Global Technology Blogs and Active Jobs by Industry leaders Covering Jobs iOs Developments, Android, Oracle and MS Mobile Device News - Techtrack

The Fairphone, World's First Ethically Sourced Smartphone, Opens Pre-Sales To General Public

# 2013-05-24 02:24:23, TechCrunch
Netherlands-based hardware initiative Fairphone began around three years ago as a project designed to highlight the use of conflict minerals in the construction of consumer electronics, and then evolved three years later into a full-fledged hardware startup, with the aim of turning its knowledge int...

A Vibrator Called Limon

# 2013-05-23 14:04:09, TechCrunch
No longer just an oddly flavored potato chip, the Limon is also a new sexy-time vibrator from a startup called Minna. The company is looking for backers for its "couples' vibrator", which just so happens to look like a pink lime-lemon hybrid. However, the Limon is no lemon or lime. It's an ultra-powerful bullet vibrator that is controlle...

Laptop Week Review: The Toshiba Kirabook

# 2013-05-23 11:39:16, TechCrunch
Toshiba isn’t exactly known for churning out attractive, high-end notebooks, which is why the company’s new Kirabook is such an oddity. It's a handsome little thing if you're into very (and I mean very) understated designs, though I imagine at least a few people will think the Kirabook looks dow...

The World's Smallest RC Helicopter Can Be Destroyed By a Fly Swatter

# 2013-05-23 05:45:00, Gizmodo
It was impressive enough when toymakers found a way to make remote control helicopters small and safe enough to fly around indoors. But their miniaturization efforts continue on as toymaker Silverlit introduces the Nano-Falcon, an RC chopper so tiny that Guinness has officially granted it the world ...

Facebook Home Hits The Rocks In Europe, With UK And France Launch Of HTC First Delayed Indefinitely

# 2013-05-23 03:10:19, TechCrunch
More signs today the HTC First might also be the last smartphone to ship with Facebook Home pre-installed: UK carrier EE confirmed today that the first Facebook Home phone won't be launching in the UK soon as planned, as Facebook has decided to concentrate its efforts on making improvements to the H...

Microsoft's Cheap Shot At The iPad Actually Points Out Exactly Why Windows 8 Tabs Suck

# 2013-05-23 02:06:05, TechCrunch
Being behind in a market sucks, and it's understandable to want to lash out at the top dog, as Microsoft has shown it's willing to do with Google in search and email, and now with Apple in tablet computers. A brand new Windows 8 ad pits the iPad against Microsoft's Windows 8 tablet, in an attempt to...

This Tiny Amp Gets Big Sound Out of Your Smartphone

# 2013-05-22 04:40:00, Gizmodo
If you've dropped a small fortune on a large pair of thumping headphones to replace the wimpy earbuds that came with your smartphone, you might not be getting all the sound you paid for. The headphone jack on most mobile devices is fine for powering smaller cans, but they usually lack the oomph need...

Sensors Are Everywhere, And A New Project Wants To Bring Them To The Classroom For Cheap

# 2013-05-22 04:02:01, TechCrunch
One interesting element of Google I/O this year were the sensors laid out everywhere around Moscone tracking environmental data throughout the event. Those types of sensors are now all around us, including in our phones and in various smart home devices, and now a new Kickstarter project from ManyLa...

Sleep Tracking Startup Zeo Says Goodnight

# 2013-05-21 22:23:34, TechCrunch
One of the early pioneers in the Quantified Self movement has quietly gone out of business. Zeo, a leading maker of hardware and software used by consumers to track sleep and improve their health, has not been operating since the end of last year. A trustee has nearly completed the sale of all comp...

Laptop Week Review: The 13-Inch MacBook Pro With Retina Display

# 2013-05-21 10:31:47, TechCrunch
If I could only have one MacBook (which is usually the case for your average laptop-buyer), this is the one I'd pick, without hesitation. Fewer issues than its 15-inch cousin, which pioneered the Retina line, combined with a much lighter design with a smaller desktop footprint for a display that can...

Microsoft Confirms That The Xbox One Will Come With An Incredibly Sensitive New Kinect

# 2013-05-21 08:01:21, TechCrunch
The Xbox One was just unveiled at Microsoft's Redmond campus and, true to multiple reports that circulated before the official reveal, the new console will indeed come with a Kinect. And what a Kinect it is! The rumors of a vastly improved Kinect sensor array were right on the money -- this next-ge...

Xbox One Instant Switching Turns The Console Into A Voice-Powered Set Top Box With Live TV Integrati...

# 2013-05-21 07:39:33, TechCrunch
Now leading the pack in gaming consoles, Microsoft's future growth lies outside the gaming sphere. We'll surely see tons of games at E3 in a few weeks, but at the big reveal of the Xbox One, the company chose to focus on non-gaming features, such as media streaming and Skype conversations. But wha...

Meta, The World's First Entry-Level AR Glasses, Hires The Father Of Wearable Computing As Chief Scie...

# 2013-05-21 06:00:57, TechCrunch
The Meta1 is a pair of virtual reality goggles that perform some very unique and useful tricks. While they are still in beta stage, the glasses are coupled with a Kinect-like camera to sense objects in real space and allow users to interact with virtual worlds with the swipe of their hand.

Meet Agent, A Smartwatch With A Second Processor For Minimizing Power Consumption And Wireless Charg...

# 2013-05-21 05:00:15, TechCrunch
Smart watches are all the rage, and judging by the turnout and level of enthusiasm at the recently year one meetup for Pebble Kickstarter backers in San Francisco which I attended last week, there's at least a passionate niche audience for the things. So it isn't surprising to see them continue to p...

Welcome To Laptop Week

# 2013-05-20 08:56:06, TechCrunch
Laptops are the new desktops. While you can buy a solid tower PC for about $500, this price represents how little manufacturers care about the desktop world. Barring a few huge gaming rigs, laptops are where it's at. We have been arguably remiss in avoiding formal laptop reviews and so we're trying to remedy that with a series we're cal...

Bonk the Day Away With a Floating, 4-in-1 Fisherman's Best Friend

# 2013-05-20 08:06:35, Gizmodo
For the fisherman with space constraints, cramming every little piece of gear you'll need into one little tackle box can be just as frustrating as it is disorganized. Fortunately—at least for the smaller bits—the Kombo Fish Tool will keep you from fumbling around by wrapping four serious fishin...

Neverware Raises $1M To Keep Schools' Computers Quick Like Lightning

# 2013-05-20 04:27:43, TechCrunch
There is no sadder moment than the one where you realize it's time to upgrade your computer. The load times are too slow, the battery no longer holds a charge, and it's just too damn heavy. Now, imagine a school with dozens of outdated computers, and think just how bad that moment of realization can...

Jolla's Software Chief Says Co-Creation Is What Makes The MeeGo Startup's Phone Hardware So Special

# 2013-05-20 04:20:33, TechCrunch
Jolla has finally taken the wraps off the smartphone hardware that will be paired with its "unlike" Sailfish UI. Being a startup is challenging enough in any business sector but Jolla is seeking to compete in the fiercely competitive smartphone space against Samsung and Apple. So it's hard not to di...

Google Glass Year In Review

# 2013-05-19 14:00:50, TechCrunch
It’s been a little over a year since Google started teasing something it called “Project Glass.” The futuristic, wearable computer that would change the way that you interact with the world was nothing more than a series of rumors for months before it was “formally introduced” in April 2012. Not known for hardware and not having...

An Interview With Dr. Joshua Pearce Of Printers For Peace

# 2013-05-19 11:01:45, TechCrunch
Joshua Pearce, PhD, is a researcher at Michigan Tech who rearches open source and low-impact solutions to engineering problems. He is also the founder of the Printers For Peace contest, an effort to bring together clever 3D-printed ideas that have loftier aims. You can win one of two 3D printers if ...

Acrobotics Wants To Kickstart Smarter Cities With Its Smart Citizen Environment Sensors

# 2013-05-19 10:30:12, TechCrunch
There's plenty of buzz about the concept of making our cities "smarter" -- that is, loading them up with sensors and data-driven services to improve efficiency and quality of life. Hell, even Google has taken to loading up its event venues with scores of sensors. Most of the discussion out there de...

HTC Pledges To Pump Up ‘One' Production While Samsung's New Flagship Ships Like Crazy

# 2013-05-17 15:33:03, TechCrunch
Oh HTC. You've produced one of the finest Android smartphones ever (seriously, just look at all these reviews), but you've faced more than your share of challenges when it came to actually pumping your top-tier One smartphone. As it happens, that may all soon change. FocusTaiwan reported earlier to...

This Week On The TechCrunch Gadgets Podcast: All Google I/O, All The Time

# 2013-05-17 10:28:53, TechCrunch
Google's major developer conference, Google I/O, went down this week. Was it a bit of a letdown? Probably. Did cool stuff still come out of the event? Eh? Maybe? We discuss these topics and more this week on the TC Gadgets podcast. In fact, we even had Frederic Lardinois join as a guest, along with ...

Michigan Tech Sponsors A 3D Printers For Peace Contest

# 2013-05-17 05:46:06, TechCrunch
Now that Defense Distributed is on the defensive, it's time to think a bit harder about what 3D printing really means. To that end, Michigan Tech is sponsoring a Printers For Peace contest that is encouraging designers and engineers to make amazing stuff using a 3D printer that can change the world ...

This Teeny Tiny Iron Battles Wrinkled Clothing on the Go

# 2013-05-17 04:34:20, Gizmodo
Is there anything more embarrassing than only realizing there's a slight wrinkle in your tie once you get to work? What will your co-workers think, that you actually wear your clothing? Oh, the horror. Thankfully, you can avoid that nightmare with this compact pocket-sized iron that eradicates wrink...

NVIDIA's Shield May Be A Tough Sell, But Now You Can Pre-Order It From GameStop And Newegg Anyway

# 2013-05-17 03:00:17, TechCrunch
If you were among the select few that signed up for NVIDIA's Shield newsletter then you've been able to pre-order the company's curious handset for a few days now. The remainder of the gaming masses originally had to wait until Monday for their own turn, but that's no longer the case -- NVIDIA's ret...

Galaxy S4 Will Pass 10M Shipments Next Week Less Than A Month After Launch, Says Samsung

# 2013-05-17 02:04:01, TechCrunch
Samsung's latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S4, is poised to pass 10 million shipments next week less than a month after the device launched, says co-CEO Shin Jong-kyun, according to the Korea Times. The S4's international release took place on April 27, after the phone launched in Samsung's ho...

NVIDIA's Shield Mobile Gaming System Feels Like The Way Android Games Should Be Played

# 2013-05-16 14:27:08, TechCrunch
NVIDIA brought its new Shield handheld gaming system to Google I/O this year and showed off a near-production device. The Shield made its debut at CES this year, surprising most since it's a consumer handheld device from a company that generally makes internal components. But it has some neat tricks...

Google Says All 2,000 Glass Explorers Have Been Invited To Pick Up Their Device

# 2013-05-16 12:45:18, TechCrunch
Today, Steve Lee of the Google X and Glass Team, announced that as of last week, all 2,000 developers who signed up for the Glass Explorer program at last year's I/O conference have now been invited to pick up their devices from Google's offices in Mountain View, New York City or Los Angeles.

Leap Motion Talks New Beta, We Go Hands On With Motion-Controlled Google Earth

# 2013-05-16 12:31:17, TechCrunch
Leap Motion was showing off its still unreleased gesture motion controller for computers at Google I/O 2013. The demo unit allowed you to use the controller to navigate Google Earth, and the functionality felt ready for prime time to me, as this was the first time I'd ever used the Leap Motion. The ...