Carlo Orlando

"Mail Goggles" is now part of Google's free Gmail service. The feature is simple really, but could serve as an effective deterrent against very bad email-based decisions while in an 'altered state'. Just answer a few basic math questions in a ... specified period of time before sending out your email. You shhhaid wha...? After a grueling work week, you decide to accept an invitation from some friends to meet at a local bar for a beer. While reminiscing about the "good old days", you realize that one beer has become two, two beers have become four and in no time at all you have surpassed your ... (view more)

At first glance, the Fitbit Tracker looks like an ordinary exercise device used for counting steps, recording calories burned, etc. However, the small gadget has received a great deal of attention from many of the tech industry's major players. What ... makes the Fitbit Tracker so special? It is the first of its kind to use accelerometers for data extraction purposes. In a nutshell, accelerometers are chips that measure acceleration, movement and gravity forces. This is what fuels popular motion-sensitive products like the Nintendo Wii and Apple iPhone. The cost of implementing an accelerometer ... (view more)

We have all heard the horror stories. A person spends what seems like an eternity walking around a crowded parking lot in search of their vehicle only to discover that their keys have been locked inside. A new mobile phone developed by Sharp will ... not only give owners access to their vehicles without the use of a key, but also create the ability to start a car engine without having to put a key in the ignition. Of course, there is one catch: The actual key must still remain in the vicinity of the vehicle prior to activation. The new phone will use technology similar to the "Intelligent Key" ... (view more)

When people envision the Italian landscape, images of ancient architecture, paintings and sculptures abound. Imagining old-world Italian cities as havens for hi-tech innovations is difficult for many. But located in the main piazza of Duino-Aurisina ... is a trash bin like no other; one that could potentially alter our approach to garbage collection here in North America while improving pollution and traffic controls around the world. The communal bin contains a small metal box about the size of a one-quart milk carton. A radio connection lies beneath the box, allowing the bin to "communicate" ... (view more)

When you think of an "interactive classroom" what are the first images that pop into your head? Is it a classroom filled with computers? Interactive activities shared using a smartboard? Teacher-led discussions being conducted via podcasts? While ... some of the above items have been adopted into modern classrooms already, a coalition of researchers at Durham University (UK) calling themselves the TEL (Technology-Enhanced Learning) Research Group have aspired to redefine the concept of an interactive classroom, with the recent introduction of the first available multi-touch student desks. Think ... (view more)

Ever wonder what it would be like to live in a 'house of the future'? Several companies, including LG and Toto, are working to re-define the way we think about 'housework'. Stepping into the kitchen, LG Electronics has a new refrigerator model ... complete with built-in cable television, electronic cookbook and weather channel for roughly $4,000. Other modern refrigerators boast advanced climate controls that monitor food expiration dates to let their patrons know when certain foods have spoiled. (Source: matr.net ) In a few years, manufacturers are even hoping to include a "projection kitchen ... (view more)

How many times have you been driving to work and thought "Did I remember to lock the front door?" Or who remembers coming home early from school and finding all the doors locked with nobody home? Thanks to a new system, people will never have to ... worry about forgetting to lock their doors or bringing their house keys with them again. All you need is an Internet connection or a mobile phone. The company behind the plan, Ingersoll-Rand (under the "Schlage Lock" brand name) has manufactured a system that allows locks to be opened and closed via Internet commands. Now, users can lock and unlock ... (view more)

Those returning to school this month might want to invest in a new writing tool sure to take the pain out of jotting down lecture notes. The Pulse Smartpen boasts a hi-tech twist: while the pen writes with real ink, it also contains an infrared ... camera, audio recording device, twin microphones and a speaker. How does it work? The user removes a sheet of specialized "dot-paper" from their coiled notebook (included with the purchase of the Smartpen) and writes down information as they would using a standard pen. However, while a user is listening to what the teacher is saying, the built-in ... (view more)

A new start-up is not only looking to enter the broadband market, but hoping to shake up the status quo with an agenda that liberates consumers once and for all: free broadband for the masses! If free broadband is to become a reality, M2Z will have ... to win a major portion of the wireless airwaves (known as advances wireless services 3, or AWS-3) which is up for auction next year by the Federal Communications Commission. While the small company remains optimistic, winning the auction will not be easy. The wireless spectrum is expected to sell for $50 million. The price alone will not scare M2Z ... (view more)

Some of the top laptop manufacturers in the world have created a system that allows certain models to run frequently-used software in a matter of seconds. The specialized feature, called "Splashtop," does away with lengthy start-up times by avoiding ... Microsoft Windows in favor of a Linux-based "mini-operating system". For example: when a friend challenged me to a game of FIFA Soccer 2008 for the PlayStation 3, I was amazed to find that a new feature had been added that allowed users to practice perfecting their penalty shots while the game was busy loading the next page. Using this ... (view more)