Facebook & Google refer suicidal people to help lines

Facebook and Google search have systems in place that can direct suicidal people to help by the messages they write or terms they search for. Facebook is encouraging its users to flag anybody they see they think might be suicidal by their pictures and/or status updates, while staff monitor these reports twenty four hours a day. Although this system has been around since the summer, Facebook is now teaming up with the National Suicide Prevention Hotline. Google's system has a red picture of a telephone and the number for the hotline appear whenever someone searches "suicidal terms."  We can't hide from the fact that suicide is real and it seems to be on the rise, or at least we hear more about it because of the internet and media. Usually, people who are suicidal talk about it first because they are just looking for attention/help. I believe these companies are doing a great thing!

AT&T remains worst carrier in US

Sorry AT&T! For the second year in a row, customers have ranked the company dead last in a satisfaction survey. AT&T received "the worst-possible rating for value, voice quality and customer support for phones." Verizon only fell one point keeping its top spot since 2003. I am just happy that I didn't go with AT&T, their prices are higher, and they limit your data usage to 2G per month. Plus, Verizon is teamed with my fiances employer and we get a 17% discount! Can't beat that!

Customers infuriated over 'Carrier-IQ' app

Carrier-IQ is an information-mining app discretely installed on many phones and news of this app had been around on the internet for awhile. But after a YouTube video appeared last week showing how the software, which is supposed to act as a diagnostic tool, basically logs every single thing a person does, people went crazy and the controversy immediately started. In just four days, there were already lawsuits in place against Carrier IQ, who stated they can't access any personal user information. Supposedly, Sprint uses the app but can't see user activity, Verizon doesn't use the app at all, and Apple has stopped supporting it while planning to eliminate it altogether. For customers wondering if they have this app installed on their phone, a "counter-app" has already been developed in the Android market,Voodoo Carrier IQ detector, which is designed to help find the kit on your phone if it exists. I'm not the least bit surprised by this story! Users of almost any technology these days should realize how exposed and broadcasted your information is. Although, if these companies say that they are not using this information and this isn't what the app is for, then I don't think it should be logging every single keystroke.

Is Superbus the future of public transportation?

Coming in at a top speed of 155 mph, the 50 ft. long Superbus is Wubbo Ockels' new spin on public transportation, aiming to meet the speed and comfort of a train while feeling like a car. The Superbus is powered by electricity, has rear-wheel steering, and hydraulic cylinders off-ground height range from 7 to 43 cm. Ockels hopes to have this up and running in the next 5 years. Is this realistic? I don't think public transportation is supposed to be luxurious; it is to get a person from point A to point B in the fastest and cheapest manner. Richard Branson endorses it, though. Hey, that's all that matters right?!

A look at 'the future of science: 2021'

A group called the Institute for the Future has created a new "super-visual" report that poses fascinating 'what-if' questions about the future of science and technology. "What if you could record your dreams... What if you could design a life form... What if you could launch a company in orbit?" Everyone knows the future can't be predicted, but "questioning what [it] can be, we can help shape what it will be... Invisibility cloaks. Space hacking. Quantum consciousness. Open-source biology...?" Technology is developing so rapidly, it is hard to tell what we might see in the next 10 years. Flying in cars like the Jetsons? Probably not in our lifetime. Anything is possible, though. Self-driving cars could definitely be attainable, right?

Droid Razr: Stunning, slim phone, but battery lacks

In the 2000's, one of the most popular phones had to be Motorola's flip phone, the Razr, but consumers quickly forgot about it as the smartphone market took off. It's back! The Droid Razr is an incredibly thin (just 0.28 inches thick!) new smartphone that runs on Verizon's superfast 4G LTE network. With a a stunning 4.3-inch touchscreen and Kevlar fiber on the back, The Droid Razr is $300 with a two-year contract agreement from Verizon and will be available Friday. Apparently, in its battery test, the Razr had mixed results. It only lasted 3 hours on a continuous video streaming test, but lasted from morning until early evening for texting, calling, app downloading and casual Web browsing. Furthermore, the battery is irremovable which might deter some people. Personally, I think the battery life will be just fine. Plenty of people said the HTC Thunderbolt's battery life was horrible and my fiance's last all day. You really just have to know how to extend the life of the battery; by turning off functions that aren't really needed, turning the brightness of your screen down, and having an app killer, you can make any phone last longer! I can't wait for this phone to come out!

Apple patent uses 3-D gestures to control an iPad

A patent created by Apple lets the consumer manipulate and control features on the display such as icons, texts, images, and media files. Users would perform these gestures through the device's front-facing camera. The patent already has a number pre-defined gestures, such as ones for facial recognition, a selection gesture and a pointing gesture. Technology is simply amazing!! It's growing at a phenomenal pace and things I never thought possible are coming out every day!! It's crazy to think that you could control your phone or tablet from across the room!