Technology posts

Games go social, computers go mobile, and communication goes online, but many newspapers and magazines still haven’t made the connection; Or as the old saying goes: “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” It hasn’t ever been more relevant than today when New Corp failed to convince many of its publishers that an online subscription-based newsstand was worth their while. Rupert Murdoch, CEO of News Corp, is always on the hunt to find new ways to make people pay, even if that means pissing people off. The concept of an online subscription newsstand sounds like a fair middle ground;…

Despite the fact that Wired Magazine has said that the web is dead, the browser-based internet is still thriving. And why shouldn’t it? The web is open, accessible to anyone with a browser and is also widely adaptable. A browser window is many things: a television screen, a newspaper, a chat window, a social network or a webcam display. But all of these uses of the web now compete with things that, instead of running through a browser, run in their own specific world: apps. Apps work through the internet, but not on the web proper. For that reason, they are less democratic and open than the web. While…

Oh, Japan. You’ll never cease coming up with the best stuff. Why, just last night I was regaling a friend about ‘head bath’, which is a bathtub. For the top of your head. It’s a hat, that– no, really, this exists. Don’t give me that lip. I’m not taking any guff today. Not from you. Guff-free Thursdays up in here. Anyway, I guess I was talking about something. We’ll get back to head bath later; right now, let’s rap about Smell-O-Vision. You may remember Smell-O-Vision – a technology from the 1960′s, Smell-O-Vision was a fad that was designed to release smells in sync with on-screen action. Of course,…

Ever since the iPad was announced, there has been no end of talk about how it and other tablets represent the future of magazines. As it turns out, this is now partly true. Magazines, in the form of apps, are plentiful on the iPad, and if nothing else, they’re certainly a new way to experience a magazine. The 7″-9″ screen is a good size for viewing mixed content and the touch screen makes scrolling through a magazine feel familiar and obvious, yet still novel. But what is the idea of the magazine in the internet age? And are they still relevant? Or is something about the internet already making them less…

2010 is a big year for the internet. The number of people browsing the world wide web will reach and surpass 2 billion, nearly a third of the world’s population. That number has doubled in the past five years alone, with 226 million new internet users this year alone. The International Telecommunication Union released figures highlighting the importance of the internet, particularly in developing nations. The figures show that 71% of people in developed countries are online, compared with only 21% in developing nations. The ITU says it’s particularly important for developing countries to…

Check this. Seriously, check it. I can see your cursor on the scroll bar, there. Stop for a second and freaking check this, alright? Alright, cool. Here at Techi, as with most other tech blogs you can name, we frequently look at emerging technologies. Sometimes they rock, and this is most certainly one of those times. Engineers at the University of Washington have developed a prototype smartphone dubbed the ‘SqueezeBlock’ that… well, it kinda does exactly what it says on the tin: it’s a phone. That you can squeeze. Alright, so it’s more than that. Really, it’s a shapeshifting phone, that can use…

Since the beginning of the web, the scourge of developers and company owners alike has been the impossibility of finding the domain name you need. Everyone prefers .com addresses, but there re only so many out there. Add to that the annoyance of domain squatters sitting on huge portfolios of unused domain names in the desperate hope that someone might pay for the domain name of their choice and you realize the nightmare of picking the right domain name. But there’s hope for new business owners. ICANN, the Internet Corporation For Assigned Names and Numbers is planning a dramatic re-write of the…

Digg’s V4 redesign was more than a change in look and feel. It was a complete shift in the direction of the company that was intended to take it to the next level. It was a risk as admitted by former CEO Kevin Rose. So far, the risk has not paid off and “the next level” is a level below where they were with V3 (and even V2). For Digg to achieve the success they desire, they have to make a few changes. Many things have already changed. Installing a variation of the Upcoming section that had been removed was a start. They brought back the user submissions page, then populated archived submissions. Pagination…

According to computer security firm AVG, 73% of kids under the age of 2 have an online presence of some kind. Obviously these aren’t child geniuses who have figured out how to bypass the Windows login window, but insipid new parents who think it’s cute that their toddler has an email address. Additionally, 5% of kids have a social networking profile somewhere. AVG says it’s important that parents understand the implications of posting their children’s most private pictures and data online, other than the problem of being extremely annoying. “First of all, you are creating a digital history for…

We all know the problem with touch screens. You can’t text under the table while you’re in a meeting. Or while you’re driving. Or while you’re doing anything other than watching the screen carefully to ensure that the letter you tapped is the one that appeared on the screen. Now a new technology could allow touchscreens to provide feedback that will help flat glass feel like any other kind of surface. Chris Harrison, a Ph.D. student at Carnegie Mellon University is hoping to change that. Working with Disney Research, Harrison demonstrated the new technology, dubbed “Tesla Touch”, for the first…