Technology

Verizon Wireless has announced the first Windows Phone 7 handset available on its network. Microsoft hopes it will help overturn disappointing sales that have left the mobile platform well behind its competitors in popularity. Windows Phone 7 on HTC ... Trophy 7 The new handset is the HTC Trophy 7, which will retail for $150 if buyers take advantage of a rebate and sign up to a two-year service deal. That's notably lower than the $200 that most top-end smartphones go for under such conditions. One of the big selling points is that the phone is compatible with the Xbox 360 gaming system. A select ... (view more)

It's rumored that Windows 8 may be released in special editions suitable for devices like smartphones and iPad-like tablets. The buzz has caused concern at Intel, whose products are at the heart of most traditional Windows computers. The change ... involves the processor's instruction set architecture, which is at the very core of a computer. As a very loose analogy, the difference between rival instruction set architectures is as fundamental as the difference between organizing words alphabetically in a dictionary and organizing them by meaning in a thesaurus. Most Windows PCs use Intel x86 Most ... (view more)

Both Republican and Democratic politicians are questioning major tech companies about location data tracking features on mobile devices, such as cell phones. Five Republican congressmen who hold key positions on the House of Representatives Energy ... and Commerce committee have recently written joint letters to six companies: Apple, Google, Hewlett-Packard (HP), Microsoft, Nokia and Research in Motion (RIM). User Awareness Comes Into Question The letters demand information about the location data tracking features on the devices that the companies either manufacture or supply with an operating ... (view more)

For most of us, using the lavatory is anything but a luxurious experience. That might change, however, as Kohler promises that their new Numi toilet is one of the most hi-tech toilets ever to be launched in North America. Adjustable, Customizable ... and Motion-Controlled Features While recent years have brought about "smart phones" and "smart tablets", the Numi is the first "smart toilet" in the world. The new Numi toilet has many interesting features, including customized seat positions, water pressure and temperature control and even ambient lighting. Add audio (complete with FM radio and an ... (view more)

A venture capitalist claims that the Windows operating system is on the decline. However, that doesn't mean it's doom and gloom time for Microsoft; instead, Roger McNamee says the software giant will still thrive thanks to its business services. ... McNamee is co-founder of Elevation Partners, a firm that has invested in corporations including Forbes, Palm and Facebook. It's also a major donor to Wikipedia. Speaking in an interview on CNBC, McNamee says Windows has reached a cycle in which it would stop growing. As a result, he predicts Apple will expand significantly, which will actually wind up ... (view more)

A pair of Masters students at the University of Konstanz in Germany have undertaken a study that uses Microsoft Kinect to give virtual sight to the blind. The study involves a number of strategically-placed tech devices in a given location, with ... Kinect overseeing every movement. Navigation for the Visually Impaired Originally designed for the Xbox 360 as a way for hands-free gaming, the Microsoft Kinect system has taken on new meaning -- now providing what could be virtual sight to the blind. Dubbed NAVI (Navigational Aids for the Visually Impaired), the system works by connecting Kinect to a ... (view more)

Researchers at a Montreal university are using nanotechnology to combat cancer in the human body. This new method directly targets problem areas, potentially saving thousands of lives in the process. One of Canada's leading engineering schools, ... Polytechnique Montreal, revealed the successful manipulation of a tiny remote-controlled magnetic sphere that could travel through the body and deposit cancer treatment directly on the targeted area. In the study, a live animal with a situation comparable to liver cancer was used and treated. (Source: thesudburystar.com ) The traveling sphere used to ... (view more)

An innovative smartphone application is causing great distress for police officers everywhere. It features a built-in warning system that informs motorists when a hidden police vehicle is in the area. Anti-Police Speed Trap App a Hit with Motorists ... "Trapster" was designed by a car enthusiast in San Diego and has since become an overnight sensation in terms of its download figures and usage. Many are referring to the system as a hi-tech version of the age-old scenario in which people flash their headlights to warn one another that a speed trap is in the vicinity. In this same spirit ... (view more)

A recent nation-wide survey investigating sleeping habits has linked the use of technology with insufficient sleep. But the findings may not be that clear-cut. The details come from the National Sleep Foundation, a non-profit group aiming to tackle ... sleep-related health issues and thus cut the number of tiredness-related problems. It surveyed 1,500 people aged 13 to 64. The two most prominent figures are that 43 per cent of those questioned say they rarely, if ever, get a decent night's sleep on weeknights, and that 95 per cent of people use electronic devices in the hour before bedtime. ... (view more)