Articles by Fergal Gallagher
Facebook’s Oculus Buys Gesture Control Firm Pebbles
Oculus VR has made its sixth acquisition since being bought out by Facebook in March 2014. The Israeli-based Pebbles Interfaces builds gesture control technology integrated with the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset.
Amp-Maker Marshall Reveals Android Phone, Promises High-Quality Audio
Marshall is more famous for making amps for musicians, but now it’s entering the smartphone market. The 'London from Marshall' Android phone promises a better audio experience for music lovers.
Solar Impulse Record-Breaking Flight Suspended Until 2016
The Solar Impulse 2’s attempt to circumnavigate the world has been put on hold. The solar-powered airplane is grounded in Hawaii after sustaining battery damage during its flight from Japan.
Hive’s New Thermostat And Smart Home Devices Look The Part
British Gas has made design a priority in its new, sleek mirror-finished Hive 2 thermostat. The company is also releasing a range of smart home devices including motion sensors, smart lightbulbs and plugs.
Is The Firefox Block The Death Knell for Flash?
Mozilla's Firefox browser is now blocking Flash by default due to security concerns. Hacking vulnerabilities have pushed many, including Facebook's security chief, to call for an end to the Adobe software.
New Soluble Filament Simplifies 3D Printing
3D printer users will no longer have to spend hours removing plastic support structures from their intricate creations. A new soluble filament from 3D Systems allows designers to simply rinse away the support structures with water.
China’s Tianhe-2 Remains Unchallenged As World’s Most Powerful Supercomputer
The latest supercompter world rankings are in, and China is still on top. The Tianhe-2 is still nearly twice as fast as the U.S.-built Titan, which is ranked second. Computers in the U.S. make up nearly half of the top 500 list and Intel chips power 86 percent of the world's supercomputers.
Colorful Dutch Roadside Noise Barriers Also Generate Solar Power
Imagine replacing ugly gray highway noise barrier eyesores with colorful transparent panels that double as solar panels? A small stretch of road in the Netherlands already has.
Spain's Geeksphone Exits Smartphone Market
If Microsoft can't compete with Apple and Android, did a small Spanish company ever have a chance? After building six phones in six years, Geeksphone is finally giving up on its smartphones.
Rogue Adventurer Foils Airbus In First Electric Flight Over The English Channel
Frenchman Hugues Duval defied authorities and big business to become the first man to pilot an electric plane across the English Channel. He flew under cover of darkness just hours before Airbus made its own successful electric-powered flight.
Synaptics Develops More Secure Standalone Fingerprint Scanner
Synaptics has developed the world's first fingerprint scanner that operates independently of the device on which it runs. The new technology protects the fingerprint scanner from any malware that might be present on the device.
IBM’s Smallest Chip Ever Will Keep Moore’s Law Alive
Using silicon-germanium, IBM and research partners have produced a 7 nm computer chip. The breakthrough should keep Moore’s law viable for at least a few more iterations.
Logitech Rebrands To 'Logi'
Logitech is rebranding with a new name and logo. The new Logi product range promises to move beyond computer peripherals into lifestyle consumer products.
Google Maps Android And iOS Updates Make Sharing Easier And More
Apple users can share their location on Facebook and Android fans can share entire maps and remove icons, thanks to new Google Maps updates.
NASA Promoting Benefits Of Space Research Following Rocket Crashes
NASA is releasing a book highlighting the benefits to humankind of research carried out on the International Space Station. The station is desperately in need of some good news following multiple failed rocket missions over the last 8 months.
Elon Musk: Cause Of SpaceX Rocket Explosion Is Still Unclear
Elon Musk says the Falcon 9 explosion was a 'huge blow to SpaceX' and admitted that his engineers are still dumbfounded as to the cause of the June 28 accident.
GoPro’s New Hero4 Session Cube Focuses More On Design Than Features
The waterproof cube-shaped Hero4 Session is GoPro’s smallest and lightest camera yet. However, the smaller design also comes with a smaller feature set than previous action cams.
Get Wireless Internet Through LED Lightbulbs
Wi-Fi is the universal standard method of wirelessly connecting to the Internet, but it doesn’t work that well. Researchers have now discovered a faster way to connect using light rays from LEDs.
Solar-Powered Plane Helps Swiss Pilot Break World Record For Longest Solo Flight
André Borschberg has broken the world record for the longest solo flight aboard the Solar Impulse 2. The Swiss adventurer has been flying for 3 days and nights (80 hours so far) and is still in the air en route from Japan to Hawaii in a solar-powered plane.
Garmin’s Varia Rearview Light Radar Shows Cyclists The Traffic Behind Them
Garmin’s new Varia rearview bike light radar warns cyclists of traffic approaching behind them. But could the device be more of a distraction than a safety aid?
Facebook’s Logo Change Is So Radical That Barely Anyone Noticed
Facebook has a new logo, just about. The full-length spelling of 'facebook' has a new font for the first time since 2005, but the changes are so small that you probably didn't even notice.
Jaunt’s NEO Is The First Pro-Grade Camera For VR Movies
Jaunt is releasing the first professional-grade virtual reality video camera. The camera, codenamed 'NEO,' will be leased to partners looking to create cinema-quality immersive virtual reality films.
Apple Music Adds AC/DC And Dr. Dre's 'The Chronic' Ahead Of Launch
AC/DC music and Dr. Dre's 'The Chronic' debut album are making their streaming music debuts. Both will be available on Apple Music when it launches at 11 am EST
Man Fined $850 For Shooting Down Drone With His Shotgun
You can't legally shoot a drone flying over your property. A California court has fined a man $850 for shooting down a neighbor's drone which he thought was a CIA surveillance vehicle.
1960s Typewriter Is Transformed Into Music-Playing Printer
A computer scientist at Tufts University has hacked his typewriter to turn it into a mechanical printer. Better yet, the keystrokes play percussive music while printing out a document.
Ford Smartwatch App Starts Your Car And Rates Your Driving
Ford is developing an app for Android Wear watches that controls your car and rates your driving skills. The app, which will also be available for regular iOS and Android devices, is produced by Ford's new Silicon Valley research lab.
Amazon Kindle Instant Previews Give Your Friends A Free Peek At Your Books
Amazon Instant Previews lets your friends get a glimpse at the books you’re reading. When Kindle users on Android share quotes or text with someone, the friend now gets a free preview of that book directly in their browser.
Amazon’s Treasure Trucks Are Hitting Seattle Streets Loaded With Discounted Products
Amazon's latest publicity stunt involves a treasure truck loaded with goodies that you can pick up from the truck on the street. Starting on Saturday, Seattle residents will be able to purchase a daily deal on their Amazon shopping app and pick it up from a treasure truck roaming the neighborhood.
Google Is Transforming A Closed Power Plant Into A New Data Center
The Widows Creek coal power plant in Jackson County, Ala., will be transformed into Google's latest data center. The company will use the existing infrastructure to build a modern data center powered at least partially by renewable energy.
Ztylus iPhone Case Gives You 4 Extra Camera Lenses
The Ztylus case and its rotating 4-in-1 lens attachment allows you take a range of high quality photos with your iPhone. The device won best smartphone accessory at the CE Week conference in New York.
