Spotlight Features

Aereo's Audacious Ambitions
May 13, 2013

Aereo -- the lawsuit-embattled company that provides Internet-streamed, live, and recorded over-the-air broadcast television content -- may have started a trend. None other than Time Warner may be considering the redistribution of public broadcast content over the Internet too. What it comes down to is that a bunch of micro-antennas in a Brooklyn warehouse may change everything.

The App-Driven Gadget Floodgates Are Open
May 10, 2013

Peruse any big consumer electronics box-store aisles, and you can't help but notice a new style of peripherals hugging the displays. App-driven devices are appearing on store shelves that let homeowners manage and monitor home systems like thermostats and security using a smartphone or a tablet. There are sensors, styluses and add-ons. Later this year, we'll likely see a plethora of smartwatches.

Buying Into the Bitcoin Craze
May 03, 2013

Although the peer-to-peer currency Bitcoin is unlikely to replace traditional banking, it might have a role to play in e-commerce. The costs associated with Bitcoin transactions are significantly less than with other payment networks. Bitcoin has no central issuing authority and isn't tracked by any authority. However, the currency's value exceeds that of some small countries.

The End of Social Media Marketing's Wild West
May 01, 2013

The FTC recently updated its guidelines for online advertising to address the growth in mobile and social media marketing. Now a paid tweet has to begin with the word "ad," as obvious disclosure now must be included with all commercial speech. Is the link you're tweeting from an employer? A client? You have to mention that. The new rule: If money is changing hands, disclose it.

TV Networks vs. Technology: The Battle Rages On
April 29, 2013

Earlier this month, News Corp. Chief Operating Officer Chase Carey threatened to pull the Fox network off the airwaves and convert it to a pay-TV channel. This came following a court ruling that allowed New York City-based Aereo to allow its subscribers to view over-the-air TV broadcasts.

Mixing Work and Play: The High-Tech Hotel Lobby
April 26, 2013

Work is not only spilling into our leisure time at home, but also taking over our downtime on the road. Work has always eaten into road downtime somewhat, often because of communications inefficiencies. Today overwork is demanded by bosses, globalization, general competitiveness and tight budgets. It's also a response to the seductive call of the smartphone.

Preparing for a Disaster: Keeping Communications Alive
April 19, 2013

Disaster communications tech has become a hot topic, spurred in part by last fall's Hurricane Sandy, where major swaths of New York City were rendered without some business-level communications such as those provided by cell networks. Just how does a business approach mid- to long-term communications continuity in the event of a natural disaster?

Tech's Hard-Boiled Progeny: The Data Journalist
April 16, 2013

When we think of traditional news gatherers, we might conjure up the image of an obstreperous character brazenly hassling a slimy official for the real story -- or hovering paparazzi harassing a poor celebrity innocently shopping for handbags in Beverly Hills. However, there have been some technology-driven changes since Hollywood handed us those stock characters that could severely alter the picture.

Boom Goes the Social Media Marketing Dynamite
April 09, 2013

Two-way social-media channels, like Twitter and Facebook, have changed forever the methods businesses use to communicate with their customers. Fading into the distance are the days of the one-sided official dispatch. Social media marketing has been welcomed with open arms into the fold, with corporations determined to make it an effective tool.

The Video Game Circle Game: What's Old Must Be New Again
March 29, 2013

The video game industry has been suffering one of its most notable slumps in recent years. Sales in February were down compared with the same period a year ago. March's numbers have yet to be released, but they will likely reflect some improvement, as a handful of high-profile titles have arrived. These potential blockbusters don't seem all that different but they could offer enough of a twist to get gamers interested.

I Want My M-WiFi
March 19, 2013

Looking for an Internet connection when out and about may soon become a lot easier. There's been an uptick in public WiFi availability. Recent public WiFi launches include Google's free WiFi project in New York City, starting with parts of Chelsea. London's tube network went hot in 2012 with 92 underground stations WiFi-enabled; Virgin Media is connecting a further 28 stations by the end of March, 2013.

Algorithms for Rent: The Price Is Right
March 12, 2013

If you've been in the market for almost anything recently, you've probably noticed price fluctuations. You place a bicycle on your Amazon wish list at one price, only to see it shoot up a hundred dollars more a few days later, then drop to a hundred less a week or so after that. Everything from airplane tickets to apartment rentals seems subject to dramatic price changes from one day to the next.

The Socially Responsible Role of Social Media in Crisis Management
March 05, 2013

Hurricane Sandy, which struck the U.S.' Eastern seaboard last October, exemplified the use of social networks in disaster communications. Millions of residents were affected. For many, real-time information was provided through independent, citizen-generated Facebook pages like Jersey Shore Hurricane News and Twitter.

Exploring the New World of Travel Apps
March 01, 2013

When Richard Rygg, the co-founder of HipGeo, sailed with his family last year through the islands of French Polynesia, he used his company's app to document the experience. The result is a multimedia blog complete with a GPS track of his adventure, and a collection of dozens of geo-tagged photos of sunsets, beaches and bays.

Consumer Signal Booster: An Electronic Gadget Grows Up
February 26, 2013

There's a little-known electronic gadget -- one that's generally not available alongside the colorful big-screen TVs and bass-pounding sound systems in seductive, sparkly urban consumer-electronics mega-stores -- that can be a life-changing device, nonetheless. For some people, it's much more important than the latest 4.7-inch smartphone.

Toy Tech: In Search of the Light App-tastic
February 12, 2013

The tablet computer craze that has users of all ages launching Angry Birds and making Temple Runs is profoundly influencing toy makers as well. "We are moving into a new realm of toys that the industry finds quite exciting," said Jackie Breyer, editor-in-chief of The Toy Book.

The Rise of the Consumer Electronics Prosumer
February 11, 2013

The smartphone processor with its in-built camera chip is driving a resurgence of interest in the art of photography. Just look at the Instagram app user numbers -- about 80 million at last count, according to publisher Burbn's blurb in iTunes. There's a problem, though. Today, the smartphone can't provide the image quality of a dedicated camera.

Satellite Communicators: Connecting the Wilderness to the World
February 08, 2013

In the midst of an emergency while on a Grand Canyon rafting and rock-climbing trip last fall, Kevin Camp discovered first-hand the life-saving capabilities of satellite communicators. When a member of his party fell off a rock and sustained serious injuries, Camp used a DeLorme inReach to contact rescue personnel and coordinate a helicopter landing.

The Impossible Quest for the Most Popular Linux Distro
February 08, 2013

Linux lacks any clear-cut system for determining which is the most popular or the best distribution, or which desktop environment is used more than others. That may be one of the major frustrations among Linux developers trying to spread the word about adopting the Linux desktop instead of Microsoft Windows or Apple's OS X.

See Customers Clearly Now
February 04, 2013

Customers expect call centers to know everything about them -- their order history, what they've posted about the brand on Facebook, and how long they've bought from the company. Increasingly, companies are beginning to keep up with that expectation, and the more they do, the better customer service they can provide.