Business Technology Examiner

The annoying evolution of HDMI, whatever that is...

Wed, 20 May 2009 21:04:49 -0700

Courtesy WikipediaHave you heard the news about the next generation of HDMI? Wait, you don’t really know what HDMI is? Don’t feel bad, you’re part of a huge number of TV viewers who don’t know an HDMI cable from a CATV wire. ...

Bigger than CES? Military tech takes off

Wed, 20 May 2009 20:39:13 -0700

Courtesy ParvusIt might be an overstatement to equate a military tech event with the annual Consumer Electronics Show, but in terms of dollars spent it really isn't. The Consumer Electronics Association pegs consumer electronics spending at $172 bi...

Cool tech news roundup for May 21

Wed, 20 May 2009 20:34:54 -0700

Smartphone sales doing well.
Google CEO to grads: Turn off the computer.
GPS failure on the horizon?
New high-end DSLR from Pentax.
New Netflix-Microsoft partnership.
26 percent text while driving.

U.S. companies nab tech outsourcing deals

Tue, 19 May 2009 22:11:18 -0700

Courtesy WikipediaDelta Airlines recently announced that it will stop outsourcing reservation calls to India, and United Airlines has done likewise. Delta’s announcement got its share of media coverage, but similar ones in the tech industry ha...

Why e-passports are a hassle

Tue, 19 May 2009 22:07:49 -0700

Courtesy ID StrongholdIt’s been nearly three years since the U.S. State Department began issuing e-passports, which include a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip that wirelessly exchanges information about the passport’s bearer. P...

Cool tech news roundup for May 20

Tue, 19 May 2009 22:05:39 -0700

Things not looking good for HP.
Meanwhile, Dell targets college students with rugged notebook.
Fossils of our long-lost relatives?
Yahoo trying to re-think search.
Would you buy a Mac at Wal-Mart?
LG's new really thin TVs.

Innovation the buzzword for Computex

Mon, 18 May 2009 21:08:31 -0700

Courtesy Best of MicroMan, this year is going fast. The summer gear shows are upon us. Computex in Taipei is coming in early June, and it's beginning to drum up advance buzz. It looks like this will be an innovative show, as struggling technology m...

More military injuries means better technology for prosthetic limbs

Mon, 18 May 2009 21:04:42 -0700

Courtesy Science Daily When we talk about robotics we often think of lifeless automatons that operate independently and perform specific functions that humans cannot, or do not want, to do. But the lessons learned from the robotics world are de...

Cool tech news roundup for May 19

Mon, 18 May 2009 20:59:48 -0700

Google grows search to 64 percent of total searches.Napster now $5 a month. iTunes is just insanely expensive.Smart grid is a $20 billion a year business.New cheap cameras from Sony.Online backup wars with Symantec and EMC.Scribd becomes ebook...

Tech steals and deals: Retailers really, really want your business

Sun, 17 May 2009 21:23:26 -0700

Courtesy Verizon WirelessThe retailing rubber is finally meeting the road. The first major shopping weekend of the year is upon us, as Memorial Day is next week. The Indianapolis 500 aside, a bit of race already is under way. Major bets are being p...

Why J.J. Abrams is our generation's Einstein

Sun, 17 May 2009 21:18:35 -0700

Courtesy Wikipedia In this era of never-ending dumb ideas we are now facing the rarest of rarities: a real, honest-to-goodness marvelous new idea! It's coming from the most unlikely place. Buried deep inside this spring's blockbuster sci-fi hit Sta...

Cool tech news roundup for May 18

Sun, 17 May 2009 21:11:37 -0700

The Wolfram Alpha is up. A new search engine worth tracking.Nintendo DSi is the only game selling right now. Everything else is sliding.Google getting sued for keywords.Here is a look at Microsoft Office 2010.Windows 7 upgrades seem to be taki...

Hulu vs. iTunes: what the pundits just don't get

Sat, 16 May 2009 23:26:09 -0700

Courtesy WikipediaMedia commentators online and off seem to be obsessed with declaring winners and losers. It seems that, in their minds, unless you are a raging success that stomps down all competition, you are a loser. The latest contestant in thi...

The other mobile app store: Blackberry's App World

Sat, 16 May 2009 23:25:46 -0700

Courtesy BlackberryYou can't virtually strike up a Zippo lighter a la the iPhone (does anybody really need to?), but you can probably find something to catch your fancy in RIM’s new BlackBerry App World. Many apps are free, and the rest range ...

Space program running out of juice - literally

Sat, 16 May 2009 23:25:19 -0700

Courtesy WikipediaFor nearly 60 years, spacecraft such as Pioneer and Voyager have relied on radioisotope power systems (RPSs) to generate electricity, particularly in environments where solar energy is weak or non-existent. But a new report by the ...

The most modern in modern lighting

Sat, 16 May 2009 23:24:59 -0700

Courtesy Renaissance LightingLED lighting is very efficient and saves energy in the long run, but it is also cool because it works so well in tandem with programmable systems. Theselighting fixturesfromRenaissance Lightingcan use an RGB array (white...

A robot that saves your eyes

Sat, 16 May 2009 23:24:38 -0700

Courtesy UxsightRemember when your mother told you not to sit too close to the TV? She was right, any close proximity to a light source is bad for old retinas, but she won’t always be there to correct you. Perhaps this is whyUxsightcreated thi...

Vinyl still rocks - but now with a modern twist

Sat, 16 May 2009 23:24:07 -0700

Courtesy StantonThere’s been resurgent interestin vinyl lately, which gives credence to a product likeStanton’s T55 turntable. Retro it is, but it makes room for the future, too, with USB and RCA outputs so you can transfer and digitize t...

A really, really big screen TV

Sat, 16 May 2009 23:23:45 -0700

Courtesy Bang & OlufsenB&O goes 103 inches: Bang & Olufsen has a good track record of tricking out technology with cool design. Here they’ve taken a massive 103-inch plasma TV, encased it in some sexy aluminum (creating theBeoVision...

Keyboard and computer all in one

Sat, 16 May 2009 23:22:54 -0700

Courtesy Geardiary Back at The Consumer Electronics Show,ASUSshowed aprototypeof a keyboard and fully functioning Windows computer in one. It’s made possible in part by the wonders of a compact solid-state drive. All you would need is a connec...