Computing

Intel futurist discusses data's secret life, 'ghost of computing'

In 2010 Brian David Johnson became Intel Corp.'s first futurist, a time-honored title bestowed on prognosticating technology mavens dating back to the likes of Jules Verne and H. G. Wells. Equal parts seer and evangelist, Johnson helps map out the future of technology and then guides his company toward that destination, whether it is five years or even a decade away.

Johnson draws inspiration from science fiction but tries to ground his vision of the future in reality through speaking engagements in front of audiences most likely to be affected by Intel's technology, such as attendees of the … Read more

Tablet-like touch interface comes to everyday objects

Researchers have developed a way to take the multitouch interface of tablets and smartphones to a whole new level and set of objects.

Disney Research in Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University yesterday announced a touch interface technology called Touche that brings a new set of gestures to existing touch screens and can make anything from table tops to body parts computer input devices.

It could lead to a "smart doorknob" that unlocks when grasped a certain way, or a couch that turns on the TV when a person sits down and turns off when the person falls asleep. … Read more

Got big power bills? Blame dumb electronics

It's time for your DVR to get as smart as your iPad. If designers get it right, energy use from household electronics will stay under control without sacrifices in features.

By necessity, mobile devices, such as tablets and smart phones, need to be clever about power, just like an efficient hybrid car uses many tricks, such as turning the engine off when idle, to sip less gas.

By contrast, always-on electronics devices, such as set-top boxes, DVRs or often game consoles, operate as if they were going top speed at all times. As more devices in the home, such … Read more

'Point cloud portraits' bring ghostly 3D images to movies

In yet another example of the amazing things possible with the Kinect gaming console, filmmakers have combined the depth camera of Kinect with a digital SLR to create a haunting new look in video.

Fellows at Carnegie Mellon University's Studio for Creative Inquiry this week posted video, spotted by The Verge, from a filmmaking workshop which shows some of the potential of this type of 3D imagery.

The sensor in the Kinect console controller scans objects in front of it and determines their distance, allowing it to recognize gestures for playing video games. Fellows James George and Jonathan Minard … Read more

Theoretical physicist: Moore's Law has just 10 years to go

Here's another warning that the end is within view for Moore's Law, one of the backbone theories of the computing industry.

Theoretical physicist Michio Kaku predicts that in "10 years or so we will see the collapse of Moore's Law. In fact, already, we are seeing a slowing down of Moore's Law. Computing power simply cannot maintain its rapid exponential rise using standard silicon technology."

Intel: Moore's Law resource guide

In a presentation Kaku made earlier in the month, Kaku noted that a Pentium chip today "has the layer almost down to … Read more

A ride on MIT Media Lab's digital bandwagon

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- MIT's famed Media Lab is like a playground for really smart techies and artists.

The Lab hosted its annual Inside Out conference this week where speakers from a dizzying number of projects talked about the future of technology and design.

Unpacking all the work there would take months, but even a few quick tours give a hint at some of the trends in research which could spill over into mainstream consumer electronics.

A recurring theme is that more everyday objects, whether they are cars or buildings, are becoming digital and that shift opens up new ways … Read more

First app for Google's Project Glass: Sharing photos

Sebastian Thrun of Google says that the company's Project Glass glasses are best doing what a smartphone does but in a hands-free way.

The company executive, who works on Project Glass at Google X Labs, wore a prototype of the now-famous glasses during an interview with Charlie Rose which went online today.

He showed how they are operated when he took a photo of Rose by pressing a button, then nodded his head to apparently share the photo with his friends on Google Plus. Two weeks ago, Google founder Sergey Brin was seen at a charity event sporting the … Read more

MakerBot's robot petting zoo ready to storm Maker Faire

BROOKLYN, N.Y.--Given that Maker Faire is being held next month at a Northern California fairgrounds, it's appropriate that one of the attractions will be a petting zoo.

But this will be unlike any you've seen before. There won't be "animals" on display, and there won't be any fur.

Welcome to the Robot Petting Zoo.

The brainchild of the geeks at MakerBot Industries, the zoo will feature a collection of 3D printed robots, each of which will do something unique. Take "Button bot," for example, a happy-looking android with a head … Read more

WristQue wearable sensor connects you, digital world

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--An MIT Media Lab project called WristQue offers a way to interact with smart buildings and computers in an unobtrusive way.

Researchers at the Media Lab recently completed the first prototype of WristQue wearable sensor and described some of its potential uses yesterday here.

The first application of the wristband device is to automatically set heating and lighting controls to the wearer's preferences. It could also be used as an interface with public displays in buildings, showing the user personal information, such as a daily calendar, according to PhD student Brian Mayton who is working on the … Read more