Industry News
Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day
February 19, 2013 1:07 pm | by Polygon Solutions Inc. | News | CommentsOn February 21, 2013, women engineers, along with their male counterparts, will engage and mentor as many as one million girls around the country during National Engineers Week Foundation’s 12th Annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day.
EnergyUnited Electric Membership Corporation chooses MeterSense
February 19, 2013 9:33 am | by EnergyUnited Electric Membership Corporation; Harris Utilities | News | CommentsEnergyUnited Electric Membership Corporation has chosen MeterSense, the meter data management (MDM) solution from Harris Utilities, to enhance operational efficiencies, analyze smart grid data and improve customer service.
Facebook Gets Unwelcome Look at Hackers' Dark Side
February 19, 2013 8:58 am | by MICHAEL LIEDTKE, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsFacebook is getting an unwelcome look at the shady side of the hacking culture that CEO Mark Zuckerberg celebrates. Intruders recently infiltrated the systems running the world's largest online social network but did not steal any sensitive information about Facebook's more than 1 billion users, according to a blog posting Friday by the company's security team.
LG to Release Full HD Smartphone in SKorea
February 19, 2013 8:57 am | by YOUKYUNG LEE, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsLG Electronics Inc. said Monday its new smartphone with a full high-definition screen will go on sale in South Korea this week before hitting shelves in Japan in April. The Optimus G Pro smartphone features a 5.5-inch screen that packs over 2 million pixels, or twice as many as smartphones with HD screens.
Microsoft's Outlook Takes Aim at Google's Gmail
February 19, 2013 8:56 am | by MICHAEL LIEDTKE, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsMicrosoft is so confident it has the Internet's best email service that it is about to spend at least $30 million to send its message across the U.S. The barrage begins Tuesday when Microsoft's twist on email, Outlook.com, escalates an assault on rival services from Google Inc., Yahoo Inc., AOL Inc. and a long list of Internet service providers.
U.S. Security Firm Alleges Massive Chinese Hacking
February 19, 2013 8:54 am | by CHRISTOPHER BODEEN, Associated Press | News | CommentsCyberattacks that stole massive amounts of information from military contractors, energy companies and other key industries in the U.S. and elsewhere have been traced to the doorstep of a Chinese military unit, a U.S. security firm alleged Tuesday.
A Cooler Way to Protect Silicon Surfaces
February 15, 2013 9:23 am | by David L. Chandler, MIT News Office | News | CommentsSilicon, the material of high-tech devices from computer chips to solar cells, requires a surface coating before use in these applications. The coating “passivates” the material, tying up loose atomic bonds to prevent oxidation that would ruin its electrical properties.
Quantum Cryptography put to Work for Electric Grid Security
February 15, 2013 9:07 am | by Los Alamos National Laboratory | News | CommentsRecently a Los Alamos National Laboratory quantum cryptography (QC) team successfully completed the first-ever demonstration of securing control data for electric grids using quantum cryptography. The demonstration was performed in the electric grid test bed that is part of the Trustworthy Cyber Infrastructure for the Power Grid (TCIPG) project.
Researchers Invent “Acoustic-Assisted” Magnetic Information Storage
February 15, 2013 8:47 am | by Oregon State University | News | CommentsElectrical engineers at Oregon State University have discovered a way to use high- frequency sound waves to enhance the magnetic storage of data, offering a new approach to improve the data storage capabilities of a multitude of electronic devices around the world.
Kinect Teleport for Remote Medicine
February 14, 2013 11:56 am | by Inderscience Publishers | News | CommentsThe Microsoft Kinect game controller could cut the US healthcare bill by up to $30 billion by allowing physicians and other medics to interact with patients remotely so reducing the number of hospital visits and the associated risk of infection.
Vortex Pinning could Lead to Superconducting Breakthroughs
February 14, 2013 11:48 am | by Louise Lerner | News | CommentsA team of researchers from Russia, Spain, Belgium, the U.K. and the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory announced findings last week that may represent a breakthrough in applications of superconductivity.
A New System Improves the Precision of GPS
February 14, 2013 10:31 am | by Universidad Carlos III de Madrid | News | CommentsResearchers at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) have developed a new system which improves the ability of a GPS to determine a vehicle’s position as compared to that of conventional GPS devices by up to 90 percent, and which can be installed in any vehicle at a very low cost.
Brazil: Local Company has Patent on iPhone Brand
February 14, 2013 10:05 am | by JULIANA BARBASSA, Associated Press | News | CommentsBrazil's patent authority has taken a bite out of Apple with an announcement Wednesday that the iPhone name in Brazil belongs to a local company called Gradiente SA, not to the global computer giant. The official publication of the verdict doesn't forbid Apple from using the name in Brazil.
Wall Street: Comcast Got a Steal on NBCUniversal
February 14, 2013 9:59 am | by PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsIs General Electric letting Comcast gobble up the NBCUniversal media empire at a bargain price? Wall Street thinks so. "The Comcast folks feel like they got a steal," said analyst Daniel Holland at Morningstar. Matthew Harrigan at Wunderlich Securities said GE "mispriced" the $16.7 billion deal.
Tech Data & Brocade Initiative’s Partnership Focuses on Recruiting, Educating, & Enabling Resellers
February 13, 2013 5:46 pm | by Tech Data Corporation; Brocade | News | CommentsExpanding its advanced technical support capabilities and enablement tools, Tech Data Corporation has announced the launch of a Campus network-focused initiative in collaboration with Brocade. Through the initiative, Tech Data will focus on recruiting, educating, and enabling networking resellers.
Comcast Doubles Down on TV in $16.7B Deal for NBCU
February 13, 2013 10:22 am | by MICHAEL LIEDTKE,AP Business Writers RYAN NAKASHIMA,AP Business Writers | News | CommentsComcast's $16.7 billion deal to buy the remaining half of NBCUniversal ahead of schedule represents a resounding vote of confidence in the future of TV, even as the growth of Internet video reshapes the entertainment landscape. The decision was driven largely by Comcast Corp.'s belief that it would end up paying substantially more.
Yahoo CEO Plans to Prune Company's Mobile Apps
February 13, 2013 10:14 am | by MICHAEL LIEDTKE, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsYahoo CEO Marissa Mayer thinks the Internet company will be able to please more people with fewer smartphone applications. Mayer told an audience of investors during a Tuesday presentation that she thinks Yahoo will be better served with just 12 to 15 mobile applications.
Another Major Dell Shareholder Opposes $24.4B Sale
February 13, 2013 10:13 am | by MICHAEL LIEDTKE, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsA shareholder rebellion against Dell's proposed $24.4 billion sale to its founder and other investors is gaining more support, fueling a belief that the struggling personal computer maker will have to wrangle a higher price to get the deal done.
Intel Working on TV Set-Top Box to Replace Cable
February 13, 2013 10:12 am | by PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsIntel Corp. said Tuesday that it will sell a set-top box that brings Internet-delivered movies and shows to a TV set this year. Erik Huggers, general manager of Intel Media, said the company plans to sell a box that will offer "a vastly superior experience" to today's cable boxes.
Apple CEO: Shareholder Lawsuit is 'Silly Sideshow'
February 13, 2013 10:11 am | by PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsTim Cook is calling a shareholder lawsuit against the company a "silly sideshow," even as he said he is open to looking at the shareholder's proposals for sharing more cash with investors. Investor David Einhorn sued Apple Inc. last week, saying a proposal slated for a vote at the company's annual meeting in two weeks.
General Electric Gets Out of the TV Business
February 13, 2013 10:10 am | by SCOTT MAYEROWITZ, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsGeneral Electric is saying goodbye to 30 Rock — the building and the TV business born there. It's another step in GE's efforts to focus on less glamorous — but theoretically more profitable — ventures such as manufacturing medical imaging equipment, airplane engines and electrical generators.
White House Revealing Obama's Cybersecurity Plan
February 13, 2013 10:09 am | by ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press | News | CommentsWhite House officials are revealing details of President Barack Obama's initial plans for protecting the computer networks of crucial American industries from cyberattacks. Their description of Obama's executive order was planned for Wednesday, a day after the president signed it.
Humans and Robots Work Better Together Following Cross-Training
February 12, 2013 9:49 am | by Helen Knight, MIT News correspondent | News | CommentsSpending a day in someone else’s shoes can help us to learn what makes them tick. Now the same approach is being used to develop a better understanding between humans and robots, to enable them to work together as a team. Robots are increasingly being used in the manufacturing industry to perform tasks that bring them into closer contact with humans.
Latest Earth Satellite Launches from CA Coast
February 12, 2013 9:45 am | by Associated Press | News | CommentsA satellite launched into space Monday will keep closer tabs on Earth's glaciers, crops, forests and shorelines, continuing a tradition that began four decades ago. The Landsat satellite was boosted into orbit by an Atlas V rocket shortly before 11:30 a.m. local time, more than an hour after lifting off from the seaside Vandenberg Air Force Base under mostly clear skies.
No Need to Leave the Room: Bet by TV at NJ Casino
February 12, 2013 9:30 am | by WAYNE PARRY, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City said it will become the first casino in the United States to let guests gamble over hotel room TV sets, starting Feb. 18.Its E-Casino program will let guests with player's cards set up electronic accounts and risk up to $2,500 a day. Slots and four kinds of video poker will be the first games offered.
