The Sony we used to know and love is slowly returning. With products like the Xperia Z, awesome headphones, some seriously good TVs, and cutting out the crap, Sony's managed to drag its loss-making arse back into the black. It made its first annual profit of £280 million in five long years, but it's not all good news. Read More >>
Featured comment by jpxdude:
"Yep, this is mainly a result of asset sales and the fall of the yen, so a lot of manipulation involved. However they are taking some positive steps, ..." More »
Our hands are a pretty major feat of evolution (opposable thumbs! dexterity!), and it's hard to artificially replicate everything they can do. Especially when it comes to super fine motor skills like picking up very flat, thin or small objects. As part of DARPA's ARM program, iRobot and collaborators at Harvard and Yale are working on versatile robot "hands" that can bear significant weight while also producing subtler gestures. Read More >>
Having set up a joint venture with Best Buy in Europe, the American retailer has recoiled back into the US, selling its half to Carphone Warehouse. Considering Best Buy didn't exactly do that well in the UK, I'm not sure it's that great a purchase, but who knows. We might get more Best Buy stores opening here again. [FT] Read More >>
Featured comment by tbl:
"I wonder what CPW will do with the 'asset'.
I just don't see the relevant in most of these places now. Comet is no more, Currys/PC World are worse ..." More »
Graphene doesn't need any introduction: it's the super material to beat 'em all. But this beautiful video demonstrates how it could transform the future of the gadgets you use everyday. Read More >>
Featured comment by klinkenberg:
"Thanks for the video. Graphene is a very exciting new material! The best bit is that it shows how other super materials still yet to be discovered c..." More »
Dixons, the once famous high street electronics retailer that was swallowed up into Currys and PCWorld in DSGi's efforts to save costs, still clung on in there as an online brand for a while. Now even its online presence ceases to be, leaving the Dixons high street name gathering dust just like Woolworths and Radio Rentals before it. Read More >>
Standard pen ink is the surprise component in a flexible carbon fibre supercapacitor which can be bent in a full circle with barely any loss of performance. Read More >>
If this doesn't scream mainstream adoption, I don't know what does. You can now buy a Raspberry Pi starter kit from Maplin, which will set you back a pricey £70 -- you did want a keyboard, mouse, and a Wi-Fi dongle with that, right? Read More >>
Featured comment by Southern:
"As long as the cigar is not accompanied by a tracksuit, absolutely. I think you've hit the nail on the head and it is a real shame about Maplin's audi..." More »
Bendable electronics are nothing new. But if you're after an electronic party trick, you're going to want to get your hands on a new breed of stretchable circuitry. Read More >>
It looks like the classic British high street electronics chains might be going the way of the Dodo, or at least Dixons looks to be down sizing quite severely. Its head honcho is looking to cut stores down to just 30-40 to slash costs. Read More >>
Featured comment by ssg007:
"Does anyone know if Amazon have a cashback or discount system? I've been buying all sorts of stuff from them and haven't really looked to see if they ..." More »
We’ve all been there. You just have to have that piece of tech right now, or you desperately need a new cable to hook up your monster sound system pre-party. But where do you get it if you just can’t be arsed to leave the house? Amazon’s no good, that takes a day, how about Maplin? It’s touting a fast new 90-minute delivery to the home service from the moment you click your mouse. Read More >>
Featured comment by MJ:
"Could it not be considered that as the components are hard to find Maplin pays a premium price for them in the first place and is simply passing this ..." More »
Ever heard of a bloke called Ruslan Kogan? No? Well, he’s an Australian entrepreneur whose cut-price online electronics shop has already taken Oz by storm, crushing a few of its rivals in the process. Now he's set his sights on Britain. Talking to us over a phone interview from "down under," he foretold great promises of bringing his affordable electronics to the UK masses. Read More >>
Featured comment by flynndean:
"Tut Tut Sam!
He's 29...so was 9 in 1993. Windows 3.0 was definitely old hat by 1993 and Windows 3.1 had alerady been out for long enough that it co..." More »
Researchers have been taking inspiration from X-Men: they've developed a way to create printed circuits that can heal themselves using liquid metal. The best bit is that, unlike X-Men, this is real. Read More >>
Things are looking bleak for Philips, which is, or perhaps was, Europe's largest consumer electronics maker. Citing rising costs, internal restructuring pain and an 85 per cent profit collapse in Q3, it's just announced plans to cut 4,500 staff. [Guardian] Read More >>
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