Consumer
Quantum Tricks Drive Magnetic Switching into the Fast Lane
April 4, 2013 10:22 am | by Ames Laboratory | News | CommentsResearchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory, Iowa State University, and the University of Crete in Greece have found a new way to switch magnetism that is at least 1,000 times faster than currently used in magnetic memory technologies. Magnetic switching is used to encode information in hard drives ...
Analyst: 60" Apple iTV to Launch this Year
April 4, 2013 9:37 am | by PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsIt's no secret that Apple wants to get into the living room by making its own TV set, and there have been plenty of rumors and reports about how and when it's going to happen. Now, an analyst says he's learned that the set will go on sale late this year, for $1,500 to $2,500.
Review: Google Laptop Impressive, but Not for All
April 4, 2013 9:36 am | by ANICK JESDANUN, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsGoogle's first high-end laptop, the Chromebook Pixel, is an impressive machine. It feels light and comfortable in my hands and on my lap. Its high-resolution display makes photos look sharp and video come to life. From a hardware standpoint, it's everything I'd want a laptop to be.
Eyes on Facebook Mobile Event as Company Evolves
April 4, 2013 9:33 am | by BARBARA ORTUTAY, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsAdvertisers are not far behind. Though mobile ads have been a big concern for Facebook's investors since before the company's initial public offering last May, some of that worry has subsided as Facebook began muscling its way into the market.
Stanford’s Visions for the Future of Driving
April 3, 2013 9:47 am | by Bjorn Carey | Stanford Report | News | CommentsThese were a few of the concepts presented by 65 groups of students at the first Big Idea Festival for Automotive Interfaces, an event that showcased technologies dreamed up by the 140 students in communication Professor Clifford Nass' course Computers and Interfaces.
Goldman Takes Apple Stock off 'Preferred' List
April 3, 2013 9:43 am | by PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsGoldman analyst Bill Shope said the iPhone 5, introduced last fall, hasn't sold as well as he expected. He said the company now needs some real hits among the products it rolls out during the second half of the year in order to boost the stock price.
Verizon Denies Talk of Bid with AT&T for Vodafone
April 3, 2013 9:25 am | by PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsVerizon Communications Inc. has denied a report that it's looking to partner with AT&T Inc. to buy Vodafone Group PLC, the British cellphone company that owns 45 percent of Verizon's wireless business. Verizon owns the 55 percent of Verizon Wireless that Vodafone doesn't own and has been openly interested...
Report: Apple to Release Updated Phone this Summer
April 3, 2013 9:22 am | by Associated Press | News | CommentsThe report is in line with the expectations of company watchers and Wall Street analysts. The iPhone 5 costs around $600, and while Apple maintains older iPhones in production, even those aren't cheap enough to compete effectively against low-end smartphones running Google Inc.'s Android software.
Samsung Galaxy S4 has Form over Function Issues
April 2, 2013 3:20 pm | by SRV Network | News | CommentsSamsung recently held the launch for its newest smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S4, which will be released nationwide in the coming months. With a host of actors and an elaborate show depicting the new features, many are still signaling the initial media launch as a flop.
SecurityCoverage Launches the Ultimate Mobile Accessory
April 2, 2013 2:10 pm | by SecurityCoverage | News | CommentsResponding to consumer demand for device security and data protection, SecurityCoverage has introduced a series of new products that bundles apps and support to create the Ultimate Mobile Accessory.The new products feature apps that secure user smartphones and tablets, protect critical user data, backup contacts and files...
The Evolution of M2M: The Other Mobile Marketplace
April 2, 2013 1:54 pm | by Jennifer Kent, Research Analyst, Parks Associates | Articles | CommentsAmidst the much-discussed love affair between consumers and their mobile devices, another relationship is blooming in the mobile sector. Device manufacturers from nearly every vertical industry are increasingly offering devices and products equipped with mobile connectivity, transforming “dumb” devices into “smart” ones.
Apple Apologizes in China after Service Criticism
April 2, 2013 9:04 am | by CHRISTOPHER BODEEN, Associated Press | News | CommentsA statement Apple posted in Chinese on its website Monday said the complaints had prompted "deep reflection" and persuaded the company of the need to revamp its repair policies, boost communication with Chinese consumers and strengthen oversight of authorized resellers.
Lawsuit over Verizon Pensions Goes Class Action
April 2, 2013 9:01 am | by Associated Press | News | CommentsIn December, New York-based Verizon transferred the obligation to pay pensions for 41,000 retirees to Prudential, along with $7.5 billion in funds. The Association of BellTel Retirees tried to stop the deal, on the grounds that it would weaken the legal protections for retirees.
April Fools: YouTube Shut down, Google Adds Smells
April 2, 2013 9:00 am | by JAKE COYLE, AP Entertainment Writer | News | CommentsThe digital world celebrated April Fools' Day with the rollout of mock innovations and parody makeovers. Many of the top online destinations spent Monday mocking themselves and, in Google's case, playfully trying to lure users into pressing their noses against their computer screens.
Looking Forward on Ethernet's 40th Anniversary
April 2, 2013 8:31 am | by John D’Ambrosia, Chairman and Board of Directors, Ethernet Alliance Chief Ethernet Evangelist, CTO Office, Dell | Blogs | CommentsEthernet this year is celebrating its 40th anniversary, and anniversaries are typically the time to celebrate the past. But with so much innovation and development percolating across the global Ethernet ecosystem, there is little time for the technology’s vast array of stakeholders to look back on its successes.
HotSpot Episode 6: Phantom Quadcopter
April 1, 2013 11:01 am | by Eric Sorensen, Coordinator of Multimedia Development | Videos | CommentsThis week on Wdd’s HotSpot, DJI’s new GPS equipped Phantom makes one nifty little radio-controlled aircraft; digital music performer, Omni Infinity, creates a guitar-shaped prototype that houses a smartphone for wireless touchscreen control of music and art software on a remote computer...
Virtual Reality, Goggles and All, Attempts Return
April 1, 2013 10:08 am | by DERRIK J. LANG, AP Entertainment Writer | News | CommentsThe virtual reality headset, the gizmo that was supposed to seamlessly transport wearers to three-dimensional virtual worlds, has made a remarkable return at this year's Game Developers Conference, an annual gathering of video game makers in San Francisco.
Apple Patents iPhone with Wraparound Display
April 1, 2013 9:55 am | by PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsThe patent application reveals that Apple has put some thought into a device that takes advantage of a new generation of displays, which don't have to be flat and rigid like today's liquid-crystal displays, or LCDs. At a trade show in January, chief competitor Samsung Electronics Co ...
End of the Line for Roadrunner Supercomputer
April 1, 2013 9:53 am | by SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe reason? The world of supercomputing is evolving and Roadrunner has been replaced with something smaller, faster, more energy efficient and cheaper. Still, officials at Los Alamos National Laboratory say it's among the 25 fastest supercomputers in the world.
Dell Opens Window on Efforts to Sell Company
April 1, 2013 9:34 am | by MICHAEL LIEDTKE, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsDell 's financial advisers tried to persuade 71 potential bidders to make an offer for the troubled personal computer maker before two of them emerged to challenge a proposed $24.4 billion deal with the company's founder, according to documents filed Friday.
Tech Firms Bumping Up Perks to Recruit, Retain
April 1, 2013 9:31 am | by MARTHA MENDOZA, AP National Writer | News | CommentsApple's ring-shaped, gleaming "Spaceship Headquarters" will include a world class auditorium and an orchard for engineers to wander. Google's new Bay View campus will feature walkways angled to force accidental encounters. Facebook, while putting final touches on a Disney-inspired campus including a Main Street with a B-B-Q shack...
Researchers Unveil Large Robotic Jellyfish
March 29, 2013 11:30 am | by Virginia Tech | News | CommentsThe prototype robot, nicknamed Cyro, is a larger model of a robotic jellyfish the same team – headed by Shashank Priya of Blacksburg, Va., and professor of mechanical engineering at Virginia Tech – unveiled in 2012. The earlier robot, dubbed RoboJelly, is roughly the size of a man's hand, and typical of jellyfish found along beaches.
Swarming Robots Could Be the Servants of the Future
March 29, 2013 11:20 am | by University of Sheffield | News | CommentsResearchers in the Sheffield Centre for Robotics, jointly established by the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University, have been working to program a group of 40 robots, and say the ability to control robot swarms could prove hugely beneficial in a range of contexts, from military to medical.
Engineering Update #7: Self-Healing, Laser-Resistant Chips
March 29, 2013 11:09 am | by Eric Sorensen, Coordinator of Multimedia Development | Videos | CommentsIn this episode of Engineering Update, brought to you by Mouser Electronics, we're talking about self-healing, laser resistant chips, New York City's new interactive, touchscreen subway maps, and BMW and Continental's new project into developing "co-pilot" driving technology.
Sensory Helmet Could Mean Firefighters are Not Left in the Dark
March 29, 2013 11:01 am | by University of Sheffield | News | CommentsThe helmet is fitted with a number of ultrasound sensors that are used to detect the distances between the helmet and nearby walls or other obstacles. These signals are transmitted to vibration pads that are attached to the inside of the helmet, touching the wearer's forehead.
