Category Archives: Technology

WALL-E, meet EVA: ‘Robo-doc’ navigates on its own, frees doctors to focus on the critically ill

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, the world’s first hospital to introduce a remote-presence robot into its neurological intensive-care unit in 2005, now welcomes the RP-VITA, the first robot able to navigate the hospital on its own.

UCLA staff affectionately dubbed the 5’5″, 176-pound robot “EVA,” for executive virtual attending physician. Unlike earlier models that physicians steered via a computer-linked joystick, this version drives on auto-pilot, freeing doctors to devote more time to patient care. (more…)

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PatternBuilders brings big data analytics down to size

Microsoft BizSpark startup makes next-generation big data analytics solutions accessible to enterprises of all sizes.

REDMOND, Wash. — May 23, 2013 — Data technology experts and startup veterans Terence Craig and Mary Ludloff founded PatternBuilders with a singular vision: to make it practical and easy for enterprises everywhere to harness big data and make better, faster decisions — without hiring a team of experts.

“We found it disconcerting that there was such a huge divide between big data excitement and actual adoption rates,” said Craig, CEO and chief technology officer at PatternBuilders. “Taking advantage of big data analytics often requires a budget, toolset and in-house expertise far beyond what most enterprises can muster. Mary and I founded PatternBuilders because we thought there must be a better approach.” (more…)

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comScore Releases April 2013 U.S. Online Video Rankings

Video Ad Views Reach Another All-Time High at 13.2 Billion in April

RESTON, VA, May 22, 2013  – comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, today released data from the comScore Video Metrix service showing that 181.9 million Americans watched 38.8 billion online content videos in April, while the number of video ad views reached an all-time high at 13.2 billion.

Top 10 Video Content Properties by Unique Viewers

Google Sites, driven primarily by video viewing at YouTube.com, ranked as the top online video content property in April with 154.6 million unique viewers, followed by Facebook with 627 million, VEVO with 52.9 million, NDN with 45.3 million, and Yahoo! Sites with 45.1 million. Nearly 39 billion video content views occurred during the month, with Google Sites generating the highest number at 13.0 billion and Facebook reaching an all-time high once again with 740.8 million. Google Sites had the highest average engagement among the top ten properties. (more…)

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Microsoft unveils Xbox One: the ultimate all-in-one home entertainment system

Blockbuster titles, Steven Spielberg-produced Halo TV series, and exclusive agreements with the NFL transform games, TV and entertainment for the 21st century living room.

REDMOND, Wash. — May 21, 2013 — A new vision for the future comes to life today as Microsoft Corp. unveils Xbox One , the all-in-one gaming and entertainment system created for today and the next generation. At Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Wash., the company showcased how Xbox One puts you at the center of all your games, TV, movies, music, sports and Skype.

“Xbox One is designed to deliver a whole new generation of blockbuster games, television and entertainment in a powerful, all-in-one device,” said Don Mattrick, president, Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “Our unique, modern architecture brings simplicity to the living room and, for the first time ever, the ability to instantly switch across your games and entertainment.” (more…)

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Yahoo! to Acquire Tumblr

Promises not to screw it up  

SUNNYVALE, Calif. & NEW YORK — Yahoo! Inc. and Tumblr announced today that they have reached a definitive agreement for Yahoo! to acquire Tumblr.  

Per the agreement and our promise not to screw it up, Tumblr will be independently operated as a separate business. David Karp will remain CEO. The product, service and brand will continue to be defined and developed separately with the same Tumblr irreverence, wit, and commitment to empower creators.   (more…)

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Tablets: An ideal vacation companion

Sleek, light, long-lasting and with a dazzling array of apps, today’s tablets have become an indispensable tool for travelers.

REDMOND, Wash. — Packing for summer vacation used to be quite a chore, but today a new travel companion is removing a lot of the guesswork and lightening the load. Travel guides? Check. Books? A whole library. Movies, music and games for the kids? Got ‘em. Map, compass, calculator, and even Office 2013 so you can get a little work done? Of course.

The best part is that it all comes in one small package. Sleeker, lighter and with more battery life, today’s tablet PCs are the perfect way to navigate new cities, stay entertained on the train, and keep connected to the office while you’re on the road. A tablet paired with a keyboard (or a convertible with a keyboard built in) can help travelers both work and play while away from home. (more…)

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Mother’s Day Online Shopping Up 15 Percent. Reports IBM

Mobile Percentage of Sales Reaches 17 percent, as On-the-Go Consumers Shop for Mom

ARMONK, N.Y. – 16 May 2013: Mother’s Day online shopping grew 15 percent in the week leading up to Mother’s Day, compared to the same time period last year. Spurred by mobile commerce, mobile percentage of sales reached 17 percent, according to IBM’s Digital Analytics Benchmark, a cloud-based analysis of the online retail market.

With the National Retail Federation (NRF) estimating Mother’s Day sales reached $20 billion this year, retailers made it easier for consumers to buy for mom through their smartphones and tablets.  (more…)

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Highly logical: Microsoft and Paramount Pictures team up to promote new ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ film

A new Star Trek app for Windows 8 and Windows Phone kicked off an unprecedented cross-company partnership to promote “Star Trek Into Darkness,” the new film from Paramount Pictures. Star Trek movie-themed content will materialize across Microsoft’s consumer products and services leading up the May 16 release of the highly anticipated new movie.

REDMOND, Wash. – May 15, 2013 – Star Trek and Microsoft — a logical pairing, Spock might say.

Paramount Pictures thought so. (more…)

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