British researchers create robot that can learn simple words by …
LOS ANGELES In an attempt to replicate the early experiences of infants, researchers in England have created a robot that can learn simple words in minutes just by having a conversation with a human. The work, published this week in the journal PLoS One, offers insight into how babies transition…
Oz WiFi guys score top Euro inventor award
The original Australian CSIRO research team that created and patented WiFi technology has been international recognised with the European Patent Office (EPO) Inventor Award. The wireless standard was developed in the 1990s by a team of Australian scientists and germinated from a technology they were working on to filter galactic…
Five Disappointments of iOS 6
There’s a lot to celebrate about iOS 6, but after testing the first beta, not everything has been fun and games. I could certainly add a ton of additional reasons why I consider that the OS matters, but today, it’s time to talk about the five reasons why I’m disappointed. Let’s…
Facebook suggests Nasdaq glitches led to decline
Facebook is suggesting that trading problems at the Nasdaq Stock Market contributed to a sharp drop in the company’s stock price after its initial public offering. In laying out a defense against dozens of lawsuits from disgruntled shareholders, Facebook and the banks overseeing the IPO also insist that nothing about…
Blues in Twitter uproar
Marc Murphy’s tweets have not gone down too well with the league. Photo: Sebastian Costanzo AFL boss Andrew Demetriou has likened players criticising umpires to racial vilification, as injured Carlton pair Marc Murphy and Jeremy Laidler apologised for their Twitter outburst during Thursday night’s match against West Coast. Murphy tweeted…
Windows 8 and the art of UX compromise
Microsoft is cleverly promoting Windows 8 with the tagline “no compromises.” The idea is that you get both a desktop/laptop operating system (OS) and a tablet OS in one package and a “best of both worlds” experience on any device. In reality, the decision to meld the traditional mouse-and-keyboard Windows…
Research in Motion Reveals Multimillion-Dollar Pay for Former Chief …
OTTAWA Research in Motion gave its former co-chief executives about $12 million in exit payments after they stepped down this year, the BlackBerry maker disclosed in a securities filing on Thursday. Jim Balsillie, who also resigned from RIM’s board more recently, will receive about $8 million, the company said. Mike Lazaridis, In…
In the Facebook Era, Reminders of Loss After Families Fracture
Not long ago, estrangements between family members, for all the anguish they can cause, could mean a fairly clean break. People would cut off contact, never to be heard from again unless they reconciled. But in a social network world, estrangement is being redefined, with new complications. Relatives can get…
Best geek toy ever: Remembering the Sony Aibo robot dog
Real geeks have sophisticated toys, that may be what is behind Apple’s insanely priced new MacBook Pro. When it comes to geek toys none compare to the sophisticated dog robot from Sony, the Aibo. The Sony Aibo was a remarkable piece of robotic technology, especially considering it first appeared way…
Apple and Google Fight to Be Top Mapping App
Just a few years and several tech paradigms ago, Google (GOOG) and Apple (AAPL) were happy allies, and nothing demonstrated that better than their cooperation on digital maps. Since its 2007 launch, Apple’s iPhone has featured Google’s mapping software on its home screen, allowing iPhone owners to quickly find directions The…
