Apple unveils a thinner MacBook Pro with an OLED ‘Touch Bar’
Apple’s long-awaited MacBook Pro refresh is finally here and it’s… well, pretty much what we expected. That’s Apple’s fault, partially, after a recent macOS update revealed details about the laptop’s OLED touch strip — now known as the “Touch Bar” — and Touch ID. Instead of having the usual function and hardware control keys at the top of the keyboard, the Touch Bar will offer contextual options depending on what you’re doing. As usual, the new MacBook Pros will be available in 13-inch and 15-inch options, and they’re both thinner and lighter than the previous generation.
While the overall design of both laptops looks similar to what came before, there’s some significant refinement here. The new 13-inch MacBook Pro is 14.9mm thin (17 percent skinnier than before), has 23 percent less volume and comes in at just 3 pounds. The 15-inch model is 15.5mm thin (14 percent less than before) and has reduced its volume by 20 percent. Overall, that bigger version is just four pounds.
While we’ve been hearing about a potential OLED strip for months now, the Touch Bar actually looks pretty compelling in person. In Safari, it shows you a list of your bookmarks. Perhaps most useful for texting addicts, there’s a slew of commonly used emojis when using the Messages app. And in Mail, you’ve got buttons for creating a new message, replying, deleting and — wait for it — an escape key.
Plenty of Apple fans were annoyed by Apple’s removal of the physical escape key, so it’s nice to see the functionality is still around in some form. And if you need the traditional function keys, you just need to hold down the single function key, which is still at the bottom left corner of the keyboard.
You’ll also be able to customize the Touch Bar for individual apps. And, in a neat touch, you can do so just by dragging new options from the settings window down from your screen, and into the Touch Bar itself. Try doing that with your old function and hardware keys. Apple has added Touch Bar support to most of its apps — heck, it’s even in Terminal.
The new MacBook Pro’s screen is 67 percent brighter, offers 67 percent higher contrast and sports 25 percent more colors than the last generation. Apple claims it’s just as thin as the 12-inch MacBook’s display. Under the hood, the 15-inch model is powered by a quad-core Intel i7 processor, 2,133Mhz RAM and Radeon Pro (Polaris) graphics, which is 2.3-times faster than before and can hold up to 4GB of video memory. The 13-inch version, on the other hand, will include dual-core i5 and i7 processors and Intel Iris Pro graphics, which Apple claims is twice as fast as the last model.
One major change? Apple is doubling-down on USB-C with this computer — you’ve got four Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports on the side (each of which can handle power), along with the headphone jack. That’s a shame for anyone who still relies on traditional USB devices, or who needs an integrated SD card reader (like us tech reporters). Sure, you can get adapters and other peripherals to make up for that, and USB-C is powerful enough to drive high-resolution displays and faster storage drives. But the lack of port flexibility also seems strange for a “Pro” device. It makes sense on something like the MacBook, which aims for extreme portability, but less so in a flagship laptop.
Click here to catch all the latest news from Apple’s “Hello again” event.
Developing…
Meet the MacBook Pro’s new Touch Bar with TouchID
Apple has announced its newest line of MacBook Pro notebooks, and true to the leaks, it comes with an OLED strip instead of function keys. As the company’s Phil Schiller notes, function keys are a decades-old technology that shouldn’t really have a place in a laptop from 2016. In its place, the company is adding a retina display touchscreen (with multitouch) that it’s calling the Touch Bar. As well as contextual menus that change depending on what app you’re in, the power button on the far right now doubles as a TouchID sensor.
These contextual menus will alter depending on what software you’re using, so when you’re inside Mail, you’ll get dedicated send buttons in the strip. In photo editing, you’ll get basic tools including a rotation slider for making minor adjustments. Of course, should you still require the old-fashioned function keys, that’s still possible too — you just have to hold down the Function key. In the demo so far, it looks as if the escape key will remain a fixture on the top left, which will be handy for those would mourn its passing.
Users will also be able to customize their Touch Bar with specific shortcut keys that relate to specific features. For instance, if you wanted to have a screenshot capability right in the keyboard, you can simply by clicking and dragging that icon to the bar. In many ways, the Touch Bar cribs from iOS, since it offers similar buttons that you will have found on the iPhone and iPad — like FaceTime answer controls.
Apple is also talking about how this new technology will make your computer (and, by extension, your personal information) safer. After all, you can now unlock your MacBook Pro with your fingerprint, which is held in a piece of hardware called the T1 chip. That’s the iPhone-esque secure enclave that, the company promises, will keep your identity and payment details safe from nefarious attackers. TouchID will also enable multiple users to keep their partitions on the device separated, useful for budget-conscious businesses.
This is a developing story. Please press refresh to learn more.
Click here to catch all the latest news from Apple’s “Hello again” event.
Apple Announces Universal TV App for ‘Unified TV Experience’
Apple announced a new universal Apple TV app called ‘TV’ at its “Hello again” event today.
The TV app is a “unified TV experience” works across Apple TV and iOS devices, and provides an easy-to-use hub for TV shows and movies that “will change how we watch television”, says Apple.
The app features category tabs across its main screen. The first, Watch Now, lists TV episodes and movies you are currently watching, as well as any you’ve queued up to watch next. It includes series you might be binging on, as well as new episodes of series you follow.
There’s also a “What to Watch” Store category with curated content lists across TV series and movies available in iTunes, while subscribing to third-party apps like Starz also feeds in channel-specific information.
Searching content is supported by Siri. The TV app will be a free software update for all devices by the end of the year.
Related Roundups: Apple TV, tvOS 10, iOS 10
Tag: October 2016 event
Buyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Caution)
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Apple Unveils New 13-Inch and 15-Inch MacBook Pros With Retina ‘Touch Bar’
Apple today announced the all-new MacBook Pro, confirming that the new computer will come in 13-inch and 15-inch sizes, in both Silver and Space Grey colorways. The MacBooks are thinner and lighter than their previous generations, and come with a Trackpad that’s two times bigger than the ones on the previous MacBooks.
A second generation butterfly mechanism in the keyboard provides more responsive typing. Apple detailed the bar sitting atop the keyboard as well, which it calls a “Touch Bar,” confirming that it has a retina display and is multi-touch. As previously rumored, Touch Bar is application-specific and adapts to whatever appears on the MacBook screen.
Tag: October 2016 event
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Apple Unveils Touch Bar Features in New MacBook Pros Including Touch ID
Apple announced a new ‘Touch Bar’ replacing the function key strip on the keyboards of its new MacBook Pro notebooks at its “Hello again” event today.
Apple head Craig frederghi showed off the customizable sapphire crystal Touch Bar in action, which can also be used as a traditional Function key set and supports a host of native devices.
Apple says the Touch ID component in the Touch Bar features an Apple T1 chip with a secure enclave for security purposes.
The Touch ID sensor recognizes account holders instantly and also supports account switching. System controls can be used and they also support gestures and swipes for controlling brightness, for example.
Contextual controls in apps are fully supported. For example, the Mail apps gains Touch Bar controls for composing messages, replying, flagging, filing, and formatting options.
When composing, Quick Type options like in iOS appear on the bar, with like Siri predictions. Emojis are also displayed in the Messages app, with browsing emojis, by frequently used or by category with simple swipes.
Naviagation in and between apps is also included. The touch bar can be used to move between tabs, preview, slide for previews. and open new tabs with favorites ready.
Lastly, Movies and Photos are also supported – users can swipe through photo collections, and can use playback controls when viewing and editing videos.
Related Roundups: MacBook Pro, macOS Sierra
Tag: October 2016 event
Buyer’s Guide: Retina MacBook Pro (Don’t Buy)
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Microsoft Surface Studio vs Apple iMac: What’s the difference?
If there’s one message we’re getting from companies, it’s that designing your own hardware and pairing it with your own software is the way to go.
Apple has long known this and doesn’t do anything else, we’ve seen Google embrace this through Pixel devices and Microsoft does the same with Surface, resulting in some top Windows devices.
Microsoft surprised many with the launch of the Surface Studio: we expected an all-in-one, but we didn’t quite expect Studio. At a surface level, it’s a natural competitor for Apple’s champion iMac with Retina display.
Here’s how the Microsoft and Apple square up and yes, one runs Windows 10, the other Mac OS.
Surface Studio vs Apple iMac: Design
- Surface Studio is thinner and more flexible
- Apple iMac has a more minimal footprint
Swathes of glass meet acres of aluminium with these two desktop devices. The new Surface Studio goes for maximum thinness through the display, while Apple aims for minimalism on your desktop.
The Surface Studio measures 637.35 x 438.9 x 11.4mm through the display, with a base that then measures 250 x 220 x 32.20mm. The display is connected via the Zero Gravity Hinge that allows the display to sit at any angle, from flat on the desk, angled like a drafting board and up to vertical like a regular monitor.
The Apple iMac’s design has been in place for a number of years, taking that aluminium unibody and slimming it to the current form, measuring 516 x 650 x 55mm, slimming to 6mm at the edges. The stand then is 203mm deep.
The overall footprint of the iMac is less, but there’s a huge difference in where Microsoft puts the brains in the Studio: the base has more bulk, but that allows positioning flexibility in the display that the iMac simply doesn’t offer.
For what it’s worth, the Surface Studio weight is 9.56kg, the iMac is 9.54kg, how about that?
- Surface Studio: A stunning all-in-one PC that doubles as a drafting table
Surface Studio vs Apple iMac: Display
- Surface Studio: 28-inch, 4500 x 3000, 193ppi, touchscreen
- Apple iMac: 27-inch, 5120 x 2880, 217ppi
Both these devices are all about the display. We’ve talked about Surface Studio offering a much wider range of positioning, so we won’t go back there, as it’s obviously more flexible.
The Surface Studio offers a 28-inch display, so it’s slightly larger than the 27-inch iMac, but the aspect is different. Microsoft opts for a 3:2 aspect, whereas the iMac is 16:9, more like your TV.
The resolution of these all-in-ones is close too: Surface Studio offers 4500 x 3000 pixels on its PixelSense display, resulting in 193 pixels per inch. The iMac has 5120 x 2880 pixels on its Retina display, for 217 pixels per inch.
Technically speaking, the iMac offers the sharper display, although given the size, the difference isn’t huge and won’t make a big difference to the viewing experience. The iMac is also wonderful as a display, something we mention in our review.
Surface Studio is also claiming professional grade visuals and our first impressions are good, but we’ve not had the chance to fully assess the Studio yet in terms of quality and performance.
However, Surface Studio offers 10-point touch, making it a very different proposition to the conventionality of Apple’s huge display. The Surface Studio will support the Surface Pen and the Surface Dial, an innovative tool that will work as an on-display controller, or on the desk.
- Apple iMac with Retina 5K display (2015) review: Pixel-packed powerhouse
Surface Studio vs Apple iMac: Hardware and power
- Surface Studio: Intel Core i5 or i7, 8-32GB RAM, Nvidia GPU
- Apple iMac: Intel Core i5 or i7, 8-32GB RAM, AMD Radeon GPU
- Apple currently offers more configuration options
Both Microsoft and Apple offer various configurations for the hardware for these all-in-one devices.
The Surface Studio is available with a choice of Intel Core i5 or i7 CPU, as is the iMac. The iMac, currently, offers more flexibility in choosing your hardware, but as the Studio is currently on pre-order, we’d expect that to change.
There are 1TB and 2TB hybrid drive options on the Surface Studio, with the iMac also offering 1 or 2TB Fusion drives, with further options for 3TB Fusion, or SSD. At the entry-level, the iMac has a 7200rpm 1TB hard drive.
The Surface Studio starts at 8GB RAM, moving through 16GB to 32GB at the top level. The iMac offers 8GB as standard, with options to spec up to 16 or 32GB. Again, Apple offers flexibility at the moment that Microsoft doesn’t.
The iMac offers AMD Radeon R9 GPUs (M380, M390, M395) with 2GB GDDR5 memory, stepping up to the M395X with 4GB GDDR5 RAM at the top level. The Surface Studio counters with Nvidia GeForce GTX 965M (2GB GDDR5) or GTX 980M (4GB GDDR5) GPUs. This is where the biggest hardware difference lies, with each turning a different direction for graphics handling.
Surface Studio vs Apple iMac: Connections and accessories
- Surface Studio: 4x USB 3, Ethernet, SD card, Mini DisplayPort, 3.5mm headphone
- Apple iMac: 4x USB 3, Ethernet, SD card, 2x ThunderBolt 2, 3.5mm headphone
One consideration with this type of computer is how you’ll connect to it. Both devices come with a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse.
Apple places all its connections on the rear of the display, whereas the Surface Studio’s connections are on the rear of the base, which might make a minor aesthetic difference to how tidy each computer looks when all is plugged in. The additional ThunderBolt 2 connection of the Mac means one more connection option, perhaps a third display?
The connectivity is broadly the same, both offering Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support in addition to those physical connections.
Support for Surface Dial and Surface Pen is a benefit of the Studio, the Surface Pen comes in the box.
Surface Studio vs Apple iMac: Price
- Surface Studio: from $2,999
- Apple iMac: from $1,799
The story of these two devices is interesting. While both play in the same space because of the form factor and overall spec in some areas, the Surface Studio naturally has a stronger play toward all types of creatives who want to draw.
The support for touch offered by Windows 10 and the range of movement that the Studio offers makes it more versatile, but perhaps appealing to designers, rather than your average desk worker who just wants a good-looking PC. Studio is about touch interaction rather than just the pure hardware.
The starting price for these devices at $2,999 for the Surface Studio and $1,799 for the iMac doesn’t tell the whole story, but the iMac specced to match (as closely as possible) the entry-level Studio comes in at $1,999.
Step up and that gap narrows a little, but you’re still paying quite a lot for Microsoft’s new Surface Studio compared to the older iMac. If it’s just a fancy big-screened PC you’re looking for, Apple is cheaper. Now how often does that happen?
Twitter just killed video sharing app, Vine
Twitter has just announced it is killing off Vine, the video creation and sharing app it owns. The announcement was made on Medium, another social blog website owned by Twitter.
- What is Vine?
The Vine app will still remain for the next few months so you can still view and download clips, but the mobile app will eventually be killed off too.
Twitter has said a website will still exist to host already created clips, so you can still view them and the company has promised it will announce any changes to the site before they’re made.
Vine was founded in mid-2012 before being taken over by Twitter in October 2012, users were able to record six second video clips and share them to Vine’s global community. The service had around 200 million users a month and around 40 million Vines have been uploaded to the sharing network.
It’s likely Twitter is killing off Vine because of concerns over its overall profitability. The company has also recently announced it will be losing around 9 percent of its workforce, which equates to around 350 employees. Losing Vine should help alleviate the financial problems the social media site is having at the moment.
Microsoft Surface Dial: Price, availability and everything you need to know
Microsoft recently pulled the covers off the Surface Studio and a newly-updated Surface Book, but there was one innovative device that drew a lot of attention: Surface Dial.
What is Surface Dial?
Surface Dial is an accessory that’s been designed by Microsoft of give you more interaction with Surface devices.
Uniquely, this is an accessory that’s designed to be used either on the display itself, or on the desktop. It offers rotational haptic feedback when twisting, meaning you can have radial control of various menus.
It will allow rotation of objects, scrolling of documents or websites, or simply changing the volume of your music. It will allow rotation, press and hold menus, clicks, as well as capacitive detection when placed on the screen of Surface Studio.
Surface Dial connects to your PC using Bluetooth.
What devices support Surface Dial?
The good news is that the Surface Dial is compatible with a wide range of Microsoft devices, not just the latest Surface Studio that it launched alongside:
- Surface Pro 4
- Surface Book
- Surface Studio
Surface Dial is supported by Windows 10 Anniversary Edition. Although Microsoft has publicly stated support for its Surface devices, it’s not known if it will work with other Windows PCs.
- Surface Studio: A stunning all-in-one PC that doubles as a drafting table
Surface Dial specs
Surface Dial top section measures 59mm in diameter and sits 30mm high. The base is slightly smaller than top at 54mm and is 4mm thick. The whole thing weighs 145g, including the provided batteries.
As we said, it connects via Bluetooth to your Surface and is should give you 12 months of use from those batteries.
What apps support Surface Dial?
Microsoft has shown off a number of creative apps working with Surface Dial. Those include Sketchable, Mental Canvas Player, Drawboard PDF, Moho 12, StaffPad and Bluebeam Revu.
Dial can also be used with Plumbago, Ink Replay, OneNote, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Windows Maps, Groove Music, Spotify, PewPew Shooter, Microsoft Photos and Paint.
We’re sure that many other apps will work on providing support for Surface Dial following launch.
- Surface Book i7 (2016): Not an overhaul, but certainly more oomph
Surface Dial price and availability
Surface Dial costs $99 and is currently available for pre-order.
Surface Dial will be available from 10 November 2016 in the US. There’s no word on a UK release date yet.
Quick thoughts playing with the Surface Dial
The Dial sits on your desk or directly on the screen of your Surface Studio, and it can move both clockwise and counterclockwise. When pressed downward, it selects and can toggle between different parts of a feature. For example, when choosing RGB for colour options, if you twist it around, it moves around the color wheel. By clicking down, you’ll see it change the type of colour wheel. Or, if you select a brush type (you may be on a brush size that you can spin to shrink or enlarge as you draw), you can press down on your Dial to turn the angle of your brush or change the opacity, among other features.
Having had a quick play with the Surface Dial, it makes the Surface Studio amazing to work with. It was tough to figure out at first, because it has so many options, but both watching a Microsoft PR with it, and then having a play ourselves, things started to make sense. You can zoom in to something, change colours and the size of the brush within seconds. Master it and it will be sure to speed up your workflow.
Microsoft Surface Book i7 (2016) vs Surface Book (2015) vs Surface Pro 4: What’s the difference?
Microsoft announced a couple of new devices to its mobile computing portfolio in 2015 with the launch of the Surface Pro 4 and the Surface Book. One year on and a new device has joined the party in the form of the Surface Book with Performance Base, on sale from the middle of November.
The Surface Pro 4 is a tablet with the potential for a keyboard attachment while the Surface Books are laptops with detachable keyboards. Despite sounding like similar devices taking different angles, they aren’t, and they will appeal to different people.
To help you work out which one might be the right one for you, here is how the new Microsoft Surface Book with Performance Base, or Surface Book i7, compares to last year’s Surface Book and the Surface Pro 4.
- Microsoft Surface Book with Performance Base preview
Microsoft Surface Book (2016) vs Surface Book (2015) vs Surface Pro 4: Design
- Surface Pro 4 is significantly lighter than Surface Books
- Surface Books offer fully-fledged keyboard
- Surface Pro 4 about portability, Surface Books about power
The Surface Pro 4 features a magnesium case, measures 292.1 x 201.4 x 8.5mm and weighs either 766g or 786g, depending on the configuration. Microsoft claims it is the perfect balance of size and power for working on the go.
The Surface Books also feature a magnesium case, but rather than being primarily displays with the option of attaching a keyboard, they are laptops that offer the convenience of detaching the displays should you wish to. Microsoft describes them as the laptop to handle any task.
The 2015 model of the Surface Book as a laptop measures 312.3 x 232.1mm with a thickness of 13mm to 22.8mm and it weighs either 1516g or 1576g, depending on the configuration, making it over double the weight of the Surface Pro 4. The 2016 model offers exactly the same measurements as the 2015 model, but the Performance Base element means it is heavier, starting at 1647g.
Both the Surface Books feature something called a Dynamic Fulcrum Hinge, which keeps them balanced at any angle, while the Surface Pro 4 is more about portability. The Surface Pro 4 features a built-in stand so it can prop itself up and a Type Cover can be bought separately providing users with an ultra-thin keyboard with back-lit keys and a large 5-point sensitivity trackpad, but it isn’t laptop standard.
Both Surface Books on the other hand, feature fully-fledged keyboards that Microsoft describes as “quiet, stable and comfortable”. It says this offers best-in-class keystroke. They also feature a trackpad with 10-points of sensitivity.
- Microsoft Surface Pro 4 review
Microsoft Surface Book (2016) vs Surface Book (2015) vs Surface Pro 4: Display
- Surface Pro 4 has a slightly smaller screen than Surface Books
- Same display technology and pixel density across all models
- Surface Pen included with all models
The Microsoft Surface Pro 4 has a PixelSense display that the company claims was made to be viewed, touched and written on. It measures 12.3-inches and it features a 2736 x 1824 resolution, which equates to 5 million pixels and a pixel density of 267ppi.
The Surface Books have larger displays than the Surface Pro 4 with 13.5-inch screens featuring 3000 x 2000 pixel resolutions for the same pixel density of 267ppi. The Surface Books are in a 3:2 aspect ratio and use Microsoft’s PixelSense display technology too so again, they have been made for viewing, touching and writing on.
Ultimately, the display experience of the Surface Pro 4 and the Surface Books will be the same, aside from a little extra space on the Surface Books.
The Surface Pen that comes with the Surface Pro 4 and the Surface Books has 1024 levels of pressure senstivity, along with an eraser on the other end, allowing users to write and erase on the screens as they would with a traditional pencil. It is attached to the devices magnetically and it offers a full year of use with its battery.
- Microsoft Surface Book (2015) review
Microsoft Surface Book (2016) vs Surface Book (2015) vs Surface Pro 4: Hardware and power
- Surface Pro 4 has five configuration options as standard, with Intel m3, i5 and i7 models
- Surface Book (2015) has seven configuration options with option to upgrade GPU
- Surface Book Performance Base has three configuration options, all of which use i7
- Surface Book Performance Base has almost double battery life of Surface Pro 4
The base model of the Surface Pro 4 features the Intel Core m3 processor with Intel HD graphics 515, 128GB SSD and 4GB of RAM. The top end model has the Intel Core i7 chip, Intel Iris graphics, 256GB SSD and 16GB of RAM. There are five configurations available as standard but it’s also possible to customise to suit you.
The base model of the 2015 Surface Book has the Intel Core i5 processor, Intel HD graphics, 128GB SSD and 8GB of RAM, while the top model has the Intel Core i7, Nvidia GeForce graphics, 1TB SSD and 16GB of RAM. There are seven configurations available as standard due to the option of upgrading the GPU.
The base model of the 2016 Surface Book Performance Base features the Intel Core i7 processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M 2GB GDDR5 memory, 256GB SSD and 8GB of RAM. There are only three configurations available for this device, with the top model offering the same processor and graphics, but offering double the RAM at 16GB and 1TB SSD.
The Surface Books are aimed at all out power users, with the ability to run professional-grade software such as Adobe Creative Cloud and AutoCAD. The Surface Pro 4 on the other hand, will run professional grade apps, but 3D modelling with AutoCAD is restricted to the i7 model, for example.
In terms of battery life, the Surface Pro 4 is claimed to offer 9 hours. The 2015 Surface Book bumps this up to 12 hours and the Surface Book with Performance Base offers 16 hours.
- Microsoft Surface Book 2016 goes super-powerful, increases battery life, amps graphics
Microsoft Surface Book (2016) vs Surface Book (2015) vs Surface Pro 4: Connections and ports
- All models have USB 3.0
- Surface Pro 4 has microSD slot, while Surface Books have full-size SD card slot
- All models run Windows 10 Pro
The Microsoft Surface Pro 4 and the Surface Books all feature USB 3.0, but the Surface Books have two ports while the Surface Pro 4 only has the one. The Surface Books also offer a full-size SD card reader, while the Surface Pro 4 only features a microSD card reader.
All three have a Mini DisplayPort, headphone jack and a power connector though. They also all run on Windows 10 Pro and offer a 30-day Office 365 30-day trial.
Microsoft Surface Book (2016) vs Surface Book (2015) vs Surface Pro 4: Price
- Surface Pro 4 cheapest starting price
- Surface Book Performance Base most expensive, as you’d expect
The Microsoft Surface Pro 4 starts at £749 for the base model we mentioned previously, increasing to £2199 for the top-specced model.
The Microsoft Surface Book 2015 model starts at £1045 for the base model, increasing to £2649 for the top-specced model.
The Microsoft Surface Book Performance Base will start at $2399 for the base model and it will be available mid-November.
- Microsoft Surface Pro 4 review
- Microsoft Surface Book (2015) review
- Microsoft Surface Book Performance Base review
The army may have laser-equipped vehicles by 2017
The army, in partnership with General Dynamics, is developing a short-range laser weapon designed to protect soldiers against mortars, missiles and drones. The news was broken by Scout Warrior, which reports that the weapon could be implemented in as little as a year. The idea is that the technology would be installed on the roof of an armored personnel vehicle — specifically a General Dynamics Stryker (pictured). Once operational, the technology will scan the immediate area and destroy anything suspicious that approaches by air.
General Dynamics is reportedly already working on boosting the laser’s power, increasing it from the existing two kilowatts all the way up to five. In addition, the device is designed to operate with its own radar so that it should (theoretically) remain functional should the vehicle’s on-board systems go down. GD is also looking at giving the system its own jamming system that could disable hostile UAVs without firing a shot. According to General Dynamics’ Tim Reese, the lasers melt or destroy components of whatever it attacks, and in tests, took out 21 out of 23 enemy drones.
The army is also looking for ways in which to deploy laser weapons at forward operating bases in combat zones. The same principle would apply, with the devices burning or melting weapons and drones that are designed to harm personnel stationed within. We’ve already seen how the army uses automated sense and warn systems to alert soldiers of incoming weapons fire at places like Camp Bastion. It’s logical that the next step would be a robotic response that can wipe out threats before they can do any harm.
Source: Scout Warrior
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