Hasta La Gadget!

Continue reading NASA finds DNA components in meteorites, says they originated in space (video)

NASA finds DNA components in meteorites, says they originated in space (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Aug 2011 06:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s been a rough Black Hat conference for Google. First, FusionX used the company’s homepage to pry into a host of SCADA systems, and now, a pair of experts have discovered a way to hack into Chrome OS. According to WhiteHat security researchers Matt Johansen and Kyle Osborn, one major issue is Google’s vet-free app approval process, which leaves its Chrome Web Store susceptible to malicious extensions. But there are also vulnerabilities within native extensions, like ScratchPad — a note-taking extension that stores data in Google Docs. Using a cross-site scripting injection, Johansen and Osborn were able to steal a user’s contacts and cookies, which could give hackers access to other accounts, including Gmail. Big G quickly patched the hole after WhiteHat uncovered it earlier this year, but researchers told Black Hat’s attendees that they’ve discovered similar vulnerabilities in other extensions, as well. In a statement, a Google spokesperson said, “This conversation is about the Web, not Chrome OS. Chromebooks raise security protections on computing hardware to new levels.” The company went on to say that its laptops can ward off attacks better than most, thanks to “a carefully designed extensions model and the advanced security available through Chrome that many users and experts have embraced.”

WhiteHat Security hacks into Chrome OS, exposes extension vulnerability at Black Hat originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 06 Aug 2011 17:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Because all you ever really wanted was an $800 bracelet that counts calories… enter the Bite Counter. It’s the retro-lookin‘ lovechild of two Clemson University researchers that helps its hosts approximate caloric consumption by counting how many bites they take. Color us skeptical, as the meatbag wearing the gizmo has to — gasp! — actually remember to both start and stop the device each time they feast. The duo is hopeful it’ll glean useful data for future research, as the contraption can be used “anywhere, such as at restaurants or while working” — you know, places where scribbling how much you eat in a secret diary is frowned upon. Best of luck fellas, but until it hits a sub-century price point, we’ll just stick to eating salads. PR after the jump.

Continue reading Bite Counter knows how many donuts you devoured, shames you into eating less

Bite Counter knows how many donuts you devoured, shames you into eating less originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Aug 2011 19:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Graphene, that microscopic chicken wire made of carbon atoms, has a great many theoretical uses. Among these is to improve Lithium-ion battery technologies, and the big brains at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have created a graphene and tin composite material for use in battery electrodes. When it’s baked at 572 degrees Fahrenheit (300 degrees Celsius) the tin turns into nanopillars that widen the gap between the graphene layers. The greater volume of tin provided by these tiny towers improves electrode performance (read: faster charging), and the flexibility of the graphene prevents electrode degradation. Naturally, current prototypes can only maintain capacity over 30 charge cycles — as opposed to the hundreds required for commercial applications — so some serious improvement has to happen before we see it strut its stuff in any phones or EVs. This leaves us, once again, extolling the virtues of graphene, but lamenting its exclusively academic application.

Continue reading Researchers use graphene and tin sandwich to make better battery electrodes

Researchers use graphene and tin sandwich to make better battery electrodes originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Aug 2011 13:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ever wonder if the speeds your ISP advertises are actually what you’re getting while reloading Engadget all day? The FCC did, and decided to team up with 13 major broadband providers in the US to test how they performed from February to June of this year. Notably, during peak hours the average continuous download speeds of fiber connections were 14 percent faster than advertised, while cable and DSL were slower than claimed by 8 and 18 percent, respectively. Upload speeds also varied, with DSL again dipping the lowest at 95-percent of what’s advertised — might be time to ask your phone-based ISP for a partial refund, no? In addition to sustained speeds, the FCC analyzed consumer connections’ latency and the effect of ISP speed boost tech on activities like VoIP, gaming, and video streaming.

In concluding its research, the Commission noted that it should be easy to get tools in users’ hands for keeping better tabs on ISP-provided services, without needing to contact customer frustrations relations. The study is chock full of even more graphs and stats, which you’ll find by hitting that source link below. Now, if only we could get those speeds on par with our friends across the Atlantic.

Continue reading FCC measures US wireline advertised broadband speeds, fiber dominates cable and DSL

FCC measures US wireline advertised broadband speeds, fiber dominates cable and DSL originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Aug 2011 07:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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