Technology

NBC is taking reality television where it's never gone before: space. The American TV network says it's reached a new agreement with producer Mark Burnett and Virgin Galactic -- the space travel service of the stars -- to launch reality show ... contestants into space. Unfortunately, the show doesn't actually take place in space. Instead, contestants on "Space Race" will compete with one another to win a flight on board Virgin Galactic's own SpaceShipTwo space craft. At the moment SpaceShipTwo is being tested at California's Mojave Air and Space Port. Virgin Galactic hopes that, once those tests ... (view more)

Sony is launching its own version of the Google Chromecast plug-in stick for televisions. But Sony's 'Smart Stick' will be substantially more expensive than Google's device and may only work with some TVs. Google's Chromecast launched this past ... July. It plugs into an HDMI port on a TV set and lets users play virtually any online videos using a smartphone, tablet, or computer. The Chromecast uses WiFi to connect to the Internet and stream the video. Ironically, Sony's device actually uses Google technology -- in this case, features taken from Google TV, a range of set-top boxes that aimed to ... (view more)

Nissan has become the latest firm to unveil a 'smartwatch'. In this case, the unique selling point is that the device can track your health, as well as the health of your car. Smartwatches, which use mobile Internet connections to power special ... features, appear to be one of this year's big tech tends. Samsung has already revealed a smartwatch called 'Galaxy Gear,' while Apple is reportedly working on a similar device. Nissan Watch Can Track Your Health Nissan's proposed 'Nismo' smartwatch has two main sets of features. The first is health-based, and uses the watch and strap to measure and ... (view more)

Video games are blamed for a lot of things -- exposing kids to violence, encouraging antisocial behaviour, and generally 'rotting' peoples' brains. But a new study finds that a computer game called 'NeuroRacer' can actually improve neurological (or ... brain) activity. In fact, the game is apparently having the most positive impact on players over age 60. NeuroRacer was specially designed for the Gazzaley Lab at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). There, neuroscientist Adam Gazzaley and a team of researchers have been using the game to test its impact on the neurological activity ... (view more)

Have you ever purchased a physical book from Amazon? Then you may soon be eligible to receive a cheap or even free Kindle version of that same book. The new feature is called 'Matchbook,' and applies to any book that a customer has ever bought on ... Amazon (at any time) that is also available for the company's Kindle e-book reader. So far more than 10,000 books have been enrolled in the scheme, largely because of the involvement of publishing giant Harper Collins. Amazon is hoping to get other publishers on board soon. (Source: bbc.co.uk ) Once the system launches in October, users will be able ... (view more)

Nokia is looking to connect automobile drivers with the 'cloud' through a program called "Here Auto", a new in-car navigation platform designed to provide users with real-time navigation data. Nokia says Here Auto is a dynamic tool that ... automatically adapts to the location of a driver. For example, if a driver is navigating city streets, the map they see is close to the ground, thereby displaying local parking lots, restaurants, side streets, and other important details. System Adjusts to Driver Location However, if the driver exits the city and heads out on an interstate highway, they'll be ... (view more)

A University of Washington scientist has transmitted his own thoughts over the Internet in order to make another man's finger move. But he insists this breakthrough isn't quite Star Trek-style Vulcan mind control. The project is designed to explore ... the way the brain operates with electrical signals. (Source: washington.edu ) Professor Rajesh Rao wore a special cap that monitors the electrical signals, or brainwaves, in the skull. Although he didn't physically move, he imagined moving his finger. To make the thought "more powerful", he did so while looking at a computer screen showing a video ... (view more)

There's no denying that computers -- whether they're in desktop, laptop, smartphone, or tablet form -- are becoming both more powerful and complex. Most of the smartphones on the market today are far faster than the desktop PCs we used just a few ... years ago. Still, researchers aren't convinced that today's cutting-edge computers are a match for the highly-adaptive human brain. But that could soon change, thanks to the work of a Boise State University research team. Electrical and computer engineering faculty at the school are currently using a three-year $500,000 National Science Foundation ... (view more)

Elon Musk, the head of Tesla Motors and several other companies, has unveiled a design for a train that could get from Los Angeles to San Francisco in just half an hour. Musk described the solar-powered 'Hyperloop' train as a cross between a Concord ... jet and an air hockey table. Musk says he came up with the design because he was disappointed by the California government's plans to spend $68 billion on a more traditional high-speed rail link that would make the LA-San Francisco trip around two hours and forty minutes long. He argues that's too much time given the project's enormous cost. Musk' ... (view more)

Fisher Price has been accused of producing misleading advertisements for 'educational' applications aimed at children. The allegations come from the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC). It has filed formal complaints with the Federal ... Trade Commission (FTC) against Fisher Price and Open Solutions. The CCFC says Fisher Price claims its 'Laugh and Learn' range of apps can help young children advance their math and language skills. Open Solutions makes similar claims about apps featuring reading and spelling challenges. According to the CCFC, "neither company offers any evidence to ... (view more)