Future tech

Watch out, there's a man wearing Google Glass in your public restroom

It's becoming difficult to defend taste, decency, and style in a world that is rapidly being overtaken by those who believe technology is all.

I understand that many who believe they are ahead of their time are terribly excited about wearing their somewhat less than stylish Google Glass all over the planet.

I also understand that there are certain places -- bars and strip clubs, for example -- that have already expressed their desire to eject anyone wearing Google's famed, Internet-connected tools.

Not every eventuality has, however, been considered. Which is why I was grateful -- in a painful way -- to the resurrected ValleyWag for this morning noticing that famed tech personality Robert Scoble is boasting of wearing his Google Glass in the toilet.… Read more

In New York, 3D printing finally gets its day in the sun

NEW YORK--Guitars. Skulls. Bracelets. Colorful heads. And so much more.

That was what was on display at the Inside 3D Printing event here today, a celebration of all things 3D printing, and one of the first-ever professional events dedicated solely to the decades-old technology that has been taking the world by storm over the last few years.

Just about ever leading company in the field was on hand, from 3D Systems to MakerBot to Stratasys, and many others. And hundreds of people packed the event hall, eager to see the latest machines, and hear from some of the leaders in … Read more

The 404 1,254: Where can you spare a Bitcoin? (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Check out the new Web site for Jill Schlesinger, CBS News senior business analyst!

- Bitcoin bubble burst? Currency suffers dramatic correction.

- Bitcoin drops another 35 percent as exchange reopens.

- Apple earnings could bring profit setback, despite record sales.… Read more

Google activists try to sabotage Google Glass auction

Since Google announced the names of those who would get the first exemplars of Google Glass, I have been barely able to focus for wondering what Newt Gingrich is doing with his.

I await his new and vital perspective on Washington with rapt excitement.

However, others have resorted to more mundane activities, posting their little Google Glass movies for all to see (and so all can feel their eyes glaze over).

Perhaps the most mundane activity to which some have resorted is to try and make money out of their gadgets.

Before the winners of #IfIHadGlass were even announced, one … Read more

The 404 1,253: Where there ain't nothing wrong with a little Bjork and grind (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- New app helps prevent Icelanders from sleeping with their relatives.

- Dudes: stop making the same face in every photo, or, a gentleman's guide to the selfie.

- Support 404 listener Jacob's run for Boston this weekend!… Read more

Why the 2011 iPod Nano is still the sexiest smartwatch of all

After reviewing a handful of the latest and greatest smartwatches, I discovered something shocking. Out of my old electronics drawer I pulled out my iPod Nano, the 2011 clip-on MP3 player that's no longer even sold by Apple. It's attached to a Hex Nano metal watchband. I wore this for over a year, and was so in love with the idea of an Apple smartwatch that I was willing to forgive its limitations -- and that it wasn't really all that smart.

All of these smartwatches have arrived, and I've worn them. Yet, when I slip … Read more

The 404 1,252: Where we rock the couch with Ben Hoffman (podcast)

- Check out The Ben Show tonight at 10PM on Comedy Central for the season finale! Then watch his clips on ComedyCentral.com!

- Follow Ben on Twitter.

Episode 1,252

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New teeny-tiny battery charges in less than a second

One of the biggest bugbears of smartphones is just how much juice they drain -- and how long they take to recharge. Batteries are also the reason many devices can't be smaller; after all, the batteries have to fit somewhere (although, given the burgeoning phablet market, that's not exactly a huge problem).

Scientists have made several recent attempts to build a better lithium ion battery. In the latest push, a team of researchers led by mechanical science and engineering professor William P. King at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign has developed a new type of lithium ion battery that's just a fraction of the size of the batteries we use now -- and that can out-power the best supercapacitors. … Read more

Watch a device add a virtual touch screen to paper

We're inching closer to a paperless existence, but until then, a new image-processing development by Fujitsu could make it astonishingly simple to copy content from paper and turn it into digital data.

Merely relying on an ordinary camera and projector, Fujitsu's touch-based interface makes quick work out of copying printed text or images by simply requiring the user to drag across content with a fingertip. The projector shines an illuminated frame that dynamically resizes based on how far the finger travels, and the observing camera scans, crops, and turns that selection into a digital file -- in just a few seconds.… Read more