To save energy, thermostat becomes mini computer

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10424110-54.html
SilverPac, which makes digital picture frames and other media electronics, on Monday introduced the SilverStat 7, a sleek device that combines the heating and cooling controls of a programmable thermostat with a real-time energy display.

Big hurdles for rumored Nvidia x86 technology

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-10423817-64.html
Though Freedman says recent actions by the Federal Trade Commission “could open the door to (an) x86 CPU product” from Nvidia, he quickly qualifies this.

Dial a phone number using in-air gestures

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10423867-1.html
Researchers at the Ishikawa Komuro Laboratory have created a “vision-based input interface for mobile devices” through which users can type words by pointing in the air.

Understanding Windows 7′s GodMode

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10423985-56.html
By creating a new folder in Windows 7 and renaming it with a certain text string at the end, users are able to have a single place to do everything from changing the look of the mouse pointer to making a new hard-drive partition. To enter “GodMode,” one need only create a new folder and then rename the folder to the following: GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

Prions show evolution without DNA: study

http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2010/01/04/tech-biology-evolution-prion-bse.html
Scientists at the Scripps Research Institute in Florida found that prions can undergo mutations in their protein structure and those mutations can lead to changes in the disease, such as drug resistance.

Can full-body airport scanners harm you?

http://news.cnet.com/8301-27083_3-10423199-247.html
As far as we know there are no risks associated with the millimeter wave scanners, so my own view is that if you have a choice, you’d want to use the millimeter wave scanners, not the X-ray scanners,” he said. “But that being said, the risks, if they exist, are very small. The issue is that small risk multiplied by a very large number of people gives you some population concerns.

Google wants to build ‘white spaces’ database

http://news.cnet.com/8301-30684_3-10424760-265.html
Google has asked the Federal Communications Commission to designate it as one of the administrators of a database for “white space” devices

Synchtube syncs up YouTube watching with friends

http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-10424636-248.html
Synchtube is simple to use and requires no special sign-ups. Interested parties need simply to come with a YouTube video link to get started. The service then creates a special URL for a video room that is good for three other people to join. Included is live text chat and a heads-up display of each user’s timeline that shows what part of the video everyone is on. The person in control can then jump the group to a particular part just by dragging their own player’s timeline.

Chrome more popular than Safari: report

http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2010/01/04/internet-google-chrome-safari-…
Google’s Chrome web browser was more popular than Apple’s Safari as the year came to a close, according to data collected in a December 2009 report.

Sourece: Hot Tech News