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  With a flick of the wrist, residents of a futuristic home developed in Spain can browse Internet pages displayed on the living room walls, switch off a giant projected alarm clock in the bedroom or transform the entire interior into a busy streetscape or tranquil beach. It may seem light years ahead of current "smart home" technology, but this prototype apartment in Fuenterrabia, a city in Spain's northern Basque country, is far from the realms of fantasy. The technology used to create the interactive interior is the same as that already being used in video games. The team behind the prototype have linked projectors which beam interactive applications on to walls to Kinect motion sensors, developed by Microsoft for its X-box 360 console, thus allowing residents to control their environment simply by waving their hands. It seems to work like magic.  In the morning, a wave at the wall will switch off the alarm and display your diary at the same time. If

wallet hack uses magnetic alarms to stave off pickpockets  We just wrapped up our tour of duty at MWC dodging the notorious pickpockets in Barcelona, so perhaps that's why we're particularly intrigued by Cabel Kraft's anti-snatch wallet hack over at Hackaday . Most billfold alarms rely on a light trigger, which can be problematic if the thief squirrels away his prize for a later reveal. Kraft solves that issue by using magnetic alarms -- the sort attached to windows for break-in alerts -- that set off when the wallet is removed from the victim's pocket. He did have to remove a lot of the alarm's bulk and alter the location of the reed switch, but the setup seems otherwise uncomplicated. If you'd like to prevent your wallet from getting picked and have some soldering chops to boot, have a peek at Kraft's handiwork at the source or just view the video after the break.

 A new Google Glass technology could help find and identify people by the clothes they wear. Partly funded by Google, the InSight system works with individuals' self-identification via smartphones and with Google Glass to analyze clothes, eyeglasses, and other items. A person's name can then be displayed on the Google Glass headset whenever you bump into that individual, according to an article published yesterday by New Scientist. One of the goals is to help Google Glass wearers more easily find friends in airports, stadiums, and other crowded places. There's just one drawback, or benefit, depending on your perspective. The "visual fingerprint" created by the system is based on what a person is currently wearing. Once the individual changes clothes or eyeglasses or other accessories, InSight can no longer identify that person. That means the fingerprint may be good for just a day or evening, but it also means the long-term privacy of the individua

The latest rumor involving Apple: It is in talks with Intel to have that company make the chips for iOS devices. That job currently belongs to Samsung, which is battling Apple in retail over smartphone sales, and in the courts over patent issues. The move could help lower costs for Apple while also giving the company deeper access to Intel's famous chip manufacturing expertise. Intel's reported plans to provide more contract manufacturing of processors is renewing speculation that it will seek a deal with Apple to make chips for its iPads and iPhones, according to published reports. That could leave Samsung, which makes chips for iOS devices while fighting Apple for smartphone dominance, out of the picture. "This is very good news," said Trip Chowdhry, managing director for equity research Global Equities Research . "It should have happened two years ago." Negotiations between Apple and Intel about a mobile chip deal are ongoing

Next up in our Hottest gadgets  is the Tamaggo 360-imager. Easter is nearly here, so what better time to buy an egg-shaped gadget? But this is a camera with a difference – it’ll take 360-degree panorama shots with one click, so you won’t have to worry about attempting to stitch together a load of photos, lining up the edge of each. It’s a palm-sized device, with a 14-megapixel sensor, and a 2-inch LCD touchscreen on the bottom. On the side is a button you press with your thumb, and then you’re done, simple as that. Just upload the snap and whiz around it on your computer or tablet, like a virtual tour of your surroundings. Swish.

 Next up in our  hottest gadgets is the Thermaltake Level 10 M. We’d describe this as skeletonised as well, since it’s the most recent word we’ve learned. A collaboration between Thermaltake and Designworks USA, BMW’s design consultancy, this gaming mouse’s surface is also perforated for ventilation. Sporting a slick, industrial-design this mouse could almost be sentient. You can adjust its height and angle by turning a screw, so it’ll fit anyone from kiddies to biddies. Spec details are thin on the ground but will hopefully include laser tracking, a suitably high DPI count and the ability to kill with its mechanical thumbs.

Skype has rolled out version 4.6 of its iPad and iPhone app, bringing with it several improvements, fixes, and a newly redesigned calling “experience.” General improvements and fixes aside, users will find that some common complaints have been corrected as well, including the issue with dial pad/in-call buttons displaying incorrectly during a call. The updated call screen features a more polished design that is easy on the eyes and appealing while the functionality is mostly the same as what users are familiar with. Those who have used the app regularly will notice the change immediately, while others who haven’t used it for awhile will notice that things “feel” cleaner and more modern. The redesign aside, there have been a number of problems solved, such as conversations now showing up in the correct order. Messages in conversations won’t be listed as edited unless they actually have been when the save button is pressed, making it easier to keeps tabs on things.

 LG has unveiled its small-apartment-and-bedroom-sized MT93 IPS Personal Smart TV, which measures in at 27-inches and offers all the features you expect in a smart television. The MT93 is aimed at students and others who need a small device for an “individual space.” The combination of sleek design, connectivity, and small size make this an appealing addition to LG’s smart TV lineup. The bezel is designed to be small and unintrusive, shrouding an IPS display offering full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution. There’s support for 3D, and response time clocks in at 5ms. Connectivity includes 2 HDMI ports, composite and component video, 3 USB ports, as well as LAN, WiDi, and Miracast. There’s two 7 watt speakers with 3D Sound Zooming, as well as 2D to 3D Conversion, Magic Remote and USB Quick View. LG’s Senior Vice President and Head of the IT Business Unit Il-geun Kwon had this to say: “LG designed its Personal Smart TV lineup to meet the growing demand for compact, multipurpos

“Transformer” is the perfect name for the latest all-in-one from Asus. It’s a PC that can become an 18-inch tablet. It runs Windows 8 and Android. And it’s freakin’ huge at more than five pounds. Asus announced Thursday that this behemoth, the  Transformer AiO , which made its debut in June, will ship sometime in the second quarter with a starting price of $1,300.   The Transformer AiO is an interesting hybrid that can serve as an all-in-one desktop PC or a comically large tablet. The entire gadget is comprised of a tablet display that docks into a stand that holds the PC guts needed for more serious computing. When the AiO is docked, the device runs Windows 8 and is powered by Intel’s core i3 CPU (though it can be purchased with an i5 or i7 processor as well). Graphics processing is handled by a Nvidia GeForce GT730 GPU, and the AiO can be had with either 4GB or 8GB of RAM. You have two choices of hard drives for local storage — 1TB or 2TB. There’s also an optical drive

Bad News for Google's  Motorola  unit. Seems to be facing some hard times -- according to an email acquired by the  Wall Street Journal , up to ten percent of the division's workforce is facing layoffs. "While we're very optimistic about the new products in our pipeline, we still face challenges," explained the email. High costs and losses in competitive markets are forcing the company to make staffing cuts. "These cuts are a continuation of the reductions we announced last summer," a spokesman told the WSJ . "It's obviously very hard for the employees concerned and we're committed to helping them through this difficult transition. Much like the company's  August staff reduction , the new layoffs will effect workers in China, India and the US, reducing the team by about 1,200 employees overall. It's a rocky start to the season, but one the company deems necessary to get it through the  next generation of mobile devices. Hopefull

Microsoft's research division has  unveiled a predictive whiteboard  aimed at making it easier to tell stories through drawings and data. Sketch Insight takes simple line drawings and interprets them to create charts, maps and other visual representations from a particular data set. "SketchInsight is a data enabled canvas that allows you to create interactive data charts through simple interactive sketches," said Bongshin Lee, who works as part of Microsoft's computational user experiences group. A demonstration of the technology in the video above shows how the device uses simple cues drawn by the presenter to pick out relevant information easily. Drawing an "L" shape tells SketchInsight to create a graph, while beginning to write labels against each axis allows the whiteboard to suggest which data sets might be of interest. Interacting with the graphs and charts then allows the user to highlight or focus in on particular slices of information. Esse

 Is it happened to you ever that you Forget your keys somewhere in your house and you are already late to office. Defiantly you will think that there should be some tracking device to find the lost keys.  Don't Worry Here is the Solution   Wireless Key Finder set ,the convenient, high tech solution to finding your keys, cell phone, and other small gadgets is here. Never misplace anything again!    This wireless key finder uses the latest electronic wave search technology to locate your keys and will work up to 20 meters. Inferior technology utilizes clapping or whistling, but with this key finder, it's just a matter of pressing the "find" button on the remote. A loud beeping alarm from the receiver will then alert the user of its location, even when hidden under a pile of clothes or stored inside your closet.  This key finder can make finding anything so much easier, not just keys. With 5 receivers included, you can attach one to your wallet, purse, iPod, iP

Samsung working on 5.9-inch phablet, May be launched later this year: Report   Samsung will be unveiling its latest Galaxy S IV flagship in a week's time. But fresh reports coming from The Korea Times claim that the Korean manufacturer is already gearing up for a 5.9-inch device to be introduce in the "latter half of this year". "Samsung is working on introducing a new phablet using a 5.9-inch organic light-emitting diode ( OLED ) screen", an official told The Korea Times on condition of anonymity. The official also mentioned that the new device will be powered by the proprietary Exynos Octa processor. Citing "an inside source from Samsung", the report mentions that the company expects to sell larger number of phablets in the near future, which should help it maintain its leading position in the smartphone sales rankings. Whether or not this is a separate device from the 6.3-inch Galaxy Note III currently in the making, remains to

A Lamp that works with gravity ...!   For those who, like many of us, technology addicts, it may be surprising to discover that 1.5 billion people living in backward areas of the world and who are still without electricity.   Are remote and difficult to access. There are those, however, try to deal with these problems with technology solutions "sophisticated".   One example comes from two London designers who have created a useful and intelligent lamp, for those who do not have access to electricity.   It is a lamp that works by exploiting gravity. Consists of a 'bag' that functions as a counterweight and a tape that runs the bag, is that the LED lamp.   GravityLight - this is his name - works thanks to the weight of the bag, filled with gravel, sand or soil.   Thanks to some equipment and lights the lamp, 3 seconds of sliding are already enough to get 30 minutes of light!  For many people in developing countries could replace kerosene lamps popular, mo

This week the Samsung Galaxy S4 (or Samsung Galaxy S IV, if you prefer) is getting its fair share of pre-release specification leaks, some of them fake, others exceedingly realistic. The one we’re about to have a peek at seems to our haggard, weathered eyeballs to be almost surprisingly legitimate – pixel sizes of their screenshots included. With this leak comes a selection of screenshots that include specifications from the app Quick System Info PRO – a free app that’ll tell you everything you need to know about your device in a jiffy.  The first mistake several commenters have made already this morning is to decide that the little half-circle tab in the lower left-hand corner of several of the following screenshots is a multi-screen feature in the Galaxy S IV. In fact it’s a tab existing inside the Quick System Info PRO app itself, appearing in any device you open it up with. It does look extremely similar to the tab that appears in the Galaxy Note 2 enabling multi

New 40 percent smaller SIM format gets standardized ETSI has given the nod to a new SIM format standard, which will be 40 percent smaller than the existing micro-SIM design. Agreeing to the design in Osaka, Japan, the shape will be 12.3mm by 8.8mm and will measure the same thickness as existing SIMs at 0.67mm thick. The design promises to work with existing hardware and appears to fly closer to Apple's suggested size, following plenty of crossed words between manufacturers over the next iteration of the card. Update: Nokia has since put out a statement saying it will honor ETSI's decision and license out the needed patents on fair terms after the standards group made sure the vote was fair. We detect more than a small number of sour grapes from Espoo over having its own design rejected, though: it still sees Apple's nano-SIM as "technically inferior" and thinks the existing micro-SIM will still be the "preferred option." We can th

   EU antitrust regulators fined Microsoft 561 million euros on Wednesday for breaking a promise to offer European consumers a choice of web browser. Microsoft had made the pledge in 2009 in settling an antitrust investigation in Europe , where the software group 's regulatory troubles date from the last decade and have cost it a total of 2.16 billion euros, including the latest fine. Microsoft promised to offer European consumers a choice of rival browsers in the previous version of its Windows operating system . But the European Commission , which acts as competition regulator across the 27-member European Union , said it found the company broke that undertaking between May 2011 and July 2012. The Commission said it takes such settlement commitments very seriously. "Legally binding commitments reached in antitrust decisions play a very important role in our  enforcement policy because they allow for rapid solutions to competition problems," Compe

 Mitsubishi's i-MiEV is known for many accomplishments in the electric car world, but long-range driving and staggeringly good looks aren't among them. Its just-unveiled Concept CA-MiEV solves the former by making at least a token gesture towards the latter. The combination of flat-packed, high-density 28kWh lithium-ion batteries and a sleeker, low-drag shape help the compact car last for 186 miles on a charge, or exactly three times what the i-MiEV could muster. It's enough that   Mitsubishi describes the concept as a "suburban" EV that could last for a week of typical European commuting on one charge. As it's a showfloor darling, the Concept CA-MiEV naturally stuffs in a lot of technology that's only sometimes related to the battery: it can charge wirelessly using WiTricity's magnetic resonance, takes data from smartphones and will email the owner if it's stolen. Mitsubishi is quick to warn that the car isn't intended fo

The Temple Run Oz  now available for both Android and iOS users to download from their respective app stores. This follows closely on the heels of Temple Run 2, which was released earlier this year.  This massively popular running game takes players into the world of Oz, where they run along the yellow brick road and flee from flying monkeys. The environment in the game was directly inspired by the movie, and so those who have seen the latter will recognize the common elements when playing Temple Run: Oz. This includes a trip in a hot air balloon, during which time the player will have a chance to grab more coins. The environment itself changes as the gamer plays, something that will be familiar to those who have played Temple Run 2. Weekly challenges are provided as well, allowing players to compete with their friends. Those who download the game today will get 1500 coins for free, so don’t delay if you’re planning to play at some point. The Android version

  In a bid to push the development of small, touch-enabled laptops, Microsoft has started to offer discounts on Windows 8 and Office 2013 to manufacturing OEMs. According to WSJ and Digitimes reports, these price cuts would be reflected in products in the fall. The deal includes Windows 8 plus Office for $30 -- a bundle that previously cost $120. Microsoft hasn't made any official comment on the rumor, although the discounted licensing was apparently offered late last month and will be specific to laptops with touch-enabled screens smaller than 10.8 inches. Now we'll just have to wait and see how much of that discount will transfer to retail price tags.

 Almost two years after its last major set-top box rollout, Roku is ready to introduce its first third generation player. Other than a new curvier design outside the Roku 3's main differences are a more powerful processor inside, the addition of dual band WiFi and a tweaked remote with audio out (headphones included) for private listening. Of course, hardware is only half the story and the new player debuts a reworked interface that will also spread to "current generation" players (read: Roku 2, new HD, LT and Streaming Stick) as an update in April. Roku 3 goes on sale tomorrow through Roku.com and Amazon.com for $99, taking the place of the current top of the line XS model. We'll go more in depth about what's new this time around, including a video preview of the new UI, after the break.

 The large-phone craze is rocking the world like a hurricane, and LG is no stranger to this trend: within the last year, the Korean manufacturer has launched two big-screened smartphones as Optimus Vus (three if you count the LG Intuition on Verizon) to mediocre fanfare worldwide. Given the growing competition in the category -- most notably from its rival Samsung with the Galaxy Note series -- it was inevitable that a stronger campaign, as well as a leader to drive it, was necessary. This is where the LG Optimus G Pro comes in, taking advantage of a 5.5-inch, 1080p True HD-IPS + LCD panel while pulling in several design and feature cues from its smaller (yet elder) siblings, the Optimus G and Nexus 4 . As if the display wasn't enough, LG tops it off with one of the world's first Snapdragon 600 quad-core processors, 2GB RAM and a 13MP rear camera with all the trimmings. It may not be LG's current flagship, per se, but the laundry list of features indicates

N ext up in Hottest  gadgets on the planet is the Mobee Magic Feet Fed up of shelling out for new batteries every five minutes to power your iMac keyboard and mouse? Who wouldn’t be? Well this is the solution. It’ll charge up to three devices at once, so your keyboard, Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad can all get juiced at the same time. A full charge takes six hours, so leaving it overnight should do the trick, and each charged device should last 10 days before needing another zap. It’ll look right at home among your Apple products too. It charges from the mains, and adds another four USB ports.

 Samsung’s Galaxy S IV will feature software that uses eye tracking to scroll content on the screen, according to a report from the New York Times on Monday. When the phone senses that readers’ eyes have reached the bottom of the screen, it will page up the content on the screen so that users don’t have to swipe, the report says. NYT points out that Samsung filed a trademark in Europe this past January for the term “Eye Scroll,” and it trademarked “ Samsung Eye Scroll ” in the US in February. The US application describes the service as “software having a feature of sensing eye movements and scrolling displays of mobile devices, namely, mobile phones, smart phones, and tablet computers according to eye movements.” The term “Eye Pause” was also trademarked in the US , but the application states only that the service is “software for smart phones and tablet computers.” Samsung has kept details on the upcoming Galaxy S IV firmly under wraps, including specs and body

Our sources in the grey market have informed us that they had sold a few Xperia Zs in the past few days (three to four units per day on an average) for Rs 47,000, and the remaining stock is now being sold for Rs 5,000 less. If we take into account the fact that buyers pay a premium for devices that have not been officially launched, the latest price seems even better.Now available for Rs 42,000!    I t seems Sony has made quite an impression on Android fans in the country with the Xperia Z, which is yet to be officially launched here in India. The smartphone's price in the grey market has fallen to Rs 42,000 from its earlier price of Rs 47,000 . That means the Xperia Z costs less than the HTC Butterfly , at the moment. Sony plans on launching the device very soon— on March 6 to be precise.  We have routinely seen phones selling for exorbitant prices much before they're officially launched. A prime example is the 64GB iPhone 5 , which was being sold in the gr

 Even as the secret of Samsung's Galaxy S IV has been handed off to some teenager, the @evleaks Twitter account (which has been reliable in the past) just posted a supposed pic of and specs for the phone. Along with what's clearly a rendering and potentially just a placeholder image of the phone, the specs list a Super AMOLED Full HD screen of unknown size, 16GB/32GB/64GB storage options with 2GB of RAM, a 13MP camera and Android 4.2 OS. A second image shows the same mockup lined up with previous Galaxy phones apparently confirming its status as the largest one yet, although that's not surprising given recent trends. Of course, given what we know about the lengths Samsung went to protect the design of the Galaxy S III (multiple designs, hand-delivered prototypes), you'll forgive us for reserving judgement until the real thing is shown off on March 14th.

  The Curiosity rover has been in an especially precarious position since late last week, when a memory glitch forced it into a safe mode while NASA prepared a backup and diagnosed the trouble. We're glad to report that the worst is over. Scientists have confirmed that the rover left safe mode on later on Saturday and started using its high-gain antenna for communication a day later. However, it's not quite out of the woods yet -- if Mars had woods, that is. The backup is still taking on the information it needs to assume full responsibility, and NASA wants to evaluate the suitability of the one-time primary computer as the new backup. Nonetheless, all the early indicators point to Martian exploration going back on track within days.

Estate planning attorney James Lamm who writes the blog "Digital Passing" advises people to plan ahead for their virtual afterlives. Your best bet is to make sure valuable memories and intellectual property are stored somewhere besides a social media account - so back up your photos on a USB flash drive. Still, given the prevalence of social media in today's world, Lamm advises these four steps as a sort of digital estate planning guide to help ensure your wishes are carried out - even though, he says, with the law as it stands currently, there are no guarantees. 1. Keep a list Make a list of all your digital accounts including social media, email, online banking, investment, gaming and any other virtual profile you can think of. Include your login information, such as usernames and passwords, and encryption data. 2. Put someone in charge Tell your estate planner where to find that list and give that person explicit instructions for how you want the inf

It seems that Microsoft’s own job’s board is the best place to find out what the company has planned in the future. In a new job posting, Microsoft has leaked information that their new, major update to its Windows Phone series should be coming here just in time for the holidays. The job posting also confirms that there is a “current release” for Windows Phone 8 devices that should be released sometime soon. It may be referring to the Windows Blue update. The job posting states that the company is, “getting ready for our next release targeting the holiday of this year and we’re chartered with keeping the momentum for Windows Phone by bringing new killer devices and delightful user experiences.” It has also been confirmed that if you currently own a Windows Phone 8 device, you will be eligible for this major update. Microsoft has realized the mistakes it made with its Windows 7 devices, and will increase the longevity of its devices from here on out. We also kn

It seems that Facebook is on its way out from the Teen community. Many teens are moving more towards social media platforms like Instagram (conveniently owned by Facebook) and SnapChat. It’s most likely because of Instagram/SnapChat’s appealing user-friendly mobile apps (Facebook for Android still needs work), and because of teenagers’ obsession with sharing photos. Some teenagers only use Facebook as a last resort when they get bored of their other social media apps. Adam Ludwin, developer of a social photo album app entitled Albumatic, interviewed a group of people under the age of 25 about his app, and a majority of the people he asked stated that they disliked the apps reliance on Facebook. Ludwin stated, “They gave me the typical teenage response. We’re bored with Facebook.” It also seems that Facebook is very aware of this problem. In Facebook’s annual 10-K report, it stated, “We believe that some of our users, particular our younger users, are aware of