Tag: BLUETOOTH

The town of Dudley in West Midlands, England has just deployed a crime-fighting vehicle that's more cute than it is fearsome. According to the BBC, after a "slight increase" in the number of robberies since April, the Dudley Bobbies decided that a pedal-powered contraption in the shape of a giant, sideways apostrophe would help make civilians more protective of their valuables. The 'Digi-Bike,' as ...

Highlights from this morning's other big tech headlines.... Next fall, Adobe may be further distancing itself from HTML5, as an Adobe blog has claimed that the company will reveal details concerning a "Flash Player 3D" at October's Max 2010 conference. [From: Mashable] Hezbollah has come to the defense of fired CNN editor Octavia Nasr, saying that the Twitter-provoked incident represents ...

There are geek t-shirts and ridiculous wearable gadgets, and then there is this, occupying some weird middle ground. This t-shirt boasts an embedded micro-controller that communicates with an Android smartphone via Bluetooth in order to alert you of incoming e-mails. The shirt has LEDs that light up, telling you exactly how many messages are currently waiting for your discerning delete finger -- ...

A new security measure could leave many U.S. Air Force BlackBerry users grounded. According to Wired, Air Force officials recently announced changes to the service's cyber-security policy, which would effectively disable the Bluetooth functionality of most BlackBerrys. Forget sending or receiving pictures or videos; under this change, the only functional Bluetooth feature on enlisted men and ...

digg_url ='http://www.switched.com/2010/03/23/tsa-wants-to-use-bluetooth-at-checkpoints-to-follow-fliers-phon/'; Share In an effort to make air travel more efficient, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is looking into tracking travelers' cell phones. Naturally, this has privacy advocates up-in-arms. According to USA Today, the TSA would install a small chip at the entrance and ...

Eternally youthful as we are here at Switched, we try not to spend too much time thinking about the day when we may have to get a hip replacement. But, thanks to a new Bluetooth-enabled 'smart hip,' getting old now seems more cyborg-asmic than ever. With the help of measuring sensors and actuators, the new, high-tech smart hip can not only monitor any potential implant problems, but can also help ...

Extras At this point, USB ports and Gigabit Ethernet are standard features in desktops and laptops alike, so we won't waste your time talking about them. There are still a few hardware options worth mentioning, though. Wireless If you're getting a laptop, Wi-Fi is a given. You'll want to make sure you get one with an 802.11n card in it. Wi-Fi is less important in a desktop machine that ...

We're big fans of innovative electronic instruments, especially ones that look past the idea of human interaction and incorporate random input. Design outfit Fascination Workshop just unveiled its new prototype of the Winduino II, an electronic instrument that creates sound from wind. The company describes its creation as "a wireless, digital version of an Aeolian harp." The Winduino II is ...

If there's one thing we know about technology, it's that portability often trumps all other attributes. Sure, vinyl might sound warmer, but you're not carting your discs around with you. How do you make a mobile device loaded with music even more portable? You ditch those external speakers and wired headphones. At CES 2010, Silicon Valley Global revealed a new product that needs only a flat ...

Ancient Aboriginal instrument, we'd like you to meet modern technology. Who can you thank for this introduction? A nerdy white guy, not even from Australia. Musician and geek Kyle Evans took a didgeridoo, which is an Australian wind instrument, and modified it because he was interested in combining organic sound with modern technology. Evans can manipulate the noise that the custom-built ...

Jabra Stone (Style-o-Phile, Under $250) The Jabra Stone ($129.99) is the first significant step for the notorious Bluetooth headset in some time. The design effectively removes the annoying "boom" of other headsets off of your face/ear; in fact, it can actually be concealed under longish hair, should you so desire. The excellent sound quality, good battery life, and slick charger (when ...

Haven't we all, at some point in our lives, mused to ourselves, "Gee, how great would it be if all of my friends and family could know exactly where I am, at this very instant"? Well now, with a little help from your Bluetooth, they can. Issac Daniel, the brand that brought GPS shoes to the hooves of the high-tech hungry, has introduced its newest Compass and Blue GPS shoes. The sneakers come ...

A few years ago, Bluetooth headsets were rarely seen in public, and early adopters were accused of making both fashion and etiquette faux pas. But the proliferating bans on driving while holding a phone, coupled with people's discovery of hands-free convenience, has rendered the devices standard-issue these days. And headsets continue to improve in both sound quality and features. Most ...

Wireless Bluetooth headsets are such a dilemma -- they're so handy to have in order to keep from Texting While Driving (TWD), yet so difficult to keep in a handy place while you're on the go (they're just so dang small). Until now, at least, thanks to Newton Peripherals, the folks who brought us the wafer-thin MoGo Mouse that stores neatly in your laptop's PC card. Announced back in June, but ...

Though technology generally makes our lives better, it can also turn us into idiots. Inspired by Blue Tools -- those people who never remove their wireless headsets -- we've compiled a list of personality types who irritate by misusing gadgets and the Internet in ways that are mean, rude, or simply clueless. Are we stereotyping a bit? Sure, but ultimately, we're here to help. Recognizing ...