Wave

Amazon's Kindle Fire falls short of the iPad in a satisfaction survey but has some big upsides, said market researcher Changewave Research in a note released Thursday.

The Kindle Fire has become surprisingly popular because it's affordable yet versatile for its price. And the numbers bear this out.

Bob O'Donnell of IDC told CNET this week that he believes Amazon shipped just under five million units in the latest quarter. "That's huge. Remember they didn't ship until early November so that's essentially two months," O'Donnell said. (Amazon does not reveal exact … Read more

A fighter pilot heads back to base after a long mission, feeling spent. A warning light flashes on the control panel. Has she noticed? If so, is she focused enough to fix the problem?

Thanks to current advances in electroencephalographic (EEG) brain-wave detection technology, military commanders may not have to guess the answers to these questions much longer. They could soon be monitoring her mental state via helmet sensors, looking for signs she is concentrating on her flying and reacting to the warning light.

This is possible because of two key advances that made EEG technology wireless and mobile, says … Read more

NuForce is a high-end company that makes an unusually wide range of products, from the tiny uDAC-2 portable headphone amp ($129) all the way up to the Reference 18 power amplifiers ($6,600 for a stereo pair). NuForce is based in Milpitas, Calif.

Today we'll be looking at the Icon iDo, a dedicated USB digital-to-analog converter/headphone amplifier designed to work with iPods, iPhones, and iPads, which cannot be used as a USB/DAC with computers. The iDo is awfully little, it's just 6 by 4.5 by 1 inches, and it shares its all-metal chassis with NuForce'… Read more

It's not often that the worlds of technology and surfing collide, but when they do, the results can be pretty epic.

On a recent trip to Nazare, Portugal, big-wave surfer Garrett McNamara was able to paddle into a 45-foot wave--a feat that would be difficult to achieve on arm power alone--thanks to the help of jet-propelled surfboard.

The high-tech surfboard is the creation of a San Diego-based company called WaveJet. WaveJet is actually a pod that can be attached to any surfboard, kayak, or other personal watercraft and features battery-powered twin jet drives that produces 20 pounds of thrusts and can propel the board up to 12 miles per hour. A wristband worn by the surfer allows him or her to control the twin jets wirelessly and also provides information about battery life, which stands at around 40 minutes if used continuously. … Read more

Google continued to kill off businesses today, as it streamlines operations, axing its would-be Wikipedia rival, Knol, and Wave, a real-time collaboration tool.

Earlier this year, Google Chief Executive Larry Page announced plans to shed businesses that didn't offer big opportunities in order for Google to focus on the ones that do. Along the way, the company has killed off Buzz, a social-networking attempt; Google Health, a personal health records service; and Google Desktop, a PC application that let users search for files and documents on their computers, among others.

The latest round of cuts, announced in a blog post … Read more

As you read this, four wave-propelled robots are making their way across the Pacific Ocean in a record-setting journey that will hopefully lead to new scientific discoveries. But they need your help.

With the support of Virgin Oceanic and Google Earth, Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company Liquid Robotics launched four of its Wave Glider ocean robots on November 17 to embark on a PacX (as in Pacific crossing) expedition, where they are expected to collect 2.25 million pieces of data about the ocean. The Wave Gliders feature a wing system that uses wave motion to propel the robots, while solar panels power the various sensors used to collect data. … Read more

SAN FRANCISCO--Four robots left the Golden Gate today on an across the globe mission to set a world distance record and demonstrate new data-gathering tools that could help save the planet.

The robots, known as Wave Gliders, were built by a Silicon Valley startup known as Liquid Robotics. And starting today, the four autonomous sea-faring craft are heading out on journeys to Australia and Japan with the intention of setting the Guinness World Record for the longest distance traveled on the surface of the Earth by a robot.

The four Wave Gliders are thought to be capable of traveling across … Read more

Harnessing energy from the oceans involves a lot more than putting a generator in the water.

IBM Research today announced a project to monitor the impact of noise on marine ecosystems from a wave energy generator in Ireland. Done in conjunction with the Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland, its part of an ongoing SmartBay project to monitor the environment of Galway Bay with sensors and telemetry to advance ocean energy.

To monitor the acoustic impact of wave power, a generator from OceanEnergy in Ireland is equipped with audio sensors. Data from the sensors is fed continuously to IBM's data centers … Read more

China-based Haier is showcasing an interesting mind control technology for TVs at the ongoing IFA trade show in Berlin. The Brain Wave resembles a headset, with an extension placed peculiarly on the user's forehead to control a TV's volume and change channels with thoughts alone. The firm demonstrated its prototype with a game that involves blowing up barrels with your mind. Even if Haier gets the system to market for TVs, we're betting it won't be easy to convince most consumers to don the bulky headset in its present form.

Having said that, we would love to see the Brain Wave miniaturized and made more comfortable, or possibly integrated into regular 3D glasses. Until then, there are other, less intrusive alternatives to remote controls ranging from voice recognition to hand gestures.

(Source: Crave Asia via Engadget) … Read more