Will DNA one day replace the hard drive? Researchers at the European Bioinformatics Institute continue to make strides in the field of DNA storage, using the biomolecule to successfully encode common computer files such as MP3s, text files and JPEGs on DNA. Recent successes suggest DNA may become a primary storage medium within the next few decades. Continue reading Researchers: DNA Could Serve as Long-Term Storage Option

SparkFun does business by its own rules. The electronics supplier designs dozens of new products a year and never patents any of them. And while most of what the company actually sells is sourced from other suppliers, “where the company has made its name is in a stable of its own custom parts and kits, the designs for which it gives away for free,” explains Wired. Continue reading SparkFun Celebrates an Open Source Approach to Innovation

Streaming music startup Serendip began offering its “lean back” music discovery service to mobile devices this week with the debut of the Serendip iOS application. Similar to its Web version, the new app offers a “continuous stream of the music popular among friends, or others you’ve dubbed your ‘music soulmates,”’ explains TechCrunch. Continue reading Serendip Media: Music Discovery Service Launches iOS App

Ad execs are imagining ways the upcoming Google Glass Internet-connected eyewear could transform the ad industry, despite Google’s repeated assertion that there are no plans for advertising on the device. “Those who make their living via augmented reality have even more vivid dreams. For them, Google Glass isn’t some weird 20 percent project, it’s the future of advertising,” writes Mashable. Continue reading Is Google Glass Poised to Change the Advertising Industry?

For the first time, smartphone users consistently consume more mobile data than those using tablets, according to mobile analysis provider Arieso. Of those users, iPhone 5 owners are the “hungriest,” calling for up to 50 percent more data than the iPhone 4S user and four times as much as the iPhone 3G user. In an interesting statistic, Arieso reveals that 40 percent of all data is consumed by just 1 percent of mobile users. Continue reading Smartphone Users Consume More Mobile Data than Tablet Users

Intel introduced its “perceptual computing” technology at this year’s CES. The company hopes it will help users switch between keyboards, trackpads, touchscreens, voice commands and gestures with ease — or even lead to simultaneous use. The new interface, designed to augment current methods of interaction, could help keep laptops alive if intuitive applications are developed. Continue reading CES 2013: Intel Debuts its Perceptual Computing Technology

According to a new study from research firm GfK Media, consumers are streaming online video more than ever before, but only a reported 17 percent of pay TV subscribers have watched cable programming online using TV Everywhere services. The study represents the “latest bad news” for the TV Everywhere initiative, reports the Wall Street Journal. Continue reading New Research Indicates TV Everywhere is Not Yet Everywhere

The use of second screen apps is on the rise and many companies are looking to not only capitalize on that growth, but to continue transforming the interactive viewing experience. Among them, TweetTV is trying to separate itself from the pack by offering a real-time social TV guide that serves as a one-size-fits-all solution across all devices. Continue reading TweetTV in Beta: Your Real-Time Interactive Social TV Guide

Akamai wants to leverage the largely untapped potential of second screen viewing. Nielsen recently reported that 40 percent of U.S. television viewers use a smartphone or tablet while watching television. While individual shows and networks have created their own second screen apps, most have failed to effectively capture large audiences. Akamai hopes to change that with one service that streams relevant content in near real-time. Continue reading Akamai Demonstrates New Real-Time Second Screen Solution

Despite federal law that states authorities do not need warrants for e-mails stored for longer than 180 days, Google demands probable cause warrants when asked for user data from Gmail or other cloud-based services. “Google requires an ECPA search warrant for contents of Gmail and other services based on the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution, which prevents unreasonable search and seizure,” Google said in a statement. Continue reading Google Demands Warrants for Access to Email and Cloud Data

Google may soon increase Internet speeds across America by a factor of 100 as the search giant explores expanding its Google Fiber across the nation. The service currently operates out of Kansas City, Missouri, and is opening new “fiberhoods” in Kansas and Missouri. Google CEO Larry Page and CFO Patrick Pichette have told reporters that the super-fast Internet experiment is more than a hobby for the company. Continue reading Super-Fast Google Fiber Could Be Coming to a City Near You

U.S. broadband connections over 10 Mbps have grown 73 percent over the past year, and overall broadband speeds have risen 20 percent. “The number of people who have adopted broadband (measured at anything above 4 Mbps) was 62 percent, which puts the U.S. at No. 12 in the worldwide rankings when it comes to adoption and No. 9 when it comes to average speeds,” reports GigaOM. Continue reading U.S. Broadband Adoption Increases, Trails Japan and Korea

Employees sometimes take to Facebook and Twitter to discuss work-related matters — and employers usually don’t like that. But according to federal regulators, employers don’t have a say in the matter. In fact, regulators are passing down orders indicating employers have to scale back on policies that limit what their workers can say online. Continue reading Do Employees Have the Right to Discuss Work on Social Media?

Video game players began “speed running,” or playing through a video game as quickly as possible, and posting videos to the Internet for others to enjoy as early as the 1990s. But streaming technology is revolutionizing the speed running community, as Twitch allows viewers to watch players compete live. Just as people enjoy watching sports live rather than on a delay, people find live speed running more compelling. Continue reading Livestreaming Twitch Turns Video Games into Spectator Sport

Worldwide spending on watching movies last year reached $62.4 billion, up from $61.1 billion in 2011 and $60.1 billion in 2010, according to IHS Screen Digest. The numbers include theatrical releases, disc rentals, pay TV VOD and digital retail purchases and rentals. North America accounted for 41 percent of global movie revenue in 2012, although spending on physical media saw a decline. Continue reading Report: Worldwide Spending on Movies Up $1.3 Billion in 2012