What a beautiful week we have had in Pittsburgh!  Now to look forward to a nice and relaxing weekend, but in case you weren't keeping up with the tech news this week, here is a brief re-cap of some of the major happenings.

Microwaves to Count Calories 

New microwave technology can now tell people how many calories are in the meal they are about to consume.  GE’s team, in collaboration with Baylor University’s Electrical & Computer Engineering Department, has created a device that uses advanced sensor technology to estimate the fat content, water content and weight of the food in the microwave in order to calculate dietary calories.  Currently, only a prototype exists, but GE is hopeful that further development of this technology will continue.

Click here to know more on this new technology.

3D Printed Drone

In less than 24 hours, researchers in the United Kingdom successfully printed a working drone.  The vehicle is a remote-controlled glider weighing just over four pounds.  This project has many opportunities from package deliveries, to selling houses, and to gather intelligence.  For now, the Federal Aviation Administration still doesn’t allow the use of drones for commercial purpose.

To know more about the potential of this product, click here

Bill is Passed on Legal Cellphone Unlocking 

A bill has just been passed by the Judiciary Committee, which reverses the decision the Library of Congress made, that makes unlocking your cellphone legal again.  In January of last year, the Library of Congress did not renew the exemption of cellphone unlocking from the Digital Millennium Copy Right Act, thus it was still legal to unlock phones purchased before January 2013.  The White House agrees with those who believe that consumers should be able to unlock their cell phones without risking criminal or other penalties.

To know more about the law, click here

The Future is Bright for Advertises on Mobile Devices

The value of mobile devices has steadily been increasing for advertisers.  The Marin Global Online Advertising Index analyzed data from around the world and came up with a report that includes 18 data charts covering important trends.  One of the trends were increased competition, as cost-per-click on mobile devices rose at a much higher rate than that of the desktop.

Read more on the report here

Google's Struggle with Censorship 

With the increased censorship on Google, more than 250,000 web pages are being removed, with about 70,000 people requesting that links mentioning their names be removed.  This not only inhibits freedom of speech, but also basic factual research as well.  The standard for identity deletion is very vague.  Whether or not the story is true, Google must abide by a wish for the deletion.

Continue reading more on Google here

As always, technology is clearly making it's way through innovation.  Now that there are kitchen products to count your calories and the possibility of receiving mail via drones, it seems like there are endless possibilities.  However, not without some legal ramifications like we are seeing with Google and mobile devices.  For now, I think the benefits for tech innovation are outweighing the cons, and hopefully it stays that way!

Until next time.