Hasta La Gadget!

Edward Snowden has finally escaped his month-long Moscow airport purgatory and arrived in Russian territory, according to the Associated Press. The NSA whistleblower had already been granted temporary asylum by the Putin-led government after Bolivia and Venezuela also offered to take the fugitive, and was awaiting paperwork in order to leave Sheremetyevo Airport. The NSA’s arch-enemy will be granted a year’s stay, according to his Russian lawyer, and will be able to re-apply to remain after that. Now that his Russian residency has been established, most press outlets expect a strong reaction from the US government after it assured Moscow that Snowden wouldn’t face the death penalty if deported. For its part, Russia said it has no intention of handing over the man who blew the lid off the pervasive PRISM monitoring program.

Filed under: Misc

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Source: AP (Twitter), WSJ

We all do value our privacy these days, but then again, there are moments when our privacy gets invaded – through no fault of our own, but rather, because the technology is there, and so is the know how, and more importantly, the malicious intent that lies behind it. Das Keyboard knows what a predicament it can be should your personal information get stolen, which is why they have come up with the innovative Das Keyboard HackShield Backpack as well as Messenger Bags that will feature RF (Radio Frequency) blocking technology and anti-theft access security in order to help safeguard your electronic devices and personal data within.

You might think at first, what is a company like Das Keyboard, who is better off making its high-performance mechanical keyboards so that ordinary folk like you and I are able to type faster while increasing our respective productivity levels, doing with man bags? I suppose we have no complaints after hearing out that they are branching into a totally new product category by rolling out its highly secure, radio frequency blocking bags. These will be known as the Das Keyboard HackShield bags, being the company’s one-of-a-kind backpack and messenger bags which will empower professionals who are always moving around and living out of a suitcase to enjoy an unprecedented level of protection against physical and digital intrusion.

In Das Keyboard’s quest to come up with what they call the perfect backpack, the end result is one which will offer better protection for an individual’s electronic devices against physical theft, in addition to delivering a new layer of security against illegitimate location tracking and digital pick-pockets who roam for meta data and other private information. The HackShield backpack and messenger bags will not have any exterior pockets for pick-pockets to have a field day with, and even the main compartment for each bag will come protected with Fidlock fasteners for anti-theft access security. Apart from that, the internal pockets have been specially lined with HackShield RF blocking material that will function as a “dead zone” around electronic devices so that it can prevent potential hacking attempts.

The Das Keyboard HackShield backpack and messenger bags will be available at $179 a pop.

Press Release
[ Das Keyboard delivers Radio Frequency Blocking Bags copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Netflix is finally ready to deliver individual profiles for its streaming service, meant to satisfy households with shared accounts by providing everyone their own settings, viewing history and (where available) queue. Profiles are coming to all Netflix regions starting today, but may take a couple of weeks to appear on every account as they roll out gradually. Device support will also take some time to hit everywhere even though most clients (the PS3 is shown above) are ready for profiles today. Two platforms not yet sorted are Android and the Nintendo Wii, where support will arrive “later in the fall” and in mid-August, respectively. Once the new feature is available however, it should be easy for users to access and setup, as we learned from Chief Produce Officer Neil Hunt that focusing on ease of use was the company’s main priority. We’ve also had a chance to check it out ourselves, check after the break for a few more details and quick video preview.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

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Source: Netflix (YouTube), Netflix

Apple is indeed gearing up to put a Retina display in next version of the iPad mini, according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal. The new version of Apple’s smaller, 7.9-inch tablet will have a high-resolution screen provided by Samsung’s display supply wing, as well as LG and Sharp. Originally, per the report, Apple wanted to skip Samsung for this round but wanted to ensure it could meet buyer demand.

The news that Apple is preparing to enter mass production on a Retina iPad mini starting in the fourth quarter of this year comes just as rumors circulated yesterday that Apple would likely skip putting a high-res display in the next version, and instead boost the processor that powers the device, which was based on hints in code found in the iOS 7 beta.

9to5Mac first reported the non-Retina A6-powered iPad mini, but did explicitly state that this doesn’t mean Apple is preparing to ship one. Apple routinely tests a variety of devices in its labs and brings only a select few to market, so it’s possible that a non-Retina version was in the works alongside a Retina variety. Apple must pay attention to the market, and the Nexus 7′s ultra high-resolution display (as well as other upcoming devices like the rumored Kindle Fire HD refresh) could in theory have prompted the company to choose one over the other.

The WSJ qualifies its report by saying that Apple often tests different designs too, and makes no claims that the Retina iPad will definitely make it to market. The timing and nature of the report seems like a controlled leak, however; Apple watchers and pundits were quick to criticize the possibility that Apple wouldn’t introduce a Retina display in a second-generation iPad mini. A sudden leak sprouting saying it will is the perfect way to assuage those fears while capitalizing on the spotlight focused by the earlier leak to build more product hype.

Apple wants to wean itself away from a supply dependency on Samsung, the WSJ reiterates, since the two are now primary competitors on the smartphone front and still embroiled in numbers court battles over intellectual property. But Samsung is a key supplier for many important components, not the least of which is displays, so it isn’t surprising to see them named as a source for a Retina iPad mini screen. The WSJ also says we could see multiple different colors for the new mini’s back cover, just like with the color iPod touch.

If Apple is ramping up for Q4 production of this device, we could see it arrive around the same time as last year’s first model, so around November this year. A Retina iPad mini before Christmas would definitely result in big benefits for Apple’s holiday quarter sales, so the timing fits.

This furniture, dreamt up by German designer Philipp Beisheim, is inspired by inflatable rubber dinghies—which means you can take it anywhere.

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