Communications

Updated at 4:05 p.m. PDT: adding discussion about lack of video camera in Touch.

Inside Apple's updated iPod Touch lurks "n" Wi-Fi hardware, the potential for FM transmission, and room for a camera, according to iFixit.

Gadget teardown specialist iFixit on Friday said that during its dissection of the new device, it found a few "unexpected discoveries."

One of the most notable findings was a Broadcom BCM4329 chip that supports 802.11n. "This is a big deal, as even the iPhone 3GS doesn't support 802.11n," said Kyle Wiens of … Read more

A story on NPR covered this British high-school-produced public service announcement on the perils of texting while driving. The video shows the gory aftermath of an accident caused by text-messaging distraction, and makes it clear that people other than the texter suffered the most. According to the NPR story, only 14 of the United States have outlawed texting while driving. And while many people who do text while driving will probably ignore statistics and videos like this one, it at least might get the attention of more state lawmakers.

The problem is partially that we have trained ourselves, like Pavlov'… Read more

Memory chip makers will offer more sophisticated flash drives for smartphones--technology that will be comparable to the solid-state drives found in laptops today.

Today's flash drives, which typically range up to 32GB in capacity in products like Apple's iPhone, often use relatively unsophisticated techniques for reading and writing data. In general, the technology is not very different from that used in basic cell phones or digital cameras, according to Brian Shirley, vice president of Micron's memory group.

But as smartphones--and possible future tablet devices--become more like personal computing devices and less like basic MP3 players, memory chip … Read more

A study by iSuppli Corporation shows that the top 10 cars being bought with Cash for Clunkers vouchers offer tech features such as GPS navigation, Bluetooth phone systems, satellite radio, and iPod integration. However, in iSuppli's automotive tech rating system, the average score for these 10 cars, 14.6, falls below the tech average for all cars available, 17.8 according to iSuppli. The Ford Focus tops the list, and sets the tone for the rest, which are all relatively inexpensive and economical vehicles.

The iSuppli report notes that none of these cars offer driver assistance technologies, such as … Read more

The Apple tablet, if it arrives, is an extension of a design that already has mass appeal--and does not require a leap of faith to believe it will succeed.

The Apple iPhone and iPod are arguably small tablets--and consumers have demonstrated unmistakably that they love these devices. So, a larger, more versatile version of the iPod makes perfect sense.

And some not-so-small companies like Qualcomm and Intel are pushing tablet-like devices for their next-generation silicon. So this isn't just Apple (if the Apple tablet rumors are indeed true).

That said, let's not limit this potential market to Apple. … Read more

Traffic data aggregator Inrix, the company supplying some of the live traffic information used by BMW in its navigation systems, has released a free iPhone app that lets you view traffic information without buying a BMW. The Inrix Traffic app uses a particularly simple interface, a map of your area (located using GPS) that shows traffic flow information and incidents on local roadways. This information is similar to what you would find on an online map or in-car navigation device. Where the Inrix Traffic app differs from these other outlets is its Forecast function, which lets you see what traffic … Read more

SAN FRANCISCO--We're driving through the heart of the city, cruising along at a nice clip, but just in case we hit a patch of rough traffic, I know which alternate route I can take to go faster.

That's because I've got an iPhone with Waze, a new app released Thursday that's designed to give drivers a wide range of crowdsourced road information including traffic flow, road reports, and even warnings about where the latest speed traps have been set up.

Waze, which has been out for some time on the Android platform, is new to the … Read more

A rip-out-the-carpet PC refresh of both software and hardware is in the offing as Microsoft's latest operating system and new laptop designs converge later this year.

At the Intel Technology Summit in San Francisco on Wednesday, an executive described the imminent mobile future, including a major refresh of Netbook silicon, better-designed "ultrathins," and turbo-powered high-end laptops.

Netbooks may undergo the biggest change. Models that appear after Windows 7 ships in October will see the most significant overhaul internally since the Netbook category debuted back in the spring of 2008. Intel's new "Pine Trail" Atom … Read more

According to some studies, about a quarter of U.S. motorists send text messages while driving. So why not make it safer?

That's the idea behind an upcoming service from telematics service provider ATX Group. ATX plans to introduce hands-free text messaging by voice.

According to ATX, of Dallas, its system, which uses existing speech-recognition technology, will allow people to dictate customized messages with minimal driver distraction.

Other in-vehicle communications systems read text messages aloud to drivers. And some, such as Ford's Sync, allow drivers to send texts--though only from a menu of scripted messages.

Don't look … Read more