredient down into a pan or grill, greatly increasing the efficiency of heat transfer from metal to food. We usually see that interaction exclusively from one perspective, that of using the pan to add heat to the food. But it would be just as accurate to say that we are using the food to remove heat from the pan — and by pressing it down we assist it in “cooling” the metal. Now a team of researchers are using this fundamental fact, along with a strong magnetic field and a flood of metal nanoparticles, to make liquid cooling systems many times more effective.

The basic premise is fairly simple: if you flood a coolant with a slurry of magnetic nanoparticles, then subject that suspension to a magnetic field, the nanoparticles can help affect the flow of the whole fluid, helping to make cooling more effective. It’s a basic enough idea that it can scale to virtually any size for an applicable type of cooling rig. Anything cooled by a liquid is an immediate candidate — and to continue advancing at such a pace, more and more of our technology will require a heat-sink fluid more efficient than air.

An Adorably Tiny Reconnaissance Drone No Larger Than a Dragonfly

The militaries of the world always have the best toys, so if you were impressed by this tiny RC helicopter from Silverlit, you'll be blown away by the PD-100 Black Hornet that British forces have been using for reconnaissance since last year. At just 16 grams it's about the closest thing we've got to a remote controlled flying insect.

Developed by Norwegian-based Prox Dynamics AS, the Black Hornet—despite its impossibly tiny fuselage—flies for up to 25 minutes on a single charge, letting it cover about three-quarters of a mile at its top speed. And it's completely autonomous too, using GPS to fly from waypoint to waypoint on its pre-defined route.

Unfortunately even the tiniest of night vision cameras are far too large for the Black Hornet to carry, so it's designed to gather footage during daylight missions. But its creators claim its completely invisible and silent at distances over 30 feet, so despite only operating in the day, it can still stealthily gather intelligence because it's just so tiny. As for pricing, it doesn't look like Prox Dynaimcs AS intends to sell these to civilians. So here's to hoping the company expands with a toy division that takes advantage of all the wonderful military tech it's developed.

HTC One S review

The dual-core HTC One S is among the first batch of smartphones to come with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on board. It’s less powerful than the brand’s own Ice Cream Sandwich-toting, quad-core HTC One X, but is specced to give most current Android rivals – the Samsung Galaxy S2, Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Motorola RAZR and LG Optimus 2X – a good run for their money.

Does it match up to them – or even surpass them?

HTC One S: Build

The HTC One S looks vaguely similar to the HTC Sensation. It’s skinnier, though (the skinniest phone HTC has ever produced) and slightly more understated thanks to its all black finish (the only splash of colour is the metal ring around the rear camera lens).

The One S features an aluminium body with a micro arc oxidation finish – which means it feels like a ceramic handset rather than a metal one. It's nicely grippy (not slippy), and HTC claims it's five times harder than regular aluminium – so much so that you won't need a protective case.

Nokia Lumia 1020 review

Another month, another flagship Lumia handset. Does the Nokia Lumia 1020 steam ahead of its brethren and competition? We find out

Nokia's business strategy is a confusing one. It seems as though every time we get our hands on a brand new handset, a new one is announced a couple of months down the line. In the couple of weeks we've had with the Nokia Lumia 1020, a Nokia Lumia 1520 has already been announced for October.

Google to Pay $17 Million In Safari Privacy Case

Back in August we heard that Google would pay $22.5 million for the privacy breach on Apple’s Safari browser, after the company was found to be getting past the privacy settings on the Safari browser.

What Google were doing was basically using special code to track a users Internet browsing, even when their privacy settings were set to block such tracking.

Now Google will have to pay a further $17 million settlement to the District of Columbia and 37 other states, Google has now also agreed to a range of terms, which you can see below to make sure this does not happen again.

Oxford Researchers Creating Simpler, Cheaper Solar Cells

By working to improve perovskite cell efficiency, scientists at Oxford University are creating simpler and cheaper solar cells.

Over the last four years, solar cells made from materials called perovskites have reached efficiencies that other technologies took decades to achieve, but until recently no-one quite knew why.

Since perovskite was first used in 2009 to produce 3% efficient photovoltaic (PV) cells, scientists have rapidly developed the technology to achieve efficiencies of over 15%, overtaking other emerging solar technologies which have yet to break the 14% barrier.

Scientists at Oxford University, reporting in Science, have revealed that the secret to perovskites’ success lies in a property known as the diffusion length, and worked out a way to make it ten times better.

Sony SmartWatch 2 review

Sony's new SmartWatch 2 doesn't get as much attention - and doesn't do as much - as Samsung's Galaxy Gear computerized wristwatch. But for the things it does, Sony's version performs better.

The SmartWatch 2 is also 33 percent cheaper, at about $200, and works with a variety of Android phones, not just Sony's. Samsung's Galaxy Gear sells for $300 and is compatible only with a handful of high-end Samsung phones.

That said, neither company has made a compelling case of why people need a smartwatch this holiday season.

PS4 vs. Xbox One: How the final hardware specs compare

For the first time in the history of video game consoles, it’s actually possible to do an almost direct comparison of the hardware inside the PS4 and Xbox One. In almost every one of the seven preceding generations, game consoles were outfitted with highly customized chips and CPUs featuring niche, specialized architectures that could only really be compared very generally (bits, flops) or in the very specific (number of on-screen sprites, MIDI instruments, etc.) The PS4 and Xbox One, however, are very similar consoles. With an x86 AMD APU at the heart of each, the Sony and Microsoft consoles are essentially PCs — and their hardware specs, and thus relative performance, can be compared in the same way that you would compare two x86 laptops or ARM Android tablets.

Google Nails it on the Head with Nexus 5

 This is it. The smartphone which is known for providing top-of-the-line experience at a lower price has finally gone official. After dozens of leaks and rumours (including once when its entire spec-sheet was revealed), Google has finally pulled the covers off the Nexus 5 – developed by LG — and it runs on Android 4.4 KitKat.

As is usual with these phones, the Nexus 5 packs quite a punch. It has a 4.95″  True HD IPS Plus panel on the front with Full HD resolution and 445 ppi pixel density. It is Gorilla Glass 3-protected.

Solid Concepts 3D Prints First Metal Gun

Austin, TX – Solid Concepts, one of the world leaders in 3D Printing services, has manufactured the world’s first 3D Printed Metal Gun using a laser sintering process and powdered metals. The gun, a 1911 classic design, functions beautifully and has already handled 50 rounds of successful firing. It is composed of 33 17-4 Stainless Steel and Inconel 625 components, and decked with a Selective Laser Sintered (SLS) carbon-fiber filled nylon hand grip. The successful production and functionality of the 1911 3D Printed metal gun proves the viability of 3D Printing for commercial applications.

iPhone 5c review

After weeks of leaks and speculation, the iPhone 5c is finally here. Apple's colorful new lower-cost handset slots below the iPhone 5s flagship and ships with iOS 7. This is the first time the company's launched two new iPhones simultaneously. The 5c replaces the iPhone 5 in the middle of the lineup, and the 8GB iPhone 4s is now available free on contract. Unlike years past, the iPhone 5 doesn't carry on as a second-tier device -- it's just gone. The 5c is built from steel-reinforced, colored-through, machined polycarbonate that's coated in a glossy finish. Apple's last plastic handset was the iPhone 3GS in 2009, but it only came in black and white. In contrast, the 5c arrives in a rainbow of pastel hues: white, pink, yellow, blue and green, along with a matching set of cases.

Some Missing Apple iWork Features To Be ReIntroduced Says Apple

After releasing the new versions of its Apple iWork’s suite of applications for free last month, Apple received a fair amount of criticism for removing some of the features within the Pages, Numbers and Keynote applications which previous users had come to rely on.

Now after receiving feedback from users Apple has announced that it will be making a U-turn of sorts and reinstating some of the missing iWorks features in the next few releases as well as add new features on an ongoing basis.

Elop May Kill Bing, Sell Off Xbox If He Gets Microsoft CEO Job

Stephen Elop, the former CEO of Nokia is one of the candidates for the Microsoft CEO position, and now according to a recent report, if Elop gets the CEO job at Microsoft he has a few plans for the company.

The news comes from Bloomberg, who have spoken to three sources, that have said Elop intends to take Microsoft in a different direction if he becomes CEO

According to the Bloomberg report, Stephen Elop would make it a priority to gets Microsoft’s Office suite of apps, which include Word, Excel an PowerPoint on a wide range of devices and platforms, like Apple’s iOS platform.

HTC One will receive Android KitKat in 90 days

HTC America president Jason Mackenzie said that the latest version of Android would be available in the US on all carriers in 90 days or less. He made the comments during an interview with Engadget.

Updates to the HTC One Max and the HTC One Mini will follow the update to the HTC One.

It is unclear if the UK will receive the update before or after the US. It could mean that UK owners may have to wait until March before getting their hands on Android 4.4, though we doubt that will be the case.

We’ve contacted HTC UK for clarification and will update this story when we hear back.

How Scientists Manage the Flood of “Big Data” from Space

As “big data” from space missions continues to pour in, scientists and software engineers are coming up with new strategies for managing the ever-increasing flow of such large and complex data streams.

For NASA and its dozens of missions, data pour in every day like rushing rivers. Spacecraft monitor everything from our home planet to faraway galaxies, beaming back images and information to Earth. All those digital records need to be stored, indexed and processed so that spacecraft engineers, scientists and people across the globe can use the data to understand Earth and the universe beyond.

Smart glasses that help the blind see

These specs do more than bring blurry things into focus. This prototype pair of smart glasses translates visual information into images that blind people can see.

Many people who are registered as blind can perceive some light and motion. The glasses, developed by Stephen Hicks of the University of Oxford, are an attempt to make that residual vision as useful as possible.

They use two cameras, or a camera and an infrared projector that can detect the distance to nearby objects. They also have a gyroscope, a compass and GPS to help orient the wearer.

Geoengineers are free to legally hack the climate

THE idea of artificially cooling the climate may have come in from the cold, but the laws governing trials of the technology are still all at sea. Many people think such trials are illegal, but this is not the case, according to an analysis of environmental treaties.

The latest report from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change includes geoengineering – a sure sign that the idea has become respectable. But research and field trials are needed before we know whether influencing the climate like this is a viable option for cooling Earth.

This is easier said than done. In 2010, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) forbade any form of geoengineering that could affect biodiversity – which is effectively all of them. And any geoengineering that involves adding chemicals to the ocean, to increase the carbon sequestered, for example, is prohibited by the London Convention and Protocol (LCP). However, some small-scale trials have gone ahead.

Lockheed Martin Is Developing A Hypersonic Spy Plane

The SR-71 Blackbird, iconic supersonic Cold War spy plane adopted by the X-Men as their vehicle of choice, might finally have a replacement. The Blackbird was retired in 1999, and since then there's been a serious deficit in crazy-fast spy planes that inspire unimaginable wonder in children named Kelsey. Lockheed Skunk Works revealed Friday that it is developing the SR-72, designed to fly at twice the maximum speed of the Mach 3 SR-71. That's Mach 6, or six times the speed of sound. The biggest difference between the SR-71 and the SR-72 is that the new plane will could fly without a pilot on board; both manned and unmanned options are being considered.

COMPUTERS PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE

First generation-vaccum tubes.

Computers of this generation used vaccum tubes to perform calculations. Vaccum tubes were expensive because of the amount of material and skill needed to manufacture them. Vaccum tubes got hot and burnt out. Computers of this generation were very large machines. Special rooms with air conditioning were needed to house them because of the heat generated by the vaccum tubes.

Toshiba taking pre-orders for new Windows 8 lineup

Toshiba has introduced a new line of computers that, in keeping with Windows 8's emphasis on touch, offers an array of products with displays that can be poked and pinched.

Toshiba began taking pre-orders for the new systems Wednesday, and will be selling them to the public from its online store on Oct. 26, when Windows 8 debuts.

While all the new Toshiba laptops don't have a touch display, they do have large touchpads that support touchscreen gestures, so many of the gesture tasks performed on a touchscreen can be performed on the touchpad.