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

Chip manufacturer Intel is debuting very small processors that have a wide variety of uses from wearable devices to medical and industrial applications. Some have criticized the company for not entering the smartphone market fast enough, but with Quark, Intel plans to pursue embedded computing technologies emerging in wearable devices and the Internet of Things. Intel will have to address the expected low price of these chips, along with increased competition from other chip makers. Continue reading Intel Creates Ultrasmall Quark Chips for Wearable Computing

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

Juniper Research predicts that wearable computing shipments will grow tenfold in the next five years, eventually reaching 150 million by the end of 2018. The researcher cites health and fitness industries, in addition to tech firms such as Apple and Google, as the primary catalysts in pushing shipments. Juniper forecasts health and fitness industries combined to account for more than half of the devices shipped, while smart watches and glasses are expected to also drive adoption. Continue reading Research Points to Dramatic Increase in Wearable Computing

Apple’s App Store launched in 2008 for iPhone users to find and download apps. It has provided consumers with a great opportunity to personalize their mobile device experience, while launching a new economy where individual developers and larger companies can promote and sell their apps and services. The App Store has changed how software is purchased and distributed — and as a result, has led to a defining transition in personal computing. Continue reading App Store Has Revolutionized the Mobile Device Experience

New embedded technologies may replace mobile devices as personal computers are being killed off by smartphones and tablets. The “post-mobile” device could change the way humans interact with their computers, removing the need for keyboards and allowing users to simply touch or speak with their devices. Wearable devices will be an early example of new technologies that will incorporate radical ways in which users and devices interact. Continue reading Embedded Technologies to Drive Future Post-Mobile Devices

Humans and machines have evolved together over time. Within the past 200 years, technology, and human use of it, has significantly improved beyond most expectations. But the Internet, digital technologies and the mass number of mobile devices, offers massive amounts of data that require new ways of analyzing it. Irving Wladawsky-Berger suggests that cognitive systems can perform the task, and help make new determinations on a much larger scale. Continue reading Advancement of Human Intelligence and Cognitive Systems

Take a look inside the MIT Media Lab for an indication of what technology (and life, in general) will look like in the coming 10 years, suggests Business Insider. The article summarizes a tour taken of the Lab, where students are working on projects involving robotics to programs allowing virtual interaction with the real world — all projects guaranteed to get you thinking about the future. Continue reading Ongoing Projects at MIT Media Lab Offer Look at the Future

Eye-tracking technology is on the rise. Previously found mostly in the healthcare industry as aids for those with impaired mobility, it is now being incorporated into mass market consumer electronics for gaming and everyday tasks. While touchscreens have helped curb the need for some clunky hardware extras, eye-tracking technology could be the next step in finally weaning the PC off the keyboard and mouse. Continue reading Eye-Tracking Technology Coming to Mobile Devices and PCs

In our current digital age, modern computer code is comprised of the precise ones and zeroes that make up bits. But there’s a new computer on the horizon, developed by a major American military contractor, which is taking computing into the strange, subatomic realm of quantum mechanics, in which a one can be a one, or it can be a one and a zero and everything in between — all at the same time. Continue reading Is Quantum Computing Ready to Supercharge Industries?

Massachusetts Institute of Technology grad student Jinha Lee demonstrated a 3D computer interface that allows users to interact with Web pages and documents inside their computer. SpaceTop is a 3D desktop environment that combines a transparent LED display and two motion tracking cameras (one for the user’s hands and the other for his/her eyes) so that users experience the illusion that their hands are actually inside the computer. Continue reading MIT Grad Student Demonstrates the Future of 3D Computing

The Raspberry Pi was initially intended to help schoolchildren tinker with an inexpensive computer ($35 for new models and $25 for older versions). Nearly a million units later, the Raspberry Pi has become a huge success with hobbyists who customize their miniature computers. The Pi is only 3 inches by 2 inches and is less than an inch in height, but its inexpensive nature allows hobbyists to tinker with the device. Continue reading Raspberry Pi: Mini Computer Attracts Hoards of Hobbyists