Apple tablet, Windows 7, Nokia mini laptop, 3D printers and future mobiles
Photos of the month - August 2009
August saw this futuristic-looking machine, the ULTra personal rapid transit (PRT) vehicle, on display at London's Science Museum.
The driverless ULTra will take passengers to Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 from next year.
Click here to take a look at the ULTra.
Photo credit: Tim Ferguson/silicon.com
silicon.com also delved into the weird and wonderful world of future mobiles last month, such as this Nokia Morph concept phone.
The phone can change shape depending on the need, and is able to fold down from a slender tablet into a traditional candybar or a bangle-style wristwatch.
Discover phones that bend like origami card or look like a sheet of stained glass here.
Image credit: CBS Interactive/Nokia
Last month saw silicon.com get to grips with a printer that takes printing to the next dimension.
This 3D printer is able to create a variety of solid, three-dimensional objects, ranging from prosthetic limbs to miniature chess sets.
The machine relies on a process called laser sintering, seen here, which sees it use a laser to fuse layer upon layer of metal or plastic powder until it builds a complete object.
This printer was on display at the Science Museum in London last month and you can see more pictures of the machine and its creations here.
Photo credit: Electro Optical Systems
With Apple's latest operating system, Snow Leopard, unveiled last month, silicon.com featured a picture walkthrough of the OS' new features.
This picture shows off the revamped Stacks feature, which allows users to scroll through their applications and documents without being sent to the Finder.
See more of the OS here.
Photo credit: Jason Parker/CNET
With rumours of a Mac tablet spreading like wildfire, silicon.com's sister site CNET News.com mocked up what the finished product might look like.
Shown here is how the device might look running a touch-friendly full version of OS X.
Get your hands on more Apple tablet imaginings.
Photo credit: Dan Ackerman/CNET
August was also the month that Microsoft released its new Zune HD media player.
The device is able to surf the web, play high definition movies, and tune in to digital radio. Shown here is the Zune's browser displaying a list of bookmarks.
Explore more of the Zune HD's features here.
Photo credit: Donald Bell/CNET
silicon.com had a sneak preview of one of the world's largest collections of Enigma cipher machines last month - known for being used by the Germans to protect their communications during the Second World War.
The German navy developed this four rotor M4 Enigma machine in 1942 and its codes were not cracked by UK codebreakers until late 1943.
You can see more of the collection, which will go on display at Bletchley Park on the weekend of 5 and 6 of September, here.
Photo credit: Bletchley Park
Nokia chose last month to reveal its first netbook, the Booklet 3G.
The device, seen here, offers a range of wireless connectivity options including HSDPA, wi-fi and Bluetooth.
See more pictures of the Booklet 3G here.
Photo credit: Nokia
August also saw university researchers reveal robotic fish that are able to mimic the movements a real tuna makes when swimming.
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology created the fish to perform tasks such as monitoring oil and gas pipelines and keeping track of underwater pollution levels.
Dive deeper into more robotic fish pictures here.
Photo credit: MIT
August saw technologies such as smart prosthetics, 3D computer chips and a new type of landmine detector recognised in the R&D 100 Awards.
The awards, given out annually by R&D Magazine, showcase work developed by industrial enterprises, government labs and universities from around the globe.
This 3D semiconductor generates little waste heat and so can be packed tightly together to make more powerful chips than today's 2D semiconductors.
See more technologies of the future here.
Photo credit: R&D Magazine
With the retail release of Windows 7 not far away, silicon.com featured a walkthrough of the final version of the Microsoft OS.
This screen shows how the OS can be customised, with Windows 7 allowing users to turn off nearly every new feature if they choose.
Image credit: Seth Rosenblatt/CNET
Here's the second part of the jam-packed Windows 7 walkthrough.
This shot shows off the OS' wi-fi management, which now includes wi-fi virtualisation for turning a built-in wi-fi card into a virtual router for other devices and computers.
Photo credit: Seth Rosenblatt/CNET
Carrying the torch for Tokyo's bid to host the Olympic Games in 2016 is this 18-metre Gundam robot.
The robot, on show last month, proved to be popular with tourists and attracted more than one million visitors in three weeks.
See more of the Gundam robot here.
Photo credit: C SOTSU, SUNRISE and Photo Kishimoto
The dry-as-dust subject of IT security was given a spark of Hollywood glamour by Barclays last month.
The bank made a short IT security information film that parodied big screen blockbusters such as Bridget Jones's Diary and A Time to Kill.
The campaign was a hit with workers, with staff requesting copies of the film on a daily basis and a tenfold increase in staff reporting security issues since the film's release.
Settle down for more silver screen-themed security here.