Hasta La Gadget!

An interesting new product is on Kickstarter that those who often lose things and are too lazy to lock their computer each time they walk away from it will appreciate. The product is called GateKeeper and it is a combination of a Bluetooth locating device and a proximity lock.

The proximity feature will automatically lock and unlock your PC or Mac when you walk away from it. That will keep your machine from sitting unprotected until your screen saver password protection kicks in.

The Bluetooth locator feature is just what it sounds like. It is a feature that will set off an alarm on your smartphone if you walk away from something you have tagged like a smartphone or bag. A pledge of $35(USD) or more will get you one GateKeeper this July. Fundraising ends at 11am CDT tomorrow, so you’ll want to move quickly if you want one.

Twitter’s oft-rumored Nearby function, a timeline showing tweets based on your current location, has been seen in the wild, according to The Wall Street Journal. Twitter wouldn’t comment except to say they’re always testing new stuff. [WSJ via AllThingsD]

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Google’s knack with location services helps us to get around, but hopefully, that same tech will serve to keep our devices safe in the future. Mountain View has applied to patent a system that modifies your smartphone’s security depending on where you are. If you’re at home or work, for instance, then swipe-to-unlock will suffice, but if you venture into the unknown, then your handset will demand you enter a code or, you know, offer up a DNA sample. The only issue that we can find, of course, is that you’d better hope that the person who lives above or below you in the apartment block doesn’t have their eyes on your Nexus.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Google

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Source: USPTO

Remember how Twitter is quietly testing timeline boxes that show trending TV shows? That’s not a one-off experiment: TechCrunch has also discovered a similar test for live events happening nearby. Instead of focusing on a person or series, the new box highlights a representative event tweet and offers a shortcut to more tweets associated with that event’s hashtag. As before, Twitter isn’t directly confirming the existence of its latest trial run; it will only say that it practices “innovation through experimentation.” Given the widened scope of the company’s testing, however, there’s a real chance that these context-sensitive cards could soon become ubiquitous.

Filed under: Cellphones, Internet

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Source: TechCrunch

It looks nearly the same as it did in 2007, but Spot’s outdoor beacon has evolved quite nicely on the inside. Now in its third incarnation, the Spot Gen3 is designed to help wandering argonauts keep their loved ones informed of their location for an even longer period of time. Engineered to be worn by those intentionally heading off of the conventional grid, the Spot Gen3 adds unlimited tracking (enabling wearers to pre-set the device to send tracks every 5, 10, 30 or 60 minutes), motion activated tracking and longer battery life. According to the company, this guy will last nearly twice as long as prior versions, and you can also power it via battery or USB. The downside, of course, is that you’ll need to pay $149.95 for the unit itself, along with a required annual subscription plan that starts at $149.99 per year. No one ever said adventuring was a poor man’s sport, eh?

Filed under: GPS

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Source: Spot