The Never Ending Image Learner (NEIL), a computer program at Carnegie Mellon, searches the Web for images and tries to understand them in order to grow a visual database and gather common sense. This program is part of recent advances in computer vision where computer programs are able to identify and label objects in images, as well as recognize attributes such as color and lighting. This data will help computers comprehend the visual world. Continue reading Carnegie Mellon Computer Can Teach Itself Common Sense

Google is opening temporary showrooms in six U.S. cities to display and promote its latest gadgets. Consumers can visit the holiday-themed pop-up stores, dubbed “Winter Wonderlabs,” to check out devices such as the Nexus 7 tablet, Google’s Chromebook laptops and the digital TV receiver Chromecast. The Winter Wonderlab in Canoga Park opened over the weekend. Additional locations include Chicago, New York City, Sacramento, Washington DC, and Paramus, NJ. Continue reading Wonderlabs: Google Promotes Devices in Pop-Up Showrooms

The Panono Camera offers a compelling solution for recording panoramic shots. The device is a ball with 36 embedded cameras that can be tossed into the air to capture 360-degree photos. Images are beamed wirelessly to a mobile device, and then stitched together in Panono’s cloud service. Creator Jonas Pfeil developed the prototype, which was roughly the size of a cantaloupe. Now he and the Panono co-founders plan to release a grapefruit-sized version in 2014 for $599. Continue reading Panono Camera Can Be Thrown into Air for Panoramic Shots

A common discussion about wearable technology is whether consumers will actually want to wear products like Google Glass. A survey among consumers commissioned by technology writer Jessica Lessin indicates that more people believe they might be more likely to own Apple’s smartwatch than they would Google Glass. A large number of respondents, however, also indicated they didn’t think they were likely to own either. Continue reading Survey Suggests Consumers Prefer Smartwatches Over Glass

Western Digital’s HGST subsidiary announced yesterday it is shipping a helium-filled, 3.5-in hard disk drive that has been more than 10 years in the making. The company says the new drive offers 50 percent more capacity than current 4TB drives and uses 23 percent less power and is 38 percent lighter. While pricing has yet to be announced, the company says the drives will “command a premium” based on the lower total cost of ownership. HGST plans to sell the drives to server and storage array manufacturers. Continue reading Breakthrough: HGST to Ship Helium-Filled Hard Disk Drives

Media consumption continues as an integral part of the American lifestyle. According to a USC report released last week, Americans are voraciously consuming media via TV, radio, phone and computer, which led to an average consumption of 63 gigabytes per person per day last year. In 2012, total U.S. media consumption averaged 1.46 trillion hours, an average of 13.6 hours per person per day. By 2015, average media consumption is expected to reach 15.5 hours a day per person. Continue reading Media Consumption to Average 15.5 Hours Per Day in 2015

Automated advertisement buying is used by marketers where computerized systems focus on specific users based on their consumer data and Web browser histories. Machines and automation are handling more of the process of purchasing online advertising. These new methods of ad buying are expected to increase by more than 50 percent, and are becoming a more popular trend among advertisers to target their ads with more efficiency. Continue reading Study: Automated Ad Buying to Grow by 56 Percent This Year

Amazon launched a new service this week that helps streamline transactions between online merchants and customers. “Login and Pay with Amazon” allows online businesses to implement a login/pay system using existing Amazon accounts so that customers can easily go from browsing to buying using their Amazon account information. Not to be outdone, PayPal announced an upgrade to its mobile app called Payment Code that interacts with existing barcode scanners and PIN pads. Continue reading Login and Pay with Amazon: Potential Competition for PayPal?

Marketers are increasingly looking to smartphones and tablets to reach consumers, as spending on mobile advertising more than doubled during the first half of this year. According to new estimates from the Interactive Advertising Bureau, mobile-ad spending in the U.S. totaled $3 billion in the first half of 2013, up from $1.2 billion the previous year. In related news, research firm IHS projects that the number of Internet-connected video devices will pass 8 billion by 2017, a figure that should also be of interest to advertisers. Continue reading Mobile-Ad Spending More Than Doubles in First Half of 2013

A team of engineers at Stanford University has built the first functioning computer that uses carbon nanotubes rather than the standard silicon. The new material for building transistors could dramatically impact the way computers work in the future. While others have discussed the possibility of carbon nanotubes for years, Stanford’s team is the first to put them to practical use. The material could launch a new generation of devices that run faster and use less energy. Continue reading Stanford Scientists Build Computer Using Carbon Nanotubes

Lucasfilm is developing real-time motion capture technology used in video game development that it believes it can combine with film production. In the long term, these combined technologies could eliminate the need for much of the post-production process as most of the work can be done in real-time. In addition, the potential exchange of elements in video games and films will allow viewers to tailor their movies while they watch. Continue reading Lucasfilm Combines Video Game Making and Film Production

According to a recent Nielsen survey, an increasing number of American consumers are turning to Internet-based streaming video services. The research indicates that 38 percent of those surveyed use Netflix, 18 percent use Hulu and 13 percent use Amazon Instant Video. These numbers all represent increases over the previous year. Additionally, binge-viewing is on the rise, with 88 percent of Netflix users and 70 percent of Hulu Plus users saying they watched three or more episodes of a TV show in a single day. Continue reading Nielsen Study: More Viewers are Accessing Streaming Services

A recent study from IPG Media Lab and digital advertiser YuMe indicates that consumers remember ads better after viewing them on tablets as compared to smartphones, PCs or TVs. The study suggests that the improved ad recall is because viewers tend to watch videos on tablets when they’re at home and they do not multitask the way they do when watching TV. In an unrelated poll of ad execs, IAB found that a majority plan to shift their budgets from TV to digital video ads. Continue reading TV Advertising Feels the Heat of Video Ads on Mobile Devices

In a survey conducted by Intel, it was revealed that 97 percent of participants consider their PC to be their primary computing device. The survey also found that participants consider their PCs to be vital to their daily existence, and of the 43 hours per week spent on computing devices, about half of that time is spent in front of a PC. Intel suggests that it may be the perfect time to buy a new PC, and despite competition from tablets, the PC is not a thing of the past. Continue reading Intel Makes its Case: There is No Better Time to Buy a PC

The new OmniCam360 camera system uses a collection of cameras to create multiple angles for live televised events such as soccer matches and music concerts. The system provides viewers with the option to choose their viewing angle, including a 360-degree view of the event. The camera was developed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications in Berlin, Germany. Viewers can use a computer, tablet or smart TV in order to select views via their virtual cameras in real-time. Continue reading Consumers Can Select Viewing Angles for Sports and Concerts