polaris

View and edit MS Office docs with Polaris Office

The BYOD (bring-your-own-device) trend is a new reality, with employees bringing their own smartphones and tablets into the workplace. The idea is to be more productive, but compatibility issues with applications can hinder that. Case in point is Microsoft Office: the only way you can view and edit MS Office documents on your Apple device (for now) is by installing a third-party app. Polaris Office is such an app; it offers users a way to view and edit MS Office docs, as well as PDFs, with incredible ease. We tested it on our iPad.

Polaris Office opens with sample Word, … Read more

RIM acquires Paratek to boost BlackBerry

Weeks after Research In Motion's shakeup, losing two co-executives and gaining a new CEO, the company is beginning to make some changes. The latest is acquiring Paratek Adaptive RF, which designs and manufactures adaptive radio frequency front-end components for cell phones.

"Watch out providers of mobile phones," General Partner of Polaris Venture Partners Alan Spoon, which is a lead investor in Paratek, wrote in a statement today. "Integrating Paratek's technology into mobile phones is a game changer."

Spoon writes that Paratek technology will allow Blackberry users to upload and download large amounts of data … Read more

Brammo raises $28M for electric motorcycles

Ashland, Ore.-based electric motorcycle manufacturer Brammo announced on Wednesday that it has raised $28 million from investors to boost development of electric powertrain technology.

Leading the charge was investor Polaris Industries, a powersports giant that makes all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, motorcycles and road-legal electric vehicles.

I recall inviting Polaris CEO Scott Wine to SmartPlanet's New York City headquarters way back in February 2010; at the time, we discussed some of his company innovations under development, including military vehicles that can shrug off small arms fire and his company's entry into sustainability, from supply chain simplification to the company'… Read more

Yours for a song

Polaris Free Video to MP3 Converter is an extremely easy-to-use program that allows users to convert a wide variety of video formats into MP3 audio files. It doesn't have much in the way of features, but for a lightweight file converter, we think it's a great choice.

The program's interface is plain and intuitive, with three large buttons that represent the program's features. Users simply select the video file or files that they want to convert, choose the desired output quality (there are 14 options, from 32k to 320k), and select an output folder. The program … Read more

Polaris cell phone bot predicts your behavior

Japanese design firm Flower Robotics has unveiled a new concept robot cell phone that moves around on two wheels and learns from user behavior.

Flower teamed up with telecom KDDI and its Iida line of products to create the device, dubbed Polaris. In the Japanese video below it looks like a cousin of the Sony Rolly MP3 player, but Polaris is more than just a pair of wheels and electronics.

Polaris consists of a robot sphere and the phone itself. The sphere can autonomously dock with its charging unit. The phone gathers information about user behavior and sends it to … Read more

'Polaris' is our kind of snowmobile--by remote

While the kids are having their fun in the snow this holiday season, you have a choice: You can either try to prove that you're still a teenager by piloting something like a "Hov Pod," or you can opt for an alternative that we advocate--one that involves far less risk of physical exertion: a remote-controlled snowmobile.

The "Polaris" can let you participate in winter's festivities without breaking a sweat. The little dynamo is equipped with "caterpillar-style track grips" and "thermoplastic material" that can withstand sub-zero temperatures, which is more than … Read more