The Invisible world of video game AI

It’s commonly believed that video game AI has barely improved since the 1990s, but is this true? Rick Lane investigates

The years between 1997 and 2001 are often considered a golden age of video game AI, encompassing a spate of fascinating games that appeared to make giant leaps forwards in how players could interact with non-player agents and vice versa.

Gigantic gadgets

I now look back with nostalgia on the days when we used to joke that if mobile phones got any smaller we wouldn’t be able to find them in our pocket. These days the damn things are only getting bigger. The same thing is happening to our tablets and even to our monitor screens. It seems we like our technology super-sized, as if bigger automatically means better. I’m not so sure.

Microsoft Excel Fast Fixes

Recover corrupted spreadsheets, fix performance problems and cure printing headaches

Fon Gramofon

Music all around

Described as a ‘modern cloud jukebox’, this beautifully made little cuboid has a simple purpose: it gets music from the internet and plays it in your house. There’s no screen or buttons to press because everything is controlled from your iOS or Android smartphone or tablet.

Google Picking Apples

Mark Pickavance looks at the latest announcements from Google, and how some mistakes the company previously made are being addressed now

It is the season for announcements. Like autumnal leaves falling, we’ve had Apple’s latest hardware, we’ll soon see Microsoft’s, and coming in the middle it’s Google’s turn to shed some foliage.

The State Of 3D Printing In 2015

It’s been the next big thing for a few years now, but is it really ready for the home? What advances have there been? Sarah Dobbs checks back in with the 3D printing ‘revolution’…

According to the Gartner hype cycle, any new technology goes through a series of peaks and troughs until it settles down and becomes commonplace. First, after the technology is developed, there’s a rapid rise in excitement, before it reaches a peak of inflated expectations. Then, interest drops off into a trough of disillusionment as people realise the hot new thing isn’t all it’s cracked up to be after all. Then, slowly, things pick up again until a plateau is reached. 

Punked!

Mark Oakley presents his steamy guide to all things punk

”Don’t they look funny?”

And so it came to pass that my parents-in-law encountered their first steampunk enthusiasts, leading to much embarrassment for my wife and I as they exclaimed the above remark all too loudly, directly in front of the well-dressed group.

SSD Optimisation

SSD volumes are fast and efficient, but how do you ensure you’re getting the most from them? Aaron investigates

Solid State Drives have been around for some time now and, while the tech is still very expensive compared to traditional (mechanical) drives, more and more people are living with the smaller capacities they offer in order to enjoy their advantages. SSDs are much faster, more efficient and silent. They use less power too. SSDs are still a more specialist item than a mechanical volume, though, and not everyone knows how to get the most out of one.