Month: March 2022

Part laptop, part drawing tablet, part workstation, there’s nothing quite like this Windows 11 machine The Surface Laptop Studio is Microsoft’s creative workstation that replaces the unique outgoing Surface Book line with a slightly more normal laptop-like form but is still very unusual. The new top of Microsoft’s laptop line costs from £1,449 ($1,399.99/A$2,399) and …

Surface Laptop Studio review: Microsoft’s top new quirky portable PC Read More »

Victory marks milestone for AI as bridge requires more human skills than other strategy games An artificial intelligence has beaten eight world champions at bridge, a game in which human supremacy has resisted the march of the machines until now. The victory represents a new milestone for AI because in bridge players work with incomplete …

Artificial intelligence beats eight world champions at bridge Read More »

A simple switch in the way transactions are verified could reduce bitcoin’s energy-guzzling mining habits Bitcoin mining already uses as much energy as Sweden, according to some reports, and its booming popularity is revitalizing failing fossil fuel enterprises in the US. But all that could change with a simple switch in the way it is …

Climate groups say a change in coding can reduce bitcoin energy consumption by 99% Read More »

Spot will be used to identify safety and structural issues including tunnels dug by relic thieves A four-legged robot called Spot has been deployed to wander around the ruins of ancient Pompeii, identifying structural and safety issues while delving underground to inspect tunnels dug by relic thieves. The dog-like robot is the latest in a …

Robot dog called in to help manage Pompeii Read More »

‘I supposedly have it again (sigh), but almost no symptoms,’ Tesla and SpaceX billionaire tweets Elon Musk said on Monday he had “supposedly” tested positive for Covid-19, with no major symptoms. “I supposedly have it again (sigh), but almost no symptoms,” the Tesla and SpaceX billionaire said in a tweet. Continue reading… ‘I supposedly have …

Elon Musk reports testing positive for Covid-19 for second time Read More »

Top boss Meng Wanzhou makes first public appearance since her release from custody in Canada last year Chinese telecoms company Huawei has reported a decrease in sales but record profit for 2021, as its top executive, Meng Wanzhou, made her first public appearance since being released from Canadian custody last autumn. The Shenzhen-based company said …

China’s Huawei reports sales fall amid US sanctions but profits hit record Read More »

Great performance and battery life, held back by cost, camera and lack of software polish The latest high-end smartphone from China’s Oppo aims to usurp Samsung as the best Android phone launched in 2022 with serious speed and a luxurious ceramic back that’s almost too smooth. The Find X5 Pro costs £1,049 and won’t be …

Oppo Find X5 Pro review: slick Android let down by weak camera zoom Read More »

Special IT force of 30 soldiers on quad bikes is vital part of Ukraine’s defence, but forced to crowdfund for supplies One week into its invasion of Ukraine, Russia massed a 40-mile mechanised column in order to mount an overwhelming attack on Kyiv from the north. But the convoy of armoured vehicles and supply trucks …

The drone operators who halted Russian convoy headed for Kyiv Read More »

The technology behind autonomous vehicles has proved devilishly hard to perfect. And progress hasn’t been helped by Tesla boss Elon Musk’s army of superfans “I would be shocked if we do not achieve full self-driving safer than a human this year,” said Tesla chief executive, Elon Musk, in January. For anyone who follows Musk’s commentary, …

How self-driving cars got stuck in the slow lane Read More »

Waiting lists of thousands, cars selling out in seconds, welcome to the frustrating world of the Australian EV buyer Follow our Australia news live blog for the latest updates Get our free news app; get our morning email briefing Matt Holding set an alarm on his phone so he wouldn’t miss out on a limited …

Sold out: why Australia doesn’t have enough electric vehicles to go around Read More »