Bits: Tracking the Worldâs Appetite for Innovation
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In its quest for what it calls ânew metrics for the knowledge economy,â a nonprofit research group has come up with an index of global innovation confidence.
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Forget the clicker: A new technology in Japan could let you control electronic devices without lifting a finger simply by reading brain activity.
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Do you want fries with that? Never mind, we already know. A Pittsburgh startup, HyperActive Technologies Inc., is testing technology at area fast-food restaurants designed to give kitchen workers a good indication of what customers want before the hungry souls even get close enough to place an order...
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It doesn't take a genius to catch on to the fact that in IT, innovation is a mandate. Push the envelope of what's possible, or find yourself relegated to wayside. But, to borrow a favored David St. Hubbins Spinal Tap aphorism, there's a fine line between clever and crackpot when it comes to making good on technological breakthroughs in the enterprise.                                                      It is in that spirit that we revisit last year's level-headed look at crackpot technologies that could transform the enterprise, putting the screws to a new rack of could-be enterprise contenders. But before you write off nanotech or direct brain interfaces as the next big enterprise thing, consider this:  [ For an in-depth look at last year's crackpot tech assessments, see: 12 crackpot tech ideas that could transform the enterprise ]  Of the dozen technologies we examined last year, several made significant enterprise-minded strides since we first assessed their IT prospects. Desktop Web apps, for one, lent credence to the conjecture that fat productivity suites might just have a shorter future than previously thought; solid-state drives popped up everywhere, from ultramobile laptops to the datacenter; and Sun's datacenter-in-a-box proved compelling enough for Google to move first to patent it. Even quantum cryptography received a vote of confidence, with Switzerland tapping the technology to protect parliamentary election transmissions.   Sure, some of this year's out-there technologies may prove fruit for future high-profile tech flops lists, but without forward-thinking, there would be no worthwhile enterprise advancement. So raise your eyebrows or your suspicions as you deem fit, and join us in assessing the potential each of the following technologies has to earn IT's respect or derision.  ? Nanotechnology ? Optical computing ? Pervasive computing ? Wireless power ? The $100 laptop ? Direct brain interfaces ? Enterprise supercomputing ? Virtual worlds
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Does Apple's latest innovation match the hype?
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By Krell, Eric  IN THE BUSINESS WORLD, TECHNOLOGY MATTERS-EVEN IF SOME HIGHLY INFLUENTIAL THOUGHT LEADERS MIGHT SAY, OR WRITE, OTHERWISE.
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By Whitesides, George M  Travelogues from Lilliput THE DANCE OF MOLECULES: How Nanotechnology Is Changing Our Lives. Ted Sargent, xx + 234 pp. Thunder's Mouth Press, 2006. $25.  NANO-HYPE: The Truth Behind the Nanotechnology Buzz. David Berube. Foreword by Mihail C. Roco. 521 pp.
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A big company needs some big ideas in order to grow bigger.
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Computers long ago ceased to be simply tools. Instead, like digital music players and digital cameras, they are coming to reflect peopleÂs tastes and aspirations.
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Devices seen as good entry point to consumer electronics market.
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Back in the 1700s, prizes were a fairly common way to reward innovation. But todayâs economy doesnât have nearly enough of them.
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New software synchronizes Research In Motion devices with Mac OS X.
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Ultrasmall technology, revolutionary impact.
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Innovation has become an all-purpose tonic, the default prescription for every pain associated with the retrenching American economy. Whatever the problem -- slower growth, global competition, fewer well-paying jobs -- innovating, we are told, is the solution.
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Innovation comes from below. To find the weirdest new forms of play, look to independent designers. Commentary by Clive Thompson.
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Digital photo frames expand beyond standalone frames into home appliances.
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A global summit aims to lay the groundwork for a new structure of internet governance. Participants, however, have very different visions for the future of broadband deployment, net telephony and other web technologies. By Wendy M. Grossman.