Although the definition of cloud computing is a bit…cloudy, it is a tech buzzword that is generating a lot of interest in IT companies big and small.

Because cloud computing is a very young technology, it is very loosely defined. Basically, it describes the remote hosting and managing of computing services and storage over the internet, billing the user by the amount of resources used.

It is meant to free companies from the hassle of buying hardware and software and/or hiring personnel for projects when the company won’t need such resources later on.

Continue Reading »

Hanging Printer Concept

Screen-Printed Solar Cells: Be Green Fashionably

Monitor Traffic Conditions with Cellphones

Honda Drive Recorder

Tongue-controlled Wheelchair

RFID In Phone Controls Office Security System

Bike Stand Pumps As Well

Kingston Launches 16GB Class 4 SDHC Card

• Compliant: with the SD Card Association specification version 2.00
• Secure: built-in write-protect switch prevents accidental data loss
• Compatible: with SDHC host devices; not compatible with standard SD-enabled devices/readers
• File Format: FAT 32
• Reliable: lifetime warranty
• Simple: as easy as plug-and-play
• Capacities: 4GB, 8GB, 16GB
• Dimensions: 0.94" x 1.25" x 0.08" (24mm x 32 mm x 2.1mm)

Find all the sources, and discover more consumer electronics news and reviews at Ubergizmo.com.

FEEDBACK
For comments on this article,
email us at editorial@atelier-us.com

This week, Atelier reviews what is trendy on the web magazine of our great expert contributor Ubergizmo.com, dedicated to consumer electronics news and reviews.

Panasonic has released a new eye scanner known as the BM-ET200 that boasts voice activation (it bellows out commands like "Stand up straight!") while identifying a user in just 0.3 seconds. The BM-ET200 can be modified to handle more than 10,000 user records, and is tipped to retail for approximately $2,500 when released in the US next year. The authentication process is pretty simple - the scanner fires a laser into the eye (up to 20" away), while the user aligns the eye with the camera by directly focusing on a green light. Don’t worry, it won’t leave you blind although it does sound painful in theory. Guess bigwig corporation could certainly make do with one of these.

Story posted on: October 17, 2007

The EU has decided to allow cellphone calls to be made while you’re in the air, ten thousands of feet above the ground courtesy of a new technology that does not run the risk of interference with aircraft systems. This reservation of space for the required airwaves has already been recommended to the EU countries’ governments before the system can be fully rolled out. On-board phone calls will be redirected to a satellite, and subsequently transmitted to the carrier’s network, resulting in a sky-high price that is on par with your current lofty position. There are limitations to this system though as such phone calls are forbidden whenever the plane is less than 3,000 meters in height.

FEEDBACK
For comments on this article,
email us at editorial@atelier-us.com

Convergence is finally here. For what else is triple play, the delivery of Internet, phone and TV over the same connection? Providers can deliver all three at lowered costs, but deployment has been slower than expected.

If you have ever watched a video on YouTube, you can say you have experienced IPTV (Internet Protocol Television). But IPTV more specifically refers to the delivery of traditional TV channels directly on the television screen. While one can forgive a YouTube video for being grainy and jerky, watching TV delivered over the Internet must be of the highest quality. IPTV promises channel zapping, interactivity, picture-in-picture, digital video recording, and High-Definition capabilities. Another promise of IPTV is to deliver content to the user whichever screen is using at the time by connecting TV, PC and other IP devices.

Comcast TV

Comcast, for one, is promoting a triple play subscription for $99 a month for the first year. The on-demand portion of the package includes TV shows, movies, music and documentaries. Verizon’s Triple Freedom offer also flirts with the $100 mark. AT&T’s Quad Pack is the most expensive at $134 a month. For comparison, the leading Internet service providers in France offer triple play for around 29 euros a month ($39 a month).

The number of IPTV subscribers in North America is projected to more than double in 2007, reaching 1 million homes, according to Strategy Analytics. In four years, it will be 11 million. But according to a report from Telephony Online, telcos deploying the new technology have suffered significant headaches and AT&T’s CTO Chris Rice told BusinessWeek that rolling out IPTV was “a lot more complex than people thought it would be.” Many of the problems stemmed from the middleware, some of it developed by Microsoft. As a result, 2006 saw slower adoption than expected and 2007 is now touted as the year IPTV will take over in North America.

Joost, the latest project from the founders of the Voice over IP service Skype, is not officially available yet, but it is generating lots of interest including from venture capitalists who have poured $45 million into the project. Because Joost is based on peer-to-peer technology, every viewer both downloads and uploads data, contributing to the bandwidth available.

Available in beta, Joost lets viewers watch high-quality TV programs and promises the interactivity that Internet users have come to expect. Searching, chatting and instant messaging with other views are part of the experience. Viacom, Warner Music, Endemol ad the NHL are among the content providers who have signed contracts with Joost.

Isabelle Boucq for Atelier

FEEDBACK
For comments on this article,
email us at editorial@atelier-us.com

Free-hotspot.com indexes all free Wi-Fi access points. In addition to their free hotline, the service now features new technology that makes it possible to know in real time which access points are available and which are not.

The technology is based on a heartbeat control that transmits the hotspot’s status to the service every two minutes 24 hours a day. When a user calls to request the location of the nearest free access point, Free-hotspot can thus ensure that it won’t be down when the person gets there.

Continue Reading »