Technology

Given the amount of media attention paid to the financial calamity currently facing Research in Motion (RIM), maker of the BlackBerry, the troubles of other smartphone producers have gone relatively unnoticed. But perhaps that's no longer the case. ... Nokia Corp. has also been confronted with narrowing profit margins, and has responded to a lack of consumer interest by slashing the price of its Lumia 900 Windows phone device. The Lumia 900, which runs Microsoft's Windows Phone mobile operating system, first hit the market in April, 2012. Available exclusively through AT ... (view more)

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is reportedly working on a laser scanner that could check airline passengers for security violations from 164 feet away. However, the technology may require at least four more years of development before ... being ready for deployment. The scanner works at the molecular level, giving it the potential to probe in far more detail than is possible with existing machines. The technology is being adapted for security scanning from use in both medicine and manufacturing. The manufacturer, Genia Photonics, says its "Picosecond Programmable Laser" is able ... (view more)

British researchers are working on an alternative to Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation that will function when GPS fails. They say the GPS satellite system might not last forever, and could be damaged by a freak space incident or even a ... military conflict. The new system comes from BAE systems, a defense company in the United Kingdom. BAE has for some time been trying to find alternatives to GPS, which works by comparing a device's location to multiple satellites in space. Solar Flare Could Destroy GPS Satellites While GPS functions well for now, it is vulnerable to satellite ... (view more)

It has been another tough week for employees at Research in Motion (RIM). The company behind the ground-breaking BlackBerry smartphone has continued its major restructuring campaign with thousands more layoffs. At the same time, new reports are ... suggesting the Waterloo, Canada-based firm could soon split in two, in which case big-time tech firms like Amazon or Facebook might move in to acquire a half. It has been rumored for several months that RIM would make significant layoffs after the failure last year of several key products. The most notable disappointment was the company's PlayBook ... (view more)

Many people are pegging 'tap sensitivity' as the next untapped technology in the race to make smartphones even smarter. Now, a new set of programmable tags working alongside the next generation of Samsung and HTC smartphones seem ready to put this ... idea into practice. The hope is that everyday routines can one day be controlled with the simple tap of a mobile device. In addition to rolling out its new flagship Galaxy S III smartphone (set to launch in June or July, 2012), Samsung will also release its first batch of smart tags called "TecTiles". Basically, these are tags in the form of ... (view more)

Verizon is scrapping its existing phone plans and replacing them with completely new ones. The new options will be much simpler, and could help people who use a lot of data save a good deal of money. Under the new strategy, people using cellphones ... rather than smartphones will simply be offered a single $40 per month plan with restrictions on the number of calls and texts. That suggests Verizon expects the current trend towards upgrading to smartphones will continue, or at least that the company doesn't expect to generate much profit from customers who won't pay for mobile Internet access. For ... (view more)

Things aren't getting any easier for BlackBerry smartphone maker Research in Motion (RIM). With its new products experiencing repeated delays, the Canadian firm continues to struggle to maintain a viable presence in the mobile market. Now, there's ... word the company has decided to lay off 2,000 of its workers worldwide. This is the second time RIM has been forced to execute significant lay offs. Last summer the company cut about the same number of workers, most of whom were based at the company's headquarters in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Executive Restructuring Fails to Stop Bleeding RIM's ... (view more)

United States customs officials have reportedly blocked shipments of two high-profile Android smartphones from entering the country. It's the result of a court injunction obtained by Apple on the basis of alleged patent violations. The affected ... phones are the One X and the EVO 4G LTE, both manufactured by HTC. It's a significant blow to the smartphone maker, as these phones were intended to be its flagship models in the fast-growing Android smartphone market. Apple, Android No Strangers to Courts Apple and various manufacturers of Android devices have been engaged in a lengthy war of ... (view more)

Thanks to a new innovation, the reality of three-dimensional holographic communications is closer than ever before. A research team at Queens University in Ontario, Canada, recently began experimenting with a new system that brings face-to-face ... social media to life. The 'TeleHuman System,' as it is called, is said to be able to produce life-sized holograms that some observers are describing as 'Star Wars-like video conferencing.' Microsoft Kinect Powers 'Star Wars' Holographic System The 'TeleHuman System' marks the culmination of a ten year research project at the university. The system ... (view more)

The share price of Research in Motion (RIM), the Waterloo, Canada-based maker of the once-popular BlackBerry smartphone, continues its free-fall. Shares of the faltering company dipped to an eight-year low late last week. Incredibly, that price took ... a 15 per cent tumble in just three days, following the unveiling of a new BlackBerry device. It has been a wild and entirely unpleasant year for Research in Motion. Early in 2012, the company turned away from high-profile co-chief executives Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie in favor of a new CEO: Thorsten Heins. The shift in leadership evidently ... (view more)