Hasta La Gadget!

HP is looking into getting back into the mobile hardware game, according to a new report from ReadWrite which the Verge says is being confirmed from their own sources. HP famously bought webOS and then brought a tablet to market based on that Palm-developed platform, the TouchPad, which ended up being a dismal failure that the company shut down very quickly.

HP had also launched a smartphone, the Veer 4G based on webOS, but that also proved ineffective at capturing the attention of consumers. The company is apparently still looking to get back into the hardware game after a hiatus spanning a couple of years, however, with a new tablet featuring an NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor, which ReadWrite pegs for an imminent announcement, and is also considering Android-based smartphone for future development. Verge reports that the timeline sounds good, but scheduling could change for a tablet launch.

After HP CEO Meg Whitman took over, she announced that the company would ultimately offer a smartphone to keep up with the fact that for many in the developing world, such a device is now their first and maybe only computer. That launch isn’t planned for 2013, however, Whitman later stated.

But back in late 2011, Whitman did make statements to the effect that HP could create webOS-powered tablets again in 2013. While these reports suggest webOS is likely off the table, HP could stick to Whitman’s target plan of fielding a tablet device based on a mobile OS this year, but one based on Android instead of its own product, which it has since open-sourced.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that HP would dip its toes back in the mobile hardware pool even after suffering such a reversal the first time around. The fact is that mobile is where the computing industry is going, and Apple’s iPad is almost singlehandedly propping up the sagging fortunes of traditional mobile PC form factors like notebooks. And HP missed earnings expectations in Q4 2012, thanks in part to a continuing “decline in hardware.”

A tablet isn’t a panacea for HP, however. The Android tablet market still has yet to find a champion that can compare to the iPad’s popularity, and there is plenty of competition out there for buyer attention. Fielding a device that impresses above and beyond what’s already out there, at a price point that turns heads is a basic requirement for Android tablet success at this point, from HP or from anyone else.

This is Crave’s Duet, a dual-headed vibrator that charges via USB and can store up to 16GB of digital stuff. Half of it is the rechargeable battery with the Flash memory—convenient to store all your porn—and the other half is the dual-headed vibe. More »

New data just in from NASA‘s Chandra X-ray Observatory shows a rare supernova with remnants that may possibly contain the Milky Way’s newest black hole. The supernova’s leftovers appear to be the result of a rare explosion of a star. NASA is calling it W49B, and it’s about a thousand years old and located about 26,000 light-years away (roughly 152 quadrillion miles away).

NASA is calling it a rare occasion, because this particular supernova ejected materials from its poles at much higher speeds than most other supernovas. A typical supernova ejects matter in all directions in a mostly symmetrical fashion. The lead researcher of the study, Laura Lopez, says that “W49B is the first of its kind to be discovered in the [Milky Way] galaxy.”

Using NASA’s Chandra X-ray space telescope, researchers found that this supernova was very asymmetrical, and only half of the remnants showed concentrations of iron, while sulfur and silicon were spread evenly throughout the explosion. This type of explosion is known as a bipolar supernova, and it’s never been seen before in our galaxy.

Based on what was left behind, it’s said that a black hole may have formed. Most of the time, supernovas leave a neutron star behind. However, the Chandra telescope revealed no evidence of a neutron star existing, which implies that a black hole may have formed instead. Co-author Daniel Castro say that “it’s a bit circumstantial,” but there’s solid evidence that suggests a black hole. The official report will be published in this upcoming Sunday’s issue of the Astrophysical Journal.

[via Wired]

Supernova leftovers may contain newest black hole in Milky Way is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Regular alphanumeric style passcodes are not the only method of online security these days, however it is by far the most common. We have seen some other methods in use such as two-factor authentication with RSA SecurID and even with Google and their 2-step verification process. On the flip side of those, we have even seen some slightly more unique options talked about such as using eye movements. Coming to the present day though, and we have talk of replacing passwords coming from two groups.

These groups include the FIDO Alliance and the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA). The FIDO Alliance has been formed with Lenovo and PayPal as well as Nok Nok Labs, Agnito and Validity. DARPA on the other hand is the research and development arm of the Defense Department. Regardless of where these two groups are coming from or who they are made up of, they are looking to do something different with the standard password method of security.

DARPA is working on the Active Authentication program which is currently described as being in its second phase. In this phase they are said to be looking for research that “sets out to establish behavioral biometrics based on discernible cognitive processes and the observable ways that users naturally interact with their environment while using their computing devices.” More to the point here, research that will allow them to develop a solution that uses multiple points including physical aspects such as fingerprints, how you interact with technology such as a keystroke pattern or mouse movement and even data to include how you use language and how you construct sentences.

Looking at the FIDO Alliance and we see where things may come into play for the more average user. Things appear to still be shaping up here though. In fact, it was said that as the FIDO Alliance attracts new member-organizations they will include new solutions. Some of the ideas mentioned at this point include USB tokens, one time passwords and the use of Near Field Communications (NFC). With that, while it seems like we still have some time before we can stop worrying about regular passwords, it is nice to see these issues being discussed and worked on.

[via The Verge]

FIDO Alliance and DARPA working to replace passwords is written by Robert Nelson & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

There’s no such thing as the Apple iWatch, and maybe there never will be. But if Cupertino does start selling futurustic Jetsons wrist wear, you need to prepare for one thing: looking like a jackass in public. Worth it? More »