“Microsoft’s new Windows 8 operating system is a combination of two very different user interfaces, with each best used in a different way,” suggests Walt Mossberg. The entire system is touch-based, but only the start screen is fully optimized for touch, while the second interface, the Windows desktop, is best operated with a physical keyboard and mouse or touch pad. Continue reading Windows 8: Laptop/Tablet Hybrids Attempt to Embrace Features

New 3D printing technology can offer a second chance at life for toys “unfairly granted a short run in the stores,” writes Wired. An example of this is toy designer Wayne Losey’s vision of action figures to be assembled with various parts and pieces. While working at Hasbro, Losey attempted to sell these sorts of figures, but each was unsuccessful on the market. Continue reading 3D Printing: Snap-to-Build ModiBots Offer New Life for Toys

Instead of using the term “mobile commerce,” analytics provider Flurry describes “App & Mortar” trends in its new report about the rise in smartphone shopping. “This report confirms what we already knew about mobile commerce, but takes it a step further by figuring out who is benefiting the most right now from the trend. Surprisingly, it’s physical retailers,” according to AllThingsD. Continue reading App & Mortar Economy: New Battle for Consumer Relationships

It is now illegal for U.S. customers to unlock phones to enable them to work on different networks. “The U.S. Copyright Office is no longer granting unlocking an exemption to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The DMCA makes it illegal to ‘circumvent a technological measure that effectively controls access’ to copyrighted material, in this case software embedded in phones that controls carrier access,” explains Wired. Continue reading U.S. Copyright Office Says it is Illegal to Unlock Phones

In his review of the new BlackBerry Z10, personal-tech columnist David Pogue reverses his earlier suggestion that Research In Motion’s smartphone was doomed. While the once dominant BlackBerry has dropped to a single-digit percentage of the market and the company’s stock has plummeted, Pogue surprisingly notes that the new phone is “lovely, fast and efficient, bristling with fresh, useful ideas.” Continue reading RIM Changes its Name, Unveils Surprising BlackBerry Z10

Microsoft released its newest version of Office this week with radical changes including a new subscription-based pricing model, automatic year-round updates and close tie-ins to the cloud. Documents can be saved to Microsoft’s SkyDrive, an effort to compete with products like Google Drive, giving users the chance to store and share with remote access. Continue reading Positive Review for Radically Changed Microsoft Office 365

Sony is ramping up its efforts to provide 4K content by remastering select productions in the new format and restoring classic movies in 4K. As part of the initiative, Sony Pictures Television will remaster all five seasons of “Breaking Bad” in 4K. We can also expect to see 4K versions of “Groundhog Day,” “Ghostbusters,” “Glory,” “Funny Girl” and “On The Waterfront.” Continue reading Sony 4K Initiative: Studio Remasters Content for Ultra HDTVs

Amazon’s new Elastic Transcoder service allows people to upload and convert digital video to h264, AAC and MP4 formats for smartphone and tablet playback. The service offers 20 free minutes of transcoding per month, after which Amazon offers tiered plans starting at $0.015 for SD or $0.030 for HD per minute. The prices undercut existing cloud services like Zencoder, and the service is more convenient than purchasing external transcoding equipment. Continue reading Amazon Elastic Transcoder for Converting Video in the Cloud

While online video continues to grow, one challenge has involved effective revenue models. YouTube is addressing that hurdle with its decision to launch paid subscriptions for individual channels on its video platform. It is the Google-owned company’s “latest attempt to lure content producers, eyeballs, and advertiser dollars away from traditional TV, according to multiple people familiar with the plans,” writes Ad Age. Continue reading YouTube to Test Paid Subscription Channels on Limited Scale

Research from Dynamite Data shows that retailers such as Amazon, Sears, Walmart and Best Buy changed their daily Internet prices on various holiday products during 2012 much more frequently than in previous years. Since too many changes can prove overwhelming to shoppers, new tools have been developed, some of which automatically scan for changes and alert consumers when prices drop. Continue reading Shoppers Use Tools to Keep Track of Online Price Changes

A new NOVA special, “Rise of the Drones,” features the Autonomous Real-Time Ground Ubiquitous Surveillance Imaging System, or ARGUS-IS. The sensor uses 368 imaging chips similar to those found in cell phones to capture separate videos and piece them together to form a 1.8 billion pixel video. This means that the surveillance drone can capture images of birds flying, people walking on streets and cars traveling — all from 17,500 feet above the earth. Continue reading HD Surveillance System Capable of 1.8 Billion Pixel Video

Computer security firm Rapid7 has discovered and outlined three sets of security flaws in Universal Plug and Play (UPnP), a component that allows devices to connect and communicate on networks. “The flaws would allow hackers to steal passwords and documents or take remote control of webcams, printers, security systems, and other devices that are connected to the Internet,” reports Wired. Continue reading Rapid7 Uncovers Shocking Flaws in Universal Plug and Play

The adoption of 4K TV technology could be in the hands of console gamers, if the history of HDTV is any indication. In 2005, when few households owned HDTVs, due largely to a lack of available HD content, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 helped transform the industry. “They gave people a reason to buy an HDTV and that gave content producers reason to invest in the formats it supported,” suggests Wired UK. Continue reading Could Success of 4K TV Be in the Hands of Console Gamers?

Is 4K the future of television or is it just another CES pipe dream? A three-part debate is taking place on ZDNet between proponent Steven Vaughan-Nichols, who suggests the future of broadcasting involves 4K, and opponent Jason Perlow, who believes the technology will be gone before it really gets started. As of Wednesday morning, 39 percent of voting readers support Vaughan-Nichols, while 61 percent back Perlow. Continue reading Future of Television: Debate Looks at Both Sides of 4K Tech

HBO’s new chief executive Richard Plepler alluded to the fact that a standalone HBO broadband option could potentially exist somewhere down the road. “We recognize that there’s a piece of the audience out there that, if they could get HBO without going through a pay package, we would get it,” he noted, adding that he is hesitant to alienate HBO’s distributors by taking the channel directly to consumers online right now. Continue reading HBO Chief Exec Discusses Possibility of Broadband-Only Play