Techno-News Blog

By Christine S. Moyer, amednews staff

Physicians are seeing an increasing number of tech-related problems, such as BlackBerry thumb and cell phone elbow, as dependence on electronic devices reaches unprecedented levels.When Mike Sevilla, MD, sees young patients at his Salem, Ohio, family practice, he often finds them text messaging or listening to music on portable media players. These tech-savvy patients may not realize it, but they could be on the way to developing health problems related to overuse of personal technology. That’s why Dr. Sevilla uses such exam room encounters as a springboard to talk about the potential health impact of today’s tech devices. “I talk about listening to loud music and being distracted while driving. … I bring up those examples of people who were hurt or killed because they could not disconnect themselves from their cell phone,” he said.

http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2010/09/27/prl20927.htm

By: KRISTIN DAVIS, Associated Press

Logan Fischetti is an escape artist. He could find his way out of locked doors and windows at age 6 and once circumvented the alarm system – getaways made all the more dangerous because Logan has autism. His father, Mike Fischetti, got deadbolts and better windows. He signed Logan up for Project Lifesaver International, a Chesapeake-based nonprofit that partners with more than a thousand law enforcement agencies in three countries to track senile and autistic people when they go missing.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/nation/cellular-technology-used-to-track-missing-people-103805699.html

By W. David Gardner, InformationWeek

The so-called “super Wi-Fi” technology is the first significant block of spectrum made available for unlicensed use in more than 20 years. As expected, the FCC approved the unlicensed “white spaces” spectrum Thursday in a rare unanimous vote on an important issue. Now comes the hard part: bringing the “Super Wi-Fi” technology to market. The white spaces that exist among TV bands in the 470 to 698 MHz frequencies have faster speeds, valuable propagation features and penetrate walls easily while covering wide areas. The technology is expected to go a long way towards mitigating the looming spectrum crisis. A startup has a new firewall that accurately identifies applications and enforces policies There are a couple of hitches, however. A database will have to be created so users won’t interfere with each other and broadcasters and microphone users will have to be convinced the technology won’t interfere with their use. The FCC announced solutions to the problems.

http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/NAC/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=227500575&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_News

by cheapcomputers, Computer Technology Guide

The word cheap is one that we use quite frequently since the recession and because of this we are even buying cheap computers. Here are a few reasons why we should buy cheap computers. Buying a cheap computer does not mean that you have to compromise on quality. There are so many suppliers out there who are able to sell computers cheaper than their rivals and it has become almost a war between companies to see who can get their prices the lowest.

http://comtech101.blogspot.com/2010/09/opportunities-with-cheap-computers.html

By Brandon Bailey, Mercury News

Though he made peace with Hewlett-Packard earlier this week, Oracle’s always combative Larry Ellison continued to rib other competitors — from Salesforce.com and SAP to IBM and EMC — as he wrapped up his company’s four-day OpenWorld extravaganza Wednesday. Ellison fired several jabs at Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff from the stage of the Moscone Center, after hearing that Benioff made jokes earlier about Oracle’s new Exalogic computer system, a flagship product Ellison unveiled this week. Ellison also repeatedly told the audience at Oracle’s annual customer conference that his company’s new computer systems and business software will outperform anything his competitors have on the market.

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_16147930?source=most_emailed&nclick_check=1

By JOSH NEWTON Tahlequah Daily Press

Projectors were once on the cutting edge of technology, but teachers at two Cherokee County schools are moving in a new direction by welcoming hundreds of laptop computers for students this year. Laptop computers are quickly becoming a norm for school students, especially in districts where technology grants are being awarded. Briggs and Grand View were awarded with grants – called “1:1” grants – aimed at enhancing education through technology. The two schools were selected along with only 17 others in Oklahoma to receive these digital classroom grants, and those who will benefit are excited at what has already happened.

http://tahlequahdailypress.com/features/x1535827807/-No-turning-back-after-tech-introduction

by Zee, the Next Web

So it’s happening. IE’s reign truly appears to be coming to an end.According to Stat Counter, Microsoft’s browser has officially fallen below the 50 percent market share mark to 49.87 percent. Firefox holds relatively strong at 31.5 percent and Chrome is soaring with 11.54 percent having only launched just over 2 years ago.In Europe, IE market share has fallen to 40.26% in September this year from 46.44% in September last year. While in North America IE is still above 50% at 52.3% followed by Firefox at 27.21% and Chrome at 9.87%. The rise of Google Chrome in North America has also been impressive and in June it overtook Safari for the first time.

http://goo.gl/aqMr

by Jeff Cormier, the Next Web

Apple TV has arrived at the less than stately Cormier Manor and I, as a fan of all things Apple like our Boris, was giddy to get the box open and hook it up. Apple TV was quite popular on the day it was announced, but some have been less than thrilled with the device. The features of Apple TV include, but are not limited to; a smaller size, roughly a fourth the size of the previous version, an HDMI output, an Ethernet jack, built in WiFi, a neat looking remote and more. Certainly there exists happiness that the device has made its way into my Apple-loving hands. Unfortunately, conducting a proper review of the device having had it for so little time would not do it justice. For now we will give a brief view of the packaging and unboxing of Apple TV, with a more in-depth review after some extended use.

http://goo.gl/BCwP

by Brad McCarty, the Next Web

Toward the end of last year, Google introduced its Goggles application for Android. As an interesting twist to how we search, you could open Googles then look at any object as if you were taking a picture and Google would search for it. I’ve used it to translate text, identify birds and even figure out where I was in San Francisco. Now, according to the Google Mobile Blog, Googles has come to the Google Mobile App for iPhone. Apple fans are now able to use Google’s Google technology to search for what you see, even if you have no idea how to describe it

http://goo.gl/2hzQ

by the BBC

The firm unveiled the sets at the Ceatec electronics show in Tokyo Toshiba has launched what it claims are the first 3D television sets that do not require special glasses. The two sets are able to create 3D effects in real time from standard film and television pictures. The televisions use a special lenticular sheet to create an array of nine overlapping images. A viewer sees different images with each eye, creating the illusion of a 3D picture. The system is similar to that used in the Nintendo 3DS handheld console.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11467352

by Heather Holm, Editors Weblog

Every time a new gadget appears, the question is asked among media commentators: “What does it mean for journalism?” “It’s a meaningful question to ask; we are in the future-of-journalism business, after all,” said C.W. Anderson in an article posted by the Nieman Journalism Lab. Anderson, in his article “Yeah, but what does it mean for journalism? A visual rhetoric guide” looked at what different developments have meant for journalism since 2008 using Wordle and Google searches with the phrase “what” and “future of journalism.” He then deleted all words including “journalism,” “media” and “news” since they were the most common search results.

http://www.editorsweblog.org/web_20/2010/09/what_does_new_technology_mean_for_journa.php

by Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Direct

More support should be given to nurture students who are interested in robot technology, said supervising teachers of students who participated in the Brunei Robotic Olympiad. The teachers said that Bruneian students had a lot of potential to do better on an international level. Norazura Hj Ali, a teacher from Kiarong Primary School, a school that won third place in the Base Runner category, said the students had a long way to go before they can make it to international competitions. “From what I’ve seen today, this is only the beginning because they have only learnt the skills in the past two months.” The teacher proposed more facilities to promote the students’ talents. “There are workshops for teachers so there is nothing wrong with giving workshops to students too,” she said. Norazura added that school clubs can be introduced to get more students to participate. “There are actually more kids who want to join the robotic competition but there wasn’t enough time in the selection process,” she said. Abdul Mahadir Hj Abdul Hamid, a computer teacher from Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan Science College, said the students’ ideas get more creative every year.

http://www.brudirect.com/index.php/2010092229656/Local-News/call-to-nurture-students-in-technology-of-robots.html

By Mark Ward, BBC News

New PCs could start in just seconds, thanks to an update to one of the oldest parts of desktop computers. The upgrade will spell the end for the 25-year-old PC start-up software known as Bios that initialises a machine so its operating system can get going. The code was not intended to live nearly this long, and adapting it to modern PCs is one reason they take as long as they do to warm up. Bios’ replacement, known as UEFI, will predominate in new PCs by 2011.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11430069

By Dave Lee, the BBC World Service

These old handsets can be made into touchscreen devices with the special acoustic software Are you ashamed of your primitive, non-touchscreen phone? Does your lack of flashy technology expose you to mockery at the hands of your co-workers? Engineers in Cambridge may just have the answer to your woes – and you do not even need to splash out on a new mobile. Acoustic processing specialists Input Dynamics has developed software which can tell exactly where you tap on a screen simply by listening to the sound it makes.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11453148

By Barry Collins, PC Pro

Schools are preparing for the axe to fall on their IT budgets after years of ring-fenced Government investment. A study of almost 1,400 schools conducted by the British Education Suppliers Association (BESA) found that only 58% of primary schools and 51% of secondary schools were planning to maintain IT spending at their current levels. “There’s less money in the system,” Ray Barker, director of BESA told PC Pro. “The big issue is in the past 10 years the Government has been giving ring-fenced funds for technology in schools. The Government has started to ease off that ring-fencing.”

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/education/361351/schools-prepare-for-cuts-to-it-budgets

By Olivia Solon, Wired UK

Solve Media has launched a security technology similar to Captcha that asks people to type brand slogans rather than a series of random distorted characters. Captcha is often used when we make purchases or post comments on websites to prove that we are human. As reported in Advertising Age, Solve Media has recognised that entering these letters requires the kind of focus that advertisers love and so has been working to develop a security technology that allows brands to pay to appear in this space.

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2010-09/21/captcha-used-for-advertising

by CNN

For many people, cell phones provide an instant and convenient way to communicate, especially through texting. For the hearing impaired, it’s becoming a lifeline. Sandra Coleman, whose husband Jesse is hearing impaired, said texting has revolutionized the way her husband is able to communicate with the rest of the world. “That just instant communication with him at any time – it just makes life a lot easier,” said Sandra Coleman, noting that before text messaging, every conversation required an interpreter.

http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=13191930

By Lail Stockfish, the Roundup

As the internet continues to expand and solidify its presence in the average person’s everyday life, Pierce College Students are learning how to cope with the idea of a virtual classroom. Since the inception of PierceOnLine, more and more classes are becoming somewhat of a “hybrid” by including an online aspect to the curriculum. Activity Coordinator Cynthia Alexander has been in charge of PierceOnLine since its major expansion two years ago. “PierceOnLine, is the online site, not just for online classes but also for web enhanced classes, and hybrid courses,” said Alexander.

http://www.therounduponline.net/news/moodle-makes-assignments-virtual-1.2346858

by Erica Ogg, CNet news.com

For the seventh straight year, Apple has topped its competitors in the PC industry in the University of Michigan’s American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), achieving a score of 86 out of 100. Its Apple’s highest ranking since the annual survey began in 1995. But the real story is how much further ahead of its peers Apple is in this area: most of the rest of the field (Acer, Dell, HP, and others) is tied with a score of 77, while HP’s Compaq brand is ranked 74. All of the PC makers improved their scores this year, but it didn’t help them collectively avoid sinking further behind Apple. The Mac maker’s nine-point lead is now the largest lead any company has over its competition in any of the 45 categories that the ACSI study surveys–including home appliances, gas stations, autos, e-commerce, airlines, and more.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-31021_3-20017064-260.html

Tiffany Kaiser – Daily Tech

Facial-recognition experts from Lockheed Martin and Animetrics are on the verge of creating partial, two-dimensional images of suspects pop out from computer screens which contain three-dimensional technology. Identifying suspects is difficult for security teams who depend on camera’s that only capture side-view’s or part’s of a person’s face, and can sometimes be too dark or blurry. With 3-D modeling, this will no longer be a problem.

http://www.dailytech.com/3D+Modeling+Expected+to+Improve+Facial+Recognition+Technology/article19691.htm

by Laura O’Brien, Silicon Republic

Minister for Education and Skills and Tanaiste, Mary Coughlan TD, has launched Choose IT 2010/2011, developed by the Irish Computer Society to highlight the positive career aspects of IT to students. The initiative promotes the IT profession, gearing it to students. The online slideshow and interactive website helps students discover the opportunities that lie within a career in IT. A recent survey of IT professionals carried out by the Irish Computer Society showed that 87pc are happy with their choice of career and would recommend working in the sector to their friends.

http://www.siliconrepublic.com/innovation/item/17806-choose-it-2010-2011/