Iris

Before too long, techy women may just print out that little black dress instead of buying it at a store.

Don't believe me? Take a look at some of the 3D-printed gems strolling down the catwalk at the Paris Fashion Show this week. Dutch designer Iris van Herpen's haute couture show Voltage tapped the prowess of 3D-printing companies Stratasys and Materialise to create two pieces that look out of this world.… Read more

LAS VEGAS--Lowe's might not be the first name that comes to mind when you're thinking about cutting-edge home tech, but the company has quietly moved into the field with a series of simple, do-it-yourself kits called Iris.

Pulling together technology from a huge range of vendors, including Verizon, Sylvania, Schlage, First Alert, GE Jasco, and Radio Thermostat of America, Lowe's is offering three Iris kits as well as a new senior monitoring pack called Iris Care.

Iris Care lets you monitor a person's habits and routines remotely. When it detects something abnormal, such as a door … Read more

Instagram does not offer an app with native support for the iPad, and blowing up the iPhone app on an iPad is not ideal unless you enjoy blurry, pixelated images. There are a number of free apps -- InstaFlow, Padgram, Pictacular -- that let you view your Instagram feed on the iPad, so why would you spend $1.99 on Iris? I can't quite recommend you do so, but it is the most polished of the group I looked at this week.

Before I get into Iris, I must first offer the standard Instagram-on-the-iPad disclaimer: Instagram does not let you post photos via a third-party app. Thus, no third-party app offers full Instagram functionality. An app such as Iris, however, lets you view crisp, clear, and large Instagram photos on an iPad, along with a variety of fun and useful features, from commenting on and liking photos to sharing via Twitter and browsing photos by location on a map.… Read more

I had always thought that it was the Brits who most enjoyed using technology to spy on their citizens.

The country seems to have even more cameras than baked beans. But Britain has a cultural excuse. When you find it hard to express yourself, what else are you going to do other than spend your evenings watching others fail to express themselves too?

And yet it seems that the often overly expressive America is also into the spy-camera thing.

The city of Orlando, for example, employs IRIS cameras, which are ostensibly there to capture bad people doing bad things, or … Read more

Lowe's has teamed up with U.K.-based monitoring-tech company AlertMe for some home improvement designed to take your house into the future (or at least help you save on your energy bill).

The companies unveiled today the Iris, a new cloud-based home-monitoring and security system. Iris, which won't be in stores until the end of August, is meant to let homeowners monitor and control devices in the home -- including heating and cooling, home alarm systems, security cameras, or appliances -- using a smartphone, tablet, or computer.

Mary Turner, CEO of AlertMe, said the system is an … Read more

When it comes to mobile devices, do people care about 3D content?

It's a topic I've been wrestling with since the emergence of the HTC Evo 3D, the first 3D-capable smartphone. I came to the conclusion that it was largely a gimmick, or something that piques your interest but quickly fades away. For some, it's just a bit of headache-inducing flash.

Still, that hasn't stopped more companies from moving into the area. The latest two are media startup Cooliris and mobile advertising company Smaato, which recently said they were partnering to deliver 3D advertisements on mobile … Read more

The iPhone 4S' digital personal assistant Siri appears to be heading toward cult classic status. Check out this great little gadget created to enhance your voice control experience.

The Iris 9000 from ThinkGeek is a neat device that lets you control Siri from up to 50 feet away with a micro remote and a built-in mic that picks up your voice at a distance.

But the real draw is the nostalgic design. The module looks like Hal from "2001: A Space Odyssey" and and even has a glowing LED eye that flickers along with Siri's voice.

We just love the below video of the Iris 9000 and Siri together. … Read more

Of all the features introduced in the iPhone 4S, Siri is the one that has people really talking. Literally.

The concept of using a smartphone as a personal assistant is certainly appealing, but it's not necessarily new. Take for instance Voice Actions, a Google feature introduced for 2.2 devices, that lets users call contacts, send messages, complete common tasks, and more.

There are also many applications already in the market that let users ask questions or use commands, although none is quite as well-rounded as Siri. However, a new app recently landed on the scene that looks to … Read more

HOLLYWOOD, Calif.--The cast of "Iris," Cirque du Soleil's new movie-themed show at the famed Kodak Theatre here, took the stage Thursday to preview the upcoming production's mix of elite acrobatics, audio visual technology, and live music and dance for a select crew of press, corporate reps, and local government officials.

Cirque artists performed 20 minutes of the massive stage production--Cirque's 27th to date--for the eager crowd. When "Iris" opens later this year, it will settle into the Kodak Theatre as a permanent attraction, stepping aside whenever the Academy Awards or other shows require the space.

After opening comments from Cirque executives, the audience enjoyed what could prove to be the opening of the finished production. Performers filled the stage in mini-vignettes highlighting the invention of cinema and the earliest days of Hollywood. A human kinescope danced amid aspiring starlets, blue-collar crew workers, silent film stars, and well-dressed executives.

Technological magic merged with the human elements. Independently animated and radio-controlled "creatures" like studio lights and cameras danced with their human counterparts. The opening number climaxed with an aerial act of two male rigging dancers literally flying about and bouncing off the walls of the Kodak Theatre. … Read more