Consumer
Robotic Insects Make First Controlled Flight
May 3, 2013 9:32 am | by Harvard University | News | CommentsIn the very early hours of the morning, in a Harvard robotics laboratory last summer, an insect took flight. Half the size of a paperclip, weighing less than a tenth of a gram, it leapt a few inches, hovered for a moment on fragile, flapping wings, and then sped along a preset route through the air.
Dual-Color Lasers Could Lead to Cheap and Efficient LED Lighting
May 3, 2013 9:24 am | by Institute of Physics | News | CommentsA new semiconductor device capable of emitting two distinct colours has been created by a group of researchers in the U.S., potentially opening up the possibility of using light emitting diodes (LEDs) universally for cheap and efficient lighting.
Sore Thumbs? U.S. Text Messaging Declines
May 3, 2013 9:19 am | by PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsNow, many phone companies give text messaging away for free as part of a plan that mainly meters the amount of data used. That has helped stave off mass migration to Internet chat applications and Facebook messaging in the U.S., making the decline somewhat surprising...
Intel Taps COO Krzanich as Chipmaker's Next CEO
May 3, 2013 9:17 am | by PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsIntel, one of the pillars of Silicon Valley, is following its traditions and promoting an insider to the job of CEO. The world's largest chipmaker is tasking Chief Operating Officer Brian Krzanich with steering it through an industry shake-up that is seeing tablets...
B&N to Add Google Play App Store to its Nook HD
May 3, 2013 9:13 am | by MAE ANDERSON, AP Retail Writer | News | CommentsThe bookstore chain says it will add Google's Play app store to its 7-inch Nook HD and 9-inch HD+ products in the U.S. and U.K. via a software update Friday. The move expands the number of apps available from the roughly 10,000 the Nook already offered in its own store ...
Bringing NFC to the Masses through Efficiency and Simplicity
May 2, 2013 11:26 am | by Neeraj Bhatia, product manager, Qualcomm Atheros | Articles | CommentsIt’s no secret that Near Field Communication (NFC) is becoming a key feature in today’s flagship mobile devices. This year the industry has already seen the high-profile Samsung Galaxy S4, HTC One, and BlackBerry Z10 launches incorporate NFC technology. According to ABI Research, nearly 2 billion NFC-enabled devices...
Printable 'Bionic' Ear Melds Electronics and Biology
May 2, 2013 11:21 am | by Princeton University, Engineering School | News | CommentsThe researchers' primary purpose was to explore an efficient and versatile means to merge electronics with tissue. The scientists used 3D printing of cells and nanoparticles followed by cell culture to combine a small coil antenna with cartilage, creating what they term a bionic ear.
Gentle Touch and the Bionic Eye
May 2, 2013 11:10 am | by Inderscience Publishers | News | CommentsNormal vision is essentially a spatial sense that often relies upon touch and movement during and after development, there is often a correlation between how an object looks and how it feels. Moreover, as a child's senses develop, there is cross-referencing between the various senses.
Tablets with Windows RT See Slow Sales, IDC Says
May 2, 2013 11:07 am | by PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsResearchers at IDC said manufacturers shipped 200,000 tablets running Windows RT, the special version of Windows for iPad-style tablets, in the January to March period. That's down from about 900,000 shipped in the fourth quarter. Researchers at IDC said manufacturers shipped 200,000 tablets running Windows RT...
Police, Politicians Push Surveillance Post-Boston
May 2, 2013 11:02 am | by TAMI ABDOLLAH, Associated Press | News | CommentsPolice and politicians across the U.S. are pointing to the example of surveillance video that was used to help identify the Boston Marathon bombing suspects as a reason to get more electronic eyes on their streets.From Los Angeles to Philadelphia, efforts include trying to gain police access to cameras used to monitor traffic...
Physical by Smartphone Becoming Real Possibility
May 2, 2013 10:58 am | by LAURAN NEERGAARD, AP Medical Writer | News | CommentsIt's not a "Star Trek" tricorder, but by hooking a variety of gadgets onto a smartphone you could almost get a complete physical — without the paper gown or even a visit to the doctor's office. Blood pressure? Just plug the arm cuff into the phone for a quick reading.
Engineering Newswire 36: Electric Car Charge Time Cut in Half
May 2, 2013 10:50 am | by Eric Sorensen, Coordinator of Multimedia Development | Videos | CommentsToday on Engineering Newswire, brought to you by Interpower, the premier supplier of power system components for worldwide markets, we’re bending cellphones, electrifying motorcycles, cutting electric vehicle charge time in half, and riding a screw-propelled snowboard. This week's episode features...
Autosplice Introduces New Antenna Contact Technology
May 2, 2013 9:43 am | by WDD Staff | Product Releases | CommentsAutosplice has introduced a new series of compact surface mount contacts for antenna applications in mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. The new single-piece contact designs are suited for Near Field Communications (NFC) Antenna requirements...
Sony Execs to Give up Bonuses
May 1, 2013 10:34 am | by Associated Press | News | CommentsAround 40 executives of Sony Corp. and its group companies in charge of the mainstay electronics business have decided to give up their bonuses for fiscal 2012 ending March, taking responsibility for poor business performance, company officials said Wednesday.
Carnegie Mellon Develops Zooming Technique for Entering Text into Smartwatches
May 1, 2013 10:25 am | by Carnegie Mellon University | News | CommentsTechnology blogs have been abuzz that smartwatches may soon be on their way from companies such as Apple, Google, Samsung, and Microsoft. But as capable as these ultra-small computers may be, how will users enter an address, a name, or a search term into them?
Talking Tissue Boxes and Other Smart Objects
May 1, 2013 9:59 am | by Penn State | News | CommentsAs sensors and computers increasingly become smaller and cheaper, smart objects will appear in more homes and offices and not be hidden or shielded from interacting with people, according to the researchers. For example, smart refrigerators could talk or send tweets to signal...
Mozilla: UK Spyware Company Hijacking Our Brand
May 1, 2013 9:59 am | by RAPHAEL SATTER, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Mozilla Foundation — responsible for the Firefox browser — said late Tuesday that Gamma International Ltd. was passing off its FinFisher spy software as a Firefox product to avoid detection. Mozilla described the tactic as abusive...
Apple Sells $17B in Bonds in Record Deal
May 1, 2013 9:58 am | by Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Cupertino, Calif., company sold the bonds in its first debt issue since the 1990s to raise money to pass along to shareholders through dividend payments and stock buybacks. The payments are part of an effort to reverse a 37 percent drop in Apple's stock price...
Coursera to Offer New MOOC Options for Teachers
May 1, 2013 9:57 am | by JUSTIN POPE, AP Education Writer | News | CommentsCoursera, the California-based for-profit platform for MOOCs from 62 leading universities such as Stanford, Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania, planned to announce Wednesday a new range of partners that include education schools and...
T-Mobile USA Completes MetroPCS Acquisition
May 1, 2013 9:56 am | by Associated Press | News | CommentsNo immediate changes are expected for customers of either company. However, T-Mobile plans to shut down MetroPCS's network over two years, which means MetroPCS phones will eventually stop working. T-Mobile will use the space freed up on the airwaves to boost its own coverage and data speeds.
If Cars Could Talk, Accidents Might Be Avoidable
April 30, 2013 11:11 am | by TED Talk, Jennifer Healey | Videos | CommentsWhen we drive, we get into a glass bubble, lock the doors and press the accelerator, relying on our eyes to guide us -- even though we can only see the few cars ahead of and behind us. But what if cars could share data with each other about their position and velocity ...
The Laptop of the 1920s
April 30, 2013 11:01 am | by Tammy Real-McKeighan, Fremont Tribune | News | CommentsJean Meenen might have had the closest thing to a laptop that was available in the 1920s.Actually, it wouldn't have fit on her lap. Meenen was only about 5 years old when she got a Chautauqua Industrial Art Desk. The Fremont Tribune reports the turn-of-the-century tool looks like a wooden briefcase.
Internet-Based Program Effective in Reducing Stress
April 30, 2013 10:44 am | by Cleveland Clinic | News | CommentsOnline stress management programs aim to increase accessibility for individuals affected by chronic stress at a lesser cost than traditional methods. Data suggests that stress reduction using ISM is comparable to face-to-face stress management.
‘Internet of Things’ — An Opportunity For Intelligent Device Manufacturers
April 30, 2013 10:36 am | by Steve Schmidt, Vice President of Corporate Development & Strategy, Flexera Software | Blogs | CommentsThe “Internet of Things” is a phrase used to describe how the internet will link traditional smart devices, and a wide range of additional physical assets to allow these endpoints to generate and share data. Nearly every product will have an IP address and communication capability...
Google Invades Siri's Turf with iPhone, iPad App
April 30, 2013 10:25 am | by MICHAEL LIEDTKE, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsSiri may be feeling a little job insecurity. The sometimes droll assistant that answers questions and helps people manage their lives on Apple's iPhone and iPad is facing competition from an up-and-coming rival made by Google. The duel began Monday with the release of a free...
