Microsoft Sets Sights On Polling Firms

Microsoft is using the wisdom of crowds theory to run a prediction service. It may use the technology to turn its Siri-alternative into an opinion pollster. After some previous trials, Microsoft has now launched the Microsoft Prediction Lab. It’s similar to an opinion poll or survey but rather than ask people what they want to […]



Movie Camera Drones Get FAA Go-Ahead

The Federal Aviation Administration has given permission to six TV movie production firms to use drones for filming. It’s an exemption to a general US ban on commercial use of drones and could pave the way for other uses. The exemptions mean the production companies won’t have to follow the same extensive set of rules […]

New Jet Pack Gives Instantaneous Thrust to Runners [Video]

From ASU Research: What if every soldier could run a four-minute mile? That’s the goal behind 4MM, or 4 Minute Mile, a student project to create a wearable jetpack that enhances speed and agility. Working with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and a faculty mentor, Jason Kerestes is the mastermind behind 4MM. He built […]



Arthur C. Clarke: One day, a computer will fit on a desk (1974) [Video]

Watch as Arthur C. Clarke accurately predicts the future of computers and of the Internet in a video that dates back to 1974. The man truly was a visionary. [ABC News (Australia) | Via Blastr]

TiVo Mega Box Offers 4,000 Hours HD Recording

TiVo is releasing a model with 24TB of storage, enough to record between 4,000 and 26,000 hours of TV. At $5,000, it’s clearly going be a niche product. In effect, the TiVo Mega is an ordinary TiVo but instead of an ordinary hard drive it has a rack-mountable 24 terabyte Raid 5 HDD setup. The […]

Tiny 3G Modem Could Connect Internet Of Things

Intel has produced a 3G modem only a little bigger than a one-cent coin. It’s targeting the connected devices market, otherwise known as “the Internet of Things.” The 6255 has a total area of around 300 square millimeters, with Intel billing it as the world’s smallest modem. It’s based around what Intel calls “Power Transceiver”, […]

TiVo launches Over-The-Air Model

TiVo is to sell a DVR designed for over-the-air content. It’s a service aimed at cord-cutters, but the monthly service charge could deter potential customers. The new model, the Roamio OTA, will cost $49.99 and is available exclusively from best buy. TiVo says it’s a limited edition, but that seems a meaningless phrase in this […]

Working Hard Drive Comes To Minecraft

A Minecraft user has created a working hard drive in Minecraft — albeit with a capacity of 1 kilobyte. The drive, created by Reddit user “Smellystring”, works on a simple binary system. Instead of using magnets or transistor cells to store the data, it uses blocks that can be either solid or opaque. Reading from […]