Journalism | Nicole DiGiose

Google wants to replace your passwords with a ring

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Nicole DiGiose

An article I wrote for Electronic Products.

The world’s largest search engine plans to create a data-encrypted ring that authenticates the user’s identity

When most people decide to be risky and change their passwords to something new and different, they usually wind up outsmarting themselves and forget what it is. Eventually, they go back to using the same three closely related passwords, but that’s not so secure. Google wants to change that, and will attempt to do so with its magic ring.

Image via venturebeat.com.

How this bright idea will work

This time Google’s big idea to change the world as we know it is to replace our passwords with data-encrypted rings. The web giant is toying with the idea of having a USB drive mounted on a ring or another form of small jewelry that uses a cryptographic key, a tiny bit of software meant to encode a message that’s unreadable to all but the intended recipient. Read More

Text and write e-mails in the air

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Nicole DiGiose

An article I wrote for Electronic Products.

The air-writing glove converts hand-drawn letters into digital text

Most of the time you spend jabbing your thumbs on your touchscreen’s small keys, you’re correcting mistakes that apparently were already auto-corrected. When squiggling a sentence with your finger into the clear blue sky, that doesn’t happen.

Thanks to the computer scientists at Germany’s Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, writing in the air is possible. They’ve created an air-writing glove system that allows wearers to draw letters in the air with their hands. The sensor-equipped glove system is able to identify which letters are being drawn, and then converts them into digital text, which can be wirelessly entered into a text message, e-mail, or mobile app.

Developer of air-writing, Christoph Amma of KIT, Image via digitaltrends.com

The Art of Video Gaming

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Nicole DiGiose

An article I wrote for Electronic Products.

Play 14 classic video games in MoMA’s interactive gallery

How often do you get to go into a museum and actually touch the art that’s on display? The Modern Museum of Art recently added 14 classic video games to their collection, and visitors are encouraged to express their artistic sides and play them.

While browsing the collection of objects in the Applied Design installation in The Philip Johnson Architecture and Design Galleries, you’ll come across features representing contemporary design, such as dynamic visualizations, and 3D-printed furniture and bowls, but the most surprising works of art on display are the 14 classic video games.

The Sims, image via moma.org

While to some, having The Sims housed under the same roof as Vincent Van Gogh’s respected paintings may seem a bit unacceptable, MoMA considers the games expressions of art and design, even masterpieces, as they fuel creativity and provide inspiration. Read More

The World’s Largest LED TV Can Fit in Your Backyard

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Nicole DiGiose

An article I wrote for Electronic Products.

Enjoy amazing picture quality provided by a 201-inch, 16:9 LED screen

There’s no better way to enjoy the springtime like getting outside, breathing in the fresh air, and kicking back as you catch your favorite show on your new 201-inch TV screen.

With the C-Seed 201, the world’s largest LED TV, created by C-Seed Entertainment Systems and Porsche Design Studio, you can appreciate the great outdoors while in the comfort of your own outdoor living room. Just drag out the couch and you’ll be all set.

Enjoy amazing picture quality provided by a 201-inch, 16:9 LED screen as you’re flipping burgers on the grill, and get into the game as the sun is setting behind you. The C-Seed 201 gives you the best of both worlds.

At the center of this outstanding system is a multi-source media server that transfers HD video and audio data to the screen by using Windows 7–based software. Created to withstand harsh weather conditions, this system comes equipped with wind, temperature, and laser sensors.

Image via cseed.tv.

Unwind with CHAOS

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Nicole DiGiose

An article I wrote for Chilled Magazine.

The next time you have a chaotic day, kick back with CHAOS COCKTAILS and let it all go. Enjoy a refreshing natural flavor, low in sugar, carbs, and calories.

Created by Texas entrepreneur, Lesley Sarkesian, CHAOS COCKTAILS is the country’s first twist & serve, low-calorie, low-carb vodka cocktail complemented with 26 natural citrus and berry flavors. With a vision to create contemporary products to “control chaos,” Sarkesian has blended the perfect concoction and wrapped it up in sleek, vibrant packaging. CHAOS COCKTAILS brings the taste of the pre-mixed cocktail to a soaring new level.

Image via chaoscocktails.com

Lumio, the book that transforms into a lamp

Posted on March 5, 2013 by Nicole DiGiose

An article I wrote for Electronic Products.

LED lighting fixture folds out of a hardcover book

Disguised as a hardcover book, Lumio has content that will light up your world. Lightweight and portable, this lamp can give any room character.

Perfect for modern living, Lumio’s pages are actually brightened by cordless, dimmable LED modules that can easily travel anywhere with you. To turn on, simply open the book and Lumio will bloom into an illuminating, flower-like functional device. The LED modules emit 500 lumens, so a fully fanned Lumio is slightly brighter than a 40-W bulb. To turn off the light, just close the cover, and this lamp can blend in on any bookshelf.

Lumio can fan out into different shapes. Image via hellolumio.com

New Mobile App Allows You to Send Files of Any Type and Size

Posted on March 2, 2013 by Nicole DiGiose

An article I wrote for Electronic Products.

With ProxToMe, you can send files to numerous people within seconds

On the go and want to send your co-workers that new design you’ve been working on? With ProxToMe, a new app for iOS users, you can send everything from pictures to presentations and videos to as many co-workers and friends as you’d like, all within seconds.

Electronically sending a large file takes minutes to send, but with ProxToMe, the process is anything but complicated.

The idea behind the app is to tear down the barriers that prevent real-time interaction with those around you. ProxToMe allows you to send files of any type and size to anyone within 250 feet, as long as they’ve downloaded the app as well, and, quite surprisingly, it doesn’t matter if you know your recipients or not. For your privacy, contact information isn’t required. Think of ProxToMe in this way as delivering handouts, just without the paper. By allowing users to discover each other, sharing digital content cloud-to-cloud is simple and beneficial to both the sender and receiver.

Image via mashable.com

Hospitals Hiring Robots

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Nicole DiGiose

An article I wrote for Electronic Products.

Vecna’s QC Bot reduces medical errors and improves patient and staff satisfaction

The days when we’d share the world with robots as intelligent as ourselves always seemed so far away. But with the QC Bot capable of delivering medications and meals to escorting patients to their appointments, it seems as if the future is coming fast.

Benefits of the QC Bot

The QC Bot, designed by Vecna, a company that focuses on developing advanced technologies for the healthcare environment, was created to improve the logistic workflow of hospitals. Since operations in healthcare facilities need to balance time, resources, and costs, the QC Bot automates everyday tasks, such as escorting patients to appointments and delivering medications, to provide relief to the busy hospital staff, who are then able to focus on more-complex duties. With daily routines being taken care of, the self-service robot improves efficiency and reduces medical errors, gaining both patient and staff satisfaction.

Vecna’s QC Bot. Image via vecna.com.

Island Rock

Posted on February 23, 2013 by Nicole DiGiose

An article I covered for the April edition of Long Island Trends Magazine.

If you’re up for a challenging and exciting adventure, swing on over to Island Rock, Long Island’s indoor rock climbing facility located in Plainview. No matter your skill level, Island Rock has walls for everyone.

Island Rock is a state-of-the-art indoor rock climbing facility designed to imitate the real experience. The facility features 9,000 square feet of climbing, with climbing walls of 30 feet, and there are over 100 routes to journey up. There are unique walls geared towards different people, so no matter your abilities or age, you’re able to climb and learn at your own pace. At Island Rock, you’ll spot first time climbers exploring their old passion for climbing trees, to competitive, expert climbers who compete all over the world.

Image via islandrock.net

Microsoft Research Unveils Immersive Gaming Project

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Nicole DiGiose

An article I wrote for Electronic Products.

IllumiRoom is designed to blend the virtual and physical worlds

Earlier this year, Microsoft Research unveiled IllumiRoom, which might just be the future of gaming. By adapting the science of 3D mapping to Microsoft’s Kinect sensors to diminish the lines between what’s on screen and what’s real, IllumiRoom combines the virtual and physical worlds.

IllumiRoom in action. Image via research.microsoft.com

How IllumiRoom works

IllumiRoom augments the area surrounding your television to really get you into the game you’re playing, or even the movie you’re watching, by combining a Kinect camera and a projector. The Kinect camera captures the appearance of the room, and that data is used to adapt the visuals that are projected against the wall and the objects surrounding your television. So what happens on your screen overflows the television’s boundaries. Read More