Smart devices were all the rage at this year’s CES in Las Vegas. And that includes a new wave of in-home devices, like light bulbs with built-in technology allowing consumers to control them via mobile apps. “And despite the high cost of LED bulbs, consumers seem to be turned on by them,” reports AllThingsD. There were a total of more than 900 exhibitors focused on the connected home at this year’s show. Continue reading The Smart Home: App-Controlled Bulbs, Security, Thermostats

The panoramic image has a rich history dating back to the 1800s. People have long pursued 360-degree imagery “in an effort to virtualize the experience of visiting an exotic locale,” according to Technology Review. A new project from Panasonic, called “DIVE into World Heritage 3D,” aims to create panoramic travel destination images seen clearer than ever before. Continue reading Panoramas: Panasonic Simulates Travel with Five 3D Cameras

Marc Freed-Finnegan and Jonathan Wall left the Google Wallet team in 2012 to launch their own startup. Many thought the two would develop a rival mobile wallet, but the duo’s new venture is heading in a different direction. Called Index, the startup “is essentially offering to turn every store into the same sleek, technology-driven experience of an Apple store, where you get that one-two punch of efficient, yet tailored service,” explains Wired. Continue reading Index: Startup Aims to Personalize Your Shopping Experience

Yesterday, we posted a story about the potential disruption to gaming that could result from the upcoming Steam Box from Valve. In a rare and candid interview, The Verge talks with Valve CEO Gabe Newell about his company’s gaming hardware, biometrics, gaze tracking and the future of gaming. Newell envisions an ecosystem of content developers, which will include the gamers themselves. Continue reading Valve CEO Gabe Newell Discusses Steam Box, Future of Gaming

During CES last week, representatives from television networks, software companies, cable providers and advertising firms gathered for the Second Screen Summit. 2012 was a busy year for second screens, as multiple companies, along with the Olympics, came out with companion products. But the direction and profitability of second screens remain in question. Continue reading CES 2013: Second Screen Use On The Rise, But Revenue Is Not

DISH unveiled a second screen app at CES complete with remote control, discovery and a programming grid. The app will challenge competitors like Zeebox and Peel, and unlike the third party competitors, DISH has the built-in advantage of working as the supplier of both first and second screen content. This eliminates some of the complications third party developers must overcome and could give DISH a leg up. Continue reading CES 2013: DISH Introduces New Second Screen App for iPads

“Kickstarter has really changed the dynamics at CES,” writes The Verge. “This year, independent developers are getting as much attention as the big companies that usually dominate, and many of them built their products with crowdfunded cash.” Kickstarter gives the small company or the entrepreneur a chance to compete with well-known electronics makers and is leveling a once very one-sided playing field. Continue reading CES 2013: Kickstarter Was Seemingly Everywhere This Year

According to Google, which underwent an antitrust investigation by the Federal Trade Commission recently, the speed of change in the tech industry makes it impossible for regulators to impose restrictions without holding up the progress of future innovations. And the commission agreed, dropping all charges against the search giant. Continue reading Mobile Revolution: Google Dominates Mobile Search…For Now

Apple CEO Tim Cook said he believes China will become Apple’s most important market. He was optimistic about his latest talk with China Mobile, although he wouldn’t go into detail about it — and he recently met with Miao Wei, minister of China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which is responsible for approving Apple products before they’re launched in China. Continue reading Tim Cook Goes To China Again, Seems To Be Making Progress

Amazon launched a new service called AutoRip that will start offering free MP3 downloads of any CD you buy from the site. But the really interesting part of the new service is the fact that it will give consumers MP3 versions of any album they’ve purchased from Amazon in the last 15 years. AutoRip will link to 50,000 albums and counting, and users will be able to listen in the cloud and/or download digital copies. Continue reading Amazon: AutoRip Service Offers Free MP3 Copies of Your CDs

According to new numbers from IDC, worldwide PC shipments were down 6.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012, compared to numbers from one year earlier. The drop was worse than IDC’s originally predicted 4.4 percent drop, suggesting that even the anticipated release of the Windows 8 operating system could not rescue the slumping PC industry. Continue reading Impact of Tablets: PC Market Suffers Holiday Season Slump

Many new gadgets premiered last week, either at CES or coinciding with the big show. Among them, a “sketchy BitTorrent box” claiming to be the first ever BitTorrent-certified Android set-top box, writes Ars Technica. The box makers claim the device makes “it easier to watch torrented files on a TV” by streaming content downloaded through uTorrent and BitTorrent clients on the local network. Continue reading First BitTorrent-Certified Android Set-Top Box Is Launched

The three big game console makers — Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii — could see competition in the upcoming Steam Box from Valve. Gabe Newell, founder and CEO of Valve, explains the device is built around the company’s Steam service, which provides PC game publishers with a secure, turnkey solution for publishing, while offering gamers a central hub for buying thousands of titles. Continue reading With Steam Box, Valve Could Disrupt Big Game Console Makers

On the heels of Vice President Joe Biden’s announcement to establish a gun control task force, Kris Graft, the editor-in-chief of video game trade publication Gamasutra, wrote an editorial decrying the inclusion of members of the video game industry. His editorial criticized “the games industry for allowing itself to be implicated in debates about mass shootings in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook massacre,” writes The Atlantic. Continue reading Should Video Games Be Part of Gun Violence Conversation?

ETCentric correspondents Carolyn Giardina and George Gerba discuss the major trends on display at this year’s CES in Las Vegas. During the 5-minute video recap, Carolyn and George review this year’s breakout star — 4K — by discussing displays, content, cameras and upscaling technologies. They also address areas such as tablets, smartphones, second screen apps, and glasses-free 3D. Continue reading CES 2013: ETC Provides Show Recap, 4K Leading Trend (VIDEO)