Saturday, June 29, 2013

Google allows you to Borrow its Street View Trekker


We've all seen the evolution of Google Maps and Street View over the past few years. Something a few decades ago would sound like science fiction, but that today allows us to visit a considerable part of our civilized world no matter where on the world we are. Street View began as "street viewing", but has since expanded to lots other places - including museums, and even trails in some of the most amazing places around the world.

Those images were captured by Google's Street View Trekker backpack, that has compressed the equipment that used to require a car into something anyone can carry around - and now more than ever, because Google is willing to lend you their Street View Trekker so you can capture the amazing places you know.

Well... not exactly everyone (at least for now) as this program is intendend for tourism boards, non-profit, government agencies, universities, research organizations and other entities. But even so, it sure is a very clever way to bring more of our amazing world into street view so it can be shared with everyone else.

... In Portugal, one of my first suggestions would be for a Street View stroll to Fenda da Calcedonia in Gerês. :)


Friday, June 28, 2013

USB Charger Monitor on Kickstarter


Not every USB charger is alike, nor are the USB cables we use to charge our portable devices. If you're wondering why sometimes you smartphone can be fully charged in under an hour and sometimes it takes "forever", you'll love to know you can figure it out using this small USB passthrough dongle that popped up on Kickstater: the Pratical Meter.


You just insert this dingle inbetween your USB cable and USB plug, and you'll be able to see how much "juice" is flowing.

In the case of an iPhone, the difference between having just a single led lighted up or all of them is the difference between charging it up in 1.5h... or having to wait 8h. But the best part is that you can use this power meter to measure any other kind of portable device using a USB charger.


For instance, if you're out on the woods relying on a solar USB charger, you'll be able to see at a glance if you're actually charging up your device.

For just $19 dollars, including a fast charge USB cable with miniUSB, microUSB, and Apple plug; there's not much to say against it. I've already backed up the project - now I just have to wait till September and hope they don't face any unexpected delays.


Thursday, June 27, 2013

Siri Learns How to Pronounce Names in iOS7


If you're an avid Siri user, you've certainly come across some contacts' names that Siri insists on not recognizing and//or reading aloud the wrong way. It isn't easy dealing with names, particularly foreign name that even us humans might need some training to say correctly. In iOS you can already add a phonetic name entry into your contact list, but in the upcoming iOS7 Siri will be intelligent enough to ask for your help to learn how to say those strange names.

Considering most of the time we use Siri to send call someone or send message to someone, correctly detecting who we're talking about is one of the most important aspects. I was forced to change some contacts names in order for Siri to work properly - as it sometimes got "stuck" in deciding between two different contacts with the same first name (and when she asked which one I wanted, she would get back into telling me she had two contacts, and so on, and so on).

Hopefully that won't be the case with iOS7 - even though what I really would like to see was Siri finally expanding into lots more languages... such as Portuguese. Apple seems to forget that since it introduced Siri with the iPhone 4S nearly two years ago, lots of international customers haven't yet been able to take advantage of it, unless they're willing to speak english, german or french. Even Google, that got to the party later on has already introduced lots more voice recognition languages (including portuguese) and offers weekly improvements on Google Now - we're now getting the latest news and movie info on our nearest cinemas.

Apple really should remember there's a "rest of the world" whenever it launched lots of "new features"... that only work in the US.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Kreyos Meteor - Voice Activated Smartwatch


Interesting crowdfunding projects keep popping up every day, and after the success some SmartWatches  made on the scene (like Pebble), there's a new kid on the block that is bound to follow in its footsteps and become a huge success: the Kreyos Meteor.

In just a single day it flew past the $100k objective, and I wouldn't be surprised if it reached over $1 million in the upcoming weeks. Why? Besides looking great, this smartwatch promises to have a 1 week battery life (thanks fo its low power LCD - 144x169 pixels). But even better is that you can use voice and gestures to interact with it. Yes, you can use Siri and/or Google Now by talking to your wrist. You can also move your hand around, as it can detect several different gestures thanks to its internal motion sensors.

It can even interface with ANT/ANT+ fitnesse trackers, which makes it even more appealing for sports fans; and best of all, it's completely waterproof even though it has a microphone and micro-speakers. It will have apps for iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

If everything goes according to plan, it will be delivered in November, and you too can have one for just $100. (I've already ordered mine :)


Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Apple silently Acknowledges MacBook Air WiFi Problems


If you couldn't resist one of the new MacBook Air ultrabooks from Apple (and you wouldn't be alone, as it's one of the most desirable computers, offering enough computer power with an ultra long battery life), then you might find yourself in a awkward situation as there are an increasing number of reports of WiFi connection problems. While Apple still hasn't officially acknowledge it, it has instructed Apple Store staff to  "capture" problematic MacBook Air computers should they come across one of those units.

I find it funny for Apple to use the word "capture" instead of issuing a recall, because it makes me imagine MacBook Air computers evading capture at all costs, like if they were trying not to get fixed. But in any case, it's better for everyone that Apple is replacing those units instead of plainly denying there's anything wrong with it... like they did with the network / SIM card problem I (and lots others) had with the iPhone 4S, and that went un-acknowledged for month.

So, if you have one of the latest generation MB Air, be sure to thoroughly test your WiFi connection and contact Apple for a replacement if you find something wrong with it. Better be safe than sorry.

Monday, June 24, 2013

Parkinson's at the Flick of a Switch


We can put robots on Mars, we have computers capable of making trillions of calculations per second... we grow so in live of our devices that we even waste time arguing, time and time again, if brand X has copied brand Y. Technology is great, but we often forget there are millions of people in the world that would simple like for their bodies to work as most other peoples.

I can't imagine nothing more horrifying than having an healthy brain traped inside a body that doesn't follow our commands as it should. And in that area, there are lots of thing we could hope technology to fix - or at the very least, help.

The following video shows us just how much technology can help some Parkinson's patients, thanks to the help of a "brain pace maker". It's not a cure, and it's not suitable for every case, but it's a start... and the difference it makes in the day to day life, is... amazing.

Now, if we could only convince the "civilized" world to stop wasting those billions of dollars in weapons, and invest in improving the lives of people all around the world... Imagine how things could be.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Pocket iPhone Stand on Kickstarter


You may have spent hundreds of dollars on your new iPhone, however, just like even the cheapest smartphones on the market, good luck in trying to use it without holding it. Maybe you'd like to watch some YouTube videos while having breakfast, or read the latest the news, or even holding it at an angle so you could shoot some photos or videos with your friends without resorting to the usual "self-portrait facebook pose".

Having it laid flat on a table isn't exactly the best way to do this sort of things, but having to lug around some sort of bulky stand in the off chance you might need it... is a major inconvenience. Sure, there are compact stands, but those usually offer just a single viewing angle.What if I told you could have a stand that you can fit in your wallet just like a credit card, but that can hold your iPhone in either portrait and landscape mode and allow you to keep it in any 360º angle you want?

Better yet, it's not even that expensive, and you can get it at it's kickstarter crowdfunding page. This amazing Pocket Tripod: 360° wallet-sized iPhone stand can be yours for just $20 and will make you wonder just how you were able to live without it for so long!


Being completely flat, you can hold it in your wallet whenever you're not using it, but in just a few seconds you can transform it into a 3D iPhone stand with the capability of holding your iPhone in even the most extreme angles.

If you're in a hurry, you can get one in advance by paying $25. You'll get it in November, which is a much better deal than having to wait till June 2014... a time that will be just a few months away from the arrival of the next iPhone model, which - if Apple keeps doing its usual cycle - might bring us a different iPhone, maybe slimmer, that you won't be able to use with the stand you just received. For just the extra $5, it's a much better bet to get it this year (as the upcoming iPhone 5S will surely keep the same physical size of current generation's iPhone 5).

Friday, June 21, 2013

Instagram steps on Vine with Video Recording of its Own


Facebook's big event was, unsurprisingly, about what everyone was already expecting. Instagram made  it's way to "motion-pictures", meaning: Instagram can now record videos besides the regular photos it has done till now. You can get the updated apps in the App Store and Google Play, and you won't have a hard time figuring out it works, as it's basically the same as before. Only difference is that instead of single snapshots you can now record up to 15s of video, and then apply the usual assortments of effects and also "cinematic video stabilization" if you wish.


Reactions to this announcement were many and varied. Some say that Facebook now resorts to simply copying what other have done (meaning  Twitter's 6 seconds video app Vine); others say that 15s is "too much", feeling like those video pre-roll ads on YouTube; while others say that's exactly its purpose (to allow Instagram videos to be easily used as ads).

Considering the huge following Instagram has, having the option to record videos will certainly make them less likely to use another similar app, but even so there are still some differences between Instagram and Vine that will make people want to use one or the other depending on what they value most. As an ending note: just because you can record 15s video clips in Instagram, you aren't forced to do so; you can still record just a short 5 or 6 second clip. (You can also toggle the auto-play of the videos in the settings, should you worry about it using up your mobile data).

[Instagram for Android - Instagram for iOS]



Introducing Video on Instagram from Instagram on Vimeo.


Cinema for Video on Instagram from Instagram on Vimeo.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Google Admits Brainteaser Questions are a Waste of Time


If you ever coveted working at Google, you've probably heard about the brainteaser questions you were bound to face at their interviews. Questions like how many golf balls could you fit in a school bus; how many piano tuners are there in San Francisco; or how long it would take to sort one trillion numbers. It's the sort of questions lots other tech companies employ in their hiring processes, but that might soon be a thing of the past.

According to Google's People Operations SVP Laszlo Bock these questions are a waste of time having no real purpose other than making the interviewer feel smarter than the applicant. What works better "are structured behavioral interviews, where you have a consistent rubric for how you assess people, rather than having each interviewer just make stuff up".

Another startling revelation (or not) is that "G.P.A.’s are worthless as a criteria for hiring" as well as test scores. In fact, there are now more people working at Google that have never gone to college than ever before (in some cases that amounts to 14% of the team). You shouldn't let that be an incentive to leave school - but it shows that in some cases, you shouldn't worry too much about not having great grades due to an inadequate teaching systems that focus on memorizing stuff instead of really making you think about it.

As for management, things are also working great at Google. Google collects data for everyone in the company who’s a manager on how well they’re doing - and just by knowing they're being constantly evaluated, their attitude towards others is usually improved. Something we sure would like to see in action in so many other places...

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

iOS Personal Hotspot can be Cracked in Less than 1 Minute


If you regularly use your iPhone or iPad as a mobile WiFi hotspot to share internet access with other devices, you'll want to read this. When you use your iPhone to create a personal hotspot, iOS automatically generates a "random" password that may look like a strong enough password for us not to touch it any further. However, that's hardly the case, as recently demonstrated by researchers that are able to crack any iOS Personal hotspot with a system generated password in less than a minute.

The thing is, iOS uses a combination of short words and number sequences that create a password you can more easily remember. To do so, Apple has a list of over 52 thousand words that serve as a base foe those automatically generated passwords. Even if you consider 52 thousand words and all possible number combinations, you can easily try out every possible combination until you get the right one. Using a GPU, that's something you can do in under 50 minutes.

But wait... 50 minutes isn't that bad, right? You're probably never around the same place for that long.

The problem is that the iOS "random" word chooser does a pretty bad job at it, and ends up using just about 1842 of the 50 thousand available. That makes it even easier for attackers to narrow down the possible candidates, making it possible to crack it in under one minute using a 4 GPU cluster. (And it might take even less if you offload this intensive processing to some cloud computing service).

However, don't worry too much about it. All you have to do is to use your own - secure - password, and you can easily make things much more complicated for this kind of attack. Bruteforcing a 16 character password with upper and lower case letters, number and symbols isn't something that can be one in a matter of seconds, hours, or even days.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

DRM aims to Rewrite eBooks to catch Pirates


God forbid we would hope to see new technologies facilitate the way for content to reach more people than ever. Today we see parties worrying about locking down digital content in a way that it gets even more restrictive than previous forms, like books and its newer eBook digital format. While you could once do whatever you wanted with an actual book, with an eBook things become trickier... Sometimes you can't even lend it to a friend; other times you don't have the "authorization" to have your eBook reader read it aloud using text-to-speech systems. Unless you do what most people are finally forced to do... and use "pirated" copies of the eBooks they legally bought so they can have the freedom to use them as they please.

Now, things are getting ever crazier, and there are people wasting resources figuring out ways to make things even weirder for readers. Their last proposal: a way to track down which customer pirated a copy on the internet, by slightly modifying each ebook in order to create a unique traceable version. That means that a book selling millions of copies will end up having millions of tiny variations, not one being the same as the next.

Though I may imagine some writers not caring about it as long as they get paid; I can also think about many that won't like their life's work being automatically tweaked away by such system. Who's to say those tiny variations don't ruin the precise feeling the writer wanted to convey?

And even if such a system gets greenlighted and put in use - does anyone, in their right mind, really think it will stop or deter piracy? Hackers and crackers strive on beating down much more complex protection schemes implemented in games and software; do they think their "word replacement" method will offer any kind of challenge to them? Heck.. I could even figure out something in a couple of minutes, randomly replacing some words by other, potentially making "my copy" look like "someone else's" copy and leaving them to deal with the copyright police when they tracked them down.

And talking about stupid DRM ideas, I would suggest applying this same concept to movies... each of use should be entitled to have a specific and different movie. Maybe I could get an Avatar movie where instead of blue aliens I can have green ones? Hey, if that ever happens I want you to know I have copyrights on that idea!

Monday, June 17, 2013

X-Cube Revives Rubik's Cube to the X


If you've been around in the 80's there's no denying you've come across the viral phenomena of Rubik's Magic Cubes - though you might have either loved it... or hate it. If you hated it, then I'm sorry, but there's nothing more for you to read here (check back tomorrow); but if you're the kind of person that spent countless hours trying to solve that amazing 3D mechanical puzzle (or at least, tried to), you love to hear that there's a new cube in town, and it has already a big hit in Kickstarter: the X-Cube.

This X-Cube has 125,486,757,308,950,508,983,252,156,416,000,000 (1.254x10^35) possible permutations, about 2 quadrillion times more than the original 3x3x3 Rubik cube.

You can get it for just $40, which ends up being about $0.00 per permutation (an incredible deal, right?) or take this opportunity to get the perfect Christmas gift for a geeky friend. If you're into 3D printing you'll also like to know that its creator will give you a STL file so you can print out your own X-Cube at home, should you choose to do so.

... And yes, I've backed this project and will become of the first X-Cubers around the world - though I'm not counting on being able to solve it... at least not without resorting to that method that requires us to take it apart and reassemble it the proper way. ;)

Sunday, June 16, 2013

20 Questions Answered by Google Glass


Using Google's Voice search on an Android or iPhone is a constant reminder of how much technology has evolved. But if you think having your smartphone answering your questions, just wait and see when the same thing is done by Google Glass. It really looks like science fiction has become a science-fact!

The following video was made by one of Project Glass team member - responsible for the voice interface - and as you'll be able to see... it seems magical.

Having some glasses answering your "every" answer would seem a dream come true for students worldwide, and could probably call for a shift in the way teaching systems are currently used. More likely than not, the first option will be to first ban "Glass" from every school room. But I wonder if that's really the correct way to deal with it, or if teaching should take exactly the opposite approach of embracing theses amazing new technologies than empower students (and everyone else) with access to all the collective knowledge of the world.

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Augmented Reality brings Rome's Coliseum back to Life


Next time you see a nuch of tourists aiming their tablets to the nearest monument, you better think twice before whispering "look at those guys" in a disapproving manner. You see, maybe they're not taking pictures... but seeing how that monument was back in its former and glorious days. It's the kind of augmented reality magic that AR Media provides, and that now allows us to see Rome's Coliseum just like it was when it was new.

There are lots of applications for augmented reality usages, but I think this one might be one of the most simple to implement and that will have a broad appeal to thousands (or even millions) of people worldwide. Though you can read about it and see photos in a book or website, I think nothing comes close to really being there, experiencing the true scale and environment of these historical places. And if we can augment it even further... then by all means. This may even make those that think "monuments are boring" to reconsider and look at it in an entirely different way.

Just keep in mind that although augmented reality is a nice touch, you should also try looking at it without a screen in between. I can't help but feel a bit sad when I see so many tourists worrying so much about recording videos and taking photos, looking at everything through their camera's viewfinders, that I wonder if they're  taking enough time to actually look at things with their own eyes.

Friday, June 14, 2013

Cube Slam Chrome Multiplayer Game


We're used to seeing Google showcase web technologies (and its own Chrome browser in the process), and now we have yet another multiplayer game you can run inside your browser to see what the future of the web might hold: Cube Slam.

Taking inspiration in the classic Pong, this game provides 3D graphics and power ups, and best of all you can play with a friend just by sharing a link. But to make it more interesting, you won't only be playing with them... but you'll be able to see them and talk to them as well, thanks to WebRTC - that allows that kind of communication without requiring any extra plugins.

To win Cube Slam, hit the cube against your friend’s screen three times until the screen explodes. Shields, obstacles, and gravity fields change with every new level, and you can unlock power-ups including fireballs, lasers, multi-balls, mirrored controls, bulletproof shields, fog, ghost balls, time bombs, resized paddles, extra lives, and death balls––though you might want to avoid the death balls. If none of your friends are online, you can always play against Bob the Bear and see what level you can reach. If you install the Cube Slam app, you can even play Bob when you’re offline.
Guess it won't be long before any (and every?) site will allow you to easily videochat with someone - and video interaction even while gaming will soon become "common"... similar to what happens now in Google's hangouts. When I imagine having a dozen of friend's faces popping up on screen in a large multiplayer game... I understand why we really need ultra HD 4K screens. At least we'll be able to put all those pixels to good use. :)


[via Chrome]

Thursday, June 13, 2013

OS X Mavericks Wallpaper Hints at 5K Retina iMacs and Monitors


Looks like once again we can figure out what Apple is up to by looking at the resolution of their images. Before the iPhone 4 initiated the high-resolution high-density pixel craze, people started to notice Apple doubling the icon and artwork resolution - and the same thing happened when the retina displays arrived on the iPad and MacBooks. Now, it looks like the retina displays are going really, really big.

With the announcement of their upcoming OS X Mavericks (and their new Mac Pro capable of supporting up to three 4K screens using Thunderbolt 2) Apple also released a wallpaper that has a "curious" resolution of 5120x2880. That's precisely double the one we get on current generation 27" iMacs and Thunderbolt Displays (2560x1440) and hints that 27" retina iMacs and screens should be expected sooner rather than later.

So, if you were considering investing in either device in the coming months, maybe it will better to wait a little bit longer to see what will pop up. Truth be told, considering the push TV manufacturers are doing da brings us 4K TVs as quickly as possible, it would be really sad to have computer screens having less resolution than our TVs. A 5K resolution display would trump even the upcoming 4K screens, making it ideal for video editing and photo work and... well... just about anything else. Now that we were getting used to have nice framerates in games at FullHD resolutions, well once again be back to square one in order to get graphic cards capable of running games at these insane resolutions (and I mean "affordable" ones).

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Porseg Fire-Proof Door Wins Red Dot Award

You may never have heard of Porseg before, but you're about to. Porseg is a Portuguese company specialized in safety and security doors, that has now won a Red Dot Design award with its "Plano" fire-door. This door was developer in just six months by its R&D department, and the result is stunning (if its appropriate to say that about a door).

The Plano door keeps all locking and moving mechanisms hidden from sight, leaving just the door itself and the handle bar visible.


It looks nice enough for some of us to wish having similar looking doors inside our homes! :)

This door was developed by request of the Portuguese architect Carrilho da Graça for use in one of the  largest data centers in the country (for the Portuguese telecom group" PT). Besides it's fire-proof capabilities this door also has excellent acoustic and water tightness features that make it suitable for a wide range of applications.

Porseg is already manufacturing the first 300 units of the Plano door, and will be receiving the Red Dot awar next July 1st in Essen (Germany). Not bad for a Portuguese company that is over 170 years old. :)

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Sony PS4 vs Xbox One


Sony finally unveiled its new PS4 at E3, and it seems like Microsoft will have to do some serious re-thinking about the Xbox One. (Sorry for not going into much detail, but having to stay up well into over 4AM in the morning to watch the E3 presentations live takes it's toll - though you can check out the posts I wrote in Portuguese about the Xbox One at E3 and the Sony PS4 and hope Google Translate won't make too much of a mess of it - although you can simply skip to the bottom to watch the game videos. :)

I'll do just a quick recap/review of the most important aspects:

  • Xbox One - available in November for $499, region locked, requires internet connection every 24h, used/lent games will be allowed (or not) to the producer's discretion.
  • PS4 - availble for $399, no regions, no internet connection required for offline games, disc games can be resold, given away, etc.

Tough I currently have both a PS3 and a Xbox 360, and am slightly biased to the Xbox (I admit it), I have to say that MS really has a tough road ahead. Looks like Sony really pulled the right cards and trumped the Xbox One in nearly every (all?) aspects. Not everything is perfect, as the PS4 will also require you to pay up for the "Plus" subscription in order to play multiplayer games - much akin to Xbox Live Gold subscriptions. But at least you can still use a PS4 as a game console, taking it with you wherever you want and being able to play (offline) games - while on the Xbox, if you happen to have an internet problem for a week... you won't even be able to spend your days playing games!

Then there's the price. A $100 difference is quite substantial, even more when the PS4 has the edge in raw graphics power (what matters most to gamers). And although the Xbox One includes the new Kinect - which has really amazing capabilities - you can also add the new PS4 camera and still have enough money left to buy some extra game.

Sony also played the right cards when it comes to indie developers, showing that the PS4 will have not only the latest blockbusters and some amazing exclusives, but it will also have lots of original indie games to cater for a substantial larger gameplay variety. And coming 2014, it will also have the Gaikai streaming game techonology.


It will be interesting to watch how MS will react to Sony's PS4 now that the cards are on the table. Will it buckle to the pressure and reconsider its offering? Or will it play it trough, betting gamers won't mind the extra $100, the outdated "region" system, the more restrictive used game policies, and last but not least... the nearly constant internet requirement.

Even worse for MS, it seems that the Xbox One Asia's launch will be delayed substantially, something that would make it even easier for Sony to take a hold in that part of the world.

Being a long time Xbox fan, I can't help but feel kind of sad seeing MS potentially ruining all the reputation built by its Xbox over the years. At the very least I would hope to see the Xbox One and PS4 going at it perfectly balanced and keeping the status quo. As it is right now... I'm afraid there will be a lot more former Xbox users jumping aboard the new PS4 than PS gamers considering the jump to the opposite site.

The Xbox has bet too much into being a TV media center replacement... and forgot the rest of the world won't be able to take advantage of many of those features - and that many gamers don't even care about that  should they have it available.

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Button TrackR - Never Lose Anything Again


Tired os losing stuff all around? There's an Indiegogo project that aims to fix that once and for all, and considering that it has largely surpassed it's intended $15k objective - with over $200k given so far - it seems there are a lot of people that are constantly losing stuff. I present you Button TrackR, and I admit I'm one of those 2000+ people that backed this project.

These tiny TrackR buttons can be placed/sticked to objects (or pets, or any other thing you can imagine) and use bluetooth so you can track them down using a smartphone app.

You can then know if you're near/far from them (up to 100 feet range), you can make the buttons sound an alarm to be easier to fine (or act as an anti-theft/forgetting alarm should you move away from them), and even tag the last place you've lost contact - if you can use this last function placing a button in your car so that you'll never forget again where you've parked it.

There's also a nice feature about TrackR, should any other TrackR user stroll around near on of your lost items, you'll receive a notification with its approximate location. Should this ever become widespread enough... it would have a very considerable "auto-finder" network for lost stuff.

This TrackR is in its final stretch with just a couple more days till it ends, and you can get a TackR button for $25, two for $40, and better yet: join up with a couple of interested friends and pony up for the 10 TrackR button pack for just $95. That's less than $10 per trackR button, and it certainly is a small price to pay for what it has to offer.

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Screen Size of all the iPhones put Together


I don't know if it happens the same to you, but sometimes, out of the blue, I start thinking about stupid calculations like: how much space would it 1000€ in 1 cent coins; or how much would it weigh a million dollars in gold; or even how long would it take to count all the pixels in a Ultra HD 4K screen at the rate of one per second (answer: 96 days!) This usually happens when I'm utterly bored (like when stuck in traffic, though it's rarely these days).

But the funny part is that found out a place where this sort of thing is actually calculated thanks to a post that tells us how large a screen made of all the iPhones ever made would be!

The answer? A gigantic screen over 1.5km tall and over 860 meters wide (that's 5,059 by 2,846 feet for you "non-metric" guys).


It sure would be a sight to behold... but we will have to do with some mockup renderings of such screen next to Central Park in NY.

Now that we know this essential geek fact of life, who's willing to calculate the size of a screen composed of all the screens built so far (TVs, computers monitors, tablets, etc)? Would it be enough to cover an entire country?

P.S. That same stupid calculations site has a lot of other interesting calculations you might want to browse around. :)


Friday, June 7, 2013

NSA is Watching You


I suspected that the reports that indicated that the NSA had/have access to every call you make, to whom, when, where, and for how long, would be just the tip of the iceberg... and indeed, we now find out that the NSA is tracking each and every move you make throughout the internet. And the implications are still to broad for us to imagine how much this revelation will impact internet service.

Basically PRISM is a system that gives the NSA access to every email, photo, video, message, that goes through services like Google, Yahoo, Skype, Facebook and others.


Even though those companies refute those allegations and the White House says this is an essential tool for national security - that shouldn't even be discussed publicly as it will help its enemies evade such system - and that is intended to spy foreign users alone even though... everyone ends up in the mix.

Basically, it's they say: "trust us we'll only do the right thing with everything we get from every single one of you."

I can't say I'm surprised. Decades ago there were rumors that the NSA had systems listening in to every phone conversation, doing voice recognition in a time the general public didn't even know that was possible, and flagging calls with certain keyword combinations such as "bomb, white house, assassination, president", and so on.

If they could do that back then... imagine what they0ll be able to do now. I can even imagine something like the amazing Facebook graph search, where you can easily query things like: "friends of friends, with ages between 20 and 40, living in New York and like cats"; but applied to the much broader data they're gathering. "Find terrorists, having bought bombs in the past 24h, and instagraming their likely targets".


Jokes aside, the key point is that now that such system is out in the open, there's no going back. How do you feel your government spying on you, with the excuse that they need to do it to catch some hypothetical terrorists (that by now will surely know how to use encrypted and other hidden communication methods, such as embedding messages in photos or the like)?

Is it really acceptable to allow a government to trample your most basic privacy rights with the excuse they're fighting for the freedom that should allow you to have those rights in the first place?

Guess each one will have to figure that by themselves.

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Get Cerberus for Android for Free [Today Only]


Smartphone and tablet thefts have been on the rise, and although there are lots of different options when it comes to tracking down, locking, and wiping your device remotely, if you have an Android device there's nothing better than Cerberus.

Ok, it's not a free app... but considering you've just paid hundreds of dollars for you smartphone or tablet, do you really think a few bucks are that expensive - considering it will offer you peace of mind should the "undesirable" circumstances should ever happen?

But today, you actually can get this amazing app for free, provided you download it via App Gratis. It's a time limited promotion (today only), and it applies to new users only... but don't miss this opportunity to get what probably is the most advanced security app for Android on the market today.

Cerberus has three ways to protect your device:
  • Remote control through the website www.cerberusapp.com
  • Remote control via text messages
  • SIM Checker (for devices that have a SIM card): you will automatically receive alerts if someone uses your phone with an unauthorized SIM card

Remote control allows you to perform many operations on your device, like:
  • Locate and track it
  • Start a loud alarm, even if the device is set to silent mode
  • Wipe the internal memory and the SD card
  • Hide Cerberus from the app drawer
  • Lock the device with a code
  • Record audio from the microphone
  • Get a list of last calls sent and received
  • Get information about network and operator the device is connected to
  • And much more!

I particularly like the option to snap a photo whenever someone fails to enter the correct unlock code three times in a row, and send it to my email! :)

I've paid for it, but now you can get it for free... if you hurry up.

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

WiSee - Whole House Gesture Detection via WiFi


Gesture recognition isn't new. Today we have smart TVs that can react to your waving hands, not to mention things like Kinect, capable of detecting 3D gestures with precision. But... what if you could get rid of cameras, and have a system that can recognize your gestures no matter where you are: in the living room, in the bedroom, at the office, and even multiple people at the same? That's precisely what WiSee aims to do, and it looks like it can a revolutionary step forward in the way we interact with our devices.

Remember the iPhone 4 antenna-gate incident, where half the world was "shocked" to find out that the human body has an effect on radio signals? Well, WiSee uses the same concept, but in a much more advanced way.


With our home filled with WiFi radio waves bouncing back and forth, we also "interfere" with it with every tiny gesture we make. These researchers were able to detect the tiny variations our gestures cause on the radio signals, using but a slightly modified router. The system was able to track five people in a 2 bed apartment, with 94% correctly identified gestures in over 900.

Just imagine the possibilities...



Can you imagine that with such a system, whole house control would no longer be a "pain" requiring you to use some kind of remote control or install cameras everywhere? You could even say goodbye to motion sensors, as this system would more accurately know where someone might be and what kind of gestures they may be doing. You could switch radio stations while in the shower with a simple gesture; or turn out the lights in the living room by simply doing a gesture before going to bed (or it could automatically detect you were lying down)... the possibilities are endless!

Well... there will also be privacy issues I'm sure: what's to stop you from "tuning in" to your neighbors, and "see" what kind of gestures they are doing?... I guess this is a good time to invest in companies that make WiFi reflective wallpaper and paint! :)

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Raiders of the Lost ET Dumped Game


There are lots of weird stories, myths and urban legends going around, but hopefully a film crew is about to put one to rest. They're trying to uncover the fate of millions of dumped E.T. game cartridges for the Atari 2600. The game was a complete flop back in the day, and Atari supposedly decided to dump them into a landfill in Alamogordo (New Mexico) - wouldn't it be more appropriate to do it in Roswell? ;)

While there are conflicting reports, there's a good chance this urban game legend will actually pan out to be true; and better yet, besides the 3.5 million E.T. game cartridges, there's hope the landfill will be filled with other "precious" items, like consoles, PCs, and even prototype Atari systems.

The site is supposed to have been covered in concrete to deter potential thefts, and reports indicate there were as much as 20 dump trucks of material left there. Let's hope this scavenger hunt does indeed turn out for the best, and that this failed game may yet become a really big hit... 30 years later!

Monday, June 3, 2013

Compact Flash with RAID 1 keeps your Data Safe(r)


Most people don't truly value their digital data until they (unfortunately) have to deal with a catastrophic failure of a hard drive or other data storage device. Only then they realize that having backups, something you can do using a simple external hard drive - and/or using the many cloud storage services available today (Dropbox, SkyDrive, etc.) - is an absolute must.

And when it comes to data loss, there's nothing as horrifying as losing photographs and home videos. Documents can be recreated, songs and movies can be downloaded again, but photos and home videos... that's something you won't be able to get back... ever.

But even if you have a nice backup system in place, there's still a small window that can leave you vulnerable to data loss - and that while it will be more critical for professional photographers, it's annoying as well for any other person. Just imagine you got the shot of a lifetime, and when you try to transfer it back to your PC... you get a corrupted memory card with no retrievable data in it.

Higher-end cameras allow you to have two memory cards, storing your photos in both and saving you from this kind of trouble. But if you have a camera with a single compact flash slot (or should you take things so seriously as to have triple backups in-camera), you can now use one of these Mirrored Compact Flash Cards.

Although you can still use it as a regular 64GB CF card, the most interesting thing about it is that you can use it as a dual 32GB CF card. You get half the usable space... but twice the peace of mind. Meaning, when you snap a photo, it will be automatically stored in two different partitions, making it a lot less likely that you'll need to worry with a corrupted memory card. Of course, keep in mind we're still talking about a single card - and that it may still malfunction and leave you with nothing - but at least it will be a lot less prone to the most common issues caused by memory errors.

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Lumigrids LED Terrain Illuminator for Bicyles


As you've probably already noticed by now, when you're looking at something directly from the point of origin of a light source, things kind of look "flat" (take a look at whole of those pictures you took with the flash on). The same effect applies to cars and bikes, making it harder to notice bumps and irregularities on the road - but of course being more problematic to people riding a bike, as it may cause a nasty fall.

This Lumigrids isn't a real product (at least not yet) but considering you can already have something similar with some laser pointers, I guess it wouldn't be that hard to actually make it. By projecting a grid pattern on the floor, the rider can easily notice any and all terrain change instantly. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if car companies would begin using similar systems for their predictive suspension systems (although they would probably opt for invisible infra-red light so it wouldn't interfere with regular lighting nor serve as a distraction for other drivers on the road).


I can't really say if such a system would be able to completely replace regular lightning (I imagine not all riders would be happy to drive around looking just at a grid of light in front of them), but maybe it could be used in tandem with other lighting systems: the regular lights illuminating things farther away, the light grid alerting for more imminent "threats".


In any case... even if it had no real useful purpose... it would certainly make our bicycles and streets look way cooler at night! :)

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