Computers@Ballarat

Here is an entertaining and informative history of the iPhone from CNET UK. The animation also shares some facts about ARPANET, DynaTAC, the Internet, chip development and Apple designer Jony Ive. Take a look: Permalink | Facebook | Twitter | Recent Headlines | News Feeds HowToWeb.com

PBS will air a special look at Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, called Steve Jobs – One Last Thing, on November 2. The look at Steve Jobs includes interviews with Ronald Wayne, Steve Wozniak, Ross Perot, Walt Mossberg, Will.i.am, Robert Cringely, Robert Palladino, Bill Fernandez and many others. It also includes footage from a never-before-broadcast interview [...]

CNET reported yesterday that Google planned to use its homepage to protest the horrible Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) bill. Bills like SOPA that give previously unheard of and unthinkable powers and controls to powerful media and entertainment companies seem to be on the rise these days. We already have laws in place to protect [...]

SiliconFilter reports that Google is shutting down its Picnik photo editor. Picnik has an announcement about the closing here. The closing date is April 19, 2012. Picnik says the photo-editing tools are already available on Google+ through the social network’s Creative Kit. Picnik has created an app, called Picnik Takeout, that will help you transfer [...]

Associa, a community association management company in North America, has launched a new national environmental initiative, Associa Green. Associa Green’s kickoff events are being held throughout April in neighborhoods in the Seattle, Tampa, Austin and Washington, D.C. areas, in conjunction with a nationwide rollout in all Associa communities. Daisy, the Associa Green mascot is pictured [...]

Japan’s NEC Corporation has announced plan for major job cuts. Reuters reports that NEC will cut 10,000 jobs, which is about 10% of its workforce. Reuters says the company is blaming part of its poor smartphone sales on the popularity of the iPhone in Japan. NEC’s operating income was down 13.5% for the three months [...]

Here is a video from National Geographic of soccer playing robots falling down at the annual Robocup. The robots look pretty hilarious when they fail. It’s okay to laugh at them now while they are clumsy and ridiculous and not running the world and using humans as batteries and slaves. Take a look: Permalink | [...]

Japan’s Institute of Advanced Media Arts and Sciences has created an unusual camera that lets you take photographs with your hands. Digiinfo.tv reports that the Ubi-Camera lets you frame the photographs with your hands when you take them. The camera device is attached to your finger and the shutter is pressed when you push hard [...]

Google Maps has launched an 8-bit version for the NES/Famicom. Google says, “. With the power of Google’s immense data centers, and support from Nintendo and Square Enix, we were able to overcome the technical and design hurdles of developing 8-bit maps.” Google says it has long neglected NES. You can find Google Maps for [...]

Microsoft unveiled several new technologies at TechFest 2012 including realistic avatars and a wearable projector that project multitouch interfaces. Another new technology from Microsoft, which may the most innovative, is technology that can translate a person’s voice into up to 26 languages. The technology does not translate a person’s voice into a synthesized voice, but [...]