As reported on The Verge. By Tom Warren Windows Blue made an early appearance on the internet over the weekend and we’ve had a chance to experience some of its new features. The upgrade to Windows 8 looks like it’s going to bring a host of improvements, fixes, and some new built-in apps too, but the biggest changes are on the UI side. Microsoft now supports smaller Live Tiles and the company is changing the way you arrange…
As reported on The Verge. By Jacob Kastrenakes We’re not too surprised to be using touchscreens or making video calls because it’s long been predicted by science-fiction. But it wasn’t just authors of dystopian novels and pulp films that were making guesses — one CIA analyst’s job was to predict the future as well. Analyst Orrin Clotworthy was tasked with forecasting an accurate report of what the future’s technology would look like, and how it could…
As reported on TechCrunch. by DARRELL ETHERINGTON This coming week, we’re likely to get a peek at Samsung’s next generation Galaxy flagship smartphone, and by most accounts, it’ll have an auto-scrolling feature that can use head movement cues to detect when you’re paying attention to what’s on the small screen, and when you look away. There’s no word on just how specific it will be, but others are prepping tech that detects eye movement with a high level of…
As reported on Engadget. By Daniel Cooper Remember the adage that good things “come to those who wait?” Well, if you managed to hold your nerve and resist signing up with Suddenlink, then your patience is ready to be rewarded. The TiVo Mini is finally ready to strike out on its own two feet four rubberized corners. The DVR extender will set you back $99.99, plus a monthly charge of $5.99, or a one-off payment of $149.99 — in a way, you kinda…
As reported on Engadget. By Sean Buckley For decades, tourists have gaped at San Francisco’s brightly colored Golden Gate Bridge, often overlooking the Oakland-connected Bay Bridge’s less flashy looks. Luckily, the old bridge is being gussied up for onlookers — Artist Leo Villareal has kitted out the 1.8-mile span with over 25,000 computer controlled LEDs. “My inspiration comes from the motion of the bridge,” the artist explained, describing how he designed the display. “I’m interpreting all the kinetic…
As reported on Wired. BY DAVID AXE The F-35′s rearward visibility is limited. Photo: Lockheed Martin The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the military’s expensive main warplane of the future, has a huge blind spot directly behind it. Pilots say that could get them shot down in close-quarters combat, where the flier with the better visibility has the killing advantage. “Aft visibility could turn out to be a significant problem for all F-35 pilots in the future,”…
As reported on Engadget. By Richard Lawler We doubt we’ll see any reduction in ticket prices, but the process of bringing new movies to theaters could get easier very soon as five major studios have signed on with the Digital Cinema Distribution Coalition (DCDC) to use its satellite distribution network. Lionsgate, Universal, Disney, Warner and Paramount are all on board with the scheme, which says it will provide participants access to “a host of delivery options”…
As reported on Engadget. By Daniel Cooper Facial recognition? Pah. Dahling, the only way to find someone in a crowd is to pick out what they’re wearing. InSight is an app being developed for Google Glass by Duke University that helps you identify your chums, even when they’ve got their back to you, by channeling its inner Joan Rivers. All your pals have to do is submit some self-portraits to the app, which then creates a spatiogram — identifying…
As reported on Engadget. By Joe Pollicino The payphone. Despite how connected our world has gotten in the last decade or so, the majority of the 11,000 payphones in NYC stem from a 1999 contract. Due to expire and renew in October 2014, the city’s Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) has been actively figuring out how and what type of modern solution it wants to replace roughly all 11,000 of them with. You’ve heard about…
As reported on Engadget. By Sarah Silbert Tokyoflash, maker of highly conceptual, anything-but-your-average-wristwatch products like the Kisai OTO and the Kisai Maru, is outing its latest device: the Kisai X. Like many of the company’s timepieces, the X is the result of fan submissions. In this case, it was co-designed by Firdaus Rohman and Heather Sable, who clearly were inspired by cryptography. Like several other Kisai watches, the X doesn’t put a priority on easily decipherable digits. In fact,…