high-tech

A Tesla Model S is a very hard car for reviewers to get significant time with. The company has exactly two press cars for the globe, prioritizing all other production to deliver to patient buyers. So it was with no small pleasure when Tesla's Shanna Hendriks let me know she had an S ready for me to play with for a full day (which turned out to be more like a day and a half). I hope you'll find my take a little refreshing as this car has been talked about and bloviated over like nothing this side … Read more

It used to be that people went to restaurants so they could disconnect from their smartphones. But increasingly, eateries are introducing table-top technology that lets you order, pay the check, play games, and scan news headlines.

Chevy's Fresh Mex restaurants, for example, have installed "Ziosks" at about a dozen locations. Ziosks are interactive computer screens where diners can see pictures of entrees, order items, and pay the bill, all sans waiter.

There is a gee-whiz factor about these gadgety dinner guests, but during a recent lunch rush at a San Francisco-based Chevy's, many customers were reluctant … Read more

After Mark Zuckerberg arrived for a meeting this week with potential investors wearing, of all things, a "hoodie," Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter got so worked up that he described the Facebook CEO's attire as a "mark of immaturity" and a demonstration of a lack of respect for investors.

There's been no shortage of commentary about Zuckberberg's seeming faux pas, and it (temporarily?) revived the stereotype of the socially clueless geek who couldn't tell the difference between a cummerbund and a cinnamon bun. But don't jump to conclusions.

While there is … Read more

"Gorilla Glass" could one day become a household phrase, but Corning has even larger ideas.

"A Day Made of Glass 2" is a montage of "how highly engineered glass, with companion technologies, will help shape our world," according to Corning. It is mind-blowing to imagine everyday objects suddenly having rich, interactive displays and multiple functionalities.

After watching the video, I began to think about how intelligent glass, installed on a broad scale, could change the world. There are two key integrations: in the education and medical fields.

In the video, kids sit in rows … Read more

Apple earnings reach record highs, Xbox rumors ramp up, and Obama tackles energy and tech industry concerns in his State of the Union address.

Links from Wednesday's episode of Loaded:

The holidays are fast approaching, and if you're searching for something shiny to give to your tech-loving lady, the USB locket necklace just might be the answer.

Industrial designer Emily Rothschild has given the classic keepsake a high-tech makeover by incorporating a flash drive. Now, instead of being limited to one or two photographs, you can fill up an entire 2GB flash drive with memories that your loved one can carry around her neck. … Read more

You have your high-tech smartphone paired to your high-tech ride. Now you want to make them work together and keep them working as safely and efficiently as they can. Sometimes there are high-tech solutions to enable that level of functionality, for example Bluetooth wireless connectivity, iPhone integration, or OBD-II interfacing technologies. However, in many cases, you may find yourself relying on good, old-fashioned low-tech solutions.

Jumper cables, cassette adapters, and tire pressure gauges--these are just some of the unsung heroes of the car tech world. These low-tech wonders have been around for much longer than the USB ports and touch-screen … Read more

If you've ever looked closely at a circuit board you know just how interesting they can be. It's one thing to look at a board and marvel at its intricate patterns, but Theo Kamecke does more than just look; he turns circuit boards into works of art. I first learned about Kamecke on the Dvice Web site.

I spoke with him by phone Monday to learn more about his methods. Kamecke prefers to use circuit boards (metal traces laminated to permanently dyed epoxy-fiberglass sheets) produced before the 1990s; they have bigger traces than more contemporary boards, and the older ones were mostly designed and laid out by hand.

Kamecke sees echoes of the ancient Egyptian aesthetic in the metal traces that make up circuit board patterns, though the traces are purely functional in layout. That's what makes them beautiful.

Kamecke feels newer computer designed boards aren't as visually interesting. … Read more

Tcho, a San Fransisco-based chocolate company, gets its cocoa beans from farmers in Peru, Ghana, and other countries. Although many of the families there have been growing cocoa beans for generations, some have never actually tasted chocolate, much less the products made from their own crops. Aside from not being able to enjoy the fruits of their own labor, they have no way to directly understand the relationship between their growing techniques and the final product.

Tcho has solved the problem by bringing the factory to the farm. Using what co-founder Louis Rossetto calls "appropriate technology," the company … Read more