Technology

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)

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)

Wouldn't it be great if air conditioning didn't suck the life out of your car (and your wallet)? Well, hybrid energy is getting a major face lift, all in the name of finding a separate power source for the air conditioning in hybrid vehicles. Rumors ... in the Japanese media are swirling that the next generation Prius may be the first hybrid car to include solar panels. Although Toyota has not made an official announcement, the media has jumped on the story. (Source: efluxmedia.com ) Thus far, the Prius has sold over 1 million vehicles and is due for its third edition soon. The new solar-panel ... (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)

IBM's latest work, the Chocolate Genome Project, isn't a wacky codename for a new game: it's a genuine attempt to uncover the DNA of the cocoa bean. The firm is teaming up with confectionary giant Mars and the US Department of Agriculture to track ... the genetic coding which makes up the bean used for chocolate production. The idea is to learn enough to isolate variants of the bean which can survive the growing problems of dry climates, fungi and insect attacks which have driven prices up by half in the past year, threatening many farmers' livelihoods. Around 6.5 million farmers depend on cocoa ... (view more)