For years now, airlines have experimented with different programs — like real-time baggage tracking — that aim to ensure that passengers and their luggage arrive together and in one piece. Alaska Airlines is jumping on the issue, allowing some passengers to replace traditional checked bag tags with a high-tech, electronic version. [More]
technology
Widespread Flaw Could Allow Hackers To Hijack Your Wireless Mouse Or Keyboard
By 2.23.16
It can surely be convenient to plug a dongle into your computer’s USB port and use a mouse or keyboard without the hassle of wires everywhere, but according to a new report from an Internet of Things security company, many wireless keyboards and mice are vulnerable to hackers. And once an attacker has access to those peripherals, they could easily download malware or steal information from your devices. [More]
Regulators: Google’s Computers Can Be Considered Drivers In Autonomous Vehicles
By 2.10.16
Just a month after federal regulators took steps to ease restrictions for self-driving cars, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has let one tech company know that its artificial intelligence system could be considered an actual driver under federal law. [More]
IRS Computer Issues Could Delay Some Tax Returns
By 2.4.16
Consumer trying to get a jump on the tax filing and refund ball may have to wait a bit longer, as the Internal Revenue Service suffered a severe computer crash on Wednesday that prevented it from accepting any taxpayer information for several hours. [More]
GE To Phase Out CFL Bulbs In Favor Of LED
By 2.1.16
Both retailers and consumers are increasingly choosing higher-efficiency LED lights over incandescent and compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs, and General Electric is responding, announcing plans to end CFL production in favor of providing more LED options.
[More]
Chase To Install Cardless ATMs That Offer A Variety Of Denominations
By 1.26.16
Bank customers weary of using ATMs for fear they’ve been compromised by ne’er-do-wells using skimmers to get their hands on card numbers have a new option. That is, if they bank with JPMorgan Chase, as the company is rolling out new cash machines that are not only cardless, but will let you take out money in a wider variety of denominations. [More]
Kickstarter Hires Investigative Reporter To Figure Out Where Mini-Drone Campaign Went Wrong
By 1.20.16
A company based in Wales showed up on Kickstarter with what looked like a working prototype of a really impressive consumer drone small enough to land on a saucer. Yet the promised drones never shipped. What happened? Kickstarter decided to find out, taking an unusual tactic: the company hired a local investigative reporter to, well, investigate. This week, the report came out. [More]
Tablets Control The Rooms At Las Vegas’ Aria Hotel
By 1.20.16
We often joke that electronics run our lives. Well, for one hotel in Las Vegas, they certainly run the rooms. The Aria hotel in Sin City has installed tablets in all 4,004 guest rooms, allowing guests to control just about every aspect of the room – locking doors, turning on lights, drawing curtains, and ordering room service, with a few tabs on the screen. The tablets were installed by British company Crave Interactive in what is thought to be the largest guest-tech project in the U.S. [The Los Angeles Times] [More]
Volvo Says It Will Have A Death-Proof Car By 2020
By 1.20.16
Proponents of self-driving vehicles claim the new technology will decrease the number of accidents occurring on the roadways. But it appears that Volvo wants to go a step further by pledging to eliminate all deaths and serious injuries in its cars in the next four years. [More]
Whirlpool’s “Smart” Appliances Now Come Equipped With Amazon Dash Buttons
By 1.4.16
When Amazon introduced the Dash Button, it claimed customers could easily reorder products with the simple push of a button. While the small gadgets have expanded in recent months to cover a slew of household items, the e-commerce giant’s technology can now be found built-in to an array of actual appliances, namely those from Whirlpool’s Smart Kitchen Suite. [More]
California DMV: Self-Driving Cars Must Have A Licensed Driver Behind The Wheel
By 12.17.15
While California’s highways and byways are filling up with self-driving prototypes right now, the state Department of Motor Vehicles is laying down some rules of the road that, if finalized, will mean it could take longer for the public to get their hands on driverless cars. [More]
Regulators Propose Changes To 5-Star Safety Ratings To Incorporate More Crash-Prevention Technology
By 12.8.15
Crash safety tests are about to get a whole lot different. Automakers striving to achieve five stars for safety from federal regulators will have to add a few things to their vehicle rosters as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced high-tech changes to its system. [More]
Ford Now Offering Siri Eyes-Free Software Update For 5 Million Older Cars
By 12.3.15
Though we’re living in an increasingly interconnected, digital age, perhaps you drive a car that’s a bit more… analog. For those Ford owners who have older vehicles but want to be linked up with new technology, the carmaker is offering a software update for five million cars that will allow owners to activate Apple’s Siri Eyes-Free feature. [More]
Facebook Bringing 360-Degree Video To iOS Newsfeeds
By 11.12.15
While we once wondered why Facebook would spend $2 billion to buy virtual reality company Oculus, we’re starting to get answers. Two months after Facebook said it was working to bring virtual reality to consumers’ phones via newsfeed ads, the social media company unveiled an iOS version. [More]
MasterCard Launches Program To Make Anything – Clothes, Rings – A Payment Device
By 10.27.15
MasterCard’s quest to make paying for things easier already includes a few out-there systems: verification via selfie for online orders, anyone? And it doesn’t appear that the credit card company is holding back in its latest endeavor, partnering with a fashion designer and other companies to create an array of consumer products-turned-mobile payment systems. Because, you know, paying with pieces of plastic and phones was so last year. [More]
NYC Taxi Commission Approves Pilot Program That Would Use GPS, Tablets To Calculate Fares
By 10.16.15
The taxi you hop in on your next trip around New York City may function a lot more like Uber and other ride-hailing services: the commission tasked with regulating the city’s taxis approved a pilot program that would replace traditional fare meters with those powered by GPS location. [More]
Nike Exec Sees A Future Where Shoppers Could 3D Print Their Own Sneakers At Home
By 10.7.15
Making your own footwear at home won’t have to include cardboard, duct tape and those slippers you refused to throw out soon enough: A top executive at Nike says he thinks customers will someday be able to 3D print their own customized sneakers at home (or in Nike stores, for those without 3D printers at home). [More]
