Consumer
Will the Blackberry 10 save RIM?
December 13, 2012 10:55 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Articles | CommentsThough Research in Motion (RIM) is banking on the Blackberry 10 release in early 2013 to save the company, Karl Volkman, the Chief Technology Officer of SRV Network, isn’t convinced.“I think it might be too little too late,” Volkman says of the Canadian communications company.
Got food allergies? Thanks to UCLA, you can test your meal on the spot using a cell phone
December 13, 2012 9:07 am | by Eurekalert! | News | CommentsAre you allergic to peanuts and worried there might be some in that cookie? Now you can find out using a rather unlikely source: your cell phone. A team of researchers from the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science has developed a lightweight device called the iTube, which attaches to a common cell phone to detect allergens in food samples.
Google releases map app for iPhone nearly 3 months after Apple ousted the navigation system
December 13, 2012 9:00 am | by MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsGoogle Maps have found their way back to the iPhone. The world's most popular online mapping system returned late Wednesday with the release of the Google Maps' iPhone app. The release comes nearly three months after Apple Inc. replaced Google Maps as the device's built-in
USB 2.0 Hi-Speed host controller IC provides providing 480 Mbit/s capability
December 10, 2012 2:29 pm | Product Releases | CommentsFuture Technology Devices International Limited (FTDI) has strengthened its portfolio of USB semiconductor solutions, with the release of the FT313H host controller IC. This feature-rich device supports USB 2.0 hi-speed (480 Mbits/s), as well as full-speed (12 Mbit/s) and low-speed (1.5 M bit/s) implementations.
3.2W Class-D audio amplifiers feature 12dB of fixed gain
December 10, 2012 1:43 pm | Product Releases | CommentsNuvoton Technology Corporation introduced the NAU82039, a family of new Class-D audio amplifiers designed to optimize portable consumer devices. The new Nuvoton NAU82039 features high-efficiency mono, analog-input 3.2W Class-D power amplifier with 12dB of fixed gain....
Continuously falling notebook PC panel prices
December 10, 2012 1:04 pm | by David Hsieh, DisplaySearch | Blogs | CommentsTrends in TFT LCD panel prices are very different for the three main applications. TV panel prices have been increasing for 3 quarters, and are becoming the main source of profit for panel makers; monitor panel prices are stagnant, as panel production has been falling due to weak demand....
The smartphone, the cloud, and the automobile
December 10, 2012 10:58 am | by Andy Gryc, QNX Software Systems | Articles | CommentsCES has become an important event for automakers to showcase their cars and, especially, the electronics in these cars. Automotive was a top line item in 2012, and 2013 will be no different. This trend is not surprising, considering that since the 1930s, when the Galvin brothers and Blaupunkt introduced the radio into the automobile....
Engineering Newswire 16: Designing an underwater hotel
December 10, 2012 9:17 am | Videos | CommentsToday on Engineering Newswire, we're taking our first taste test on Mars, building an underwater hotel, and powering the EcoBot with nothing more than poo. Today's episode features: Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Navy recently conducted the first land-based catapult launch of an unmanned system using the X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System.
Set-top box energy conservation agreement expected to save U.S. consumers $1.5 billion annually
December 7, 2012 10:10 am | News | CommentsFifteen industry-leading multichannel video providers and device manufacturers that deliver service to more than 90 million American households, are launching an unprecedented Set-Top Box Energy Conservation Agreement that will result in annual residential electricity savings of $1.5 billion or more as the commitment is fully realized....
Top 10 must-see posts for November
December 6, 2012 3:38 pm | by The ECN Editors | Articles | 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.
Should schools use RFID chips to track students?
December 6, 2012 2:53 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Articles | CommentsA few weeks ago, I came across an article on Slate talking about a school in Texas that had put RFID tags in the student ID cards that everyone has to wear. The article—available at the link--was a discussion on whether the tags were an invasion of privacy.
Robotcolypse: When the robots take over
December 6, 2012 2:08 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Articles | CommentsWell friends, it appears the end is almost upon us. I’m not even referring to the end of the world a la the Mayan Calendar but rather an entirely different kind of a not-so-hostile takeover: robots. We’ve touched on robots taking over before, but this time, it’s getting serious. This robot was designed to actually replace humans.
Saudi Arabia's new "tracking" system for women
December 6, 2012 12:33 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Articles | CommentsWhen you work in the tech world, your days are usually full of creative people doing incredible things; on the darker days, you occasionally stumble on people (or governments) using technology in ways that make your skin crawl. Reports out of Saudi Arabia are saying when
10 to 30-watt switchers feature narrow 2-inch width
December 6, 2012 12:14 pm | Product Releases | CommentsTDK Corporation announces the release of TDK-Lambda’s new ZWS10-30B Series of open-frame, 2-inch wide power supplies, with output power ratings of 10, 15, and 30-watts. These high-density, high efficiency, low profile power supplies are designed for a wide variety of applications including....
Retailers employ crony capitalism in push for online sales tax
December 5, 2012 5:11 pm | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Articles | CommentsThe Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) has written a letter to Congress urging them to pass the Marketplace Fairness Act by the end of the year. This "e-fairness legislation" would allegedly "close the decades-old loophole enjoyed by online-only retailers" and "restore free market principles."
Engineering Newswire 15: Disney robots play catch with your kids
December 4, 2012 9:54 am | Videos | CommentsToday on Engineering Newswire, brought to you by PD&D TV, we're playing catch with Disney robots, colonizing mars with deep pocketed donors, and beaming aboard a Star Trek classroom. This episode features....
Engineering Newswire 14: Blowing up James Bond's Aston Martin
December 4, 2012 9:49 am | Videos | CommentsToday on Engineering Newswire, brought to you by PD&D TV, we're propelling bio-bots with rat blood, creating a dancing robot, "Gangnam Style", and blowing up James Bond's Aston Martin. This episode features....
Smartphones might soon develop emotional intelligence
December 4, 2012 9:22 am | by Eurekalert! | News | CommentsIf you think having your phone identify the nearest bus stop is cool, wait until it identifies your mood. New research by a team of engineers at the University of Rochester may soon make that possible. At the IEEE Workshop on Spoken Language Technology on Dec. 5, the researchers will describe
Preventing 'Cyber Pearl Harbor'
December 3, 2012 9:01 am | by Eurekalert! | News | CommentsCyber attacks that have long caused major work disruption and theft of private information are becoming more sophisticated with prolonged attacks perpetrated by organized groups. In September 2012, Bank of America, Citibank, the New York Stock Exchange, and other financial institutions were targets of attacks
Pope joins tweeting masses with Pontifex handle, sends "pearls of wisdom" on faith
December 3, 2012 8:58 am | by NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press | News | CommentsBenedict XVI, the pope known for his hefty volumes of theology, is now trying brevity - spreading the faith through his own Twitter account. The pontiff will tweet in eight languages starting Dec. 12 using his personal handle (at)Pontifex, responding live to questions about faith during his weekly general audience, the Vatican said Monday.
The cause of engineering project delays – multitasking
November 29, 2012 12:21 pm | by Sanjeev Gupta, CEO of Realization | Articles | CommentsEngineers have come to expect that most projects will be delivered late, out of scope and over budget even though to all appearances everyone is working long hours and putting their noses to the grindstone. It’s just become an accepted fact of the industry, and it’s a shame, because it doesn’t have to be that way.
2013 International CES shines spotlight on start-ups
November 27, 2012 4:22 pm | News | CommentsThe Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) today announced a new program with the Startup America Partnership, a national network of communities dedicated to advancing the success of American start-ups, for the 2013 International CES. The partnership will bring specific programming for entrepreneurs and start-ups at the 2013 International CES, world’s largest innovation event.
AP IMPACT: Will NYC act to block future surges?
November 27, 2012 9:13 am | by JEFF DONN Associated Press | News | CommentsThink Sandy was just a 100-year storm that devastated New York City? Imagine one just as bad, or worse, every three years.Prominent planners and builders say now is the time to think big to shield the city's core: a 5-mile barrier blocking the entryway to New York Harbor, an archipelago of man-made islets
UN Web conference stirs 'culture clash' over regulations' reach
November 26, 2012 8:57 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsAn upcoming U.N. gathering about Internet oversight is raising alarms from a broad coalition of critics, including the U.S., tech giants such as Google and rights groups, concerned that changes could lead to greater efforts to censor Web content and stifle innovation in cyberspace.
North America and China TV shipments rise ahead of holidays, according to NPD DisplaySearch
November 21, 2012 12:52 pm | News | CommentsDespite a 7% Y/Y dip in global TV shipments, retail sales in North America have been steady, if not exciting, and unit shipments were up almost 3% in Q3’12 after posting small declines in 1H’12. The trend in the US market has been toward bigger and cheaper TVs, in the U.S. market lately, which is expected to be the focus during Black Friday this year.
