Consumer
Pentagon clears use of Samsung's devices
May 6, 2013 10:41 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsSamsung Electronics Co. says the U.S. Department of Defense has approved using Samsung smartphones for its networks. The South Korean company said Friday the Galaxy S4 smartphone has become the first Android device to meet the security requirements set out by the U.S. government...
More than a game: Exploring new digital frontiers
May 3, 2013 2:03 pm | by Eurekalert! | News | CommentsA groundbreaking new initiative led by the University of York, with partners at Cass Business School, part of City University London and Durham University Business School, aims to unlock the potential for scientific and social benefits in digital games.
The most technologically-advanced toilet in the world
May 3, 2013 9:02 am | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | Blogs | CommentsThough people often refer to the toilet as “the throne,” the euphemism has never been taken quite this literally before. Kohler, the family-owned bath and kitchen company and inventor of all around fancy bathroom fixtures, has really gone all out with their newest creation, Numi.
Given tablets but no teachers, kids teach themselves – having never seen advanced technology before
May 3, 2013 6:28 am | by Curious Cat Science and Engineering Blog | Blogs | CommentsIn a repetition of an experiment I have posted about here on the Curious Cat Science and Engineering Blog before (Letting Children Learn – Hole in the Wall Computers): Given Tablets but No Teachers, Ethiopian Children Teach Themselves The experiment … Continue reading →
Bonding with your virtual self may alter your actual perceptions
May 2, 2013 2:28 pm | by Eurekalert! | News | CommentsWhen people create and modify their virtual reality avatars, the hardships faced by their alter egos can influence how they perceive virtual environments, according to researchers.A group of students who saw that a backpack was attached to an avatar that they had created overestimated the heights of virtual hills...
Tele-what? YouTube touts itself not as a TV alternative, but a new-generation video platform
May 2, 2013 9:35 am | by JAKE COYLE AP Entertainment Writer | News | CommentsYouTube vs. TV? YouTube says the battle - if there ever was one - is over. In a flashy presentation to advertisers Wednesday night, Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt declined to forecast that Internet video will displace television watching. Instead he declared: "That's already happened."
Rugged four-port mini USB hub from B&B Electronics mounts anywhere
May 1, 2013 4:10 pm | B & B Electronics | Product Releases | CommentsB&B Electronics Manufacturing expanded its family of industrial-grade USB 2.0 hubs with the UH104, an affordable, four-port mini USB hub used to connect multiple peripheral devices to a single USB port. Powered exclusively by the host USB port, it provides downstream devices with 100 mA of power and High Speed USB connectivity at 480 Mbps.
10 MUST READ posts from April
May 1, 2013 2:44 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | Blogs | CommentsHere’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. Keep checking out the Lead at www.ecnmag.com and follow us on Twitter @ecnonline for our most up-to-date articles.
Single-stage LED driver promises highest levels of dimmer compatibility
May 1, 2013 11:55 am | Cirrus Logic -- Apex Precision Power | Product Releases | CommentsCirrus Logic, Inc. has introduced a first family of single-stage LED drivers, the CS1615/16, targeting the incandescent lamp replacement market. Through patented technology, the CS1615/16 consistently outperforms competing single-stage LED drivers in dimmer compatibility while offering
A Text Message A Day Keeps the Asthma Attack Away
May 1, 2013 11:14 am | by Georgia Tech | News | CommentsSimply sending children with asthma a text message each day asking about their symptoms and providing knowledge about their condition can lead to improved health outcomes. In a study by the Georgia Institute of Technology, pediatric patients who were asked questions about their symptoms and provided information...
Slim, 2.5-inch, 5-mm hard drives and solid state hybrid drives tout solid state hybrid drive technology
April 30, 2013 5:26 pm | Western Digital | Product Releases | CommentsWD, a Western Digital company is shipping what it asserts are the world's first ultra-slim 2.5-inch, 5 mm hard drives and solid state hybrid drives (SSHD), which are designed for integration into the slimmest devices and space-constrained computing environments. With 500 GB of storage capacity and
Varistors offer higher surge current ratings in smaller disc sizespplications
April 30, 2013 5:05 pm | Littelfuse, Inc. | Product Releases | CommentsLittelfuse has introduced the LV UltraMOV Series of low voltage, high surge current, radial leaded varistors. They provide an ideal circuit protection solution for lower DC voltage applications by offering higher surge ratings than ever before available in such small disc sizes.
A tale of two lamps
April 30, 2013 4:19 pm | by Karl Stephan, Consulting Engineer, Texas State University, San Marcos | Blogs | CommentsA few months ago, my wife bought a lamp at an office-supply place to light up the table where my father-in-law plays dominoes with us. He’s 87 and his eyesight isn’t what it used to be, so having lots of light in the right place is important. The ceiling light doesn’t quite do the job.
Energy-saving smartphone sensor registers the ambient brightness
April 30, 2013 10:57 am | Osram Opto Semiconductors | Product Releases | CommentsOsram Opto Semiconductors has expanded its portfolio of proximity and ambient light sensors with a new, extremely powerful version with low power consumption. The compact SFH 7776 digital sensor registers the ambient brightness – even behind dark smartphone covers....
A revolutionary shape changing smartphone that curls upon a call
April 30, 2013 10:22 am | by Queen's University | News | CommentsResearchers at Queen’s University’s Human Media Lab have developed a new smartphone – called MorePhone – which can morph its shape to give users a silent yet visual cue of an incoming phone call, text message or email. “This is another step in the direction of radically new interaction techniques afforded by smartphones based on thin film..."
Cleveland Clinic research shows Internet-based program effective in reducing stress
April 30, 2013 10:13 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe use of Internet-based stress management programs (ISM) effectively reduce stress for a sustainable period, according to a Cleveland Clinic study published recently in Annals of Behavioral Medicine. Online stress management programs aim to increase accessibility for individuals affected by chronic stress at a lesser cost than traditional methods.
Smart TV: Will Moore’s Law define TV architecture?
April 30, 2013 9:57 am | by Paul Gray, Director of European TV Research, DisplaySearch | Blogs | CommentsThe TV until now has evolved at a pace largely detached from Moore’s Law, an observation that the number of transistors on a unit area of integrated circuit doubles every two years. Its consequence is that computing power doubles per unit of cost in the same time.
TriggerSmart Childproof RFID Smart Gun
April 30, 2013 9:12 am | Videos | CommentsTriggerSmart has developed and patented a user-unique Childproof RFID Smart Gun. Basically, only the authorized user can fire the weapon, and the gun is harmless in the hands of a child or an intruder in the home. This video demonstrates their technology.
‘Internet Of Things’: An opportunity for intelligent device manufacturers
April 29, 2013 3:25 pm | by Steve Schmidt, Vice President of Corporate Development & Strategy, Flexera Software | Blogs | CommentsThe “Internet of Things” is a phrase used to describe how the internet will link traditional smart devices, and a wide range of additional physical assets to allow these endpoints to generate and share data. Nearly every product will have an IP address and communication capability — not just networking and telecommunications devices...
HotSpot Episode 10: Numi, The King of Toilets
April 29, 2013 2:09 pm | Videos | CommentsThis week on WDD's HotSpot: Kohler announces Numi, a feature-packed toilet that makes the bathroom the place to be. With a Bluetooth receiver that allows users to directly stream their music from a smartphone, the porcelain throne also features an SD card....
Guns are only as ‘smart’ as we are
April 29, 2013 9:48 am | by Stephanie Carmichael, Contributor | Blogs | CommentsI’m uncomfortable with the phrase "smart gun." Maybe that’s because the words make me think of Skynet in Terminator, or the great lesson to man about the dangers of artificial intelligence gussied up in a blockbuster action-movie franchise. While it’s probably not going to rebel and nearly exterminate all of mankind, in the wrong hands, real-world technology can become a tool for evil.
AT&T to sell home automation, security packages
April 26, 2013 11:48 am | by PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsAT&T Inc. is launching its home security and automation service in 15 cities Friday, with an eye toward getting customers hooked on security cameras, thermostats and locks they can control from phones and tablets. AT&T's "Digital Life" packages will be sold in cellphone stores in markets including Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and Miami.
Samsung profit at record high on smartphone boost
April 26, 2013 11:46 am | by YOUKYUNG LEE, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsSamsung Electronics said Friday its first quarter profit jumped to a record high as smartphone sales remained strong despite the April launch of an updated version of its flagship Galaxy phone. Sales of consumer electronics usually slow in the first three months of the year after the holiday shopping season...
Regulators feature constant on-time control architecture
April 26, 2013 10:16 am | Product Releases | CommentsAlpha and Omega Semiconductor Limited released AOZ1237, the latest addition to a family of high efficiency, easy-to-use synchronous EZBuck regulators featuring a proprietary Constant On-Time (COT) control architecture that enables smaller solutions and simplifies designs.
Computers are sorcery! Kill them with fire!
April 25, 2013 4:13 pm | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsIt's hard to believe we were ever this dumb. And it's hard to believe the '90s ever happened. This wacky decade — when we were all still finding our digital bearings — spawned gems like "Komputer Tutor", a VHS series from "America's Digital Goddess", Kim Komando, that takes simple computer concepts and dumbs them down even further ... and further and further. It's comedy gold.
