Technology

There have been times in our lives when we have had to make important phone calls that we would much rather avoid. In these instances (and in-between whispering to ourselves "please don't pick up") we anticipate the salvation that comes when hearing ... the beep of an answering machine, signaling that an unwanted conversation has just been avoided. Wouldn't it be great if we could jump straight to the answering machine without having to wait out the seemingly endless ringing period? Now thanks to Slydial, unwanted phone conversations are a thing of the past. Slydial is an emergent technology that ... (view more)

Finally, software tools for those that have difficulty remembering things. Both IBM and Microsoft are currently testing software designed to improve individual memory. Let's face it, people today are overwhelmed with information and data -- so much ... so that they can't process it or retrieve it when needed. The new software will help with that by combining pictures, sounds, dates, times, locations, and text that is recorded through some type of everyday mobile electronic device (like a smart cell phone) and indexed for later retrieval. (Source: computerworld.com ) The IBM version of the ... (view more)

Researchers have discovered that the ancient Greeks used a primitive 'computer' to set the dates of the Olympic Games. Historians already knew that the first games, held in 776BC, were scheduled to begin on the full moon closest to the summer ... solstice. But until know they hadn't worked out how the Greeks managed to perform the complex and detailed calculations needed to work out that date. The answer lies in a mechanical brass calculator known as the Antikythera Mechanism, found in a shipwreck in 1901. It had a series of bronze wheels and dials, and dates from around 100 BC. Experts said it ... (view more)

British businessman and publicity hog Richard Branson recently revealed the first of two aircraft capable of carrying tourists into space. The new, high-altitude jet will act as a sky-bound home base for spacecraft that take two crew and six ... passengers on sub-orbital flights. Dubbed "Eve", the aircraft was recently unveiled amidst space fans and engineers a Mojave Desert hangar. Branson's Virgin Galactic is behind the project, which contracted aerospace designer Burt Rutan to complete both Eve and the spaceship that will launch from Eve. Although the number of space nuts having already paid $ ... (view more)

With most national newspapers experiencing record-low subscriber rates, many are starting to wonder if newspapers (at least in printed form) are on the brink of extinction. California start-up company Verve Wireless has come forward with a tempting ... offer that could save many newspaper companies. That's not to say that people are not reading newspaper content. Online newspapers, whether coming from national news sources or reputable newsletters like Infopackets.com, are being read by millions of people on a daily basis. In fact, after search engines and email services, newspaper content ( ... (view more)

A new kind of discount mobile phone will soon be hitting convenience store shelves throughout France, and their brand name resonates with many of us living in North America. It just isn't your typical cell phone company. Bic, the makers of ballpoint ... pens, cigarette lighters and disposable razors are introducing the first batch of ready-to-use cell phones. For €49 ($75 USD) Bic will supply the hardware, phone number and one hour of calls. Consumers simply purchase the package, open it and are ready to dial. (Source: springwise.com ) When you enter a convenience store in France, you might ...<a href="/news/3736/bic-introduces-ready-use-mobile-phones" class="more-link">view more

A new industry agreement could eventually mean an end to choosing between lower quality TV pictures and a house full of messy cabling. Major audio-visual manufacturers including Sony, Sharp, Hitachi, Samsung, and Motorola have agreed to back an ... industry standard for wireless signals to carry high-definition video. Wireless Home Digital Interface will transmit on the 5GHz band, which means it doesn't need licensing. The system can carry up to 3bBits per second, which means it can cope with the top-end 1080p video format without having to compress the signal. It should also be able to transmit ... (view more)

A security firm has warned businesses that using open-source software could put them at risk. A new study carried out by security consultant Larry Suto for Fortify claims people developing open-source software simply don't meet the security ... standards that would be expected of commercial software companies. Open-source software involves the source code behind the software being publicly available. In most cases there is no charge to use, distribute or modify the software. Indeed, many developers and enthusiasts will share ways to improve the software or adapt it for different tasks. The best ... (view more)

When you stop to think about it, the evolution of technology in the modern classroom is truly amazing. Schools have gone from having only a few computers in the entire building to having a few computers in each classroom to using computers as an ... educational tool when teaching everyday material. At Boston's Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School, over 650 students are given an Apple laptop each day. The teacher simply tells the students which applications to click on, and the class departs on an electronic learning adventure geared specifically to their own unique levels of understanding. The ... (view more)

More than anything, it is the price of the new iPhone 3G that has bloggers, news agencies, and consumers in a tizzy. A few weeks ago, I wrote an article about the price breakdown of the new phone and how Apple can afford to sell it for less than the ... old iPhone. Among other things, this is because service providers, namely AT ... (view more)