Technology
Discussing the latest innovations in technologies has been a staple of the Internet community since the beginning. Consumer gadgetry, the automotive industry, the military, and the space agency are some of the many areas given geeky dissections in the Web's top science-and-technology blogs and magazines, read on for more technology resources on the Web.
Expand All Guide SectionsLatest technology news and research
Online technology news is for more than just browsing the headlines. Stay current by utilizing the multimedia features that many of these sites offer. Videos, photos, podcasts, and Flash tutorials bring a unique, engaging dimension to tech news that print publications can't capture.
Dulcinea's Picks
For technology magazines ...
Scientific American is a science and technology magazine. In addition to their engaging, authoritative features and news stories, their site has a bundle of goodies to entertain and educate. Check out editor blogs, podcasts, science trivia, photo galleries, and an "Ask the Experts" section. Unfortunately you have limited access to the online version of the print edition without paying for a digital subscription ($3.33 per month) or purchasing individual issues ($7.95).
Popular Science is a monthly magazine with sci-tech articles on space and aviation, medicine, automotive tech, science, and technology. The "How 2.0" section offers tutorials for some often unusual home experiments and projects (such as building an outdoor theater or homemade spy sub).
Wired.com allows visitors to access articles in Wired Magazine, Wired News, and Wired Blogs. Wired's witty articles incorporate cultural and political commentary in their coverage of games, space, media, gadgets, the Net, and much more.
MAKEZINE is the online home of the do-it-yourself magazine, MAKE. Become a DIY master by tackling any of 600+ user-submitted, step-by-step projects located in the "Projects" section. Visitors have access to a handful of Web-exclusive articles and can access sample pages from the print magazine with the option of subscribing to a digital version. MAKE also has a good blog with commentary on build-related news from around the Web.
Popular Mechanics is a sci-tech magazine with an engineering orientation. Its articles consistently cover engaging stories that reveal the boundless possibilities of science and technology. An "Automotive" section has coverage of cutting-edge automotive technology, with reviews and concept reports, along with features that range from road-trip tech to an archive of "How-To" guides.
Ars Technica (or “Art of Technology”) bills itself as combining technical savvy with human arts and sciences, and delivers it all through a “conversation media” approach. As such, it is a source for news, opinions, and reviews of computer and technology subjects. Especially interesting are three regularly updated technology journals that give specific attention to developments made by Apple, Microsoft, and the science community. Articles and reviews are easily sortable by category.
ExtremeTech is a PC magazine that's geared toward developing PC enlightenment by covering computers, their components, and their accessories through extensive news and reviews. The "Build It" section has tips and recommendations for building PCs, home theater systems, media centers, and custom appliances. One of ET's best features is its massive, active “Forums” section with discussion boards for all technologies.
Small Times is a comprehensive source of business information, news, and analysis about micro- and nanotechnology. Read daily news, access feature stories from Small Times magazine, or subscribe to a weekly e-mail newsletter. The site also has a "Small Tech Business Directory."
For technology news ...
Technology Review is a news magazine published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Their focus is on understanding emerging technologies by looking at their social, cultural, and political impacts. Infotech, biotech, nanotech, energy, and biztech are some of the areas covered.
The New York Times technology section focuses on business tech news. The consumer electronics subsections include links to CNET product reviews and buying guides. Articles are supplemented with a variety of multimedia elements like podcasts, blogs, and software downloads.
News.com brings you technology news from the American media company CNET. News details the daily developments in business, the Internet, digital entertainment and electronics. Follow the "Blogs" link in the navigation bar for a list of News.com blogs on a wide variety of technology topics.
Physorg specializes in science news relating to nanotechnology, physics, space and earth science, medicine, electronics, and general tech. Headlines are ranked through a community voting process to bring the most popular stories to prominence.
Forbes magazine covers news in enterprise technology, e-business, info-imaging, networks, and science and medicine. Built-in investment resources allow you to track your tech stocks.
TechNews.com is the source for tech news from The Washington Post. They provide industry news, policy analysis, and technology product reviews. There's tech trivia, tech and media blogs, a weekly podcast, and press releases from a wide range of technology companies.
The Register is a UK-based technology news site that focuses on science, management, communications, media, and security, and also offers downloads for both Windows and Macs.
To read what's popular ...
Digg is a community news site where visitors submit links to news stories, videos, and podcasts, and vote on their favorites. This voting process is designed to filter out uninteresting stories and bring only the best to the fore. Digg news covers all subjects, but the community heavily emphasizes technology and gaming news.
Kuro5hin , pronounced "corrosion," is a news site that covers technology, culture, and anywhere they collide. Kuro5hin users submit stories and filter them through a community voting system. Attached to each story is a threaded forum for discussion.
Slashdot (or /. for short) provides community news with a nerdy tech focus. Stories are organized in categories like Apple, Games, Interviews, and Politics. Each story has an attached discussion in a forum-style comments section. Read book reviews by Slashdot readers or take part in the Slashdot Poll.
For research news ...
EurekAlert is a global science, medicine, and technology news site operated by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Universities, medical centers, government agencies, and other sci-tech research agencies use EurekAlert as a centralized location to bring news and resources to the media.
AlphaGalileo is EurekAlert's European equivalent. Using AlphaGalileo as an electronic bulletin board, European research organizations in science, technology, the arts, medicine, humanities, and social sciences, can post press releases, event information, publications, and expertise. AlphaGalileo relays this information to the media and the public.
Who knew?
MITOpenCourseware provides free public access to course materials (like syllabi, assignments, readings, and projects) used by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professors teaching undergraduate and graduate courses. This service is extremely useful for educators looking to develop their own curriculum, and for students and self-learners. Visitors can browse courses by subject, or search by keyword.
Scirus is a search engine that searches over 300 million science-specific Web pages. In addition to Web pages, Scirus searches full-text articles, documents, e-prints, technical reports, theses, dissertations, and journal articles. Use the advanced search functions to help filter irrelevant sites from the results. For a list of Scirus' information sources, and links to their respective pages, visit the "About Us" page.
Commentary from technology experts
Across genres, bloggers have a reputation for being first responders when news breaks. Technology bloggers are no different. These techies scour the Web gathering interesting tidbits to feed your technology appetite. On their sites you'll find news, reactions, and hype relating to the ever-evolving worlds of consumer electronics, engineering, and science.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Tech gadgets are a highly blogged-about topic on the Net. Gadget blogs are a prime place to find details about proposed devices, prototypes, and recently released gadgets and gizmos.
- Most blogs provide links to other blogs and Web sites in a sidebar called a blogroll. These links are a good place to look if you'd like additional sources.
- Blogs are a good supplement to news, as they often cover the same stories with an added layer of commentary, discussion, and flavor.
Dulcinea's Picks
For gadget blogs ...
Gizmodo is great site for anyone with a gadget fetish. If a product is cutting-edge, cool, and electronic, you'll find someone talking about it here—yesterday. Webcams, lamps, PDAs, fax machines: everything goes. If we hadn't gone to Gizmodo, how would we have learned about the trouser-pressing robot?
Engadget posts a slew of daily articles covering all news related to techno-gadgets and consumer electronics. You don't need to be a techie to visit this site, as all posts tend to highlight the awesomeness of modern technology. Articles cover everything from PDAs and computers to cutting-edge military technology. Read news daily or browse their archive by topic.
Engadget Mobile is an Engadget spinoff that deals exclusively with cellphone and mobile news.
The Gadgeteer is one of many blogs dedicated to reviewing emerging technology toys. The navigation bar on the left makes it easy to find your way through the site's content. At the end of each subject section, there's an extensive list of links to dozens of other gadget blogs.
Ubergizmo also has its eye on innovative consumer gadgets. It covers the latest in PDAs and GPS units, PC peripherals, robots, and more. Lots of large color photos help to bring the gadgets to life.
For general tech ...
New Scientist Magazine 's five blogs cover technology, space, inventions, science, and the environment. Their technology blog focuses largely on cutting-edge, experimental, and/or theoretical technologies. For convenience they assemble interesting news headlines from technology blogs and magazines, posting them daily.
Lifehacker is a technology blog with an emphasis on self-improvement and productivity, offering tips on subjects such as avoiding identity theft and managing personal finances. The best way to navigate through Lifehacker's wealth of information is to visit the archives (linked at the bottom of the left-hand column) and browse by category. If you know what you're looking for you could also try using the search function.
O'Reilly Network is a leading network of respected technology Web sites. At their homepage, you can access articles, blogs, and podcasts from O'Reilly Net sites. Search an archive of 4,500 tech articles, or browse through their blogs. In the podcast section you can listen to podcasts on a variety of technology subjects. If you're new to podcasts you can learn all about what they are, how they work, and how you can host your own.
BoingBoing is a blog that bills itself as a "directory of wonderful things." Entries tend to cover the off-beat and bizarre with a sci-tech focus, but aren't limited in their scope. You never know what to expect from this blog, but you can assume it will be interesting.
TechCrunch covers all things related to Web business with its daily postings. Its reviews of sites and companies are all located in its archive. Through TechCrunch you can keep on top of emerging Web applications, new Web sites, new and existing companies that are making an impact on the Internet, and more.
Who knew?
Safari is a service provided by O'Reilly Media that allows users to access full-text copies of thousands of IT and Computer Science books from O'Reilly, Addison Wesley, Cisco Press, Microsoft Press, and more. Users must pay a subscription fee to access the pages, but there's a free trial to get you acquainted with the service.
Caltech Collection of Open Digital Archives (CODA) is a repository for Caltech faculty-approved online research materials such as theses, technical reports, conference papers, books, and oral histories. The full text of the documents is available for free in PDF format.
Tech product reviews
When shopping for the latest tech device, consulting expert product reviews is a great way to prepare for your purchase. Review sites are useful for users seeking information on specific products and for those just browsing for ideas. Online reviews are particularly handy because the flexibility of the Web allows them to include user-generated reviews and multimedia elements like photos and videos in addition to the standard expert commentary.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Tech magazines often have product review sections where staff writers or outside experts critique the latest consumer tech devices.
- Contrast the opinions from a few sites to get a broad perspective on an item before you buy.
- Learn what criteria each site uses to rate products by visiting their "About Us" page; keep in mind that some reviewers may be more "expert" than others.
Dulcinea's Picks
CNET reviews the spectrum of electronic gadgetry. In addition to personal computing devices, you'll find reviews of TVs, games, GPS receivers, and automobile accessories. For easy browsing, searched items can be sorted by name, price, rating, or review date. Reviews tend to be extremely thorough, beginning with a product's design and moving to the nitty-gritty details of its performance and technical specs. Some reviews include a CNET video feature. The "Where to Buy" section shows the price, shipping, and inventory details for each product at various online stores–a helpful tool for comparison shoppers.
PC Magazine has "lab-based comparative reviews" for an array of computer products and digital media. Scanners, keyboards, mice, data storage devices, servers, monitors, speakers, digital cameras: it's all here. Full reviews feature detailed summaries and photos. Their comparison charts are helpful for quickly comparing the specifications of similar products.
PC World provides regularly updated reviews that cover the gamut of personal electronic items. Reviews include detailed write-ups that outline overall quality, functionality, potential downsides, benefits, and price. This supplements a brief, quick-reference pro-con summary for those just browsing. Readers are given the option to view the PC World testing methods in order to know exactly what criteria was used in the review. The product ranking system allows for easy comparison of related products.
Wize is an easy-to-use review site that aggregates thousands of expert and user reviews from around the Web and distills them into a simple ranking for each product. Reviews cover a variety of products, including electronics, PCs, and home and garden supplies. The "About Us" section gives a good breakdown of their ranking strategy.
DigitalTrends has reviews, sneak peeks, editorials, news, and videos that aim to help consumers make more informed purchases of technology products. Their comprehensive reviews include overviews, price information, photos, specs, and general insights.
LaptopMag 's reviews aren't limited by the name. They cover a wide variety of products and services, offering insightful overviews, pro vs. con summaries, and "QuickSpecs" technical listings. A price comparison feature displays each product's cost at multiple online stores.
ZDNet , part of the CNET Network, is a clean, easy-to-navigate business technology site. It incorporates CNET reviews for personal computing, communications, and peripheral devices in a format that's a bit friendlier than its parent company.
Wi-Fi & Wireless Networking
Wireless networking allows computers to access the Internet without physically connecting to it with cables. Wi-Fi, short for "wireless fidelity," is a compatibility standard for wireless networking that's used in the creation of home and public networks.
Instead of using a cable to transmit data, a computer can communicate with the Net through radio waves. If you've always wanted to surf the Web from bed or wished that you could get online while poolside, a wireless network in your home and a wireless-enabled computer could be for you.
Dulcinea's Insight
- The Web has practical resources with tutorials for establishing home wireless networks.
- A few sites have directories that list Wi-Fi "hotspots." These are public locations where computers can access the Web through open Wi-Fi networks. Knowing where to find hotspots makes connecting to the Net while on the go much easier to do.
Dulcinea's Picks
For more info on Wi-Fi ...
How Stuff Works explains the uses of Wi-Fi and the science behind its technology in a way that's accessible and easy to understand. The explanations are enhanced by graphics and pictures, and they include links to definitions of most technical terms for ease of reference.
Wi-Fi Alliance is a worldwide nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring the adoption of one worldwide standard for wireless communication, thus promoting compatibility between Wi-Fi enabled products. Check here for an easy, step-by-step tutorial on how to set up your own home wireless network. Click on the “Five Steps to Creating a Wireless Network” to download the PDF file for instructions. On the site you can also check out their member list, look up Alliance events, and search their database of over 3,000 Wi-Fi certified products.
Lifehacker , the do-it-yourself blog, has a simple tutorial explaining how to set up and configure a wireless network in your home.
WiFi-Forum is an active discussion forum for technical and nontechnical Wi-Fi topics. If you have a question, try asking it on the message board or looking for a relevant thread. Unfortunately there's no guarantee you'll get a response.
For finding wireless networks ...
JiWire allows you to search for free and paid public wireless hotspots. Its database boasts more than 140,000 listings in well over 100 countries. Results include contact information, addresses, and maps. JiWire also has a series of how-to guides with valuable information on a huge variety of wireless products and services, like a complete guide to Voice Over IP, Bluetooth Solution Buyer's Guide, and Guide to Wireless Security.
Wi-Fi Planet has wireless technology and business news from around the country, reviews of Wi-Fi products, Wi-Fi tutorials, a high quality forum, and more.
For wireless news ...
Mobile Tech Today has news, special reports, and reader-ranked articles from the mobile technology industry, and covers wireless tracking, security, networks, trends, and devices.
Who knew?
The U.S. Government site has a directory of links to the Web sites of all sci-tech–related government agencies. From the Environmental Protection Agency to the Patent and Trademark Office, you’ll find them here.
SciSeek is a searchable, science-specific subject directory compiled and annotated by humans. It's not huge in size, but it does provide some good results for broad queries. The day’s top science headlines are offered under “Science News” and “Trade Pubs” takes you to a large selection of free trade magazine subscriptions and technical document downloads.
Bluetooth, PDA and Blackberry
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a technology that allows for short-range wireless communication between electronic devices. For information read findingDulcinea's Bluetooth Web Guide.
PDA
Bluetooth is a technology that allows for short-range wireless communication between electronic devices. For information read findingDulcinea's Bluetooth Web Guide.
Blackberry
BlackBerries are, by reputation, the quintessential PDA. Rapid popularity growth over recent years has made this hand-held calling/e-mailing/Web-surfing device a staple of today's on-the-go wireless culture. For information read findingDulcinea's BlackBerry Web Guide.
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