Advertisement Editor’s Picks How Programmable Calculators and a Sci-Fi Story Brought Soviet Teens Into the Digital Age Amiga: The Computer That Wouldn’t Die Chip Hall of Fame As we highlighted last month, IEEE Spectrum has launched a Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame to celebrate some of the greatest gadgets of the last 50 years. IEEE members could also win prizes, such as drones or smart watches, by sharing their memories of their favorite gadget. Here are some selections from the winning entries as of press time (selections have been edited and condensed for clarity). Amiga 500 “It is the device that at the age of 8 made me decide to become an engineer. I wanted to be a part of the computer revolution. The graphics, sound, game play, and ease of use was extraordinary. There is nothing I have owned since that I have the same passion toward or fond memories of. If it was not for that device, I most probably would not have become an … [Read more...] about Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame: The Gadgets You Loved Most
Gadgets
Mattress maker Casper’s first gadget is a smartphone-controlled bedside light
Casper, one of the leading online mattress sellers, is expanding beyond bedding with its first connected gadget. Called the Glow, the smartphone-controlled bedside light announced today joins the company’s lineup of mattresses, pillows, bed frames, and sheets. The device can operate on battery power and so is portable, which lets you use it as a flashlight of sorts when getting up in the middle of the night. It also charges using a wireless base station that sits plugged into your bedside table. The product is launching today through Casper’s website at $89 for one unit and $169 for a pair. The Glow was designed in the same vein as Apple’s Night Shift mode on iOS and macOS, in that it’s supposed to be adjustable based on how you like to wind down at night. There are gesture controls for turning the light on by simply flipping it from one end to the other, and rotating it will initiate a 45-minute shutdown sequence in which the Glow steadily goes from a bright, … [Read more...] about Mattress maker Casper’s first gadget is a smartphone-controlled bedside light
Toddlers On Gadgets: Poor Cognitive Development Linked To High Screen Times, Study Says
Jan 29, 6:53 AM EST Newsletter Signup BusinessTechnologyWorldNationalMedia & CultureOpinionSportsLuxury Technology By Vanessa Doctor 01/29/19 AT 6:52 AM Preschoolers who spend more time staring at cellphone or laptop screens are less likely to perform well on development screening exams when they turn 3 years old, according to a recent study published on JAMA Pediatrics. The research looked into the screen habits and cognitive development of kids who spent two to three hours per day on a gadget.In the paper titled “Association Between Screen Time and Children’s Performance on a Developmental Screening Test,” scientists from the University of Calgary evaluated children and mothers from their larger “All Our Families” study using an Ages and Stages Questionnaire. This screening tool looked at measures of development such as problem-solving skills, motor skills, communication and personal social skills. The researchers found that children … [Read more...] about Toddlers On Gadgets: Poor Cognitive Development Linked To High Screen Times, Study Says
Bluetooth will get even more accurate at finding your lost gadgets
The group behind the Bluetooth standard says it’s developed a new feature that’ll allow companies to track items down to the centimeter. The group is combining Bluetooth’s existing object-tracking tech with another technology, radio direction, in order to get the precise measurements. This could radically change tracking technology, like Tile’s solution for locating lost objects. Right now, Bluetooth systems track items by measuring their signal strength — but they have a wide accuracy range of one and 10 meters. Now, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group is adding the ability for gadgets to know exactly what direction a signal is coming from, not just its distance, to make that measurement more exact. With this feature turned on, Bluetooth trackers could tell users where an item is down to the centimeter, the group says. That’s great for locating missing gadgets, but it could also be used to improve the accuracy of tracking in indoor spaces where … [Read more...] about Bluetooth will get even more accurate at finding your lost gadgets
Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 review – slick sliding gadget is HALF the price of an iPhone but packs a powerful punch
WHILE the cost of Samsung and Apple's flagship phones skyrockets year-on-year, a group of Chinese gadget makers is quietly making some of the best handsets on the market for a fraction of the cost. Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 – what is it? Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi was founded in 2010, bringing out its first phone a year later with the Xiaomi Mi 1. Since then the company has seen a meteoric rise and they now comfortably jostle with some of the world's biggest phone firms, releasing mid-priced handsets that consistently offer great value for money. The Mi MIX 3 is Xaomi's latest handset, but can it compete with the likes of Samsung and Apple? Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 design One of the Mi MIX 3's big selling points is its moving front face, which slides down around half an inch when you press on the display. This reveals the front-facing camera and antenna, and automatically opens your camera app so you can quickly snap a selfie on the go. The slider has allowed Xaomi to hide the Mi MIX … [Read more...] about Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 review – slick sliding gadget is HALF the price of an iPhone but packs a powerful punch