Hasta La Gadget!

Here’s another extremely cool offshoot of the Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute. Platypus LLC build autonomous robotic airboats that can be deployed for a wide range of usages including environmental data and monitoring hard-to-reach spots after natural disasters like flooding. The hull of the boat looks a good deal like a boogie board, built from polyurethane. On top, you’ll find a propulsion fan assembly, just behind a hard plastic electronics compartment that houses internals like the Arduino board. That microcontroller communicates via Bluetooth with a smartphone that sits in the front of of the boat, safely cocooned inside an Otterbox case.

The models we saw this week were carrying Nexus S handsets — relatively cheap solutions bought second-hand off of eBay. Just about any Android phone should do the trick, but in the case of this project, where phones can get wrenched loose or just outright pilfered, cheaper is certainly better. Platypus’ proprietary app helps control the boat autonomously, using the handset’s camera to provide situational awareness. Sensors mounted on the boat, meanwhile, offer up information on oxygen and PH levels, temperature and more.

Continue reading Platypus airboats have a Nexus S for a brain, we go eyes-on (video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Robots, Science

Platypus airboats have a Nexus S for a brain, we go eyes-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 15:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I just got invited to a Halloween party this weekend. That’s great; it means I have friends! But I don’t have a costume. This happens every year—I toss around great conceptual costume ideas, but then October 24th rolls around, a week before Halloween, and I’ve got nothing. Some of you are in the same situation. Sure, if you’ve got two iPads you’ve got a great creepy costume, but most people in this spot usually settle for a half-assed reappropration of street clothes, or they run to a big-box store and pay full price for a outfit they only wear once. More »

He may be considered a savior by many people around the world, but today SplashData is showing us that Jesus won’t do much when it comes to protecting you from having your online identities hijacked. The company has released its list of the 25 worst passwords for 2012, and aside from an appearance by one of the most important figures in the Christian religion, there are few new entries on the annual list. Of course, things like “password” and “123456″ rank at the top yet again, so if you’re still using those passwords to secure your online accounts, stop it already.

Every year, SplashData complies a ton of information on the most common passwords by picking through the millions of passwords hackers post to the Internet. In every list, we see the same culprits rank at the top, though 2012′s list has a number of newcomers. As we mentioned earlier, “jesus” is one of these new passwords on the list, as are “ninja,” “mustang,” and “welcome.”

Have a look at the full list of worst passwords below, including their rank for 2012 and any change from last year’s list. It kind of goes without saying, but if you use any of the passwords listed, it’s definitely a good idea to change them as soon as humanly possible.

1. password (Unchanged)
2. 123456 (Unchanged)
3. 12345678 (Unchanged)
4. abc123 (Up 1)
5. qwerty (Down 1)
6. monkey (Unchanged)
7. letmein (Up 1)
8. dragon (Up 2)
9. 111111 (Up 3)
10. baseball (Up 1)
11. iloveyou (Up 2)
12. trustno1 (Down 3)
13. 1234567 (Down 6)
14. sunshine (Up 1)
15. master (Down 1)
16. 123123 (Up 4)
17. welcome (New)
18. shadow (Up 1)
19. ashley (Down 3)
20. football (Up 5)
21. jesus (New)
22. michael (Up 2)
23. ninja (New)
24. mustang (New)
25. password1 (New)

The temptation to go with an easy-to-remember password is there for all of us, but unfortunately that leads to an increased risk of having your online accounts breached – not a good thing if you have a lot of important data (like banking information) you need to keep safe behind these passwords. Also, it’s never a good idea to use the same password across multiple accounts, so start thinking of unique passwords for all of your online identities if you haven’t already. Are you surprised by any of the changes or new additions to this list?

Jesus makes an appearance in SplashData’s 25 worst passwords list is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Face it. There are some inconvenient times and places to see “1% battery” on your device. Be it during an important phone call, while you are about to break a video game record or taking a picture with your favorite actor who happened to be on your airplane flight – battery drainage never seems to happen at a good time. Plenty of portable charging devices exist, yet many take the inconvenient shape of a brick.

Miniinthebox sells a more convenient power option for those critical charge times. Meet the Wrist Watch Pattern 1500mAh Portable Battery, $34.99. No it isn’t a watch, but being patterned after one means the spare power lives closest to where your device is held. So make that call, keep playing your game or take that picture in confidence. 1500mAh probably won’t get you through the day. But it will get you some solid hours of use – at least enough to get you to a charger. The unit comes with Lithium ion battery wrist band with mini-USB output, charging cord and 7 different adaptors to cover most major phone brands and Nintendo DS. So share it around the house or use it on your different devices. But most importantly have an extra charge right near the palm of your hand.

[ “Watch” Me Charge copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Just because winter’s coming on doesn’t mean you have to go full-blown Grizzly Adams simply to keep your face warm (they have scarves for that). But if shaving foam and water are too much of a hassle every morning and the thought of having a stranger flick a six-inch long blade about your jugular area leaves you squeamish, a more modern approach to your manscaping needs is required. But with hundreds of varieties of electric razors on the market, which do you choose? More »