Hardware posts

Kiosks have been around for a very long time.  Most customers are familiar with kiosk technology from ATMs to gas station pumps.  Internet kiosks such as those found in libraries or some large retail stores are successful with many users who may not have access to Internet capabilities at home, but understand the technology from school or work.  With the advent and popularization of the smart phone, people are becoming more and more comfortable with touch screens as well.  All of this makes the use of kiosks a very promising proposition for businesses and government facilities seeking to…

Augmented Reality is a stem of virtual reality put in the hands of every person with a smartphone or tablet. This development brings mobile marketing to a whole new level for businesses.  What is Augmented Reality, and how can it work for you? Traditional mobile marketing consists of SMS campaigns, mobile websites, QR Codes , Mobile Search Engine Optimization and Check-In site management. The Augmented Reality program consists of a live, direct or indirect feed of a real world environment using GPS, graphics, video and sound. One of the first forms of Augmented Reality came to us via Monday…

“A tablet that’s a great PC. A PC that’s a great tablet.” The jury is still waiting to hear all of the evidence. The reviewers are dying to get their hands all over the device. The bloggers have opinions that are, to some extent, biased based upon their opinion of Microsoft. Love it or hate it, Microsoft has generated the type of buzz that they were once able to enjoy and that Apple has taken in recent years. The Windows 8 device has many unique features. While you wait to see what the device will actually do, here’s the full launch video from yesterday’s press event. One thing that should be noted is that…

Incessant gossip surrounding iPad/iPhone releases and future features is the only thing more persistent in the tech rumor mill than the mythical Facebook phone. It’s coming, then it dies, then it’s in production, then it was never even considered; the information coming out of Menlo Park (and Palo Alto when they were there) as well as reliable sources do more flip flops about the Facebook phone than most politicians. Most. Now, it appears that the rumors may have some real weight to them. The project which was reported scrapped last year may have been up and running the whole time. Code-named…

WiFi has changed the world. We are no longer locked into proximity to wall outlets. We’re not tied down by physical cords. We can roam our house, our area, our cities. We can go to coffee shops and book stores and connect very easily. It has been a wonderful bit of technological progress that has changed the game for millions. There are drawbacks. With everything good, there will always be bad people trying to take advantage of them. WiFi is no exception with security measures often falling short of sniffers, hackers, and other nefarious types who want to get into our computers and our lives. This graphic…

Under 7 seconds. That’s how long an SSD-equipped Windows 8 PC takes to boot. It’s something that is unheard of in most light-weight mobile operating systems, let alone a full PC OS. The new-found speed has a comical drawback: one would need gamer reflexes to interrupt the boot process and enter setup or BIOS mode, so the features have been removed. There is currently a 200ms window in which to let the PC know you want to interrupt and enter boot setup. It’s not enough time to flash, so trying to enter these modes means doing so after it’s already booted. Here’s a video that shows the intense speed. Related…

Play Angry Birds with chop sticks. Browse web pages without a mouse or touchscreen. Sign a document within 1 centimeter with pinpoint accuracy. These are just the tip of the possibilities iceberg for Leap Motion, the gesture-control technology unveiled today in the video below. The San Francisco startup says you can “Say goodbye to your mouse and keyboard.” The accuracy of the device may make that claim a reality for some considering that it’s reportedly 200 times more accurate than anything on the market today and can track the movements of all ten fingers inside a 4-cubic-foot space down to…

E-mails, eBooks. and e-cigarettes. Now e-bikes? According to a recent press release from Audi, the automobile makers will be displaying the prototype for a new bicycle that’s part traditional cycle, part digital machine – the Audi e-bike Wörthersee. “The Audi e-bike Wörthersee puts in its first major appearance at this year’s Wörthersee Tour, the 31st meet for Audi, VW, Seat and Skoda fans; trial biker Julien Dupont and downhill specialist Petra Bernhard will demonstrate their stunts and streetbike skills.” According to the press release, the e-bike comes with a touchscreen…

You thought you had ‘smartphone problems’ while dealing with needing a new phone charger or having those tech-addicts who are glued to their phone, bumping into you? Well listen to this! Believe it or not, aesthetic professionals are announcing that technology addicts could be at risk of saggy jowls. It is said that smartphone and laptop use could very well cause facial muscles and skin to reduce its elasticity. This is mainly due to the crazy amount of time people are spending with their heads looking down playing angry birds or posting on their social media page. The growing craze of people…

HP has not had much luck in their early attempts at penetrating the tablet market after launching and subsequently canning their WebOS TouchPad in less than 2 months. They’re hoping that luck will change and they are officially making Windows 8 their operating system of choice after rumors surrounding the partnership were leaked last month. It will be comparable to the iPad but with minor improvements such as a thinner body and longer battery life to try to succeed where Android tablets have failed: cracking the full-size tablet market that Apple completely dominates. Rumors of a smaller iPad…