Consumer
The Lead
Mourning the death of Google Reader (and finding a suitable replacement)
March 18, 2013 3:40 pm | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | Comments
Like many of you, I was shocked, dismayed, and several other adjectives upon learning that Google Reader will soon go kaput. As a journalist, I sift through copious amounts of content daily, and it would be no exaggeration to say that Google Reader makes my job exponentially simpler, so I took its demise rather hard.
HotSpot Episode 14: Wearable technology: When will it arrive?
May 29, 2013 9:14 am | Videos | Comments
So the wearable tech revolution seems to keep getting delayed, first with Google Glass and now...
My wish list for the next iPhone
April 4, 2013 10:32 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | Comments
A new iPhone is imminent! Man the ramparts! Sound the trumpets! A new coronation is upon us! OK...
Technology forces your teen to stop texting and driving
March 19, 2013 12:19 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Blogs | Comments
Everyone knows texting (or Redditing or Facebooking or Tweeting) while driving is a bad idea,...
Linear ICs support a magnetic input sensitivity range of 2.0 to 4.0 mV/G
June 18, 2013 4:26 pm | Allegro Microsystems, Inc. | Product Releases | CommentsAllegro MicroSystems, LLC adds two new factory one-time programmable (OTP-ROM) linear ICs to their existing portfolio. These devices eliminate the need for customers to optimize/program the devices for their finished sensor assemblies. Allegro’s A1388 and A1389 architecturally have the ability to support a magnetic input sensitivity range of 2.0 to 4.0 mV/G....
Google Glass meets “smart” health
June 18, 2013 9:24 am | by Stephanie Carmichael, Contributor | Blogs | CommentsGoogle Glass is a huge step forward, but trendy eyewear isn’t everything. Sometimes, you gotta think about health. “Smart” eyewear has just collided with smart vision correction — and no, I’m not talking about the prescription-based versions of Google Glass that are in development.
What feature or trend will become hot technology in automotive infotainment the next year? (Part II)
June 13, 2013 3:37 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Blogs | CommentsWhat feature or trend will become hot technology in automotive infotainment the next year? Tullio Cettolin: Consumers love the world of apps and instant Internet connectivity, and now they want it in their cars, too. Maybe they want to listen to their favorite Hawaiian music station via Tune-In during their daily commute on the U.S. continent.
What feature or trend will become hot technology in automotive infotainment the next year?
June 13, 2013 3:35 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | Blogs | CommentsWhat feature or trend will become hot technology in automotive infotainment the next year? The next wave of innovation in automotive infotainment will center around connectivity and personalization. As more cars are enable to connect to cloud based applications via the internet, more features will be added allowing passengers to engage with their social network, update location and access specific content.
What's next for near field communications? Engineers speak out
June 13, 2013 3:23 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | Blogs | CommentsHere at ECN we're always looking for the "next big thing" and this month we're focusing on near-field communications. NFC only seems to be increasing in popularity and usage across the electronics board, but we want to know what's happening in your labs and on your benches.
SF, NY prosecutors push for anti-phone theft moves
June 13, 2013 11:14 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe top prosecutors in San Francisco and New York planned Thursday to announce the formation of a nationwide initiative and coalition of police, prosecutors and other officials in an attempt to thwart a surge in smartphone thefts. Officials are set to launch what they call the Secure Our Smartphones Initiative at a New York news conference on Thursday.
Hands-free talking and texting are unsafe
June 12, 2013 2:06 pm | by EurekAlert! | News | CommentsUsing hands-free devices to talk, text or send e-mail while driving is distracting and risky, contrary to what many people believe, says a new University of Utah study issued today by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. "Our research shows that hands-free is not risk-free," says University of Utah psychology Professor David Strayer, lead author of the study....
Executives admit that TV isn't everywhere yet
June 12, 2013 1:43 pm | by RYAN NAKASHIMA, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsTV was supposed to be everywhere by now - watchable anytime, anywhere, on your smartphone or tablet. But four years into the industry's effort, network executives readily admit: TV isn't everywhere. The promise of "TV Everywhere" has been a key strategy in the cable and satellite TV industry's fight to retain customers in the face of challenges from online video providers such as Netflix.
Hands-free texting still distracting for drivers
June 12, 2013 11:34 am | by JOAN LOWY, Associated Press | News | CommentsUsing voice commands to send text messages and emails from behind the wheel, which is marketed as a safer alternative for drivers, actually is more distracting and dangerous than simply talking on a cellphone, a new AAA study found. Automakers have been trying to excite new-car buyers, especially younger ones, with dashboard infotainment systems...
Convection-cooled power supply features low profile, high efficiency
June 11, 2013 4:42 pm | Tdk Corporation Of America, TDK-Lambda Americas, Inc. | Product Releases | CommentsTDK Corporation announces the release of TDK-Lambda’s new CUS250LD series low profile AC-DC power supplies. These single-output supplies provide 250-watts of output power with convection cooling (no fans required). This design eliminates the need for fan maintenance and reduces acoustic noise and vibrations.
SF, NY officials wait to judge Apple 'kill switch'
June 11, 2013 10:33 am | by TERRY COLLINS, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe top prosecutors in San Francisco and New York, seeking ways to curb thefts of mobile devices, said Monday they will reserve judgment of Apple's new security feature designed to make it harder to reactivate a stolen iPhone. They have been asking the leading wireless device makers to create a "kill switch" that would render stolen phones useless.
When will my computer understand me?
June 10, 2013 12:25 pm | by The University of Texas at Austin | News | CommentsFor more than 50 years, linguists and computer scientists have tried to get computers to understand human language by programming semantics as software. Driven initially by efforts to translate Russian scientific texts during the Cold War (and more recently by the value of information retrieval and data analysis tools), these efforts have met with mixed success.
New app helping Venezuelans find scarce items
June 10, 2013 12:10 pm | by FRANK BAJAK, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsHarried Venezuelans who devote hours scouring supermarkets for increasingly scarce food basics and toilet paper have just received some digital help thanks to a young software developer. A free application for mobile devices written by Jose Augusto Montiel lets people notify one another where flour, sugar, milk, cooking oil and toilet paper are for sale.
The Internet can control your body
June 10, 2013 9:39 am | by Stephanie Carmichael, Contributor | Blogs | CommentsThe Internet really can do anything. Like telekinesis, for instance. It’s got that covered, too. A new open API called BodyRemote uses connected devices like computers and even iPhones to control someone’s body from across the great space of the Internet anywhere in the world. But to do good — promise!
Addressing the data deluge challenge in mobile networks with intelligent content caching
June 7, 2013 3:31 pm | by Seong Hwan Kim, Ph.D., Technical Marketing Manager, LSI | Articles | CommentsThe most recent IDC Predictions 2013: Competing on the 3RD Platform report forecasts the biggest driver of IT growth to once again be mobile devices (smartphones, tablets, e-readers, etc.), generating around 20 percent of all IT purchases....
Engineering Update 12: A beer-pouring robot ... finally
June 7, 2013 10:22 am | Videos | CommentsIn this week's headlines: Computer scientists at Cornell are in the process of producing a robot with anticipatory cognitive abilities. They've programmed a PR-2 robot to accomplish typical robotic tasks, as well as the ability to pour you a drink ... and anticipate when you want another.
Wi-Fi signals enable gesture recognition throughout entire home
June 6, 2013 3:03 pm | by University of Washington | News | CommentsForget to turn off the lights before leaving the apartment? No problem. Just raise your hand, finger-swipe the air, and your lights will power down. Want to change the song playing on your music system in the other room? Move your hand to the right and flip through the songs.
Long-awaited keyboard BlackBerrys hit US stores
June 6, 2013 11:38 am | by ROB GILLIES, Associated Press | News | CommentsModern BlackBerrys with physical keyboards are now available in the U.S., months after the touch-screen versions went on sale. T-Mobile USA began selling the BlackBerry Q10 on Wednesday. It has Research In Motion Ltd.'s new BlackBerry 10 operating system, which addresses shortcomings that allowed...
Microsoft to add Outlook to Windows RT tablets
June 6, 2013 11:38 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsMicrosoft will add its popular Outlook email program to more tablets running on a lightweight version of its Windows operating system as part of a free software update this year. The Outlook 2013 app will be given to owners of Microsoft's Surface tablet and similar devices running Windows RT.
DHS: A hunch is enough for searching your laptop
June 6, 2013 11:33 am | by ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press | News | CommentsU.S. border agents should continue to be allowed to search a traveler's laptop, cellphone or other electronic device and keep copies of any data on them based on no more than a hunch, according to an internal Homeland Security Department study.
Casinos ban gamblers from using Google Glass
June 6, 2013 11:32 am | by WAYNE PARRY, Associated Press | News | CommentsU.S. casinos are forbidding gamblers from wearing Google Glass, the tiny eyeglasses-mounted device capable of shooting photos, filming video and surfing the Internet. Regulators say the gadgets could be used to cheat at card games. The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement issued a directive on Monday...
Report: US collecting huge number of phone records
June 6, 2013 11:22 am | by JULIE PACE, AP White House Correspondent | News | CommentsThe government has been secretly collecting the telephone records of millions of U.S. customers of Verizon under a top secret court order, according to a document disclosed by a British newspaper. The Obama administration defended the National Security Agency's need to collect telephone records of U.S. citizens, but critics said it was a huge over-reach.
Cloud computing rains billion-dollar deals
June 5, 2013 11:05 am | by MICHAEL LIEDTKE, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsA decade ago, the mere idea of cloud computing was a difficult concept to explain, let alone sell. Today, the technology is spurring a high-stakes scramble to buy some of the early leaders in the cloud-computing movement. The latest examples of the trend emerged Tuesday as two major technology companies announced acquisitions...
Microsoft unveils operating system update
June 5, 2013 11:03 am | News | CommentsSoftware giant Microsoft has unveiled the updated version of its touch-enabled Windows 8 operating system at the world's second largest computer show in Taipei. Tami Reller, chief financial and marketing officer of the company's Windows Division, said that Windows 8.1 would be available on both PCs and tablets later this year.
Compact datalogger includes wireless connectivity based on GSM/GPRS module
June 5, 2013 10:34 am | Telit Wireless Solutions | Product Releases | CommentsTelit Wireless Solutions and Danlaw Incorporated announced that Danlaw’s DL750 includes Telit’s ultra-compact GSM/GPRS cellular module, the GE865-QUAD. The product is a self-contained consumer installable data collection device. Danlaw and Telit who cooperated in a number of products before, are
