Technology Innovation
Next Up? The Smart Watch
If the crowd-funding spike for the Pebble smart watch is any indication, wearable tech is about to go mainstream.
April 20, 2012 |
By Randy Rieland
The Disco-Blasting Robot Waiters of 1980s Pasadena
In 1983, a Chinese fast-food restaurant hired a curious-looking pair of servers: Tanbo R-1 and Tanbo R-2.
April 19, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
When Innovation Flows Uphill
Think that all the best inventions happen in rich countries and trickle down to poor ones? Think again.
April 18, 2012 |
By Randy Rieland
How the Titanic Tragedy Reshaped the Fishing Industry
Alarmed by the sinking of the ocean liner, a radio pioneer devised a way to detect icebergs—and then submarines, reefs and schools of fish
April 13, 2012 |
By Peter Smith
E-Book Recreates a Monster
Frankenstein is back, but this time his story is interactive, as publishers scramble to "enhance" novels.
April 12, 2012 |
By Randy Rieland
When Animals Inspire Inventions
Whether it's tiny robots swimming inside our bodies or super-efficient 3D solar panels, nature never stops providing answers
April 09, 2012 |
By Randy Rieland
Google Goggles Aim to Augment Reality
The internet giant's newest innovation is a wearable computing device that projects data right in front of our eyes
April 06, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
The High-Tech Minimalist Sock-Shoe
Nike's latest innovation promises to improve runners' comfort, help the environment, and revolutionize shoe manufacturing
April 06, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
Welcome to the 21st Century Ballpark
The new Marlins Park in Miami isn't another retro stadium. No, it's high-tech and arty and a little bit wacky
April 05, 2012 |
By Randy Rieland
Better Feet Through Radiation: The Era of the Fluoroscope
In the 1940s and 50s, shoe stores were dangerous places. At the center of the shopping experience was the shoe-fitting fluoroscope—a pseudoscientific machine that became a token of mid-century marketing deception.
April 04, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
Time to Reinvent the Parking Lot
Some urban planners and architects say we can do a lot better than asphalt slabs and concrete boxes
March 29, 2012 |
By Randy Rieland
Is the Future of Journalism Computerized?
New artificial intelligence programs can analyze data sets to produce news articles that mimic the human voice
March 29, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
The Milkman’s Robot Helper
Could futuristic technology have saved the milkman from extinction?
March 28, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
These Shoes are Made for Printing
In many ways, 3D printing could be a superior way to manufacture shoes. But comfort isn't one yet.
March 28, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
The Camera That Can See Around Walls
A new device uses laser pulses to create 3-D images of areas beyond its line of sight
March 27, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
A Little Less Friction, Please
The big buzzword in digital technology now is "frictionless," meaning the less we humans have to deal with, the better
March 26, 2012 |
By Randy Rieland
The Mollusc Militia is Coming
I have glimpsed the future. And it is teeming with creepy crawly cyborgs
March 26, 2012 |
By Cassandra Willyard
When Robots Get Morals
The rapid development of artificial intelligence is bringing us closer to the day when machines will be able to think for themselves
March 23, 2012 |
By Randy Rieland
When Cameras Trick Us and We Love It
Technological wizardry is allowing us to see the natural world in stunningly new ways
March 20, 2012 |
By Randy Rieland
Using Space Satellites to Spot Ancient Cities
Computer analysis of satellite imagery has revealed what could be a record number of archaeological sites
March 20, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
