In a wacky team-up worthy of a comic book crossover or a buddy cop film, Microsoft and Toyota are joining forces in a $12 million initiative that will grant Toyotas the ability to stream music and connect online to information services, along with other superpowers. [More]
Doctors: Nighttime Gadget Use Can Screw Up Your Sleep
By March 8, 2011
A Sleep America poll finds more than half of Americans fail to get adequate sleep almost every night, and scientists say electronic distractions are the culprit — getting you all riled up before it’s time to hit the sheets. [More]
Get Unlimited Data Back On AT&T iPhone If You Downgraded To Limited Plan
By January 26, 2011
If you’re an iPhone user on a limited AT&T data plan but had an unlimited one in the past, AT&T will let you switch back for free, the AP reports. [More]
NFL Considering Real-Life First Down Laser Marker
By December 16, 2010
When an inexperienced football fan attends his first game, he might wonder aloud why there’s no yellow first down line on the field — while everyone laughs at him. An inventor has nailed down some technology that may eliminate such awkward circumstances. [More]
Virus Could Make Batteries Last 10 Times Longer
By December 9, 2010
“Virus” and “tobacco” are not two words you usually think of in a positive light, but they could be the secret to making batteries last ten times as long. [More]
DHL Pays Urban Denizens With Coupons To Deliver Packages
By December 3, 2010
DHL is trying out a new program called bring.Buddy where regular people can pick up and deliver packages along their daily route that they’d be traveling anyway. In return, the recruits earn free train tickets, coupons and carbon offset credits. And, of course, badges. The goal is to reduce costs and carbon emissions within dense urban environments. [More]
Robots Are Stealing Your Jobs
By October 21, 2010
When you shake your fist, screaming “They took our jobs!” You can stare at your computer rather than the day laborers standing outside Home Depot. [More]
Hackers Infiltrate D.C. E-Voting System, Force Testing Delays
By October 6, 2010
While testing out its electronic vote-by-mail program for overseas voters, the District of Columbia invited hackers to do their worst to break into the system. The programming geeks answered with decisive force, with someone making the site play the University of Michigan’s fight song after a test subject submitted the ballot. D.C. officials suspended testing before patching things up and getting back online. [More]
Which Technological Advance Of The Last 20 Years Has Most Made Your Life Easier?
By September 9, 2010
In 1990, the internet was something used by fantasy baseball fanatics on CompuServe and mobile phones were the size of toddlers — a luxury for those who could afford to not use pay phones. Satellite TV meant having a massive dish on your property; millions struggled with programming their VCRs to tape L.A. Law; bills were paid by check… in the mail. [More]
21 Banks And Credit Unions That Accept Remote Check Deposits
By August 8, 2010
Why trek to local bank to deposit a check when you can slap it on a scanner or use your smartphone’s camera to upload it directly to your bank? Even though it still scares most of the bigger banks, remote deposit checking represents the future of consumer banking. Inside, a list of twenty-one credit unions and banks that are ready to save you a trip to the bank and the hassle of deposit slips. [More]
Thief Steals iPhone While Victim Is Participating In GPS Tracking Demo
By July 22, 2010
On Monday, a man in San Francisco rode his bike up to a woman holding an iPhone and snatched it out of her hand, then took off. What he didn’t know was that the woman had just walked out of her company’s office to test a new GPS program that provides real time tracking. She went back inside, gave the police location updates over the phone, and man was arrested a half-mile away, reports the San Francisco Chronicle’s Crime Scene blog. [More]
USB Typewriter Turns Ancient Object Into Something Almost Useful
By June 15, 2010
If you’re a computer user of a (cough, cough) certain age, you may think the IBM Model M is the only real keyboard and everything else is a poor imitation. If you’re of an even hoarier vintage, you may wax nostalgic for your trusty Underwood. Well, wax no more! The USB Typewriter is here, and it will take your century-old doorstop and turn it into a keyboard for a newfangled computer faster than you can say Jack Robinson!
Supreme Court Doesn't Know Difference Between Email And A Pager
By April 20, 2010
Better hope your technorights-based lawsuit doesn’t make it all the way to the US Court of Last Resort, because these august judges might not have a freakin’ clue of what’s going on. Turns out they don’t know the difference between email and a pager, among other things. [More]
Sony Finally Realizes iPhone Exists, Decides To Make PSP Phone
By March 8, 2010
With its finger on the pulse of the industry, eagle-eyed Sony developers have uncovered secret knowledge that Apple has released a device that lets you talk on the phone, listen to music and download video games. And as a result, it has decided to give one of its next redesigned PSPs the ability to call, text and email, the Wall Street Journal reports. [More]
1983 PleaseRobMe, 1977 Foursquare
By February 23, 2010
Technology is scary! People will use all these status and twitter and facebook updates to find out when you’re not home and come and steal all your DVDs! At least that was the ballyhoo last week when the site PleaseRobMe launched. Turns out, they were just reinventing the fear wheel. Andy Baio found an article from 1983 that warned consumers that burglars would know by your answering machine picking up that you weren’t home, and one from 1977 that advised against posting funeral notices in the paper, lest robbers make off with the silver while you’re burying grandpa. The more things change, the less they do. [More]
Bloom Box Can Supposedly Power A Small Home, But You Can't Afford It
By February 22, 2010
60 Minutes has reported on a new fuel cell product called a Bloom Box, a big metal box containing a small stack of ceramic disks and “ink” that can supposedly provide enough power to run a Starbucks. The big questions are: Does it work? And will it ever help the average homeowner save on energy costs? Google has supposedly been using four of them to power one of its data centers for the past 18 months, so yes to the first question. As for home use, a Bloom Box currently costs over $700,000, so no. Inventor K.R. Sridhar optimistically says he wants to get the price to under $3,000 in the next 5 to 10 years, though. Watch the 60 Minute segment below. [More]
Now Your Dog Can Post Mindless Drivel To Twitter, Too
By February 15, 2010
Have you always wanted to use an Internet-enabled collar and a Twitter feed to keep up with what your dog is up to when you’re out of view? Me either, but Mattel thinks that there might be a market for this sort of thing, and will bring Puppy Tweets to market this summer. [More]
Don't Let Your Parents Buy An Awful Laptop For Too Much Money
By January 29, 2010
It’s easy for companies to target non-tech savvy people to unload outdated products that pale in comparison to the stuff on the lower end of the market. Alvaro spotted this terrible deal, which offers a machine with 512MB of RAM, a Pentium IV processor and a 30GB hard drive for $400. [More]
