Technology posts

The concept of flavour just got turned on its ear as engineering students in Japan have developed TagCandy, a device which augments the flavour of whatever candy is inserted into it. Stick a regular lollipop into the handset, choose a flavour (Crunchy apple? Fizzy soda? …Fireworks?), and suck away. The vibrating speaker on the device sends pulses that conduct through your teeth as you eat the candy, emulating the vibration patterns that the chosen flavour would emit. How they discovered what it’s like to bite down on fireworks, you probably don’t want to know. Either way, it’s a totally wicked…

After teaming up with Mitsubishi and Eaton Corporation, it was clear that Best Buy wanted to be the go-to destination for all tech related to electric vehicles. Already the electronics giant has committed itself to selling electric motorcycles and offering EV charging stations at its stores. Now, the automaker has announced it will sell 240-volt charging stations for the upcoming Ford Focus Electric EV. “As more people gravitate toward electric-powered transportation, home energy management becomes an important consideration, and Best Buy intends to be actively engaged in providing…

The announcement of the Verizon iPhone launching next month has a lot of people considering changing providers. Some are thinking of switching to Verizon to get their iPhone. Others are wanting to leave Verizon for fear that their service will go downhill once the iPhone onslaught begins. Other than local and regional providers, there are 4 major cell services out there. Which one is best? It’s always a matter of debate and often relies on word of mouth and reputation. Then, there are those who want data. Here it is. This graphic by Wilson Electronics puts all of the data and presents it in a visual…

Mercedes-Benz is gearing up to show off the true potential of hydrogen fuel cell technology. The German automaker’s B-Class F-Cell will soon embark on an around-the-world trip to prove the efficiency and reliability of hydrogen cars. While most automakers these days appear to be concentrating on battery-powered EVs, some brands like Mercedes-Benz, Honda, and General Motors, continue to research hydrogen fuel cell technology as a viable alternative. Although extensive testing has proven the technical maturity of fuel cells, a network of hydrogen filling stations is still one of the…

There have been many stories about email dying for 3 or 4 years now. It seems that everything that people and businesses were told just 4 or 5 years ago, that email was a must-have, may be quickly reversing itself. Some businesses (and people) are starting to redirect their incoming emails to other forms of communication online or to SMS. Before we can truly decide what the future of email really is, we should take a look at it’s history and how it has evolved. This graphic by Focus brings us way back to the good ol’ days (the 90s) and visually depicts where we’ve been with email. Knowing where we’ve been…

Join in on the Facebook Discussion on this topic. When it comes to the Internet, the US government usually doesn’t have a clue. That seems to be the case with the recent announcement of the Obama Administration’s plans to develop an internet identity system that officials claim will reduce fraud and identity theft while streamlining online transactions. Cut to the chase: the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC) is a bad idea. On the surface having something that will increase online transactions and reduce identity theft makes (some) sense. Security is the #1 reason…

I love early adopters. They get the newest gadgets, the latest technology, the bleeding-edge widgets and gizmos that I might or might not want to get for myself at some point. To many, it’s a statement of who they are – the gotta-geek-at-any-expense techno-hounds who frown on anyone who still has a CD collection. They are the front-liners who bravely explore the technology that only they and tech-bloggers touch. They are bleeding-edge so many of the rest of us can be cutting-edge. We all know that new technology means inflated prices. Just how inflated are they? This graphic below by our friends…

Every year is more exciting than the previous in the world of tech. It’s in the very nature of progress that we find this to be the case as things that once thrilled us become boring and nothing short of something brand-spanking new will blow out minds. In 2010, our minds were blown. We have for you this excellent time-line infographic detailing what happened in gadgets and the like. The year may have belonged to Mark Zuckerberg, but we’re the ones who reaped the benefits. Click to enlarge. [via VPS] <a href=”http://finerhosting.com/2010tech” mce_href=”http://finerhosting.com/2010tech”><img…

If you haven’t used Flock, one of the original “social browsers,” then… Actually, that was the problem. So few HAD used Flock, at least long term. Technically speaking, they had 10 million users, but based upon numbers from third parties that active usage of the beleaguered browser was likely much lower. As a result, Flock becomes the 8th company in 8 months to be swallowed up by Zynga, and like most of the previous acquisitions, this is likely a move to accumulate talent. There is no need to add to an already-loaded browser segment, and even the niche of being a social browser is being contested…

Infotainment has become an important area of research and development in the automotive industry. Many consumers want it, but most automakers are still playing catch-up. Ford and Microsoft introduced SYNC nearly four years ago and other automakers are still lagging behind this system in terms of features and availability. Ford will soon offer SYNC throughout its lineup, and already the system has been installed on more than 3 million vehicles….