Longest day of the year

Credit: homes-kid.com

Forget the summer solstice, today, 30 June, is the longest day of the year — 1 second longer.

Every other day, as we approach midnight, 23:59:59 is followed by 00:00:00. But not tonight — 23:59:59 will be followed by 23:59:60 — a leap second.

More: http://hhg2tech.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/does-this-year-seem-to-be-dragging.html / slightly longer Paris Observatory add adding leap second clocks midnight June 30 dials 11:59:60 one second clocks pause Earth's rotation atomic clock time Earth's rotation gradually slowing scientists officials International Earth Rotation Service France monitor planet's rotation tweak time time adjustment Software companies problems last leap second added 2012 software websites Mozilla Reddit Foursquare Yelp LinkedIn StumbleUpon reported crashes problems Linux operating system programs Java computing systems Network Time Protocol NTP keep sync atomic clock programmed unexpected extra second Google developed special technique leap smear adds milliseconds system clocks leap second Earth is slowing down a little bit Nick Stamatakos chief of Earth Orientation Parameters US Naval Observatory Atomic clocks keep very accurate time first leap second 1972 rotation of the Earth slowed 26 seconds time measured on atomic clocks disruptive precision systems navigation communication concept time rising setting rise set Sun Greenwich Mean Time Sun crosses the Greenwich Meridian never be restored /

Brando has USB Type-C adapters for all of your bleeding edge needs

Credit: Brando/The Gadgeteer

It's a USB Type-A connector (i.e. the current convention) to USB Type-C (i.e. new, smaller, reversible) adapter for the faster, higher power USB 3.1 standard.

If you don’t own either the new MacBook 12 inch or a Chromebook Pixel, you probably don’t have a need for one of these yet, but it is the new standard & will ultimately replace all of the existing USB standards. Somewhere down the track you will need one or more of these.

http://the-gadgeteer.com/2015/06/24/brando-has-usb-type-c-adapters-for-all-of-your-early-adoption-needs/?_m=3n%2e002i%2e861%2ebg0ao004ub%2e162t

This item on the manufacturer’s web site:
http://usb.brando.com/usb-3-1-type-c-male-to-usb-3-0-a-female-otg-short-cable_p12378c0032d015.html

Other Type-C adapters & connectors from the same manufacturer:
http://usb.brando.com/usb-3-1_c1870d015/

More about USB 3.1 & Type-C connectors:
http://hhg2tech.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/reversible-usb-type-c-finally-on-its.html
http://hhg2tech.blogspot.com.au/2014/08/tiny-reversible-usb-type-c-connector.html / USB Type-C adapter brand new hard to find normal the norm standard new cable type invented Apple latest MacBook new USB standard offer significant advantages current Type-A connector smaller reversible faster data speeds more power USB Type-C change cables adapters USB Type-C hubs card readers adapters convert other cables micro USB Lightning USB Type-C Brando /

Solar Impulse 2 leaves Nagoya, Japan, for Hawaii

Credit: Solar Impulse

The story so far:

09 March 2015 — left Abu Dhabi on the first solar-powered round-the-world flight
http://hhg2tech.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/solar-powered-round-world-flight.html

21 April 2015 — a series of relatively short flights lead to a landing in Nanjing, China

30 May 2015 — after waiting in Nanjing for suitable weather, took off for Hawaii — expected flight time, at least 120 hours (5 days & nights), non-stop. A change in the weather forced a landing in Nagoya, Japan

28 June 2015, 18:03 UTC — Solar Impulse 2 took off from Nagoya. Next stop Hawaii.

29 June 2015, 03:17 UTC — passed the point of no return

http://www.euronews.com/2015/06/29/heading-for-hawaii-solar-impulse-ii-takes-off-for-the-most-risky-leg-of-its/ / Swiss pilot pilots first ever attempt fly around the world propelled the Sun André Borschberg compatriot Bertrand Piccard take turns piloting single seater seat Solar Impulse 2 21,747 miles 35,000 km kilometre 12 legs including gruelling five- to six-day stints across the Atlantic Pacific oceans entire journey will take five months Borschberg took the controls takeoff take off take-off Al-Bateen executive airport Abu Dhabi early on Monday first destination Muscat in Oman pilots roughly 250 hours each inside narrow cockpit no oxygen temperature control temperatures outside range between -40 degrees C to 40°C degrees Celsius falling asleep flight need constant attention Piccard Borschberg survive 20-minute naps every two to four hours pilots will practise yoga stave off the physical discomfort remaining confined seat for days at a time Borschberg biggest challenge maintaining concentration Piccard psychiatrist team 1999 first circumnavigated globe non-stop balloon taught techniques of self-hypnosis meditation maintain concentration time duration in the present moment the only way is to be present almost a spiritual experience entire journey circumnavigating Earth in a family car aircraft weighs the same as a Volvo sedan comparable speeds SI2 top speed 87m/h 140km/h pilots conserve battery power limiting plane half cockpit only slightly larger average car contain life support systems food oxygen supplies reclining pilot’s seat triples bed chair toilet fly both day and night no fuel powered by 17,000 solar panels set on its wings wider Boeing 747’s fuselage 633kg bank of lithium batteries quarter weight store energy run motors overnight journey early days intercontinental flight enormous speed range jet engines Qantas fly Kangaroo Route Sydney to London hopping Darwin Singapore Kolkata Karachi Cairo Tripoli en route Borschberg success Solar Impulse project first solar-powered plane fly through the night first to fly between two continents primitive step toward zero-carbon jumbo combustion fossil fuels dominated powered flight 19th century dirigible aviation burns the most carbon per passenger per kilometre of any mode of mass-transport and, despite efforts to limit emissions, remains the fastest growing anthropogenic source of greenhouse gases sector climate change toughest major emissions source to decarbonise solar flight seeks remains decades away Wright Brothers Charles Lindbergh deputy editor Aerospace magazine Bill Read solar flight commercial flights solar cells generate power fly Solar Impulse fly using solar power constructed very light weight light-weight lightweight huge wingspan solar cell technology power source aircraft advances project real-world uses today fly Sun day and night build an aircraft extremely energy efficient technologies energy efficiency used in your home your car appliances four motors power aircraft generate heat energy efficiency single cheapest way reduce carbon emissions across the world technologies challenge energy environment pollution natural resources /

Lexus hoverboard — No, we’re not selling this, but can we interest you in a car?

Lexus hoverboard — hint: that's condensation, not smoke — liquid nitrogen inside (-321 degrees Farenheit, -196 Celcius)
Credit: Lexus/Wired

Scepticism expressed in my previous post about the Lexus hoverboard has received some support:
http://www.wired.com/2015/06/lexus-hoverboard-slide/?mbid=nl_062615

Still no evidence that it can support more than its own weight.

More about how it works


Quantum levitation race track
/ Lexus short teaser video Slide hoverboard Back to the Future II dreams science fiction how it works hoverboard hype skepticism bamboo carbon fiber skateboard, emitting wisps condensation smoke levitates concrete surface foot approaches mount ride cut away convincing hoverboard hoax Funny or Die promotion BTTFII Lexus device magnetic levitation lift-off levitating tease floating on top of concrete Mike Norman Director Materials Science Division Argonne National Lab surface trickery magnets iron steel mixed in just underneath concrete Lexus hoverboard how it works magnets physics Lexus hoverboard superconductors magnets repel the force of gravity fancy skateboard rider above the ground Hendo hoverboard Kickstarter project physics Lexus superconductor magnetic field superconductor oscillating magnetic field Eric Palm Deputy Laboratory Director FSU’s National High Magnetic Field Laboratory Meissner effect magnetic field near superconductor induces electric current superconductor creates image magnetic field other side superconductor create current superconductor currents don’t die away don’t need oscillating magnetic fields magnet levitates above superconductor superconductor levitates above a magnet technical maglev train similar principles achieve speeds Shanghai’s Transrapid over 300mph superconductor locked in a magnetic field wisps of smoke condensation Lexus board liquid nitrogen cooling the superconductors below transition temperature becomes superconducting cold -321 degrees Farenheit very cold liquid nitrogen byproduct of the steel industry pretty inexpensive liquid nitrogen runs out superconductors warm up interaction between superconductor magnet repels the force of gravity allows levitate levitation concrete video something magnetic human-bearing board really is like you’re floating ridden the Lexus hoverboard Back to the Future Lexus spokesperson Maurice Durand mass produce a hoverboard SLIDE part marketing campaign unannounced car surprise viral sensation Lexus hoverboard scientific breakthroughs not-quite-concrete maglev hoverboard paved with magnets levitation hovering /

Free photography school

Credit: Danny Zappa/iPhone Photography School

It’s called iPhone Photography School, but don’t let the title put you off if you don’t own an idevice, or even if most of your photography is with DSLRs & a truckload of interchangeable lenses. Everybody uses a phone camera from time-to-time, & the principles are the same.

Recently there was an article on travel photography:
http://iphonephotographyschool.com/travel/

Home page:
http://iphonephotographyschool.com/

And here are some examples of what can be done with just a phone camera:
http://hhg2tech.blogspot.com.au/2014/12/iphone-photographer.html / photograph photography picture pictures photographer chase light art print landscape misty work document documented process behind the lens trip trips expansive expanse Alaska wild wilds life on the road wilderness nature iphotographer hegely talented makes a living iPhone photos living on the road travelling documented live Portland Oregon central coast California shooting pictures Instagram share platform fun see light and composition differently hobby income nomadic lifestyle sell selling licenses images iStockphoto Stocksy mobile native camera app VSCO Cam lock white balance Average Camera Pro slow shutter water post processing post-processing experiment light composition style develop complete solitude Angel Dorr digital image planning a vacation what camera to take carrying bulky camera equipment planning weekend city break family vacation round the world adventure iPhone phone camera perfect camera for your trip travel photography document your journey experiences share family friends social media followers image resolution quality higher DSLR high-end camera portability convenience compact lightweight taking photos quickly discreetly carrying no need to take any extra equipment carry a heavy camera tripod multiple lenses target for theft hide carrying an expensive piece of kit equipment problem traditional camera changing settings miss the once in a lifetime shot travel photography document the story locations you visit time that you spend there large digital camera your next vacation best travel camera basic steps prepare for your trip destination stunning unique travel photos research your destination use Instagram community cliché cliche shots visiting tourist spots travel traveling return home interesting unique shots popular travel destinations shoot portraits local people yourself traveling companion subject focal point capture small details ask permission cultural sensitivity tell a story document entire journey fill camera roll take as many photos as you possibly can delete failures burst mode take the picture /

Panda ant

Credit: DrSarahJensen/Flickr/Featured Creature

Panda ants are members of the family Mutillidae, a family of wasps, commonly known as velvet ants, in which the females are flightless & resemble large, hairy ants. Colour is most commonly bright scarlet or orange. Other colours include black, white, silver & gold, or as in the panda ant, black & white. Panda ants are native to Chile.



Velvet ants are also known as, “cow killer ants”, as anecdote has it that they are able to bring down a cow with relatively few stings.



http://www.ourbreathingplanet.com/panda-ant/

http://blogspot.obsessionbiology.com/2011/12/case-of-panda-ant.html

http://pandaant.org/

http://pandaant.org/panda-ant-facts/

http://featuredcreature.com/this-panda-ant-will-bamboozle-you-about-its-true-identity/ / Euspinolia militaris nicknamed panda ant markings species of wingless wasp Red Velvet Ant cow killer painful sting subdue a grown cow wasp handle bright color aposematic signal related Red Velvet Ant painful sting exhibit extreme sexual dimorphism sexes mating male larger female species mating Tiphiidae nearly extinct species lays approximately 2000 eggs predators eat young panda ants hatch bright colors insect wingless wasp fully grown up to 8 millimeters in length 2-3 millimeters in height feed stenothermic thermophilic /

How to disable your webcam (& why you should)

It’s not news that there are morally disabled people on the ‘Net prepared to invade your privacy, for a range of purposes, including fraud & vandalism. There are hacker tools available, some with a low skill level entry requirement, & forums where advice & other information is exchanged.

More newsworthy is the capacity of some tools to seize control of computer webcams, in some cases without activating the camera activity light. Such tools open up a new range of abuses including voyeuristic invasion of privacy & sharing of images & video.

Below is a screen-shot showing one of the available tools in use, with an image (suitably disguised) of a woman whose privacy has been invaded.


Credit: Ars Technica

How to disable your webcam
http://www.howtogeek.com/210921/how-to-disable-your-webcam-and-why-you-should/

Meet the men who spy on women through their webcams
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/03/rat-breeders-meet-the-men-who-spy-on-women-through-their-webcams/ / slave slaves concern paranoia paranoid reports revelations spy on you through webcam disable cover webcam review handy products Script-kiddie hackers easily accessible tools phishing techniques hijack webcams unsuspecting people watch them through their camera store images videos people in compromising situations bedroom uploaded shady websites kids children implementing stop webcams on all the time webcam spying threat government agents hackers law-breaking voyeurs actively spy computer’s webcam ramblings paranoid conspiracy theorist hypervigilant hyper vigilant hyper-vigilant privacy advocate news stories over paranoia uncomfortable reality student sued his school school-provided laptop secretly photographing ensuing legal investigation revealed school collected 56,000 photographs students without their knowledge consent researchers demonstrated activate webcam MacBooks without indicator light turning on previously considered impossible former FBI agent confirmed possible doing it for years documents leaked by Edward Snowden NSA backdoor access cameras on iPhones Blackberries NSA tools remotely monitor users Gumfish malware tool remote video monitoring via webcam BlackShades remote access webcam access victim’s computers Back Orifice marginally skilled malicious users gain access your computer Ars Technica Meet The Men Who Spy On Women Through Their Webcams spying government agents low-tier hackers simple phishing tricks malicious websites simple tools catalog monitor allegations government spying intellectual majority of actual webcam spying creepy Peeping Toms Remote Access Tools RATs Trojans malware well documented examples only active snapping selfies Skyping trust indicator light camera can be active without the light webcam spying real threat spooks at the NSA kid next door access tools webcam against owner then threat legitimate disable or obscure computer webcam documented cases webcam spying insecure recording device permanently disable remove webcam obscure lens disable webcam antivirus anti-virus link running wrong executable whitelist trojan antivirus malware secure help unplug camera desktop users external webcams desktop machines external USB web cam webcam hacking hacker hacked plug an unplugged device workstation monitors USB cable hardware operating system OS BIOS option laptops integrated webcams disable webcam via BIOS reboot microphone camera microphone module same expansion board privacy mic microphone disable OS operating system solution secure foolproof disabling webcam cripple webcam disabling removing driver support Windows Device Manager Imaging Devices roster of devices remote administrative access install missing drivers enable device disable webcam Eyebloc Cover C-Slide tiny plastic slider Creative Cam Covers DIY electrical tape cover /

Lexus builds a functional hoverboard prototype (video)

Maybe.

Late last year, a hoverboard project was funded on Kickstarter. Some convincing video was produced, but it only hovered above a copper surface.

Now Lexus has made promises:



http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-24/lexus-builds-a-functional-hoverboard-prototype

http://arstechnica.com/cars/2015/06/lexus-has-built-a-working-hoverboard/ / Back to the Future floating skateboard Toyota back to the future automaker flying cars Lexus luxury brand built working model hover board hoverboard actual working hoverboard prototype liquid nitrogen-cooled nitrogen cooled superconductors magnets Lexus website technology zooming Toyota's magnetic-levitation magnetic levitation train Toyota experiment experimenting prototype cars confidential information studying flying car research and deveopment R&D area Hiroyoshi Yoshiki Toyota’s Technical Administration Group flying car friction resistance road Back to the Future movie released Marty McFly evade pursuers Lexus start testing prototype Barcelona films Lexus /

Owls may hold the key to quieter wind turbines & jet aircraft

Credit: Getty Images/Wired

Both wind turbines & jet aircraft have been targets of noise complaints.

Large owls, on the other hand are masters of silent flight. So what’s their secret? A team at the University of Cambridge has been investigating.

http://www.wired.com/2015/06/owls-may-hold-secret-quieter-wind-turbines-jets/ / owl owls secret quiet quieter wind turbines 21st century windmill tips blades 100 feet long move faster winds category five hurricane wind turbines renewable energy advocates target noise health complaints blades are intentionally slowed down less effective generating electricity researchers turned to nature find solution noise problem team University of Cambridge published research wings of large owls masters at silent swooping voles high speeds undetected team discovered birds’ flight feathers create lift downy covering flexible comb of bristles leading edge porous fringe trailing edge bird intricate wing structure Professor Nigel Peake of Cambridge’s Department Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics noise from wings fan blades occurs at the trailing edge air is the most turbulent owl’s wing smooths quiets the air birds to hunt more effectively Cambridge team Virginia Tech Lehigh Florida Atlantic Universities prototype material 3D-printed plastic mimic the owls’ natural feature fitted full-sized wind turbine blades tested in a wind tunnel reduced noise generation 10 decibels significant amount of noise measured logarithmically affecting aerodynamics figured out how owls fly replicate testing the coating functioning wind turbine researchers wind farm generate several additional megawatts of electricity without appreciable increase in noise researchers solution applied to airplanes noise serious issue in aviation authorities plane makers airports minimize unpleasant side effect vital industry jet of the future fly like an owl /

1PasswordAnywhere lets you access your 1Password vault on the Web

Credit: AgileBits/Life Hacker

1Password is a password manager which runs on Windows, OS X, iOS & Android. Apps are not available for other operating systems.

Fortunately, there is a read only, html version, which will run in a browser. This is not only useful for operating systems, such as Chrome OS & Linux, but for any computer other than those on which you have installed 1Password. E.g. a friend’s Mac.

http://lifehacker.com/1passwordanywhere-lets-you-access-your-1password-vault-1580683606 / operating systems OS OSs 1Password password manager synchronise sync your devices via Dropbox sync vault passwords 1Password access any device installing the app feature called 1PasswordAnywhere access your vault enable Dropbox syncing your Dropbox web browser open the 1Password folder open 1Password.agilekeychain folder inside folder 1Password.html file click file 1Password Master Password read-only access your vault access my passwords via Chromebook Agilebits native app platform 1PasswordAnywhere works well only need it occasionally alternate platform buy program Windows Mac iOS enable Dropbox syncing 1PassswordAnywhere /

Transparent Samsung Safety Truck

Just one lane in each direction, big, slow truck, in front. Can’t see what’s ahead — unless it’s transparent — or a Samsung Safety Truck.



http://www.theverge.com/2015/6/21/8820059/samsung-road-safety-truck-prototype

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/208717-transparent-samsung-truck-could-make-driving-much-safer

http://www.gizmag.com/samsung-safety-truck-cameras-screens/38122/ / 2009 Russian design house Art Lebedev Transparentius concept improving road safety camera front large slow moving trucks connect video displays back informing trailing drivers whether safe overtake big rig exact same idea Samsung new prototype truck outdoor displays Korean company video wall four displays rear of the truck transmits video captured wireless camera at the front Samsung regulatory approval deployment of its so-called Safety Truck economically practical camera cheap simple install four displays per truck major investment transport company direct financial benefit Samsung overcome the technical challenges solar glare improving information while driving Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communication V2V systems networked intelligence your car transmits data position direction speed receives about cars around it issue alerts unsafe driving by others notify of any collisions ahead other drivers time to react V2V vision Samsung's Safety Truck making big trucks transparent application of technology /

For your browsing safety — HTTPS

HTTPS is a protocol that provides secure Internet transactions between web browsers & web sites. Recently, a few major sites adopted it:

Netflix will soon use HTTPS to secure video streams

http://arstechnica.com/security/2015/04/it-wasnt-easy-but-netflix-will-soon-use-https-to-secure-video-streams/

reddit goes all-HTTPS

http://arstechnica.com/security/2015/06/reddit-goes-all-https-joining-wikipedia-netflix-and-even-the-feds/

Wikipedia to go all HTTPS, all the time

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/06/14/wikipedia_to_go_all_https_all_the_time/

Google gives sites secured with HTTPS a slight boost in their rankings:

http://searchengineland.com/google-starts-giving-ranking-boost-secure-httpsssl-sites-199446

HTTPS Everywhere is an extension for Firefox, Chrome, & Opera which ensures that HTTPS is always used if a website makes it available:

http://lifehacker.com/https-everywhere-updates-to-keep-you-secure-on-thousand-1695541941

https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere

Some of the issues around HTTPS

https://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/201x/2012/12/02/HTTPS / Data Privacy Day 2012 EFF Electronic Frontier Foundation website websites protect online privacy enabling HTTPS implement HTTPS website data privacy Jolynn Dellinger site page protocol provides secure Internet transactions between web browsers web sites check web page visiting uses HTTPS URL top of your browser HTTPS HTTP "S" stands for secure browsers indicate using secure connection displaying a closed lock corner browser HTTPS protects users Internet surveillance encrypting your connection HTTPS prevents eavesdroppers seeing contents your communication website sensitive data contents email chats login credentials search terms credit card numbers sites support HTTPS turn it on by default failed to implement HTTPS at all open wireless networks coffee shops libraries users sharing network connections strangers tools Firesheep Wireshark trivial matter individuals minimal technical knowledge eavesdrop users reading writing online safeguard privacy reading habits Internet encrypt the web websites enabling HTTPS secure version of a website EFF HTTPS Everywhere browser extension extention Chrome Firefox website visit supports HTTPS included in the HTTPS Everywhere database submit a new rule track analyze implementation HTTPS Web HTTPS-enabled report EFF Access Now test a site's support for HTTPS report it to the community HTTPS is not an anonymity tool eavesdroppers where you are connecting from sites you are connecting to sites track and record your activity Tor anonymity Website administrators site admin protect users' privacy enabling HTTPS on your site /

Red Stripe app helps red-green color-blind people distinguish between the two colors

Credit: Red Stripe/The Gadgeteer

Color-blindness is reduced sensitivity to one or more colors. Most common is a reduced sensitivity to red or green wavelengths. These conditions are collectively known as red-green color-blindness. Practical consequence is not only a difficulty distinguishing red from green, but all colors which include red or green. E.g. a person with reduced sensitivity to red will confuse blue & purple due to reduced ability to see the red in purple.

Red Stripe is an iOS & OSX app which provides a guide to the amount of red in red, orange, & purple objects by superimposing white lines over the object in the camera image.

http://the-gadgeteer.com/2015/06/20/the-red-stripe-app-helps-redgreen-colorblind-people-distinguish-between-the-two-colors/

Red–green color blindness
https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Color_blindness#Red.E2.80.93green_color_blindness / distinguish red from green indicate amount of redness red orange purple objects series of stripes superimposed Red Stripe app device’s camera view objects overlay overlays stripes red component more red more intense stripes app user stripes blue or green objects red green deficiencies see blue yellow stripes help distinguish grayish objects red Red Stripe app iOS devices Mac computers iOS version Red Stripe deutan color vision deficiencies deuteranopia Protanopia deuteranopia protanomaly deuteranomaly
/

Apps may be your smartphone’s biggest security hole

● security company NowSecure reports that the Swift keyboard on all Samsung devices has a security hole &, as owners will be aware, it can’t be uninstalled, or replaced by installing another keyboard. Fortunately, Samsung has promised a replacement “in the next few days”

● researchers at Indiana University have found that the iOS app store is not the iron-clad barrier to malware apps it was widely thought to be

● a team drawing researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technology & the Darmstadt University of Technology in Germany, found that faulty security protocols in apps available for all phones, could place personal data at risk

http://www.cnet.com/news/your-mobile-app-has-serious-security-flaws/

http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/keyborad-security-flaw-samsung-phones-version-1434560683/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2015/06/17/big-flaws-in-apple-oses/ / learned your smartphone apps exploited hackers three separate research groups app security flaws Apple Samsung devices cyberintruders cyber intruders take control phone camera microphone GPS stealing personal information listening phone calls good news attacks aimed at specific phones attackers unlikely to target really bad news German researchers flaws affect every phone vulnerability flaw Swift keyboard preinstalled Samsung devices security company NowSecure keyboard can't be uninstalled replace replacing another keyboard app fix problem researchers Indiana University iOS apps containing malware easily get past Apple's scrutiny onto App Store Samsung iPhone team researchers Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technology Darmstadt University of Technology Germany apps available for all phones use faulty security protocols compromise personal data Samsung repair keyboard problem German research Colombian software developer reproduce many major apps securing usernames passwords research found 56 million unsecured data sets consumers personal information Fraunhofer Institute email addresses passwords health records sensitive information app users easily stolen manipulated Oliver Kuch Ryan Disraeli fraud services security company TeleSign attack attacks random attacks targeted attacks hacker hacked hacking hack contractor access superclassified classified government documents attack smartphone consumers hacking photos Ryan Disraeli fraud services TeleSign /

Lilly — throw to launch action camera

Lilly is a drone with a built in camera that makes movies of the user &/or takes stills. It's action camera meets selfie.



Available for pre-order now at a reduced price. $999 when it ships in February 2016.

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/13/lily-drone-personal-videographer-selfie

http://the-gadgeteer.com/2015/06/09/lily-camera-throw-it-away/#comments

Manufacturer’s web site
https://www.lily.camera/

FAQ
https://www.lily.camera/our_faq/ / device fly flight flying 20 minutes tracking owner shooting photos video footage Camera. Reinvented web site website consumer drone capture attention selfie drone launch drones take selfies for us tapping touchscreen button testing humanity’s multi-tasking capabilities drone formula throw it in the air device follows shooting high-definition video photographs bystanders Lily pitched skiers snowboarders athletes other active types hovering alternative strapping GoPro camera helmets shooting footage first-person viewpoint shoot 1080p HD video 60 frames-per-second 720p video 120 frames-per-second slow-motion action 12-megapixel still photographs two hours to charge stay in the air for 20 minutes flight time endurance device fly a maximum of 15m minimum of 1.75m above owner’s head avoid accidents average speed of 15 miles per hour wear a tracking device Lily follows them device hovering in place recover the signal if it loses landing smoothly action runs out of battery Lily’s manufacturer opened pre-orders charged immediately rather group of graduates from Berkeley University in California tinkering with robots personal robotics chief executive Antoine Balaresque spark privacy arguments always pointing at you less than 100ft from you motors make noise spying on neighbours /

Chevrolet & Nissan reveal plans for second-life uses for old Volt & Leaf batteries

Uses for batteries which are no longer suitable for automotive purposes have been covered previously on these pages. Hybrid batteries have been repurposed at Yellowstone National Park.

General Motors has a system utilising five used Chevrolet Volt battery packs at its new Enterprise Data Center at its Milford Proving Ground in Michigan. Combined with wind turbines & a solar array, the site draws no net energy from the grid on an annual basis.


Credit: General Motors/Green Car Reports

Nissan has inked a deal with Green Charge Networks to deploy used automotive batteries for energy storage. GCN will share energy savings with host sites.

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098734_chevy-nissan-reveal-second-life-uses-for-electric-car-batteries / most common questions electric cars what happens battery packs car junked thrown away recycled components lithium ion LiIon battery electric car vehicle EV electric-car batteries recycled second life removed taken out car they were supplied in pack store 70 percent original energy capacity considered no longer usable car viable energy storage device uses utility carmakers second-life reuse battery packs General Motors GM Nissan top three plug-in electric car makers five battery packs used Chevrolet Volts providing electricity help keep the lights on GM's new Enterprise Data Center Milford Proving Ground Michigan installation housing 2-kilowatt wind turbines 74-kW solar array energy producing 100 megawatt-hours of energy a year supply energy office building lights five Volt batteries wired in parallel supply power outage net zero energy annual basis grid-tied Nissan GCN Green Charge Networks deploy used lithium-ion battery packs electric cars stationary energy storage Green Charge Networks largest provider commercial energy storage install and manage energy storage unit cost advantage new markets for stationary storage host site shares savings energy cost GCN little or no upfront cost installing unit Nissan provide used packs electric cars Nissan Leaf engineering teams develop storage unit /

LastPass has been hacked — change your master password now

LastPass is a password manager — many people have so many passwords, they can’t remember them all. Password managers exist to store passwords in encrypted form. To access, the user needs a master password. That’s one more password, but with that one password, the user has access to all of his/her other passwords.

LastPass is widely regarded as one of the better ones.

One problem — LastPass has been hacked, so, time for users to update master passwords.

Redmond Pie:
http://www.redmondpie.com/psa-lastpass-was-hacked-change-your-master-password-right-now/

Engadget:
http://www.engadget.com/2015/06/15/lastpass-hacked/

Lifehacker
http://lifehacker.com/lastpass-hacked-time-to-change-your-master-password-1711463571

What LastPass has to say about it:
https://blog.lastpass.com/2015/06/lastpass-security-notice.html/ / security vitally important even more important store more more our lives online banking information photos our kids stored kept in the cloud our data information kept behind secure passwords passwords kept LastPass 1Password highly recommended users LastPass customers suffered data breach reset their passwords precaution LastPass confident hackers gain access any information user’s account LastPass account email addresses password reminders authentication hashes users should change LastPass master password as soon as possible time to panic confident encryption measures sufficient protect vast majority of users LastPass strengthens strong password authentication hash random salt 100,000 rounds of server-side PBKDF2-SHA256 rounds performed client-side additional strengthening makes it difficult attack stolen hashes significant speed LastPass user data passwords usernames sites stored accessible at any time reset your LastPass master password best course of action use that same password elsewhere change that password as well security notice LastPass website /

EVs Rock

Credit: Tesla Motors

Got that right! / EV electric vehicle battery LiIon lithium ion battery car Tesla Motors Model S vanity plate charge recharge range charge recharge /

The Great Suspender

Credit: suspensionlabs/Google Chrome Web Store

Chrome OS computers are built on the thin client model. Relatively modest hardware & most applications running in the Chrome browser keeps prices down. Frequently, this means a large number of browser tabs open, & lag is likely.

Typical solution to lag is to start closing browser tabs — & then re-open them later, when required. A better solution would be to keep all tabs open, but reduce system load by temporarily suspending i/o & processing, apart from the tab in active use.

Enter The Great Suspender extension from suspensionlabs. Default mode, is as described above: tabs which are open, but not in active use, are suspended, but can be restarted with a click.

Options include:
● delay before tabs are automatically suspended
● suspend active tab
● never suspend specified sites
● suspend all tabs, apart from the active tab, now
● unsuspend all tabs

Get it at:
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/the-great-suspender/klbibkeccnjlkjkiokjodocebajanakg/support?utm_source=chrome-app-launcher-search

No mention is made in the Google Chrome OS Web Store, but judging from the message which has just appeared in one of my suspended tabs:
“Does this extension make you happy?”
with buttons labelled
[Donate with Bitcoin] & [Donate with Paypal]
The Great Suspender is donation-ware.

GitHub
https://github.com/deanoemcke/thegreatsuspender / ChromeOS Chrome OS Chromebook Chromebox Chromium operating system browser window tab automatic automatically suspend suspends unused tabs free up system resources time to suspend right-click context menu unload park suspend tabs tab reduce memory footprint Chrome tabs auto-suspend configurable period of time suspended manually tabs can be whitelisted avoid automatic suspension suspended tabs retained after closing reopening browser prevent preventing many tabs reloading after restart simple intuitive interface The Great Suspender lightweight chrome extension reduce chrome's memory footprint too many tabs open at the same time extension unload each tab retaining favicon title text tab restored clicking anywhere on the page reduces dom elements page no memory leaks javascripts running /

Furniture orchard

Furniture orchard?

Well, grow apples in an apple orchard.

So ... in a furniture orchard ...

By contrast with conventional furniture making, Full Grown, claims its furniture absorbs more carbon than is released into the atmosphere in its production.





Radio Canada
http://www.cbc.ca/radio/spark/288-grow-your-own-furniture-customize-your-city-and-more-1.3100727/why-buy-furniture-when-you-can-just-grow-your-own-1.3100733

Wired
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2015-04/09/full-grown-furniture

Full Grown company web site
http://fullgrown.co.uk/ / furniture designer Derbyshire unique approach making new pieces grow ground Gavin Munro design designs use trees grown around plastic frames chairs, tables lamps made single piece wood furniture grown ash sycamore hazel crabapple sessile oak royal oak years ready harvest first prototype chair five years to grow pendant lamps Munro's company Full Grown planting trees grow furniture 3,000 trees planted 2.5 acre site production trees planted shoots trained grow around frame shaped piece of furniture chair lamp table frame mirror company's website thicken few years harvested seasoned dries process different conventional methods mass-producing wooden furniture trees grown decades cut into small pieces manufacture method slow creates huge amounts of waste damages environment Full Grown first prototypes chair pendant lamp made from salix viminalis native English willow orders being taken ready-grown bespoke furniture furniture thousands of years history developments production process mechanisation machine machining modernisation Full Grown response 3D printing time of change future objects printed growing trees directly into shape objects more personal elegant durable /

watchOS 2 already in the works (update)

Credit: Apple/Mashable

watchOS 2 — second iteration of watchOS for the Apple Watch — will be available in the northern fall (spring in the southern hemisphere).

New features include:
● Time Travel — sorry, not what you think — lets users scroll forward in time to upcoming events & backward to past events, including meetings, weather information & events from third-party apps — sounds remarkably like the time line interface in the new Pebble Time smartwatch
● Nightstand Mode — Digital Crown & side button become snooze & off buttons for the alarm
● Activation Lock, which allows the user to secure the Watch with their Apple ID to prevent a thief from activating it

Access for third party apps to:
● Digital Crown
● Taptic Engine
● heart rate sensor
● new software APIs

Not-so-new feature:
● no third-party watch-faces

http://www.macworld.com.au/news/watchos-2-coming-in-spring-138710/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=eNewsletter+Friday+12+June+2015&utm_content=eNewsletter+Friday+12+June+2015+CID_fe859c70ee4976e92d6b495edea9f2f7&utm_source=Email%20marketing%20software&utm_term=Continue%20reading#.VXqEUVX3_Gc

http://www.technobuffalo.com/videos/apple-watchos-2-hands-on-a-monumental-upgrade/

http://9to5mac.com/2015/06/08/apple-announces-new-version-of-watchos/ / haptic feedback OS operating system smartwatch smart watch Apple previewed watchOS 2 World Wide Developers Conference WWDC 2015 developers program programme programmatically access Digital Crown Taptic Engine heart rate sensor software APIs build new apps updated watchOS 2 new watch faces third-party app information watch face complications new communication capabilities Mail Friends Digital Touch new tools allow developers make apps more robust Strava more accurately track heart rate ride run data from the heart rate sensor accelerometer Insteon customers more precise controls dim lights control temperature Digital Crown Volkswagen owners haptic feedback car door locked watchOS 2 turn your favourite photo new watch face view pictures from your favourite photo album every raise of your wrist new Photo and Photo Album watch faces Time-Lapse watch face choose selection time-lapse videos shot over 24 hours iconic locations New York City London Shanghai new Time Travel feature users scroll Digital Crown events future past upcoming meetings activities temperature week information from third-party apps upcoming flight information latest Apple Watch software new ways to communicate Mail dictation Smart Replies emoji create multiple Friends screens up to 12 friends new friends added Apple Watch Digital Touch draw send sketches multiple colours same canvas more tools for creative sketches Nightstand Mode bedside alarm clock Digital Crown side button snooze off buttons workouts third-party fitness apps all-day Move Exercise goals Siri start specific workouts Activation Lock users secure their Apple Watch Apple ID preventing another user wiping activating device lost or stolen watchOS 2 will be available during the Australian spring free update to Apple Watch requires iPhone 5 iPhone 5c iPhone 5s iPhone 6 iPhone 6 Plus running iOS 8.2 iOS 9 SDK beta including WatchKit for watchOS 2 available immediately iOS Developer Program members /

Sun + seawater + Salicornia —> food + fuel

Sustainable sources exist for most of our energy needs:
● electric vehicles, bicycles, trams & trains for personal transport
● trains for freight
● solar, wind & hydro for domestic & commercial electricity

All of these are available as off-the-shelf solutions.

For commercial airlines, there appears to be no alternative to carbon based liquid fuels. At the moment, this fuel comes from fossil sources.

Biofuel alternatives have a number of problem to overcome if they are to be sustainable: diversion of food supply, arable land & fresh water, plus fossil fuel use in crop production.

ISEAS may be a solution:


Credit: ISEAS/RenewEconomy

http://reneweconomy.com.au/2015/desert-farms-could-power-flight-with-sunshine-and-seawater-57366

Salicornia — salt tolerant, oil rich
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salicornia / aviation industry major source greenhouse gas emissions fuel aviation contributed climate change carbon dioxide CO2 improvements in efficiency global aviation emissions expected grow 70% 2020 2005 industry seeking new renewable fuel sources growing biofuels takes up valuable land water grow food grow biofuels land nobody wants using seawater sunlight produce food new project Abu Dhabi Integrated Seawater Energy and Agriculture System ISEAS grow sustainable food aviation fuel desert seawater sunshine transferable similar arid regions around the world project under construction solve biggest environmental problems triple dilemma energy water food problems compound each other each making the others more difficult to resolve wasteful irrigation water limits threatening reductions food production water energy food issues positive relations Sundrop Farms project South Australia abundant sunshine seawater produce electric power fresh water cultivate greenhouse crops tomatoes Sundrop Farms project won substantial financial support global venture capital firm KKR Clean Energy Finance Corporation contract to supply fresh produce supermarket chain Coles Abu Dhabi projectseawater farming salt-tolerant plants mangroves oil-rich Salicornia aquaculture seafood shrimp fish Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium Abu Dhabi partners airline Etihad Airways Masdar Institute of Science and Technology UAE United Arab Republics corporate giants Boeing General Electric UOP Honeywell corporation funding market rapidly scale up securing the biomass complementing associated activities complementary generate a closed loop operation seawater aquaculture ponds fish shrimp varieties grown food wastewater aquaculture rich organic nutrients irrigate salt-tolerant crop Salicornia crop harvested oil extracted seeds aviation biofuel water drained salt tolerant crops mangrove wetland naturally purified carbon sequestered solar energy input drive crop production energy production pumping chart process solving complex problems project solves problem waste disposal fish farming aquaculture channelling organic wastes irrigation fertiliser cultivation Salicornia plants halophytes salt-resistant species seawater grow on arid land project eliminates problem most biofuels water arable land used for food production Abu Dhabi project produces fuel food recycles everything non-arable land current pilot farm entirely closed-loop seawater drawn originally ocean passing various stages fed to mangrove plantations water is filtered through mangroves extracting final nutrients ocean recycled fish farms energy pumping water generated solar array no fossil fuel input backed financially large players Etihad principal airline Masdar Institute S&T corporate giants like Boeing scale up quickly pilot project plant covering 2 hectares 200 ha demonstration scale 140 ha Salicornia cultivation 30 ha aquaculture 20 ha mangrove plantation Australia vast arid areas copious quantities of seawater sunshine ingredients similar solar biofuel food project national air carrier Qantas experimented aviation biofuels national R&D organization CSIRO Australia long experience development agricultural models cope with high salinity levels strong research tradition cultivated West Australia CRC for Plant-based Management of Dryland Salinity Future Farm Industries CRC lack of continued support project produce food domestic consumption export produce aviation biofuel restore fuel processing value chain domestic export product utilise water promote means halting desertification restoring fertility arid areas /

It's that guy from the Internet

Credit: Scott Adams — dilbert.com/

You may not always agree with him, but you have to admire the huge volume of his output — often on both sides of the same argument. And now we know his name — it's Dick, that guy from the Internet.

More insights at:

http://dilbert.com/ / Internet www World Wide Web troll trolling flame war Dick ridiculous angry stuff misinterpret comment absurd absolute attack moron fun the that guy from the Internet famous irrelevant links /

Babies born in winter are bigger, brighter & more successful

Around the ‘Net, you’ll find headlines like:

Your birth month influences your risk for diseases
https://blogs.discovermagazine.com/d-brief/2015/06/09/birth-month-risk-diseases/

Here's how your birth month affects the rest of your life
http://www.businessinsider.com.au/how-birth-month-matters-2012-7?op=1#january-people-born-this-month-are-statistically-more-likely-to-have-alzheimers-crohns-disease-and-epilepsy-1

Can we see any causal link(s)? One possibility is in-utero exposure to vitamin D, at critical times in embryonic development. When exposed to sunlight, the skin produces vitamin D. Peak vitamin production appears in summer. In this case, the correlation would be with the season, rather than the month — & the same effects in different months in the northern & southern hemispheres:

Babies born in winter are bigger, brighter & more successful
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/babies-born-in-winter-are-bigger-brighter-and-more-successful-523070.html

Season of birth & childhood intelligence: findings from the Aberdeen children of the 1950s cohort study
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16953958 / astrology astrologers time of year baby born plots course extensive research seven-year period babies born in winter big bright successful adults summer study scientists Harvard University monitored development boys girls worldwide large seasonal variations weight length height head size mental ability researchers effects pregnant mother growing foetus seasonal variations diet hormones temperature exposure to sunlight viruses infections influence baby's baby American Australian psychiatrists anthropologists Harvard Queensland universities measured children mental motor tests birth eight months four seven years compared summer births born winter significantly longer at birth heavier taller larger head circumference age seven higher scores intelligence exercises IQ intelligence quotient seven winter spring born children heavier taller head circumferences significantly larger summer autumn born children results babies born winter longest winter spring borns birth weighed the most age seven tallest tall taller tallest heavy heavier heaviest researchers work medical journal Schizophrenia Research conclude winter spring babies bigger anthropometric variables smarter neurocognitive variables new study series projects worldwide evaluating effect seasons human health longevity physical intellectual development scientists Germany Germany's Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research people born autumn live longer born in spring ill in old age census data Denmark Austria Australia seasonal link to life expectancy older than 50 Austria adults born between October December lived seven months longer those born between April and June dietary changes seasonal infections phenomenon mother giving birth in spring spends the last phase of her pregnancy winter eat fewer vitamins Gabriele Doblhammer scientists research stops breast-feeding starts giving her baby normal solid food solids hot weeks of summer babies prone to infections digestive system season of birth optimist pessimist summer's babies brighter outlook winter-born grumblers American Australian researchers offer explanations differences early years of life theory foetal exposure changing seasonal factors temperature rainfall ultraviolet radiation /

Reserve Strap for Apple Watch

Credit: Reserve Strap/Digital Trends

With a claimed battery life of 19 hours, a strap with built in battery sounds like a must-have accessory for the Apple Watch. Enter the Reserve Strap, with built-in lithium ion battery & inductive charger.

Video at Funky Space Monkey mentions Kickstarter, but a search at kickstarter.com for “reserve strap” & “reservestrap”, found no matches.

http://www.funkyspacemonkey.com/the-band-that-charges-the-apple-watch-while-you-wear-it-video

http://www.macrumors.com/2015/05/04/reserve-strap-new-design/

http://www.digitaltrends.com/wearables/the-reserve-strap-provides-more-juice-for-your-apple-watch/

Manufacturer’s web site:
http://reservestrap.com/

At $250 on pre-order, this strap will make an expensive watch even more so. $250, will get you a Pebble Time smartwatch, after Kickstarter pre-orders are fulfilled, leave your with $51 in your pocket, & still provide better battery life.

More about Pebble Time:
http://hhg2tech.blogspot.com.au/2015/06/pebble-time-why-cant-all-smartwatches.html / Apple Watch accessory makers Reserve Strap replacement strap Apple Watch charge recharge charges while you wear it aesthetic appeal Apple’s own bands stylish looks battery that lasts Shaky battery life major problems wearable a day’s use out of it at best 400mAh battery power pair of lithium-ion cells LiIon integrated inductive charging cradle between the watch and your wrist technology Apple’s official charger holes cut out smartwatch’s sensors can still operate /

10 worst Android battery hogs

Biggest embarrassment: the number of Google apps

Biggest Samsung embarrassment: the number of Samsung apps

Second biggest Samsung embarrassment: no app from any other Android manufacturer made the list

Many of the Samsung apps can’t be uninstalled. One more reason to root, or move to another manufacturer.

https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2015/06/the-10-worst-android-apps-for-draining-your-smartphones-battery/ / Telstra Shazam Snapchat Flipboard Clean Master Speed Booster Twitter Google Play Music Google Play News Stand TripAdvisor Hotels Flights Chrome Browser Google Security Policy Update Samsung Software Update Beaming Service for Samsung Facebook Messenger WhatsApp Messenger Instagram Samsung Push Service Viber Maps Samsung WatchON On TV battery drain draner draining killer hog run by user run at startup AVG’s AVG latest Android App Report apps draining your smartphone smartphone's battery /

Mrice E300 earphones — $1,000 performance for under $30?

Credit: Wired

"Top-tier sound for PENNIES." — AndroidVageta — head-fi.org

"Should you buy the Mrice E300s? At this price, you’d be a fool not to." — Rene Chun — Wired
http://www.wired.com/2015/06/mrice-e300/?mbid=nl_060515

If your new Mrice E300 earphones don’t live up to the hype, you could always try this:
http://www.lightinthebox.com/html/New_Headphones_guide.html / Top-Tier Sound For Pennies web forum head-fi.org headphone aficionado handle AndroidVageta AV five stars to Chi-Fi earbuds buds cost less compared dynamic range clarity cut-rate buds JH16 Pro in-ears eight drivers per ear retails for $1,149 JH16 The Absolute Sound praised the sonic mountaintop in-ear headphones Baldoor E100 simply amazing amazing for the price amazing compared to anything I’ve ever heard owned disposable buds sound as good outrageously expensive IEMs Justin Timberlake Lady Gaga wear onstage hype rhetoric AV PSA E100 EarBell bud distributed Chinese company called Mrice destined for hi-fi obscurity cheap gadget tossed Chi-Fi scrapheap AV’s Head-Fi review Reddit el cheapo IEM in ear montor scarce online commodity sold out everywhere audiophiles E100 cult Tragus deal of the century optimum audio performance magic buds positioned within the ear sideways precarious orientation listening sessions head movements godlike wearing E100s sound stage weird fit exact alignment buds within the ear profile selfie Mad_Economist sonic Epiphany degenerate audiophile tragus anti-tragus leg of helix shut bud very warm fairly large soundstage bass impact ENT journals Redditor tragus ear hole auditory meat audiophiles audiophile raves sound better professional IEM pinch your ears together Reddit E100 psychodrama AV robertmeta Mad_Economist critical listeners babble sweet bud Chi-Fi industrial complex earphone model Mrice line sound signature GranVela E300 ergonomics capsule /

Flawed Android factory reset leaves crypto & login keys ripe for picking

http://arstechnica.com/security/2015/05/flawed-android-factory-reset-leaves-crypto-and-login-keys-ripe-for-picking/

Android's factory reset leaves private information behind on 630 million devices

http://betanews.com/2015/05/22/androids-factory-reset-leaves-private-information-behind-on-630-million-devices/

Securely erase data on Android devices with iShredder 3

http://www.abnewswire.com/pressreleases/securely-erase-data-on-android-devices-with-ishredder-3-for-android_6876.html

iShredder 3 for Android web site

https://www.protectstar.com/en/products/ishredder-android / 500 million Android smartphones smart phones don't completely wipe data factory reset option weakness recovery of login credentials text messages e-mails contacts computer scientists comprehensive study Cambridge University researchers recover data wide range of devices run factory reset built into Google's Android mobile operating system crucial means for wiping confidential data devices resold sold recycled retired study data recovered users turned on full-disk encryption devices studied researchers estimated may not fully wipe disk partitions sensitive data stored 630 million phones wipe internal SD cards pictures video published research paper Security Analysis of Android Factory Resets wake-up call individual users large enterprises major impact organizations mature established disposal practices not effective Kenn White North Carolina computer scientist paper staggering number of devices exposed somebody's Gmail password images photos text chat private reset researchers tested factory reset 21 Android smartphones versions 2.3.x to 4.3 mobile OS sold by five manufacturers retained at least some fragments of old data contact data stored phone app third-party apps Facebook What'sApp images video camera text-based conversations SMS e-mail apps researchers were able to extract master token access to most Google user data Gmail Google calendar experiment researchers recovered a master token reset phone restored the credential file reboot phone successfully re-synchronised contacts emails recovered Google tokens flawed Factory Reset master token tokens other apps tokens access anyone's account storing data reset failures manufacturers didn't include the software drivers fully wipe flash chips non-volatile memory storage researchers demonstrated flash drives dangerously hard to erase drives accommodate portions partitions faulty wear out over time researcher Bunnie presentation 2013 Chaos Communication Congress Flash drives not storing data storing a probabilistic approximation of your data deleting researchers experiments second-hand phones Android versions past 4.3 factory reset version 4.4 researchers newer devices data users wiped reset recovered read protected full-disk encryption file stores decryption key isn't erased during the factory-reset process key encrypted cryptographic salt user-selected PIN or password recovery crypto footer encrypted file attacker offline cracking attack data supplied security consultant White successful crack PIN longer passwords sell dispose remotely wipe full-disk encryption turn it on use a randomly generated password includes numbers upper- and lower-case letters symbols minimum of 11 characters passwords years or decades to crack overwriting all unallocated space installed manually prevent a Google token wiped phone destroy devices rather than sell or recycle them paper published titled Security Analysis of Consumer-Grade Anti-Theft Solutions Provided by Android Mobile Anti-Virus Apps significant wiping flaws /

Pebble Time: Why can't all smartwatches be this simple?

Pebble Time — white & red
Credit: Pebble/news.com.au

Review of the new Pebble Time watch (by an Android owner — the iOS app is was stuck in the Apple App Store approval process).

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2015/06/pebble-time-preview-why-cant-all-smartwatches-be-this-simple/ / Pebble Time smartwatch smart watch battery endurance time between charges up to 1 one week charge recharge app app store play store LiIon lithium ion battery Apple Google iOS Android Apple Watch smartwatch Kickstarter smartwatch Google’s Android Wear Best Smartwatch wearing successor Pebble Time most fun wristwatch tiny computer inside tiny 1.25-inch colour e-paper screen delivers notifications display access to your calendar Android iOS four buttons scroll select things microphone send voice replies texts emails lugs attach standard 22mm band sensors fitness tracker waterproof water proof waterproofing swim no limit on the number of apps install computers cut-down versions full smartphone apps Pebble thinks different lasts up to a week on a charge simple to use sell it at retail every Kickstarter preorder pre-order has been filled design Apple Watch LG Watch Urbane plastic smartwatch sleek stainless steel bezel glass window black white silicone band thinner other smartwatches effortlessly light stylish buttons are painfully stiff charging cable tiny weak magnets doesn’t reliably stay connected competition Android Wear device more secure charger Apple’s amazing scroll wheel 1.25-inch screen giant bezel around border hard to read tiny text ability to adjust font size back light backlight transflective screen reflects light super readable in bright light user interface makes so much sense two columns Timeline apps watchface press the up and down buttons move forwards and backwards in time go forward upcoming calendar events, alarms reminders morning evening weather reports go back missed calls previous alarms wake up this morning completed goals press right select buttonwant more info about the weather alarm go off press left back button interact Timeline items Timeline column apps column press the right button watch face watchface scrolling column apps directional buttons Google’s Android Wear interface Apple Watch /

Pebble Watch app for iPhone delayed — update — app released

Credit: Re/Code

Update 06 June: Pebble Time Watch app for iOS is now available on the app store

Pebble has just started shipping its new smartwatch, Pebble Time. Over $20 million in pre-orders on Kickstarter.

Being a smartwatch, it requires a connection to a smartphone for setup & the functions that make it “smart” (incoming emails, SMS, phone calls, calendar, weather etc). Pebble has apps for Android & iOS.

Recent history of the Pebble Time Watch app in the iOS app store approval process:

18 May: Pebble Time Watch app approved

22 May: Pebble submits a bug fix update of the Pebble Time Watch app — requests expedited review

03 June: still waiting

A quirk in the Appstore release process prevents the app approved on 18 May being made available to users.

An update of the iPhone app for the original Pebble watch has been awaiting approval for 43 days.

Just in case you hadn’t noticed, Apple recently released their own smartwatch.

For now, the only way iPhone-owning Pebble Time owners can get their watch up-&-running is to use a borrowed Android phone.

#FreePebbleTime

#FreeOurPebbleTime

#FreeOurPebbleTime @Appstore

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/06/03/pebble_ios_apple/

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/apple-delay-means-pebble-time-smartwatch-buyers-120625704904.html

http://randomnerds.com/pebble-calls-on-its-army-of-kickstarter-backers-to-get-apple-to-stop-fighting-dirty/ / colour color e-paper smartwatch up to 7 days of battery new timeline interface important in your day new watch called Pebble Time new timeline interface color e-paper display microphone responding to notifications battery life water resistance customizable customizability Pebble Time fully compatible 6,500+ existing Pebble apps watchfaces watch face colors Kickstarter shipping in May extra special engraving original Kickstarter backers support us again the world’s first real smartwatch Kickstarter community early adopters support worldwide movement overwhelming support feedback Pebble Kickstarter wearables exclusive access to our newest product more info at a glance new color e-paper display easy to read always-on displaying incoming notifications watchface LCD OLED power consumption minimized industry-leading battery life up to 7 days awesome watch easy to read always-on displaying incoming notifications Pebble Time 20% thinner ergonomic curved design fits comfortably stylish durable lens is scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass bezel stainless steel water resistant run rain water-balloon battle swim personalize soft silicone band all standard 22mm watch bands will fit quick-release pin swap bands DIYers accessory makers advanced customizers publishing 3D data create amazing straps, covers docks smart accessory port enabling hardware developers build sensors smart straps connect directly to the watch three colors black watch case silicone black PVD stainless steel bezel silver PVD red watch case /

SanDisk wants to replace hard drives with low cost SSD

Credit: SanDisk/Boy Genius Report

Compared to conventional spinning-platter hard disk drives, solid state drives are faster, more reliable, have lower power consumption while generating less heat. They are particularly suited to use in laptops.

Given the above, why haven’t they completely replaced mechanical drives?

Cost.

SanDisk claims they are about to fix that with their new Z400s line of solid state drives, which will be available at prices competitive with mechanical drives.

http://bgr.com/2015/05/27/sandisk-z400s-ssd-price-hdd/

http://www.anandtech.com/show/9279/sandisk-releases-z400s-ssd-for-mainstream-pcs-embedded-applications

http://liliputing.com/2015/05/sandisk-introduces-z400s-ssd-promises-hard-drive-like-prices.html / solid-state drive SSD increase performance computer compared regular hard disk drive HDD flash memory affordable option SanDisk announced SSDs affordable regular HDD SanDisk Z400s cost effective SSD device 20 times faster consume 20 times less power five times better reliability SanDisk Z400s multiple formats mSATA 2.5-inch SATA M.2 2242 2280 various capacities 32GB 64GB 128GB 256GB Z400s sequential read write speeds 549MB/s 330MB/ random read and write speeds 33K 62K IOPS Z400s commercially available SanDisk sample sampling customers pricing details SSDs OEMs initially laptops mobile portable devices flash storage conventional HDDs /

Protection for your Apple Watch

Credit: Brando/The Gadgeteer

Do you have a protective case for your phone? Brando has a case to protect your Apple Watch too.

http://the-gadgeteer.com/2015/06/02/protect-your-apple-watch-with-the-premium-rugged-protection-system/

http://shop.brando.com/Apple-Watch-Premium-Rugged-Protection-System_p13215c1598d066.html / Premium Rugged Protection System Brando protective snap on snap-on case Apple Watch case aluminum shock-absorbing internal core suspension system impact protection aluminum case protects body watch aluminum bezel protects face openings Watch’s buttons acoustic ports amplify enhance audio performance standard Watch straps System’s premium silicone sport strap resists dirt dust comfortable fit Apple Watch Premium Rugged Protection System red black silver gold blue sizes fit 38mm Watch 42mm Watch $30.00 Brando /

Garbage in, clean water & electricity out

Two things the developing world needs: clean water & electricity.

Not quite so obvious is sanitation. In the developing world, toilets are typically pits, which cause groundwater contamination. Pump out is expensive.

Solution: Kanicki Omni Processor


That's Bill Gates checking the water

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/futuretense/waste/6494606

http://janickibioenergy.com/ / humans wasteful lot recycling industry discard repurpose wasteful our own waste sewage problem unpleasant by-product of life disposed of rich source of fuel energy fertilizer drinking water projects turn human waste economic resource mounting waste problem rapid urbanisation Bill Gates access to safe sanitation brilliant engineers solve problem solution waste valuable Janicki Omni Processor sewer sludge nasty clean drinking water electricity ash pathogen free sludge enters the machine conveyor belt large tubes drier boil the sludge Antony Funnell billionaire philanthropist promotional video new waste treatment machine Omni Processor human waste problem future resource Aaron Janicki energy in the sewage additional energy from garbage waste streams power burns firebox boils water steam engine powers the plant Aaron Janicki Janicki Bioenergy developed machine energy steam engine dry the sewage boils vapour recovered filtered cleaned aerated extremely high quality drinking water five minutes process start to finish prototype deployed into the field commercialising the technology rank ordering priority most impact receive financing business model Omni Processor sanitation industry cost centre government profit centre running owning technology innovative owner of the technology work financially running technically benefit financially Omni Processor produces 70,000 litres per day service 35,000 people drinking water every day turning human waste into water electricity converting sewage into fertiliser /