Computing
Retrofitting an old-school game controller with a USB interface
February 14, 2013 12:25 pm | by Parker Dorris and Greg Posey | Silicon Laboratories Inc. | Blogs | CommentsPlaying retro-style, side-scrolling computer games from indie developers with a keyboard and mouse just doesn't feel right. The 16-bit sprite animations, simple player controls and synthesized audio all harken back to the days when game consoles couldn’t deliver photorealistic graphics and lifelike gaming experiences.
Engineers weigh in on best energy management tactics
February 13, 2013 9:28 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Blogs | CommentsWe know ECN readers have varied and valuable opinions – now here’s a great opportunity to showcase them. Send us an answer to the question below and if we think yours is the best, we’ll feature your response in the April print issue. Plus, you’ll get a $15 Starbucks gift card simply for sharing your thoughts.
What Walter Cronkite thought 2001 would look like
February 12, 2013 3:41 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Blogs | CommentsPredictions about future technology are always interesting. Sometimes, the prediction is pretty mainstream, like a mobile phone. Other times they’re a little more ambitious. I’m still waiting for my flying car. But one thing is always guaranteed: Predictions about the future are always fun to watch decades later — particularly if they star Mr. Walter Cronkite.
This device punishes you for skipping a workout
February 11, 2013 2:50 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Blogs | CommentsWe’ve all done it. You come home from a long day at the office. Sit down on the couch to watch a little Walking Dead. You feel a little guilty that you haven’t hit the gym or gone for a run, but you figure no one will know. But then your television set turns itself off, then your phone goes down, then your iPad, and then your reading lamp switches off and leaves you in the dark.
U.S. professor finds longest prime number with 17,425,170 digits
February 8, 2013 4:33 pm | by Kevin Murphy, Reuters | News | CommentsAfter running 1,000 computers non-stop for 39 days to uncover the world's largest prime number yet, a Missouri college professor said this week he is starting all over to top his own record. "It's a never-ending job," said Curtis Cooper, a computer science professor at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg. Thecomputers are still running, although finding a higher prime number is estimated to take five to seven more years. Thousands of other computers in the United States are making the same search.
EU to order banks, energy firms to report cyber attacks
February 7, 2013 8:44 am | by Ethan Bilby, Reuters | News | CommentsAround 42,000 firms in the European Union, including airports, banks and hospitals, would have to inform regulators whenever their computers are hacked, under a proposed EU law to be published on Thursday.The law could set a global precedent for safeguarding critical infrastructure against digital attacks that have hit companies...
New York defends its "Amazon tax" in court
February 7, 2013 8:43 am | by Nanette Byrnes, Reuters | News | Comments(Reuters) - Major online retailers Amazon.com Inc and Overstock.com on Wednesday told a New York state court that they should be allowed to not charge state sales tax. The case, in the State of New York Court of Appeals, represents one of the first legal tests of recent "Amazon taxes" meant to make online retailers start charging state sales taxes.
EU backs plan to make Internet safer from cyberattacks, requires more risk management planning
February 7, 2013 8:41 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsBRUSSELS (AP) -- EU officials are pushing a plan to make the Internet safer - more resistant to cyberattacks, freer from cybercrime and safer for children to use. The proposal unveiled Thursday would require each of the European Union's 27 nations to designate an authority to prevent and respond to Internet risks and incidents.
In defense of crazy technology
February 6, 2013 4:22 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Blogs | CommentsAlright, I’ll admit it. I’m a bit of a technological dreamer. I’ve seen my fair share of pipe-dream technology—easily created, easily dismissed—but most days are a roving door of surprisingly innovative, potentially life-changing, incredibly awesome designs. In general, I tend to be a bit jaded, some might say curmudgeonly...
Mechatronics security by design
February 6, 2013 12:06 pm | by Peter Thorne, Managing Director, Cambashi Ltd. | Articles | CommentsEngineers responsible for mechatronics development have always known that it’s not just PCs that can suffer from malware. A study in 20111 used experiment rather than theory to identify vulnerabilities of in-vehicle automotive systems. Not only was this a strong reminder of the seriousness of the issue...
Microsoft Surface Pro gets tough early reviews
February 6, 2013 9:05 am | by Bill Rigby, Reuters | News | CommentsU.S. tech writers have given Microsoft Corp's new Surface tablet-laptop hybrid largely negative reviews, casting a shadow over the software group's hopes to take a bite out of sales of Apple Inc's iPad and MacBook Air.The latest Surface runs on an Intel Corp chip and features the full Windows 8 Pro operating system
Top 10 posts for January
February 1, 2013 12:41 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Blogs | CommentsWe had a record-breaking January here at ECN online with our most trafficked month in the history of the website. So, without further delay, here’s a rundown of the most read, most popular, most awesome articles on the web. Take a look at what you missed the first time around or check up on an old favorite to see the conversation in the comments.
Review: BlackBerry Z10 is good stab at rebirth for embattled brand, but has uphill slog
January 31, 2013 9:07 am | by PETER SVENSSON AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsAre you ashamed to have a BlackBerry? It's not exactly a status symbol any more, at least not in the U.S., after it got left in the dust by the iPhone. Now, there's a new BlackBerry that wants to get back into the cool club: the Z10.
Did the Justice Department cause Aaron Swartz’s suicide?
January 31, 2013 9:00 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Articles | CommentsAaron Swartz was a 26-year-old computer programmer and online activist who died of apparent suicide on January 11, ahead of a scheduled trial where he was charged with 13 felonies. Swartz, founder of Demand Progress, an online group actively working against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA)...
Crypto coprocessors enable data centers to scale with increases in secure network traffic
January 30, 2013 10:24 am | Freescale Semiconductor | Product Releases | CommentsFreescale Semiconductor introduced the C29x family of crypto coprocessors – a new lineup of security accelerators engineered to help the world’s top data center equipment manufacturers efficiently scale to handle dramatic increases in secure network traffic. The new crypto coprocessors enable
PC/104-Plus compatible single board computer powered by an Intel1.66 GHz Atom processor
January 30, 2013 10:23 am | Winsystems | Product Releases | CommentsWinSystems announced their PPM-C393-S, a PC/104-Plus compatible single board computer (SBC) powered by an Intel® 1.66 GHz Atom™ processor. The PPM-C393-S blends high-integration I/O with PC/104-Plus expansion for a flexible yet cost-effective solution for demanding embedded applications.
Encoders designed for small applications
January 30, 2013 9:44 am | Automation Direct | Product Releases | CommentsAutomationDirect has added a series of Koyo miniature encoders to its line of positioning and motion control products, providing a cost-effective solution for size-limited applications.The TRD-MX series light-duty encoders feature a small body with 25mm diameter and 29mm depth. Constructed with a 4mm diameter solid shaft, the series offers resolutions from 100 to 1,024 pulses per revolution
These shoes will tell you when it’s time for a new pair
January 28, 2013 3:14 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Blogs | CommentsApple has a lot of great products: iPhones, iPads, computers, laptops, Apple TV and the potential for many more. (Note the lack of iPad mini on this list because it is a dumb product, but I digress.) It seems the company might be expanding into shoe wear with a sensor that will track your steps and tell you when it’s time for a new pair of kicks.
Processor family designed for both single and multicore embedded applications
January 28, 2013 2:15 pm | Product Releases | CommentsEnSilica and Phoenix Systems have announced that they have successfully ported the Phoenix-RTOS, designed specifically for both single and multicore embedded systems applications, to the eSi-RISC family of highly configurable soft processor cores. The collaboration between EnSilica and Phoenix Systems further expands the eSi-RISC ecosystem....
UN tech group agrees on new video compression format to save Internet bandwidth
January 28, 2013 9:12 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe U.N. telecommunications agency says its members have agreed upon a new compression format that could dramatically cut the amount of Internet bandwidth currently used by video files. The International Telecommunication Union says the format, or codec, known as H.265 would require just half the amount of data needed by its predecessor, H.264.
Meet the Luddites: They fought the future with hammers and lost, but their legacy lives on
January 25, 2013 9:02 am | by PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics Writer | News | CommentsTheir name is synonymous with futile attempts to roll back technology - and with fuddy-duddies who can't figure out how to use the iPhone. The Luddites were British textile artisans who 200 years ago smashed the mechanized looms they thought threatened their jobs.
Will a high-velocity, DNA-tagging police pellet gun deter protesters?
January 24, 2013 3:43 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Blogs | CommentsGun control is a hot button issue, so it makes sense that police and security firms would look towards expanding effective methods of nonviolent interaction. This becomes particularly important during riot situations with a lot of people and confusion, where police are often outnumbered and overwhelmed.
Preparing for the worst: Author Martin Ford imagines a future when machines have all the jobs
January 24, 2013 9:38 am | by PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics Writer | News | CommentsMartin Ford saw it everywhere, even in his own business. Smarter machines and better software were helping companies do more work with fewer people. His Silicon Valley software firm used to put its programs on disks and ship them to customers. The disks were made, packaged and
Modular, rackmount mix-and-match surge protector offers 12-module capacity
January 23, 2013 4:00 pm | Product Releases | CommentsITW Linx announced the launch of its SurgeGate Modular Rackmount surge protector. The mix and match 12-module technology is asserted to offer the fastest protection time in the industry with a response time of 1-5 ns. This surge protector offers
Slim SATA SSDs feature power-fail protection
January 23, 2013 3:18 pm | Product Releases | CommentsSTEC, Inc. announced the small-form-factor s230 Series of Slim SATA solid-state drives. This low-power, small-footprint Slim SATA drive comes in an industry standard JEDEC MO-297 format occupying
