Apr 29

Tech Deals of the Day: 4/29/2013

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Our friends at TechBargains.com compile a list of daily deals to help you save money. Keep in mind that as with any good deal, products are limited in quantity and can sell out quickly – so don’t hesitate to check them out now.

If you’re looking to buy a product from a specific store, save money with updated and verified coupon codes here.

Computers & Peripherals:

Home Entertainment:

Personal Electronics:

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Apr 29

Next Gen Xbox Expected To Be Called Xbox Infinity, Might Have Touch Controllers

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Next Gen Xbox Expected To Be Called Xbox Infinity, Might Have Touch Controllers

There has been a steady stream of Xbox related rumors even after Microsoft announced that it will be revealing its upcoming console on the 21st of May. Rumor has it that Microsoft will name the next generation console Xbox Infinity, this of course contradicts previous rumors which claim that the company will simply be calling it the Xbox. The Xbox 720 moniker has been thrown around a lot as well, but we’ll know for sure what its called when Microsoft officially announces it.

Several sources are cited in a new report which says that the next generation Xbox controllers will have a clickable touch sensitive area. This area will reportedly support gestures as well as function as a directional control pad, similar to what one can find on the lower left on the existing Xbox controllers. Microsoft has said that it will fully unveil its next console at the E3 conference, and that it doesn’t have any comment on the product right now. Recent rumors also indicate that the new Xbox won’t actually impose the always-on internet connection need, it will be up to publishers to decide whether or not they want their games to require such a connection. Microsoft hasn’t confirmed the restriction in any way.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Angry Birds Friends For Android And iOS To Release On 2nd May, Call of Duty: Ghosts Could Be Unveiled On May 1 [Rumor],

    

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Apr 29

New Robot Can Feel Coins

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A look at new robot sensores developed by the the Department of Biomedical
Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology that are advance enough to get the coins out of a pocket that is full of items. These new sensors can help to make the next generation of robots even more human like. The piece also examines other robots that use new touch abilities.

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Apr 29

HoodiePillow Pillowcase is a Pillow That You Can Wear… Well, Sort of

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I once used my hoodie as a pillow when I got to the airport ten minutes too late and missed my flight. That probably didn’t serve as the inspiration for the creation of the HoodiePillow, although I can’t help but recall that particularly bad experience when I saw this kooky pillowcase.

Hoodie Pillow

Novelty aside, I can think of a couple of good uses for the HoodiePillow. For one, you can ‘wear’ it to shield your eyes from the outside world. So if you use eye shades, then you might want to use this as an alternative. Since it has a built-in pocket, you can use it just as you’d use a regular pocket on a regular hoodie, like for holding your phone or music player when you’re using it or listening to music when you’re lying down.

Hoodie Pillow1

The HoodiePillow pillowcase is available online for $24.95 (USD). Just don’t try to wear it while walking down the street.

[via Oh!Gizmo]

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Apr 29

Syrian Electronic Army Hacks 11 Twitter Accounts Of The Guardian

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Syrian Electronic Army Hacks 11 Twitter Accounts Of The Guardian

Recently a number of high profile Twitter accounts have been hacked. Several CBS accounts, 60 Minutes included, were hacked earlier this month. Last week the Syrian Electronic Army had its most high profile Twitter hack, it compromised the official account of Associated Press and sent out a bogus tweet claiming that the White House had been bombed. Now the same group has hacked 11 accounts of The Guardian over the weekend, same of which still remain suspended.

James Ball of The Guardian said that the modus operandi was similar to the attack on @AP, adding that they were “really very good.” The SEA uses phishing emails, which are very cleverly disguised. They have been using this very technique to launch their recent attacks. On the other hand, Twitter is rumored to be testing two factor authentication with several high profile Twitter account holders. Two factor authentication is certainly a lot safer when compared to simple passwords. It is rumored that the folks at Twitter are clamoring to get this security solution out the door as quickly as possible so as to thwart any impending attacks on its users, high profile or not.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Google Now Available On iPhone, iPad As Google Search Update, Google Fiber Gets Competition In Vermont As $35-A-Month Gigabit Internet Launches,

    

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Apr 29

LG Optimus F5 launched in Europe

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Sometimes, I do wonder how come it does take some time between a particular smartphone’s announcement and its release date, perhaps there needs to be plenty of marketing material and co-ordination made between the mobile carriers and the smartphone manufacturer itself during the time in between. Well, the LG Optimus F5 was launched successfully by all means at Mobile World Congress earlier this February in Berlin, Germany, where it was positioned to be in a rather unique market – that is, to deliver 4G LTE connectivity to the masses in a mid-range Android-powered smartphone that should not break the bank for those on a tight budget.

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Apr 29

Hands-on with the BodyGuardz ScreenGuardz Pure

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We’ve all seen them: smartphones with shattered screens, the unfortunate victims of sudden outbursts of gravity. Your heart sinks a bit, watching your friends, loved ones, even total strangers slide their fingers over that sad, spidered glass, thinking, “There but for the grace of…”

Knowing full well the costs and hassles of replacing a busted screen, I pressed a BodyGuardz ScreenGuardz Pure onto my daughter’s hand-me-down iPhone 4. At 13, well, she’s been known to drop stuff.

And just the other day, she did. I’d been planning to write about the ScreenGuardz Pure already, just hopefully without any drop-test data. So much for that.

The all-glass ScreenGuardz Pure can withstand scratches and knocks, but when it comes to gravity, well, it's still glass.

(Credit: BodyGuardz)

Unlike most screen protectors, this one is made of glass — specifically a “special chemically tempered glass exceeding the hardness of steel.” Hardness notwithstanding, the ScreenGuardz Pure looks and feels just the same as the iPhone’s own glass. That’s definitely not true of most of the plastic protectors I’ve tried, which add drag to your screen swipes and can definitely reduce screen clarity. Save for a sliver of extra thickness (which can get in the way of some total-enclosure cases), it’s l… [Read more]

Related Links:
New toaster has clear appeal
LG eyes flexible OLED-equipped smartphone for Q4
EyeFly 3D screen protector makes iPhone 5 3D-capable
Smartphone innovation: Where we’re going next (Smartphones Unlocked)
Get a Virgin Mobile Overdrive Pro 3G/4G mobile hot spot for $83.99

    

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Apr 29

Foursquare CEO says company is generating more revenue than ever

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Despite the public’s perception of Foursquare, Foursquare’s CEO Dennis Crowley says that the company is doing fine, and that it’s not struggling at all. Crowley participated in TechCrunch’s Disrupt NY event, where he discussed Foursquare’s current state and how it’s generating the supposed “big” revenue Crowley claims. Though at times, he does keep things a bit too hush hush to reassure anyone.

Foursquare CEO says March was biggest revenue month so far

To start things off, Crowley wants to assure everyone that, despite speculation, Foursquare does have a business model that they’re following, and that they aren’t just doing things as they go. He says that the company is doing well financially and that March was actually its “biggest revenue month so far”. Many people speculated that Foursquare was struggling financially, but according to Crowley, that’s not the case.

He says that the company has been working on merchant tools, which it uses to grab “six-figure” deals with merchants across the nation. When merchants sign deals with Foursquare, Crowley says that Foursquare doesn’t charge them X amount of money based on ad impressions, but instead charges them whenever the service brings customers to their business, making their tools more appealing compared to other services.

Unfortunately, Crowley declined to mention just how well its new merchant tools, or other revenue generating methods, has done for the company. When asked how much total revenue the company was expected to make this year, Crowley told TechCrunch,

“We’re a private company, so we don’t have to disclose our master plans to you, but we’ve set ambitious goals for the year, and we’re very much on target to hit them.”

He continues to say that Foursquare’s 4 original investors are all “back in” with the company, and that the numbers are starting to come together, with monthly users, check-ins, and sign-ups all increasing by up to 10-30% this year. Crowley knows that Foursquare isn’t the “shiny new thing anymore”, but he believes that it is doing better than ever.

[via TechCrunch]


Foursquare CEO says company is generating more revenue than ever is written by Brian Sin & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

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Apr 29

Adafruit explains how to build your very own HAL 9000 for less than $100

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Adafruit explains how to build your very own HAL 9000 replica for less than $100

It may be 2013, but 2001 will forever hold a special place in our hearts, in no small part due to the that lovable, red-eyed supercomputer known as HAL 9000. ThinkGeek has given us a couple ways to purchase HAL for our homes, but for folks who’d rather build their own, Adafruit’s got you covered. User Phillip Burgess has posted the full instructions on how to craft one, provided you’ve got access to a laser cutter and the requisite soldering, spray painting and sanding chops to complete the task. Adafruit’s version will have you making HAL out of an oversized arcade button and a sheet of acrylic — and if you want your HAL to talk (and really, why wouldn’t you), you’ll need to build a voice box from an Arduino Uno board and an Adafruit Wave Shield. Total cost: just shy of $100. Check out the video of it in action after the break, and head on down to the source link for the full how-to. Oh, and feel free to whistle Sprach Zarathustra while you work.

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Source: Adafruit

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Apr 29

Virgin Galactic lights first rocket test in road to citizen space travel

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The folks behind Virgin Galactic – cousin of the earth-bound Virgin Airlines – have lit their first rocket motor test on a ship that may one day bring everyday citizens on joy rides to space. The craft being tested this week goes by the name SpaceShipTwo, also known as SS2, it being one of several craft eventually set to offer brief flights to what Virgin Galactic calls “the edge of space” and back.

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This initial test was done at a runway at California’s Mojave Air and Spaceport this morning – Monday, that is, the 29th of April. This test was done with carrier mothership WhiteKnightTwo, it carrying SS2 to an altitude of around 47,000 feet (14,300 meters) where the smaller craft test-fired a rocket engine that would, or will, eventually carry it to its space-bound top height.

original

This test is only the very first in a set of tests that will eventually prove the craft viable for real human use. British billionaire Sir Richard Branson, owner and founder of Virgin Galactic, Virgin Airlines, Virgin Mobile, etc, spoke this morning of the event in brief, suggesting his day thus far has been “ridiculously exciting”. With flight tickets set at the moment at an expected two hundred thousand dollars a person, it’s not difficult to see more than one reason why Branson would find this day a positive one.

According to Virgin Galactic, they plan on running their first official full space flight by the end of the calendar year. This flight may or may not be working with user-purchased tickets at that time.

Virgin Galactic is a concept born not just of Branson’s wishes to head to space, but of the company’s ever-expanding aims to bring consumers entertaining experiences in travel. Such is a flight aboard a Virgin Airlines flight, complete with posh interiors and wireless phone chargers in specialized waiting rooms at the airport. After Virgin Galactic takes off for real, we expect Virgin Volcanic to head below our Earth with a giant drill – it’d only be right.

virginvolcanic-350x500

UPDATE: A video has been released showing this event, specifically the bit where the SpaceShipTwo breaks the speed of sound – watch for it now.

[via Space]


Virgin Galactic lights first rocket test in road to citizen space travel is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

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