Saturday, April 27, 2013

Samsung reportedly launching new 8-inch tablet in June, Galaxy S 4 Active in July

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/26/samsung-reportedly-plans-new-8-inch-tablet-gs4-active/

Samsung reportedly plans new 8inch tablet for June, Galaxy S 4 Active for July

Samsung Gulf president Young Soo Kim reportedly made casual mention of an upcoming rugged take on the Galaxy S 4 at a press event earlier in the week, but left out any details. Sources for the Wall Street Journal claim to know more of the story, and it sounds like the toughened phone won't be alone this summer. The Galaxy S 4 Active, as it's rumored to be called, would arrive in July and carry the dust- and waterproofing of spiritual predecessors like the Galaxy Xcover 2 while maintaining the GS 4's design language. A smaller, 4.3-inch parallel to the GS 4 would appear at the same time -- Galaxy S 4 Mini, anyone? The same tipsters also expect the release of a new 8-inch "Galaxy-line tablet" in June, which suggests the Galaxy Note 8.0 may get a regular Tab counterpart. We wouldn't base our buying strategies around the rumors when Samsung hasn't said anything that's truly on the record, but it might be wise to hold off if you're not in a rush.

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Source: Wall Street Journal

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Artificial sense of touch gets smarter, lets robots really feel

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/26/artificial-sense-of-touch-gets-smarter-lets-robots-really-feel/

Artifical sense of touch gets smarter, lets robots really feel

The verdict's still out on whether or not androids dream of electric sheep. But their ability to feel? Well, that's about to approach levels of human sensitivity. We're of course talking about the sense of touch, not emotions. And thanks to work out of Georgia Tech, tactile sensitivity for robotics, more secure e-signatures and general human-machine interaction is about to get a great 'ol boost. Through the use of thousands of piezotronic transistors (i.e., grouped vertical zinc oxide nanowires) known as "taxels," a three-person team led by Prof. Zhong Lin Wang has devised a way to translate motion into electronic signals. In other words, you're looking at a future in which robotic hands interpret the nuances of a surface or gripped object akin to a human fingertip and artificial skin senses touch similar to the way tiny hairs on an arm do.

What's more, the tech has use outside of robotics and can even be levereged for more secure e-signature verification based on speed and pressure of a user's handwriting. And the best part? These sensors can be manufactured on transparent and flexible substrates like the one pictured above, which allows for various real-world applications -- just use your imagination. Pretty soon, even robots will have the pleasure of enjoying the touch... the feel of cotton and maybe! even hu m that jingle to themselves, too.

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Via: MIT Technology Review

Source: Georgia Tech, Science

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Oppo's 4.7-inch, 6.93mm-thick R809T pays homage to the Finder

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/26/oppo-r809t-china/

Oppo R809T

No, this isn't the world's thinnest phone thanks to Alcatel and BBK, but Oppo's recently announced R809T is still a seemingly attractive device judging by the above official image. Measuring at 6.93mm thick (instead of the rumored 6.13mm), we're surprised that Oppo didn't set this to be the follow-up to the Finder: sure, it's 0.28mm thicker, but it also aces the latter with a 4.7-inch 720p in-cell display, a 1.2GHz quad-core chip with 1GB RAM (likely MediaTek's Cortex-A7-based MT6589 SoC), Android 4.2 and a sorely missed 3.5mm headphone jack -- so no micro-USB adapter required. Then there's also an 8-megapixel main camera plus an increasingly common 2-megapixel, 88-degree wide front-facing imager, which is obviously no match for the 5-megapixel counterpart on Oppo's Ulike 2.

Pricing and availability have yet to be announced, but given the "T" in the model name, chances ! are it'l l only work on China Mobile's TD-SCDMA network, anyway; unless you really don't mind using just GSM. Close-up shot after the break.

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Via: Engadget Chinese

Source: Sina Weibo (login required)

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Friday, April 26, 2013

Google's Eric Schmidt admits talking to Glass is 'the weirdest thing'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/26/google-eric-schmidt-talking-to-glass-is-the-weirdest-thing/

Google's Eric Schmidt admits talking to Glass is 'the weirdest thing'

We're still getting to grips with an Explorer edition of Google's Glass ourselves, but Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt has noted that Glass may take some getting used to. Talking to an audience on Thursday at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, he said that alongside the unusual sensation of voice control, people would have to develop new etiquette to deal with the fact that incoming wearables like Google Glass would be able to capture images and access information at whim. "There are obviously places where Google Glasses are inappropriate," he said, while stifling a cheeky wink.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Source: Reuters

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Dual-SIM Samsung Galaxy S 4 launches in China with an Exynos 5 Octa inside

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/26/dual-sim-samsung-galaxy-s-4-launches-in-china/

Dual-SIM Samsung Galaxy S 4 launches in China with an Exynos 5 Octa inside

Remember the leaked GT-i9502, that dual-SIM variant of the Galaxy S 4 that ultimately confirmed many rumors? That smartphone is at last exists beyond a collection of photos, as Samsung just launched it for China Unicom customers. The support for an extra cellular line is naturally the highlight, although there's another perk for GS4 connoisseurs: the i9502 has the same 1.6GHz Exynos 5 Octa processor as the i9500, which might eke out more performance than the Snapdragon 600 models. There isn't any word on whether or not the i9502 edition will leave China, although we wouldn't count on European or North American editions when there isn't LTE inside to please 4G-obsessed carriers.

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Via: GSMArena

Source: Samsung (translated)

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Toshiba to release 4K-ready, 160MB/s CompactFlash memory cards

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/26/toshiba-compact-flash-exceria-pro-150MBps/

Toshiba to release CompactFlash memory cards with 150MBs write speed

Toshiba will launch its Exceria Pro series of CompactFlash cards into the Japanese market tomorrow with 160MB/s read speeds and 150MB/s write speeds. The company claims the 32GB and 64GB models are the fastest CF cards you can get now, thanks to the UDMA7 protocol combined with its own NAND flash memory and custom firmware. As such, it's certified them to the "video performance guarantee profile 2" (VPG-65) standard, meaning they're guaranteed to sustain 65MB/s, which Toshiba says will support many CF-equipped 4K cameras on the market. Obviously, HD and RAW still shooters using pro DSLR models like Canon's 5D Mark III and the Nikon D800 won't have to sweat the frames-per-second, either. There's no word on US availability or pricing, but we should know more when they hit Japanese shops on April 27th.

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What the Future of Wearable Technology Will Look Like

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5995406/what-the-future-of-wearable-technology-will-look-like

It's going to look silly! But more seriously, it seems like we're all going to have to accept that wearing technology is going to be the real future and not just the imagined future of science fiction movies. We won't know we're in the future until we're wearing technology like Google Glass or Apple's supposed iWatch. PBS Off Book decided to take a look at what that future of wearable technology would look like.

It makes sense right? Technology starts big and ends up on us somehow. Like a giant clock tower turned into a wall clock turned into a pocket watch turned into a wristwatch. Or computers being room sized to tower sized to laptop sized to phone sized... to on our body. PBS says:

As computing moves from our desktops to our phones, we look into the future to see how technology will become increasingly ingrained in our movements and our active lives. From the Nike Fuelband to Google Glass, consumers are already seeing hints of the future of wearable devices. They have the possibility to make us more knowledgeable about ourselves and our surroundings, and connect us with each other in an uninterrupted, more intimate way. From DIY wearables to high-tech sensors and smart fabrics, the years ahead will show how integrated technology can impact our lives for the better.

[PBS Off Book]

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Who Actually Uses Math at Work?

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5995408/who-actually-uses-math-at-work

Who Actually Uses Math at Work?Let's admit it together. We all kind of suck at math. It's okay! Numbers are evil. And back in high school when you were forced to struggle through Algebra and Geometry and Algebra again and if you were especially unlucky, Calculus, you probably thought to yourself when in the hell would you ever use all those stupid theories, equations and computational silliness in real life. And the truth is you won't use them! Who needs math!

Okay, you definitely need the basics of math like addition, subtraction, multiplication, etc. but anything more advanced? Leave it for the mathematicians to wrinkle their brain with. The Atlantic found the graph above which was made by Northeastern University sociologist Michael Handel. Handel surveyed 2,300 workers throughout the 2000's to figure out how much advanced math is being done at people's work.

If a person is good at math and wants to work in a job that requires math skill, hell, by all means go study more math! But for someone who will never work with numbers in any sort of way passed addition and subtraction, why the hell are they taking advanced math classes every single year of high school? Head over to The Atlantic to see more of the math on math like which jobs require more math (blue collar or white collar jobs). [The Atlantic]

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Facebook to acquire Parse, promises easier cloud-based app development

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/25/facebook-parse/

Facebook to acquire Parse, promises easier cloudbased app development

Hot on the heels of its Mobile Developer Conference, Facebook today announced its intentions to buy cloud-based app development service Parse, a company with which the site has collaborated in the past. According to a post on Facebook's Developers blog, the purchase will go a ways toward helping devs, "rapidly build apps that span mobile platforms and devices." The acquisition will bring a number of cloud-based tools like data storage, user management and notifications to Facebook developers. For each company's take on the news, check out the source links below. We also spoke to a Facebook spokesperson, who told us, "This is an acquisition, not a talent deal." As for financial terms, they wouldn't say.

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Source: Facebook, Parse

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AT&T launches Digital Life home automation and security platform

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/26/atandt-launches-digital-life-home-automation-and-security-platform/

AT&T launches Digital Life home automation and security platform

It's been a long time coming. Seriously. AT&T first teased us with Digital Life way back in February of last year. Now the home security and automation platform is finally ready for prime time. Starting today customers in the 15 launch markets (Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago, Houston, LA, Miami, SF, Seattle, Austin, Philly, Riverside, St. Louis, Denver, Boulder and the New York/New Jersey metro area) can put in their orders, provided they live in a single-family, detached house. There will be two packages to choose from: Simple Security and Smart Security. The former is a pretty standard alarm system with sensors, an HSPA-based base station and a 24-hour backup battery, for $30 a month and a one-time installation fee of $150. Smart Security is where the real fun happens, though. The basic version starts at $40 a month, with a $250 installation fee, and includes your choice of three additional features including a motion sensor, carbon monoxide sensor, glass break sensor, smoke sensor or a takeover kit. From there you can add on additional packages, like energy management or a camera system, for between $5 and $10 a month! , plus t he cost of installation. Those costs can quickly add up too. Those two add-ons alone could push the price of installation as high as $650.

To go along with the launch AT&T is also releasing its remote control app, which will be available on iOS, Android, Windows Phone 8 and, "eventually," BlackBerry. Through the app you can lock doors, adjust your thermostat, turn on and off lights or appliances and check your security cameras. The most powerful feature, though, is the ability to create programs that can automate tasks, send alerts and trigger events based on data from the sensors. For example, if the glass break sensor on the kitchen window is tripped, the system can be set to turn on the lights in the room and start recording a video. Eventually, AT&T even sees the ability to integrate with the location services on a cellphone for additional automation options. If you're hankering for more details, check out the PR after the break.

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Dell outfits XPS 10 with LTE, asks $100 for the privilege

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/26/dell-outfits-xps-10-with-lte-asks-100-for-the-privilege/

Dell outfits XPS 10 with LTE, asks $100 for the privilege

The FCC told us that an LTE ready version of the Dell XPS 10 was coming, but there's nothing like official confirmation: it's here, and it runs on AT&T. Dell officially announced the variant's availability on its community blog, identifying the radio the feds uncovered as a Qualcomm Gobi modem, a natural fit for the tablet's 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S4 CPU. The LTE option is only available for the device's 64GB configuration, and adds $100 to the tablet's total purchase price. Nobody said getting LTE on your Windows RT slab was cheap.

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Via: CNET

Source: Dell

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Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 to enter mass production in late May

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/26/qualcomm-snapdragon-800-mass-production-late-may/

Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 to enter mass production in late May

While Snapdragon 600 is already showing up on various flagship devices like the HTC One, PadFone Infinity, Galaxy S 4, Optimus G Pro and Xiaomi 2S, we're still looking forward to the big daddy of Qualcomm's lineup this year: the Snapdragon 800. At a media event in Beijing earlier today, Senior Product Manager Yufei Wang confirmed that his company's next flagship SoC will enter mass production in late May, but he refused to comment on which upcoming devices will feature it. And due to the current state of the silicon (even though vendors like ZTE are already sampling it), we weren't allowed to run any benchmark tests on the Snapdragon 800 development devices on display just yet, though we've been told to stay tuned in June.

What makes the 800 shine brighter than the 600 is its more powerful Krait 400 architecture, which can maintain a clock speed of up to 2.3GHz; but like before, the four cores are also clocked asynchronously for better power management. On top of that, the 800 comes with the new Adreno 330 graphics processor with 30fps 4K playback capability, while still featuring the improved Adreno 320's FlexRender technology that can dynamically switch between direct rendering and binning rendering for optimized performance and efficiency. We'll save the nitty-gritty for the proper launch of this 28nm chip later this year.

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Thursday, April 25, 2013

Article: LG’s first flexible OLED phone due before the year is out

LG plans to launch a flexible OLED smartphone before the end of the year, the company's VP of mobile has confirmed, though it's unclear to what extent the work-in-progress handset will actually flex. The OLED panel in question is the handiwork of LG Display according to VP of LG mobile Yoon Bu-hy...

http://www.slashgear.com/lgs-first-flexible-oled-phone-due-before-the-year-is-out-25279269/

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KEF introduces M Series headphones bred from HiFi speaker know-how

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/24/kef-m-series-headphones/

DNP

Mostly known for its extravagant speaker systems, KEF is finally taking a whack at ear gear. Today, the company announced two new types of HiFi headphones, known as the M Series, which include a pair of on-ear cups (M500) and a set of in-ear buds (M200). Priced at $300, the M500 sports a full aluminum frame and sweat resistant padding, along with a 10mm driver for lows and a 5.5mm driver for mids and highs in each earcup. If enclosed head gear isn't your thing, the $200 M200 offers an aluminum housing and a pair of silicone ear tips with an adjustable arm for improved comfort. Like their pricer sibling, these earphones also feature a dual-driver system. While we've yet to spend time with the M500 or M200, their press pictures and specs aren't too shabby. Call it a hunch, but we doubt they'll need any celebrity endorsements. For more info on KEF's new headphone line, hit the presser after the break.

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Full Samsung Knox launch delayed until a 'later date'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/24/full-launch-of-samsung-knox-delayed-until-a-later-date/

Full launch of Samsung Knox delayed until a 'later date'

The Galaxy S 4 launch was also supposed to mark the release of Knox, Samsung's plan to balance home life and work through software. Unfortunately, Galaxy owners will have to live slightly off-kilter for a while longer -- the company has officially delayed full Knox service to a "later date." While the GS 4 ships with the necessary underpinnings, both distributors and providers have to fall into place before the suite is completely ready. Samsung hasn't officially said when it expects Knox to arrive in earnest, although the New York Times claims that it may appear as late as July. Whether or not that's true, the setback adds to what's becoming a hitch-prone debut for Samsung's 2013 Android flagship.

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Source: New York Times

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Wednesday, April 24, 2013

CoAction Hero board comes with its own OS, simplifies desktop coding (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/24/coaction-hero-board-comes-with-its-own-os/

CoAction Hero board comes with its own OS, simplifies desktop coding video

Although we've seen a deluge of tinker-friendly boards, many of them share a dirty secret: they're borrowing someone else's OS. The creator of the new CoAction Hero board, Tyler Gilbert, doesn't think that's good enough for those who want both control and ease of use. His stackable ARM Cortex-M3 design runs its own real-time platform, CoActionOS, that supports Raspberry Pi-style features like file systems and multitasking while abstracting the hardware enough to remove some of the usual headaches. Coding for the CoAction Hero is much like writing a desktop app, and a Qt-based developer kit helps owners write their own interface without knowing the circuitry inside-out. The board is being crowdfunded and won't ship until July if all goes according to plan, but a relatively low $10,000 target and $29 minimum pledge for a device sho! uld get the Hero into the hands of intrepid project builders.

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Source: Kickstarter

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The Best Browser Extensions that Protect Your Privacy

Source: http://lifehacker.com/the-best-browser-extensions-that-protect-your-privacy-479408034

There are a ton of browser extensions that promise to protect your privacy, which leads to some natural questions: Which is the best? Do they all do the same thing? What should I really download? In this guide, we're going to look at the most popular browser extensions that promise to protect your privacy online, and give you our recommendations.

We've talked about why you should care about your privacy several times here, so whether you choose to do something to protect yourself is up to you—we're not going to rehash it. Instead, we're going to dive into the tools available to keep your data safe. Most of them fall into three groups: add-ons that prevent third parties from tracking your movements, add-ons that block ads and scripts, and passive security tools that enforce good habits. Don't worry, though. You don't need to download a ton of apps to keep yourself safe and your data close to pocket. Here are the best in each group.

Block Ads, Scripts, and Popups with AdBlock Plus

Ad and script blockers give you control over your browsing experience. They can block ads on the sites you visit and kill third-party scripts and widgets that send your data to who knows where. However, with great power comes great responsibility: If you don't know how to use them, these tools can break the sites you read, rendering them unusable until you figure out what to allow and what to block. Plus, blocking ads can has a very real impact on the site and the people who work on it (like us here at Lifehacker). Even so, it puts the power into your hands to decide which sites are worth supporting and which are just too annoying to use without an ad-blocker.

AdBlock Plus (Firefox/Chrome) blocks banner ads, pop-up ads, rollover ads, and more. It stops you from visiting known malware-hosting domains, and also disables third-party tracking cookies and scripts. We think it has the right combination of ease-of-use, on-and-off toggling, and hands-off management that makes it a tool that anyone can pick up and use. Power users can get their hands dirty with different subscription lists and tweaking the active lists they use, but basic users can enable it and walk away.

The Alternatives:

In our opinion, Adblock Plus is all you need, but there are a few other extensions that do the same thing. Here are your other options:

  • NoScript (Firefox) and ScriptSafe (Chrome, formerly ScriptNo): Both disable all scripts from running on pages without you specifically adding them to an allow list. This includes Java, JavaScript, Flash, and others. They're powerful, but they're also really aggressive, and will break an awful lot of sites. If you use them, you have to be up to the task of digging through scripts on every new site you visit to figure out which ones will make the site even work properly. Plus, AdBlock Plus already does this (and is less aggressive), you just have to add the right filters.
  • FlashBlock for Firefox and for Chrome: Specifically blocks Flash until you load it, including web video, advertisements, and other annoying site elements. FlashBlock is well regarded and in use by a lot of people, but all it does is handle flash. It's a good install on the side if you want to, for example, stop YouTube videos from auto-playing. If you're looking to block ads though, AdBlock Plus is more useful and flexible.
  • Better Pop Up Blocker (Chrome): Vastly improves on Chrome's native pop-up blocking by stopping pop-unders and new-tab popups generated by javascript and other on-action scripts that Chrome would normally allow through. If you're already using AdBlock Plus and don't have a problem with ads, you don't need this, but if you're running into sneaky pop-ups! that ma ke it through your defenses anyway, give it a try.

Stop Everyone from Tracking You with Disconnect

Anti-tracking and anti-cookie extensions have exploded recently. We covered a number of them when we discussed how you can stop companies from tracking your movements on the web. Since then, the market has only grown, with more extensions and apps that all honestly do the same thing, with little more than UI tweaks and differences between them.

Disconnect (Firefox/Chrome/IE/Safari) is our pick because it continues to add useful features and improve its database, and its secure Wi-Fi and bandwidth optimization features aren't available in other tools. It blocks third party tracking cookies and gives you control over all site scripts and elements from a simple-to-use toolbar menu. It also protects you from tracking by social networks like Facebook, Google, and Twitter, which use your browsing even off-site to collect data about you. Finally, Disconnect protects you from sidejacking (or widgetjacking), where an attacker can use stolen cookies to access personal data without having to know your password, with its Secure Wi-Fi feature.

The Alternatives:

Disconnect is our favorite of the bunch, but there are other extensions that do the same thing (or some of the same things) if you need alternatives:

  • Do Not Track Me (Firefox/Chrome/IE/Safari): Do Not Track Me offers a drop-down browser toolbar that shows you which tracking cookies and scripts have loaded on a site, and gives you the option to disable them entirely. It's similar to other tools, but with a friendly, colorful UI. It also leaves plug-ins and scripts enabled until you specifically turn them off. Disconnect is much more powerful and feature rich, Do Not Track Me might appeal to people who want to leave everything on and disable items selectively.
  • Ghostery (Firefox/Chrome/Safari/IE): Much like the others, Ghostery blocks tracking cookies and scripts from running by default. It'll also show you what it's blocked, so you can see whether the items it's blocked are harmless or intrusive. Ghostery's database is huge, and gives you the power to block all, some, or none of the things that it finds. Unfortunately, it hasn't been updated in a while and Disconnect's features have surpassed it. Still, it's a solid alternative for people who can't get Disconnect's latest version.
  • Priv3 (Firefox): Priv3 is probably the least intrusive and most transparent of this breed of privacy protecting add-on. All it does is stop social widgets and plugins from loading and sending your data to social networks until you interact with them. Since Facebook is tracking you and Twitter is tracking you, even when you're not using those networks, Priv3 is a l! ightweig ht tool to stop them, but keep in mind that it doesn't do anything else.

You could argue that Disconnect, Do Not Track Me, and Ghostery all do the same thing, but we still think that Disconnect is the most robust of the three. That said, Disconnect's newest version is only available for Firefox and Chrome, so if you prefer Safari, IE, or Opera, we'd suggest going with Ghostery instead.

Some of this comes down to personal preference and what works best in the browser you use most often, so don't hesitate to try something else if one doesn't work. The worst that can happen is you're extra protected, and none of these add-ons have that much resource overhead.

Additional Privacy Tools You Should Have

In addition to privacy protecting tools and ad blockers, a few other add-ons, utilities, and services came up while we were researching this piece that you shouldn't roam the web without.

HTTPS Everywhere (Firefox/Chrome) is a must-have regardless of what other security tools you opt to use. Once installed, the extension will shunt your connection to SSL whenever possible, and will try to find secure versions of the sites you visit. It's a great way to protect your browsing without really lifting a finger. It can break some sites that weren't meant to work with HTTPS though, so you may have to whitelist sites from time to time if the secure version doesn't work.

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) encrypts all of your internet traffic and offers the most possible protection from prying eyes. We've covered VPN services in detail before, including what to look for, what makes a good one, and some great providers to try. Look for a provider that keeps only the minimum required logs for troubleshooting purposes, offers strong encryption, is well regarded by its users, and offers multiple exits locations. Contrary to common belief, don't just spring for any offshore VPN—just because your VPN provider is in a far-off country doesn't mean it's secure, or at all private. For more suggestions, our friends at TorrentFreak just updated their list of providers that take your anonymity seriously, and it looks a bit like ours. If you're just looking for a free or freemium service to keep you protected while you're out and about, and you're not ready to try on a full, paid, VPN service yet (or roll your own), try Hotspot Shield, Hideman, or Tunnelbear.

Antivirus and Antimalware utilities are essential to protecting security. It may sound like "How to Internet: 101," but taking care to avoid suspicious sites, practice good internet hygiene (eg, not opening suspicious attachments, checking file names before you download, etc), and keep updated antivirus and antimalware tools on your PC is important. Often the term "privacy" is couched in terms of advertising and marketing, but the risk of identity theft and getting infected with ransomware is growing. We've recently updated our pick for the best antivirus app for Windows, and we have some options for Mac as well. Looking for antimalware? These suggestions will get you started.

Other Security Tools You Probably Don't Need, but May Want

We've covered the most important privacy and security tools you need already, but there's always another step you can take to make sure your communications can't be intercepted and read by third parties. Here are a few other tools you might consider:

  • Web of Trust (WOT): (Firefox/Chrome/Safari/IE) WOT does a great job at ranking sites by reputation, and will show you whether a specific site has been known to host malware or is loaded with tracking cookies and scripts that could result in malware or adware on your system. It's not an ad blocker or anything, but it does rank and notify you when the site you're visiting is less than trustworthy. Advanced users may not need the hand-holding, but beginners and anyone else who wishes they could see behind the veil of what's loaded when they visit a site may.
  • Encryption for Email and Chat: If you want to take desktop security to a whole new level, you might consider encrypting your email and instant messages. Our favorite chat clients for Windows and Mac, Pidgin and Adium (respectively) can both do this pretty easily. If you need another option, we've mentioned TorChat as well. For your email, SafeGmail or Mailvelope gets the job done for Gmail and other webmail users. For everyone else, PGP is the way to go. Here's how to set it up.
  • Tor (Windows/Mac/Linux) encrypts your web traffic and bounces it across a series of other computers, known as relays, to keep their location and browsing private and anonymous. Granted, that anonymity only goes so far: traffic leaving a Tor exit node is unencrypted, so while traffic inside the Tor network is encrypted and anonymous, ultimately your browsing comes out of someone else's pipe and looks like normal web traffic. Tor is built for anonymity with a nod to security—not the other way around. You can read more about how Tor works here. It's a great way to stay anonymous on the internet, but don't mistake it for something like a VPN.

There's a ton of overlap between a lot of these tools, which is why we wanted to trim the fat and pick specifics that we think you should install. Keeping too many on your system isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it can slow your computer down at worst, and at best it doesn't offer you any additional protection. If you're not using any because you're not sure which to use, now you have some solid options. Either way, the tools are at your fingertips. It's never been easier to take the reins for yourself and make the web an opt-in experience instead of an opt-out one.

Photos by cristovao (Shutterstock), creatOR76 (Shutterstock), eyeidea (Shutterstock).

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Most Popular Mind Mapping Tool: Xmind

Source: http://lifehacker.com/most-popular-mind-mapping-tool-xmind-477809585

Mind mapping is a great way to brainstorm and organize your thoughts. With the right tool, you can save your map for later or share it with others to help you. Last week we asked you which tool you thought was the best, and then we highlighted the five best mind mapping tools. Now we're back to feature the winner.

XMind, the cross-platform, open-source mind-mapping app, took the top spot with just over 32% of the overall vote. Those of you who voted for it praised the fact that it's survived the test of time well, works the same on OS X as it does on Windows as it does in Linux, and, of course, the price tag for individual users doesn't hurt either.

Right behind it in second place with 25% of the votes cast was Freemind (and its successor, Freeplane), another completely free and cross platform mind mapping tool, that this time runs in Java and is GNU GPL licensed. In third place was Mindjet, bringing in 17% of the vote even though the app is largely aimed towards large organizations and is built to be a fully-featured brainstorming, task management, and project management suite. With 14% of the vote, MindNode came in fourth, offering touch-capable mind mapping for the iPad and elegant brainstorming on the Mac. Finally, bringing up the rear with 11% of the overall vote was Coggle, the free, easy-to-use, and richly featured webapp that brings mind mapping off of the desktop and to the masses.

The Hive Five is based on reader nominations. As with most Hive Five posts, if your favorite was left out, it's not because we hate it—it's because it didn't get the nominations required in the call for contenders post to make the top five. We understand it's a bit of a popularity contest, but if you have a favorite, we want to hear about it. Have a suggestion for the Hive Five? Send us an email at tips+hivefive@lifehacker.com!

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Superhero Tourists Will Love Sony's Awesome Combination Binoculars and 3D Camcorder

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5995303/superhero-tourists-will-love-sonys-awesome-3d-binocular-camcorder

Superhero Tourists Will Love Sony's Awesome Combination Binoculars and 3D CamcorderYou're looking at the Sony DEV-50V, an overhauled version of the pricey multi-gadget Sony announced at IFA a few years ago. Meet the new and improved Swiss Army goggles. They're part 25x zoom digital binoculars, part sophisticated 3D camcorder, and all kinds of crazy expensive.

The DEV-50V set has a brand new weatherproof design that's lighter, and more compact than before—and Sony refined the old, clumsy look into something that looks DARPA bomb.

But gosh, the DEV-50V is a riddle at the same time that it's a dope piece of technology. Implementing 3D capture into binoculars is smart. You've got stereo lenses, so why not use them to make true 3D, right? Obviously!

Even though these pack a lot of tech into a package that weighs less than two pounds, you can't quite imagine yourself hiking with the DEV-50V. For a multi-purpose gadget, it's tough to think of many useful applications for this wonderful thing. You've just gotta wonder who is going to shell out $2000 for a toy. Oh wait:
Superhero Tourists Will Love Sony's Awesome Combination Binoculars and 3D Camcorder [Sony]

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Swype 1.5 drops the beta tag, hits Google Play for 99 cents

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/24/swype-1-5-drops-the-beta-tag-reaches-google-play-for-99-cents/

Swype 1.5 drops the beta tag, hits Google Play for 99 cents

We joke that Gmail holds the record for the most drawn-out test phase, but Swype comes close: the keyboard replacement has been considered a work in progress on various platforms since before Android devices hit the streets, and well after it started shipping with phones. The developers at Nuance are a little braver as of today, as they're launching Swype 1.5 for Android without any kind of beta label attached -- they really, truly consider it done. Mind you, there won't be a huge difference versus recent betas. The 1.5 update adds a quick shortcut to Dragon Mobile Assistant for those who have it installed, expands Living Language to 20 dialects! , adds t wo new themes and refines both Smart Touch and Smart Reselect.

It's where you can get Swype 1.5 that may be the biggest change. For the first time, Swype is launching as a straightforward Google Play download that should support the same easy installs and upgrades as most Android releases. Unfortunately, that also means a price tag for the store edition. Nuance is charging 99 cents on Google Play for a "limited time" before a price increase, so we'll have to shell out if we want to take the easier path. The beta program remains intact, however -- and when Swype is at least temporarily undercutting SwiftKey on pricing, we'd consider spending some cash.

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Source: Swype

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Sony introduces Cyber-shot HX50V, a small and light 30x superzoom

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/24/sony-cyber-shot-hx50v/

DNP Sony shrinks the superzoom with 30x lensequipped Cybershot HX50V

There exists a type of photographer who can't quite get by with a pocketable compact, but also hesitates to commit to a full-size (and pricey) DSLR rig. This shooter is all too familiar with the superzoom -- and Sony's latest 30x model may just offer the perfect excuse for an upgrade. The 9.6-ounce device has earned the title of "world's smallest and lightest 30x optical zoom camera," which, judging by its spec sheet, is quite an achievement. There's a 24-720mm SteadyShot-equipped optical zoom lens, a 20.4-megapixel 1/2.3-inch Exmor R CMOS sensor, a 921k-dot 3-inch LCD, 1080/60p video capture, a top sensitivity of ISO 12,800 and a battery that's rated for up to 400 shots. As you may have noticed from the image above, there's also a dedicated mode dial, exposure-compensation control and a full-size hot shoe. You can pick up Sony's Cyber-shot HX50V next month for $449, or check it out right now in the gallery just below.

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Lego Mindstorms EV3 kit gets an education, school-friendly platform to ship August 2013

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/24/lego-mindstorms-ev3-kit-gets-an-education-school-friendly-platf/

Lego Mindstorms EV3 kit gets an education, schoolfriendly platform to ship August 2013

Lego's new Mindstorms EV3 kit isn't all just gun-firing robots and killer scorpions. Unfortunately, there's also some learning to be done, with the new Mindstorm EV3 kit ready to land in schools this August. Lego reckons the kit touches on several curriculum areas like computer science, math, engineering mixed with (we hope) a little fun -- c'mon, it's class-time Lego!

We got to have a brief play with it back at CES, and as far as Lego goes, it appears to have more than enough additions to keep young minds ticking over, including Linux firmware that connects to Android and iOS apps, infrared and its very own 3D construction guide from Autodesk. The core kit includes the EV3 brick nerve center, a rechargeable battery, sensors, motors, a pile of bricks, a new ball wheel and (thankfully) instructions. Added to that, the teaching set includes a "customizable curriculum", digital workbook and 48 step-by-step tutorials to get the lil' tykes started.

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Nintendo has another tough year, sells just 390,000 Wii Us in the last quarter

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/24/nintendo-announces-another-testing-quarter-tktkt/

Nintendo has another tough year, sells just 390,000 Wii Us in the last quarter

While there's no shortage of 3DS iterations headed to the market, Nintendo is having a harder time selling its new Wii U. Profits for the year are also half of its own predictions, despite the fact that Nintendo reduced its rosy estimates in the interim. Net sales are down 1.9 percent over the last year, down to 635 billion yen, but most importantly the company has managed to turn its net income into positive figures, netting 7 billion yen over the last year, compared to a 40 billion yen loss the year before. Following its initial launch, Wii U sales have slowed substantially, with only 390,000 units sold since December (now totaling 3.45 million), while the 3DS continues to sell in healthier numbers, with Nintendo shifting 1.25 million handhelds in the same period.

Focusing on the next year, the company maintains that it'll increase net! income to 10 billion yen in the next twelve months, with a focus on selling "the compelling nature" of its gaming hardware, as well as pushing its 3DS more in foreign markets. The financial statement adds that the games maker plans to concentrate on "proactively releasing key Nintendo titles" starting the second half of this year "in order to regain momentum." Those key titles will have to hit hard, as certain competitors' new consoles are creeping closer.

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Source: Nintendo

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Panasonic launches $500 Lumix DMC-LF1 enthusiast compact with WiFi, NFC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/24/panasonic-DMC-LF1-enthusiast-compact/

Panasonic launches LumixLF1 compact

Panasonic's just unveiled the 12-megapixel Lumix DMC-LF1 compact for fans of high-end compacts like Canon's S110 who may not want to snap with a smartphone camera. But the social set will still be able to share images to their handset or tablet thanks to the LF1's built-in WiFi with NFC pairing and included app. Meanwhile, most cellphones definitely can't compete with the 1/1.7-inch, 12-megapixel CMOS sensor and 28-200mm equivalent f2.0-5.9 Leica zoom lens. Other specs include 1,920/60i video with AVCHD and MP4 recording, POWER OIS, a 200K EVF, a variety of shooting modes like panorama, and full manual control. There's no set arrival date, but it'll run a hefty $500 or so -- perhaps a hard sell against certain photo-clever handsets.

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Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Artist âNanofacturesâ Paintings Using a 3D Printer and Molecular Modelling Software

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5995293/artist-nanofactures-paintings-using-a-3d-printer-and-molecular-modelling-software

Artist “Nanofactures” Paintings Using a 3D Printer and Molecular Modelling Software

What does art look like in the age of "hacked matter," when anyone can print anything on-demand? That's the question Shane Hope, a California-based visual artist, is trying to answer. In "Nano-Nonobjective-Oriented Ontographs and Qubit-Built Quilts," his new show at Chelsea's Winkleman Gallery, Hope is showing a collection of amazingly intricate paintings, each containing thousands of individual 3D-printed models.

Artist “Nanofactures” Paintings Using a 3D Printer and Molecular Modelling Software

Hope's chosen medium is "nanofacture," a neologism that describes design at a molecular level. He builds his paintings using a cobbled-together toolkit of hard and softwares, starting with a molecular modeling software called PyMol and ending with a RepRap 3D printer. RepRap, if you'll recall, is an opensource DIY system that can print its own parts, meaning you can make more printers as long as you've got one. Hope has a slew of the things printing parts, like an army of mechanical studio assistants ready to do his bidding.

"Accelerating progress in nanometer-scale science and technology continues to expand the toolkit with which we can eventually assemble things from the atom up," Hope explains in an artist's statement. "This will potentially give rise to nearly costless systems for controlling the structure of matter itself." That's pretty far down the conceptual rabbit hole, but the paintings stand on their own. Each piece is an intricate universe of microscopic forms and generative patterns, woven into the canvas bit by bit. It's hard to describe the level of density and detail—in fact, Hope can't even talk about them without using a 210-word run-on sentence (read it here, but gird your loins).

Artist “Nanofactures” Paintings Using a 3D Printer and Molecular Modelling Software

So how does he know when to stop printing? In an interview with the Institute for Emerging Ethics and Technologies, he revealed his secret: "My pieces are finished when even I myself almost can't look away."

Artist “Nanofactures” Paintings Using a 3D Printer and Molecular Modelling Software

Artist “Nanofactures” Paintings Using a 3D Printer and Molecular Modelling Software

[Check out "Nano-Nonobjective-Oriented Ontographs and Qubit-Built Quilts" at Winkelman Gallery until May 4]

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CHART OF THE DAY: The Growth Of The iPhone Business Comes Crashing Down (AAPL)

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-iphone-quarterly-growth-2013-4

There's no way around it: The iPhone business as currently constructed is slowing down significantly. In the March quarter, unit growth was just 7%, down from quarters in years past where it was up triple digits.

Chart of the day shows iPhone quarterly unit growth, april 2013

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