Electronics

A paraplegic man has made the first kick of the World Cup using a mind-controlled robotic exoskeleton. Juliano Pinto, a 29-year-old with complete paralysis of the lower trunk, performed the symbolic kick-off at the Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo. Using his robotic suit, Mr Pinto kicked the official ball a short distance along a mat Continue Reading →

A team of three young coders has come up with a way to turn your iPhone’s speakers into a wireless surround-sound system, thanks to a mobile app called Audibly. The app, which is perfect for parties or for blasting music when decent speakers aren’t readily available, uses technology found on newer devices (running iOS 7 Continue Reading →

The phrase smart cup may sound like yet another jargon-laden marketing ploy for a device that connects to your smartphone, but doesn’t do anything groundbreaking. But the creators of Vessyl, a new product from San Francisco-based startup Mark One announced Thursday, want to change the perception around smart objects by transforming how we consume every Continue Reading →

At Thursday’s opening match between Brazil and Croatia, the referees will be wearing smartwatches that read “GOAL” and vibrate when a team scores. No, it’s not punishment for the infamous Frank Lampard disallowed goal of 2010. It’s part of a new “unhackable” goal line detection system, the first to ever be used in the World Continue Reading →

U.S. chipmaker Intel lost on Thursday its challenge against a record 1.06 billion euro ($1.44 billion) European Union fine handed down five years ago, as Europe’s second highest court said regulators did not act too harshly. The European Commission in its 2009 decision said Intel tried to thwart rival Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) by giving Continue Reading →

An Apple patent application published on Thursday describes an advanced iPad Smart Cover containing illumination and communication elements that light up to alert users to incoming messages, low battery warnings and other notifications. As published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Apple’s filing for an “Integrated visual notification system in an accessory device” outlines Continue Reading →

Starbucks, the world’s largest coffee-shop operator, is teaming up with Duracell Powermat to let customers recharge mobile devices wirelessly instead of hunting for available wall outlets in stores. Customers can place their compatible devices on so-called Powermat Spots on counters and tables to recharge them, Seattle-based Starbucks said in a statement. While shops in Boston Continue Reading →

Businesses that once relied exclusively on face-to-face, physical communication are turning to digital technology to make their services more accessible to customers. From small retail storefronts to medical professionals to technology firms that host client operations in the cloud, it’s difficult to find any business not using digital technology to communicate with their audiences. The Continue Reading →

July has the highest fatal car crash rate of any month in the year. Now that school’s out for the summer, it’s no surprise parents want to keep track of where their teen driver is and whether they got where they’re going safely — especially considering the teen accident rate is 2.7 times higher than Continue Reading →

Between working long hours and keeping up with personal obligations, it’s sometimes hard to find time to run errands — even ones as important as improving your eyesight. Thanks to DITTO, though, you won’t have to worry about making it to an optical store by the time it closes. DITTO offers virtual fitting of glasses, Continue Reading →