tech article 5/19

"Welcome to McDonald's. My name is HAL 9000. May I take your order?"

McDonalds recently went on a hiring binge in the U.S., adding 62,000 employees to its roster. The hiring picture doesn't look quite so rosy for Europe, where the fast food chain is drafting 7,000 touch-screen kiosks to handle cashiering duties.

The move is designed to boost efficiency and make ordering more convenient for customers. In an interview with the Financial Times, McDonald's Europe President Steve Easterbrook notes that the new system will also open up a goldmine of data. McDonald's could potentially track every Big Mac, McNugget, and large shake you order. A calorie account tally at the end of the year could be a real shocker

tech article 5/5/2011

     Boeing's little delta wing is all grown up and flying on its own for the first time. The Phantom Ray drone took to the skies for 17 minutes over Edwards Air Force Base last week, proving its airworthiness and showing off Boeing’s ability to quickly design and build a prototype advanced unmanned air system.

     The 36-foot-long plane reached 7,500 feet at speeds of 178 knots (about 205 mph), according to company officials. The flight followed high-speed taxi tests in March that validated the aircraft’s control systems. The Phantom Ray is designed to cruise at 40,000 feet and reach speeds of 614 mph, making it one of the fastest drones on record.

tech article 4/28/2011

Mercedes A Class

     Mercedes-Benz will launch four compact vehicles in the United States in the next three years with starting prices of $30,000 or below. 

     The vehicles will include a production version of the A-class coupe concept shown last week at the New York auto show. Three variants of Mercedes' new-generation compact family also are headed for the United States. 

     Insiders say the three other cars are a small van that will likely be offered as an electric vehicle, a small sedan to be called the CLC, and a small crossover to be called the GLC.

Podcasts

1) Podcasts are digital media files (most often audio, but they can be video as well), which are produced in a series.
2) Podcasting is an easy and powerful way to communicate .your ideas and messages.
3) I  have no experience creating podcasts.
4) The internet is a useful tool that can help you create a podcast.
5) I would like to create a podcast about music.

Tech Article 4/8/2011

Samsung Galaxy Prevail

     Available later this month for $179.99 sans contract and with a $50 monthly plan that includes unlimited voice, text, and data, the Galaxy Prevail is a welcome addition to the carrier's smartphone lineup. We got a chance to check out the Android 2.2 device at the unveiling event this evening, and though the handset might not offer some of the higher-end features of its other Galaxy S siblings, we think it's shaping up to be a pretty good deal.

     The handset measures 4.4 inches tall by 2.26 inches wide by 0.47 inch thick and weighs a light 3.8 ounces. It's comfortable to hold with a soft-touch finish on back (something we'd actually love to see on the higher-end Galaxy S phones) and easily slips into a pants pocket. The display measures 3.5 inches diagonally and has an HVGA resolution, so you're losing a bit in size and sharpness, but it's also to be expected with such an entry-level device. Plus, the touch screen is still sharp and bright enough to get the job done.

Tech Article 3/25/2011

Sony Ericsson Xperia Play

ORLANDO, Fla.--Sony Ericsson didn't offer any new phones at CTIA 2011, but we did get the chance to handle the official Verizon Wireless version of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play. What's more, Sony Ericsson also revealed that the gaming Android phone will land in the United States either late next month or in early May.

In fact, Verizon Wireless may be the first carrier in the world to get the Xperia Play. Rogers in Canada may beat it with a release of the GSM handset on April 14, but either way it means that North America will get the Xperia Play before Europe and Asia. That's quite a change from previous Sony Ericsson devices. And did we mention this is the first Sony Ericsson CDMA device in years?

I just made a new Voki. See it here:

I just made a new Voki. See it here:

The second-generation iPad from Apple is thinner, faster, lighter, and whiter, but not a radical departure from the original. Pricing is also holding steady, starting at $499 for a 16GB Wi-Fi-only model, up to 64GB with 3G (provided by AT&T or Verizon without contract) priced at $829.

You can't blame Apple for going easy on new features. Apple's original recipe for the iPad single-handedly created and captured the demand for tablets last year. By any measure, it is not a product in need of fixing. It has the market share, it has the developers, and it has the momentum.

Apple also just makes damn fine products. Having had a few minutes with the iPad 2, I can say that it is every bit as stunning as the original. The first thing that struck me was the iPad's weight loss. It's still not Kindle thin, but the lighter design should make the e-book crowd happier and prove to be a distinct advantage over bulkier competitors, including the recent Motorola Xoom.

Click here for a video.

Tech Article 3/04/2011

Saab's Android infotainment platform

Making its debut in the Phoenix concept car this week at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, the Saab iQon is an Android-based infotainment system that uses downloadable apps to bring navigation, entertainment, and diagnostics functionality into the vehicle.

Tech Article 2/25/2011

     The Motorola Xoom tablet is easily the best competition Apple's iPad has ever seen. Sporting a 10.1-inch screen, front and rear cameras, HDMI output, a dual-core processor, and Google's tablet-optimized version of Android, the Xoom is entering the tablet wars with guns blazing.
     Priced at $800 off-contract or $600 with a two-year commitment from Verizon, the Xoom isn't out to win frugal customers. Instead, Motorola is taking the approach used with its successful line of Droid smartphones: emphasizing the device's horsepower and the many capabilities not found on its Apple counterp.

Tech Article 2/17/2011

Windows Kinect Phone

This phone will allow you to play kinect with other people off your phone. This will allow more people to participate in a kinect game. When someone is playing the game all you have to do is turn the app on and you can play against them.

What I Did This Weekend

This weekend was overall boring. On Friday I went to a Wood-Ridge basketball game vs. Fort lee where the final score was 82 WR 79 FL. On Saturday I went to Evolution Sports Academy with the Wood-Ridge football team. Finally on Sunday I went to the mall. Also I went to the movies and watched Just Go With It.

Tech Article 2/11/2011

Motorola Atrix 4g

The good thing about this phone is that it has a dual-core processor and a sharp qHD display. It has a sleek design and a 5-megapixel camera. It also makes video calls and has a HDMI port.

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