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Adobe's New Smart Pen And Ruler Will Change The Way You Use Your Tablet

Wed, 15 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700

Adobe has announced a very interesting project. One that looks like it could be available soon.

There's a new pen/stylus they're working on that promises some amazing stuff. Namely, the ability to write or draw on your tablet. Yes, iPads are included in this, it's in fact what Michael Gough, Adobe VP of Product Experience, uses in this video demonstration of it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Jexqp-MK0pI

The pen connects to your tablet via Bluetooth, allows you to write naturally, easily switch tools, and will remember your settings regardless of the device you're using. If you go from an iPad to using it on an iPhone, it retains all its settings.

The pen is pressure-sensitive, so you can intuitively control the pen just like you would a pencil. But unlike a pencil, the Mighty Pen knows the difference between the pen and your finger, so if you make a mistake, your finger becomes the eraser. Faster, and no crumbs!

Their "ruler", called Napoleon, takes this a step further. It allows you to perfectly draw straight or curved lines. I don't know if it's as useful as the pen, but I suppose if you're storyboarding or designing a new bridge it would be handy.

No word on price or availability, but if you often still use a pencil or pen and paper like we do, you want one.

A Tablet Buyers Priorities? Apps, Price

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0700

It probably comes as no big surprise, but a new study by comScore notes that tablet buyers are most concerned about the device’s price and app selection. Both priorities scored the highest on the study’s 10-point scale. They received an average ranking of 7.7 out of 10 in terms of how important a feature was when purchasing a tablet.

The tablet’s brand name and operating system were next in line in terms of importance, with each scoring an average of 7.5 from the 6,000 people surveyed. Music and video capabilities came in next, scoring a 7.4.

Of less importance to tablet consumers were recommendations from friends, family or sales associates and whether the tablet shared the same operating system as the owner’s smartphone. Social networking abilities also weren’t of prime importance to these participants.

iPad owners were most concerned withapp selection, brand name and operating system (in that order), while Android tablet owners focused on price, apps, and music and video capabilities, according to the study.

The iPad also obtained the highest satisfaction rating among consumers, followed by Amazon’s Kindle Fire and Android tablets.

Facebook Ranked Low in Customer Satisfaction Among Social Media Sites

Tue, 07 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Facebook came in close to last among social media sites when it comes to customer service, according to a study conducted by the American Customer Satisfaction Index. Despite its nearly 850 million users, the site scored a 61 on the satisfaction survey, which was one of the lowest scores of any company listed in the index. This is an 8 percent drop for Facebook from a year ago.

In comparison, Google+ received a 78, YouTube came in at 73, Pinterest nabbed a 69, Twitter scored a 64 and LinkedIn rated a 63.

The report also notes Facebook had one of the five lowest scores of all companies indexed. It also set a new record low in the e-business category. Experts at the American Customer Satisfaction Index said Facebook users complained about ads more than anything else.

Zuckerbergs Freshman-Year Roommate to Compete in London Olympics

Thu, 26 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Does everything Mark Zuckerberg touches turn into gold? We’re sure his freshman-year roommate at Harvard is hoping so. Samyr Laine, who is also Facebook’s 14^th member, will compete in the London Olympics as a triple jumper for the Haitian team.

After graduating from Harvard, Laine obtained his law degree at Georgetown. He recently passed the New York State Bar while training for the 2012 games. Though Laine was born in America, his parents are Haitian immigrants.

Samsung Accuses LG Employees of Stealing Its OLED Technology

Tue, 24 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Samsung is alleging that six employees at competitor LG have stolen or leaked its OLED technology and some inside secrets. Two of the accused employees used to work for Samsung, according to Bloomberg.

Instead of seeking monetary damages, Samsung wants LG to issue a formal apology, which could be much more costly in terms of sales. LG isn’t biting, however. The company says the information its employees obtained is “widely known” throughout the industry and is not, in fact, secret.

LG also countered, saying it plans to sue Samsung for defamation.

A New Report Says Siri Stinks

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0700

A report by Piper Jaffray argued that Siri, the iPhone’s voice-recognition system, is not as great as she thinks she is. The company issued 1,600 common search requests and found she only knew the answer about 62 percent of the time if the setting was loud, and 68 percent if the setting was quiet.

Piper Jaffray gave Siri a “D” grade for accuracy, though the company did believe it would improve with time. The study also noted Siri is good at identify the words you speak, but not necessarily at honoring your request or answering your question.

For this reason, it gave Siri a “B” in comprehension. In a quiet setting, the company said she can identify what you’re saying 89 percent of the time, which is pretty good if you ask us.

LinkedIn, Twitter Break Ties

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0700

LinkedIn and Twitter are no longer following each other. Since 2009, Twitter allowed third-party apps like LinkedIn to stream its tweets. The company has recently posted a blog, however, saying it’s focused on “the core Twitter consumption experience through a consistent set of products and tools.”

Apparently that means it wants users to visit its site to catch up on news, friends and trends. Of course, this news also follows on the heels of the LinkedIn password breach, which affected more than 160 million users.

Mac Users Given Pricier Options on Orbitz

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Online travel arrangements made via Orbitz has been shown to offer Mac users more expensive options when ordered automatically. Like most websites, Orbitz tracks all kinds of things when you come to their site, including the operating system you are using. Their research shows that Mac users tend to spend up to 40% more on rooms and other travel arrangements, so more expensive options are ordered near the top of a search. Users can always reorder the options by price.

Sharp Brings Out An Even Bigger Set, At 90 Inches

Thu, 21 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Sharp will now offer something bigger than the 80-inch Aquos, now with an even bigger LC-90LE745U LED set, that runs 1080p at 120 Hz with Sharp's 240 technology to eliminate blur in fast motion from movies, sports and games. It's full 3D and comes with two pair of active shutter 3D glasses. It has built-in Wi-fi and can access Vudu, Hulu, Facebook, Twitter and more, and even use Skype with an optional camera (not included). How great would Skype be with something that makes the person you're talking to look 4 times lifesize?

It weighs a fairly substantial 144 lbs, possibly as much as the person trying to hang it. Don't drop it on your foot! Energy costs are expected to be low, it's like running a pair of 75 watt bulbs, which may equate to aroundd $28 a year in energy cost. The price tag, however, is for those who likely won't care about an uptick in their electric bill, because the set will need a generous room to run in, and will still set you back almost $11k.

Study: Tweeps Tweet More than 400 Million Times a Day

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0700

There are currently more than 400 million tweets sent on any given day, according to Twitter’s CEO Dick Costolo. The social media platform has more than 140 million users.

While some users only log in about once a month or so, according to the company, there are plenty of avid tweeps who more than make up for a lack of commitment by others. The popularity of retweeting, or RT’ing, has also made it easy to disseminate interesting information quickly.

One out of Four Smartphones Owners Also Use a Tablet

Mon, 18 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Tablets have officially spread like wildfire. According to comScore, one out of every four smartphone owners also uses a tablet. Another interesting statistic comScore noted was the older age of tablet users. These users were 28 percent more likely to be ages 65 and older, and 27 percent less likely to be ages 18 to 24.

The survey also cited that about 50 percent of tablet owners used their devices to watch movies. Only 20 percent of smartphone owners did the same. This is likely due to the larger, crisper screens on tablets like the iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab and Kindle Fire.

Milkmaid Texts You When Milk Spoils

Sun, 17 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Sure, milk cartons have expiration dates printed on them, but those dates are small, hard to read, and, well, they’re not very high-tech or stylish. Enter the Milkmaid. The Milkmaid is a glass jug that will alert you when your milk spoils.

It features LED lights that change from green to orange when the milk goes bad. The jug can also text you if it expires or if you’re running low. This awesome device can also tell you the milk’s temperature. The jug was the winning entry in a contest sponsored by GE and Quirky, a product development company.

Check out the video below to see how it works.

Samsung becomes world's largest cellphone brand

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

In the first quarter of 2012, Samsung has become the world’s largest cellphone brand.
Samsung remained in second place behind Apple In the smartphone segment, according to market research firm IHS iSuppli.
The South Korean electronics giant shipped 92 million cellphones worldwide in the first quarter,almost 10 million more than nearest competitor Nokia.
This marks the first time since 1998 that Nokia has not been the No. 1 brand in the global cellphone market.
A fundamental shift in the structure of the wireless market has happend” said Ian Fogg, senior principal analyst, mobile, for IHS. “Cellphone market growth is now being generated exclusively by the smartphone segment, and not by the feature phones, entry-level cellphones and ultra-low-cost handsets that had fueled the industry’s expansion over the previous decade.”

The Kindle Fire is turning up the heat on its competition

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Amazon.com Inc.'s tablet computer is catching on in a big way, by grabbing more than 50% of the market by the fourth month that it was on sale, according to new data from comScore Inc. That represented a near doubling of the Fire's Android market share since December, when it was at 29.4%.
Apple's iPad, according to the market research firm IDC, controls about 55% of the entire tablet market as of the fourth quarter of 2011, with Android tablets accounting for about 45%.
This means about 30% of Android tablets currently shipping are Kindle Fires, putting the Fire an increasingly close second to the iPad.
That may make dismissing the Kindle Fire more difficult for Apple. In February, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook dismissed tablets like the Kindle Fire as an inferior competitor, mentioning it’s lowering cost as it’s sole benefit.
However, users of the Fire are touting it’s features as impressive and enjoyable. The Kindle Fire is a 7-inch tablet that links seamlessly with Amazon's awesome collection of digital music, video, magazine, and book services in one easy-to-use package. It boasts a great Web browser, and its curated Android app store includes most of the big must-have apps (such as Netflix, Pandora, and Hulu). The Fire has an ultra-affordable price tag, and the screen quality is exceptional for the price. Tim Cook aside, this is a great product!

iPad 3 To Be Announced March 7?

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Apple teases it's upcoming "Special Event" in California to journalists with the photo above, with a person using an iPad, touching the date, with the line: "We have something you really have to see. And touch". Rumors have been flying, and it is right around the anniversary of the release of the iPad 2. Speculation abounds, things like a thicker, heavier case with a longer-life battery, a higher resolution "Retina Display" multitouch screen like the iPhone 4s, Siri, quad-core processors, 4G/LTE. There is also a rumor that it will run $60 more than the iPad 2. Of course, this is all rumor until the official announcement. The Apple iPad 2 came out a year ago, so the release of the iPad 3 seems likely for the March 7 event. Stay tuned here for more information as it is released.

Your Car Will Have A Backup Camera By 2014

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Lawmakers are putting the finishing touches on a law that requires that all new passenger vehicles have backup cameras by 2014. Kidsandcars.org claims that two children are killed and 50 injured per week. Regulators say that between 95 and 115 deaths and over 8,300 injuries per year could be avoided with the backup cameras. Government statistics indicate that nearly 225 people die per year and 17,000 are injured by being backed over.

Some cars have much larger blind spots than others for backing up. SUVs and some mini vans have fairly large spaces behind them that are covered by the rear hatch. The Cadillac CTS-V sedan, with it's tall trunk, has a blind spot that extends over 100 feet behind the car.

Currently in the U.S., about 45% of cars offer backup cameras as an option. Originally, they were usually part of a $2000+ navigation package, but since the legislation was started, more and more manufacturers offer it as an option by itself for a couple of hundred dollars. The expected cost of the mandated cameras will be between $160-200, costing the industry some $2.7 billion a year, and you can expect that cost to be passed on to the consumer.

More safety is a good thing, not just to keep from running someone over, but also to keep you from backing over kids' bikes and into low planters and other obstacles.

Other mandated safety features in the past couple of decades include airbags and the "Liddy Light", the center high-mount safety light named for Elizabeth "Liddy" Dole who made it a standard when she was Secretary of Transportation in the 1980s.

To read more about this, check out Nick Bunkley's article in the New York Times.

Playing 'Call of Duty' Leads to SWAT Team Investigation

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700

The combat jumped out of the game and into real life for one poor Dallas teenager recently. The boy was playing Call of Duty on his Xbox 360 when his game was interrupted by someone in a chatroom who said he was going to hack the kid’s account and send a SWAT team to his house. The teen went on playing, thinking nothing about this seemingly idle threat. Minutes later, a SWAT team was banging on his family’s front door. Apparently a 9-1-1 operator had received a call from an AT&T Instant Message Relay Service that said someone had been shot in the house and that gunfire could still be heard inside. Naturally, the allegations were untrue. Police are currently trying to identify the hacker, who seemed to have targeted the teen randomly.

Siri Will Soon Speak More Languages

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Siri, the popular and often mocked iPhone 4S assistant, will soon add a few more languages to her repertoire. Though she currently speaks English, French and German, the folks over at Apple say she’s working on Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Korean and Japanese. These languages are set to debut sometime in 2012. Once available, they should be found in the iPhone’s settings. No word on whether she’s mastered the Scottish accent yet, or how accurate her language skills will be if, say, a non-native speaker tried to talk to Siri in Spanish.

How to Spot an Online Liar

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Cornell University have identified some very important verbiage when it comes to sniffing out an online liar. By analyzing the profiles of online daters — a group that is notorious for its deception — the researchers have established a few patterns in their language that reek of mistruths. According to their study, liars are more likely to avoid using the first-person pronoun “I,” as this helps distance themselves from the fib. They also speak in negation, saying something is “not bad” instead of “good,” or “not fat” instead of “skinny.” Online liars also provide fewer descriptions, as this equates to fewer lies, meaning they don’t have to keep track of so many stories. Not surprisingly, online daters mostly lie about their weight, height and age. Many who lie about these topics also steered clear of conversations pertaining to appearance. They choose, instead, to talk about their accomplishments or work.

Printing Out Facebook Would Take 11.5 Billion Sheets of Paper

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Ever wonder what the Internet would look like printed out? That concept’s a bit over our heads, but if you want a glimpse of what that might look like, consider this: it would take 11.5 billion pages to print out just one year’s worth of Facebook posts. According to a new study by Cartridgesave, this would take 573 million hours to read through. That’s a steep order, considering there are only 8,765 hours in a year. The study’s estimations are based on Facebook’s 800 million users and a British study that said the average user updates his or her status twice a day.

Video Game Sales Continue to Dwindle

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Nintendo isn’t the only one reporting dramatic drops in sales. Market research NPD Group announced sales of video games, their consoles and their accessories have fallen by 34 percent this past January, as compared to a year ago. The normally robust holiday period didn’t help, either. Holiday figures were down 31 percent. These numbers have surpassed analysts’ expectations, which hovered around 12 percent. We can all blame the “App Economy,” people.

Daughter Talks Smack on Facebook, Father Riddles Laptop with Bullets

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Children, heed this advice: don’t mess with fathers in cowboy hats. One 15-year-old girl learned this the hard way. She apparently complained to her Facebook friends about having to do chores at home, poking fun at her parents’ old-school ways. Well, her father has some old-school ways of his own. After setting up a tripod and grabbing his gun, the father made a video of himself putting his daughter in check. The best part? “That right here is your laptop. This right here is my .45,” he says, referring to his gun. The father also insists that she pay him back for each bullet he pumped into the laptop, which he says costs about a dollar a piece. He also tells her she has permission to get a new laptop anytime — anytime she can afford one, that is.

Cameras, Digital Photo Frames Out at Kodak

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Kodak, which is credited with inventing the digital camera in the mid ‘70s, has announced it will stop making this device, along with digital photo frames. The company said it hopes to phase out these products by mid-2012. It does, however, plan to license its name to other manufacturers as Kodak tries to avoid bankruptcy. Just like the video game industry, the market for digital cameras has shrunk significantly thanks to smartphones, tablets and apps. We hate to be a downer, but we bet it’s safe to say we’re going to hear a lot more whispers about camera manufacturers and bankruptcies as smartphone and tablet cameras become more and more sophisticated.

iPhone Actually Costs Sprint Money

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Sprint experienced a $1.3-billion loss in the last quarter of 2011, according to the LA Times. While the entire amount cannot be attributed to the iPhone, experts are saying the carrier took a huge hit when it purchased 1.8 million iPhones for $630 million. The Times noted that carriers actually take a loss on the purchases of the iPhone, but hope to turn a profit once they lock customers into two-year contracts. However, many in the industry have warned that making a profit on these transactions is more difficult than it seems. Sprint allegedly spent more than a quarter of its entire equipment costs on these iPhones. That, combined with the fact that the two-year contracts are just barely kicking in, means Sprint has a long way to go before it’ll know whether this bet has paid off.

Researcher: Online Dating Sites Use Inaccurate Algorithm

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700

A researcher at Northwestern University claims that although online date sites may result in some matches and even a few marriages, the formulas they use to identify your most compatible candidates is not reliable. Isn’t that a convenient little nugget right before Valentine’s Day? The researcher says there is no scientific merit behind the formula these sites use, since there are too many limitations and unaccounted factors to make it anywhere close to reliable. The researcher also claims that many confines exist in the online dating realm because nothing can compensate for face-to-face interaction. We agree that chemistry would be pretty difficult to gauge over a laptop or smartphone screen. However, we also think weeding out the millions of daters that don’t share our fundamental beliefs or have even the most basic things in common with us might help, too.

CalSTRS to Facebook: Expand Board, Add Women

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700

The California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS) is asking Facebook to expand its board by adding a few women. As it stands now, the board is all male. The CalSTRS corporate governance director, who happens to be a woman, wrote to Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg arguing that company investors and employees could benefit from a few more diverse opinions. CalSTRS had hoped Facebook would add more board members before its initial public offering, though that clearly didn’t happen.

'App Economy' has Created 466,000 Jobs

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700

The "App Economy," as it’s been dubbed, has created nearly 1.2 million jobs worldwide, according to TechNet. About 466,000 of those jobs were created in the U.S., while remainder went to China.

Most of the U.S.-based jobs reside in California (23.8 percent), with the majority centered around the San Francisco/Silicon Valley region (14.8 percent). New York is the next biggest hub, housing 6.9 percent of these positions.

This app market includes everything from tablet and smartphone makers to operating system providers and the app vendors themselves. Naturally, some of the biggest companies that can take credit for this App Economy include Apple, Android, BlackBerry, Google and Facebook.

Our gut tells us this movement is just getting started. Who knows how many more app-centric jobs will be created in 2012 and beyond.

Video: The History of Video Games (and Their Sound Effects)

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Whether you’re a hardcore gamer or not, chances are you’ve played a round or two of some video game over the past 30 years. Maybe you played Pac-Man on an Atari. Or Tetris on a Nintendo. Or maybe you stay fit now thanks to the Xbox Kinect. Whatever your poison, there’s no debating that video games have enjoyed a long, storied history. Part of that history includes the unique, synthetic sounds that signified a jump, hit, death and a million other actions. Some of these sounds were so iconic and so embedded in our brains that they actually hold more vivid memories than any of the games' visuals. If you’d like to relive some of those glory days, Michael Winslow — aka Larvelle Jones from Police Academy — takes you through a brief, but entertaining retrospective on video games. Enjoy!

Men: Dont Buy Women Pink Gadgets

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700

[caption id="attachment_40662" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Apparently pink, whether used by gadget cos. or breast cancer organizations, turns women off"][/caption] Roses and chocolates may be the requisite Valentine’s Day gifts for women, but those who prefer tech gifts this Feb. 14 don’t necessarily want them in pretty pink packages. A new report called "Women in Consumer Electronics" that was recently released by the Consumer Electronics Association notes the fairer sex actually responds less to ads and gadgets that are adorned in pink. CEA doesn’t go into the logic behind the pink aversion, but does go so far as to say that this color bias even extends to breast cancer charities and awareness. Apparently the color can turn some off from donating to breast cancer causes or listening to an organization’s message. This reporter completely agrees with the pink gadget trend. I’d just as soon get a pajamagram or Vermont teddy bear (both of which I find horrific) on Valentine’s Day than a pink gadget or case. I’ve personally never felt turned off by cancer-related organizations’ use of pink, however (maybe it’s subliminal?).

Smartphone Newbs Choose Android Over Apple

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Those who are upgrading from feature phones to smartphones seem to prefer Android, according to the NPD Group. New smartphone owners purchase Android-operated phones about 57 percent of the time, while iPhones are chosen only 34 percent of the time. The most likely reason for this is that the Android operating system is available on a variety of phones, including Motorola, LG, HTC and Samsung. Apple does, however, offer the most popular smartphones on the market, the group noted. Notice we said smartphoneS? That’s because the iPhone 4S, 4 and 3G all occupied the top spots, respectively, on the list of top-selling smartphones during the fourth quarter of 2011. The Samsung GALAXY S II and Samsung GALAXY S 4G rounded out the list.

New Film Shows iPhones Dont Like to Be Discarded

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700

There have been a couple videos circulating online that spoof Siri, turning this innocent personal assistant into a cold-blooded killer. We have to admit, we’ve had our doubts about Siri’s loyalty too. Sometimes she’ll gladly complete a task in no time flat. Other times we swear she understands what we’re saying but chooses to patronize us. Then there are the times when she’ll add her own commentary to our requests or questions. Those instances can be a bit spooky, as they’re so sporadic and, therefore, unexpected. Oftentimes they leave us double checking our phone to see if she really said that or if it was just our imagination. While we may be questioning Siri’s loyalty, she’s certainly questioning ours as well, at least according to a new video. If the video is to be believed, Siri and her iPhone don’t take too kindly to being abandoned, sold or traded. As you’ll see, vengeance is thrust upon those who take her for granted. Sweet dreams...

Amazon Plans to Open a Store in Seattle

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Amazon is planning to open an actual bricks-and-mortar retail store in Seattle, according to GoodEReader.com. The source says the store would sell items exclusive to the company, including the Kindle, Kindle accessories and Amazon-only books. This news sounds a little more legitimate than just pure speculation, although Amazon has yet to comment so far. We’re going to believe it for now, but we’ll let you know if/when the store is confirmed.

Send a Long-Distance Kiss Via Robot

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Valentine’s Day is approaching, but alas, not all of us can be with the ones we love (or love the ones we’re with). That led one Singapore researcher to try to bridge the affection gap that exists in long-distance relationships with a kissing robot. While they may not be able to smooch in real life, a couple can lock lips via the Kissenger. This robot comes with a mouthpiece that can supposedly record your kissing style. Once the kiss has been logged, your partner’s Kissenger will alert them that they have a kiss waiting. To redeem the kiss, the partner would then place their mouth against their respective Kissenger, which would mimic the original kiss. Awkward, to say the least, but perhaps a cute way to convey love from a distance.

LA Times: Siri Doesnt Like Scottish Accents

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Siri and Scots just don’t mix, at least according to the LA Times, which recently reported on the difficulties this personal assistant has encountered in Scotland. As you can see in the video, Siri doesn’t do well with the thick Scottish accent. Apple reps have reportedly asked Scots to keep working with the system, noting that its voice recognition accuracy improves as it learns your specific dialect. The Times article notes, however, that many aren’t buying it. While we feel Scotland’s pain, we have to admit we’ve had our own difficulties tackling this dialect in their fair country. Surely, however, if you’re going to offer a service like Siri, then it should work.

Sprint Offers Iffy Customers Big Discounts

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700

A Sprint-centric blog has reported that the carrier will be offering customers that may be at a high risk of leaving steep discounts on new gadgets. Which customers will be targeted and how much they will be offered will be determined on a case-by-case basis, the blog says. Offers will be sent out Feb. 5 via snail mail and email. Those deemed a flight risk will be offered $25, $50 or $100. These discounts can be applied toward the customer’s next upgrade — as long as they sign a new two-year service contract.

Avoid Gross Hotel Remotes with New App

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Aside from the bed comforter, hotel remotes have to be one of the grossest items we come into contact with during our nights away from home. We shutter at the very thought. Luckily, a company called LodgeNet Interactive Corporation, which provides on-demand and other TV services for hotels, has created a mobile app that can turn your smartphone into your hotel remote. The app can be downloaded prior to check-in, at check-in or even in the hotel room by scanning a QR code. The company notes you still have to use the communal remote to turn the TV on, but after that you can switch to your mobile phone. We suppose you could avoid the remote altogether by turning the TV on manually, but that’s probably not much more sanitary. The app is currently available for iPhone and Android.

Consumers Urge Apple to Clean Up Working Conditions

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

You might have seen a recent New York Times story that exposed the poor working conditions in Apple’s Chinese factories. Incidents in and near the factory have resulted in many injuries and even a few deaths, leaving many consumers dismayed. That’s why SumofUs.org has started an online petition urging iPhone, iPad and iPod lovers to send a message to Apple that these often dangerous conditions are not okay. The petition garnered 35,000 signatures within its first 24 hours, according to MSNBC. This movement is nicely timed, as the iPhone 5 is expected out later this year. It will be the first Apple product to launch under the company’s new CEO, Tim Cook. No word yet on what Apple plans to do about these working conditions or the petition. Cook did send a letter to employees, however, saying “We care about every worker in our worldwide supply chain... Any suggestion that we don’t care is patently false and offensive to us. As you know better than anyone, accusations like these are contrary to our values. It’s not who we are." We suppose Apple’s “true identity” will be revealed in time, now that these conditions have been brought to its (and the rest of the world’s) attention. Click here to sign the petition.

Frustrated with Tech Support? Theres a Viral Video for That

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

A new breed of online videos has cropped up in the past few months. They’re called “S*** ________ Say,” except you fill in the blank with any number of identities, from yogis to entrepreneurs, girls to New Yorkers. It seems everyone with a video camera has tried to grab their 15 minutes with these clips, some of which are very funny and spot on, while others kind of miss the mark. Well, that poor population of people who have had the displeasure of talking with tech support agents is no different. And a few took it upon themselves to create “S**** Support Agents Say.” The less than two-minute video hits on many of the annoying statements so many of us are confronted with when we call for help. Verifying mother’s maiden names, asking if we’ve tried turning our devices off, being told their system is running abnormally slow today, etc. We wouldn’t say this is the funniest “S*** ________ Say” video, but it’s entertaining and accurate enough to recommend. And if you’ve got a half hour or so to kill, Google the web series (minus the asterisks) and have a ball.

The Office Becomes New Rendition of Counter Strike

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Counter Strike is a first-person shooter game that is popular with the high school and college crowds. The Office is an NBC primetime sitcom that’s popular with the 18 to 49 crowd. While the two don’t share many glaring similarities, one techie decided to turn the Office into a new version of Counter Strike. Instead of running around the desert or an abandoned warehouse, your character makes its way through the halls of Dunder Mifflin’s office building. TechCrunch noted that the creator of this hybrid has spent 500 hours watching episodes of the Office to perfect the workspace layout. As you can see in the video, it’s pretty spot on. The two-minute clip does get a little boring, however, as there’s no one to interact with. You keep thinking Stanley or Kelly is going to pop up at any moment, though from the looks of things that would probably result in a bullet to the chest. The programmer notes that he started this project in 2009 and is looking for a knowledgeable source to finish it. Any takers?

Study: Teens Turn to Twitter to Get Away from Us

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Teens value their privacy, as we all know, which is ironic, considering they share more intimate details of their lives than any other group, but whatever. While they’re happy to recount every in and out of their days to their friends, teens are not so happy to know their space has been invaded by adults. Once parents, aunts, uncles and, yes, grandparents started friending them on Facebook, many teenagers quickly made a run for it. Lots ended up on Twitter, which was a surprise to many analysts. The Pew Internet & American Life Project noted that the percentage of teens who use Twitter has doubled from 8 percent to 16 percent in the past two years alone. Experts believe the growth in popularity is due to a couple factors: teens don’t have to use their real names, they can have multiple accounts and they can follow their favorite celebrities. Oh, and their older relatives aren’t on Twitter — a major selling point, apparently

Chevy Volt Cleared of Fire Risk

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

US federal safety investigators have cleared the Chevrolet Volt of suspicions that the electric-powered car was more susceptible to fire risks than traditional gas-fueled vehicles. These suspicions arose from impact tests that showed the battery and coolant system could be punctured and begin leaking after a side impact. Chevrolet responded very well to customer concerns, offering loaner vehicles while further tests were carried out. It even gave nervous Volt owners the option to sell their cars back! Chevy says no one took them up on the latter offer. After further testing, it was determined that there was no significant trend in the risk of fire damage to Volts or other electric vehicles versus their gas counterparts. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also noted that not one real world example of the battery or coolant system cracking, leaking and then catching fire had ever been reported on the Volt.

Lose Something? It Might Be Found In Town

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

A startup out of Chicago is helping forgetful people find their lost gadgets. It’s called Found In Town, and this new website acts as a virtual lost-and-found box. The company’s creator said the idea for Found In Town came from the concept that many good Samaritans would return a lost gadget, but that they simply don’t know how to locate the owner or where to turn it in. He cited taxi cabs as one of the best examples, noting 120,000 cell phones are left in cabs ever year. Once the next rider gets in, how should he go about locating the previous cash-paying customer if he finds a cell phone in the backseat? And does he trust the driver enough to turn the phone over to him? Theoretically, it makes sense to turn the phone or other electronic over to the police. A building’s security officer, doorman or cashier are also attractive options if the device is found inside these establishments. With Found In Town, however, the process of locating your lost device is made easy. You simply register with the website and it will issue you a serial number and a sheet of stickers you can place on your valuables. If someone stumbles upon your seemingly orphaned gadget, the sticker gives them instructions on how they can return it to you. It’s then up to the Good Samaritan to determine how he wants to get the device back to the proper owner. He can take it home, naturally, but many people aren’t comfortable providing home addresses or meeting a stranger in person to hand over the device. That’s why he can also note on Found In Town that he left the device with Sal the bartender or Gary the doorman at such-and-such building. Sounds like a good idea, though you still have to rely on the kindness (and honesty) of strangers.

Study: Windows May Overtake Apple iOS in 2015

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

IHS market researchers believe the Windows operating system could best Apple’s iOS for the number-two spot by 2015. The firm believes the Windows phone will account for 16.7 percent of the smartphone market by this time. This would be a huge jump, considering Windows currently holds less than 2 percent of the market share. Android, which occupies the number-one spot when it comes to operating systems, is predicted to retain its title. Many of Windows’ hopes are pinned on the new Lumia 900 smartphone, which recently debuted at CES. The phone features a 4.3-inch AMOLED screen, a 12-megapixel camera and a strong battery, among other features. Though this is a Windows phone, Nokia is expected to account for more than 50 percent of its sales.

Sales of Tablets, Ereaders Nearly Double Over Holidays

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Before the 2011 holiday season, only 10 percent of Americans owned tablets or e-readers. By early January, that number had nearly doubled to 19 percent. It seems like it was a very Merry Christmas for many, indeed. Experts say that price had a lot to do with the increase in ownership. They noted Amazon’s Kindle Fire and Barnes and Noble’s Nook tablet had been recently introduced at very low price points before the holiday season commenced. A Pew survey also found that tablets were more popular with the highly educated, while e-readers were women’s gadget of choice.

Supreme Court: GPS Tracking Requires a Warrant

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

The Supreme Court recently ruled law enforcement officials need to obtain a warrant before utilizing GPS technology to locate a suspect. The nine justices noted that attaching a device to a suspect’s car in order to track their movements violated the fourth amendment, which protects against “unreasonable search and seizure.” What’s really interesting about this ruling is what it may say about the GPS technology used in tracking non-police-installed devices, such as a suspect’s smartphone or tablet.

Apple to Sell 48 Million iPads in 2012

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Apple is predicted to sell a whopping 48 million iPads this year, according to analysts at Sterne Agee. Many of these future sales are linked to prospects of the iPad 3, which is likely due out sometime in late spring or early summer. What’s more, the analyst says his estimate is conservative! To put his prediction in perspective, Apple recently declared it had sold 11.2 million iPads during the fourth quarter of last year. This was a 166 percent jump in sales from a year ago. The gadget giant is estimated to have sold a total of 38 million iPads last year, making the analyst’s prediction not that far of a stretch. What do you think? Will the iPad 3 be enough to increase sales by 20 percent? Will you buy an iPad 3? Why or why not?

Websites Go Dark in Protest of SOPA, PIPA

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Popular information-spreading websites like Google, Wikipedia, Reddit, TwitPic and Fark are all protesting the Stop Online Privacy Act (SOPA) and the Senate’s Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA) anti-piracy bills Congress is currently considering. Companies like the above-named argue that these bills would squash creativity and innovation, giving the government way too much control over what is considered a copyright violation on the web. Some sites, like Wikipedia and Fark, went dark altogether. They’re doing this in a dramatic attempt to show users what it would be like if their information was heavily censored. The standard web content has been replaced by anti-SOPA messages, as well as directions on how loyal users can contact their local representatives. Other sites, like Google and TwitPic, placed black censorship bars over their logos. The SOPA and PIPA bills were originally targeted at foreign websites that were illegally posting U.S. copyrighted material. However, many websites argue that it would be too difficult and time-consuming for them to police the origins and authenticity of every piece of content coming across their servers. The senate is set to vote on the bill Jan. 24. What do you think? Do these bills contain genuine issues that need to be addressed, or is this just another attempt to censor the web?

Average Car on the Road is now 10.8 Years

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Cars on the road today are now older than ever — and you can bet the recession is at least partially to blame. The average age of a driven vehicle in 2011 was 10.8 years, an all-time record in America, according to the Center for Automotive Research. This trend has also caused a slump in new car sales. Only 12.8 million new cars were purchased in 2011. This was down from 16 million in the early 2000s, according to The Detroit News. Another unfortunate side effect of the recession was a rise in personal debt for many Americans. This can result in lower credit scores, thereby disqualifying many from new car purchases. Gas has also been a huge issue. Its price seems more stable now, but the turmoil over the price of oil, the wars overseas, and the unstable political and economic climates both here and abroad had a drastic effect on the commodity for years. Many Americans responded by simply staying home. Now that the country’s in recovery, the average age of cars will likely drop as Americans rebuild their credit, find more job opportunities and take advantage of all the deals to be had.

Study: Checking Our Smartphones Stresses Us Out

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Researchers at Britain’s University of Worcester want you to stop checking your smartphone so often. But don’t do it for them. Instead, they want you to do it for you. The researchers recently conducted a study that showed people who check their smartphones compulsively actually create more stress for themselves than those who just let them be. Sounds counterproductive, right? The researchers actually named this condition a “helpful-stressful cycle.” This means we take a device that is traditionally designed to make our lives easier but actually derive anxiety from it because we become so worried we check it compulsively. Makes sense to us. The only thing we don’t understand is what constitutes “compulsive” checking. Can we check our phones three times a day? Once? What if we pass it on the way to the bathroom, or have a few seconds while waiting in line at the grocery store? Are we acting compulsively then? The first step may be admitting you have a problem, but we can’t do that until we know the scale we’re up against!

Google Integrates Google Maps into New Game

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Reports say Google is working on a game for its Android and Google + platforms that will integrate Google Maps. The new app doesn’t have a name yet, but judging from the photos and videos it looks like an updated version of that marble-maze game that requires small, precise moves. It seems like an interesting concept, especially since you can play on a 3-D rotating box that appears to contain popular cityscapes and building layouts. Google says the game’s due out in February, so we’ll have to wait til then to try it out. Hmm, wonder if we’ll see a game featuring a little marble-sized apple rolling through Silicon Valley debuting anytime soon on the iPhone...

Man Saved Thanks to Words with Friends

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Who thought two women playing the popular Words with Friends game on different continents would lead to a life-saving act? A Missouri couple met an Australian couple online more than a year ago when they started playing Words with Friends together. The couples, both of which are in their 50s, became acquainted after chatting during the matches. Soon after they even began Skyping together. In mid-November, the Australian wife confided to her Missouri counterpart that her husband had been ill recently. He’d suffered a collapse, been in the hospital and was still not feeling all that well, despite his bloodwork looking normal. Fortunately for couple, the Missouri woman was a nurse and her husband was a doctor. After she hadn’t heard from the couple in a few days she insisted they run his symptoms by her. They included extreme fatigue, which was abnormal for the active man, and a burning in the back of his throat, which he thought was reflux. The woman immediately sent a message back saying they should get to a hospital ASAP, as she and her husband thought it was angina. This symptom is usually indicative of coronary heart disease or another underlying heart problem, which could prove deadly. The Aussies were out shopping at the time, but luckily the wife had the wherewithal to check her cell phone. They headed straight to the hospital, where doctors found a 99 percent blockage in the man’s arteries. Two stents later, he’s doing much better. So far, Words with Friends has proven effective at saving lives, finding husbands and getting celebrities kicked off planes. Is there anything it can’t do? A news story on the life-saving efforts is available below.

Americans Wrongly Assume Elderly are Most Gullible to Internet Scams

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Just because people of “select” generations may not be as ahead of the technology curve as others, this doesn’t mean they’re more susceptible to Internet scams, according to a new gullibility study released by PC Tools and the Ponemon Institute. While many Americans think the elderly are most likely to fall for these scams, they’re actually quite wrong. The young, uneducated, underpaid Americans are the most gullible. The scams that seem to lure them in the most include free prizes, fake charities and dubious antivirus software programs, the study notes. The middle class is the least likely to fall victim to these scams. However, those who make more than $200,000 a year are only slightly less naïve than the most gullible demographic. Apparently Americans are also easier to dupe than the British or Australians. Those living in the Northeast and Southwest were found to be the most vulnerable Americans, while residents of the Midwest and Pacific Northwest were the hardest to fool. The study noted the most susceptible victim profile was a woman aged 18 to 25 who lives in the Southwest, earns between $25,000 and $50,000 and didn’t graduate from high school. The hardest person to scam is a male aged 56 to 65 who lives in the Midwest, earns between $150,000 and $200,000 and holds an advanced degree. Go seniors!

Kindle Owners Borrowed 295,000 Ebooks in December

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Amazon set a record in December when its users downloaded 295,000 ebooks that were published under the Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) program. The titles are available through the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. Amazon launched its lending library on Nov. 2. It currently features more than 75,000 ebooks. These titles are available to Amazon Prime members, who can borrow one book a month with no due date.

Ringing iPhone Halts NY Symphony

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Don’t you hate it when people ignore the “silence your cell phone” requests that are mounted on walls and announced just before a performance starts? We know we do — and we now know the conductor of the New York Philharmonic does as well. Alan Gilbert and his orchestra were nearing the end of an hour-and-a-half-long piece when a man’s iPhone began to ring in one of the first rows. The conductor tried to ignore it at first, but the ringing persisted. It persisted even after Gilbert stopped the music, turned in the man’s general direction, and plead with whoever the offender was to turn off his phone. Gilbert told NBC it took several requests before the elderly man finally confirmed his phone was off. And the rest of the audience was none too pleased, either. Eye witnesses said people yelled for the man to be thrown out of the theatre and even fined $1,000. The conductor noted his conduct was not normal for cell phone offenses, but acknowledged that most people’s phones don’t continue to ring at the pace that this man’s did. Gilbert admitted this was the first time he’s ever had to stop his orchestra over a cell phone. Let this be a lesson to all you Chatty Cathys out there who think I won’t happen to you...

CES 2012 Photo Gallery

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Here's a gallery of images from CES 2012. It shows some of the cool stuff we found and fun things going on at the show, updated daily. [caption id="attachment_40303" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="We looked at the new flagship Canon Professional DSLR, the 1Dx. 18 megapixel Full frame sensor, up to 12 frames per second, 1080p HD video, and ISO to around 50,000. It is incredible."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_40304" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Canon's all new G1x digital camera has a huge sensor for its class, and a great lens. Not the tiny point-and-shoot to fit your pocket, this is an advanced amateur camera."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_40300" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Sharp's new ICC 4k-res HDTVs are amazingly clear and the same resolution as feature films, 4 times the resolution of today's 1080p sets.."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_40301" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Sharp Aquos Board 60-inch write-on display. You can control it like a giant tablet!"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_40302" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Sony's new Tablet P folds in half to make it fit anywhere."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_40253" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Hands-on with the all new Nikon D4, Nikon's flagship pro camera. That's Geoff Coulter of MWW Group for Nikon holding it up for me. "][/caption] [caption id="attachment_40254" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Fulton debuted a concept purse that has a charging element inside, so when you drop your smartphone or tablet into your purse, it will charge. Keeping the element in the purse charge just means dropping it onto a charge point at home. No plugs required, ever. "][/caption] [caption id="attachment_40274" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Our fearless leader asks directions to CES from BumbleBee."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_40255" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Wirelessly charging... your CAR?!? Yes, the technology is here to wirelessly charge your Tesla in your garage at night. If you don't keep it garaged, please send us your address..."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_40259" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Golf at the ESPN 3D booth."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_40290" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Tony Donaldson (left) and Elie Gindi (center) talk to Sony about the Sony Tablet S and related technologies."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_40269" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The new Samsung Galaxy Note was here for us to play with. It features a 5.3-inch screen and it really cool! Read our hands-on review of it."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_40261" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Fuji is showing off their waterproof cameras. At least we know they're very clean!"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_40262" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Fujifilm is showing off some cool 3D technology, including the W3 digital camera. It has about the best stereo separation of any 3D point-and-shoot."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_40265" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Polaroid had some cool modern tech, but we also love their display of classic Polaroid cameras."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_40266" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Sony is showing off a personal 3D headset that gives the viewer a 3D experience like sitting in front of a 150-inch 3D screen."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_40270" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Rachel tries out a Sony 3D HDTV. "][/caption] [caption id="attachment_40271" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Sony was demonstrating a new prototype 3D, glasses-free Vaio all-in-one computer. It was cool, but the graphics had issues especially when there was movement or action. Good first step, though."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_40201" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Welcome to CES 2012, the ice sculpture."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_40204" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Of course, if you wanted, you could have a blue martini poured through the ice of the CES sculpture."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_40198" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="CES Unveiled gave us a peek at many of the latest gadgets. It was really, really crowded."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_40210" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Today, with less than 24 hours before the show opens, many booths looked like this. Even Microsoft's!"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_40215" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Fujitsu has a lot to talk about! One of the phones is fully waterproof."][/caption] CES2012

CES 2012: ASUS' New Padfone Lets You Decide

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

ASUS has decided to try something different. Where Motorola offers a Lapdock (Laptop dock that uses your Motorola Android smartphone as the brain), ASUS offers a tablet that lets you insert your phone into it, allowing you to have all your information in one device, but offering two form factors. It's a very unique way to solve the problem of syncing multiple devices, now you only have to worry about one, the other is merely a screen that uses all the same information. The only curious thing is what will happen when you're using the tablet and your phone rings. Do you hold the entire tablet up to your ear? CES2012

Kindle was Top Tech Gift in Britain this Christmas

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

A survey carried out by YouGov shows more Brits received Kindles than any other device. About one in 40 British citizens received an e-reader this Christmas, with 92 percent of them unwrapping Amazon Kindles. This totaled about 1.3 million e-readers, and more than 1.2 million Kindles, under the trees. Tablets were also popular gifts, though not at nearly the same rate as e-readers. About 640,000 tablets were given as Christmas presents this year in Britain, according to YouGov, and 72 percent were Apple iPads. No big surprise there. E-readers’ notable dominance over tablet computers was surprising, however. Makes us wonder what those Brits will be buying next Christmas.

Geek Squad: Men are Stubborn, Refuse Help with Gadget Gifts

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Apparently the same characteristic that prevents your husband from asking for driving directions also prevents him from asking for help with his new gadget. A new study by Geek Squad notes men are almost twice as likely to refuse help with a new gadget than women are. The tech assistance company says men are prone to fits of swearing, sulking and, well, just plain throwing a fit when they can’t understand the general operating principals of a new tech toy. They’re also great at playing the blame game, saying the gadget’s broken rather than admitting they don’t know how to work it. Geek Squad says mothers are the least likely to understand gadgets, but the most likely to ask for help. In contrast, about 28 percent of men surveyed said they’d only accept help as an out-and-out last resort. They may want to reconsider this stance, as 26 percent of those surveyed also said their Christmas was ruined by frustrations over confusing electronics.

Facebook Secures Four of Top 10 Most Searched Terms in 2011

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Four variations of “Facebook” made it onto the list of the top 10 most searched-for terms in 2011. These include Facebook.com, Facebook, Facebook login and www.facebook.com. This is the second time Facebook has secured four places on this list, according to the UK’s Daily Mail. The news website also says Facebook accounted for 4.42 percent of all web searches. Below are some of the top searched-for terms and people of 2011. Top 10 Most Searched-For Terms in U.S. in 2011 1. Facebook 2. YouTube 3. Facebook login 4. Craigslist 5. Facebook.com 6. Yahoo 7. eBay 8. www.facebook.com 9. Mapquest 10. Yahoo.com Top Five Most Searched Public Figures 1. Justin Bieber 2. Casey Anthony 3. Kim Kardashian 4. Nicki Minaj 5. Selena Gomez Top Five Most Searched Celebrities 1. Kim Kardashian 2. Glenn Beck 3. Rush Limbaugh 4. Robert Pattinson 5. Khloe Kardashian Top Five Most Searched Movies 1. Star Wars 2. Transformers 3. Breaking Dawn (Twilight) 4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 5. Fast Five Top Five Most Searched TV Shows 1. American Idol 2. Young and the Restless 3. Dora the Explorer 4. Dancing with the Stars 5. Days of our Lives

Seniors Prove Youre Never Too Old for a Flash Mob

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Seniors from the Meadowlark Estates retirement community in Lawrence, Kansas, proved over the holidays that you’re never too old to catch onto a trend. In this case, the trend was flash mobs. The place was Target and the song was Last Christmas, as sung by the cast of Glee. From the looks of things, holiday shoppers seemed to really appreciate the seniors’ enthusiasm and exertion, as some danced around with oxygen tanks and walkers! We think they did a pretty darn good job. What do you think?

Sunbelievable Energy Producing Paint

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

University of Notre Dame scientists have announced the unbelievable: they have created paint that can convert the sun’s rays into usable electricity. The paint is dubbed “Sunbelievable” by developers, who hope that their project will one day change America’s energy landscape. Developers explain the complicated technology that creates the surprisingly simple product, "By incorporating power-producing nanoparticles, called quantum dots, into a spreadable compound, we've made a one-coat solar paint that can be applied to any conductive surface without special equipment." However, there is still some room for (s)unbelievers. While most commercial solar panels have a light-to-energy conversion efficiency of 10 to 15 percent the paint is still only at 1 percent. While the paint can be produced cheaply, its inefficiency is a hindrance to its widespread availability and use. Yet, developers are hopeful that with some improvements to the paint’s conversion efficiency solar paint will make “a real difference in meeting energy needs in the future.” Now let’s just hope that yellow isn’t the only color it will come in... You can read the full Science Daily article here.

Consumers Now Take More Than a Quarter of All Photos and Videos on Smartphones

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0700

A new NPD study shows that photos taken with a smartphone (Apple iPhone or any other smartphone) went from 17 last year to 27 this year while the share of photos taken on any camera dropped from 52 percent to 44 percent. Smartphones' camera quality is improving, and consumers appreciate the immediacy and ease of sharing with smartphones, as opposed to using a second device for photos or videos then having to transfer it at home via a cable or card reader, then uploading. It shows that the best camera in the world is the one you have with you.

Verizon Hit With Data Outages

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Verizon customers have been dealing with outages of 3G and 4G data networks and have been having issues even with calls according to Verizon support forums and Verizon twitter feeds for the past few days. It's the second time the network has been hit in December, with glitches in the system. The 4G/LTE seems to be coming back online so far. Verizon representatives are working on it, "with no timeline" for full recovery at this point.

Families Now Celebrate Holidays Together via Technology

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Thanks to technology, families with members in different cities or even around the world can be together for the holidays. And they are doing just that. With so many computers, smartphones, tablets and even HDTV sets coming with built-in or attachable cameras and apps like Skype, Facetime, Google Chat are making it possible for everyone to be together at the holidays. Work schedules, expense, and other reasons for people to not be able to travel aren't stopping anyone. Grandparents often get to see their grandkids now for the first time via video calling. Debra Darvick and her family celebrate Hanukkah (or as she jokingly calls it "Skypanukkah") from different cities via Skype. She even blogs about it. Seniors are using video chat to get together virtually when it's difficult or too far to travel. Some use it for daily get-togethers to talk. Read the full article in the New York Times.

2012 Marks Final CES Keynote for Microsoft

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Frank Shaw, VP of Corporate Communications at Microsoft, posted a blog Wednesday announcing that the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show in 2012 will be its last. Steve Ballmer will give one last keynote speech, and Microsoft will have a showcase booth at the biggest technology expo of the year, but this is the last year. Citing differences in Microsoft's product release dates, milestones, and the ways they now communicate with their customers, Shaw says that they had to make a decision. Says Shaw: "Our industry moves fast and changes faster. And so the way we communicate with our customers must change in equally speedy ways. To ensure it does, we constantly challenge our assumptions. For example: · What’s the right time and place to make announcements? · Are we adjusting to the changing dynamics of our customers? · Are we doing something because it’s the right thing to do, or because “it’s the way we’ve always done it”? After thinking about questions like these, we have decided that this coming January will be our last keynote presentation and booth at CES." This will end a nearly twenty-year run with CES, and Microsoft is one of the bigger players on the show floor. It will be interesting to see if this decision affects Microsoft, CES or any of the other exhibitors. To read the entire blog entry, click here.

Amazon to Debut Kindle Fires First Software Update

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Amazon is working on its first software update for the Kindle Fire, the company’s debut tablet. The update will address issues with browsing speed, among other kinks, according to the New York Times. The initial batch of Kindle Fires shipped about a month ago, with many users complaining about slow speeds. The new update should also improve the device’s response to multitouch navigation and the user’s ability to edit their Carousel of recently used items. We’ll let you know if the software update is successful.

Facebook Partners with Suicide Hotline to Save Lives

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Facebook has partnered with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to create a new feature that would allow users to live chat with a suicide prevention specialist. The social networking giant is also working on a feature that would let users alert Facebook if they are alarmed by something they read or see on a friend’s profile. Once contacted, Facebook officials will send a message to that friend urging them to utilize the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. As opposed to Facebook’s other suicide prevention efforts, this one doesn’t rely on monitoring or algorithms. It simply encourages friends to look out for friends and speak up if something seems awry. In the past Facebook had contacted the Lifeline with a user’s information if he or she was flagged as suicidal by the system. This could be a wonderful addition to Facebook, especially as cyberbullying incidents are increasing with technology. A February 2010 survey carried out by the Cyberbullying Research Center cited that 20.8 percent of respondents (ages 10 to 18) said they had been the victim of cyber bullying at least once in their lives. Here’s hoping more social media organizations will join the effort soon.

NTSB Moves to Ban All Cell Phone Use While Driving

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0700

National Transportation Safety Board officials are recommending that all drivers be forbidden from talking on cell phones while driving. This would include the use of hands-free devices like Bluetooth. The NTSB recently held a news conference in Washington where it called for the banishment of all talking, texting, status updating and browsing while behind the wheel. The board did say, however, that it would be okay with drivers using GPS systems or making calls in the case of an emergency. While it encouraged Congress and legislatures to turn these recommendations into law, it also nudged the devices’ manufacturers to create a function that would disable phones while a vehicle was in motion. Only problem with that? The NTSB says these phones should still work in case of emergency. At least one member of the Consumer Electronics Association spoke out against this suggestion, telling MSNBC there was no way the association could create a device that accommodated all those requirements.

Steve Jobs Bio Tops Amazons Best-Selling Books List of 2011

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Steve Jobs has managed to keep his reputation for being No. 1 even though he’s no longer with us. The aptly named “Steve Jobs” biography, written by Walter Isaacson, has secured the highest spot atop Amazon’s list of the best-selling books of 2011. Amazon compiled the list by measuring its print and Kindle sales. What’s really amazing is that “Steve Jobs” was only published two months ago. Some books had a 10-month headstart! Unfortunately, the legendary innovator’s death just weeks before the book was released probably played a large role in the phenomenal sales figures. Two other top 10 books also earned special honors on this year’s list. Darcie Chan’s "The Mill River Recluse" (#4) and Chris Culver’s “The Abbey” (#9) were distributed solely through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing, a self-publishing program. These two books landed on the list without selling a single paper copy, meaning they were purchased exclusively through the Kindle ebookstore. It’s amazing to think we’ve come so far that two self-published, ebook-only novels could beat out so many of the big publishing houses who had the luxury of offering their literature in two forms. This is quite an accomplishment for Chan and Culver, considering adult fiction ebooks only represent 13.6 percent of the entire literary market, according to the Association of American Publishers. Here is the complete list of Amazon’s top 10 best-selling books of 2011. 1. "Steve Jobs" by Walter Isaacson 2. "Bossypants" by Tina Fey 3. "A Stolen Life" by Jaycee Dugard 4. "The Mill River Recluse" by Darcie Chan 5. "In the Garden of the Beasts" by Erik Larson 6. "A Dance with Dragons" by George R.R. Martin 7. "The Paris Wife" by Paula McLain 8. "The Litigators" by John Grisham 9. "The Abbey" by Chris Culver 10. "Inheritance (The Inheritance Cycle)" by Christopher Paolini

Hottest Commodity at Apples Newest Store? T-shirts.

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0700

You may not know it, but the most popular item on the grand-opening days of most Apple Stores is not the iPad, iPhone or Mac line of laptops. It’s a t-shirt. That’s right, a t-shirt. For 10 years now, Apple has been handing out t-shirts boasting the new store’s name, which is really just its location. These shirts are usually reserved for the first 1,000 customers to walk through the door. It should come as no shock, then, that the Grand Central Station shirts were a hot commodity on Friday, as this New York location is predicted to be the busiest Apple outpost around the globe. The shirts are designed by Apple's Graphic Design team on American Apparel or Hanes' t-shirts, according to the Wall Street Journal. The Grand Central store shirts say “Apple Store, Grand Central,” spelled out across a train tracks design. We also hear that Apple handed out about 4,000 shirts this time, a clear sign that the company expected a huge grand opening. WSJ reported about 2,500 people waited in line before the store opened, while the 4,000 had filled its walls before noon.

4G Network Could Interfere with GPS Devices

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0700

If the government gave the green light for a nationally adopted 4G network it could very well be at the cost of GPS receivers. This is according to initial tests carried out by the Department of Defense, FAA and select GPS device manufacturers there were obtained by Bloomberg News. These studies showed this type of broadband service affected the performance of 75 percent of all GPS receivers tested. The $14-billion network has been planned and proposed by LightSquared, which creates open wireless broadband networks. LightSquared’s proposal also included an additional 40,000 towers nationwide. GPS industry experts quickly spoke out on these new towers through its "Coalition to Save Our GPS" analysis. It argued these towers could result in “tens of thousands [of] 'dead spots'–each miles in diameter–throughout U.S. cities where there was a LightSquared transmitter." For its part, LightSquared told Bloomberg it was outraged these testing results had been released prematurely, leading many to draw “an inaccurate conclusion to negatively influence the future of LightSquared and narrowly serve the business interests of the GPS industry.” The full report will be presented in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 14.

Pope Lights Worlds Biggest Christmas Tree with Sony Tablet

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0700

The iPad may have captured the majority of the tablet market, but there’s at least one person who prefers Sony to Apple. Pope Benedict XVI chose to light the world’s biggest Christmas tree from a Sony tablet on Dec. 7. The 2,132-foot lighted tree, which resides on Italy’s Mount Ingino, was lit remotely by the Pope, who spent the evening in his Vatican Apostolic Palace apartment. When that sacred moment came, the Pope pulled out his Sony tablet and gave the go-ahead via finger tap from more than 130 miles away. MSNBC noted the Pope was initially slated to use Apple’s iPad; however, the news organization was unable to obtain a reason for the switch. See the amazing lighting below.

Apple Releases its Top iPhone, iPad Apps of 2011

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0700

With only two weeks left in 2011, Apple has released its iTunes Rewind. This year-in-review type list counts down the top free and paid iPhone and iPad apps of 2011. The best of the best selections weren’t all that surprising this year, with game and photography apps rising to the cream of the crop. Apple’s top iPhone and iPad choices were photography-based. Instagram, an app that lets you take and slightly alter the lighting in photos, was named App of the Year for iPhone, while Snapseed, which lets users perfect their photos, was chosen for the iPad. Instagram is available for free at the App Store. Snapseed costs $4.99. Though photography apps were clearly the company’s favorite, game apps dominated the users’ list of overall favorites. The top five paid and free apps of 2011 are below. Click here to read Apple’s full list. Top 5 Free Apps:

Archery World Cup
Modern War
Very Hungry Cat
Bejeweled Blitz
Zombie Spaceship

Top 5 Paid Apps:

Tetris
Angry Birds Seasons
Angry Birds
Bejeweled
Batman Arkham City

RIM to lose $485M on Unsold PlayBooks

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0700

RIM has announced it will likely take a $485-million loss on its inventory of unsold BlackBerry PlayBook tablets. The company also announced it will undertake even more advertising initiatives to try to make up for this loss. We’re not sure this will be enough to help, but you’ve got to do something, right? In addition to the new marketing efforts, RIM is also releasing PlayBook OS 2.0 software in 2012. So far, RIM has only sold 150,000 PlayBook tablets to retailers as of Nov. 26, though the company says its “sell-through to end customers” number is higher than this.

Movie Shot Entirely on Smartphone to Be Released in Theaters

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0700

The Nokia N8 has become the first smartphone to film a movie that is going to be released in theaters. An independent filmmaker originally got the idea to shoot a feature film on a smartphone in 2010, according to the Los Angeles Times. The result was “Olive,” a film about a young girl who deeply affects the lives of those around her without saying a word. The filmmaker said he used the Nokia N8 because it allowed him to shoot in high resolution. The movie was ultimately made for less than $500,000 in less than five weeks. Editing took another nine days. The filmmaker is now trying to raise another $300,000 to promote the film. So far, it will only screen for one week beginning Dec. 16 at Laemmle's Fallbrook 7 in West Hills, CA. Those interested in the movie can watch the first five minutes below.

One in 10 Smartphone Users Own an iPhone

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0700

The iPhone now captures more than 10 percent of the mobile market, according to ComScore, which means that one in 10 cell phone users now own an iPhone. The research firm says Apple's share of the mobile market have increased by 1.3 percent, to 10.8 percent, since last quarter. While it may seem significant that one in every 10 users owns an iPhone, Apple doesn't have the largest share of the market. About 25.5 percent of users own a Samsung smartphone, while 20.6 percent went with LG.

Analyst: Amazon's Kindle Fire Could Sell More iPads

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Pretty weird headline, huh? Bet you're wondering whether that was a typo. Well, it wasn't. That's right, an analyst at JP Morgan says he believes Amazon's new Kindle Fire may ultimately increase the sales of Apple's iPad. The analyst believes the Kindle Fire will attract many buyers, especially this holiday season, given its low price point. However, once users get the hang of this cool new device, he thinks they'll yearn for “more feature-rich experiences,” leading them to the iPad. Interesting perspective. Our only question is whether consumers who are clearly gravitating toward the less “feature-rich” Kindle Fire due to its low price will want to shell out hundreds more for an iPad. And, if so, will they keep both devices or sell off the Amazon tablets?

Google Maps 6.0 Takes You Indoors

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0700

We’ve all lauded the powers of Google Maps at one time or another. What’s not to love? It gives you directions anywhere in the world regardless of whether you’re walking, biking or driving (or jet skiing if you plan to travel from China to Japan), provides you traffic reports and lets you zoom to street level for a real-life look at your destination. Until now, all of this great mapping has been done exclusively outdoors. On city streets, quiet cul-de-sacs and public parks, to name a few. Google has decided to take its technology indoors, however, with the introduction of Google Maps 6.0. This latest version lets users peer inside airports, shopping malls and department stores where they can locate nearby retailers, ATMs, departure gates and, in all likelihood, bathrooms. So far, Google Maps 6.0 has limited reach. It’s only available on devices using Android 2.1, and so far it only includes 18 U.S. airports, and a small percentage of malls and department stores. The LA Times lists Macy’s, Bloomingdales, IKEA and Home Depot as early adopters, while Wal-Mart and Target have yet to sign up. Many malls have held out as well. But, hey, it’s a step in the right direction...right?

Apple Offers Free Shipping Through Dec. 22

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Free shipping seems to be the name of the game this holiday season — and for good reason. SalesTracker reports that online sales this Cyber Monday were up 33 percent from last year, with many shoppers opting to avoid the crowds that usually accompany the start of shopping season. Unfortunately, one of the biggest downsides to online shopping is the cost of shipping and handling (and the inevitable waiting game, but that’s another story for another day). To grease the wheels of wary shoppers, most big name companies have done away with these fees, which can cost upwards of $10 on standard orders, if spend a certain minimum. For example, Target offers free shipping if you spend $25 or more. Macy’s will ship for free on all orders above $75. Then there’s Apple, which came out with a very generous offer to ship all products for free. Period. Through Dec. 22. Apple normally grants free shipping privileges on orders totaling more than $50, so this is very hospitable, indeed. This offer will no doubt encourage shoppers to purchase smaller items as stocking stuffers or cheaper items to give to friends and co-workers. The free shipping offer applies to all purchases made through the online Apple Store or via the Apple Store iOS app.

iPhone Explodes on a Plane

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Travelers on a Nov. 25 flight to Sydney, Australia, have a lot to be thankful for after officials discovered the “dense smoke” formulating inside their plane was nothing more than a busted iPhone. Thankfully, too, the plane was already on the ground when the iPhone 4 decided to “self combust.” Reports say flight attendants quickly sprang into action, extinguishing the phone. This isn’t the first time Apple’s devices have overheated. A recall was issued last month after complaints surfaced that first-generation iPod Nanos had a risk of overheating. So far, however, no injuries have been reported either on the ground or in the air.

Shop Online, Donate to Charity

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0700

‘Tis the season for giving, as we’re sure you’re aware. And while massive donations to charity are always encouraged, they’re not always feasible. But what if you could put the money you’re currently spending on holiday gifts to good use while still loading your stockings full of presents? The concept is called GoodShop, and it’s an easy, seamless way to donate to the charity of your choice as you about your online shopping. Simply visit GoodShop.com, complete the free registration and select your favorite charity. From there you can access the online stores of more than 2,500 retailers. Once you choose your store, a portal will direct you to that retailer’s official website, and a percentage of any purchase you make will be donated to the cause of your choice. GoodShop is kind of like all the rewards and incentive programs that offer free airline miles or credit card points if you begin your online shopping experience through that company’s “marketplace.” However, instead of accruing points for yourself, you’ll be racking up donations for a good cause this holiday season. And since these purchases are completed through the official retailers’ websites, the prices are not affected by the charitable donation and you can still take advantage of that store’s wonderful bargains. Why not get started today?

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