gizmag

MOBILE TECHNOLOGY Apple unveils its 2015 iPhones: Faster performance, Live Photos and 3D Touch After months of rumor and speculation, Apple has been showing off its new iPhones at a media event in San Francisco: The iPhone 6S and the iPhone 6S Plus. The big updates for 2015 are a new 3D Touch input system, major internal upgrades and an improved camera, including a new Live Photos format.  read more MUSIC Review: JBL Flip3 and Xtreme aren't afraid of the water To keep the tunes going even on a rainy day, JBL's Flip3 and Xtreme speakers not only boast exceptional sound quality, but are also so water resistant that you can rinse them off under the tap. We recently got hold of each of them and put them through the figurative wringer.  read more DIGITAL CAMERAS VR film-makers can register for GoPro's 16-camera Odyssey rig GoPro has announced that its 16-camera Odyssey rig will soon be available to virtual reality professionals. The US$15,000 set-up is designed for Google's Jump platform and uses 16 of the Hero4 Black action cameras to shoot 360-degree footage.  read more AUTOMOTIVE Toyota gives the Prius a new look, crisper drive and estimated 55 mpg With the all-new fourth-generation Prius, Toyota focuses a little less on the car's established eco-conscious drive technology and a little more on its newly developed personality. The 2016 Prius features a thorough makeover and enhanced driving dynamics aimed at kicking off a "new hybrid era."  read more MILITARY "The Alternative" puts the brakes on bullets fired from police sidearms "The Alternative" is a clip-on "air bag" for semiautomatic pistols that is designed to give officers a less lethal option by reducing the velocity of a standard round. The device is designed to improve the chances of imparting a stopping force on a target without causing lethal damage.   read more WEARABLE ELECTRONICS MagnifiSense uses electromagnetic signatures to keep tabs on your energy use MagnifiSense is a wrist-worn prototype that identifies what electronic devices and motor vehicles an individual interacts with throughout the day by detecting their unique electromagnetic signatures.   read more MOTORCYCLES Can Dan Gurney’s Moment-Cancelling engine breathe new life into internal combustion? American car racing legend Dan Gurney's patented Moment-Cancelling Four-Stroke (MC4S) engine features two counter-rotating crankshafts and an innovative intake system. With it, Gurney is looking to improve reliability and efficiency and cut emissions, all in a single design.   read more SCIENCE Kirigami-inspired solar cells twist to track the sun In order for a solar panel to receive as much sunlight as possible, it has to pan with the sun as it moves across the sky. Now, scientists have developed a simple method of allowing individual solar cells to do so – and it's based on the Japanese cut-paper art of kirigami.  read more MOBILE TECHNOLOGY HandyCase lets users operate mobile devices from both sides Handscape is set to change how people interact with devices. The company's HandyCase is designed to let users operate touchscreens with fingers set behind the device.  read more MOBILE TECHNOLOGY In case you blinked, Apple just gave the nearly-forgotten iPad mini its biggest update in two years Easy to lose among today's announcements was Apple's brief mention of a new iPad mini. While it doesn't look like the iPad Air is getting updated this year, the iPad mini 4 brings the mini-slate into alignment with last year's iPad Air 2.  read more AIRCRAFT Magnetically-connected Snap drone pops apart on crash landings Children of the 1970s may recall Kenner's Smash-Up Derby set, in which two toy cars flew into pieces when they crashed into each other – the neat thing was, they could then just be snapped back together. Well, Vantage Robotics' Snap is sort of like the Smash-Up Derby of drones.   read more HOME ENTERTAINMENT Apple's attempt to reinvent the living room isn't a TV set – it's a new Apple TV box with app support and Siri Apple just revamped its former "hobby," the Apple TV set top box. The new hardware's improved specs take a backseat to an all new platform with support for apps, along with Siri and a new controller with a touch panel. read more MOBILE TECHNOLOGY Apple adapts its iPad vision with the work-focused (and Surface-like) iPad Pro Apple's long-rumored iPad Pro made its debut today. The 12.9-inch iPad has upgraded internals, a smart keyboard accessory and a don't call it a stylus "Apple Pencil." It's Apple's most direct answer to the Microsoft Surface.  read more ELECTRONICS Signs of the times: The big three at IFA 2015 As the doors close on another packed IFA at Berlin's Messe fairgrounds and exhibitors begin dismantling booths and packing away all the consumer tech treasures, Gizmag takes a look back at three technology trends that battled it out for showstopper supremacy at IFA 2015.  read more SPACE New image release represents highest resolution view of Occator crater to date A new NASA image release is granting the highest-resolution view of the now-famous Occator crater – the most distinctive geological feature on the dwarf planet Ceres to date. Members of the Dawn science team have also released a 3D animation of the crater. read more SMARTWATCHES Samsung Gear S2 vs. Moto 360 (2nd-gen) Smartwatches are getting a lot better-looking – and a lot rounder – these days. Let's look at what may be two of the classier options this holiday season, the Samsung Gear S2 and 2nd-gen Moto 360.  read more HEALTH AND WELLBEING New test developed to determine your biological age An international study appears to have created a test that can determine the biological age of a patient's body. The research could have a broad range of applications, including dementia research and improving organ donation success rates.  read more ELECTRONICS XYZ's new scanner provides simple, low-cost 3D modelling  XYZ Printing's Handheld 3D Scanner is low-cost and convenient, providing users with a compact tool for producing full-color 3D models. Gizmag saw the device – which makes use of Intel RealSense tech – in action at IFA 2015.   read more AUTOMOTIVE Rolls-Royce drops the roof with new Dawn Having targeted younger buyers with the Wraith last year, Rolls-Royce has decided to turn its hand to the four-seat cabriolet. The new Dawn is aimed at delivering the same quiet, luxurious experience to those who want to enjoy top-down motoring.  read more GAMES SteelSeries unveils first dedicated game controller for Apple TV With the welcome news that the Apple TV is receiving a significant upgrade, things are getting interesting for the firm's oft-neglected little black box. Now, SteelSeries has unveiled what it promotes as the very first dedicated game controller for the new set top box.   read more SMARTWATCHES Apple Watch gets OS 2 update, gold Sport models Apple kicked off its anticipated media event in San Francisco today with some interesting updates to the Apple Watch.  read more ARCHITECTURE Stackable units become plug-and-play housing for the homeless A prefabricated modular block of apartments has been opened in London, to provide accommodation for the homeless. The Y:Cube concept was announced earlier this year and its method of construction means that rent can be kept low. Residents will pay just 65 percent of the local market rate.  read more SPECIAL PROMOTION FOR GIZMAG READERS Stay Connected on the Road with 50% Off the Sun-Powered ZeroLemon SolarJuice 20000mAh Battery Power up your iOS, Android, and USB-compatible devices over and over again with a massive 20,000mAh of portable juice. The high-quality Lithium Polymer SolarJuice is designed to charge at home or with just the power of the sun, for an enormous amount of extra battery fuel for life on the move.  read more