The Internet of Things

The web-based integration service If This Then That, which is trying to tie your physical connected devices to your digital services (and everything to each other), now supports the Nest thermostat. Or rather the Nest thermostat, which is the subject of a new open developer program, now supports IFTTT. So now readers could geo-fence their Continue Reading →

Microsoft has joined Qualcomm and other technology companies in a bid to establish standard ways for household devices like light bulbs and thermostats to talk to each other. The Qualcomm-backed AllSeen Alliance is among a growing number of efforts for companies working alone or in groups to promote protocols for how smart devices should work Continue Reading →

University of Virginia associate professor Kamin Whitehouse thinks people want to know where everyone is in their house: Who’s taking the long shower? Who left the air conditioner on when they left the house? “Today’s smart home sensors are about appliances, lights, and devices in the home, but not really about the people,” said Whitehouse. Continue Reading →

British Airways believes a high-tech blanket can tell the company how to make passengers more comfortable on flights. Dubbed the “happiness blanket,” this particular piece of material is loaded with fiber optics and connects to a neurosensor device so it acts like a big comfy mood ring. The blanket isn’t handed out to every passenger. Continue Reading →

Yo is a great way to annoy your friends, but it could also turn into something much more — a simple way to manage push notifications across multiple apps and gadgets. On Tuesday, we got the first taste of how Yo might actually be useful on a daily basis. The company has launched an IFTTT Continue Reading →

Philips said on Monday it is spinning off its lighting components business in the latest stage of the once-diversified Dutch electronics group’s plan to focus on a handful of higher-margin activities. Philips said it would seek outside investors for its Lumileds Lighting unit which it will combine with its automotive-lighting business. Sales of the combined Continue Reading →

We’ve all heard about smartphones. Now there are smart benches. That is the idea behind a new Boston initiative which will bring “Soofas,” solar-powered benches, to the city. The benches, to be located in various parks, will allow residents to take a load off their feet — while plugging in and recharging their cellphones. “Your Continue Reading →

Smart home? How about smart light bulbs? GE has revealed a brand-new LED light bulb that can connect to the Web shortly after you’ve twisted it into an available socket. Dubbed the Link, the $15 light bulb will be controllable by a companion appn for iOS and Android — “Wink.” If that sounds familiar, it Continue Reading →

  Everyone knows you should drink plenty of fluids when playing sports, but hydration actually becomes an exact science when the pride of your nation is at stake during something like the World Cup. That’s why at this year’s tournament, Brazil’s soccer team is using specially-designed Gatorade bottles that track how much the players are Continue Reading →

About 60 miles from the site of the deadly 2011 nuclear disaster in Fukushima prefecture, inside a former silicon chip manufacturing facility owned by the Japanese computer company Fujitsu, a small team of highly trained engineers are working on one of the company’s hottest new products. Fujitsu’s marketing team claims it’s already proving a hit Continue Reading →