University of Cambridge chip moves data in 3D through magnetic spin

Chips that have 3D elements to them are very much real. Moving data in 3D hasn't been truly viable until now, however, which makes an experimental chip from theUniversity of Cambridge that much more special. By sandwiching a layer of ruthenium atoms between cobalt and platinum, researchers found that they can move data up and down an otherwise silicon-based design through spintronics; the magnetic field manipulation sends information across the ruthenium to its destination. The layering is precise enough to create a "staircase" that moves data one step at a time. There's no word on if and when the technique might be applied to real-world circuitry, but the advantages in density are almost self-evident: the university suggests higher-capacity storage, while processors could also be stacked vertically instead of consuming an ever larger 2D footprint. As long as the 3D chip technology escapes the lab, computing power could take a big step forward. Or rather, upward.

[Source: Engadget]

Google Glass Shows Up in San Francisco Bar, Freaks Everyone Out

The potential of Google Glass is exciting. A computer on your face—how futuristic! It’s a concept plucked straight out of science fiction, and people—at least tech enthusiasts—are ready to embrace it. But how will the public react to someone wearing such a strange device on their face?

At one San Francisco bar, reception was mixed. Tom Madonna, one of the co-owners of Shotwell’s, was a bit freaked out when he saw a couple casually stroll in wearing Google Glass. This could be telling for how others receive Google’s tech, and could lead to a new level of prejudice. 

As the Atlantic’s Alexis C. Madrigal describes, Shotwell’s is a “bar-bar:” beer, cash-only, pool table, salty snacks, etc. But it’s also a frequent haunt for the tech-elite, “right near the beating heart of the tech world,” Madrigal said. But Google Glass, a product one might think would be casually received in a place like Shotwell’s, was seen as absurd. “‘They were wearing Google Glasses!” Madonna explained on Facebook. “In public! In A BAR!”

Madrigal spoke with Madonna about his encounter.

“Anyone that cares what they look like is not gonna wear Google Glasses,” Madonna said. It’s true. We saw Google’s face computer at CES, and it was a spectacle, even among all the insane 4K TVs and weird accessories.

Madonna’s experience isn’t indicative of how every single person will react, but it does tell you that there will be an enormous stigma attached to Google Glass. Technology has a pervasive presence in every aspect of our lives, best encompassed by a smartphone. But you can turn a smartphone off, put it in your pocket—it can be out of sight. With Google Glass, it’s on your face, staring at everyone staring at you. It’s like those gaudy blinds glasses, only those are a joke.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

Google Glass to use bone conduction to transmit sound

If you were wondering exactly how Google's augmented reality specs are going to work, here are some more details. According to documents filed with the FCC (Federal Communications Commission), the specs will use bone conduction to transmit sound. In other words, they'll vibrate very subtly to make you hear, rather than using speakers.

Which is good news, as anyone who's had to endure N-Dubz leaking from someone's headphones will testify.

The audio element will work in a similar way to some children's toothbrushes, according to Ars Technica. A vibration transducer sets the bones in your noggin buzzing, which translate the vibrations to the cochlea part of your ear which reads them as sound. The technology can be found in some headphones, like Panasonic's prototypes found at CES this year. It's said to be far clearer than a traditional speaker in a normal pair of cans.

In Google's filing, the bone conduction element is only mentioned for when a video plays, but it could have many other uses. Music, and voice calls, for example. Or alerts.

The filing also reveals the tech specs should have 802.11 b/g 2.4GHz WLAN, and a low-energy Bluetooth 4.0 radio. Previously, we saw mention of a laser keyboard, that would project onto any available surface so you can type wherever you are.

So when will we see them? Google's Sergey Brin hopes to get units into developers' hands this year, with a full consumer launch slated for next year. Though considering the many hurdles involved, I wouldn't hold your breath.

The technology does look really cool though. And considering what Google Now is capable of, integrating that and more into a pair of glasses could really change how we interact with our gadgets. It's already inspired a raft of imitations.

[Source: CNET]

Vodafone brings fiber optics to the Shard, gives you signal high above London

What good is a spectacular view if you can't use your phone to tell people about it? London's newly opened 95-story skyscraper, The Shard, measures 1,016 feet, making it the tallest building in the European Union. From the 69th and 72nd floors, you can get 360 degree views of the city, up to 40 miles out, according to the building's owners. But what happens when the 200 people who can fit on the platforms at any one time want to user their mobile devices? Vodafone'simplemented a fiber optic system that converts signal into light, allowing it to travel upwards at a rate of 100GB per second. Once they've hit the proper spots, its converted into a radio signal, which is then beamed to several antennas located on different floors.

[Source: Engadget]

Twitter Attacked and 250,000 Accounts Potentially Compromised

Twitter is sending out emails to 250,000 users of the service that may have had their accounts compromised this week to change their passwords.

If you’re a user of Twitter and receive an email similar to the one you see above – as I did earlier this evening – congratulations, your account may be one of the 250,000 that were potentially compromised this week. In a blog post on the company’s site this evening the situation was explained as clearly as it could be.

This week, we detected unusual access patterns that led to us identifying unauthorized access attempts to Twitter user data. We discovered one live attack and were able to shut it down in process moments later. However, our investigation has thus far indicated that the attackers may have had access to limited user information – usernames, email addresses, session tokens and encrypted/salted versions of passwords – for approximately 250,000 users.

Twitter explained that it decided to be very public about this situation as it believes this was the work of a sophisticated group and that this isn’t the only attack that it has been orchestrated against companies as of late.

Should you be unfortunate enough to receive one of these emails, make sure to change your password immediately.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

New shopping companion Stuffster launches to track and alert consumers of online price drops

Stuffster’s Fastest Fallers Index reveals that TVs and Cameras saw the biggest tech savings in January 2013*

• Stuffster launches today, a new online shopping tool that tracks items and alerts you when the price drops to what you want to pay
• Stuffster’s Fastest Fallers Price Index reveals that Cameras and Children’s Tech had the highest number of technology sales over the January sales period*
• Stuffster sees the average price of items online fluctuate by as much as 17.5% during the day
• The new The new price drop alert service features an easy to use bookmark function so consumers can add items to track in Stuffster from their web browser in just one click, helping organise their shopping

LONDON, January 31, 2013 – Following a wealth of new products announced at CES, Stuffster.com, a free online shopping companion, has launched today to help consumers buy the products they want for the price they can afford. The revolutionary new service tracks global price drops and will enable consumers to track products that they want to buy and set the price they want to pay, following which Stuffster will alert them when the price drops to their target price.

Supporting the news, Stuffster has also revealed the launch of its Fastest Fallers Index, which has tracked price fluctuations of 691 online products between December 2012 and January 2013. Using Stuffster to continuously monitor price changes, the site revealed that fashion, beauty and technology products saw the biggest price drops, as over a third (34.9%) of items monitored fell over this period, with savings of up to 80% on popular products. From the technology items and websites monitored, Cameras and Children’s Tech saw the biggest percentage of items drop in price, with brands like Currys and Amazon slashing prices over the past four weeks. TVs and cameras saw particularly high savings with prices dropping by hundreds of pounds on items like Sony’s Full HD 3D Camcorder and LG’s Full HD 47” LED 3D TV, which fell from £1,699.99 to £999.97 and £1,299 to £649 respectively.

Keir McConomy, CEO for Stuffster.com, commented, “Over the past few years we’ve seen a boom in online shopping as consumers log on in search of the best deals. There are big savings to be had online for the savvy shopper. With tech giants launching new products every other week, retailers often slash their prices on old stock, but we even see prices fluctuate by as much as 10-30% in the same day due to flash sales and changes in the market, so it can be easy to miss out on these great deals.”

Using Stuffster’s Trakology technology, the site did not only reveal price drops, but also price increases and dailyfluctuations. Online prices can vary by as much as 17.5% in a day, as retailers adjust their prices multiple times according to supply and demand. For example, Stuffster saw Samsung’s NX 1000 Digital Compact Camera drop from £399.99 on Amazon to £329.99, only to increase back up to £399.99 just 6 hours later.

Stuffster tracks prices of any product on any website in the world, including Amazon, PC World, John Lewis and Currys, and has been established to help consumers take control of their shopping so they never need to worry about missing out on a bargain. Consumers add items to Stuffster.com by clicking the +STUFF button which they add to their browser and then setting the price they want to pay. All items are stored in Stuffster in a “Stufflist”, a central Wishlist of items they want to buy, or they can organise them in “Stuffboards” – helping categorise items in any way they want, from gadget essentials, to clothes, to specific categories like tablets. 

Stuffster is a free service for consumers to use, and has launched following over a year in development.

Keir McConomy continues, “We’ve launched Stuffster to help put the power back into consumers’ hands. Stuffster helps take the stress away by constantly tracking the items you want, so you never miss out on a bargain if the price drops on an item or it goes on sale. By using Stuffster, you can regularly save 25-50% off many of the most popular gadgets you want to buy and in today’s economic climate that can make a big difference or allow you to treat yourself with the savings made. What’s more, Stuffster helps save you time and hassle by organising your shopping items in one central place, so you never have to make a manual list of items ever again.”

To get price drop alerts for your favourite items, visit Stuffster.com for more details.

Japan to start 4K broadcasts next year

As if KFC for Christmas dinner isn't reason enough to move to Japan, how about TV shows in Ultra High Definition? Well there's not long to wait, as broadcasts in the format will start in Japan next year -- that's two years ahead of schedule, proving it's not just the trains that run on time over there.

Reuters reports the Japanese government will launch the world-first service in July 2014, which is just in time for the World Cup final in Brazil. Which sounds like pretty nice timing to me.

Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun is the one bringing news of the government's plans. 

Ultra High Definition -- previously known as 4K -- has four times the resolution of HD. So expect some pretty stonking visuals. The likes of Sony, Panasonic et al were in attendance at CES, showing off their 4K sets, and some are on sale in the UK now. Though you'll need quite a trust fund to afford one. And like all emerging technologies, there's a dearth of content to watch on it at the moment. So you could end up with a very expensive dust-gatherer.

The format isn't just for tellies. Panasonic has lifted the lid on a 20-inch Windows 8 tablet that's Ultra High Definition. It'll be a tool for creative professionals like photographers and artists, and blew our socks off at CES.

And if you think that's impressive, Japanese companies are already developing 8K TVs, with -- you guessed it -- eight times as many pixels as High Definition. The Ministry of Internal Affairs plans to launch test broadcasts using this format in 2016, which is again two years ahead of schedule. I know technology moves quickly, but this is ridiculous. Buy a 4K telly in 2014, and it'll be out of date in two years.

[Source: CNET]

Olympic opener tops iPlayer as mobile viewing skyrockets

iPlayer viewer numbers were higher than ever in 2012, the BBC boasts, with a huge boost in traffic coming from smart phone and tablet owners.

The London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony was the most-viewed programme last year, pulling in a whopping 3.3 million pairs of eyeballs. Smug car-a-thon Top Gear was a close second with 2.8 million views, while angular national treasure Benedict Cumberbatch attracted 2.5 million streams with Sherlock.

Divulging the stats behind its streaming service, the Beeb says it witnessed a 177 per cent jump in the number of viewers using smart phones and tablets -- a quarter of iPlayer's total streams.

36.5 billion minutes of programming were transmitted through iPlayer, the BBC says, with a total of 2.32 billion TV and radio programme requests. 

iPlayer recently added the ability to download programmes to your mobile gadget for offline viewing -- if you're using an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad that is. The experiment seems to have worked, as 10.8 million shows were downloaded to Apple's shiny devices following the launch of downloadable programmes in September.

That's tooth-grinding news for Android fans, who have been waiting not-so-patiently for the offline-viewing feature to arrive on Google's platform. Last year I spoke to iPlayer big cheese Daniel Danker, who cited fragmentation -- the issue that there are too many screen sizes, pixel resolutions and processor types to make Android development easy -- as one reason fans had been left waiting.

[Source: CNET]

Belkin to Purchase Linksys From Cisco

Belkin announced this morning that has entered into an agreement to purchase Cisco’s Home Networking Business Unit, including the well-known Linksys brand.

Rumors circulated in Dec. 2012 that Cisco was looking for a potential buyer for Linksys – a company it purchased in 2003 – along with all of its home networking holdings as it intended to focus on business and Enterprise equipment. According to reports at the time, the company had retained Barclays to explore the potential sale, but neither party would comment on the information.

Today a press release hit the wires that a deal has been struck with Belkin, another well-known name in the home networking field, to acquire the entire division from Cisco. No specific terms of the financial side of the deal are being shared at this time. “We’re very excited about this announcement,” said Chet Pipkin, CEO of Belkin.  “Our two organizations share many core beliefs – we have similar beginnings and share a passion for meeting the real needs of our customers through the strengths of an entrepreneurial culture.  Belkin’s ultimate goal is to be the global leader in the connected home and wireless networking space and this acquisition is an important step to realizing that vision.”

Belkin intends to keep the Linksys brand as an ongoing concern, and it will honor all valid warranties and customer support for current products.

Thanks to this purchase, Belkin will now account for 30 percent of all home and small business networking sales in the market.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

“ALL YOU NEED TO START A BUSINESS IS A SUITCASE” - THE REAL JOURNEY OF A FIRST TIME ENTREPRENEUR

An online video documentary series to shine a light on the UK startup scene and inspire other young entrepreneurs, through one entrepreneur's story of trying to launch his business in the capital.

Suitcase Startup is a documentary series following what it truly takes to get a business off the ground, from marketing on a tight budget to building a team, raising finance and launching, Suitcase Startup is the story of the entrepreneur’s journey, of trying to make a dream, a reality.

Chris Bradley is the first-time entrepreneur under the spotlight, and he’s inviting anyone with an interest in the startup scene to come along for the ride over the next four months, through 8 episodes appearing on The Next Web, each covering the blood sweat and tears involved as he attempts to take his startup, Publicate, from a bedroom in North Wales to London – with no office, no accommodation and no money. He does, however, have a suitcase. Will it be enough?

This is evidently a story that is aching to be told as the project has attracted major sponsors, Rackspace The Open Cloud Company , Natwest and 99designs, many partners have also come forward to help Chris on his journey; Smarta, Newspepper, 1000 heads, Startup Stay, Chesamel and Pensar IT.

In this time of economic recession and employment uncertainty, starting up has never seemed so attractive. With UK unemployment figures reaching 7.7% (2.49 million), the idea of striking out solo is becoming more and more popular with 25,026 new businesses registered in the UK in the last month alone. (as of 24th Jan 2013)

It is irrefutable - entrepreneurship is a movement, and one the government is finally getting behind. With the new start-up loans scheme in force and new tax relief schemes for investors, the thinking goes that startups are one way out of the country’s recession.

The success stories splashed across the media depict companies with a handful of staff being acquired for millions – it’s enough to make anyone want to start a business. The tales that aren’t told however, are those of the thousands of startups that fail every month and the one in three that will fall flat within a few years, the story that needs to be told, is about the journey involved, success or failure, and what lessons this journey can teach.

About Chris

A South African born Brit, Chris (29) came up with the idea for Publicate during his career working for the world's second largest LCD manufacturer, spending 4 years in Amsterdam and 2 years in Taiwan. For as long as he can remember, Chris has wanted to be an entrepreneur and is now following his dream, but the journey has only just begun...

Microsoft profits down during Windows 8 and Surface launch

Windows 8 has sold 60 million copies, helping Microsoft to take a record amount of money. In the three months during which it launched Windows 8 and the Surface tablet, the big M saw revenue rise but profits fall.

In the final quarter of 2012, Microsoft took in a total of £13.61bn revenue. £4.1bn of that is profit. Revenue is up by 3 per cent on last year, but profits are down 4 per cent.

That might sound disappointing in the period that Microsoft launched a new flagship operating system, but in fact Windows revenues went up by a quarter, with 60 million copies sold. It's the business-focused Office software that's underperformed.

One reason for the reduced profit is that a boatload of cash was ploughed into marketing. With the launch of Windows 8 the click-tastic Surface advert seems to be in every blinkin' ad break. Sadly, Microsoft kept schtum about sales of the Surface.

The Surface runs the stripped-down Windows RT version of the OS that's designed specifically for tablets. The full version of Windows 8 appears on the Surface Pro, which debuts in the US next month but could take a while to reach these shores.

Meanwhile Microsoft is set to hike up the price of Windows 8 by an eye-watering 400 per centnext month.

This week Apple also announced its numbers, and has once again done boffo business thanks to the phenomenal popularity of the iPhone and iPad. In crazy upside-down finance world, however, Apple's record profits led to a dizzying drop in share price. Work that one out.

[Source: CNET]

Facebook Graph Search Beta Rolling Out to Users Who Signed Up

Facebook’s new Graph Search is reportedly showing up for many more users today. Multiple reports who signed up for the beta program last week claim the future of Facebook is now live; the ambitious feature is a way for users to find more information through the social network by making search results more personal.

You should see a redesigned homepage where Graph Search is at the top of your feed. From there, you can search queries such as “bookstores nearby my friends like,” and that sort of thing. If you signed up, and you don’t see Graph Search, expect it to roll out soon.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]