Telecommunications

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All seems right with the world, just for a moment. Then the phone rings, disturbing your bliss with yet another recorded spiel for some shady deal. You slam the phone off, and return to your life while muttering vague obscenities. Nomorobo now offers a transparent system for reliably blocking such robocalls, that is far more effective than Do-Not-Call lists. Best of all, the service is free.  <a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/free-service-blocks-robocalls-foss-nomorobo-ftc/29240/" class="readmore_link">Read More</a> </p> </div> </div>   <div class="summary_item " data-article="29231"> <div class="summary_details"> <div class="clear_both"> <h2><a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/postcard-on-the-run/29231/">Postcard on the Run uses your smartphone to make and send physical postcards</a></h2> <div class="summary_details_left"> <div>By <a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/author/ben-coxworth/">Ben Coxworth</a></div> <div class="date">September 30, 2013</div> </div> <div class="summary_details_right"> <div class="has_comments"><a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/postcard-on-the-run/29231/#comments">5 Comments</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <a class="noback hero_link" href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/postcard-on-the-run/29231/"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20131014075443im_/http://images.gizmag.com/hero/postcardontherun.jpg" title="Views of the front and back of a Postcard on the Run " alt="Views of the front and back of a Postcard on the Run "/></a> <div class="summary"> <p> As technology progresses, we're seeing more and more tangible objects being replaced by digital alternatives. Letters have given way to e-mails, paperbacks have become e-books, and postcards have become trip photos on Facebook. The fact is, though, people still like getting <em>stuff</em>. Postcard on the Run builds on that idea, allowing users to create and mail their own custom physical postcards, from anywhere.  <a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/postcard-on-the-run/29231/" class="readmore_link">Read More</a> </p> </div> </div> <div class="summary_item " data-article="28988"> <div class="summary_details"> <div class="clear_both"> <h2><a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/photonics-butterfly-biomimicry/28988/">Optical computing gets a lift on butterfly wings</a></h2> <div class="summary_details_left"> <div>By <a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/author/tim-walker/">Tim Walker</a></div> <div class="date">September 17, 2013</div> </div> <div class="summary_details_right"> </div> </div> </div> <a class="noback hero_link" href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/photonics-butterfly-biomimicry/28988/"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20131014075443im_/http://images.gizmag.com/hero/lightwave.jpg" title="A team of international researchers has developed artificial crystals with unique optical..." alt="A team of international researchers has developed artificial crystals with unique optical..."/></a> <div class="summary"> <p> A team of international researchers has developed artificial crystals with unique optical properties that could lead to advances in quantum computing and telecommunications. Their inspiration? The glorious green wings of the Callophyrs Rubi butterfly.  <a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/photonics-butterfly-biomimicry/28988/" class="readmore_link">Read More</a> </p> </div> </div> <div class="summary_item " data-article="28981"> <div class="summary_details"> <div class="clear_both"> <h2><a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/amaryllo-icam-hd-skype-camera/28981/">Amaryllo reveals iCam HD, the world's first wireless HD Skype camera</a></h2> <div class="summary_details_left"> <div>By <a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/author/ben-coxworth/">Ben Coxworth</a></div> <div class="date">September 6, 2013</div> </div> <div class="summary_details_right"> <div class="has_comments"><a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/amaryllo-icam-hd-skype-camera/28981/#comments">1 Comment</a></div> <div class="has_pictures"><a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/amaryllo-icam-hd-skype-camera/28981/pictures">11 Pictures</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <a class="noback hero_link" href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/amaryllo-icam-hd-skype-camera/28981/"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20131014075443im_/http://images.gizmag.com/hero/amarylloicamhd.jpg" title="Amaryllo’s iCam HD on display at IFA 2013 " alt="Amaryllo’s iCam HD on display at IFA 2013 "/></a> <div class="summary"> <p> While just about any webcam will work for Skyping, your best bet would presumably be to use one that’s actually designed for – and licensed by – Skype. Well, that's just what Amaryllo’s iCam HD is. More specifically, it’s the world’s first <em>HD wireless</em> video-streaming camera to be licensed by the company.  <a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/amaryllo-icam-hd-skype-camera/28981/" class="readmore_link">Read More</a> </p> </div> </div> <div class="summary_item " data-article="28843"> <div class="summary_details"> <div class="clear_both"> <h2><a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/skype-eye-contact/28843/">Software brings eye contact to Skype, with a little help from Kinect</a></h2> <div class="summary_details_left"> <div>By <a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/author/david-szondy/">David Szondy</a></div> <div class="date">September 1, 2013</div> </div> <div class="summary_details_right"> <div class="has_comments"><a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/skype-eye-contact/28843/#comments">7 Comments</a></div> <div class="has_pictures"><a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/skype-eye-contact/28843/pictures">3 Pictures</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <a class="noback hero_link" href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/skype-eye-contact/28843/"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20131014075443im_/http://images.gizmag.com/hero/skype-eye-contact.PNG" title="Software being developed at ETH Zurich isolates the foreground image and tilts the face to..." alt="Software being developed at ETH Zurich isolates the foreground image and tilts the face to..."/></a> <div class="summary"> <p> Skype has been around for ten years now. Once a science fiction dream, the video calling service has 300 million users making two billion minutes of video calls a day. The only problem is, most of them can't look each other in the eye. Claudia Kuster, a doctoral student at the Computer Graphics Laboratory ETH Zurich, and her team are developing a way to bring eye contact to Skype and similar video services with software that alters the caller's on-screen image to give the illusion that they’re looking straight at the camera.  <a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/skype-eye-contact/28843/" class="readmore_link">Read More</a> </p> </div> </div> <div class="summary_item " data-article="28772"> <div class="summary_details"> <div class="clear_both"> <h2><a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/internet-org-facebook-samsung-nokia/28772/">Facebook joins forces with Samsung, Nokia, etc. to bring internet to the world</a></h2> <div class="summary_details_left"> <div>By <a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/author/will-shanklin/">Will Shanklin</a></div> <div class="date">August 20, 2013</div> </div> <div class="summary_details_right"> <div class="has_comments"><a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/internet-org-facebook-samsung-nokia/28772/#comments">4 Comments</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <a class="noback hero_link" href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/internet-org-facebook-samsung-nokia/28772/"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20131014075443im_/http://images.gizmag.com/hero/internet-dot-org.jpg" title="Internet.org aims to bring internet access to the two-thirds of the world that doesn't yet..." alt="Internet.org aims to bring internet access to the two-thirds of the world that doesn't yet..."/></a> <div class="summary"> <p> If you thought <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/tag/facebook/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> was only good for spamming you with Farmville updates and showing you what your high school classmates ate for lunch, think again. The social network just teamed up with a consortium of other tech big-wigs to form Internet.org, an organization dedicated to bringing the internet to the two-thirds of the world that is still without it.  <a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/internet-org-facebook-samsung-nokia/28772/" class="readmore_link">Read More</a> </p> </div> </div> <div class="summary_item " data-article="28632"> <div class="summary_details"> <div class="clear_both"> <h2><a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/text-anywhere-satellite-messaging/28632/">Text Anywhere off-the-grid satellite messaging lets you text ... anywhere</a></h2> <div class="summary_details_left"> <div>By <a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/author/cc-weiss/">C.C. Weiss</a></div> <div class="date">August 14, 2013</div> </div> <div class="summary_details_right"> <div class="has_comments"><a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/text-anywhere-satellite-messaging/28632/#comments">7 Comments</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <a class="noback hero_link" href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/text-anywhere-satellite-messaging/28632/"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20131014075443im_/http://images.gizmag.com/hero/textanywhere-1.jpg" title="The Text Anywhere works on the Iridium satellite network to provide global text messaging ..." alt="The Text Anywhere works on the Iridium satellite network to provide global text messaging ..."/></a> <div class="summary"> <p> Touted as a simpler, subscription-free alternative to the Delorme inReach, the Text Anywhere is a portable, satellite-powered hot spot that adds virtually unlimited text-messaging range to your phone. If your work or play takes you to remote regions of the world out of mobile phone range, this device can keep you in touch with the folks back in civilization.  <a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/text-anywhere-satellite-messaging/28632/" class="readmore_link">Read More</a> </p> </div> </div> <div class="summary_item " data-article="28660"> <div class="summary_details"> <div class="clear_both"> <h2><a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/renew-snooping-bins/28660/">City of London clamps down on snooping recycle bins</a></h2> <div class="summary_details_left"> <div>By <a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/author/james-holloway/">James Holloway</a></div> <div class="date">August 12, 2013</div> </div> <div class="summary_details_right"> </div> </div> </div> <a class="noback hero_link" href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/renew-snooping-bins/28660/"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20131014075443im_/http://images.gizmag.com/hero/renew-snooping-bins.jpeg" title="It turns out some of Renew's electronic recycling bins have been keeping tabs on passers b..." alt="It turns out some of Renew's electronic recycling bins have been keeping tabs on passers b..."/></a> <div class="summary"> <p> We first reported on <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/renew-recycle-bin/21525/" target="_blank">Renew's recycling bins</a> with integrated display screens back in February, 2012. Though at the time these were spun as benevolent information-imparting godsends, as Gizmag readers noted it was always on the cards that they would be used for advertising – reportedly 95 percent of the time, it turns out. However, in recent days it has emerged that Renew has kitted out 12 of its bins with technology that allows it to detect the smartphones of passers by, and potentially target ads accordingly. Today the City of London asked Renew to stop using the tracking technology.  <a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/renew-snooping-bins/28660/" class="readmore_link">Read More</a> </p> </div> </div> <div class="summary_item " data-article="28599"> <div class="summary_details"> <div class="sd_top"> <a class="article_label" href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/features/">FEATURE</a> </div> <div class="clear_both"> <h2><a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/cyber-security-hacks-defcon-black-hat/28599/">False sense of security: Your TV, car, neighborhood may be hackable</a></h2> <div class="summary_details_left"> <div>By <a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/author/heidi-hoopes/">Heidi Hoopes</a></div> <div class="date">August 6, 2013</div> </div> <div class="summary_details_right"> <div class="has_comments"><a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/cyber-security-hacks-defcon-black-hat/28599/#comments">1 Comment</a></div> <div class="has_pictures"><a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/cyber-security-hacks-defcon-black-hat/28599/pictures">2 Pictures</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <a class="noback hero_link" href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/cyber-security-hacks-defcon-black-hat/28599/"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20131014075443im_/http://images.gizmag.com/hero/defcon-2.jpg" title="DefCon and Black Hat highlight the fact that companies often seem more concerned about the..." alt="DefCon and Black Hat highlight the fact that companies often seem more concerned about the..."/></a> <div class="summary"> <p> The cyber security convention DefCon and its corporate counterpart, Black Hat, that are held annually in Las Vegas present a unique tableau where the traditional (and traditionally overstated) conflict between underground hacking culture and corporate and government security professionals is suspended with the goal of openness and education. If you enjoy and own technology and gadgets of any kind, the conferences highlight a looming security crossroads that affects every layperson. Gizmag takes a look at some of the more important hacks from this year.  <a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/cyber-security-hacks-defcon-black-hat/28599/" class="readmore_link">Read More</a> </p> </div> </div> <div class="summary_item " data-article="28585"> <div class="summary_details"> <div class="clear_both"> <h2><a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/wi-fi-track-smartphone-creepydol/28585/">CreepyDOL system can destroy your privacy for about US$500</a></h2> <div class="summary_details_left"> <div>By <a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/author/brian-dodson/">Brian Dodson</a></div> <div class="date">August 6, 2013</div> </div> <div class="summary_details_right"> <div class="has_comments"><a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/wi-fi-track-smartphone-creepydol/28585/#comments">9 Comments</a></div> <div class="has_pictures"><a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/wi-fi-track-smartphone-creepydol/28585/pictures">2 Pictures</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <a class="noback hero_link" href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/wi-fi-track-smartphone-creepydol/28585/"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20131014075443im_/http://images.gizmag.com/hero/wi-fi-track-smartphone-creepydol-2.jpg" title="CreepyDOL is a new personal tracking system that allows a user to track, locate, and break..." alt="CreepyDOL is a new personal tracking system that allows a user to track, locate, and break..."/></a> <div class="summary"> <p> Brendan O'Connor is an unabashed hacker who has worked for DARPA and taught at the US military's cybersecurity school. CreepyDOL (Creepy Distributed Object Locator), his new personal tracking system, allows a user to track, locate, and break into an individual's smartphone. "For a few hundred dollars," he says, "I can track your every movement, activity, and interaction, until I find whatever it takes to blackmail you."  <a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/wi-fi-track-smartphone-creepydol/28585/" class="readmore_link">Read More</a> </p> </div> </div> <div id="pagination"> <div class="next_prev"> <span>1</span> <a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/telecommunications/2/">2</a> <a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/telecommunications/3/">3</a> <a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/telecommunications/4/">4</a> <a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/telecommunications/5/">5</a> <a href="/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/telecommunications/2/" class="next_pagination">Next </a> » </div> </div> <div class="dotsontop">  <div id="search_form_bottom"> <form action="https://web.archive.org/web/20131014075443/http://www.gizmag.com/search/" id="cse-search-box-bottom"> <span class="title">Looking for something? 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