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.
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,...
Why your car is a better driver than you
February 7, 2013 2:06 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Blogs | Comments
It came to my attention while working on an article about intelligent systems in cars that...
Yahoo takes big leap with $1.1B deal for Tumblr
May 20, 2013 11:33 am | by MICHAEL LIEDTKE, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsYahoo is buying online blogging forum Tumblr for $1.1 billion as CEO Marissa Mayer tries to rejuvenate an Internet icon that had fallen behind the times. The deal announced Monday represents Mayer's boldest move yet since she left Google 10 months ago to lead Yahoo's latest comeback attempt.
Smartphone sector sees vibrant performance in Southeast Asia
May 20, 2013 10:47 am | by GFK | News | CommentsConsumers in Southeast Asian markets continue to snap up mobile handsets at a rapid pace, propelling the region’s overall mobile phone market to expand further in the latest 12 months by 14 percent in value and 8 percent in units. Declining demand for basic feature phones are met by the corresponding spike in smartphone sales...
This is what a 1950s robot looks like
May 20, 2013 10:11 am | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | Blogs | CommentsIt’s pretty crazy when you think about how far technology has come in the past five years, let alone the past 50 years. Recently, we talked about different humanoid robots, including DARPA’s PETMAN and the Alphadog Proto, a humanoid robot used to test protective clothing and a 4-legged battlefield companion, respectively.
My 90 year old grandmother tries the Oculus Rift
May 20, 2013 9:11 am | Videos | CommentsFrom the author's YouTube description: "My 90 year old grandmother tries the Oculus Rift. We were using the Tuscany demo." A virtual reality (VR) headset by the name of Oculus Rift made a big splash on Kickstarter, raising a stellar $2.43 million to get development kits into the hands and on the noggins of game developers.
Nickel-based energy storage system provides long life in high temperature
May 17, 2013 4:39 pm | Varta Microbattery | Product Releases | CommentsAnnounced today by VARTA Microbatteryis the addition of HVCAP35, a Nickel (Ni) based energy storage system to the V-Cap Series. VARTA Microbattery's new Ni based energy storage system is a hybrid technology that combines the high energy density advantage of batteries, with the high power advantage of supercapacitors.
The future of Google Glass
May 16, 2013 3:49 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | Blogs | CommentsThere has been a lot of talk about Google Glass lately, mostly due to the prototype debut, but one interesting aspect of that public viewing is that developers –outside of GoogleLand—can take a crack at coming up with interesting uses for the technology. By allowing new voices into the conversation, the world is seeing even more possibilities for Google Glass.
Welcoming grandma into our virtual future
May 16, 2013 1:27 pm | by Joel Hans, Managing Editor, Manufacturing.net | Blogs | CommentsA virtual reality (VR) headset by the name of Oculus Rift made a big splash on Kickstarter, raising a stellar $2.43 million to get development kits into the hands and on the noggins of game developers. And now that the units have started to ship, people in the gaming community are getting treated to video after video of people wearing the goggles and trying to explain just how floored they are....
Google's products dig deeper into people's lives
May 16, 2013 9:56 am | by MICHAEL LIEDTKE, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsIn the latest display of its technological prowess and sweeping ambition, Google is rolling out another wave of products and services that will test how much more people want computers to control their lives and enhance their perceptions of reality.
Experts: Smartphones another avenue for hackers
May 16, 2013 9:38 am | by TONY WINTON, Associated Press | News | CommentsSmartphones are increasingly popular not only with consumers, but also with thieves who see the devices as another way to tap into bank accounts and other sensitive information, experts say. Many consumers simply don't realize how vulnerable their Androids, iPhones and other devices can be. An April study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta said threats are proliferating....
Intelligent sensor hub integrates programmability, precision in a single package
May 15, 2013 3:40 pm | Freescale Semiconductor | Product Releases | CommentsFreescale Semiconductor is introducing a new Xtrinsic intelligent sensor hub that serves as an advanced sensor fusion platform. The Xtrinsic FXLC95000CL sensor hub integrates an on-board accelerometer with capability to manage multiple external sensors. The solution provides
Big 4 cellphone carriers unite on anti-texting ads
May 14, 2013 9:18 am | by PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsThe country's four biggest cellphone companies are set to launch their first joint advertising campaign against texting while driving, uniting behind AT&T's "It Can Wait" slogan to blanket TV and radio this summer. AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint and T-Mobile will be joined by 200 other organizations backing the multi-million dollar ad campaign.
Project aims to track big city carbon footprints
May 13, 2013 10:45 am | by ALICIA CHANG, AP Science Writer | News | CommentsEvery time Los Angeles exhales, odd-looking gadgets anchored in the mountains above the city trace the invisible puffs of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases that waft skyward. Halfway around the globe, similar contraptions atop the Eiffel Tower and elsewhere around Paris keep a pulse on emissions from smokestacks and automobile tailpipes.
Tesla Model S gets Consumer Reports' top score
May 10, 2013 11:15 am | by TOM KRISHER, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsThe Tesla Motors Inc. Model S electric car has tied an older Lexus for the highest score ever recorded in Consumer Reports magazine's automotive testing. The Model S, which starts at $62,400 after a federal tax credit, scored 99 points on a scale of 100 in the magazine's battery of tests.
AT&T launches prepaid cellphone business
May 10, 2013 10:05 am | News | CommentsAT&T is launching a prepaid cellphone service - Aio Wireless. The new subsidiary will offer nationwide wireless service to value-conscious customers interested in unlimited talk, text and data plans without an annual contract. Aio launches Thursday in select stores in Houston, Orlando, Fla., and Tampa, Fla.
More than just a mother, now she's your 'friend'
May 10, 2013 9:48 am | by MARTHA MENDOZA, AP National Writer | News | CommentsJosh Knoller, a young professional in New York City, spent years refusing his mother's "Friend Request" on Facebook before, eventually, "caving in." Today they have an agreement: she'll try not to make embarrassing comments, and he can delete them if she does.
Hit a 90 mph baseball? Scientists pinpoint how we see it coming
May 9, 2013 3:47 pm | by EurekAlert! | News | CommentsHow does San Francisco Giants slugger Pablo Sandoval swat a 95 mph fastball, or tennis icon Venus Williams see the oncoming ball, let alone return her sister Serena's 120 mph serves? For the first time, vision scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have pinpointed how the brain tracks fast-moving objects.
Mid-power LEDs achieve up to 140 lm/W efficacy
May 9, 2013 11:51 am | Philips Lumileds | Product Releases | CommentsPhilips Lumileds introduced the LUXEON 3535 2D, which combines two LED chips in a package to enable reduction in LED count and cost of designing retrofit lamps, consumer downlights and diffuse industrial lamps. Its efficacy of 140 lm/W is achieved for cool white light at 4000K and minimum 80 CRI. The new
Engineering Update #10: Smart home robots & the printable bionic ear
May 9, 2013 11:20 am | Videos | CommentsThis episode of Engineering Update from ECN is brought to you by Mouser Electronics. In this week's headlines: Honda has recently announced that it is teaming up with Japan's Sekisui to design model households using smart technologies. So far, the robotics program has created humanoid robots and a personal mobility vehicle.
Illuminated pushbutton switches offer RGB color options
May 8, 2013 11:51 am | E-Switch | Product Releases | CommentsE-Switch announced its LP6 Series LED illuminated pushbutton switch includes a color option. The switch is available with either SPST or DPST circuit options, and it is a momentary switch. It offers a 15-mm square sculptured cap with LED color options that now include
Engineering Newswire 36: Electric car charge time cut in half
May 8, 2013 9:54 am | Videos | CommentsThe new fast-charging system from Volvo and Siemens is cutting recharge times in electric vehicles down to 90 minutes. The new 22 kilowatt fast-charger system is an on-board charger that operates on a 3-phase supply, and uses a 3-phase outlet to provide enough charge for a range of 102 miles in 90 minutes.
SMT limiter diode targets receiver protection applications
May 6, 2013 12:13 pm | Skyworks Solutions, Inc. | Product Releases | CommentsSkyworks Solutions introduced a surface mount limiter diode for receiver protection applications. The CLA4608-085LF is a low capacitance silicon PIN limiter diode designed for high power applications ranging from 10 MHz to over 6 GHz. The maximum resistance at
Portable device provides rapid, accurate diagnosis of tuberculosis, other bacterial infections
May 6, 2013 12:11 pm | by EurekAlert! | News | CommentsA handheld diagnostic device that investigators first developed to diagnose cancer has been adapted to rapidly diagnose tuberculosis and other important infectious bacteria. The portable devices combine microfluidic technology with nuclear magnetic resonance to not only diagnose but also determine the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains.
Nintendo turns to smartphone apps for its consoles
May 6, 2013 11:13 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsNintendo Co. is trying to enable users of its game consoles to enjoy popular smartphone applications on their devices in a bid to boost sales and return to profitability on an operating basis in the current business year, company sources said Saturday.
Are you a tax cheat if you shop online tax-free?
May 6, 2013 11:11 am | by STEPHEN OHLEMACHER, Associated Press | News | CommentsBuy anything on the Internet lately without paying sales tax? In all but a few states, you're probably a tax cheat. That's right, even if Internet retailers don't collect sales tax at the time of the purchase, you're required by law to pay it in 45 states and the District of Columbia.
Super-Junction MOSFETs add dedicated control input for increased switching efficiency
May 6, 2013 10:58 am | Stmicroelectronics | Product Releases | CommentsSTMicroelectronics introduced the first MDmesh V Super-Junction MOSFET featuring a new package technology that increases the efficiency of power circuitry in equipment such as white goods, televisions, PCs, telecom, and server switched-mode power supplies. The new TO247-4 4-lead package
