Technology

Back in 2016, imaging titan Leica announced the pricey-but-capable Sofort instant camera ahead of a public showing at Photokina in Germany. Now the company is having another bash with a second-generation hybrid instant snapper.

The shortlist for the Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards is in, showcasing grin-tastic animal antics captured by nature-loving snappers around the globe – including a dove getting rewarded for not paying attention, and a kangaroo rocking out on air guitar.

A century ago, 23 prototype 35-mm cameras were produced to test the revolutionary design, leading to the creation of the landmark Leica A camera in 1925. Just 12 of those Leica 0-Series originals are known today and one is going to auction on October 7.

As the age of the smart weapon continues, Northrop Grumman has been awarded a US Navy contract to develop a new self-guided 57-mm artillery shell for the Navy's Mk110 Naval Gun Mount medium-sized gun used on Littoral Combat Ships.

The US Navy has highlighted the future of the US/UK seaborne nuclear deterrent by successfully launching a Trident II D5 Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) from the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Louisiana for a record 191 times.

The UK/US/Australian AUKUS nuclear attack submarine treaty is moving from diplomacy to nuts-and-bolts after the UK Ministry of Defence awarded a £3.95-billion contract to begin detailed design work and long-term procurement for the SSN-AUKUS-class boat.

After pretty much all of the specs leaked online over the past few weeks, Google has now officially announced the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro smartphones, and the Pixel Watch 2 wearable.

Huawei has launched a breakthrough short-range wireless connection tech, aiming to combine the advantages of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Faster, more efficient and with a vastly reduced delay, it's also got more than 300 companies and institutions on board.

Apple has announced the latest version of the iPhone, which is available in four USB-C-connectible models – the 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max. The latter boasts a titanium body, and a lofty price tag of US$1,199.

Drone maker Wingcopter has partnered with the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, the REWE Group, Vodafone, Riese & Müller and the city of Michelstadt for a pilot project aimed at delivering groceries to customers in remote regions of Germany.

Ordinarily, drones flying around airports are thought of as a hazard. The AtlasNEST system, however, utilizes drones to fly over landing areas where problems may be occurring, in order to give control tower workers a bird's eye view.

In recent years, we've seen a few folding-wing drones that can be quickly and easily launched from a tube. The WASP M4-TL tactical UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) takes that same concept and applies it to a military-spec quadcopter.

To mark the 50th anniversary of the release of The Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd, Austrian hi-fi brand Pro-Ject has launched a special Artist Collection turntable – featuring a look designed to mimic the iconic album cover.

BenQ has announced an update to last year's 4LED gaming projector in the shape of the X3100i, which boasts 4K big-screen visuals and Android TV, super-low input lag, enhanced dynamic range and spatial audio.

If you enjoy watching movies on a big screen, but don't want your living room dominated by a huge television, Laser TVs can be a good alternative. The latest 4K model from Ultimea boasts high brightness, Dolby Vision and a built-in sound system.

TL;DR: This refurbished 16GB Apple iPad Air offers a budget-friendly way to enjoy the sleek design and essential features, available through October 15th for only $219.97 (reg. $499).

TL;DR: A lifetime subscription to Microsoft Office ensures uninterrupted access to essential productivity tools while saving you money by avoiding monthly fees. Now available for only $34.97 (reg. $219.99) for either Mac or Windows.

Microsoft Office and Windows Pro are the power duo for PC users, but they often come at a hefty price. The All-in-One Microsoft Office Pro 2021 + Windows 11 Pro Bundle gives you the chance to score both at an affordable price point.

Although an increasing number of devices are being developed for use on or in our bodies, such devices tend not to be very … "body-like." A new 3D printing resin could change that, by allowing for variable stiffness throughout single objects.

Last year, Anker breezed into the desktop 3D printing space with the AnkerMake M5, launching on Kickstarter to test the market and fund production. Now the company has announced a more affordable follow up called the M5C.

Although there are several methods of 3D-printing metal objects, all of them involve heat – which isn't conducive to producing heat-sensitive electronics, among other things. A new gel, however, can be used to print such items at room temperature.

All-in-one desktop computers are a great space-saving solution for folks who work at home. But what if you want to work from a coffee shop? Laptop's just don't offer a big-screen experience, so HP has made the AIO mobile with the Envy Move.

Earlier this month, Dasung launched a desktop monitor sporting color E Ink technology for reduced eye strain while working. Now Bigme has gone one better by combining monitor and computer for the B251 all-in-one Windows PC.

The last generation of the popular fruity board for tinkerers landed in 2021, though its creators did double the system memory the following year. Now the Raspberry Pi 5 has launched rocking in-house silicon for much-improved performance.

Right on schedule, Sony has unveiled a mid-generation refresh for the PlayStation 5. The update slims down both models of the console, beefs up the storage space, and adds an optional Blu-Ray drive that can be later fitted to the digital-only console.

Researchers have developed a new cloud gaming system that uses low-level white noise to accurately synchronize separated audio and video streams transmitted to multiple devices, ensuring gamers see and hear things at the right time.

While there's nothing like playing board games with family and friends, old-school box-contained games do have their drawbacks. That's where GameNite comes in – it's a console that lets groups of people play phone-controlled games on their TV.

More than a decade since the first low-powered but fuss-free, easy-to-use, inexpensive laptops running Chrome OS were launched, Google has now announced the Chromebook Plus program – a new performance-focused category with built-in AI.

The 16-inch version of the customizable, repairable and upgradeable laptop announced by California tech startup Framework back in March has now gone up for pre-order, with Ryzen silicon and Radeon graphics leading the component charge.

Seeking to free laptop users from small displays that limit functionality, Sightful has unveiled a laptop with no screen. Instead, AR glasses project a 100-inch virtual screen anywhere, transforming any space into a screen-filled portable office.

Fender has pulled back the stage curtain on the Highway Series acoustic guitars in dreadnought or parlor guises, each slimmed down for a more comfortable playing experience and "finely tuned for performance on and off the stage."

Vienna's Austrian Audio has announced a pocket recording system designed to capture "what you want, where you want, and when you want." The MiCreator Studio wraps a tilting condenser microphone and a USB audio interface into one rugged package.

Fender says its new eight-core multi-effects and amp modeling floor unit is the best-sounding, most powerful and easiest-to-use digital floor pedal ever built. It's got a legit claim to two of those three titles – but is it undergunned in 2023?

Most robots walk like they've soiled themselves; this one walks with a crazy amount of personality. Disney is getting very good at combining the art of character animation with the science of bipedal robotics, and the results are ... adorable.

While there are a number of optical systems that provide robotic hands with a sense of touch, most of those systems are flat, so they're confined to the fingertips. A new MIT system, however, works along the entire length of each finger.

Researchers have developed a prototype robot that is able to perform a breast examination and sense lumps that may indicate cancer. While still in the early stages, they say their robot could improve the likelihood of catching breast cancer early.

If you want a wearable to track workouts, runs, sleep and plenty more, then there's no shortage of devices to pick from – and after a couple of weeks of testing we can tell you that the Coros PACE 2 has a few features that might make you choose it.

Google has promised big improvements for its Wear OS wearable platform later this year, but in the meantime Mobvoi has launched a new device that could be the best value smartwatch on the market right now: the TicWatch E3.

Google's Wear OS platform could certainly use some more actual smartwatches to run on, and Casio has obliged with the GSW-H1000 – the first G-Shock smartwatch from the brand to come with Wear OS on board.

While 5G feels pretty new and flashy, the industry is already making preparations for the next generation. LG Electronics and the Fraunhofer Institute have now conducted a test that set a new distance record for data transmission using 6G technology.

A team of international researchers say they’ve set a new world speed record for an industrial standard optical fiber that’s as thick as a human hair, achieving a data transmission rate of 1.7 Petabits per second over a 41-mile cable.

At a teaching symposium earlier this month, the world's only liberal arts university for deaf students explored the potential for remote learning by testing out a life-size holoportation device called the Epic from Proto Inc.

Augmented reality eyewear is great for providing turn-by-turn navigational cues, but a lot of the goggles and visors have a kind of tech-nerdy vibe. Blucap Moto sunglasses are different, in that they won't make you look like a Sheldon Cooper wannabe.

Nothing has announced the first products from its budget sub-brand CMF, which includes the Watch Pro – a somewhat Apple-like smartwatch rocking a large AMOLED display, built-in GPS, more than a hundred sport modes, and a 13-day battery.

If you thought that last year's Apple Watch Ultra was a pretty impressive adventure wearable, there was clearly room for improvement as the second generation launches – with a much brighter display, double-tap control and on-watch Siri.

"This is really the most incredible thing I've ever seen," said podcast host Lex Fridman, interviewing Mark Zuckerberg in VR using Meta's stunning new photorealistic avatars, coming soon to Quest, so lifelike that they "cross the uncanny valley."

Late last year, Sony launched a mobile motion-capture system in Japan that worked with a companion app to create a VR avatar for such things as gaming or chat. Now the Mocopi system is up for pre-order in the US.

While we've seen multiple attempts to produce real-world odors in VR environments, many have involved cumbersome wearable devices. Chinese scientists have developed a much more streamlined system, which is applied to the skin below the user's nose.