Right, you’re saying, because tooling around in a plush La-Z-Boy has so many practical uses, but extrapolate from this Kinect hack and you might imagine all sorts of serious medical applications–say motion-controlled stairlifts, or wheelchairs that respond to twists of your head. Also, less serious ones, say trips to the fridge for a …
Gadgets
Craigslist’s Craig Launches Social Network For Good Causes
Craig Newmark doesn’t just want your online classifieds anymore. After 15 years of Craigslist, Newmark’s two new online ventures focus less on localized For Sale ads and more on community and social awareness, and – like Craigslist – both are surprisingly simple, effective ideas.
The first of these, CraigConnects, launched a few weeks …
Forget “Like,” NPR Wants Your Facebook <3
NPR may be under attack by right-leaning political outfits and facing calls for federal defunding, but the Internet still loves it. After one million iPad downloads in the last year alone, the organization is launching a new Facebook app to allow fans to socialize and proclaim their love for public broadcasting.
The app, called I <3 …
Are iPads And Other Tablets Killing TV?
Anyone might’ve guessed that the rise of the iPad and other tablet devices would change the way people use computers, but would as many consider it a television-killer? A new survey carried out by Google’s AdMob team suggests that may be the case.
After talking to over 1,400 tablet users, the team established that 68% spend at least …
T-Mobile Offering $80 Unlimited Voice, Text and Web Plan
T-Mobile is angling for some new subscribers with a limited-time, $80-per-month service plan that includes unlimited voice minutes, unlimited text messages, and unlimited web surfing with a two-year contract.
Web usage is good for up to two gigabytes at normal data speeds—those going over two gigabytes “will still have access to …
RoboCop Glasses Can Scan 400 Faces at Once to Find Bad Guys
If you’re planning to go to some sort of crowded event in Brazil and you’re wanted by the police, you might want to stay home.
Authorities will be donning special glasses outfitted with tiny cameras that “can capture 400 facial images per second and send them to a central computer database storing up to 13 million faces,” says the …
Moleskine Goes Digital with First iPhone App
Digital scribes, rejoice! The classic line of notebooks (the paper kind, that is) gets a modern twist with an upcoming iPhone app. It may not be as satisfying as pressing ink to iconic lined parchment, but at least you’ll feel like you’ve joined the modern era.
Moleskine’s app–currently pending Apple’s approval and due out …
Sprint Releases New Music App for Phones
Sad that your Android doesn’t have iTunes to let you indulge your musical passions at a moment’s notice? Fret no more, Sprint phone owners.
Today, the wireless provider released a new music application for Android devices that serves as a ”single, convenient destination for customers to discover, purchase and play” music, per …
Read the Fine Print: New Magnifier App for iPhone
Turning a smartphone into a magnifier is hardly a new concept in the world of apps, but one company promises a premium take on the concept.
Net|Soft Engineering, based in San Antonio, Texas, says it designed its EyeReader application–which helps magnify and illuminate surfaces–specifically for Baby Boomers.
How does that make it …
James Cameron: All Movie Theaters 3D in Five Years
Not content to persuade consumers that 3D movies are a good idea per blockbusters like Avatar, James Cameron has a new company to make it easier for people to broadcast in 3D.
The Cameron-Pace Group – named for Cameron and his partner in developing the Fusion 3D camera system, Vince Pace – was announced yesterday at the National …
Crazy Apple Rumor Triple-Header!
Carbon fiber iPods! No iPad 3 this year! A cable killer! Yes, the smell of Apple rumors is in the air today. Let’s take a closer look at this lovely trio and guess at each rumor’s likelihood.
No iPad 3 in 2011
Part of the classic “new rumor negates old rumor” genre, DigiTimes reports that there will be no iPad 3 this year. The original …
Study: More People Watch Music On YouTube Than Download It
Here’s some surprising good news for video aggregator YouTube: More Internet users watch music videos for free on YouTube than download music either through official sources like iTunes or even illegally. That discovery comes from Nielsen, who polled more than 25,000 users about their online music habits towards the end of last …