Miscellaneous

Your smartphone knows which side of the brain you're using

Some people use the left, some the right, but which side of the brain do you primarily use for language? It may seem like a trivial question, but for one thing, if you ever have to undergo any type of brain surgery, the answer can help avoid damage to speech areas.

While lab tests can provide the answer, an app that involves a few minutes of concentration works just as well, according to a study in the journal Frontiers in Psychology.

Furthermore, a version of the app for patients with schizophrenia trains them to improve their focus so that when … Read more

AOL revenue rises for first time in eight years

AOL eked out just a 4 percent gain in sales last quarter, but it was the first sign of revenue growth in the past eight years.

For the final quarter of 2012, the company took in revenue of $599 million, rising from $576 million in the year-ago quarter and beating analyst estimates of $573 million, according to Reuters.

AOL attributed the gain to a boost in sales from its global advertising, which grew by 13 percent from a year ago. Ad revenue from third-party networks jumped by 31 percent, while search revenue increased by 17 percent.

On the downside, subscription … Read more

Samsung cell phone battery explodes in man's pocket

Lithium-ion batteries are notorious for overheating, catching on fire, or exploding. Yet, they're in most electronics that people use daily.

One such battery set ablaze over the weekend while in a man's pants pocket, according to the Associated Press. The man was walking around with his Samsung mobile phone in his pocket when the battery caught on fire, giving him second-degree burns and a one-inch wound on his thigh. Officials said the battery was not inside the phone when it exploded.

The incident took place in South Korea, which is where Samsung is based. According to the local … Read more

Rumor Has It: Facebook wants you to be a stalker IRL

This week's show is all about those rumors that just refuse to die -- and for once we're not talking about the next iteration of the iPhone.

Some sneaky sneaks found hidden "radio" buttons in the iTunes code of a freshly jailbroken iPad. Does that mean that radio streaming is coming soon? Or is it just leftover code that someone didn't bother to take out? Rumors of Dell going private finally came true after weeks of speculation and much to nobody's surprise. The PlayStation 4 might be announced in a couple weeks, which could mean it'll be released this year, but maybe next year, but maybe who knows?

But the most upsetting of all the rumors is maybe a new one, but definitely a gross one: Facebook is said to be prepping a standalone app that will let your friends know where you are, without you having to check in to anything.… Read more

Mobile Internet data traffic to grow 13-fold by 2017, says Cisco

There are a number of different predictions floating around about how many Internet-connected devices there will be worldwide within the next few years. But regardless of those numbers, we can all be sure that mobile Internet data traffic is going to explode exponentially as well.

Cisco Systems has chimed in with its latest predictions through 2017 in regard to mobile data traffic -- and the forecasts don't hold back.

According to Cisco's Visual Networking Index report covering 2012 through 2017, the networking giant is predicting that global mobile data traffic will jump 13 times, to a rate of … Read more

Shipments of ultraslim notebooks to fatten in 2013

Ultraslim notebooks -- defined as x86-based PCs with screen sizes between 10 and 17 inches and thicknesses of no greater than 21mm -- are seeing shipments squeezed by display technology, a new study from NPD DisplaySearch has revealed. But that won't be enough to keep them down.

"The high-end specifications for touch on Windows 8 PCs, and the unproven consumer demand for touch on notebooks has touch-screen suppliers leery of shifting capacity from the high volume smartphone and tablet PC markets to notebook PCs," Richard Shim, senior analyst with NPD DisplaySearch, said today in a statement.

According … Read more

Microsoft to open more retail stores this year

Consumers in Honolulu, Portland, Ore., and a few other major cities should find a Microsoft Store in their area come this summer.

The company said today that it plans to kick off five new retail stores by summer. The stores will find homes around the U.S. in the following spots:

Natick Mall, Natick, Mass. Ala Moana Center, Honolulu, Hawaii Pioneer Place, Portland, Ore. The Somerset Collection, Troy, Mich. Woodfield Mall, Schaumburg, Ill.

Microsoft expects to reveal details on the grand openings at each of the stores in the coming weeks. The five stores announced today are in addition to … Read more

U.S. just getting on board Safer Internet Day (podcast)

In 2004 the European Commission created Safer Internet Day to be celebrated on the second day of the second week of the second month -- which this year is tomorrow.

On this day, organizations in various countries conduct public events, tweet-ins, press conferences, and otherwise spread the word about how young people can use the Internet safely and securely. This year's theme is "online rights and responsibilities" with the slogan, "Connect with Respect." The event is coordinated by Insafe, a European network of "Awareness Centres," that promote "safe, responsible use of the … Read more

Super Bowl play stopped for 34 minutes as Superdome lost power

As the second half got underway at the Super Bowl, old-fashioned technology got in the way of play. Power at the Superdome reportedly surged, knocking out a majority of lights as well as CBS' play-by-play announcers. According to Entergy, which supplies the power to the Superdome, the issue is on the "customer's side."

An outside power feed coming to the stadium got disrupted according to NFL officials, said CBS's announcer on the sidelines Steve Tasker. Play-by-play announcers Jim Nance and Phil Simms were off the air for more than 30 minutes. Power was restored and play … Read more