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Apple could be making some changes to the way it lights up the panel on its next iPad, according to a new report.

Citing sources, component news site DigiTimes reported today that Apple is contemplating the move to to a more complex backlighting system to better serve a higher-resolution display.

The outlet suggests once again that Apple is going with a high-resolution 2,048x1,536-pixel display in its next iPad, and will need a new lighting system to "maintain or strengthen the brightness of the panels." By comparison, Apple's first- and second-generation iPads shipped with a 1,… Read more

As we reported last week, rumor had it Barnes & Noble would be launching its next-generation, Android-powered Nook Color tablet e-reader on November 7. Now it's become official, with Barnes & Noble sending out invites to the media for an event that morning in New York.

While the invite doesn't refer to a specific device, it's a pretty safe bet to assume it's a new Nook Color, though it's unclear whether it will be called the Nook Color 2 or something else altogether. The new tablet will presumably have an upgraded processor and perhaps an upgraded screen and some additional design refinements. … Read more

With rumors flying that Barnes & Noble will soon be unveiling its next-generation Nook Color, we've been waiting to get word on just when the new device will hit. Well, according to The Digital Reader Blog, that day will be November 7--or so its sources say.

We'll soon see what Barnes & Noble has up its sleeve and whether the new Nook Color will be called the Nook Color 2 or something else altogether. The new tablet will presumably have an upgraded processor and perhaps an upgraded screen and some additional design refinements. … Read more

Foursquare held its first-ever global hackathon a few weeks back, with developers and hackers gathering in cities all over the world, including Paris, London, Ottawa, San Francisco, and New York. All of the hackers had one goal in common: create some out-of-the-box idea on top of the Foursquare API. Not only did they accomplish their goal, but some of them even won prizes for doing so. … Read more

Amazon has quietly dropped the price for its refurbished Kindles, with the Wi-Fi-only, ad-free Kindle now at $99 while the 3G ad-free version is down to $129.99.

Big deal, you say. The Wi-Fi-only Kindle with Special Offers is $114. But as the blog Beyond Black Friday points out, the last time Amazon dropped the price on the refurbished versions of its e-readers the Kindle 3 (the current model) arrived soon afterward in late August. To put it more bluntly, Amazon appears to be clearing inventory in advance of a launch.

MIT researchers are working on an algorithm that could help reduce the likelihood of airplane collisions in the sky, part of work to overhaul the FAA air traffic system.

The FAA's NextGen overhaul mandates that by 2020 all commercial aircraft broadcast GPS coordinates, which would be more accurate than ground-based radar.

The system uses GPS data to track hypothetical puck-shaped zones around smaller aircraft to keep them a safe distance apart. Thousands of small aircraft were involved in near-misses over the past decade and there were 112 midair collisions, according to MIT.

Researchers at the MIT International Center for Air Transportation (ICAT) based the system on months of real-world flight data. A chief goal was to reduce the frequency of false collision alarms. They decided to use two alerts: a moderate one when flight paths are converging, and a severe alert when a collision is imminent. … Read more

As reported by CNET News, Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), who represents parts of Silicon Valley, has introduced the "Next Generation Wireless Disclosure Act," which would require cellular carriers that offer 4G data services to provide consumers with accurate information about the minimum speed and reliability of the service.

In an interview, she said "consumers are really confused about what 4G really is," adding that "wireless companies right now throw around terms like 'lightning fast' and 'supercharged,' but their claims when examined closely don't always match up with reality." She said that the bill … Read more

A Virginia Tech University engineering team on Thursday won first place in the EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge with an 82-mile-per-gallon, extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) using E85 (ethanol).

The results of the three-year EcoCAR competition were announced on L'Enfant Plaza, in Washington, D.C. United States Secretary of Energy Steven Chu congratulated the team at an award ceremony. A total of 16 teams participated in the competition that was co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and General Motors (GM).

A student team from Ohio State University took second place with an E85 EREV. Third place went to a … Read more

OK, honestly, this is my last post on E3. While this year's show is over and we've seen both surprises and disappointments, another year looms: and with it, we hold out hope that next year's show can deliver on some unanswerables that this year's show conveniently skipped. At least, that's the way I feel. No show can ever hope to bring everything we expect--mainly, because E3 is only a collection of demonstrations from an industry that's constantly evolving--but as I peer into next year's crystal ball, this is what I hope we find.

Games and reasons to buy the Wii U Nintendo's next console, the Wii U, remains shrouded in mystery, in the middle of a year where Nintendo remains in a larger cloud of uncertainty. The Nintendo 3DS feels like a disappointment, and the Wii is in decline. That touch-screen tablet-of-wonders that Nintendo's hawking is a project with no definitive must-have games or applications, and that will need to change next year.… Read more