In this week’s Tech Roundup we cover the high speed ‘Hyperloop’ transport system, the exciting Ubuntu Edge smartphone and the announcement of the online Grand Theft Auto game.

CUTTING EDGE: Elon Musk Proposes ‘The Hyperloop’

The entrepreneur Elon Musk; founder of PayPal, Tesla and Space X has proposed a new high speed transport system dubbed ‘The Hyperloop’. If successful, it has the potential to reach speeds of 800mph and make a trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles last only 30 minutes! The design outlines a low pressure tube and travel capsule to run inside this reduced air environment. This in turn is suspended on a thin bed of air, thereby reducing friction even further. Potentially The Hyperloop could handle 850 passengers per hour and would be an absolute marvel in transportation technology. There are obviously a number of practical ‘road bumps’ to get around first but considering Elon Musk oversaw the construction of the first private sector space vehicle, I remain hopeful that The Hyperloop could well become a reality.

APPLE: Rumour Of Apple Television Product For This November

Former TechCrunch reporter MG Siegler recently announced the possibility that Apple could release a television-related product in November this year. While not likely to be an actual television set; we could see a product with an innovative control technology. Some rumours have suggested that this device could be operated by Siri but Siegler feels Apple will push things one stage further, potentially overhauling the way we interact with our devices yet again. In April, there was talk of an ‘iRing’ device allowing the user to control their TV with a simple point of the finger but this has not been confirmed. Whatever this product could be, it will be there to accompany the Apple set-top box which already offers streaming content from iTunes and Netflix but is long overdue for a feature update. Let’s just wait to see what Apple has up its sleeve.

ANDROID: Goodbye Google Messenger, Hello Hangouts

If you’re an Android user and recently wondered where your beloved Google Messenger app has gone, fret not, it’s now been fully replaced by Google Hangouts. This brings it more in line with Google+, supporting pictures, emoji and even video chat. The interface is simple and intuitive, showing all of your G+ circles complete with avatars. You might also find a new G+ Photos app on your phone; this seems to have come along with the update but only really links to your Google+ gallery. Personally, I think most will just access their photos through the dedicated Google+ app but overall I feel Hangouts is a welcome change. Give it a try; you may not miss Messenger as much as you thought…

GADGETS: The Ubuntu Edge Smartphone

The creators of the Linux operating system Ubuntu are releasing a smartphone dubbed the ‘Ubuntu Edge’. This dual-boot phone will be capable of running both an Android and custom Ubuntu operating system meaning you can connect it to a monitor and run it as your PC! The project is currently receiving funding on Indiegogo but is rather short of its optimistic £32 million goal, however if fully realised, the Ubuntu Edge represents a huge leap forward in mobile computing. The specs look pretty good too, with the Edge sporting a multi-core CPU, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of on-board storage. The creators have also made switching between the Android and Ubuntu OS relatively easy and hassle-free, plus this seamless integration allows you to answer calls or texts from your desktop. This is a very exciting product for developers and technology enthusiasts alike but even if you don’t feel you fit into these categories, the Ubuntu Edge could potentially transform the way you use your phone forever.

GAMING: Rockstar Announce Grand Theft Auto Online

To accompany the release of Grand Theft Auto V this September 17th, Rockstar have revealed a new multi-player component coined ‘Grand Theft Auto Online.’ This won’t be available until a couple of weeks after the release of GTA V but will be music to the ears to of many gamers. The new feature will allow for up to 16 people to play collaboratively online and is intended to be separate from the central story of the new GTA. You can play on your own or join with your friends to take down opposing factions or just cause general carnage! This is one you open-world gamers have been waiting for and will be free to play for those who purchase GTA V. Rockstar reinforced that this online game will become its own entity so perhaps we could see a fully-fledged Grand Theft Auto massive multiplayer online offering in the future? That would be something.

James is a freelance technology and science writer from Bucks.

His interests range from gadgets and apps to movies and gaming, really anything geeky!

Visit his website www.i-am-geek.net for the latest news and reviews.