Consumer
Engineering Update #1: Smart TVs & Unmanned Cars
January 24, 2013 9:08 am | Videos | CommentsNew from Electronic Component News is the very first episode of our Engineering Update newscast, brought to you by Mouser Electronics (www.mouser.com), the electronic components distributor with the widest selection of the newest products. We talk about...
Steve Jobs threatened patent suit to enforce no-hire policy: filing
January 23, 2013 2:13 pm | by Dan Levine, Reuters | News | CommentsApple co-founder Steve Jobs threatened to file a patent lawsuit against Palm if that company's chief executive didn't agree to refrain from poaching Apple employees, according to a court filing made public on Tuesday.
"Bring your own device" trend gaining speed -- benefits, risks and solutions
January 23, 2013 9:28 am | by Dean Wiech, Managing Director, Tools4ever | Blogs | CommentsA new trend gaining speed in many industries is the concept of “bring your own device” (BYOD). Plainly put, BYOD is when employees have the ability to bring their own technical devices—like smart phones, tablets and laptops -- and use the company’s network instead of a company-provided device. BYOD has many benefits and risks, though....
Vibrating steering wheel might prevent car accidents
January 23, 2013 9:12 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Blogs | CommentsI’ve talked a lot about intelligent systems in cars that are steering the industry towards a safer overall product by allow computers to take over where human error would mean an accident.There has been talk of new seatbelts, new braking system, and sensors that communicate with traffic lights and other cars,
Will Apple's first-quarter earnings report confirm or quell rising skepticism?
January 23, 2013 9:02 am | by PETER SVENSSON AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsFor many investors, Apple's best days are behind it. Competitors are catching up, they believe, and the latest iPhone is stumbling. The company's doubters have backed their conviction with billions of dollars. Last week, the stock fell below $500 for the first time in 11 months. Since Apple's stock peaked at $705.07 on Sept. 21 -the day of the iPhone 5's release- it has fallen nearly 30 percent, cutting Apple's market capitalization by nearly $200 billion.
Would you like some iPhone with your ramen noodles?
January 22, 2013 9:43 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsSometimes, an innovative product changes the landscape of the tech world. It illuminates the masses, electrifies the blogosphere, and raises the overall standard of living. And then there’s this – the Anti-loneliness bowl, a ramen soup receptacle that doubles as an iPhone dock.
What technology do you expect to take the consumer space by storm in 2013? (Part II)
January 21, 2013 11:31 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Blogs | CommentsThe question of, "What technology do you expect to take the consumer space by storm in 2013?" continues in part II of the February Brainstorm series as experts take on the question of what will be popular in consumer electronics and the consumer technology space in the next 12 months.
What technology do you expect to take the consumer space by storm in 2013?
January 21, 2013 11:30 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Blogs | CommentsThe question of, "What technology do you expect to take the consumer space by storm in 2013?" begins in part I of the February Brainstorm series as experts take on the question of what will be popular in consumer electronics and the consumer technology space in the next 12 months.
CR2032 battery holder with cover offers off-board mounting
January 21, 2013 9:42 am | Memory Protection Devices, Inc. | Product Releases | CommentsMPD offers a category of lithium coin cell battery holders for the “off board” mounting of lithium coin cell batteries. These holders offer designers the flexibility to locate lithium coin cell batteries anywhere there is physical room. No soldering tools, chemicals, reflow/wave processing, circuit board required.
Poll: Samsung, Apple seen pulling ahead in smartphone race
January 18, 2013 3:45 pm | News | CommentsSamsung and Apple pulled ahead in the global smartphone race last quarter, according to forecasts by analysts in a Reuters poll, while Nokia and others are expected to have fallen further behind.
Is Apple changing its mind on touch panel structures?
January 18, 2013 9:33 am | by Calvin, Senior Analyst at DisplaySearch | Display Search | Blogs | CommentsRecently, the supply chain has been buzzing about potential changes in the touch technologies used for future iPhones and iPads, in particular involving LCD suppliers rather than touch panel makers. First came a report that Innolux had delivered TOD (touch on display) samples for the iPhone....
Google to develop new headquarters at London's Kings Cross
January 18, 2013 8:55 am | News | CommentsGoogle Inc. is developing a new UK headquarters which could be worth as much as 1 billion pounds ($1.6 billion) when finished, the latest overseas property deal for the cash-rich U.S. Internet group. Google has purchased a 2.4 acre plot at the Kings Cross Central development,
Social media dispute resolution stumps some companies
January 18, 2013 8:53 am | by Mitch Lipka, Reuters | News | CommentsIf HBO cuts out on you in the middle of the latest "Girls" episode, and if you have Charter Communications Inc as your cable provider, don't try tweeting your dismay to their customer service department. Nobody will hear your lament.
Would these “smart” ice cubes change how you drink?
January 17, 2013 2:24 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Blogs | CommentsSometimes great technology comes out of bad life experiences. Like the time Dhairya Dand from MIT Media Lab was so intoxicated he blacked out, and came up with an idea for a technology that would prevent people from drinking too much.By placing a smart LED inside molds of waterproof, edible jelly...
CES 2013 a meager showcase for consumer electronics
January 17, 2013 2:20 pm | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Microsoft Corp. | Articles | CommentsCES has never been more irrelevant. I wrote those words last year when Microsoft pulled out of CES and the industry was in the thralls of its 3D hysteria, pushing a technological gimmick that no one wanted. Since then, the industry has found a new rallying cry – 4K (or Ultra-HD) – and largely abandoned hopes of shoving stereoscopy down our throats, but the pizzazz is still missing.
Seeing beyond cameras: Predicting where people move in CCTV blind spots
January 17, 2013 9:03 am | by Eurekalert! | News | CommentsA new model from Queen Mary, University of London could be a useful security tool in tracking people in large, busy venues such as airport terminals and shopping centres. The research fuses information gathered from multiple Close-Circuit Television (CCTV) network cameras and geographical maps for the first time,
Retailers taking tech battle for shoppers to next level
January 17, 2013 8:53 am | by Phil Wahba and Jessica Wohl, Reuters | News | CommentsThe store of the future has arrived and it is threatening to leave technology laggards behind.The modern store is equipped with cameras that look at you, guess your tastes based on your gender, age and behavior, and send deals to your smart phone accordingly. It also has the technology to reduce endless check-out lines and speed up the process for picking up something ordered online.
The truth about relative vs. absolute motion control systems
January 16, 2013 12:39 pm | by Chad Lucien, Hillcrest Labs, www.hillcrestlabs.com | Hillcrest Labs | Articles | CommentsSmart TV features are beginning to transform the TV into an entertainment hub. Whether functionality is native to the TV or via a connected set-top box, many Smart TV systems utilize motion and pointing to control myriad features and functions. Motion control provides cursor, point-and-click, and tilt-based controls, mimicking the control system of a computer mouse or smartphone touchscreen.
New Jersey’s power and fuel infrastructure was no match for Sandy
January 16, 2013 12:14 pm | by Chris Warner, Executive Editor | Articles | CommentsThe love-hate relationship we have with "the grid" was inescapable during Superstorm Sandy. We don’t think about it much when our homes are lit and appliances are humming – we have the freedom to do anything we want. But when there’s an interruption, there’s that nagging wish to be free from the grip of our local utility....
App helps catch drunk drivers
January 16, 2013 9:00 am | by Eurekalert! | News | CommentsNearly 30 Americans a day die in vehicle crashes that involve drunk drivers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That number is so appalling to Frank Vahid, a computer science professor in the Bourns College of Engineering at the University of California, Riverside, that he plans to spend much of the rest of his academic career helping to eradicate the problem.
Seeking the next CERN: Europe to award $1.3 billion to next-generation science projects
January 15, 2013 9:01 am | by FRANK JORDANS Associated Press | News | CommentsCall it Europe's Got Talent for geeks.Teams of scientists from across the continent are vying for a funding bonanza that could see two of them receive up to (EURO)1 billion ($1.33 billion) over 10 years to keep Europe at the cutting edge of technology. The contest began with 26 proposals that were whittled down to six last year. Just four have made it to the final round.
4k2k: Are we underestimating its value?
January 14, 2013 11:31 am | by Paul Gray, Director of European TV Research, DisplaySearch | Display Search | Blogs | CommentsWith the predictable run of 4k2k announcements this CES, most comments have sensibly focused on content availability. This was undoubtedly the single greatest factor in the failure of 3D to create a revival in the TV market.
5GHz WiFi module designed for 802.11ac notebook and mobile equipment applications
January 14, 2013 9:23 am | Rfmd | Product Releases | CommentsRF Micro Devices introduced the highly-integrated RFFM4501E front end module (FEM) for 802.11ac notebook and mobile equipment applications. RFMD’s newest WiFi FEM meets or exceeds the system requirements for 802.11ac connectivity in the 5.150GHz – 5.850GHz frequency band and is optimized to support multiple applications....
iPhone 5 users are Europe's biggest data consumers
January 14, 2013 8:59 am | by Reuters | News | Comments(Reuters) - Users of Apple's iPhone 5, launched in September 2012, have the most voracious appetite for data in Europe, consuming on average more than four times the amount of a typical person still using a iPhone 3G, according to a study.
Astronomers discover largest known structure in the universe
January 14, 2013 8:58 am | by Reuters | News | Comments(Reuters) - Astronomers have discovered the largest known structure in the universe - a group of quasars so large it would take 4 billion years to cross it while traveling at speed of light. The immense scale also challenges Albert Einstein's Cosmological Principle, the assumption that the universe looks the same from every point of view, researchers said.
