LG vs Samsung: the story behind the biggest rivalry in tech
We travel to Korea to get the inside story
The rivalry between Korean tech giants LG and Samsung is well known, but it took a visit to LG's headquarters in South Korea this week for the true nature of the conflict to become clear to me. Persistent corporate espionage between these two means that that passing through buildings owned by them is like getting through security at an airport. Bags are scanned. Cameras are confiscated. Lenses on phones are taped over. USB storage devices are not allowed. Security cameras are everywhere. And that's not the half of it. Read this...
7 scientific breakthroughs that unlocked the age of technology
Physics is the most fundamental of all the sciences, and it's awesome
Before the likes of Galileo and Newton began to unlock the secrets of the universe, our understanding of everything in it was almost entirely absent. There was no scientifically plausible explanation for any of the phenomena in the night sky and no real understanding of any force of nature. In short, we were the people in Game of Thrones but without the dragons and magic and zombies. However, instead of spending thousands of years building large walls instead of inventing things, we have used the discipline of physics to provide answers to many of the mysteries of existence, and with that knowledge the human race has achieved incredible things. From powering the industrial revolution to sparking the electrical era and unlocking the secrets of the stars, physics has underpinned our technological adventure into the 21st Century. Read this...
Why Apple will never make an iTV
Apple isn't making a Smart TV - it's too smart for that
Apple is making a TV! Apple is not making a TV. It is and it's called iTV! It's not and it wouldn't be called that anyway, it is a silly name. So goes the schizophrenic debate about whether or not Apple will ever build a television. People have been talking about it for years. At one point, it was said to be Steve Jobs' final triumph in the making... but it never happened for him. Hell, even Tim Cook has discussed it openly from time to time. But the idea that Apple could swoop in, perform a miraculous revolution and change everything in the same way it did with digital music and the iPod is a fantasy. Read this...
Google's self-driving cars are smarter, but they're still not smart enough
We've been writing about driverless cars on TechRadar ever since we launched in 2007. It's by no means a new idea, and seven years on the tech is still very much in the "coming soon" phase rather than the "it's here, get excited" one. But a post on Google's blog this week has shown some genuinely exciting progress. Read this...
Inside view: How Sony is trying to save the world
A visit to Tokyo reveals self-cooling buildings and TVs made from recycled DVDs
Sony is famous for a lot of things. Most recently it's been the launch of the PS4 and some disappointing financial results that have been getting the headlines. But one thing Sony hasn't had much coverage over is its work to reduce its impact on the environment. Of course, any manufacturer of oil-based plastic products creates a sizeable carbon footprint but Sony has become a shining example to other electronics manufacturers by committing to completely eliminate its negative effect on the environment by 2050. Read this...
10 mindblowing uses for the world-changing substance that never was
Starlite has baffled scientific minds for 23 years
Starlite could be the most valuable man-made substance ever created. It has the potential to revolutionise industries, save lives and change the course of human history. The applications for it are near infinite, no scientific mind has ever been able to work out how it works – and yet it has never actually been used for anything. It's a plastic that's able to withstand heat to an almost unimaginable degree. Ward never revealed how it was made, saying merely that it contained 'up to 21 organic polymers and copolymers, and small quantities of ceramics'. Read this...
AirWheel Q3 review
Half Segway, half unicycle, the AirWheel Q3 arrived in the TechRadar office at the beginning of August promising a "revolution" in personal mobility. I was intrigued. After all, why walk to work when you can just... stand to work? The AirWheel is a personal transport vehicle that uses a gyroscope and attitude control stabilisation to stay upright on its wheel without any other supports. With one foot either side of the wheel, you simply stand up straight and lean forward to move forward, lean back to slow down or go backwards and lean sideways to steer. Easy, right? Well not exactly - but we'll come back to that. Read this...
Console gaming is dead - everything good is happening on PC right now
Consoles consoles everywhere and not a game to play
Word is that the Xbox One might be getting another price cut. But the Xbox One doesn't need a cheaper price tag or new colours to get people interested. It needs some decent games, because let's face it, there are none. Games, apps, features and functionality - both next gen consoles are still hugely lacking in them all and we're nearly a year in now. It's not unusual for each generation to start slowly, but against the backdrop of an exciting golden age for PC gaming, games consoles are starting to look looking increasingly... irrelevant. Why? Because all of the good things in the gaming world right now are happening on PC. All of them. Read this...
How to make any object completely invisible
The race to create the first cloaking device is on
Imagine a smartphone that remains "cloaked" until its owner whispers a pass phrase. It's an incredible concept, but could it be that the ultimate smartphone security feature is invisibility? If you think that sounds crazy, how about rendering an entire car or a space ship invisible? Even crazier, it's rapidly becoming science fact rather than science fiction. And that's because it's not only been shown to be possible within the laws of physics, but it's being worked on by scientists and researchers right now. Read this...
Sony PlayStation 4 review
The PS4 is the most powerful games console on the planet and it's now been on the shelves and in living rooms for over nine months. With more graphical power than the Xbox One, 32 times more system memory than the PS3 and a firm focus on pure gaming experiences rather than media might, the PS4 has established itself as the next-gen console to beat. Read this...
Oppo PM-1 review
There's really no other way of saying it: these headphones cost £1,099. Yes, one thousand and ninety nine British pounds. It's a truly staggering amount of money, enough to buy you 92 pairs of Apple EarPods; 33 iPod shuffles; Or, the metaphysical concept of shame. But suspend your disbelief for just a few minutes and come with me on a journey through the PM-1's credentials and maybe, just maybe, you'll get to the end of this review in the belief that they're worth the cash. Read this...
Cool gadgets: The best tech you can buy in 2014
The world's 1000 must have gadgets
It's our mission at TechRadar to help you find the tech products that are best for you. That's why we review the specific products we do, while offering a veritable smorgasbord of helpful buying guides and product round-ups to help you find the cool gadgets, perfect play things and workplace wonders. Whether it be an ideal camera phone for your mum or a kick-ass Blu-ray player to pair with your new TV, we've got the experts on hand to offer the very best buying advice on the internet. Here you'll find a comprehensive repository of all that expert knowledge. With buying advice and specific product recommendations, look no further for your best chance of finding all the cool gadgets available today. Read this...
