Gadget Blog

Mobile devices, including tablet computers and smartphones are rapidly becoming the computing and communications device platform of choice for consumers and business users. Messaging, gaming, engaging friends on social media, web surfing, reading e-books, and making payments (m-commerce) are just a few of the activities that consumers are doing on their mobile devices, for work and leisure. Just as the world wide web transformed travel distribution forever back in the late 1990s by enabling consumer-direct...

Natural Language Processing lies at the  intersection of linguistics  and computer science,  and promises to change  the way we interact with  computers. Forever. What is Natural Language Processing? Natural language, or the language spoken by humans the world over, is  a fascinating construct. Not only does  each language have its own set of rules  concerning grammar and semantics,  but over time these languages spawn  dialects that modify these...

Agent 001 goes on a mission to uncover the truth  behind brain training. Is it  truly effective? I landed myself a rather cushy task this month which involved  spending most of my time in the  offce with a steaming mug of coffee  rather than hunting for a very specifc  motherboard on Lamington Road in a heavy downpour. It all started when my Digit friends came across this brain  training website/app called Lumosity. Lumosity’s gamifed training program  promises...

The fear that our devices are somehow altering our brains might seem exclusively modern. But in 1931, Technology Review published  “Machine-Made Minds: the Psychological effects of Modern technology,” in which John Bakeless explored how machines had transformed the very nature of human thought. here’s what he had to say: It is a curious fact that the writers who have dealt with the social, economic, and political effects of the machine have neglected the most important efect of all—its profound...

A venture capital frm throws out intuition and uses computer models to determine investments. Aldea Pharmaceuticals, a startup developing an emergency treatment for alcohol poisoning, seemed like an attractive investment to venture capitalist David Coats. But he didn’t rely on a hunch—he consulted the computer model he’d built. Wenjin yang is research vice president at aldea pharmaceuticals, which got funding thanks to software suggesting that its method for speeding up alcohol metabolism was...

Successful businesses will be those that optimize the mix of  humans, robots, and algorithms. In his new book Automate This, Christopher Steiner tells the story of stockbroker Thomas Peterfy, the creator of the frst automated Wall Street trading system. Using a computer to execute trades, without humans entering them manually on a keyboard, was controversial in 1987—so controversial that Nasdaq pressured him to unplug from its network. Then, with a wink, Peterfy built an automated machine...

A biotech company is pursuing an approach that could redefne infectious medicine. For some infectious diseases, traditional  vaccines just don’t cut it. Microbes that  hide inside human cells and cause chronic  illness aren’t stymied by the antibody response  generated by the kinds of vaccines available at  the doctor’s ofce. T-cell vaccines, which acti- vate a diferent type of immune response, could  in theory ofer a better way to prevent or control such infections,...

Are you prepared to manage the distractions inherent in a portal to the internet that you can’t  take your eyes off? In the previous issue of this publication, Farhad Manjoo made  a plausible case that Google’s new augmented-reality glasses,  known as Project Glass, could make computing less distracting  by replacing every other device in our pockets and laps. Rather  than checking out of a conversation by looking down at our phones,  we could get in and out of our...

The CES show floor is rarely the best environment to test audio equipment, but a relatively quiet moment this morning was our first chance to try on Panasonic's new bone conduction headphones. The Bluetooth-based wraparound set doesn't actually fit into your ears - instead, two "speakers" sit just outside them and vibrate the sound directly into your skull. The general idea behind this and other bone conduction products is to create a low-power device that lets listeners hear both music and ...

Samsung’s latest hi-tech toddler-surveillance system trains an unblinking eye on your offspring… The Samsung SEW-3037 with 3.5-inch, colour LCD is your baby’s new Big Brother. It keeps a watchful 2x-zooming eye on your babe, while pan and tilt will check twins or scan the playroom for hidden axe-wielding madmen. Just kidding, obvs. A two-way radio with talk-back lets you and your other half argue remotely over whose turn it is to change Junior. 253,69 USD, samsung.com/uk THE...

Last month the first shots were fired from a 3D printed gun. As expected it sparked debate regarding the future of 3D printed firearms. For many, 3D printing is a revolution, using a special hardened plastic to print, layer by layer, actual physical objects. While there are many uses for this, for example the printing of spare parts for models or architects constructing 3D replicas of their projects, American Cody Wilson had other ideas. Starting last year in August he created the non-profit...

Eben Upton thought a new generation of youngsters might never develop valuable hardware and software hacking skills unless they had access to cheap, hobbyist-friendly computers. So he set out to build one himself. The resulting tiny box, which sells for just $25, has been a big hit. It could boost computer skills not only among children but among adults in poor countries as well. Upton came up with the idea in 2006, when he was fnishing his PhD in computer science at the University of Cambridge....

1. PRODUCTIVITY BOOSTING NAP POD Power Naps have been proven to boost productivity efficiently. Aitliough it is always a challenge to not fall back asleep after a 20-minute nap, you will be rewarded for your restraint. The Pod is cushioned for comfort and has a spherical dome for privacy. A timer can be set for a 20-minute nap and slowly brightening lights and vibration gently wake nappers. Music can be played through a built-in speaker or headphone jack. Of course, the question remains as to whether...

1. BACTRACK MOBILE BREATHALYZER Driving under tlie influence of alcoliol is still one of the main causes of accidents even to this day. You'd think that after progressing so far technologically, people of this age would have learned to abide by this simple law. With this breathalyzer, all you have to do is blow into it after a night of drinking and your iPhone will receive the stats of your blood alcohol levels. You can then hand the car keys to someone sober enough to get you home safely.  2....

Yes, you couldjust tiwn everything off, but we show you the best power-saving methods that actually workBattery life is one of the biggest issues facing the Android world today. Take your SIM card out, turn off Wi-Fi and never touch it, and your phone will sit there happily, lasting for a whole week on a single charge. But try to use it for anything 'smart' and that's where your problems start. You have to admit that it's a pretty sorry state of affairs when you're counting the uptime of today's...