CRM News: Future Tech

Frankencamera Could Herald a New Digital Photography Era
October 20, 2009

There's a pieced-together monster shaking up the campus of Stanford University this fall, and it's named after the legendary, lumbering creature that Halloween nightmares are made of. It's the Frankencamera, and it's here to change the way digital photography is done.

Windows 7 and What Comes After the PC
October 19, 2009

Microsoft and Windows go back to the very beginning of the PC -- when people couldn't afford them, when networks were defined by terminal emulators and floppy disks, and when many of the Google pioneers were in diapers. Looking back at what Windows initially did and considering what Windows 7 is capable of, you can certainly say a lot has changed.

Honda Demos Unicycle-Style Mobility Concept Device
September 25, 2009

Honda's new "personal mobility" device looks like a unicycle, but all you need to do to zip around on it -- sideways as well as forward and back -- is lean your weight into the direction you want to go. The U3-X was designed to be small, safe and unobtrusive enough to mingle with pedestrians, according to Honda Motor.

Movable Prosthetics: The Biomechanical Interface
August 24, 2009

Thanks to research that will culminate this year in a major set of new designs, procedures and prototypes for artificial limbs, highly advanced prosthetics might eventually become commonplace, perhaps in another generation. However, much more research must be done in the ways human tissue interacts with mechanical parts.

Toyota Wheelchair Guided by Thought Alone
June 29, 2009

U.S. automakers have spent a lot of time lately wondering whether someone can think up a solution for their economic woes. Meanwhile, one of their Japanese counterparts is using brainpower in a different way: to control the movement and direction of a wheelchair. Researchers at Toyota have announced the development of a new brain-machine interface that can allow a person to steer a wheelchair with brain waves.

The Blood and Guts of Biometric Systems
May 27, 2009

When biometric security devices began appearing nearly a decade ago, they were often touted as the final word in security technology. After all, stealing your password is one thing -- stealing a thumb, a retina or a voice print is a bit more of a chore. Hackers, however, developed techniques to fool biometrics scanners, much like they've found ways around spam filters and firewalls.

Home Automation: The Unfulfilled Promise
May 05, 2009

For the last 30 years, many people have invested a lot of money and effort chasing an unrealized promise of hoped-for explosive growth in home automation. With not a lot of commercial progress, it might be seen as foolish to pursue opportunities in this space. However, the promise of addressing latent needs of millions of households worldwide to create a new consumer electronics category is highly seductive.

Robots and the Law: Will the Real Inventor Please Stand Up?
April 28, 2009

Earlier this month, the journal Science reported on a robot that could formulate hypotheses, perform experiments to test those hypotheses, and thereby contribute to scientific knowledge. This technological advance raises legal concerns: Based on current law, if a robot conceived the idea for an "invention," this invention might not have the possibility for patent protection in the U.S.

IBM Supercomputer to Match Critical Thinking Wits With 'Jeopardy' Wonks
April 27, 2009

Having developed Deep Blue, the supercomputer that famously beat out world chess champion Gary Kasparov back in 1997, IBM is now working on a computer built to compete in the TV quiz show "Jeopardy." This will use a system based on Question Answering, a computer science approach that tries to build software systems that can provide accurate, useful answers to questions people ask using natural language.

3rd Rebirth of Computing: The End of PCs and Game Consoles
April 06, 2009

The gaming market has been broken for a long time, and the PC concept is also becoming unmanageable. Developers want one platform to develop to; they don't want three consoles, two portable gaming systems, lots of phones and a PC. Users want something vastly less complex and really would like to go back to a time when they only worried about the price and where the on switch was.

Robo-Scientist 'Adam' Performs Landmark Solo Experiment
April 03, 2009

There may not be a white lab coat big enough for Adam, the newest and most expensive member of the scientific department at Aberystwyth University in Wales, UK. Adam, a $1 million robot-computer amalgam about the size of a large pickup truck, carried out genetic experiments on yeast and reached groundbreaking conclusions without human help, according to a report in the journal Science.

HP's Z Series Will Dazzle Your Eyes, Bob the Monster Will Steal Your Heart
March 30, 2009

I spent much of last week attending an event put on by HP, Intel and BMW, which launched HP's new professional workstation line on top of the new Nehalem processors from Intel. This took place at DreamWorks, where we were treated to an early screening of the "Monsters vs. Aliens" movie. This last was a showcase for DreamWorks huge 3-D bet and one that I haven't been a believer in.

Tesla Shows Off Family-Friendly Electric Car
March 27, 2009

Tesla Motors -- a Silicon Valley startup backed by entrepreneur Elon Musk, the South Africa-born cofounder of PayPal -- is making plans to roll out its second electric car. The company has released the details of its Tesla Model S. The Model S is promising a 300-mile range and the ability to recharge the battery within 45 minutes.

Is It Too Late for Homes to Get Smart?
February 03, 2009

Ten years ago, the "smart home" was all the rage. Almost every company in our market had a concept center or display house that showed the functionality of the digital home. I remember a visit to GTE's offices in the Dallas area, where they had a multiroom digital home display that showed a variety of advanced communications, entertainment and home management features.

Alternative-Alternative Energies: What's Next?
January 28, 2009

Gone are the days when "fringe technologies" meant things like solar energy and wind power. Those and other alternative energy approaches have all gone mainstream, to one degree or another, and they're gaining more steam. However, the fringe is still out there -- so-called alternative-alternative energy technologies.

What's Driving Future American Auto Development?
January 22, 2009

Hybrid cars now produced by Toyota, Honda and other mainstream automakers are veritable gas hogs, says Felix Kramer, founder of California Cars Initiative. Not that he doesn't appreciate the technology that has led to mileage ratings in the range of 40 to 50 miles per gallon of gasoline. Still, that amounts to child's play, compared to Kramer's dream of plug-in hybrids that squeeze out 100 mpg or better.