| 3D Systems Partners with Hershey So Consumers Can Make 3D Printed Candy Posted: 20 Jan 2014 11:52 AM PST  Mmm, chocolate
If you find it's too much trouble to hike down to the local grocery mart or corner store when you need to get your Hershey chocolate fix, you'll be delighted to know you may soon be able to just print out candies from home. Yes, we're talking about the 3D printing craze, but rather than make objects out of plastic, 3D Systems and Hershey are working together to deliver technology that will allow you to print confectionery treats at home. The two firms entered into a mulit-year joint development agreement to explore and develop ways to use 3D printing technology in creating edible foods. Think of it as having your own Hershey candy assembly line at home with 24/7 access, and you're the boss. "We believe that innovation is key to delivering relevant, compelling consumer experiences with our iconic brands," said William Papa, Vice President and Chief Research and Development Officer, The Hershey Company. "Whether it's creating a whole new form of candy or developing a new way to produce it, we embrace new technologies such as 3D printing as a way to keep moving our timeless confectionery treats into the future." For its part, 3D Systems sees this as an opportunity to mainstream 3D printing. Solutions for printing 3D objects at home already exist, but many of them are either limited in functionality or expensive. By partnering with Hershey, 3D Systems can promote 3D printing to a whole new audience, perhaps even young children if the two companies end up building something along the lines of an Easy Bake Oven. Image Credit: Flickr (DBduo Photography) Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Intel Plans to Slash Over 5,000 Jobs Globally in 2014 Posted: 20 Jan 2014 09:48 AM PST  Slumping PC sales are affecting Intel's bottom line
It's been a rough stretch for companies invested in the PC market, and that includes Intel, the world's largest semiconductor maker. Intel recently reported its fourth quarter financial results in which it was revealed that revenues from the chip maker's PC Client Group declined 4 percent from 2012. A day later, Intel let it be known that it plans to reduce its global workforce by around 5 percent in 2014. According to Reuters, Intel employs about 107,000 people around the world, so the 5 percent reduction means some 5,350 workers will receive a pink slip sometime this year. "This is part of aligning our human resources to meet business needs," spokesman Chris Kraeuter said, according to Reuters. Intel is a dominant force on the desktop, but the company has also been slow to fully embrace the mobile movement. That's something Intel will look to change this year as it attempts to wrestle away market share from ARM in smartphone and tablet devices. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| HP Cites "Popular Demand" for Bringing Windows 7 Back Posted: 20 Jan 2014 09:02 AM PST  It's what the people want
Hewlett-Packard (HP), the world's second largest PC maker by volume, is giving potential customers the ability to configure systems with Windows 7 instead of Windows 8 or Windows 8.1. The OEM is advertising that Windows 7 is "back by popular demand," and as a bonus, customers can save up to $150 instantly. Based on the available systems, that's a savings of anywhere from 13 percent to 20 percent off the normal price. You can still purchase Windows 8/8.1 PCs from HP, but what's interesting here is how aggressive the OEM is pitching the return of Windows 7 as a default option. If you head over to the Desktops & All-in-Ones section of HP's Home & Home Office Store, Windows 7 machines are the only ones displayed, located prominently above a Windows 8.1 section with a "Learn More" link. There's no sugarcoating the fact that this is a condemnation of sorts against Microsoft's touch-friendly Windows 8 OS. This is the world's second largest OEM, after all, and it's openly advertising a previous generation OS for no other reason than that's what its customers are demanding. 
As far as we know, HP is the only major OEM promoting Windows 7 in such a fashion. It will be interesting to see if its competitors do the same thing. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Sacramento Kings to Wear Google Glass Courtside During NBA Game Posted: 20 Jan 2014 08:38 AM PST  See the game from a whole new perspective
Ever wondered what it would be like to sit on the bench during an NBA game? One way to find out is to practice your dribbling and shooting skills until you get drafted or noticed and signed by one of the 30 teams. Even then it's a long shot that all that hard work will pay off, so if you're looking for a different way, tune in to watch the Sacramento Kings go up against the Indiana Pacers on January 24, 2014. Unlike any previous NBA game, the upcoming matchup will feature the Kings and other personnel wearing Google Glass on the sidelines. The Sacramento Kings, who have one of the worst records in the league at 14-25 as opposed to the Indiana Pacers who are tied for the best record at 32-7, may not be all that skilled on the court, but at least they're willing to embrace technology. They recently became the first professional sports team to accept Bitcoins, and now they'll be the first to don Google Glass during a live game. According to ABC News, team members, cheerleaders, and announcers will all wear Google Glass during the game, giving viewers glimpses of NBA action from perspectives they've likely never seen before. Google Glass will also be used to record video for playback on the stadium's jumbotron. This is just the beginning. The Kings plan to use Google Glass on an ongoing basis, and there's talk of the NBA expanding its use. Image Credit: Flickr (neighborhoods.org) Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Newegg Daily Deals: G.Skill Sniper Series 16GB DDR3-1866, Intel Core i5 4670, and More! Posted: 20 Jan 2014 06:17 AM PST |
| Microsoft Surface Pro 2 Update Released At Last Posted: 19 Jan 2014 09:29 PM PST  New firmware update released after previous patch pulled
After keeping users in the dark for quite some time, Microsoft has finally issued the long-awaited Surface Pro 2 update that will address the problems created during a December firmware release. You may remember our coverage as users continued to clamor for a date by which they could receive the update, and now it's finally here. Microsoft addressed it as such via press statement: "This weekend we released an update that addresses the unexpected wake and battery drain behavior experienced by a small number of Surface Pro 2 customers who installed the December Windows Update. This should have no impact on customers who had not received the December update." After the first fix was released and then quickly pulled, things were looking a bit grim for Surface Pro 2 users, but it seems as though anyone affected by the frustrating sleep mode and battery problems can rest a little easier now when using their shiny new piece of tech. |
