Group items tagged

A article describing how Nike expects to have self-lacing shoes by 2015. I found this article intriguing because it is showing how technology is beginning to spread to things we would not associate technology with, like shoes. People are beginning to get excited at the future and how technology can add to it, and enhance it. I also shared this article because it is simply awesome.

A article describing how Nike expects to have self-lacing shoes by 2015. I found this article intriguing because it is showing how technology is beginning to spread to things we would not associate technology with, like shoes. People are beginning to get excited at the future and how technology can add to it, and enhance it. I also shared this article because it is simply awesome.

A article describing the worlds first commercially available bluetooth toothbrush. I chose this article for hardware because it is interesting to see how technology is all beginning to merge with each other. we are beginning to see things like toothbrushes, which nobody would associate with technology, contain parts that at a time were not even available in high end computers.

Lucasfilm and Disney have announced more info on the production of the new Star Wars Episode VII film which is set to release in theatres in 2015. They are set to begin shooting this May at Pinewood Studios in London. This movie will take place 30 years after Return of the Jedi which was the end of the original Star Wars trilogy. The original actors Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill may return to play their roles as Han Solo, Leia Organa, and Luke Skywalker. The last star wars movie which included these characters came out around 30 years ago, in which the older actors' aged look would come right into alignment with the movie's storyline. More announcements are sure to be made on May the 4th (known as Star Wars day). I find this very exciting because I was a huge star wars fan when I was younger, and it will be great to watch another movie that is part of a series that I watched as a kid.

We all know that voice recognition software exists having been created by companies like Apple, some of us thought that advanced technology would end at a computer recognizing words and responding to questions. However that is not the case. A company called Kimera Systems is developing a system that figuratively reads your mind. This isn't a software that literally reads what you are thinking and performs an action based on your thought since that would require an implant into your body. Rather, Kimera's system consisting of the Salience Engine and DigitalMe (or DMe) Smart Agents. The Salience Engine collects information from its users and uses this to understand human action better while the Smart Agents perform actions based on the user's preferences and the user's previous actions. For example, if a user sent out party invitations to friends and then went out to buy groceries, Kimera's system would automatically download a shopping app for the user because the system understands the user is going to the grocery store to buy select food items. This system, should it be implemented into future phones and devices could very well change society for the better and for worse. This system could make people's lives better by allowing decisions to be made by the system for the user so they can worry about other things while knowing Kimera's system will take care of tasks for them. This could negatively impact society though because since the system automatically makes decisions for the user, if they begin to rely on this system and lose their sense of judgement rendering them unable to decide without this system. Though automated technology is the dream of many, is an automated life really what we want? From this new technology Kimera is creating, other more advanced automated technologies could arise and eventually we could end up losing our humanity since everything we need to do is done for us by a computer. We would end up like the humans in the movie Wall-E who were

The article, by Anita Li, is an infographic on the evolution of Windows Operating Systems from 1985 and Windows users, as well as popular technology and software at the time of each release. The 1985 description depicts a generic male figure hunching over the machine-block Windows 1.0, with the subtext "Won't it explode if I press this button?" This highlights what a large impact the first computers and operating systems might have had - people possibly were afraid of pressing any buttons in fear that the the hulking brick might explode. But as we know, technology advances, and people adapt. The infographic shows the housings becoming smaller as hardware becomes more compact, and OSs become more advanced. It also illustrates the "first Internet experience" along with Windows 98, Google with Windows 2000, Skype and Solitaire with Windows XP, Facebook and the XBox for Windows Vista, and Twitter for Windows 7. The users also change, where Windows was generally used by adults in offices, it is presently used by a younger age group of teenagers for social networking and the like. As it was made out to be, I find this infographic very interesting. It shows a stark contrast between the first computers and computers today. Not only does it show the evolution of Windows OSs and its  users, it also illustrates the evolution of technology and how society has developed around it. Computers have become much more portable with the laptop, and their versatility is unmatched. Ultimately this infographic is an advertisement for the 2012 release of Windows 8 (dubbed "Thinner. Lighter. Faster."), but it does generate some thought, letting the mind ponder about past, present, and future technologies, and how society has and will adapt to the constant change. 

In a sort of infographic craze.. : http://visual.ly/

What started out as a minor distraction is now an issue that parents are beginning to take notice of. Popular electronics are becoming more than just a form of entertainment, it is also believed to negatively affect a child's mental development. Since kids these days are relatively less active due to technology, this problem also affects the kids social skills, education, and physical health. Social networking sites such as Facebook are also a problem because parents worry that their kids may be too young to have an account on Facebook, Twitter, etc. and therefore, post inappropriate pictures or see posts that others post that is not suitable for kids.  Jim Steyer, the Common Sense Media founder, help parents better understand the new media by providing a review of video games, movies etc. This way, parents can gain insight  on the newest and popular video games, movies etc. The Common Sense Media website also provides suggestions on how to deal with children and teenagers when it comes to being too addicted to mobile technology. There is another popular method that is simple: ban you kid from using Facebook.

Many of us remember the PSN outage of April 2011. Sony blamed 'Anonymous,' a collective hacktivist group formed in 2003 on 4chan, after they found the Anonymous calling card 'We Are Legion' in their system. Anonymous is composed of individuals with the ideals of: 1. Freedom of Information 2. Freedom of Speech 3. Unregulated Internet Anonymous will only attack databases and websites only if provoked, and will not do so for monetary gain. The group has recently engaged in multiple attacks on international government databases. The article, by Casey Chan, is about the Anonymous digital attack on Israel, in retaliation after the Israeli government threatened to shut down Internet access and other telecommunications to the Palestinian people in the Gaza and "Occupied Territories. " The group attacked the Israel Foreign Affairs database and Bank of Jerusalem database, as well as DDos attacks on over 600 sites and theft of over 2000 email addresses and passwords. This attack has generated some controversy. Since the beginning of November, Israel has also received over 150 missile attacks from the Palestinians as well. Anonymous aids the Palestinians by sharing a 'Care Package,' instructions on what to do in the event Israel does sever the Internet connection. Anonymous has become quite influential on the Internet. This illustrates how important the Internet has become. The internet is not only a commodity, but a right to have. It has replaced forms of communication, entertainment, transactions, and more. A group of 'anonymous' users has been formed for the sole purpose of protecting it, with the will and capabilities to punish any party that wishes to disrupt it. As with every conflict, there are sides. Anonymous, in protection of Internet freedoms; and the Israeli government, that has been fighting a war for as long as anyone can remember. Who's side are you on?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDeOMq4RPxY&feature=relmfu http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anonymous_(group) *More information on Anonymous

This article ponders the question "Will 2013 be the year of the smartwatch?" It begins by describing some of the failed attempts by companies at wearable tech. In 2004, Microsoft created the SPOT watch which used FM radio waves to display information such as stock quotations, weather forecasts, and news. At launch this device was $800 which was a huge turnoff for many consumers, and was proven when the device died in 2008. In 2009, Samsung also had an attempt at wearable technology with their S9910 which debuted in Europe. At a 450 Euro price tag, this was also too expensive for consumers, and along with limited functionality this device was destined to be a flop. Now with more functionality possibilities and low cost production, companies like Google, Apple, Microsoft, LG, and Samsung are able to create modern, functional smartwatches. It is also encouraging that Pebble recently funded over $10 million for their smartwatch on Kickstarter. So will 2013 be the year of the smartwatch?

Vodafone warns that IPhone 4S owners should not upgrade to the latest version of the IOS. the reasoning as to why IPhone 4S users shouldn't upgrade to the latest IOS is because some user  that did update there IPhones 4S to the new IOS begin to experience problems connecting to the internet, receiving  text messages and phone calls, but there is no fear if you have upgraded as because they are already trying to find a solution to the problem.  

This article i found is very interesting. It explains to us how people will begin to see many jobs being taken by machines and robots. An example of this given in the article is that Google is making self driven cars which may seem good but many jobs need people driving the cars themselves, like truck drivers and taxis. If vehicles could drive themselves many if not all of the people that drive vehicles will be out of work. Another example is the car insurance companies will charge more for vehicles that are driven manually which will make other companies either have this new technology on there cars or risk going out of business. The article also states that Moore's Law is now going faster and we can see these changes happening sooner. This new change will be great for many computer programmers or similar jobs but other people will have trouble finding a jobs

This article tells us about how riding a bike in the city will soon be easier than ever courtesy of two wheels and AT&T's wireless network for many big cities across the US. The bicycles will have built-in GPS using AT&T's wireless network to make the basic part of public bicycle renting possible-making sure they don't get stolen or abandoned in some unknown place. Also, smartphone users will be able to use an app to locate Social Bicycle racks nearby, as well as reserve bikes and unlock them from racks. Riders will then be capable to bike around the city and return the Social Bicycle at any rack located in the city. You can also rent a bicycle by using the smartphone app to reserve one. The app will automatically send your personalized pin to the rack, which will unlock the bicycle, checking out the bicycle in your name. It also has a cool feature where you can use the app to track stats like calories burned, emissions reduced, and dollars saved. There isn't any information yet on how much the bike rentals will cost. Social Bicycles will hit more cities at the beginning of 2013.

This article explains how the tablet is becoming increasingly popular and the sales have nearly doubled from last year. The tablet offers quite a lot of features and the design of it appeals to many people. If i had the money to get one, I would definitely buy a tablet. It is no doubt that Apple dominates with the sales of the tablet. The portablilty and the uniqueness of the tablet results in high sales. As more features begin to be added to the newer versions of the tablet the sales will also increase too

This article is about the 10 mistake not to do when designing a mobile app. 1. Don't Begin Wireframes or Designs Without a Flow map 2. Don't Disregard the Development Budget. 3. Don't Start With Low Resolutions & Avoid Bitmaps. 4. Don't Undersize The Hit Area. 5. Don't Gratuitously Use Intro Animations. 6. Don't Leave Users Hanging. 7. Don't Blindly Copy Style From Other Operating Systems. 8. Don't Overstuff Pixel-Dense Screens. 9. Don't Assume Everyone Will Use Your App The Same Way You Do. 10. Don't Forget About Gestures, But Don't Abuse Them Either.

This article talks about how our technology has become more advanced over the last 30 years. Before computers, people used typewriters to type, but then PC's were made and it made life easier for everyone. Many people say that we are now in the post-PC era because we are developing things like the iPad or the Amazon Kindle Fire where you don't need a keyboard or huge desktop to surf the net or send out an email. But some say there is no "post- PC" era because PC's were just the beginning of a much bigger computing era. Either way, PC's were the first of something that would and already has drastically changed our lives.

This article talks about apps people can download to their computer and cell  phones. This is very helpful because in our society, there are many technology which deals with apps such as i pods, i phones, Google phones, smartphone and etc. In the beginning people have difficult time finding which apps are useful since not all apps are free to download. This article could solve their problem because it talks about 10 apps that can help you to find other apps that are useful. I like this because i too have problem deciding which apps to download and now i know that these 10 apps can help me to solve my problem and help me download useful apps without wasting my time. 

You think your iPhone or Android phone is safe from hackers just because of a passcode lock? Well, the Swedish security firm Micro Systemation just developed a cracking program that is called "XRY" that can hack into any, I repeat, any passcode of any mobile device. It works by first jailbreaking the phone to expose security flaws in the OS, then proceeds to brute-force the default four-digit pin, which only has 10,000 possible combinations to begin with. This all happens in under two minutes. Once the device has been unlocked, they can get any information they want- from logs contacts and even DELETED items.

It's a shame that this only works by jailbreaking the phone... This could have been... Useful.

this article is about the start of the construction for the worlds largest telescope. It will be the so big that it will be finished in 2019. It will feature seven giant mirrors, more than 28 feet in diameter, and be enclosed in a 200-foot tall structure.

Mozilla is making progress in its effort to bring Firefox to Windows 8′s Metro Environment. It is not yet an app but will soon be one. It will be the primary browser for the Xbox360. Bondy also touts Firefox's integration with Windows 8′s global search feature which allows you to search the web from any screen.

Because of social media and texting 24/7, our minds have become accustomed to emoticons and what they represent. For example, our brains now register the colon - dash - close - bracket as a real smiling face. This phenomenon has been studied by scientists and this break through is not only interesting but also dawns upon the fact of how people right now are beginning to be taken over by technology. If just seeing a few markings of type makes one remember a face, then what more weird things will we be able to connect with text to in the future? It's not just smiley faced emoticons people register as well - there are thousands of emoticons that people now understand are pictures that are smaller versions of a bigger idea such as, OTL representing a person kneeling in failure and even, (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻, to represent the action of flipping a table.

Mozilla will begin selling smartphones running the Firefox operating system that will be priced at $25. $25 for a smartphone is an extremely low price, but it will not perform as well as our smartphones today. While it can be purchased in North America, it will also be sold in less developed countries like; Panama, Nicaragua, Argentina, and more. I think this is a great way for Mozilla to earn money because they are not directly competing with Microsoft, Apple, and Google. In such countries, just having a smartphone is a big deal; even if it cannot perform as many things that the modern smartphone can. This will allow people who would have never had the chance of owning a smartphone to actually own one. I think Mozilla has really thought outside the box here and while some may criticize while thinking it is a cheap and terrible phone, it may be something amazing to someone in another country.