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Law Enforcers Turn to Technology for Better Protection

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Law enforcement agencies exist for a reason: to uphold the law and serve and protect a country’s citizens. The very nature of the work of law enforcers entails facing potential danger, whether it’s from hardened criminals or petty criminals.

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Sometimes, the use of force is justified – even necessary. Sometimes it is not. The call is hard to make, and San Diego Criminal Lawyer Samantha Greene emphasizes this state of affairs. She says, “The line between necessary use of police force and going overboard is becoming even more blurry. There are cases where the perpetrator is clearly a danger to the police, and there are cases when the police react with more force than necessary. But who’s to say which is which?”

One thing is for sure: with the spate of brutality on both ends, law enforcers are now facing a challenge: to be able to protect themselves without unnecessarily harming civilians. [Read more…]

Samsung, Apple and Google All Eyeing Wearable Health Tech

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Technology continues to advance and a growing number of companies that manufacture electronic devices have gone beyond the mobile. The growing trend today is on wearable technology.

Research firm IDC foresees shipments of wearable computing devices this year to reach 19.2 million, triple the figure of 2013. By 2018, it predicts global shipments to hit 111.9 million with a yearly growth rate of 78.4 percent.

Wearable health tech products can be purchased conveniently online. Medisave, a global supplier of medical equipment and accessories operating in the U.S., U.K., Australia and New Zealand, is just one of the many suppliers that also sell wearable tech items online.

Google has created its Google glasses and the others are following suit. Some have developed gadgets that can be worn on wrist in a similar fashion as the wristwatch or cuff while the others have come up with double purpose clothing.
[Read more…]

5 Best Places to Find Bargains On Black Friday

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One interesting byproduct of the stumbling economy is the pressure on retailers to provide better deals. Black Friday has traditionally been synonymous with having the best sales of the year, and this year aims to be a party of frugality as stores slash prices and do midnight openings in an attempt to unload inventory. Here are 5 places to find the best bargains of Black Friday:

1. Amazon

The all-purpose store is one of the largest distributors on the internet, with deals ranging on everything from electronics to food. As an internet company, Amazon has the advantage of being able to start its Black Friday on Thanksgiving, giving it an extra day on local competition as well as internet stores waiting for Cyber Monday. As a result, bargain hunters would be wise to do the same before stock on popular items run out. Another distinct advantage that Amazon has year round is the lack of sales tax for residents of 45 of the 50 states. The company is only legally obligated to charge tax on items where its offices, factories and subsidiaries are located, meaning only New York, North Dakota, Washington, Kansas and Kentucky are subject to sales tax. This could amount to a superior bargain for big ticket items, especially when compounded by the Black Friday discount. [Read more…]

Modern Cars – The Best of Advanced Technology

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Cars and automobiles have seen an immense boom not only in terms of sales figures but also in their quality and modern features. There is a line of modern cars that have been built with state of the art technology to make your ride a comfortable one; added to this factor there are other measures of safety and accident safeguards which have been incorporated as well. All of these aspects makes the car a very important asset for life – not merely in adding to your fashion labels but also ensuring that you reach your destination comfortably and safely.

Here are some of the features seen in modern cars.

Automatic Climate Control

This is a feature that controls the interior temperature of the car. When you switch on the air-conditioner you don’t have to adjust the controls. There is an automatic temperature setting in accordance with the outside temperature levels. This adds to your comfort and driving especially in case of long distance. [Read more…]

Recipe Finder: Making Technology Work for You in the Kitchen

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Recipe Finder Home Page
Have you turned the TV on lately? If you are a regular TV viewer, then you are probably have seen the plethora of cooking shows and celebrity chef-focused shows. Whether you like it or not – and there is nothing wrong in liking it! – this trend is here, and it is also shaping the way we live to a certain degree. The good thing is that we pay more attention to what we do in the kitchen and somehow, cooking becomes even more enjoyable!

Playing in the kitchen, as I like to call it, does not require much effort most of the time. However, it does help to have certain tools at our disposal. That’s where recipe portals and web sites come into the picture. And speaking of recipe web sites, there is a new player in the game which holds a lot of promise: Recipe Finder. [Read more…]

Google Nexus One vs Google Nexus Prime

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When Google released its flagship smartphone product the Nexus One, it received rave reviews and has continued to be a player on the portable device market. Now two models removed from the original, we see how the Nexus One stacks up against the yet to be released Nexus Prime.

Dimensions and Form
• Google Nexus One – 119 x 59.8 x 11.5mm, 130g
• Google Nexus Prime – Unreleased

The minimalist shape and chrome build of the Nexus One has been a popular aesthetic with many critics. The screen uses up the majority of space, and this always improves the look of portable devices. The touch-sensitive buttons and fluid track ball juxtapose nicely with the overall countenance. It’s patently obvious that Google is fond of the design, as the Nexus Prime shows little alteration in this regard.

Winner: Draw

Display Screen
• Google Nexus One – 3.7 inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 480×800 pixel resolution
• Google Nexus Prime – 4.7 inch, 1280 x 720 pixel resolution with Samsung PenTile Matrix Technology

While the builds are similar, the Nexus Prime’s significantly larger screen sets it apart from the Nexus One. Despite the quality of the Nexus One’s 252 pixel per inch AMOLED screen, it is hard pressed to compete with what is rumored to be the first 720p smartphone. Other features likely to be included are multi-touch and an accelerometer sensor.

Winner: Google Nexus Prime

Processing Power and Memory
• Google Nexus One – 1GHz Qualcomm Scorpion processor with Adreno 200 GPU, 512MB RAM
• Google Nexus Prime – 1.5GHz dual core TI OMAP4460 CPU and a PowerVR SGX540 GPU, 1GB RAM

The Nexus One was potent for its time, backing its 1GHz Scorpion processor with an Adreno 200 GPU and 512MB of RAM. Yet as we begin to see dual core processors become standard in tablets, it isn’t surprising that the architecture would eventually find its way to smartphones. The Nexus Prime is said to boast a brawny 1.5GHz dual core TI OMAP4460 processor supplemented by a PowerVR SGX540 GPU and 1GB RAM, revolutionary for a device that fits in the palm of your hand.

Operating System
• Google Nexus One – Android 2.4 Gingerbread
• Google Nexus Prime – Android Ice Cream Sandwich

The Nexus Prime once more is the beneficiary of a next generation upgrade, as the smartphone will roll out with the much anticipated Android Ice Cream Sandwich. Currently, the Nexus One runs Android 2.4 Gingerbread, yet it too will reportedly be upgrading to the next generation software.

Designed for both tablets and smartphones, Google has stated that Ice Cream should end the fragmentation that has occurred with its various iterations such as Gingerbread and Honeycomb. Ice Cream combines the best of these operating systems in a more efficient, app and multi-tasking friendly experience, including enhanced Javascript and Open GL graphics acceleration. Browsing promises to be much smoother than on the clunkier Gingerbread, and Google has also indicated Ice Cream will have voice and facial detection software included.

Winner: Draw

Camera
• Google Nexus One – 5 MP primary camera
• Google Nexus Prime – 5 MP primary camera with 2560 x 1920 pixel resolution, 2 MP secondary camera

The Nexus Prime is reported to have a 5 megapixel primary camera that is capable of full 1080p HD video capture. In addition, the camera should come equipped with the usual features, such as auto-focus, digital zoom, and a secondary camera for video calling, but the video capture is DVD quality.

Winner: Google Nexus Prime

Conclusion
As the newer model, the Google Nexus Prime is naturally the more advanced device. Yet the difference between the two models is staggering, considering the dual core processor, the 720p display, and the 1080p video capture in the Nexus Prime. For Nexus One owners, truly this is a case where the cost of an upgrade is justified.

Article written by Sarah Richards from MobileBroadband.net. Sarah writes on a wide range of broadband topics including 3 broadband reviews.

How Will We Be Interacting With Our Video Games In The Future?

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In a season of price cuts and with the Wii U only a year away, people are naturally wondering what the next big thing is in the world of video games. And since controllers have been such an important element of the current generation, how are we going to be controlling our games in the future? Here’s my thoughts on the technologies out there:

Touchscreen Gaming

Hey, this is easy. Turns out that some elements of the present of video game hardware will probably be around in the future (no, really!). The DS brought us touchscreen gaming over half a decade ago now, but that technology looks especially primitive compared to the offerings from the current wave of smartphones (though the simplicity of smartphone games still leave something to be desired). What’s the future of this technology? Essentially, going bigger and better. Invest in a tablet pc and you’ll immediately see the difference that having a screen nearly three times the size of smartphone can make: precise control over the field of play, as well as far more superior visuals. With a large screen area, you also have more space to integrate input areas, allow for more complex games.

Nintendo’s Wii-U is the immediate future of this tech: a handheld display for a TV-based console providing full touch-screen interaction with the game onscreen (or alternatively, interaction with other information relevant to the player). For me, this is exciting because there are plenty of stagnant game genres that have been consigned to the PC because neither joypads nor motion control have been adequate replacements for the mouse and keyboard. The strategy game springs to mind instantly: games in the vein of Starcraft and Command & Conquer could be revamped for home console play (and touchscreen monitors may ensure that PC versions remain relevant).

Motion Control

Motion control has sold millions of consoles (Wii), and shifted many peripherals (PS3 Move and Xbox 360 Kinect), so is there any doubting that it’s here to stay? Well, flying in the face of overwhelming evidence, I still completely believe that this has been a very successful gimmick. Wiis collect dust, and nobody seems to have the enthusiasm sufficient for developing games for the competitor’s systems. And it all seems like a bunch of daft flapping to me: gesture based control, rather than literal ‘motion’ control.

But in the long term, motion control has the potential to be a cornerstone of interactivity. Microsoft’s Kinect technology is most interesting, as it potentially solves the problem of interactivity solely being about our hands, bringing our entire body into play. But even this kind of motion will always be a source of detachment: objects we pretend to hold will have no weight, we’ll have to ‘pretend run’ to move anywhere. Visions of full-body robotic motion suits arrive in my head with B-movie gusto.

Virtual Reality?

We are, however, getting into the dangerous realm of controllers that would be incredibly immersive, but would be incredibly difficult to sell to people. For all of its motion control innovation, the Wii controller’s most intelligent feature was the fact that it was shaped like a television remote control. It gave consumers something familiar to latch onto when seeking a new experience. Even 3D cinema glasses have found success only by adopting the familiar Wayfarer design.

Full-body motion suits? Scary science fiction nonsense. And another classic idea we’re always going to have trouble accepting is the VR helmet. After decades of uncomfortable, daft looking products and bad science fiction featuring them, we just can’t take them seriously. Perhaps someday someone will develop something sufficiently lightweight and ordinary looking that becomes a mass market favourite. Sony’s new HMZ-T1 3D Virtual Reality Headset is part of the evolution, but don’t expect it to be a huge success. But how are we supposed to interact with games if we can’t see our hands whilst using these things? Motion control probably isn’t the answer, at least if you like not smashing expensive VR visors.

Gamepads

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Video game controllers have reached a sort of equilibrium in the last decade, and though the number of triggers and the position of the two joysticks will vary, there’s a definite formula. Any future console could take a cue from the Vita and feature a rear-mounted touch pad, and motion control seems a likely candidate for inclusion too. But the simple tactile feedback, durability and ease of use of a button has been grossly underestimated in the last few years.

Steph Wood is a copywriter and gaming blogger working on projects for Comet, a UK based retailer who stock cheap iPad 2s and other gadgets.

 

The Future of TV

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When you collapse in front of the box after a hard day’s work, do you ever wonder what your television will look like in the next decade? Probably not, as you’re too busy watching whatever is on, but let me tell you – the future looks awesome. Entertainment is a big part of everyone’s lives and the people behind innovations in the television industry are really starting to push the boundaries. Your parents will remember the first black and white television, a bulky and relatively small contraption. Then came colour TV’s and people were again amazed. Nowadays you have massive flat screen LCD’s offering high definition viewing that is clearer than ever. What’s next?

Improved 3D TV:

Ok, so you can already get a 3D television which requires you to wear glasses to get the most out of it. While this may be ground-breaking at the moment, there will come a time when you can simply switch it on a ditch the glasses.

OLED technology:

Your LED display may be doing a pretty good job now, but OLED is likely to take over the throne. Organic light emitting diodes (OLED) emit their own light, unlike other technology which requires backlighting. What this means is that the screen can be thinner, better quality, flexible and energy efficient – making it a green choice.

Portable TV:

The internet is playing a vital role in the future of entertainment, with many people opting to stream movies directly from the web to their TVs. But with the rise in smartphones and tablet PC’s, this technology is expected to get even better in the coming years.

Ultra-definition TV:

So you thought HDTV was the clearest thing possible – think again. Ultra-definition will be a vital component as screens get larger, as it will have a 3840-by-2160-pixel resolution instead of the 1920-1080 that makes up high definition. This will ensure that you have a crystal clear and sharp image on an 82-inch screen, and the zoom capabilities will blow your mind away.

 

Screens the size of your living room wall, unrivalled clarity, immense surround sound systems, movies that come to life – these are all the things you can look forward to in the years to come. For now, let’s not forget that there are some amazing products on offer and your viewing experience is completely different to what it was a decade ago. Rest assured – the future of TV is awesome!

Jason Acar is a sports and all things technology enthusiast. He has written articles on fleet tracking and fuel management to name a few.