Carlo Orlando

These days, it seems as if cash payments are settled using every medium but cash itself. Gone are the days of fumbling around in a purse or wallet to find the exact change needed to make a purchase. While cash is always an accepted tender, many now ... prefer to use debit or credit cards to alleviate wasted time and hassle. Several major banks and mobile operators all over Europe have come together to ensure that one more method of payment will be offered to consumers in the near future. The group assembled to talk about the possibility of enabling future cell phone models to act as a wireless ... (view more)

In the pursuit of keeping a neat household, many of us create and abide by a list of daily chores. One task that has long disappeared from the dreaded chore list is watering the lawn, being replaced with the much more convenient automated sprinkler ... system. However, a movement towards water conservation is now challenging the use of automated sprinkler systems, with their main argument being that some sprinkler systems remain active just after (and sometimes during) rainfall. A Los Angeles company has revealed a new device that will allow users to keep their automated sprinkler systems while ... (view more)

Engineers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have introduced a new kind of technology that could dramatically increase the independence of people living with severe disabilities. The technology powers a system that allows individuals with ... limited or no use of their extremities to operate a computer, power a wheelchair, and interact with the world around them without any assistance. How does it work? Individuals with severe disabilities would be equipped with small magnets (each the size of a grain of rice) attached to their tongue. The system, called Tongue Drive, would allow users to ... (view more)

Have you ever sifted through the pages of an old photo album and thought "when did this happen?" or "where was I here?" If only there had been something that would have recorded the date and location of all these pictures. Meet the Eye-Fi memory ... card. Like most models, the 2-gigabyte card is compatible with most cameras. Unlike most models however, the card comes complete with a built-in wireless network. (Source: uclue.de ) A wireless network built into the memory card? Why? Just in case you're out snapping a few pictures and return home, the memory card will wirelessly and automatically ... (view more)

Chrysler is planning to introduce a new feature in most of their 2009 models which will transform their vehicles into a traveling hot spot for mobile web access. This will be the first time WiFi will be available in vehicles on a mass scale. If you ... have even been stuck waiting for a train to pass or parked in front of those early-morning, never-ending red lights, you know what a frustrating time-waster each of these interruptions are. In these situations people may very well turn to cursing, playing the bongos on the steering wheel, or honking their horn at no one in particular. But what if ... (view more)

A new product is set to debut on the market, hoping to alleviate the hassle of having to write a weekly grocery list, while eliminating procrastination and forgetfulness! Meet the Ikan, a round barcode scanner designed for home use. The device ... boasts a small color screen on the front, a laser scanner underneath and a WiFi antenna inside that connects to virtually any wireless network. How does it work? When you are about to throw away an empty container, simply swipe the barcode of the item underneath the scanner and wait for a beep. The Ikan will consult its online database (containing ... (view more)

There seems to be a never-ending cycle in consumer electronics: a new company comes along and introduces the next breakthrough in tech-based innovations, consumers buy into the product in droves, the novelty of the product wanes, the company ... re-packages the product in wireless form, the novelty of the product wanes, a new company comes along and introduces the next breakthrough in tech-based innovations... Meet the latest product to get re-packaged in wireless form: High-Definition TV. The move towards wireless "Hi-Def" is not a simple transition. Many companies have made several unsuccessful ... (view more)

The competition between microprocessing developers has reached new heights, as each attempt to cram the most power into the tiniest possible space. IBM is looking to cool down their vertically-stacked chips by using one of the most abundant and ... natural sources on earth: water. The company is certain that water would be a much more efficient source than air at absorbing heat, even if the amount of water being used is minute. One potential danger associated with downsizing chips is that the circuits in these processors, although miniature in size, still generate a considerable amount of heat. ... (view more)

A collection of entrepreneurs are now hoping to do for billboards what clicks have done for Internet advertisers. Billboards are slowly becoming equipped with small cameras that record the age, gender and duration of time consumers stare at ... advertisements. The information is then transmitted to a central database for analysis. Advertisers measure the success of their products by paying close attention to the demographics of their audience. This data can easily be collected if extracted via Internet, television, and print resources, but what about seemingly immeasurable advertisements like ... (view more)

You are sitting on the beach of a tropical paradise, sifting through the family photos that you have just taken on your digital camera. Your momentary reflection period is interrupted by a family member telling you to "go long" and you allow the ... camera to fall in the sand as you make a game-saving interception during a round of beach football. At the end of the day you pack up your belongings and walk away, leaving your camera behind. Imagine that a stranger comes along and picks up your camera. Would you want him looking at your digital memories? Of course not! But what if the stranger was ... (view more)