It's officially spring, so why is your computer still moving like it's half frozen? After all those long winter nights surfing shady sites, it's no wonder. Here's how to give your most important devices a spring cleaning fit for a May Queen.
The fourth annual National Day of Unplugging is upon us, running March 1 – 2 from sundown to sundown. Go outside! Spend time with the fam! Bake some cookies! Whatever you choose to do, don’t spend the NDU staring at any screens.
How will you spend your National Day of Unplugging? I will probably be right where I always am, attached to my word processor in the leaky basements of GadgeTell, as otherwise they don’t refill my water dish. But I heartily endorse unplugging for everyone who can manage it.
If you’re looking for an even more ambitious tech-detox, sister campaign Tech Timeout is challenging everyone to set aside one hour out of every day for time with loved ones, without the mediation of gadgets. The idea was spawned after the creator’s very familiar/depressing experience with the modern, hyper-connected family...
The HAPIfork, made by HAPILABS, smart electronic fork is seen on display at the Consumer Electronics Show on Tuesday, Jan. 8 in Las Vegas. The fork vibrates and lights up to help its user slow down to a healthy eating pace.
When the power went out this summer in Chicago, my first thought was not “Will the food spoil in the freezer?” It was to check and see whether my iPad was fully charged. I immediately obsessed about how I could access the Internet if the blackout lasted for an extended period of time.
These are not unusual thoughts in the age of the “always-on” technology. Through the Internet, we can access information almost anywhere and anytime we want. But, Professor Larry Rosen, who studies the psychology of technology, explains in his new book, iDisorder: Understanding Our Obsession with Technology and Overcoming Its Hold on Us, that this has become an increasing psychological disorder among the general population.
Electric skateboards are cool, in a dorky kind of way. We were impressed by the "Board of Awesomeness", which was controlled by a wave of your hands via a Kinect. But here's the future: a skateboard controlled by your brain.
Created by Chaotic Moon Labs, this follow-up to the Board of Awesomeness is referred to as the Board of Imagination, and it's controlled by the power of thought. The rider wears an Emotiv EPOC headset, which picks up signals from the brain and sends them to a Samsung tablet. As the rider imagines a point in the distance to which they'd like to travel, software detects changing brain signals, and the board starts rolling. At up to 32 mph.
Electric vehicle recharging techniques run the gamut from fast-charging setups to battery swap-outs to wireless charging stations. Electrical engineers at Stanford propose the most convenient of them all: just drive.
IBM has recently set plans to refine and develop battery technology that would allow electric cars to measure ranges of up to 500 miles on a single charge.
It’s no secret that there are many criticisms levied towards electric vehicles (EVs). While some contain more validity than others, one of the more relevant issues concerning EVs centers on range anxiety and the ability of an electric car to get you to your final destination. According to an article in NewScientist, IBM is looking to address and solve the limited range issue by pioneering new battery technology that may allow for extended ranges of up to 500 miles – pushing EVs into a range where they would be able to compete with most gas-powered cars.
While consumer electronics (CE) merchandise returns are often an overlooked scenario for consumers they are undoubtedly top of mind for manufacturers and retailers because of their billion dollar price tag. “Put another way, manufacturers spend about 5 percent to 6 percent of revenues to manage all aspects of a customer return. For retailers, returns represent approximately 2 percent to 3 percent of sales,” according to a new study put out by Accenture.
Google and NASA partner for energy-efficient flight contest, with winner traveling 200 miles in an electric airplane.
As if the notion of flying around in your own plane wasn’t cool enough, a recent contest has proven that travel by personal airplane can be an energy-efficient dream, too.
If electric cars never really take off in popularity, how about the flip side? Electrified roads.
Previous ideas with electrified roads required a coil to be attached to the car, which is unreasonable if the car is moving. Now, researchers at Toyota Central R&D Labs and Toyohashi University of Technology are looking into a method where the energy would enter the car from the road through the tires, which are always in contact with the ground. New Scientist has more on the research:
Efax is yesterday. You know the fax machine you have out there in the cloud where you receive a fax (with a dedicated line) and they send you the fax via email. And you send the fax via email - you post it to your electronic fax provider and they fax it for you.
Watch "A Day Made of Glass" and take a look at Corning's vision for the future with specialty glass at the heart of it.
Learn more about Corning at corning.com. Search for career opportunities at corning.com/careers.
Dear Lifehacker,
When you fly on an airplane, FAA regulations require you to turn off and stow portable electronics, but is this really necessary? Sometimes I leave my phone on during take off on purpose by accident and nothing ever happens. Is this rule B.S. or is there really something to it?
Sincerely,
Flummoxed Flier
