According to the Wall Street Journal, there is no doubt that the smartphone is the current, dominant computing device. Just consider the numbers: Nearly 700 million smartphones were shipped worldwide last year, according to Strategy Analytics. That’s nearly twice as many PC shipments. And it was only a few years ago that PCs were atop that statistic. Now people are using smartphones for a wide variety of functions. Continue reading Tech Giants Battle to Control Evolving Mobile Experience

Chris Kemp, once the chief technology officer of NASA, spearheaded the creation of a software platform that completely changed NASA’s approach to computing power. Called Nebula, his platform helped steer the agency into the age of Google and Amazon. Now Kemp is touting hardware that makes the most of open source project OpenStack, which is perhaps best described as a Linux for cloud computing. Continue reading Nebula One: Former NASA CTO Develops Cloud Computer

As an April Fool’s Day joke, Google posted information about a new service called Google Nose, which supposedly provides consumers with olfactory experiences through their computers. While it may have been a joke, it’s not that far from potential reality. In fact, last December IBM revealed that technologies in development related to human senses were on the cusp of reality and could one day soon reach widespread adoption. Continue reading Google Nose May Have Been a Joke, But the Tech is Not

Intelligent Content is developing along with the evolution of digital technology and in relation to how humans interact with it. As the analytics and visual design of written content both take on an increasingly large role in how people consume information, we are about to experience an era in which information design and delivery changes in real-time in direct response to how readers are consuming the content. Continue reading Intelligent Content: Will Your Media Soon Know You Best?

Facebook is scheduled to host an event called “Come See Our New Home On Android” on April 4 at its headquarters in Menlo Park. TechCrunch suggests the event may include the long predicted Facebook Phone. Sources say the event will showcase a modified version of the Android operating system with native Facebook functionality on the home screen. Additionally, it may live on an HTC handset. Continue reading Will Facebook Event This Week Include a Facebook Phone?

Amazon announced it will purchase the popular book discovery and recommendation website Goodreads, a social service that centers on book recommendations and reviews. The acquisition — which comes at a time when readers are increasingly turning to tablets and e-readers to search for authors and books — could help push Amazon ahead of competitors Apple and Google in e-book retailing. Continue reading Amazon to Acquire Goodreads for Competitive E-Book Edge

Atari founder Nolan Bushnell released a new book this week called “Finding the Next Steve Jobs: How to Find, Hire, Keep and Nurture Creative Talent.” The book sets out to answer the popular Silicon Valley question: “Who is the next Steve Jobs?” and, in the process, offers advice on how to launch the next Apple or Atari. Bushnell was one of the first to hire Jobs and later turned down the chance to own one-third of Apple during its early years. Continue reading New Book from Nolan Bushnell: Finding the Next Steve Jobs

The hype behind Google Glass continues to grow, as tech bloggers scramble to test the new device and ad agencies become excited by its possibilities. After Google presented the public with the Glass Explorer program, in which early adopters had the chance to pay $1,500 to try a pair, the company received so many submissions it closed the program earlier than expected. The device has potential for second screen applications and augmented ads. Continue reading Google Glass: Second Screen and Advertising Opportunities

The Cleveland Museum of Art is introducing new technology to enhance the visitor experience. With a special application designed for the iPad and a 40-foot interactive touchscreen, patrons can personalize and share tours, bookmark their favorite art, and access special videos and behind-the-scenes information for different exhibits. In the process, the Cleveland Gallery One program may serve as a model for museums and other venues. Continue reading Museum Bridges Art and Tech with 40-Foot Collection Wall

A federal court in New York has sided with the Associated Press and The New York Times in a case involving a company that “scraped” news content from the Internet without paying for it. This case was closely watched because of its possible implications for what counts as “fair use” under copyright law in the online media world and how it may impact the future of content producers and free speech. Continue reading Fair Use Case: Court Rules in Favor of Associated Press

Companies such as Google and Apple have created voice-activated technologies that allow consumers to speak with their devices. Now, startup Volio is taking a similar approach with its “Talk To Esquire” app for the iPad and iPhone, in which videos have been pre-produced that allow users to “have a conversation” with the writers from Esquire. Volio’s founder envisions a new era of video interaction across multiple industries. Continue reading Volio Tests Virtual Video Conversations with Esquire Staff

YouTube announced on Wednesday that it has reached the milestone of 1 billion monthly viewers. Google’s popular video-sharing subsidiary shared the news with advertisers at an extravagant upfronts presentation event at the YouTube Space production studio in Los Angeles, where Robert Kyncl explained that the amount of video the site streams on a monthly basis has grown 50 percent in the last year. Continue reading YouTube Tells Advertisers Site Has 1 Billion Monthly Viewers

At the recent Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, there was a clear message sent by the GSMA, the congress’s organizing body: Near Field Communication (NFC) might finally be ready to have its day. That message may be hard to believe, considering NFC has been on the cusp of breaking through for nearly a decade and still has yet to achieve mainstream adoption. However, the technology was everywhere at this year’s MWC. Continue reading Mobile World Congress: GSMA Says Time for NFC is Now

Intel Media is preparing to launch an Internet television service later this year. The group is looking to hire 60 additional people to its staff of more than 300, and could even build to more than 400 within the next six months, said spokesman Jon Carvill (the group had less than 100 staffers a year ago). The hiring spree underscores the chipmaker’s seriousness regarding the new venture. Continue reading Intel Media Group Staffing Up for New Internet TV Service

Apple’s iPad is now three years old. Since it hit the market in 2010, it has sold more than 120 million units and basically launched the tablet industry as a whole. But pricing remains an issue for those consumers considering making a purchase, as many name-brand tablets start as high as $499. And even lower-priced, full-sized tablets sell for between $300 and $400. However, this is about to change. Continue reading Two Full-Sized Tablets Priced to Compete at Under $300