We've shared a few ways to boost your cell phone signal before, but technology weblog The Next Web shows us another way: just stick it in a glass. More »
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Friday, March 18, 2011
Improve Smartphone Signal with a Drinking Glass [MacGyver Tip]
Improve Smartphone Signal with a Drinking Glass [MacGyver Tip]: "
We've shared a few ways to boost your cell phone signal before, but technology weblog The Next Web shows us another way: just stick it in a glass. More »
"
We've shared a few ways to boost your cell phone signal before, but technology weblog The Next Web shows us another way: just stick it in a glass. More »
"
Super Mario reimagined as a first-person game, conquers the castle of our hearts (video)
Super Mario reimagined as a first-person game, conquers the castle of our hearts (video): "
You've seen Super Mario evolve from a modest 2D sprite into a 3D world-exploring superhero mechanic, but have you ever seen life through his eyes? Here's your opportunity, as a fanmade animation treats us to a first-person view of the intrepid Italian's adventures through the familiar World 1-1. There are kill streaks, achievements like 'headbanger' and 'pole dancer,' and some extremely realistic sound effects to set the mood. The priceless video follows after the break.
VGChartz | 
freddiew (YouTube) | Email this | Comments"
You've seen Super Mario evolve from a modest 2D sprite into a 3D world-exploring superhero mechanic, but have you ever seen life through his eyes? Here's your opportunity, as a fanmade animation treats us to a first-person view of the intrepid Italian's adventures through the familiar World 1-1. There are kill streaks, achievements like 'headbanger' and 'pole dancer,' and some extremely realistic sound effects to set the mood. The priceless video follows after the break.
Super Mario reimagined as a first-person game, conquers the castle of our hearts (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 12:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
PermalinkVGChartz | freddiew (YouTube) | Email this | Comments"
Internet Explorer versions 1 through 9 compared, signs of progress found (video)
Internet Explorer versions 1 through 9 compared, signs of progress found (video): "
Most sane folks will have greeted the arrival of Internet Explorer 9 with a curious click on a download button or a simple update of the browser they were already using, but that's not enough for everyone. One chap with a taste for the eccentrically geeky decided to take this opportunity to go through a retrospective of every version of IE, going all the way back to Windows 95's first iteration, and to run the Acid compatibility tests to see how they stand up to modern standards. IE1, the ancient, CSS-deprived beast that it is, choked immediately and failed to even display its homepage without an error, but things improved steadily from there until the triumph of iteration 9. See all that glorious progress happening in the space of just a few minutes in the video after the break.Techland | Andy's Tech Experiments Blog | Email this | Comments"
Most sane folks will have greeted the arrival of Internet Explorer 9 with a curious click on a download button or a simple update of the browser they were already using, but that's not enough for everyone. One chap with a taste for the eccentrically geeky decided to take this opportunity to go through a retrospective of every version of IE, going all the way back to Windows 95's first iteration, and to run the Acid compatibility tests to see how they stand up to modern standards. IE1, the ancient, CSS-deprived beast that it is, choked immediately and failed to even display its homepage without an error, but things improved steadily from there until the triumph of iteration 9. See all that glorious progress happening in the space of just a few minutes in the video after the break.
Continue reading Internet Explorer versions 1 through 9 compared, signs of progress found (video)
Internet Explorer versions 1 through 9 compared, signs of progress found (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 12:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
PermalinkTechland | Andy's Tech Experiments Blog | Email this | Comments"
AT&T tells customers using unauthorized tethering methods to pay up or stop (update)
AT&T tells customers using unauthorized tethering methods to pay up or stop (update): "
Been using an app like MyWi to enable tethering on your jailbroken iPhone? Then there's a good chance you've already received a message like the one above from AT&T, or perhaps an email like the one after the break. By all accounts, the carrier is now cracking down on all unauthorized tethering, and it's asking folks engaged in such behavior to either pay up for a proper tethering plan or simply stop tethering altogether -- if it doesn't hear anything back for you after sending the message, AT&T says it will automatically enroll you in a DataPro 4GB tethering plan (at a rate of $45 a month). We should note that all the reports we've seen so far are from iPhone users, although that certainly doesn't mean Android users will simply be allowed to slip by unnoticed. Exactly how AT&T is identifying users isn't clear, however, and we could well just be seeing the beginning of a cat and mouse game as folks try to discover workarounds to go undetected. More on this one as we get it.
Update: AT&T reached out to us and, yes, this is pretty much all there is to the tale: the "small number of smartphone customers who use their devices for tethering but aren't on our required tethering plan," are being contacted to either cease and desist or prepare to start paying for the service. No word yet on how many customers have been contacted, but it does seem that they're all using iPhones.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Update: AT&T reached out to us and, yes, this is pretty much all there is to the tale: the "small number of smartphone customers who use their devices for tethering but aren't on our required tethering plan," are being contacted to either cease and desist or prepare to start paying for the service. No word yet on how many customers have been contacted, but it does seem that they're all using iPhones.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
AT&T tells customers using unauthorized tethering methods to pay up or stop (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 14:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments"Steampunk USB cufflinks are as awesome as they are pricey
Steampunk USB cufflinks are as awesome as they are pricey: "
You wouldn't think something classifiable as 'wearable storage' would look so darn dapper, but here we are, staring at just about the finest cufflinks we ever did see. Not only are these handmade shirt cuffs beautiful in the most steampunk of ways, they're also pretty useful as each features an 8GB flash storage chip with the utterly ubiquitous USB connector attached. Basically, they're what James Bond would wear if James Bond wore really awesome cufflinks. The general idea behind them might not exactly be original anymore, but we can't really fault the execution here. What we could probably find fault with is our lack of $225 of disposable coin, the price one will have to pay to sport this unique pair of hand-carved, walnut-enclosed memory sticks.
[Thanks, Amelia]Artype (Etsy) | Email this | Comments"
You wouldn't think something classifiable as 'wearable storage' would look so darn dapper, but here we are, staring at just about the finest cufflinks we ever did see. Not only are these handmade shirt cuffs beautiful in the most steampunk of ways, they're also pretty useful as each features an 8GB flash storage chip with the utterly ubiquitous USB connector attached. Basically, they're what James Bond would wear if James Bond wore really awesome cufflinks. The general idea behind them might not exactly be original anymore, but we can't really fault the execution here. What we could probably find fault with is our lack of $225 of disposable coin, the price one will have to pay to sport this unique pair of hand-carved, walnut-enclosed memory sticks.
[Thanks, Amelia]
Continue reading Steampunk USB cufflinks are as awesome as they are pricey
Steampunk USB cufflinks are as awesome as they are pricey originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 10:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |Artype (Etsy) | Email this | Comments"
RSA hacked, data exposed that could 'reduce the effectiveness' of SecurID tokens
RSA hacked, data exposed that could 'reduce the effectiveness' of SecurID tokens: "
If you've ever wondered whether two-factor authentication systems actually boost security, things that spit out pseudorandom numbers you have to enter in addition to a password, the answer is yes, yes they do. But, their effectiveness is of course dependent on the security of the systems that actually generate those funny numbers, and as of this morning those are looking a little less reliable. RSA, the security division of EMC and producer of the SecurID systems used by countless corporations (and the Department of Defense), has been hacked. Yesterday it sent out messages to its clients and posted an open letter stating that it's been the victim of an 'advanced' attack that 'resulted in certain information being extracted from RSA's systems' -- information 'specifically related to RSA's SecurID two-factor authentication products.'
Yeah, yikes. The company assures that the system hasn't been totally compromised, but the information retrieved 'could potentially be used to reduce the effectiveness of a current two-factor authentication implementation as part of a broader attack.' RSA is recommending its customers beef up security in other ways, including a suggestion that RSA's customers 'enforce strong password and pin policies.' Of course, if security admins wanted to rely on those they wouldn't have made everyone carry around SecurID tokens in the first place.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]RSA | Email this | Comments"
If you've ever wondered whether two-factor authentication systems actually boost security, things that spit out pseudorandom numbers you have to enter in addition to a password, the answer is yes, yes they do. But, their effectiveness is of course dependent on the security of the systems that actually generate those funny numbers, and as of this morning those are looking a little less reliable. RSA, the security division of EMC and producer of the SecurID systems used by countless corporations (and the Department of Defense), has been hacked. Yesterday it sent out messages to its clients and posted an open letter stating that it's been the victim of an 'advanced' attack that 'resulted in certain information being extracted from RSA's systems' -- information 'specifically related to RSA's SecurID two-factor authentication products.'
Yeah, yikes. The company assures that the system hasn't been totally compromised, but the information retrieved 'could potentially be used to reduce the effectiveness of a current two-factor authentication implementation as part of a broader attack.' RSA is recommending its customers beef up security in other ways, including a suggestion that RSA's customers 'enforce strong password and pin policies.' Of course, if security admins wanted to rely on those they wouldn't have made everyone carry around SecurID tokens in the first place.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
RSA hacked, data exposed that could 'reduce the effectiveness' of SecurID tokens originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 08:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |RSA | Email this | Comments"
Lynx augmented reality stunt drops scantly clad angels on terrestrial travelers (video)
Lynx augmented reality stunt drops scantly clad angels on terrestrial travelers (video): "
It isn't exactly a spring chicken, nor is it particularly new to the advertising game -- Best Buy utilized the stuff back in 2009 to push electronics -- but a new ad campaign from manly body spray purveyor Lynx (Axe in the US) is making augmented reality nearly unavoidable. Created by BBH, a global ad agency, the video below shows travelers at London's Victoria train station staring up at a giant screen to find themselves greeted by a skimpily attired fallen angel. The stunt, launched on March 6, drew a lot of attention from passersby, and in more than one instance elicited some pretty, well, bold behavior. Up until now, augmented reality has mostly been a play thing of the geek set -- even previous advertisements enlisting such tactics required a decent amount of work from the audience -- but if these fallen angels are any sign, we could all be traversing a more unreal world very soon.
[Thanks, Ben]thelynxeffect (YouTube) | Email this | Comments"
It isn't exactly a spring chicken, nor is it particularly new to the advertising game -- Best Buy utilized the stuff back in 2009 to push electronics -- but a new ad campaign from manly body spray purveyor Lynx (Axe in the US) is making augmented reality nearly unavoidable. Created by BBH, a global ad agency, the video below shows travelers at London's Victoria train station staring up at a giant screen to find themselves greeted by a skimpily attired fallen angel. The stunt, launched on March 6, drew a lot of attention from passersby, and in more than one instance elicited some pretty, well, bold behavior. Up until now, augmented reality has mostly been a play thing of the geek set -- even previous advertisements enlisting such tactics required a decent amount of work from the audience -- but if these fallen angels are any sign, we could all be traversing a more unreal world very soon.
[Thanks, Ben]
Lynx augmented reality stunt drops scantly clad angels on terrestrial travelers (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 15:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |thelynxeffect (YouTube) | Email this | Comments"
Web apps found to be lacking Safari's speed bump in iOS 4.3
Web apps found to be lacking Safari's speed bump in iOS 4.3: "
Well, it looks like you weren't imagining things if you thought in-app browsers or web apps saved to your iPhone's home screen seemed slower than Safari itself. Ars Technica has now confirmed that pages or web apps loaded using those methods aren't receiving the JavaScript boost added to Safari in iOS 4.3, which the site found to be about 2.5 times faster than Safari in iOS 4.2. The problem is that those apps don't have the necessary permissions to execute dynamically generated native code stored in writeable memory (as Safari does), which basically leaves them running at the same speed they did in iOS 4.2. Not surprisingly, that has prompted some to speculate that it's all part of a grand plan on Apple's part to force developers to use full-fledged apps instead of mobile apps, but Ars Technica points out that it could just as easily be due to some technical problems. Hit up the source link below for all the technical details.Ars Technica | Email this | Comments"
Well, it looks like you weren't imagining things if you thought in-app browsers or web apps saved to your iPhone's home screen seemed slower than Safari itself. Ars Technica has now confirmed that pages or web apps loaded using those methods aren't receiving the JavaScript boost added to Safari in iOS 4.3, which the site found to be about 2.5 times faster than Safari in iOS 4.2. The problem is that those apps don't have the necessary permissions to execute dynamically generated native code stored in writeable memory (as Safari does), which basically leaves them running at the same speed they did in iOS 4.2. Not surprisingly, that has prompted some to speculate that it's all part of a grand plan on Apple's part to force developers to use full-fledged apps instead of mobile apps, but Ars Technica points out that it could just as easily be due to some technical problems. Hit up the source link below for all the technical details.
Web apps found to be lacking Safari's speed bump in iOS 4.3 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 17:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |Ars Technica | Email this | Comments"
TomTom puts its HD Traffic service data in a browser, lets everyone use it for free
TomTom puts its HD Traffic service data in a browser, lets everyone use it for free: "
We've gotten lost and found our way home again courtesy of many a navigation system over the years, but if ever we're battling not just confusing roadways but also unpredictable traffic patterns it's TomTom we want on our side. The HD Traffic service the company offers is always spot-on, and now you can access that constantly-updated and really quite detailed data from your web browser. However, there's a catch: right now it's only available in Europe and South Africa. Also, the interface is a bit clunky. Oh, and the presentation isn't nearly as nice as on the company's mobile apps. But it is all free, and so you really can't complain too much about any of that. Full details in the PR below.TomTom | Email this | Comments"
We've gotten lost and found our way home again courtesy of many a navigation system over the years, but if ever we're battling not just confusing roadways but also unpredictable traffic patterns it's TomTom we want on our side. The HD Traffic service the company offers is always spot-on, and now you can access that constantly-updated and really quite detailed data from your web browser. However, there's a catch: right now it's only available in Europe and South Africa. Also, the interface is a bit clunky. Oh, and the presentation isn't nearly as nice as on the company's mobile apps. But it is all free, and so you really can't complain too much about any of that. Full details in the PR below.
Continue reading TomTom puts its HD Traffic service data in a browser, lets everyone use it for free
TomTom puts its HD Traffic service data in a browser, lets everyone use it for free originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 12:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |TomTom | Email this | Comments"
Cobra iRadar detection system coming to Android next month
Cobra iRadar detection system coming to Android next month: "
iPhone users have been able to avoid radar speed guns using Cobra's iRadar system since late last year, and it looks like Android users will soon finally be able to get in on the act as well. Cobra used the gdgt Live event at SXSW to announce that iRadar will be available for Android phones sometime in April. That consists of a standard dash-mounted radar detector and, of course, an app, which also takes advantage of your phone's built-in GPS capabilities to provide warnings of photo enforcement zones and other potential impediments to your inability to drive 55 -- you'll apparently soon even be able to share radar alerts with other iRadar users. Head on past the break for a video of the iPhone version.Translogic | Email this | Comments"
iPhone users have been able to avoid radar speed guns using Cobra's iRadar system since late last year, and it looks like Android users will soon finally be able to get in on the act as well. Cobra used the gdgt Live event at SXSW to announce that iRadar will be available for Android phones sometime in April. That consists of a standard dash-mounted radar detector and, of course, an app, which also takes advantage of your phone's built-in GPS capabilities to provide warnings of photo enforcement zones and other potential impediments to your inability to drive 55 -- you'll apparently soon even be able to share radar alerts with other iRadar users. Head on past the break for a video of the iPhone version.
Continue reading Cobra iRadar detection system coming to Android next month
Cobra iRadar detection system coming to Android next month originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Mar 2011 22:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |Translogic | Email this | Comments"
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