Apple CEO Tim Cook says the idea of a laptop-tablet hybrid is tantamount to shoving a toaster into a refrigerator. It’s a clever, sound-bite-y analogy. It’s also wrongheaded. But before we go there, let’s give Cook’s comments the …
Alt Tech
World’s First Quantum Network Built with Two Atoms, One Photon
We’ve just heard about a working quantum computer tucked inside a diamond, and we’re already talking about quantum networks that could herald a quantum Internet? Yep, and in fact more than just talking: Scientists say they’ve …
Meet the Quantum Computer Inside a Diamond — Does It Run ‘Forever’?
What happens if you embed an ultrafast quantum computer inside a diamond (you know, aside from qualifying for sale in one of Tiffany’s catalogues and inviting “forever” computing quips)? Answer: You get a quantum computer that …
With Mobcaster, Your Next Favorite TV Show May be Crowd-Funded
“Find it, fund it, view it,” reads Mobcaster‘s punchy tagline, a pithy, no frills invitation that sums up what it’s about: crowd-funded online TV honed to discover, fund and broadcast independent television online. If you’ve ever …
How to Auto-Embed Album Art in Your iTunes Tracks
It’s that time again: When the evil, obsessive-compulsive, mirror-verse me starts picking at piles of disorganized digital information, speaking in sepulchral tones: “Time to get to work, Matt.” This time it’s my iTunes library …
Fifty Cameras, a Fake Home and Virtual Reality: How Tide’s New Detergent Came Together
Laundry detergent is not my regular beat. But when Procter & Gamble invited me to check out one of its secret lairs, with a PR rep touting “advanced modeling and virtual reality” within, I couldn’t resist.
Yes, the maker of …
Is Music Piracy Really ‘The New Radio’? Yes and No
Canadian folk-rocker Neil Young is making waves this week after telling reporters at a conference that piracy is “the new radio.”
“It doesn’t affect me because I look at the Internet as the new radio. I look at the radio as …
World’s Smallest Gaming Desktop! Wait, Do We Still Need Desktops?
Remember what Charles Ingalls used to call daughter Laura on Little House on the Prairie? That’s right, “Half Pint.” Those two words popped into my brainpan when I got a look at Alienware’s new X51, something it calls its …
The Looming Cloud-Streaming Game Wars: OnLive Partners with Google TV
Forget “what’s in your wallet,” what’s in your TV? If you’re looking to pick up one of these newfangled Google TV-based televisions, make that OnLive, the cloud-streaming game service that lets you play high-end video games over …
5 Things Not to Look for at CES 2012
Here we go CES, here we go — the annual tech-letting is nearly upon us, and with it, a deluge of rumors and PR-led ballyhoo. Let’s take a look at what not to expect from next week’s Vegas-based tech spectacular.
No new Xbox. …
Piano or Pretender? First Impressions of Yamaha’s AvantGrand N2
I just picked up a Yamaha AvantGrand N2, which if you pay any attention to the electronic music biz, you might recognize as the upright piano version of Yamaha’s newest hybrid piano series. They’re not cheap, but I needed …
Verizon FiOS Xbox Live TV Deal Is Another Disappointing Half-Measure
Giving people more options is generally a good thing, and the announcement on Tuesday that Verizon would offer a couple dozen FiOS cable TV channels through a new Xbox Live app certainly isn’t a bad thing. But it’s also a …