Wikileak Cablegate

It's the ex-topsecret story of the moment: the site Wikileaks has come forth with over 250 thousand secret cable messages exchanged by the US government and embassies around the world.

Already known as the cablegate, there are lots os secrets that are now thrown into the light of day -and all thanks to a young soldier that got the information out in a Lady Gaga CD.

Among the things that are now being found you can see stuff like:

Bluetooth Human Tracking Implants
Injecting released Guantanamo Bay prisoners with internal tracking devices, so that their movements could be "tracked with Bluetooth".

Secret African DNA Gathering
Diplomats are asked to gather "fingerprints, facial images, DNA, and iris scans" of African military and political figures.

Spying on UN members
Beside the biometric "gathering" also requested for the African figures, the State Department also asks US diplomats to swipe passwords, encryption keys, and all possible details on private and commercial netqorks used be UN officials.


I guess those government conspiracy theories will start making a lot more sense now...

In other news... An Hollywood-based movie adaptation should hit the screens in 3... 2...

The Power of Solar Light

You've probably already played around with a magnifying lens, focusing solar light into a tiny spot and burning up small pieces of paper, or wood - or ants, lets admit it.

But... just how far can you go, and focus sunlight?

The answer isn't a secret to cientists around the world, who have toys such as the one you'll see in the following video: focusing sun light into a spot that can reach over 6000ºC - enough to melt metal... and even rock.

3D Screen Transition for iPhone

If you like to have your iPhone full customized to your own accord, then you'll probably have it jailbroken already. The following video shows you a nice addon that modifies the transition sliding effect whenever you swipe across homescreens, replacing it with a subtle - but effective- 3D turning cube.

Fantastic City [Ads]

Because there are ads that truly deserve to be seen and shared; check this amazing video about an amazing city where everything seems to be possible and jumps to life:



And the making-of is amazing as well.

Dropmocks - Simple Image Sharing

Ever wished for a simply way to share some photos and images with your friends? Give Dropmocks a try.

Just drag your images into the browser page, and you'll get a link to share with your friends.

Dropmocks was developed by a Google Chrome engineer, Glen Murphy and it shows what can be done using nothing but simple HTML and javascript (no Flash in sight.)

CSS3 Generator

If you want to start using CSS3 but have no idea where to start, this CSS3 generator might be the ideal starting point.

You just need to select whatever you're interested in, from font selection to round corners, to transitions and gradients, or anything else - and immediately see the results, together with CSS code you can simply paste to your own web site. Mastering CSS3 has never been easier.

Kinect Light Saber Demo

Ever wanted to handle a real-life light saber? Well... you can't (yet) - but thanks to Microsoft Kinect, you can have the very next best thing.

Thanks to its 3D motion tracking, someone quickly put up a demo that allows you to yeld a light saber in real time... at least inside your computer screen.

20 Things to Learn about the Web

This 20 Things I Learned about Browsers and the Web is an interesting digital book created by the Chrome team, that provides insight regarding how the internet, the web and browsers work.

Unlike many, it's all written in an easy to understand language, accessible to all.
In its pages you'll get to learn about TCP/IP, DNS, Browser cookies, HTML5, javascript, AJAX, as well as grow aware of common security risks like phishing.

Definitely worth a read.

GT5 Put on Sale by Mistake in Portugal

You might be counting the second that separate you from your much wanted copy of GT5 - the game that every PS3 owner won't be able to resist - but in Portugal, a few lucky gamers already have their hands on it for over two days!
And no - I'm not referring to the pirated copies already flooding the internet warez sites.

It seems there was some mix up, and the game (and even PS3 bundles) were put on display sooner than it was supposed to be; and bystanders didn't hesitate to take advantage of it.

As soon as word got out, hundreds of gamers were speeding up to their nearest game stores to see if they were lucky enough to catch a similar break - but the error was quickly noticed and the games were removed to safe storage once again.

Even so... there are alredy a few lucky players playing GT5 right now... and how I envy them! :)

Apple iOS 4.2 Now Available

The moment every iPad owner has been waiting for is here: iOS 4.2 update is now available.

Though the update is available for the iPhone and iPod touch, it's the iPad that will have more to gain: Multitasking, Folders, Unified Inbox, Game Center, AirPlay and AirPrint. (Some of which were already available for the iPhone/iPod.)

You now get  "Find My iPhone" for free, without requiring a MobileMe account (if you have an iPhone 4, iPad, and latest generation iPod Touch). This feature allows you to track down lost/stolen equipment, and you can even remote wipe your devices if it ever comes to that.

As soon as you fire up your iTunes 10.1, you should be able to download this much awaited iOS 4.2 update.

Walltop Home Computers

While desktop computers are becoming a thing of the past, being replaced by laptops, netbooks, tablets and other mobile devices - there are still a few examples that make us wonder.

Check out this amazing walltop computer:

As for this second example, it looks like it really had to crawl up the wall as there was no space for it otherwise. (And it puts to shame some - most?- computer rigs we often see on TV and sci-fi movies! :)

Lips for Gmail

How do feel about being able to write or answer to your emails using nothing but your voice - and not requiring any fancy Flash plugin or operating system wizardry? That's exactly what this Lips for Gmail by Nuno Morgadinho does, using nothing but pure HTML5 - thanks to the HTML5 Speech Attribute - and works rather nicely in Chrome.

As Nuno himself says, it's kind of sad that this sort of thing was already possible in 1990 in the NeXT computer (YouTube link) and to this day is has yet to become "mainstream".

Invent Games in Python

Want to learn (or teach someone) Python? Then I recommend you give this open-source and free Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python book a try.

Each chapter gives you the complete source code for a new game, and then teaches the programming concepts from the example.

“Invent with Python” was written to be understandable by kids as young as 10 to 12 years old, although it is great for anyone of any age who has never programmed before.

Seems like a very nice to give your first steps into making your own games, instead of just playing it.

Install Android on iPad and iPhone 4

Here's a thought that will make Steve Job's skin crawl: installing Google's Android on your iPads, iPhone 4, and iPod Touchs thanks to openiBoot.

Of course, this is something I wouldn't recommend you to do - but there are always those willing to experiment. Be sure you really know what you're doing before you even consider converting your Apple devices to the other (Google) side!

Google Docs Mobile Editing

After the editable spreadsheets, Google has now given another step into the mobile Google Docs usability: you can now edit Google Documents in a mobile device.

Until now, you could only read it, but not edit it or do any changes (only in the spreadhsheets).

Now you can do full document edits, with changes being show in real-time across shared docs - you can even use it as a way to chat between a group of friends or co-workers (almost making it a "Google Wave").

PlayBook vs iPad

RIM is starting to heat up the competition, and shows us how their PlayBook fares next to Apple's iPad.

As you can see it the following video, the PlayBook leaves the iPad in the dust - at least when it comes to browsing the web.

Sure, we need to remember we're comparing a 2011 device with a 2010 tablet based on 2009 hardware.
When the PlayBook comes out, the iPad 2 will be launching shortly... and then we'll see how these comparisons really pan out.

However, the current state of RIM's PlayBook serves to show just how good of a move it was to use QNX to power up its new devices.



And here's another video of PlayBook in action.

Cracking Password Hashes in 5 Seconds

I imagine everyone realizes - by now - just how important it is to choose strong passwords. Although many people still use their pet's names, their birthday, "12345", "qwerty", or the ever classic "password" - you should know that it really doesn't offer you much security.

But, what if I told you that even a 14 char, strong password consisting of letter, numbers and symbols isn't safe? Yes, I mean a password like "*mZ?9%^jS743:!".

A security firm can now crack 14 chars complex passwords in just a few seconds.

The trick is: whenever you enter a password, it has to be stored "somewhere".
If your computer stored your password in plain text on your hard drive, anyone could easily snoop in and find it, right?
So, passwords are usually encrypted using mathematical formulas that are easy to perform, but nearly impossible to reverse.
So, instead of storing your password in your drive, what you'll find there is something like this:
aad3b435b51404eeaad3b435b51404ee:31d6cfe0d16ae931b73c59d7e0c089c0

That's called a hash. And it's the result of applying those math formulas to your password.

However, as nothing is impossible, rainbow tables came along. The trick is: store the results of "millions" of passwords, so you could easily "reverse" the process. Sure it will take a long time to create them, and requires many gigabytes or terabytes of space... but it's doable.
Particularly when you consider SSDs!

When coupled with SSD storage, flying through millions of passwords can be done instantly. In fact, this security firm's system can compare 300 billion passwords/hashes per seconds!

Reversing a hash like:
17817c9fbf9d272af44dfa1cb95cae33:6bcec2ba2597f089189735afeaa300d4
Takes just 5 seconds and returns a password of: 72@Fee4S@mura!

While the hash: ac93c8016d14e75a2e9b76bb9e8c2bb6:8516cd0838d1a4dfd1ac3e8eb9811350
takes little longer (8seconds) returning a passwords of: (689!!!<>”QTHp

What this means is that even complex password might not be as secure as one thinks. Even though hashes are now usually "salted"; a process that adds another element to your password to create an harder to crack hash.
If you want to be safe, you better star considering the use of much longer "pass-phrases" - something like:
"This is really a password you won't be able to crack not even if you try really hard! Ha! Ha!123!"

Secret iTunes Announcement by Apple Tomorrow

If you head to Apple you'be greeted by a mysterious iTunes annoucement for tomorrow.

What can we expect from it? I'd like it to be the death of iTunes as we know it, and the beginning of a cloud based alternative that wouldn't require us having iTunes installed in a single PC.

On the other hand, I'd settle with being able to buy/rent movies and TV Shows in Portugal...

Flash vs HTML5

Want to know who will the web battle between Flash and HTML5?

Thise Flash vs HTML5 puts both to the test, on opposite sides of a Pong playing field: Flash on one side, HTML5 on the other.

Let the games begin! :)

Let Me Go - Social Travelling

If you're tired of being treated like a number whenever you travel, how about using a much more friendlier way?

That's what Let Me Go is all about.

The concept is as follows:

1) You submit your itinerary.
• Determine your destination.
• Select the types of lodgings you prefer.
• Set your maximum budget.
• Determine for how long you want to receive offers from lodgings.
• Tell us any special needs you may have.

2) You invite lodgings to submit personalized offers (or we can do it for you).
You choose how often (and whether) LetMeGo sends you an email update on these offers.
You compare the offers.
• View the details of each lodging.
• Ask questions to the lodging.


3) You book the offer that you like best.
• All offers already include all mandatory fees, mandatory gratuities, and taxes.
• Book using your credit card or any card that doesn't require you to provide a PIN for online purchases.
• You are covered by our 120% happiness guarantee.

Life and Death of the One Dollar Bill

The amazing story of the dollar bill, from birth to death:

Hasbro My3D for iPhone

Can't say I'm a big fan of 3D on 2D screens, but... that hasn't stopped Hasbro from bringing some of the oldest 3D tech, this time adapted for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Check out this My3D, a 3D adapter that literally puts your iPhone in front of your eyes, just like the old 3D stereoscopic viewers.

Of course, it will only work with Apps that are specifically tailored for it... and I wouldn't expect it to be a huge hit with the iPhone crowd.

Sapo Codebits 2010

For next three days, I'll be attending the 4thª Edition of Sapo Codebits

It's the biggest developer assembly in Portugal (and one of the biggest in Europe) where, for three days, 24/7, over 600 developers are surrounded by pure technological mayhem - with lots of talks, workshops, hacking, programming contests and more.

While you wait for this year's report you can read about last year's event here (and here) - Google auto translate articles, sorry.

Google Instant Previews

After Google Instant,  Google is taking the next step and showing instant web site previews alongside the results, as you browse them.

Although this will be quite useful for users, some web sites might not be too pleased, as this can reduce the number of visitors (those that might visit them by mistake and immediately return to Google's results page.) Even so, it's possible for any website to opt out of these Google Instant Previews.

But, more than simple previews, Google also highlights the content you might be interested in, and even cuts-out any excess undesired info.

Can't wait to try it out! :)

Where Stig Comes From

No one can deny Top Gear's mysterious The Stig is probably the world best driver. However, one does wonder... where do Stigs come from?

Well, wonder no more. Top Gear 2010 shows us not only where "it" comes from, but how their rigorous selection process works! :)

iPhone Dock Keyboard

Love your iPhone but can't stand typing long texts on it? How about using this iPhone dock Keyboard?

Made by Omnio, this WOWKeys is Apple certified, and besides having 15 iPhone dedicated control keys, it allows you to use your iPhone as a multitouch control device when connected to a Mac or PC.

Now, all you need is $105 - and some friends in Korea willing to ship it to you. :)

Rockmelt - The Social Browser

There's a new browser in town, and its name is Rockmelt.

Convincing users to try out a new browser, when most don't even take the time to try out the "big ones" like IE/Firefox/Chrome/Safari/Opera won't be easy; but Rockmelt think they'll be able to attract user from the "social" era.

Though Rockmelt is based on Chromium (the open-source Chrome) it integrates several social networks: such as Facebook, Twitter, and others. In fact, you do have to login with your Facebook account to use it.

What about you, are you willing to give it a try, or will you simple dismiss it and not even bother?

Javascript Face Detection

Here's another perfect example of what you can achieve by simply mixing together you can freely find around the web.

Daniel Goodwin took Mozilla's Rainbow, which gives your browser access to your computer webcam, and linked it to a javascript face recognition library.

The result is as follows:


Demo: Mozilla Rainbow + Canvas + JS Face Detection from Daniel Goodwin (@dsg) on Vimeo.

So, you still think it will take long for a website to recognize your face and greet you appropriately? :)

Google Instant on Android and iPhone

If you can no longer search your way around the web without Google Instant suggestions, you'll be pleased to know that Google Instant is now available in your iPhone and Android.

(Android 2.2 and iOS 4.x minimum...)

Google optimized Instant to work in the constrained environments of mobile browsers and spotty network connections, and after trying it out for a while, I have to say: they seem to have done an excellent job!

In any case, you can easily turn mobile instant search on or off at any time by clicking the link in Google's mobile search page.

8Pen Keyboard for Android

My fascination for Swype and Blindtype is well known to anyone reading my blog for the past few years. But, it seems there are still people coming up with inovative ways to write fast on mobile touch devices: and that's what 8Pen is doing.

With an original X based letter orientation, it works by way of selection, preditictive, and custom gestures - in order to make words appear as if by magic.

Best to see a demo video.
(Though I think I'll still hang on to Swype and, eventually, blindtype when it comes out.)

CoBrowser - iPad Browsing via iPhone

It's not quite iPhone tethering on the iPad but, if don't want to jailbreak your iPhone, this CoBrowser offers an interesting solution to this problem.

If you have a non-3G enabled iPad, you've certainly wished you could use your iPhone's cellular data plan to browse the web. Unfortunately, this is prohibited by Apple.

So, this CoBrowser claims they simply send webpage images from the iPhone to the iPad, allowing you to browse the web on the iPad as if you were on the iPhone.

That wouldn't be really that good, but the thing is: it seems it does a little more than that, actually allowing you to browse the web on yout iPad. Pages like Google - for instance - are fully functional, (auto-suggestion, etc.)

The only drawback is that, everytime you change to a new page, you get an annoying popup on your iPhone screen in order to confirme the page request. Other than that, this app really seems a very attractive solution to browse the web on your WiFi iPad whenever you're out of range of WiFi networks, using your iPhone 3G connection via bluetooth.

Ebay Group Gifts

This Ebay group gift concept is amazing, and I wonder why it took them so long to implement - but, better late than never.

The idea is simple, choose the desired Ebay item, and have all your friends and colleagues chip in.
Anyone can use paypal or credit/debit cards to contribute, and you can choose any "buy now" object on Ebay.

This is the kind of service that should be available in every single online store in the Internet - as sometimes you can't find what you want on Ebay.

Zwibbler - Drawing on HTML5

Need a site where you can draw at will without any Flash plugin requirements? Check out this Zwibbler which uses nothing but HTML5 and Javascript.

Only the text rendering is done server side, but everything else is done in your browser using javascript. You can find more about it here, including how the mouse management was done using the concept of abstracted Mouse Behaviours.

Defintely worth a read and trying it out.

Longest Music... EVER

So, you're into long music, right? Not those "music clips" spanning just 3, 5, or even 7 minutes. You're a fan of long musics that would take an entire album or CD - and we're taking 70 minutes plus!

Well... I'm sorry to inform you... those aren't really long songs.

Let me present you Bull of Heaven.

Their latest song "like a wall in which an insect lives and gnaws" is... -brace yourselves- 50.000 hours long.
No, it's not a mistake... it's really fifty thousand hours long!

That's roughly 2083 days, which translate into over 5 years.

I wonder if any of the band members has actually played it yet! :)