Emerging Tech

The Speed Bumps Slowing Down the Cars of Tomorrow
January 18, 2013

It makes sense that the first major auto show of the year began just one week after CES 2013 in Las Vegas; more technologies, like apps and voice recognition, are driving their way into cars. It used to be that the intersection of cars and technology could be found at the annual auto show in Detroit, which is where the action is this week and next.

Leap Motion Jumps Into Best Buy's Arms
January 16, 2013

Leap Motion, which makes a 3D controller that can track movements smaller than the tip of a pin, on Wednesday announced that it has entered a limited exclusive agreement with Best Buy. The deal will see Best Buy build endcaps in the 1,056 stores it has in the United States to display Leap's controllers, as well as devices that run them and associated apps.

CES 2013's Big Untold Stories
January 14, 2013

While the announcements at CES tend to eclipse everything else at the show, including the prior announcements, often the bigger events are going on behind the scenes. This year, Nvidia, Microsoft, Qualcomm, and a bunch of Chinese companies you've never heard about -- and one you have -- were far more interesting than the headliners.

Samsung's Bendy, Twisty Screen May Be Leaving Prototype Limbo
January 11, 2013

Samsung this week displayed prototypes of its Youm line of flexible, virtually unbreakable organic light-emitting diode displays at the 2013 CES being held in Las Vegas. At CES, Samsung showed off a small tablet-like device with a wraparound flexible screen. This increased the amount of screen available for content, which will be able to flow along the sides of the device.

The Smart TV Shopping Saga: Size and Power Matter
January 11, 2013

To buy a flashy new ultra-thin framed 3D TV or not: Like many consumers over the holiday buying hustle, I struggled with that question. I finally gave in and decided to buy one. That decision was not an impulse-only submission, however. I was toying for a while with replacing my aging 42-inch plasma HD "dumb" TV set and finally bought a 55-inch 3D smart TV.

The Fitness Tech Explosion
January 11, 2013

With the holidays in the rear view mirror, many who did too much indulging have begun to notice a bulge that they may want to lose in the new year. It is easy to make and subsequently break new year's resolutions -- but the convergence of technology and fitness could help make it easier to keep them.

Here Comes UHDTV - You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet
January 09, 2013

The original analog NTSC TV standard for sets that graced living rooms for decades was only phased out in 2009 after years of delays, extensions and efforts to reach a standard for digital TV, but already TV manufacturers are looking to the next big thing. At this year's International CES, all the buzz is about "4K" TV sets that offer four times the resolution of current-generation HDTV sets.

Consumers Tuning Out OLED in 2013
January 08, 2013

The 2013 International CES is in full swing, and it's easy to get caught up in all the hoopla over the latest and greatest tech gizmos on display. However, this is a cycle that repeats itself annually, and what's hot in Vegas this week may cool down faster than you can say "OLED."

Lenovo's Horizon Does Double Duty: Table PC or Huge Tablet
January 07, 2013

Lenovo on Monday announced a 27-inch table PC that doubles as a monster tablet and a desktop at the 2013 CES in Las Vegas. The IdeaCenter Horizon Table PC has a two-legged kickstand in the back that, when extended, props the device up for vertical use. It has a 10-point multitouch screen that's optimized for Windows 8.

Why CES Will Suck This Year
January 07, 2013

I think CES is the worst show in the technology market. That's not because it is badly run -- on the contrary, it is one of the better-run shows. Nor is it because there aren't any interesting and compelling products there. No, it is because we all just blew out our budgets buying crap, and CES is a showcase of why we should have waited for the improved crap that will be in the market shortly.

10 Things I Hate About CES (but I'm Going Anyway)
January 04, 2013

The 2013 International CES is the must-attend trade show for all things consumer electronics. It is a "must attend" not because it is when many companies will debut new products and introduce new technology, but because so many tech journalists, analysts, insiders and others -- lots of others -- descend on Las Vegas to see those new products and new technologies.

Asus Takes Giant Leap Into Gesture Tech
January 03, 2013

Leap Motion announced on Thursday that its touch-free 3D motion sensing and control technology will be bundled with high-end notebooks and premium all-in-one PCs high-tech vendor Asus will launch later this year. The Leap Motion controller can track movements smaller than the tip of a pin with no visible lag time.

iWatches and Bracelets and Shades, Oh My
January 03, 2013

There have been a few new Apple rumors floating around the last few days, starting with one that claimed Apple was working on an "iWatch" and graduating to wearable computers. Over the course of several years, wearable computing devices could provide some next-generation revenue to the iPhone and iPad business, one such line of speculation goes.

A Few of My Favorite 2012 Things
December 31, 2012

As I look back on 2012, a number of products stand out as memorable. I figured I'd use my last column of the year to take a moment to recall each one and what made it special. For years I wondered why someone didn't use the technology that was used to cool astronauts and race drivers in consumer clothing and beds. This is important to me.

Apple May Soon Let You Talk to the Hand
December 28, 2012

Apple's supply chain has clearly sprung a leak since Steve Jobs' passing: Every few months, it seems, a rumor or report from unnamed sources at this or that supplier makes the rounds. The current rumor is that Apple is hard at work at its next innovation -- and it's not a television set or a smart remote control. Instead, it is a watch.

Where's My Autonomous Car?
December 28, 2012

The world cheered -- well, at least the nerds cheered -- when Google's autonomous cars drove 1,000 miles with no human intervention and another 140,000 miles with occasional human intervention in 2010. Since then, the cars are still tooling about in a series of tests as early fans watch them in action on YouTube and Vimeo.

Genius Inventor Kurzweil Gets Keys to Google Playground
December 19, 2012

Google has a lot of star power in its executive ranks and certainly a wealth of intellectual horsepower among its rank-and-file engineers and technologists. However, the search engine giant is getting a twofer with its latest hire: Ray Kurzweil, a brilliant engineer who also has name recognition.

IBM: Computers Are Going to Start Making a Lot More Sense
December 18, 2012

IBM listed technologies based on the five human senses in its 2012 "5 in 5" -- five innovations that will change lives within five years. The predictions include advances in cognitive systems to unlock the door to touch, sight, hearing, taste and smell. The list that IBM makes each year doesn't reflect what its engineers, scientists and developers want under the tree, but where they see technology making some of its biggest advances in the near term.

SolarCity's on Fire
December 14, 2012

SolarCity enjoyed a much better IPO than some of its green industry peers have had in recent months. Its stock rose 47 percent on Thursday, netting about $92 million for the day. SolarCity opened at $8, skyrocketed to about $15, and closed at $11.79 per share. The stock continued to perform well on Friday, trading around $12 at midday. SolarCity finances and installs solar equipment.

Auto Apps: The Secret Sauce in the Safety, Connectivity Combo
December 12, 2012

Motor vehicle safety has been a thorn in the side of the auto industry since Model T Fords rattled their way across the big-sky American landscape a hundred years ago. The industry's introduction of the safety cage during the sepia-toned first half of the 20th century was the start of a concerted effort to deal with a sticky problem of customer churn, putting it politely.