Technology Review Feed - TR Editors' blog

Which Countries Grew the Most GM Crops in 2011?

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:54:00 GMT

The area used to grow genetically modified crops keeps growing, fueled by rapid increases in developing nations.

Farmers around the world used 160 million hectares to grow biotech crops in 2011--12 million more than in 2010--according to a new report by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA), a government and industry funded group that promotes the use of biotechnology in agriculture.

How Apple Can Revolutionize Television

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:54:00 GMT

An intelligent assistant would be the ideal way to deal with remote-control overload.

In IPO Filing, Facebook Shares Its Own Secrets

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:41:00 GMT

The world's largest social network is profitable, but fears Google and Apple.

Giants Beat Pats 59 to 41 (in Social Media Super Bowl Buzz)

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:46:00 GMT

New England gets more website hits, but the Giants get more social buzz.

Manufacturing Is Key to Innovation as Well as Jobs

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:21:00 GMT

We need a robust manufacturing sector to create tomorrow's technology.

Supreme Court's GPS Ruling Hints at Greater Scrutiny of Surveillance Tech

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:12:00 GMT

Although unaffected for now, other surveillance technologies may face similar scrutiny before long.

Yesterday the U.S. Supreme Court threw out the conviction of a man sentenced to life imprisonment on the basis that key information used to prosecute him had been illegally obtained.

How Zynga Re-Engineered Scrabble

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:00:00 GMT

The social gaming company has added "explosive moments" to make its version of the venerable board more unpredictable, and exciting.

Web Protests Weaken Antipiracy Bills

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:42:00 GMT

But the fight will continue as supporters try to amend the two pieces of legislation.

Kodak's Missed Opportunities

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:04:00 GMT

The wheels of fate that led the photography company into Chapter 11 began spinning in 1975.

No one is really surprised that Eastman Kodak has filed for bankruptcy protection. What might surprise some people, though, is that the digital camera, the device that led to the company's undoing, was invented at Kodak in 1975. Here is a 2005 piece that includes an interview with the engineer behind it.

Google's Blunder Shows Africa Has Ideas Worth Stealing

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:23:00 GMT

The search giant is accused of accessing a startup's database and trying to poach its customers.

CES 2012: The Shape of TV to Come

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:10:00 GMT

Samsung's new television integrates a number of technologies that have been gathering steam in recent years.

CES 2012: SMS Patent for Sale, $60 million ONO

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:26:00 GMT

At CES, a company calls many tech giants infringers, and invites them to bid to buy its patent.

CES 2012: Three Gems Hidden in Microsoft's Boring Keynote

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:41:00 GMT

Microsoft's final CES keynote was mostly dull but had its highlights.

CES 2012: A New Era of Simpler Gadgets

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:05:00 GMT

Better technology and improved design will make tomorrow's gadgets less confusing.

White Spaces Finally Open for Business

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:54:00 GMT

After years of trials, the FCC grants approval for super Wi-Fi hardware.

One of the touted benefits of shutting down analog TV broadcasts in favor of digital broadcasts (which occurred in the United States in 2009) was that large portions of radio spectrum would be freed up for other uses. In particular, these so called white spaces on the spectrum chart were intended to be used for broadband data connections, ushering in a new era of "super Wi-Fi" services, the first of which will finally come to market later this month.

An Encouraging Sign from Yahoo

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:04:00 GMT

Hiring its new CEO away from PayPal indicates that the Internet company still believes it can thrive on its own.

One of Silicon Valley's longest-running stories is the plight of Yahoo, a company whose future has been doubtful or questionable for something like seven or eight years now. Here is a site that just can't figure out how to prosper from an enormous audience, which outranks Facebook's in the U.S. Yahoo turned down a ridiculously high buyout offer from Microsoft in 2008, tried to thrive independently under a new CEO, Carol Bartz, but then appeared to reconsider some kind of buyout or merger in recent months after firing Bartz. It's a mess.

Cars and Ultrabooks: a CES Preview

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT

What to expect at the annual Consumer Electronics Show starting this weekend.

Finding an End to Energy Gridlock

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 11:45:00 GMT

A new book outlines an energy strategy that might actually work.

What Are the World's 50 Most Innovative Companies?

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 21:10:00 GMT

Tell us which companies should join our annual list—and which should be booted off.

Every year, the editors of Technology Review pick 25 public and 25 private companies judged to be the most innovative out there.

Glimpsing the God Particle

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:22:00 GMT

Large Hadron Collider results suggest that one of most eagerly awaited scientific discoveries is within reach.