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Electronics news articles

Viewing 1 to 15 of 63 articles

• Deployment of airport full body scanners could be delayed
  www.tvnz.co.nz, 6 January
  In the aftermath of the incident aboard a US-bound airliner on Christmas day in which a passenger attempted to detonate explosives hidden in his underwear, governments are rushing to install full-body scanners at airports to thwart similar attacks.
  But their efforts could be stymied by the fact that the scanner technology has not yet been certified as fit for purpose by national governments – and manufacturers will not invest in mass production until it has.
• Losing mobile may be a thing of the past
  www.nzherald.co.nz, 8 January
  Losing your cellphone can be exasperating and expensive. But what if your phone could call out to you, letting you know it was about to be left behind?
  Zomm, a newly minted consumer electronics company from Tulsa, Oklahoma, believes this would cut down on disappearing handsets.
  At the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, the company showed off a small device that does call to you.
• 3-D TV through rose-tinted glasses
  www.nzherald.co.nz, 8 January
  This is supposedly the year 3-D television becomes the hot new thing.
  Updated sets and disc players are coming out, and 3-D cable channels are in the works. But it's not clear the idea will reach out and grab mainstream viewers.
  Besides having to spring for expensive new TVs, people would have to put on awkward special glasses to give the picture the illusion of depth. That limits 3-D viewing to times when viewers can sit down and focus on a movie or show.
• Take your shows on the road
  www.nzherald.co.nz, 8 January
  The prospect of watching live, local TV shows on mobile phones and other portable devices is getting closer.
  Manufacturers this week are showing off gadgets that can receive a new type of digital TV transmissions.
  The devices include a cellphone made by Samsung Electronics and a Dell laptop. There's also the Tivit, a device about the size of a deck of cards that receives a TV signal, then rebroadcasts it over Wi-Fi so it can be received by an iPhone or BlackBerry.
• Mind-blowingly expensive earphones announced
  www.nzherald.co.nz, 15 January
  Logitec has blown the in-ear headphone market to bits with a new ultra-pro product with a price tag that will have trembling bank managers heading for the hills.
  Ultimate Ears 18 Pro Custom Monitors are primarily designed for flashy touring artists, with the brand already claiming 75% of the in-ear monitor market.
• Nokia launches free navigation to keep up with competition
  www.3news.co.nz video, 25 January
  The world's largest handset manufacturer hopes its new navigation software will help it regain territory in the competitive battle for high-end smartphones.
  The Finnish company staged an event in central London to unveil its new direction.
• Boarding pass texted to your mobile
  www.nzherald.co.nz, 28 January
  Qantas subsidiary Jetstar will begin rolling out SMS boarding pass technology this year as it aims to improve its customer service.
  Jetstar chief executive Bruce Buchanan outlined the airline's moves to increase customer self service in a speech to an industry conference in Singapore.
• Shiny gadget, silly name: iPad jokes fly on web
  www.nzherald.co.nz, 3 February
  SAN JOSE, California - You have to wonder whether there were any women in the room when the marketing geniuses at Apple decided to call the company's new gadget the "iPad". The jokes about feminine hygiene products have been flying since last week's debut.
  "Will women send their husbands to the Apple store to buy iPads?" went one joke on Twitter.
• A future with no power lines?
  www.tvnz.co.nz video, 6 February
  One of the country's biggest electricity distributors is looking to the sun to provide a more…
  Discussion starters:
  • Energy distributi
  • Environmental issu
  • Fitness for purpose
• Electricity generated without power lines
  www.tvnz.co.nz, 6 February
  One of the country's biggest electricity distributors is looking to the sun to provide a more reliable and economic power supply for properties in remote areas.
  The Powerco system means power lines may become a thing of the past for some users, especially for properties needing electricity in remote parts of the country.
• Hi-tech system to take the hassle out of parking
  www.3news.co.nz, 7 February
  Finding an empty parking space might get a little easier thanks to a new hi-tech system developed in New Zealand.
  MeterEye knows when a space is free and when a vehicle has stayed too long.
  You can expect to see the yellow domes popping up in parking buildings and city streets near you soon. The electronic sensors monitor all vehicle movements, sending that information to a central computer which can tell which spaces are full, and how long each car's been there.
• Gadget review: Toast n egg, air multiplier and sushi maker
  www.3news.co.nz, 9 February
  Tefal Toast N' Egg
  I've found the perfect invention for single men or those who just don't have time to have a proper breakfast in the morning. Instead of just a toaster, how about a toaster complete with built-in egg cooker!
• Fitness gadgets
  www.tvnz.co.nz, 10 February
  Trying to get fit this summer? Gadget guy Ben Gracewood takes a look at some useful and interesting inventions to help you out.
  
• Flying commercially into space
  TVNZ Breakfast video, 23 February
  Seven New Zealanders have paid nearly $300 each to become some of the first passengers to board a commercial flight into space with some of the group already preparing to start training for the flight.
  Discussion starters:
  • Proper / alternative function
  • Environmental considerations
  • Leisure technology
• Solar power system designed for portable bach
  www.massey.ac.nz, 4 March
  A solar power system specially designed for a revolutionary new portable building has featured in an exhibition of work by design students in Wellington. The exhibition represents the culmination of a year's work for postgraduate students from a variety of design disciplines including spatial, textile, digital, graphic, industrial, communications and performance design.
  Discussion starters:
  • Portable renewable energy systems
  • Building design