ECN Editors
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...
What are the biggest LED challenges, according to engineers
May 17, 2013 10:06 am | by Editor | Blogs | CommentsWith Lightfair in the rearview mirror and being dominated by LEDs, lighting has become an intense debate in the industry. What we want to know is what you think about the future of LEDs. We know our readers have varied opinions and valuable experiences – now here’s a great opportunity to showcase them. Send us an answer to the question below and if we think yours is great...
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.
To break down the digital divide, target relevance and affordability
May 6, 2013 1:23 pm | by Chris Warner, Executive Editor | Articles | CommentsIt’s hard to believe some 20 years after Internet became available to most Americans that many of our neighbors are still not only offline but computer illiterate as well. I was reminded of that fact in March when the Governor of New Jersey proposed that the unemployed in the state, as a condition to receive their benefits, use the state’s jobs listing web site each week.
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.
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.
A look back at Lightfair 2013
April 26, 2013 4:54 pm | by Chris Warner, Executive Editor | Articles | CommentsCold weather has been hanging on well into April here in the northeast. But if you were in Philadelphia this week, you would be forgiven for walking around wearing sunglasses – especially indoors at the Pennsylvania Convention Center – a sure sign that Lightfair is in town.
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.
The newest storybook: Scannable pjs
April 25, 2013 1:49 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | Blogs | CommentsIt was really only a matter of time before QR codes invaded bedtime, but at least they made it interesting. Smart PJs (patent-pending) are a new kind of clothing complete with QR code-like scannable patches that could make bedtime a little more fun.
iBeetle: Everything you never wanted in an infotainment system
April 22, 2013 2:59 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Blogs | CommentsWe’ve talked A LOT about safety and innovation when it comes to infotainment systems in cars. We've talking more regulation, less regulation, new systems and crazy ideas. The discussion revolves primarily around how to integrate electronics
This is the most ridiculous phone ever
April 19, 2013 3:48 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | Blogs | CommentsThe words “mega” and “phone” should never be combined when it comes to cellphones, but that didn’t stop Samsung from making the most ridiculous phone yet. The company has blown away the competition when it comes to screen size with their new 6.3 inch (diagonally) and 5.8 inch Galaxy Mega phones. For the sake of comparison, the Apple iPhone 5 is 4 inches.
Schools should take a pass on essay grading software
April 16, 2013 4:16 pm | by Chris Warner, Executive Editor | Articles | CommentsOne of the joys of high school and college was receiving my blue essay book back from my teacher or professor. I couldn’t wait to read their comments in the columns of the book, especially when one of my essays was laden with jokes or sarcasm. But that was often a two-way street, as when my thesis statement would indicate my essay was going to go in a direction my instructor found dubious.
DoD cancels “participation trophy” for drone pilots
April 16, 2013 4:03 pm | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsThe DoD has finally backed down. And I applaud their decision. Following months of negative feedback, the DoD has officially scuttled the Distinguished Warfare Medal. The DWM — intended for drone operators — would’ve ranked ahead of the Bronze Star and Purple Heart (two combat decorations) in the order of precedence.
Why the government should ban cellphones while driving
April 16, 2013 10:28 am | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | Blogs | CommentsThis term “nanny state” is an interesting one. It’s a term people throw out when they feel the government is infringing on their right to do something stupid. Frankly, if people could be trusted to police themselves, we wouldn’t have any laws at all.
Iran invents “time machine,” beats Doc Brown to the punch
April 12, 2013 10:23 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsFrom the same folks who brought you the flying clown car comes this: An Iranian scientist claims to have invented a time machine. No, really. I cannot make this stuff up. Ali Razeghi registered "The Aryayek Time Traveling Machine" with the state-run Center for Strategic Inventions. He claims it can "predict five to eight years of the future life of any individual, with 98 percent accuracy"....
The nanny state should loosen its grip on cell phones
April 11, 2013 3:24 pm | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsWe’ve written a lot on ECN about automotive safety and its intersection with cutting-edge technology. Texting, Facebooking, and web surfing pose an existential concern for distracted drivers (not to mention pilots, train conductors, and boat captains), but the nanny state has really overreached on this one: A California court recently found a motorist guilty of distracted driving for checking a map on his iPhone.
Star Wars on the high seas: Navy plans to deploy shipboard laser by 2014
April 9, 2013 3:35 pm | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsSome bad news for Sci-Fi fans: The Navy’s new shipboard laser system, Laser Weapon System (LaWS), won't shoot spiffy beams of light of the sort used to kill stormtroopers, Cylons, and Klingons. But it will fire a focused infrared laser that can down drones, disable small boats, and — in the future — engage missiles and enemy jets.
The creepiest robot yet
April 9, 2013 2:28 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | Blogs | CommentsThere is an interesting inverse phenomenon involved in creating humanoid robots: The more lifelike they are, the creepier they become. It’s not something that makes complete sense if you think about it. Theoretically, as robots become more human-like, they should begin to blend more into society and become less weird.
The Facebook "phone" that no one wants
April 8, 2013 2:56 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | Articles | CommentsWell, well, well. It looks like Facebook has finally decided to join the big boys and create their own phone. It’s the phone that absolutely no one was waiting for. To quote the parody video below, “Stop. Don’t do that. Nobody wants it.”
Should a computer grade your essay?
April 8, 2013 10:09 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsOne should never swap quality for instant gratification. Yet that’s exactly what EdX, a nonprofit educational organization founded by Harvard and MIT, is doing with their automated grading software that promises “instant feedback” on students’ essays. Creativity need not apply.
Television's next big thing: Smell-O-Vision (again)
April 3, 2013 3:44 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | Blogs | CommentsNow that 3D television has failed to take off the way designers were hoping, companies have moved on to a newer, better, greater, bound-for-failure idea: Smell-O-Vision. Haruka Matsukura and a team from the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology have designed an olfactory display system that can work in conjunction with a 2D display.
Top 10 must-read posts from March
April 3, 2013 10:47 am | 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.
A legitimate case for drones
March 29, 2013 3:32 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | Blogs | CommentsThere’s been a lot of chatter in the news (and here on ECN) about drones. These arguments usually come down to questions about ethics, military power and tangentially the military industrial complex, and the relationship of the US with various other countries. It’s rare to see drones talked about in any context outside of military.
Internet sales tax will only benefit the state
March 25, 2013 3:34 pm | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Articles | CommentsGet ready to pony up more dollars for online purchases. On Friday, the U.S. Senate passed the innocuously-titled "Marketplace Fairness Act" through the upper chamber on a 75-24 vote. The bill would require e-tailers to collect and remit sales tax on interstate commerce, even when the business has no physical presence in the state.
Bendable display technology takes the stage
March 22, 2013 12:06 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | Corning, Samsung | Articles | CommentsIt happens to everyone who owns a smart phone or tablet. One ill-fated toss into the car or accidental drop on the hardwood and suddenly the screen is too cracked to read. Not only does this render the phone useless until you can get to a store, it can mean spending hundreds of dollars on a new screen or an entirely new phone.
Lady brains: Dumbing down technology for women
March 15, 2013 3:53 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Blogs | CommentsManufacturers are constantly trying to find ways to appeal specifically to women. The justification is often that their product—be it pens, cars, or toys—sells with men, but they’re trying to attract more women. It’s a logical thought process: figure out what a demographic wants, market those specific traits, sell more product.
