Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Thursday, February 06, 2014

drag2share: HTC Jumps Aboard The Wearable Tech Train

source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/~3/cvopaXT9Jqo/htc-jumps-aboard-the-wearable-tech-train-2014-2

HTC watch concept drawing

Not to be outdone by literally everyone around it, HTC told Bloomberg today that it, too, will jump aboard the wearable tech train with a release of a wearable device later this year.

HTC Chairman Cher Wang told Bloomberg that the company has been looking at wearables for many years, but only now is it almost ready to ship. She confirmed that it will be ready to go by the Christmas shopping season:

Many years ago we started looking at smartwatches and wearables, but we believe that we really have to solve the battery problems and the LCD light problems. These are customer-centric problems.

Poor battery life is a problem plaguing the other wearable devices that are out there, like the Samsung Galaxy Gear. If HTC can figure out how to improve battery life, while offering a slick design like its HTC One, then it could have a chance at cracking the nut that is wearable devices.

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Wednesday, February 05, 2014

drag2share: This Vending Machine Dishes Out Fresh Fruits And Veggies Instead Of Junk Food

source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/~3/6gAGZWs6jRE/farmers-fridge-vending-machine-2014-2

farmers fridge vending machine A trip to the vending machine will usually yield some pretty unhealthy and unsatisfying snacks.

A Chicago-based entrepreneur is looking to change that with a healthy twist on the vending machine, an experiment he calls the Farmer's Fridge.

Luke Saunders opened his first kiosk back in October at Chicago's Garvey Food Court, an eating center that's already host to McDonald's and Dunkin' Donuts, among other fast-food options.

At the Farmer's Fridge, on the other hand, you can use a touchscreen to order from a menu packed with super-nutritious items, like a fresh kale salad with quinoa, fennel, pineapple, and blueberries, or a Napa salad with avocado, grapes, and pistachios. They even sell sliced veggies with hummus and Greek yogurt mixed with berries.

farmer's fridge vending machine "I want to make it fast and easy for someone to choose a delicious, nutritious smart meal when they are on-the-go," Saunders said in a press release. "What we’re doing is taking the vending machine concept and revolutionizing it."

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drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

âWhy a Single-Molecule LED Could Be a Big Deal

Source: http://gizmodo.com/why-a-single-molecule-led-could-be-a-big-deal-1516488795

Why a Single-Molecule LED Could Be a Big Deal

Technologically speaking, smaller is virtually always better. So it's perhaps no surprise that scientists have developed the first ever single-molecule LED. But why is it potentially such a big deal?

Panasonic reverses its fortunes amid electric vehicle boom

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/02/05/panasonic-reverses-its-fortunes-amid-electric-vehicle-boom/

Not every struggling company story has to have a depressing ending. Though its troubles are far from over yet, Panasonic has just announced 73.7 billion yen ($730 million) in net earnings for Q3. That's up 20 percent over last year, a disastrous period that saw nearly $10 billion in full-year losses and painful company-wide layoffs. While those cuts are finally helping the bottom line, Panasonic also said it's no longer relying on its consumer electronics division for profits. Instead, it saw the most growth in the automotive sector, highlighted by booming battery sales to EV makers like Toyota and Tesla -- a key part of new president Kazuhiro Tsuga's strategy. Unfortunately, another part of the plan is to keep eliminating unprofitable divisions until March 2016. That means the recent death of its much-loved plasma TV unit isn't the end of the slashing.

Filed under: Transportation