A team of researchers from Japan’s Keio University seems to have found a way to let plants react to their owners and even express how they feel. As you can see in the photo, this plant is angry… seriously.
And we are not talking about a robot plant. The system involves real plants sprouting out of a box that contains sensors and microphones that monitor its surroundings, as well as actuators connected… Read More » 

Microsoft probably had no idea its Kinect motion-based gaming device could be hacked and utilized for various situations beyond video gaming. The company launched the Kinect Accelerator program back in November in a mission to help these cottage hackers take their Kinect development even further. The chosen startups will work closely with mentors from Microsoft Research, Microsoft Studios, Kinect for Windows, and… Read More » 

If you are addicted to playing “Draw Something” on your smartphone, be careful. It has been reported that cyberscammers had been preying on the draw-savvy users
Computer security firm Sophos warned Draw Something users that they could receive spam messages claiming they have won a prize, but would have to visit a certain website first to claim it.
From there, users are led to a survey scam where they … Read More » 

After its app was tagged as the “creepiest” in the world, O.O.O SMS Servicies (yes, that is how it is spelled) defended its “creepy” creation, claiming it was designed to make “geo-social exploration of popular venues” easier and more visual.
In its statement, the Saint Petersburg, Russia-based company said: “We follow the geo-social trend for mobile devices that is suppor… Read More » 

An iOS app has become a hot topic both by its bubbling-under popularity and the debate about the extent how public information should be used by third parties.
The app, called Girls Around Me, essentially displays the public Foursquare check-ins and Facebook profiles of girls around you. While the this app can be seen as taking discoverability and speed dating to the next level, many people see Girls Around Me as … Read More » 

The Wall Street Journal reports that Google will open its own online store within the year and is said to stock the inventory with tablets instead of smartphones. Part of the its catalog includes Android tablets from Samsung and Asus. Both companies have offered interesting tablets namely the Galaxy Tab and Transformer respectively, but have yet to create a significant dent in the market inundated by everything A… Read More » 

You see it in the movies: how photographers form a frame using their fingers and check if what they see in it makes a good shot. But add a camera to it that would capture everything you frame in your fingers, this is something you and I would never imagine.
Researchers at Japan’s Institute of Advanced Media Arts and Sciences is developing a camera that would do just that. The prototype, dubbed Ubi-Camera, … Read More » 

LG Display happily announced that it is set to massively produce the world’s first plastic e-paper display, which the company hopes it would “revolutionize the e-book market.”
The six-inch flexible display has a resolution of 1024 x 768 and bendable at up to 40 degrees. It measures at 0.7 millimeters in thickness, one-third thinner than glass displays of similar size, and tips the scales at just … Read More » 

Research In Motion plans on releasing up to 2,000 prototype handsets that run on BlackBerry 10 OS to developers at the BlackBerry Jam conference this May in Orlando, Floria.
Alec Saunders, RIM’s vice president for developer relations, said that such action is a “tangible evidence of the company making progress to finally shipping the device.”
Little is known about the BB 10, also known by its form… Read More » 

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. This is what energy company NRG seem to have adhered after settling a long-disputed litigation against the State of California after it acquired majority stake in its partnership with Dynegy. NRG is set to install 200 fast-charging EV stations across the Golden State, an investment said to be worth $120 million that promises to create much-needed jobs.
The deal is not on… Read More » 

One of many reasons why Japan is better than all of us: Toshiba has developed a supermarket scanner that does not need barcodes to identify produce but instead it detects individual species of fruit and vegetables simply from its shapes.
The device uses a camera with optical pattern recognition technology that filters out “visual noise” before identifying the produce based on its shape, surface pattern… Read More » 

Microsoft has been creating nifty concept gadgets as of late, including this Wearable Multitouch Projector that is worn over the shoulder and converts any surface into a gesture-sensitive display.
The device uses a technology similar to Kinect, by installing motion- and depth-sensing camera together with a pico projector and a PC. It projects images that you can tap, swipe, and even pinch-to-zoom on any flat surfa… Read More » 

If I tell you now you can print 3D models straight out of your smartphone, you would not believe it. Too bad.
Because it is possible now. A group of developers called House 4 Hack, based in Johannesburg, have been working on a 3D printing app for Android. Yup, an Android app called Paint3D that would allow users to create 3D models and print them directly from the mobile device.
The magic of Paint3D starts with … Read More… [Read More]

Siri has set the standard for voice-controlled virtual assistants, but Motorola claims its Voice Actions is even better than its iPhone 4S-exclusive counterpart.
Motorola uploaded a series of videos on its YouTube channel featuring its Voice Actions-equipped phones (the Atrix 2, Photon 4G, and Electrify) pitting against Siri. Each video shows the competing smartphones following the commands from a faceless taskmas… Read More »