Technology Review AudioDizer Podcast - Computing Top Stories

LEDs Could Lead You Right to a Discount

Rachel Metz — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

A startup believes combining LED technology and smart-phone apps will offer precise indoor location data.

Charge Your Phone (and Your Car) from Afar

Kevin Bullis — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Charging systems that send power farther through the air will soon be on sale.

A Tough Tip for Nano Manipulation

Duncan Graham-Rowe — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

New coating promises to turn an atomic force microscope into an even more useful tool.

Turing's Enduring Importance

Simson L. Garfinkel — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The path computing has taken wasn't inevitable. Even today's machines rely on a seminal insight from the scientist who cracked Nazi Germany's codes.

Watson's New Job: IBM Salesman

Tom Simonite — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The Jeopardy-playing computer pays its way by helping to sell products.

Europeans Protest Anti-Piracy Treaty

Cyrus Farivar — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Opponents say ACTA would curtail Internet freedom.

A Military Robot that Does It All

Tom Simonite — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

iRobot's Warrior is strong enough to tow a car and dexterous enough to open its trunk using the handle.

Startup Turns Data Crunching into a High-Stakes Sport

Rachel Metz — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Kaggle organizes contests for organizations looking to make valuable predictions from mountains of data.

Shrunken Servers Aim for a Greener Internet

Tom Simonite — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Intel teams up with a startup to create a server twice as efficient as those that power websites and apps today.

Surveillance Video Becomes a Tool for Studying Customers

Tom Simonite — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Software mines security footage to help business owners see what people do once they're inside the store.

Graphene Competitor Used to Make Circuits

Patrick Cain — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Molybdenite could have a crucial advantage over graphene for making smaller, faster electronics.

Printed Stickers Designed to Monitor Food Temperatures

David Talbot — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Effort aims to merge technology from four companies to create the first sticker with all-printed electronics.

New Virtual Helper Challenges Siri

Rachel Metz — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

An app named Evi uses semantic data to provide a wider range of answers.

Smallest-Ever Nanotube Transistors Outperform Silicon

Katherine Bourzac — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT

A nine-nanometer device shows that nanotubes could be a viable alternative to silicon as electronics get even tinier.

Drive-by Gun Scans Prompt Privacy Questions

Chris Opfer — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:00:00 GMT

Police hope terahertz-scanning devices can be more effective than patting people down, but civil rights groups are wary.

Tabletop Computer Knows You by Your Shoes

Kate Greene — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

A system with foot-level cameras aims to cure the problem of multiple people using one touch screen.

The Robots of CES

Tom Simonite — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Meet a cycling android, a remote-controlled orb, and other robotic curiosities from last week’s Consumer Electronics Show.

Gadgets Galore: CES 2012 Photo Gallery

Tom Simonite — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Products that debuted at CES include a cell-phone-controlled padlock, waterproof goop for your gadgets, a smart baby monitor, and more.

Magnetic Memory Miniaturized to Just 12 Atoms

Katherine Bourzac — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:00:00 GMT

A memory-storage element made at IBM Research points to future computing systems built atom by atom.

The Art of 3-D Printing

Kevin Bullis — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

MIT professor Neri Oxman is developing new design techniques that take advantage of "additive manufacturing."