Stories by Nick Barber

Spot: a dog-sized robot that likes getting kicked

A new robot from Boston Dynamics can stay upright even after being kicked.

How DARPA is planning fast, cheap satellite launches

Called the Airborne Launch Assist Space Access or ALASA program, it would be able to send satellites weighing 100 pounds or less into low earth orbit within 24 hours for less than $1 million per launch.

Samsung to launch new flagship phones on March 1

The event will be held ahead of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and the curve on the invitation hints at the debut of the Galaxy S6 Edge.

Hands-on with HPs Sprout, an imaging powerhouse built into a very touch-friendly PC

The Sprout is a daring move by HP to redefine what a PC can do, at a time when images from videos to virtual reality are dominating users' attention. This machine tries to make it all work together. Here's our hands-on.

Motorola returns to China, touts phone customization

Motorola is back in China after a two-year hiatus and it's hoping that smartphone customization is the way to win over customers in a crowded marketplace.

Upgraded Atlas robot still no disaster superman

DARPA updated its humanoid rescue robot Atlas, but the changes show how far the machine still has to go to be useful in disaster zones.

Japanese androids hold news conference, chat with baby droids

At the Miraikan museum in Tokyo, robots are one step closer to taking over. Two female androids held their own news conference, with little participation from human beings.

Xiaomi's new phablet seeks to outdo Apple's iPhone 6 Plus

The handset maker unveiled its Xiaomi Note in Beijing Thursday. It has a 5.7-inch screen and is a fraction of a millimeter thinner than the iPhone 6 Plus.

Robotics startup creating muscles and bones of humanoid

A San Francisco startup is designing a modular robot that uses one joint to connect a variety of parts.

Robotics startup building bones and muscles of humanoid

San Francisco startup Modbot is designing industrial and hobby robots that piece together like Legos.

Startup wants to be the Zipcar for scooters

A San Francisco startup has solved one of the drawbacks with a lot of car-sharing services -- though you'll have to make do with two wheels instead of four.

New cruise ship a floating heaven for tech geeks

Walking up the gangway to board Royal Caribbean's tech-laden Quantum of the Seas, it was hard not to marvel. Across the harbor was Manhattan, and at 348 meters the new ship is almost as long as the Empire State Building is tall. But it's what the ship contains that made my inner geek salivate.

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