TechBytes: YouTube Launches Leanback
Another iPhone Glitch, Mobile Access Survey, Solar Flight
July 8, 2010— -- YouTube is aiming to become more like the boob tube. YouTube has introduced a new feature called "Leanback" that picks out high-definition videos and automatically serves them up, one after another. The videos are chosen based on what users have watched in the past. YouTube thinks it will be more like watching television because you won't have to search for something new to watch every few minutes. One day the company hopes Leanback will do all the work for viewers, making remotes unnecessary.
There's another problem with the new iPhone, but AT&T is taking the blame for this one. AT&T says a software defect in its network is limiting data upload speeds for the phone in some areas. That means it's taking longer to send pictures, video and other content. AT&T says it's fixing the problem. This comes a week after Apple issued an apology to iPhone owners for a software glitch that overstates the phone's signal strength.
Americans are increasingly using their cell phones as computers. A new study by the Pew Research Center finds dramatic growth in the use of phones to do things other than make calls. The most popular activities are taking pictures and texting. After that, people are surfing the web, playing games, checking e-mail and recording videos. The report also finds that six in ten Americans now go online wirelessly using either a mobile phone or laptop.
Aviation history was made Thursday morning. An experimental solar-powered plane completed a record 24-hour flight, landing in Switzerland. The prototype plane has 12,000 solar cells that can store enough energy during the day to last through the night. The next test for the technology will be crossing the Atlantic. The ultimate goal is to fly an improved version of the aircraft around the world in 2013. The Swiss team behind the project is trying to promote new energy-efficient technologies.
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