Like computers, cars and PDAs, cell phones started out as purely functional pieces of technology, but quickly evolved plenty of fun frills to keep their users entertained. Today’s phones have built-in video games, specialized background pictures, switchable faceplates and, of course, customizable ringtones. A ringtone version of your new favorite song does serve some purpose, […]
The combination of shrinking computer devices and increasing computer power has allowed several companies to begin producing fashion jewelry with embedded intelligence. Today, manufacturers can place millions of transistors on a microchip, which can be used to make small devices that store tons of digital data. Researchers have already created an array of digital-jewelry prototypes.
HD Radio sends more information over the same radio frequency by digitizing the signal. A digital signal can then be compressed by a computer, much like an MP3 is a compressed version of the much larger WAV file that is on a CD. Digitizing allows FM stations to broadcast with near-CD quality sound, and HD
DVD Discs A DVD is very similar to a CD, but it has a much larger data capacity. A standard DVD holds about seven times more data than a CD does. This huge capacity means that a DVD has enough room to store a full-length, MPEG-2-encoded movie, as well as a lot of other information.
The Public Switched Telephone Network The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), also known as Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS), is the wired phone system over which landline telephone calls are made. The PSTN relies on circuit switching. To connect one phone to another, the phone call is routed through numerous switches operating on a local,
Satellite TV offers many solutions to broadcast and cable TV problems. Though satellite TV technology is still evolving, it has already become a popular choice for many TV viewers. In this article, we’ll find out how satellite TV works, from TV station to TV set. We’ll also learn about the changing landscape of TV viewing
Today, night vision is most widely available in security cameras. Some work only at night, while others switch modes based on user input or ambient light. Surveillance rigs can run from $18 for a 0.5-lux low-light camera to $3,670 for a top-of-the-line thermal imaging model (lux measures the minimum light a camera needs to pick
Microsoft had built up buzz for its Xbox Live service since their console launched in 2001. The Xbox’s Ethernet port was ready and waiting for a broadband connection, and Xbox Live’s yearly subscription fee bought gamers an exclusive Gamertag and friends list they could access in any Live-enabled game. Xbox Live was Microsoft’s big push
You may have to deal with proprietary cables for multiple devices, meaning each cable will fit one — and only one — of your gadgets. If you aren’t lucky in cable roulette, you have to keep grabbing cables until you find the right one. And if you have to recharge everything at once you’ve got
Digital cameras have become extremely common as the prices have come down. One of the drivers behind the falling prices has been the introduction of CMOS image sensors. CMOS sensors are much less expensive to manufacture than CCD sensors. Both CCD (charge-coupled device) and CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) image sensors start at the same point
How is the difference between CCD and CMOS image sensors in a digital camera? Read More »
