CES 2012: 10 things we learned about the gadgets of the future | Technology | The Observer 1. Apple is still the sun around which many products revolve Apple didn't exhibit here (though there were 250 of its staff on the visitor list) but the space devoted to companies making add-ons for the iPhone and iPad (the iPod is almost forgotten) doubled, taking half of one of the three halls. 2. The company announced in December that this would be the last time it would be hiring a stand at the show, so Steve Ballmer, its chief executive, would give the opening keynote speech, then pass on the baton. But while Ballmer was able to show off forthcoming tablets running the next version of Windows – due in October – he couldn't generate buzz with a compelling new idea. 3. 3D TV is being pushed – but it's still not compelling enough to be convincing You can either have versions that need special glasses (in which case visiting friends are likely to be out of luck) or, if glasses-free, require you to be sitting in precisely the correct place to get the effect (so, ditto). 4. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Britain's computer science courses failing to give workers digital skills Britain is facing a shortage of workers with programming skills, fuelled by poor-quality training courses in universities and colleges, which has left firms in fields ranging from advertising to Formula 1 struggling to recruit. Leading companies interviewed for a new Guardian series say they require staff at a senior level to be computer literate, combining digital skills with the ability to lead a team. But they face delays in hiring the right staff, or have to give new employees extensive training because many computer science courses are nothing more than "sausage factories". Ian Wright, the chief engineer for vehicle dynamics with the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One team, said: "There's definitely a shortage of the right people. "It's a question of time – how long it takes to find people. The Guardian has spoken to firms involved in games design, outsourced IT support and visual effects that are critical of the scarcity of properly trained recruits.
John Brockman: the man who runs the world's smartest website | Technology | The Observer To say that John Brockman is a literary agent is like saying that David Hockney is a photographer. For while it's true that Hockney has indeed made astonishingly creative use of photography, and Brockman is indeed a successful literary agent who represents an enviable stable of high-profile scientists and communicators, in both cases the description rather understates the reality. More accurate ways of describing Brockman would be to say that he is a "cultural impresario" or, as his friend Stewart Brand puts it, an "intellectual enzyme". The first thing you notice about Brockman, though, is the interesting way he bridges CP Snow's "Two Cultures" – the parallel universes of the arts and the sciences. Cynics might say that this has something to do with the fact that Brockman has a reputation as an agent who can extract massive advances from publishers. Brockman's immersion in both sides of the Two Cultures runs deep. This philosophy is also what drives one of his annual rituals.
Thomas Hills: Why human intelligence isn't evolving faster | Technology | The Observer Thomas Hills is an associate professor of psychology at Warwick University. Along with Ralph Hertwig from Basel University he recently published a paper entitled "Why Aren't We Smarter Already: Evolutionary Trade-Offs and Cognitive Enhancement". Why did you embark on this project? I study the evolution of cognition. So you're asking why we haven't evolved to be more intelligent? Exactly. Doesn't education increase our intelligence? Sure. So, what are the downsides of highly developed cognitive skills? There are two kinds, and we classify them as "within-domain" and "between-domain" trade-offs. A between-domain trade-off is what happens in the situation where you get individuals who appear to be exceptional in one domain and simultaneously show deficits in other domains. Even in adult learning, studies by Eleanor Maguire on London taxi-drivers' enhanced spatial awareness noted that it comes with poorer performance in other areas. You cite a study of the Ashkenazi Jews to illustrate this.
Hackers expose defence and intelligence officials in US and UK | Technology Nato secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen. More than 200 of his staff have been exposed by Anonymous 'hacktivists'. Photograph: Olivier Hoslet/EPA Thousands of British email addresses and encrypted passwords, including those of defence, intelligence and police officials as well as politicians and Nato advisers, have been revealed on the internet following a security breach by hackers. Among the huge database of private information exposed by self-styled "hacktivists" are the details of 221 British military officials and 242 Nato staff. The hackers, who are believed to be part of the Anonymous group, gained unauthorised access over Christmas to the account information of Stratfor, a consultancy based in Texas that specialises in foreign affairs and security issues. Some 75,000 paying subscribers also had their credit card numbers and addresses exposed, including 462 UK accounts. A former deputy head of Whitehall's strategic horizons unit is listed.
iPad Survives 100,000+ Foot Fall From Space Each day, Mashable highlights one noteworthy YouTube video. Check out all our viral video picks. If you were wondering if your iPad had any chance of surviving a drop from space, we've found your answer: Yes. To put it bluntly, this video is blatant self-promotion for G-Form cases. This promotional gimmick has become a G-Form staple, with videos of an iPad being tossed from a speeding car, launched by a slingshot and used in a game of Frisbee on its website. If you were convinced by the space fall, you can get your own Extreme Edge for iPad for $44.95. We still like this awesome — albeit dizzying — video for its gorgous views of a yellow-encased tablet tumbling through outer space. What other tech devices would you like to see floating above the Earth?
Google and Apple to go head to head over 'smart' TVs | Technology Google and Apple are preparing a rematch of the battle they fought for dominance of the smartphone market, but this time the contest between them will be for control of our television sets. LG Electronics, the South Korean manufacturer, will next week unveil its first internet-connected or "smart" TVs to run on the Android interface, while Samsung will produce its first set using Google software later this year. Sony and Vizio already have Android models, and Google has announced more are planned. In attempting to assemble a similar coalition with manufacturers to the partnerships which brought Android to smartphones, Google is hoping to steal a march on Apple, which is expected to launch an iTV set, complete with screen and internet connection, later this year. Apple has already transformed the music and mobile phone industries, and it seems the revolution will now be televised, as the maker of the iPhone vies with Google to shake up the way we watch TV. The service has had a slow start.
Newsbeat - In-car internet 'to become norm' in survey about future By Melanie Grant Newsbeat reporter In-vehicle internet access is close to becoming reality, according to the world's top car bosses. The survey by KPMG looking at future trends shows speech recognition and internet connection with wi-fi and 3G will become the norm. More than a third (37%) of the 200 car executives believe "infotainment" in cars is nearly as important as car safety. Car manufacturers will also join forces with music, telecoms and IT companies. Over the next five years car buyers will see in-car gadgets provided by big firms like Google, Apple, Microsoft and LG, among others. John Leech from KPMG says some car manufacturers are already making "connected" cars. "The recent collaboration between Toyota and Intel was announced at the end of last year," he said. "Intel claims that the connected car is the third-fastest growing technological device, following smartphones and tablets. Audi has developed a built-in 3G wireless in its A7 and will extend it to other new models.