Oct 20
It might sound like a very 2010 question, but the other day I was at a coffee shop and watched someone with a Nexus 7 struggle to get comfortable in an over-stuffed armchair for more than an hour.
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Oct 20
As part of what we can only assume is preparation for some very intense mad scientist Halloween costumes, IBM has announced a prototype computer that is both powered and cooled by an electrolyte liquid.
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Oct 20
US Army to deploy remote-controlled robotic infantry in the field within 5 years?
Posted in: Today's ChiliThe US Army could incorporate armed robots in the field within the next five years, according to a report by Computerworld. A recent demonstration at Fort Benning by four robotics companies showed mechanized infantry eliminating targets from 150 meters away. Military strategists were satisfied with the demonstration. As Lt. Col. Willie Smith put it: “We […]
Oct 20
The answer to your creepy feelings?
(Credit: Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)
Ever since you’ve moved into your new place, things haven’t gone quite right, have they?
You didn’t get the promotion to senior office librarian. You suspect your lover is seeing someone else. And then there’s those weird feelings when you go into the second bedroom.
It’s not that you get a shiver down your spine. It’s that something doesn’t seem quite right, as if your possessions have been moved a few inches away from where you left them.
Let’s be honest about a possible cause here: someone might have once died in your house. It might have been a peaceful, natural death. Or it might have been something more alarming, like death by stag-goring, or a seance gone wrong.
There’s now a site that can help you in your quest to discover what spiritual lurkers might waft around your house.
It’s called DiedInHouse.com. And it exists in order to tell you if someone once ceased existing within your walls.
DiedInHouse claims to search all 50 states for evidence of expiration. It promises something called a “certified report.”
I couldn’t resist. Things have been strange of late. This site might truly provide an answer. So I proceeded.
A single search costs $11.99, such a small price to pay for peace of mind and spirit.
J… [Read more]
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Oct 20
This year we’re dedicating ourselves to making your Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping as painless as possible. We’re surfacing all the best deals on the products you actually care about in an easily digestible, ever-updating guide. We’ll not only ensure you don’t miss the bargain you’ve been holding out for all year, but that you don’t spend the night in line only to have the Best Buy be sold out of that TV you wanted. As tempting as that Little Caesar’s Pizza looks, we’re shooting to get you everything you want from the comfort of your couch.
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Oct 20
Mobile Media Ventures’ iConsole.tv gaming system is quickly turning into a jack of all trades, as the company now plans to support SteamOS through its PC’s Android interface. Valve’s TV-friendly platform will only be a shortcut away, MMV claims. Players won’t have to partition drives, tweak firmware …
Oct 20
Apple has significantly redesigned the system in iOS 7. Basically the iOS 7 install file, which weighs up to 1GB or more, is automatically downloaded on a compatible device and the user is prompted to install said update whenever the device is restarted. The redesign of iOS 7 automatic updates has bothered a California resident so much so that he has decided sue Apple CEO Tim Cook in a small claims court. The suit is titled Mark David Menacher vs. Tim Cook and has been filed in California Superior Court’s San Diego County branch.
The iOS 7 install file is downloaded automatically when the device is plugged in and connected to a Wi-Fi network, however users have to grant permission before the update can be installed. Menacher seeks a way to delete automatically downloaded update files from an iOS device as well as $50 in remuneration. Since users can’t delete the files right now, they end up losing 1GB or more of the valuable onboard storage, and this has irked many iOS 6 users. Menacher says that in relation to iOS 7, Apple’s disregard for customer preferences is “corporate thuggery.” He even goes on to make a comparison between Steve Jobs and Tim Cook, saying that the former pushed employees to make customers happy, whereas Cook apparently “cultivates a culture of contempt for customer satisfaction in pursuit of corporate profits.” Both Apple, or Tim Cook in his personal capacity, haven’t commented on this lawsuit as yet.
Tim Cook Sued Over iOS 7 Automatic Updates original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Oct 20
Triggertrap Redsnap Modular Camera Trigger: If It Can Sense It, You Can Shoot It
Posted in: Today's ChiliA couple of years ago Triggertrap released its namesake device, an electronic camera trigger that activates your camera based on a variety of inputs. Recently the company launched a Kickstarter for an improved camera trigger, which they’re calling Redsnap. It’s modular, which not only makes it compact but versatile as well.
The Redsnap has a base block that you can connect to up to two sensors at once. The base block handles long exposure and time lapse shots. At launch, the Redsnap will have the following sensors: a laser sensor (with a built-in laser), a light sensor, a passive infrared sensor and a sound sensor. Triggertrap says they will release more sensors in the future.
Because you can connect two sensors at once, you can set up shots for a variety of conditions. For instance, you can rig your camera to shoot only when the light sensor and the sound sensor are both triggered. Or you can connect two of the same sensor if you wish. The Redsnap also has three trigger outputs, so you can connect multiple cameras or flashes and have them all go off at the same time.
Pledge at least £35 (~$57 USD) on Kickstarter to receive the base Triggertrap Redsnap kit as a reward – which is capable of shooting time-lapse photos. A kit with the light sensor goes for £60 (~$97 USD), and a complete high-speed kit with laser and sound sensors is £90 ($145 USD). Check out all of the available bundles over on their fundraising page.
Oct 20
When word broke of the NSA’s surveillance programs earlier this year, major companies named in the leaked documents tried to quash their customers’ privacy fears by issuing statements reiterating their commitment to privacy. Apple did something along the same lines, it said that the encrypting protecting iMessages is so secure that the company itself can’t decrypt it, meaning that even if it receives an order to intercept an iMessage, it can’t. Though earlier this week a group of researchers contradicted this claim and said that the company can read iMessages “if they choose to, or if they are required to do so by a government order.” Apple has now issued a denial.
The researchers from QuarksLab formed a theory about how iMessages can be intercepted, the called Apple’s control over the encryption key infrastructure a weakness and said that the company can change a key anytime it wants, which may result in an iMessage being intercepted and its contents being read. These researchers didn’t say that Apple is reading iMessages, they merely gave a theory which outlines a way that Apple may follow if it wants to read messages. Though Apple says that QuarkLab’s theory is exactly what it is, just a theory. A spokeswoman for Apple said that the iMessage service is “not architected to allow Apple to read messages,” and that the theoretical vulnerabilities described in the theory would require the company to re-engineer the iMessage system to exploit those vulnerabilities. The spokeswoman says that “Apple has no plans or intentions to do so.”
Apple Denies Researchers’ Claims That iMessages Aren’t Entirely Secure original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Oct 20
Here’s something that might make Android users a bit jealous. Google has updated its Hangouts app for iOS and has added the ability to make phone calls. The feature was first rolled out back in July, when Hangouts on the desktop received this feature. At this point in time, the only mobile devices capable of making voice calls through Hangouts are the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Seeing as how Google has now started rolling out the feature on mobile devices, it may only be a matter of time before voice calling is rolled out for Hangouts on Android.
Users have the ability to make as well as receive calls through their Google Voice number. Through the updated app, users can make free calls within the U.S. and Canada. Incoming Google Voice calls will ring through the Hangouts app and outgoing calls will go through the Voice number. Apart from this, there are a number of small updates and improvements. For example, incoming messages won’t stop music playback, the volume will only be turned down automatically before being restored to the original level. Moreover, the Hangouts iOS app is now capable of playing GIFs inline. The Hangouts app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch is now live and available for download from the iTunes App Store.
Google Hangouts For iOS Gets Voice Integration original content from Ubergizmo. 
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