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Wednesday, September 11, 2013

This Plan To End Smartphone Obsolescence With Lego-Like Block Components Is Mindboggling

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/phonebloks-2013-9

phonebloks

When smartphones crap out, it's all too often that they end up in a landfill and they stick around for a few centuries and make friends with the rest of our garbage.

Dave Hakkens sees things a different way, however. He notes that when a smartphone kicks the bucket, it's usually just a single component that needs to be fixed. What if there were a device that were part Android and part Legos, literally enabling you to build a custom phone from prefabricated parts to meet your needs. Instead of colorful plastic bricks, however, you're recombining GPS, Wi-Fi, battery, and other smartphone components until you have the phone that's right for you.

This is all still just an idea (though the site touts a September 16 launch), but you can see how far ahead Hakkens is thinking. For people who don't care about on-device storage, they can get set up with a bigger battery. For photobugs, they can attach a higher-quality camera

If you're interested and want to help make this phone a reality, you can learn more here. Check out the video below to get the whole picture.

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This Gaming PC Is Smaller Than a Controller But Still Packs a Punch

Source: http://gizmodo.com/this-gaming-pc-is-smaller-than-a-controller-but-still-p-1291326222

This Gaming PC Is Smaller Than a Controller But Still Packs a Punch There are plenty of gaming PCs designed to replace consoles, but if you're short on space that normally means accepting something underpowered like the Ouya. But this little guy, called the Gigabyte Brix II, is both powerful and petite.

DisplayLink's adaptor streams 4K content over USB 2.0 and 3.0 (eyes-on)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/10/displaylink-4k-video-over-usb/

DisplayLink's been wringing all kinds of connectivity out of our computer's USB ports for years, turning one connection into many. It should come as no surprise, then, that the company's using its considerable compression expertise to send high-resolution 4K video through that very same pipe. Ideally, the system shoots video over USB 3.0, while still giving users the full connectivity options of any compatible DisplayLink device -- but it can also function using USB 2.0, though the dynamically compensating data compression at work may cause some frames to drop.

We chatted with Displaylink's Director of Marketing, Andy Davis, about the feature and he informed us that the new 4K capability comes courtesy of a chip design first revealed back at CES that, while upping the max resolution of transmitted video, has no trouble driving multiple displays. In theory,the number of 4K screens the chip can drive is only limited by the graphics drivers and video decoding capabilities of the computer it's connected to. And, the new architecture also enables wireless streaming of 4K video using 802.11ad and can stream 1080p video over 802.11ac (4K over 802.11ac is in the works). We got to see a brief demo of the technology in action, and the video played back flawlessly over USB 3.0 for the few minutes we saw it work. Using 2.0, we noticed a slight flicker once or twice during playback, but the feed was still quite watchable. All in all, its a nice addition to the DisplayLink feature set. Now if they'd just let us know when we'll actually see it implemented in something we can buy.

Filed under: Displays, Misc, HD

Exynos 5 Octa demos 8 cores working at once and other feats of CPU strength (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/11/exynos-5-octa-demos-8-cores-working-at-once-gpu-assist-and-ener/

Just in case yesterday's news that Samsung is ready to enable new features on its Exynos 5 Octa chips wasn't clear, ARM has published a few demo videos to show what it can do. All three are embedded after the break, and the first one highlights how the Exynos 5 Octa 5420 can activate some or all of its 8 cores to maximize responsiveness while launching and using Quickoffice. As you can see above in the screenshot, all eight cores are activated while launching the app, then unused ones switch off for more efficiency. Another video shows how it runs Angry Birds Rio on just the four Cortex-A7 "LITTLE" side of the CPU, rarely activating any of their more power-hungry A15 friends. The last demo video shows how its Mali-T628 GPU activates to process images faster and more efficiently than the CPU alone can.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Samsung

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Article: How Wi-Fi Direct Works As A Gateway To The Internet Of Things

Wi-Fi Direct is an emerging wireless standard that allows you to create a create a connection between any two devices without going through a wireless router. Want to create a Wi-Fi hotspot, connect your computer or smartphone to your printer or stream movies from your tablet to your television? ...

http://readwrite.com /2013/09/10/what-is-wi -fi -direct

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Article: Intel CEO Brian Krzanich shows working 14nm SoC laptop, announces sub $100 tablets at IDF 2013 Mobile

Many eyes may be shifted south of San Francisco to a shindig in Cupertino, but Intel's making some waves in the city. Just now onstage at IDF 2013, CEO Brian Krzanich showed off a functioning laptop running on a 14nm Intel SoC. Naturally, Krzanich didn't deal any other details about the laptop, b...

http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/10/intel-ceo-brian-krzanich -shows-working-14nm-soc -laptop-announce/

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Intel announces Quark system on a chip, the company's smallest to date

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/10/intel-quark-soc/

The hits keep coming from IDF. After showing off svelte new 14nm silicon built for laptops, CEO Brian Krzanich announced a brand new SoC series named Quark. It's the smallest SoC the company has ever built, one-fifth the size of an Atom chip, and is built upon an open architecture meant so spur its use. Early on in his keynote, Krzanich said that Intel plans to "lead in every segment of computing," and Quark is positioned to put Intel in wearables -- and, in fact, he even showed off a prototype smartwatch platform Intel constructed to help drive wearable development. And, Intel President Renee James pointed out that Quark's designed for use in integrated systems, so we'll be seeing Quark in healthcare and municipal use cases, too. Unfortunately, no details about the new SoC's capabilities or specs are yet available, but we can give you some shots of Intel's wearable wristband prototype in our gallery below.%Gallery-slideshow83631%

Filed under: Intel

iPhone 5s packs M7 motion-sensing chip, CoreMotion API for more accurate tracking

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/10/iphone-5s-m7-coremotion-motion-coprocessor/

Apple's new flagship iPhone 5s is about to have much more detailed information about how much its users are moving, thanks to a new M7 "Motion co-processor." Unveiled during today's live event, it works along with the new 64-bit A7 CPU to measure motion data continuously from the accelerometer, gyroscope and compass without draining the battery as heavily. It looks like the iPhone 5s will be ready to take over for hardware extras like the FitBit or Nike Fuel wristband, but with a new CoreMotion API, devs for those companies and others can pull the information into their apps. The CoreMotion API specifically works to identify user movement, and offers "optimizations based on contextual awareness." Overall, it's very similar to what we'd heard would be in the Moto X, although we haven't seen all of these extra sensors used for activity tracking quite in this way. Nike was on hand with a new Nike+ Move app that used the M7 and GPS to track users' activities, and we wouldn't be surprised if others follow closely behind. Nike called the Move app an "introductory experience" to Nike Fuel in a tweet, so maybe it's planning to upsell customers on (potentially?) more detailed tracking with its hardware add-ons afterward.

Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 'Special Event' 2013 event hub!

Filed under: Mobile, Apple

Infinity Blade III to launch alongside iPhone 5s

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/10/infinity-blade-3-iphone-5s/

Donald Mustard, co-founder of Chair (owned by Epic Games), just hopped on stage at Apple's hardware reveal and pulled back the proverbial curtains on Infinity Blade III, the final installment in the series. The game's making use of the iPhone 5s' new 64-bit architecture, and it has the graphics prowess to prove it: combinations of rendering effects including depth of field, blur and full-screen vignettes. Not to mention lens flares "that would make J.J. Abrams proud." According to the developers, converting the game to 64-bit took just two hours, so developers with apps of their own need not fret. Infinity Blade III is slated to be "available alongside the new iPhone 5s," which should get a release date of its own in a few minutes.

Update: The iPhone 5s will be hitting shelves on September 20th, so Infinity Blade III should break into the App Store with it.

%Gallery-slideshow83643%

Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 'Special Event' 2013 event hub!

Filed under: Gaming, Mobile

iPhone 5s fingerprint sensor called Touch ID, recognizes your thumb on the Home button: here's how it works and what it does

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/10/iphone-5s-fingerprint-sensor/

Apple's brand-new iPhone 5s isn't dramatically different from last year's model, but it has at least one major addition: a "Touch ID" sensor. Us human beings are calling it a fingerprint sensor, and it's built into the phone's main Home button below the screen. Apple's Phil Schiller says, "It reads your fingerprint at an entirely new level" -- it's 170 microns in thickness with 500 ppi resolution. According to Cupertino, it "scans sub-epidermal skin layers," and can read 360 degrees. As expected, the sensor is actually part of the Home button, making it less of a button and more of a...well, sensor. Using Touch ID, users can authorize purchases in iTunes, the App Store, or in iBooks by simply using their thumbprint (starting in iOS 7, of course). Pretty neat / scary!

As rumored, the sensor uses a laser cut sapphire crystal cover; it retains a tactile input for those wary of the sensor wearing down after lengthy use. The sapphire crystal, acting as a lens, takes a highly detailed image of your fingerprint, which Apple says is "never stored on Apple servers or backed up to iCloud." According to Apple's official PR on the new phone, Touch ID's fingerprint info is "encrypted and stored securely in the Secure Enclave inside the A7 chip" (the A7 chip is the new processor at the heart of the 5s). Apple hasn't made clear whether Touch ID allows for multiple users on a single iPhone or not, nor has the company said whether you could turn off fingerprint authentication (though we have to presume the answer is yes given previous authentication standards on the iPhone).

The fingerprint ID technology was long rumored as heading to 2013's iPhone following Apple's acquisition of Authentec last summer. A render of the iPhone 5s outed the new functionality's name just this week. We'll have more on Touch ID in our upcoming hands-on live from Cupertino, and you can find all our Apple event coverage from today right here.

%Gallery-slideshow83645%

Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 'Special Event' 2013 event hub!

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Software, Mobile, Apple

HP launches ZBook mobile workstations with Ultrabook model, 3,200 x 1,800 screen option

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/10/hp-zbook-mobile-workstations/

HP's 2012 mobile workstation range was powerful, but would we have called it exciting? Not exactly. The company may just liven things up with its new ZBook line, however. The three-laptop series is based on a thinner and lighter design template that includes a 14-inch Ultrabook variant, the ZBook 14 (pictured above). Basically, Dell's Precision M3800 now has a big-name competitor. Those willing to trade some portability for power will also get a few welcome additions. The mid-size ZBook 15 (after the break) has a 3,200 x 1,800 display option, while both the ZBook 15 and the flagship ZBook 17 carry Thunderbolt ports.

All three PCs ship with Haswell-based Intel processors as well as the latest pro graphics from either AMD or NVIDIA. Mobile workers can order the 15- and 17-inch ZBooks today, or wait for the 14-inch system's arrival in late October. You'll find more details of HP's workstation updates after the break, including a more conservative refresh to the Z desktop line that brings Ivy Bridge-based Xeon processors and Thunderbolt 2.

Filed under: Laptops, AMD, HP, NVIDIA

Source: HP (1), (2), (3)

The NFL Is Freaking Out Over Chip Kelly, The Eagles Coach Who Could Change Pro Football Forever

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/chip-kelly-offense-could-change-nfl-forever-2013-9

chip kelly happy

If you watched the first half of Chip Kelly's first game as coach of the Philadelphia Eagles — a 33-27 win on the road against the Washington Redskins — you got a glimpse of what football will look like in the future.

The Eagles ran as many plays as possible, refusing to huddle-up and snapping the ball as fast as they could. They also used some zone read — which, for the uninitiated, is a type of play where the quarterback decides to either hand the ball off or run it himself based on what the defense is doing.

We've seen NFL teams (with Kelly's help) experiment with the no-huddle and zone read in recent years, largely as a "change of pace" supplement to their big, slow, normal offensive systems.

But Kelly's Eagles are the first pro team to use an entire offense that's built on those two experimental elements.

lesean mccoy eagles td Kelly's system is all "change of pace," and the NFL might never be the same if he continues to be as successful as he was last night.

We already saw him do it in college.

Kelly gained the reputation as one of the sport's foremost innovators when he was a coordinator at New Hampshire and then Oregon in the 2000s.

Oregon finished top 10 in the country in points scored in each of Kelly's four years as head coach, and transformed into one of college football's biggest powerhouse programs in the process. Oregon opened a preposterous $68-million football facility this year, and the unprecedented success that Kelly brought the school is a huge reason why.

With goof y formations, relentless fourth-down conversions, and (most importantly) a frantic hurry-up, fast-tempo offense that no one could stop, Kelly created the buzziest team in college sports. The rest of the country took notice, and now you see threads of Oregon's philosophy woven into the fabric of big-time college football.

In short, he helped turn college football into the points-fest you see today, and introduced a degree of creativity and innovation you rarely see in sports:

oregon punter kicker gif

Now, he's going to try and do the same thing in the NFL.

In just the first half against the Redskins, the Eagles ran 53 offensive plays. That's as many as five other NFL teams ran in all four quarters of their Week One games.

Philly gained 322 yards in the first half, more than 11 NFL teams gained in all four quarters of their Week One games.

chip kelly fist pump

The days of the typical NFL sequence — run a play, mosey back to the huddle, gather around the QB, walk back to the line of scrimmage — are numbered.

If Kelly succeeds, pro football will become a much more free-flowing game. Like basketball.

Some old-school football people see this as a bad thing. Alabama coach Nick Saban even said the up-tempo style that Kelly spread throughout college football is dangerous.

But that Eagles-Redskins game was thrilling. Kelly's addition to the NFL is a great thing for anyone who likes innovation in sports.

SEE ALSO: NFL Power Rankings! Week Two

SEE ALSO: This Chip Kelly Speech About Simplicity Is Fantastic

Join the conversation about this story »

AMD's 2014 embedded roadmap includes dedicated graphics, gaming-friendly CPU

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/10/amd-2014-embedded-roadmap/

AMD has long signaled that embedded chips will play a major role in its future, and it's backing up that claim by providing a glance at its 2014 roadmap. The highlight is Bald Eagle, a 35-watt x86 processor designed for demanding tasks like gaming; it should include up to four Steamroller cores, and it will optionally sport on-chip Graphics Core Next video. Devices that need even more visual power will use Adelaar, a dedicated graphics chipset that includes both GCN and 2GB of built-in memory. It's reportedly fast enough to be useful for PC video cards, not just the usual set-top boxes and smart TVs.

Two system-on-chip designs are also joining AMD's lineup. Hierofalcon is built with data centers in mind, and carries up to eight ARM Cortex-A57 cores; Steppe Eagle, meanwhile, is a combination of upgraded Jaguar x86 cores and GCN that should speed up AMD's low-power G-series processors. With the exception of Hierofalcon, all of the new embedded chips should be available in the first half of next year. AMD hasn't named any early customers, but its embedded silicon tends to reach products that you'd recognize. Check out the roadmap after the break.

Filed under: Misc, Gaming, Home Entertainment, AMD

Source: AMD

Wacom's Bamboo Pad: a Magic Trackpad-esque peripheral with stylus input for $49 and $79

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/10/wacom-bamboo-pad/

Touch pads are nice for navigating with gestures, but what about when you need to scribble a signature or mark up a draft by hand? Well, Wacom has an option with its new stylus-friendly Bamboo Pad. The peripheral enables multitouch gestures alongside a pressure-sensitive Wacom stylus. Compatible with both Mac and Windows PCs, the add-ons can employ a wireless connection or be tethered via USB and come in one of four accent-hued options: grey, blue, green or purple (violet unit is wireless only). If you've already gotten cozy with a Bamboo Stylus feel, that input device will work alongside this new Bamboo Pad as well. Wired units will set you back $49 while the wireless model is priced at $70 with both arriving later this month. For now, you can snag a closer look at the goods in the gallery down below. %Gallery-slideshow83491%

Blue HTC One to arrive as Best Buy exclusive on September 15th

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/09/htc-one-blue-att-verizon-sprint-best-buy/

DNP HTC One in blue

Don't feel blue if you've missed one of the first HTC One units in, well, blue when they started trickling out -- it's officially launching as a Best Buy exclusive on September 15th. What's more, the oceanic phone will be available on Sprint, AT&T and Verizon. On-contract pricing details have yet to be revealed by the carriers, but its full retail price was pegged at $700 when it first showed up on our radar. We guess those who prefer cool blue to glamour red will find out soon enough when the phones pop up at the retailer's stores, its mobile shops and website.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, HTC

Source: Best Buy

Samsung's Exynos 5 Octa CPUs will be able to use all eight cores at once in Q4

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/09/samsungs-exynos-5-octa-hmp/

We'll have to change our terminology for Samsung's Exynos 5 Octa mobile chips now. We've been calling them "not-quite" eight core CPUs since they can't actually use all eight at once, but the company's new Heterogeneous Multi-Processing solution is going to change that. Once it's available in Q4 it will let devices access both sides of the big.LITTLE ARM configuration simultaneously, which it claims will increase both performance and efficiency. While software threads with high priority use the "big" A15 core, lower priority tasks can run on the "small" A7 without needing to switch back and forth. Samsung isn't the only one running this setup however, as MediaTek announced an implementation for its MT8135 back in July. There are more details included in the press release (after the break) but we're not seeing any confirmation if this will ever be enabled on existing / announced devices like some flavors of the Galaxy S 4 or the Meizu MX3. Either way, the folks at Qualcomm might want to put together another video.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Samsung

Source: Samsung

Mhoto analyzes any image, gives it an appropriate, customized soundtrack

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/09/moto-composes-music-from-pictures/

When we see a picture of the Notorious B.I.G., the hook from Hypnotize starts streaming in our heads. Imagine if you will, an app that analyzes your picture and creates a soundtrack suited to you. Mhoto does just that, and it can synthesize an appropriate tune for any digital photograph. Mhoto's magic comes courtesy of some patent pending technology that analyzes a picture's saturation, brightness and contrast levels and uses that information to create music tailored to fit the feel of the photo -- and the company's working on a way to integrate facial recognition into the mix to make mood based music, too. Users also can choose what musical genre they want the generated tunes to come from (Hip Hop, Rock, Pop, etc.). The best part is, the heavy lifting is done in Amazon's cloud, so Mhoto can work on any device with a data connection, even a featurephone.

Filed under: Misc

Source: Mhoto

Maingear adds high-performance Ivy Bridge-E processors to its desktop lineup

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/10/maingear-desktops-ivy-bridge-e-processors/

Maingear adds high-performance Ivy Bridge E processors to its desktop lineup

Roughly two years have passed since Intel released its first LGA-2011 E series processors, but now that its 22nm Ivy Bridge-E silicon is in the wild, PCs have a new high-horsepower option. With the outfit's latest unlocked six-core chips ready for action, Maingear's adding them as an option to their Shift, F131, Force and Rush desktops. At the top, the Core i7-4960X Extreme Edition stakes claim to base clock speeds of 3.6GHz, while the Core i7-4930K and i7-4820K hum at 3.4GHz and 3.7GHz, respectively. Running at Turbo Boost frequencies, the top of the line model hit up to 4GHz, with both other models peaking at 3.9GHz. To commission a monster rig, and help Ivy Bridge reclaim the limelight from Haswell for just a moment, click the neighboring source link.

Update: Velocity Micro's Raptor class PCs are also getting in on the Ivy Bridge-E treatment, with prices starting at $2,399.

Filed under: Desktops

Source: Maingear

Dryft: a software keyboard that follows fingertips to improve touch typing on tablets

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/10/dryft-a-software-keyboard-that-follows-fingertips-to-improve-to/

You've seen them on planes, in coffee shops, maybe even at the office: tablets tethered to Bluetooth keyboards. Those users pecking away at hardware keys because using their slate's software grid is nothing more than an exercise in futility. Dryft is a soft keyboard built by Swype co-founder Randy Mardsen that aims to change that. You see, most of us are touch-typers and rest our hands on the 'home row' of keys to tell our fingers where to reach all the other letters. But, the smooth surface of tablet displays prevents our phalanges from finding the proper orientation. Dryft eliminates that problem by automagically positioning the keys beneath your fingertips wherever they may be, and by allowing users to rest their hands on the screen.

Dryft can do this because it doesn't rely solely on the touch sensors embedded in the screen, it also uses accelerometer data to determine if your fingertips are taking a break or are pecking away with purpose. Because of its reliance upon high fidelity signals from the accelerometer to work well, Dryft needs low-level access to that sensor's data -- and that means we won't be seeing a Dryft download in any app store. Instead, Mardsen is taking the same route as he did with Swype, and is planning to license Dryft for use on Windows Phone, Android and iOS. Plus, developers will be able to integrate Dryft in individual apps thanks to a forthcoming SDK. Want to see Dryft in action? A video awaits after the break.

Filed under: Tablets, Software

Source: Dryft

AMD's 2014 embedded roadmap includes dedicated graphics, gaming-friendly CPU

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/10/amd-2014-embedded-roadmap/

AMD has long signaled that embedded chips will play a major role in its future, and it's backing up that claim by providing a glance at its 2014 roadmap. The highlight is Bald Eagle, a 35-watt x86 processor designed for demanding tasks like gaming; it should include up to four Steamroller cores, and it will optionally sport on-chip Graphics Core Next video. Devices that need even more visual power will use Adelaar, a dedicated graphics chipset that includes both GCN and 2GB of built-in memory. It's reportedly fast enough to be useful for PC video cards, not just the usual set-top boxes and smart TVs.

Two system-on-chip designs are also joining AMD's lineup. Hierofalcon is built with data centers in mind, and carries up to eight ARM Cortex-A57 cores; Steppe Eagle, meanwhile, is a combination of upgraded Jaguar x86 cores and GCN that should speed up AMD's low-power G-series processors. With the exception of Hierofalcon, all of the new embedded chips should be available in the first half of next year. AMD hasn't named any early customers, but its embedded silicon tends to reach products that you'd recognize. Check out the roadmap after the break.

Filed under: Misc, Gaming, Home Entertainment, AMD

Source: AMD

Monday, September 09, 2013

Cota by Ossia hopes to charge your phone wirelessly, no contact required

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/09/cota-by-ossia-wireless-power/

We've all heard of wireless charging before, but most solutions still require your phone to come in touch with a base station. Well, Cota is a technology that aims to power your mobile device completely wirelessly -- without any physical contact at all. Hatem Zeine, a physicist and CEO of Ossia Inc, demonstrated the technology on stage at TechCrunch Disrupt when he successfully charged his iPhone when plugged with a Cota prototype, seen above, while holding it several feet away from a charging station.

It all seems like voodoo, but the secret lies in sending a magnetic charge over the same 2.4GHz spectrum that WiFi and Bluetooth already use. If you're concerned about safety, Zeine assures us that only one watt of power is transmitted -- that's a third of what cell phones already transmit. Line of sight isn't required, and Zeine claims that one station can power multiple devices at once. Just like a WiFi hotspot, you can set it so that it only works with certain devices or simply open it up so that power is available to all Cota-enabled handsets within range, which is around 30 feet.

Filed under: Cellphones, Science, Mobile

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Cota by Ossia

PPL Connect is a virtualized smartphone that lets you make and take calls from a web browser

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/09/ppl-connect-is-a-virtualized-smartphone-that-lets-you-make-and-t/

Sure, you've heard of virtualized computing environments before, but a start-up here at TechCrunch Disrupt called PPL Connect is a platform that virtualizes your phone's capabilities in real-time. That means you can make and receive calls and texts and access the photos and videos on your phone from any device with a web browser. It's kind of like AirDroid, only you don't need to have your phone with you or even have it turned on to make calls or receive texts once you've signed up. It's a platform agnostic solution for a fragmented mobile world.

The magic happens via a localized app on your phone and Amazon cloud service to dish out your data where you need it. That cloud component both serves as cloud storage for your data and as a back-end VoIP relay station for calls and texts. Currently, photos, videos, contacts, calls and texts are what's handled by the service, but the plan is to eventually fully replicate your phone's capabilities. For folks who are concerned about putting your digital life in the hands of PPL connect, all transmissions to and from its servers are encrypted. And, the company is currently devising a fully encrypted system whereby the data's only accessible with a single, user-owned key.

Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Software, Mobile

Source: PPL Connect

Epic Privacy Browser Blocks Tracking, Ads, and More

Source: http://lifehacker.com/epic-privacy-browser-blocks-tracking-ads-and-more-1278427701

Epic Privacy Browser Blocks Tracking, Ads, and More

Windows/Mac: Keeping your data private on the web is no easy task. Epic Privacy Browser is a Chromium-based browser that seeks to give you a private browsing experience without slowing down your browsing speed.

Out of the box Epic Privacy Browser blocks web sites that track you, ads, and more. It doesn't store cookies, your history, cache, autofill, or anything else. When you close the browser, everything you did is deleted. Epic Privacy Browser also offers one-click proxy servers and encrypted data protection for Wi-Fi networks. It's not as comprehensive as something like Tails, but as a souped-up Incognito mode, Epic Privacy Browser works well.

Epic Privacy Browser | via One Thing Well

Flowers Shatter Like Glass Thanks to Liquid Nitrogen and an Air Gun

Source: http://gizmodo.com/flowers-shatter-like-glass-thanks-to-liquid-nitrogen-an-1279365378

Flowers Shatter Like Glass Thanks to Liquid Nitrogen and an Air Gun

There are some science class staples that will never cease to be amazing, no matter how often you see them—among them, liquid nitrogen. To wit: these beautiful images of flower blooms, flash-frozen using liquid-state nitrogen and shattered in front of a camera lens for our amusement.

Snapchat Micro will bring disappearing messages to Samsung's Galaxy Gear

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/09/snapchat-galaxy-gear/

There seems little doubt that much of the Galaxy Gear's success or failure will hinge on the selection of apps that arrive on smartwatch. Samsung is making a strong push for third-party software (even in the face of limited device storage), courting a big cross section of developers at places like Path and eBay for its wearable. Popular messaging app Snapchat will also be hitting the device in the form of Snapchat Micro. As you'd expect, the app harnesses the Gear's 1.9-megapixel camera to send self-destructing images. The company's founder told Techcrunch, "Our team is constantly looking at ways to reduce the time between our experience of a moment and our ability to share it." Walking around with a camera on your wrist is certainly one way to go about it.

Filed under: Wearables, Software, Samsung

Via: Techcrunch

Google Glass update adds 'vignettes,' sound search and more

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/09/google-glass-update-adds-vignettes/

Glass still isn't quite ready for the consumer, but Google's wearable platform just keep getting better and more powerful thanks to frequent software updates. Today's version bump brings YouTube to your search results and also grants access to those with Google Apps accounts. It also brings the Shazam-like Sound Search from Android to your head-mounted display. Most interesting though, is Vignettes, which allows you to lay your current Glass display over a photo to produce an image like the one you see above. Think of it like a screenshot tool for your real, very nerdy life. One can only imagine that eventually Vignettes will get a video mode, but for now its still photos only. If you're one of the lucky Explorers you can download the update now. The rest of you will have to live vicariously through the photos at the source.

Filed under: Wearables, Google

Source: Google Glass (Google+)

drag2share: The NSA's Biggest Strength Is Also Its Biggest Weakness

source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/~3/adqd1gDa-no/the-nsas-strength-may-be-biggest-weakness-2013-9

Keith ALexander NSA The bread and butter of NSA chief Keith Alexander's reign is the push to collect more and more data, saving essentially everything passing through the Internet, encrypted or not, according to recent reporting from Foreign Policy's Shane Harris.

In Alexander's stint, not only has the NSA's budget blown up, but the agency has saved so much data that it has filled servers at the headquarters in Ft. Meade and built a new installation in Utah — all to save Internet and communications traffic.

There's one big problem though: more data doesn't necessarily translate into more security for the American people.

In fact, a flood of "intelligence" can make an analyst more confused, not less.

"Analysts routinely drown in data they can't parse effectively," said Joshua Foust, a former government intelligence analyst turned freelance defense journalist.

Foreign Policy some of the blunders of the new system:

"He had all these diagrams showing how this guy was connected to that guy and to that guy," says! a forme r NSA official who heard Alexander give briefings on the floor of the Information Dominance Center. "Some of my colleagues and I were skeptical. Later, we had a chance to review the information. It turns out that all [that] those guys were connected to were pizza shops."

A retired military officer who worked with Alexander also describes a "massive network chart" that was purportedly about al Qaeda and its connections in Afghanistan. Upon closer examination, the retired officer says, "We found there was no data behind the links. No verifiable sources. We later found out that a quarter of the guys named on the chart had already been killed in Afghanistan."

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