Introduced at CES Asia, Cool Glass One is a new wearable similar to Google Glass from Chinese company Beijing Palo Alto Tech. The wearable is slated for online ordering in August for about $330-$500. “It has a touchpad on the side, allowing users to control the device by swiping through an interface displayed onscreen,” explains Business Insider. “There is also a camera, which takes photos and records 1080p HD video.” According to the short video report, the glasses can charge in a mere 15 minutes and are currently only available for mobile phones using Android systems.

According to a new report by broadband networking company Sandvine, Netflix continues to dominate North American Internet traffic. The streaming service currently accounts for 36.5 percent of downstream fixed network traffic during peak evening hours. YouTube also accounts for a significant share with 15.56 percent of peak downstream traffic. The report notes traffic growth for HBO and Amazon Instant Video, while BitTorrent file-sharing traffic is declining, accounting for 6.3 percent of total traffic in North America. Continue reading Netflix Continues to Dominate Internet Traffic in North America

While Netflix and YouTube combined account for roughly half of all Internet bandwidth consumed during peak hours in North America, the latest projections from Cisco suggest even greater growth for online video. The company predicts that in five years, video will be responsible for 80 percent of the world’s Internet consumption (and 85 percent in the U.S.). Cisco explains that the growth will be the result of cord-cutting, mobile expansion, Internet users consuming more (and higher quality) video, and an increase in the overall number of global users. Continue reading Cisco Projects 80 Percent of Internet Will Be Video by 2019

Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) group unveiled its Project Jacquard initiative at Google I/O last week. The goal of the project is to invisibly integrate computers into wearables and other materials, objects, furniture, and more. The idea is that everyday items could be converted to interactive surfaces with the introduction of touch-sensitive fabric. The objects would then transmit info to a smartphone or other device via Wi-Fi. The company’s first partner is Levi Strauss, which is interested in creating jeans that fit into our digital lives. Continue reading Google to Partner with Levi’s on Interactive Clothing Project

Qualcomm announced that its Snapdragon 810 CPU and Adreno 430 GPU will power Google’s next generation Project Tango smartphone, coming out in the third quarter of 2015. The new phone promises to offer the same capabilities of the Nvidia-powered Project Tango tablet, but in a smaller form factor. “We’re excited to work together with Google and Android developers to help deliver new, innovative visual experiences using depth-sensing technology on mobile devices,” said Raj Talluri, SVP of product management, Qualcomm. Continue reading Qualcomm Tech to Power Next-Gen Project Tango Smartphone

Congress allowed three counterterrorism laws to expire just after midnight last night, which will impact how the NSA conducts wiretaps and requests records from businesses. However, there is a grandfather clause for investigations that began prior to June 1 and the FBI could still use a grand jury subpoena to obtain records in most terrorism-related cases. “The fact that Congress allowed the laws to lapse — the most important of them is the purported legal basis for the bulk records collection program — is an extraordinary moment in the story of the tensions between post-9/11 policies and privacy rights,” suggests The New York Times.

According to The Wall Street Journal, “The Senate on Sunday advanced legislation ending the National Security Agency’s collection of millions of Americans’ telephone records in a key test vote, setting up its passage later this week, in a reversal for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) and a victory for the White House.” Yesterday, the Senate voted 77-17 in favor of the House bill (last week the measure was three votes short of advancing). McConnell said the bill is “not ideal,” but “it’s now the only realistic way forward.” The newly proposed U.S.A. Freedom Act would replace the 2001 Patriot Act, provisions of which expired last night.

New York Judge Louis Stanton has ruled that music streaming service Pandora must pay BMI a royalty of 2.5 percent of revenue through next year. The new figure represents a 43 percent increase over the previous fee. “Pandora had sought to pay between 1.70 percent and 1.85 percent of revenue,” reports Inside Radio. “The closely watched trial was the latest confrontation in an ongoing battle over royalty payments between Pandora and the songwriters and composers who create the music.” Pandora tried to be recognized as a radio station owner in order to qualify for a lower royalty rate, but the maneuver was not successful.

Although somewhat lacking in major device announcements, this week’s Google I/O developers conference featured some interesting news. Google unveiled Android M with simplified permissions, support for its Android Pay mobile payments system, and a promised boost to battery life and charging times. As expected, the company announced Project Brillo, its “underlying operating system for the Internet of Things,” and Google Now, which aims to “make the smartphone smarter.” The company also introduced Google Photos and a new version of its Google Cardboard VR viewer. Continue reading Google Unveils Android M, Project Brillo, Google Now and More

Periscope, Twitter’s new mobile live streaming app (and Meerkat competitor), is starting to draw the attention of advertisers and programmers. The app, which Twitter purchased this year for a reported $100 million, allows users to live stream content directly to and from their smartphones. The app was initially released only for iOS devices, but went live on Android phones this week. VH1 recently used the social tool to promote the wedding of two stars on “Love & Hip Hop” by providing users access to the ceremony’s red carpet arrival. Continue reading Now Live on Android, Periscope Part of New Social Strategies

Reports recently surfaced that Twitter has been in talks this year to purchase Flipboard, in a deal that would value the company at more than $1 billion. The acquisition would bring an experienced product team to Twitter as well as an heir apparent to CEO Dick Costolo in Flipboard co-founder Mike McCue. However, updates to the news have suggested that talks between the two companies have stalled, and other companies, including Google and Yahoo have since had discussions about possibly acquiring the newsreader app. Continue reading Interest in Acquiring Flipboard Heats Up with Tech Companies

Official FIDO certification for 31 products — from physical devices to login services — has been issued to 18 companies, marking the first certification under the new spec that aims to foster alternatives to password authentication and provide new opportunities for interoperating services. Systems compatible with FIDO can accept logins from any certified device, such as a fingerprint reader or voiceprint detector. Google’s all-purpose login service was certified as a universal two-factor server, and Yubico received certification for two USB security keys. Continue reading FIDO Certification is First Step for a World Without Passwords

Apple is reportedly planning to distinguish its upcoming TV service by featuring live content from local broadcast stations. However, offering local TV programming could delay a launch since agreements need to be negotiated with networks that also cover affiliates. “Industry executives don’t believe Apple has signed any TV programmers up for its service, which makes it unlikely that the company would announce its plans at its Worldwide Developers Conference, which kicks off June 8,” reports Re/code. “That said, TV executives who are talking to Apple are optimistic the service will launch eventually, and that the most important hurdle to clear will be money, not technical issues.”

The Augmented World Expo is coming to the Santa Clara Convention Center June 8-10. Organizers anticipate 200 exhibitors and 3,000 attendees. Panel topics include UI designs that work, capabilities and peripherals that matter, aspects of AR that could be standardized, and the balance of privacy, security and functionality. A good portion of the conference is focused on enterprise applications, but there are storytelling and VR tracks. Conference producer Ori Inbar said that, in Silicon Valley and NYC, the AR and VR communities do not communicate with each other. This year he programmed the conference to bridge that divide. ETC’s Phil Lelyveld will report from the expo.

Focus is a multi-material, portable 3D printer from Dutch design firm 3D By Flow, that can be folded flat and carried around like a briefcase. And “despite the fact that it’s completely collapsible, it’s also more capable than most fused-filament fabrication printers currently available,” suggests Digital Trends. “Focus is equipped with an interchangeable extruder system, which allows it to print in a massive range of different materials,” including bio-rubber, bronze, ceramic, nylon, thermoplastics, wood and edible substances. In addition, the company claims the printer does not require any calibration or setup.