Technology Developments

Cheetah Robot: Model Of Speed, Efficiency

rimmel — Thu, 23 May 2013 12:00:35 +0000

The cheetah is not only the world's fastest land animal, it is also one of the most energy efficient, expending only what it needs to survive. It's that efficiency that engineers at MIT are working to emulate in a robotic cheetah, already clocked as the second fastest robot ever developed.

Tesla Shows Model S To Influence NC Auto Bill

rimmel — Wed, 22 May 2013 18:11:03 +0000

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina lawmakers and passersby stopped to take in a display of Tesla Motors' award-winning electric cars Wednesday as the company presses against a bill in the General Assembly that effectively outlaws Tesla's Internet-based sales model.

The California automaker drew sporadic crowds around its Model S electric car outside the legislative building. The company is lobbying against a bill backed by the state's auto dealers that prevents electronic transactions with auto manufacturers.

Apple Case Seen As Possible Spur To Tax Action

rimmel — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:19:31 +0000

WASHINGTON (AP) — Now that tech favorite Apple Inc. has been dragged front and center into the debate over the U.S. tax code, lawmakers are hoping that the spotlight on such a high-profile company could be the catalyst for Congress to take action to close loopholes or reform the law.

Tesla Shares Pull Back After Huge Gains

rimmel — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:17:14 +0000

DETROIT (AP) — Tesla Motors fell more than 5 percent in early trading Tuesday, a brief decline amid huge gains this month after the electric car maker posted its first quarterly profit.

And shares in the Palo Alto, Calif., company retook some of that lost ground by early afternoon.

Tesla's stock price had jumped 74 percent between May 8, when first-quarter earnings were announced, and May 14, when it hit a 52-week high of $97.12. The shares have more than tripled in value since hitting a 52-week low of $25.52 in August of last year.

High-Tech Startup Wades Into Gun Control

rimmel — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:18:37 +0000

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — A high-tech startup is wading into the gun control debate with a wireless controller that would allow gun owners to know when their weapon is being moved — and disable it remotely.

The technology, but not an actual gun, was slated to be demonstrated Tuesday at a wireless technology conference in Las Vegas and was shown to The Associated Press in advance. It comes at a time when lawmakers around the U.S. are considering contentious smart gun laws that would require new guns to include high-tech devices that limit who can fire them.

Is Apple Losing Its Cool?

rimmel — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:22:11 +0000

Google has released a spate of new products, but tech giant Apple still leads—today—says business reporter Rocco Pendola. Now accused of losing it's innovative edge, Pendola says Apple needs to release the next new gadget within the next year and questions whether CEO Tim Cook is the right leader for the job.

Canada Trying To Lure Silicon Valley Tech Workers

rimmel — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:35:06 +0000

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — The Canadian government has launched an aggressive campaign to lure Silicon Valley tech workers frustrated by U.S. visa policies northward, just as Congress wrestles with a long-sought overhaul of America's immigration system.

Canada's minister of citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism, Jason Kenney, arrived in the San Francisco Bay area Friday for a four-day visit aimed at snapping up talent for his country's high-tech economy by offering startup entrepreneurs a new visa.

Flying Car Prototypes Grounded After Crash

rimmel — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:47:22 +0000

VERNON, B.C. - The Transportation Safety Board says the U.S. manufacturer of flying cars has grounded all five of its prototypes until it can determine a cause for a recent crash in B.C.

One of the Maverick flying cars crashed near a Vernon elementary school last week, leaving a pilot and a passenger with minor injuries.

The TSB's Bill Yearwood says representatives of the manufacturer are in the Okanagan attempting to determine what caused the temporary loss of control.

Until that has been determined, Yearwood says the maker has decided to ground the prototypes.

Wearable Robots Getting Lighter, More Portable

rimmel — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:02:35 +0000

A wheelchair may not be the only option for people who cannot walk on their own. So-called wearable robots are becoming lighter and more portable. The devices won't replace wheelchairs, which are faster. None of the devices are speedy enough, for example, for a paralyzed person to walk across a street before the light changes, said Arun Jayaraman of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, who is testing a number of similar devices.

Top 10 Coolest Things At AMUG 2013

rimmel — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:01:35 +0000

iSpy Jake Ervin attended the AMUG (Additive Manufacturing Users Group) Conference in Jacksonville, Florida this year. Vendors displayed some very exciting parts manufacturing with additive technology. Jake shows us the top 10 coolest parts exhibited at the event.

Ford Owners Sue: EcoBoost Engine Defective

rimmel — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:16:52 +0000

DETROIT (AP) — Three Ohio drivers are suing Ford Motor Co., claiming the company's six-cylinder EcoBoost engine is defective.

The lawsuit says the 3.5-liter V6 EcoBoost engine can shudder, shake and then rapidly lose power while drivers are accelerating. Two of the plaintiffs, a married couple, say their 2010 Ford Taurus SHO has lost power and stalled on multiple occasions. The third says he has lost power when he was accelerating in his F-150 pickup.

Bill Squeezing Out Tesla Passes NC Senate

rimmel — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:24:56 +0000

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A bill backed by auto dealers that effectively blocks California's Tesla Motors Inc. from selling in North Carolina has passed the state Senate.

The electric car manufacturer says the bill that passed the Senate unanimously Monday effectively bars it from selling to state residents through its Internet-based model. The bill would require Tesla to go through the state's system of 7,000 franchised dealers by amending the definition of a dealer.

The company recently announced its first quarterly profit and top marks from Consumer Reports.

BlackBerry CEO Unveils 'Slim, Sleek' New Version

rimmel — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:20:21 +0000

ORLANDO, Florida (AP) — BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. unveiled a lower-cost BlackBerry aimed at consumers in emerging markets, stepping up its efforts to regain market share lost to Apple's iPhone and Android devices powered by Google's software.

CEO Thorsten Heins said Tuesday that the Q5 device will be available worldwide this summer. It is RIM's third smartphone to run the new BlackBerry 10 system. The Q5 will have a physical keyboard, something that sets RIM's devices apart from Apple's iPhone and most Android phones.

GM: Supercomputers To Keep Recalls In Check

rimmel — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:22:36 +0000

WARREN, Michigan (AP) — General Motors Co. says a new supercomputing data center and a fledgling shift to bring software development in-house should help it limit the size of future safety recalls.

The Detroit automaker, which formally opened the giant data storage center in suburban Warren, Michigan, on Monday, said the changes are examples of how it is moving faster to cut costs and serve its customers better by bringing more computer technology inside the company.

Building Apple's iPhone Doesn't Pay Like It Used To

rimmel — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:52:48 +0000

Apple's legendary profit margins may be challenged if the firm releases its long-rumored low-end iPhone later this year. But the ones really feeling the pinch will be its suppliers. Apple does none of its own production and relies on Asia's contract makers - the biggest of the bunch being Foxconn. Foxconn draws an estimated 60 to 70 percent of its business from work commissioned by Apple.