Hasta La Gadget!

Passwords are one of the weakest links of online security. Or rather, people who have weak passwords are the weakest links. I personally know of a couple of people who use dead simple passwords because they’re afraid that if they use more secure but more complex ones that they’ll just forget those and end up locking themselves out of their own accounts. That’s the problem that the Aladdin is designed to solve.

Invented by Alvin Chang, the Aladdin is a small USB device that generates a random password and types it for you by emulating a USB keyboard. Used in the simplest way, it really does work like a physical key: plug it into your computer and it unlocks your account. But for those who want added security, you can also modify – and re-use – the alphanumeric string generated by Aladdin by adding or subtracting characters from it. Skip to about 1:20 in the video below for the demo:

Note that there are free software alternatives to managing secure passwords such as LastPass and KeePass. Then there’s the security risk of losing the Aladdin or having it stolen from you. But if you just want to get in your Facebook account the same way you get in your house, pledge at least $20 (USD) on its Indiegogo fundraiser to reserve an Aladdin.

[via Gajitz]

It’s time to get your transitional period on with an update the the specifications accessory makers much follows in order to get official support from Apple. In the wake of an issue with having both the Lightning cable and the legacy 30-pin connector working on one device, Apple has come forth with a tweak to the rules. While it’s not entirely clear if it was the POP Kickstarter incident from earlier this week that made this change in Apple’s policies a reality, the result is clear: you’ll be able to work with a single accessory in the future with both types of connectors, no sweat.

Word of an update to the policies Apple has for accessories working with their mobile devices came down today via CNET where Apple spokesperson Tom Neumayr made just the past crystal clear. The actual “we’ve changed” part of the equation was left to the author to elaborate on himself with a simple “the company added that the guidelines have since been updated.” Neumayr spoke thusly:

“Our technical specifications provide clear guidelines for developing accessories and they are available to MFi licensees for free. We support accessories that integrate USB and Lightning connectors, but there were technical issues that prevented accessories from integrating 30-pin and Lightning connectors so our guidelines did not allow this.” – Neumayr

What we’re talking about here is not Apple telling the world that they may not have cords coming from devices with the Lightning connector as well as the 30-pin iPod connector in one, but that if they do, they’ll not be speaking kindly with them any time soon. Accessory makers around the world speak with Apple on a regular basis to get official licenses from the company so that they can get approval for the cords Apple designed. With the dawn of the Lightning cable, many accessory makers had to re-think their entire iDevice strategy.

Have a peek at the timeline below to see some of the brief history of the Lightning connector and make sure you’ve got your eyes open for the first dual-connector accessories in the very, very near future. Expect some Apple-approved dual-wielding docks by the middle of 2013, without a doubt.

30-pin Lightning combo docks coming soon as Apple tweaks spec is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Always on the go? Need to scan confidential documents while spying around in the office? Well here you are for you gentlemen the 400-SCN015 from Sanwa a new compact scanner. In just 269.3×58×47.2mm and 425.5g the 400-SCN015 is a fully capable 300/600dpi scanner than comes with an internal battery capable to scan up to 110 pages at 300dpi, 512MB of internal memory, a USB Port for direct scan to USB memory, a memory card reader compatible with SD, Memory Stick and even xD-Picture cards and iOS …

If you’re a comic book geek or love Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight movies, get your wallet out. A company called Infothink has created a new Batman flash drive based on The Dark Knight Rises, and it looks pretty cool.

The flash drive and its dock look like a bust of Batman in his black armor. Batman’s head separates from the body and has 16 GB of flash storage inside. The bat logo glows when the chest and neck portion of the flash drive is plugged into a USB port, as do Batman’s eyes when the flash drive section is plugged in. The flash drive has 16 GB of storage, and each one has an individual serial number with an RFID tag that can be read by smartphones with NFC support.

This is an officially-licensed DC Comics collectible, and it’s not cheap, selling for $86.99(USD).

[via EverythingUSB]

Are you head over heels in love with your MacBook? (Fanboy! (Just like me!)) Then why spoil its design with some jacked-up USB tumor? This sleek flash drive is the perfect complement to your beloved Apple hardware, even going so far as to match its silvery finish. More »