Futurist Thomas Frey: In 2008 the entire world was beginning to panic as our global financial systems teetered ever so close to total meltdown. Major banks were either failing or near failure and the entire house of cards seemed to be one 10 of clubs away from becoming a meaningless flat stack in the middle of the table.
The Kindle Fire tablet from Amazon.com will leapfrog most competitive offerings to quickly become number two in the market behind Apple’s iPad, according to a survey conducted by ChangeWave Research.
Continue reading… “Amazon’s Kindle Fire second choice after iPad”
Getting a smartphone has been a rite of passage for many teens.
There are a lot of problems the auto industry has to worry about. They have to worry about pensions and health care costs for their employees. They also have to worry about recalls and the rising cost of gas. But there is something else that automakers should be concerned about.
35.6% of all internet users will use a tablet by 2014.
Tablet devices have only been available for a couple of years, but the iPad has propelled them to rapid increases in ownership and usage. By the end of 2011 it is estimated that 33.7 million Americans will use a tablet device at least monthly—a rise of 158.6% over last year, the year the iPad was released.
Continue reading… “90 million Americans will use a tablet by 2014”
24 percent said they had ever been “harassed” by texting. That was up from about 14 percent in a survey of the same kids the year before.
More and more kids in the U.S. say they have been picked on via text messaging, while there has been little change in online harassment, researchers reported Monday.
Continue reading… “Bullying by text message becoming more common”
The ‘smart bomb’ mouthwash has the prospect of actually wiping out tooth decay in our lifetime.
A UCLA microbiologist has concocted a “smart bomb” mouthwash that may render cavities and tooth decay a thing of the past.
Continue reading… “‘Smart bomb’ mouthwash could render cavities a thing of the past”
Facebook relies on tracking cookie technologies similar to the controversial systems used by Google, Adobe, Microsoft, Yahoo and others in the online advertising industry.
Facebook has admitted it is tracking which sites its users visit even after they log off, thanks to plug-ins and cookies.
Continue reading… “Facebook tracking sites it’s users visit even after logging off”
The government wants to track you by your heartbeat.
You may be hiding on the other side of the wall but the U.S. military can see you breathing, they can even see your heartbeat racing. But you may be surprised if you think you can run farther away or hide in a crowd. The Defense Department’s sensors will find you. The Pentagon is looking to tweak their life-form finder that can spot your heartbeat no matter where you are.
Continue reading… “DARPA developing sensors to track you by your heartbeat”
The majority of cinema screens in the U.S. are expected to go digital in 2012.
We are used to seeing the standard 35 mm film in movie theaters but that will be replaced worldwide by digital technology in the next few years, and the hit blockbuster film “Avatar” is to blame for the shift, according to a new report.
Continue reading… “Digital movies to replace film worldwide by 2015”
Canada’s plastic currency.
Many of us rely on plastic credit and debit cards to make the majority of our daily purchases but still the idea of saying goodbye to paper money seems ludicrous. The Bank of Canada is planning to do just that, and the first in an all-new line of plastic money will begin rolling out to consumers this month. The bills — made of a single piece of polymer — boast a longer life than paper notes, as well as some advanced security features to keep counterfeiters scratching their heads.
Can heavy gaming be considered an addiction?
Some children’s brains could be hard-wired to spend hours playing video games, according to a study which reignites the debate over whether the habit should be considered an addiction. Researchers found that children who spent an excessive amount of time playing the games had an enlarged area of the brain which is the main hub of the reward system.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kpbo0000O08[/youtube]
The robotic bear may be soft and pillow-shaped, but you might want to think twice before curling up for a nap on Jukusui-kun. If you snore, it will stroke your face with its furry paw.
Continue reading… “Robotic bear pillow hits you when you snore”