smart

Aussie firefighters swallowing pills that read core body temp

When the Country Fire Authority in Victoria, Australia, noticed that its firefighters were showing signs of heat stress even when their ear thermometer probes were reading normal temperatures, they decided it was time to find a better gauge in the hopes of preventing heat-related illnesses.

So they tested a smart pill on 50 firefighters evacuating 20 people from a burning medical center, and have already used the readings to change firefighter work patterns, including how long they're exposed to blazes, according to the Australian Associated Press.… Read more

CES postscript: The touch laptop, like it or not

The laptop was reinvented at CES.

Or maybe I should say there was a vigorous attempt to reinvent the laptop. Because we won't know how successful touch has been until next year this time.

Intel's CES booth -- still a large presence in the CES Central Hall -- had one basic unmistakable message: touch has arrived.

Windows 8 convertibles, detachables, touch-screen laptops, and just plain tablets from Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Samsung, Acer, Asus, Lenovo, Toshiba, Sony, and others blanketed Intel's booth.

And just to make sure the touch message was crystal clear, Intel issued an edict to PC … Read more

At CES, two HP laptops do Windows 8 right

LAS VEGAS--At CES this week, Hewlett-Packard hardware got my attention.

Though the company has been savaged in the media because of dubious acquisition decisions and a falling stock price, its brief exhibition of new Windows 8 laptops and hybrids at CES was impressive.

I'll focus on two, the EliteBook Revolve and Spectre XT TouchSmart ultrabook-- both touch-capable Windows 8 laptops. The systems were fleetingly exhibited at CES by HP during an event at the MGM Grand event on Monday night.

I'll start with the Spectre XT TouchSmart because it was also at Intel's CES booth all week … Read more

2013: The year the smart kitchen finally arrives?

January is a time of renewal. It also happens to be when appliance makers show off their visions of what is to come. The event is CES 2013 and this year, according to those that make kitchen gadgets and appliances, everything is going to be very, very smart. While we have been promised automated kitchens in one form or another since the time of the Jetsons, there is one important factor in the modern world that may see the smart kitchen finally grow up: mobility.

The year 2013 is going to be one marked by plenty of smartphone and tablet sales. … Read more

E-ink smartphone on display at CES 2013

Wednesday's CNET Update from CES 2013:

It's day two of the 2013 International CES, and this is the place to see what gadgets could be in our future. There's lots to talk about, but here's a breakdown of the tech that has our attention:

- The YotaPhone has been the most interesting smartphone seen at CES, because it has an e-ink touch screen on its backside.

- Fulton Innovation is showing off technology that lets you wirelessly transfer power from device to device.

- TheEyeTribe has shown how future tablets and smartphones can be controlled with your eyes. … Read more

Stylus lets you 'touch' normal screens, except when it won't

LAS VEGAS--Apen's Touch8 Smart Pen is a soft-tip stylus that gives non-touch-screen Windows 8 computers the power of touch. It's a great idea, but it can't quite leave its mark.

The idea is clever. Instead of missing out on touch functionality on an otherwise high-end system that lacks a touch screen, pick up an $80 USB dongle and its connected pen to bring that touchless monitor into the future. There's no word yet on when it will be available.

The Touch8 Smart Pen works on desktop monitors and laptops of up to 17 inches and … Read more

Ultra HD TVs are big at CES 2013

Tuesday's CNET Update from CES 2013:

The show floor has officially opened at the International CES, and here's a quick breakdown of the highlights so far:

Televisions and home entertainment tend to be the star of the show. This year, LG announced shipping and pricing details for the 55-inch OLED TV that everyone was gawking at last year. The buzz now is more focused around Ultra HD resolution, also called 4K. You need a very large screen to appreciate that extra resolution. Sharp showed two Ultra HD TVs. Samsung unveiled an 85-inch Ultra HD TV with a floor stand. … Read more

Samsung's video search tool for TVs will be coming to tablets, too

LAS VEGAS -- Samsung's new video search tool, which the company unveiled yesterday for its TVs, will also be available for certain tablets this spring, a Samsung executive told CNET.

That means users will be able to use one app to navigate all of their different video services, and use their tablets as a remote to control their TVs, TJ Kang, senior vice president of Samsung's media solution center, told CNET in an interview after Samsung's press conference yesterday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. In his role, Kang oversees new services and apps made … Read more

iSmart Alarm turns iPhone into a home guard dog

Most people still choose to handle home security the old-fashioned way. They have a big slobbery dog or they pay a security company to monitor their home. For people who are allergic to pups and don't want to deal with security contracts, startup iSmart Alarm is hoping to turn the iPhone into the focal point for home security.

The system is made up of several parts that can be mixed and matched as needed. There are cameras, motion sensors, contact sensors for windows and doors, and a remote tag for tracking kids or pets (or both). The brains of the system is a square device called the CubeOne that plugs into an outlet and connects up to your router.… Read more