Google wireless charging orb finally available for Nexus 4 devices

The Nexus 4 Wireless Charger is finally available for purchase through the Google Play store for $59.99, almost three months after the handset’s initial launch. The orb-shaped charger works similar to other wireless charging docks by utilizing the Qi inductive power charging standard.

However, unlike handsets such as the Nokia Lumia 920, the Nexus 4 does not lay flat on the device to charge. Rather, it sits at an angle. This is made possible by strategically placed magnets inside both the dock and the Nexus 4 that secure the handset to the device. Once it’s docked, the Nexus 4 goes into Daydream mode and can display photos, aggregated information from applications like Google Currents, a clock, or various "screensavers." This feature is currently only available in Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

Though the charging station is available for purchase today, the Google Play store notes it will "ship soon."

Read on Ars Technica | Comments

via http://arstechnica.com , , , ,

Report: Next Xbox requires Kinect to function, runs multiple games at once

Microsoft isn't acknowledging the development, or even the existence, of the Xbox 360's successor (codenamed "Durango"), but that isn't stopping potential details from leaking out of Redmond. The latest report comes via console overview documents (known as "white papers") provided to Kotaku by the same source who provided information on the next PlayStation (codenamed "Orbis"), and it spells out some things we've yet to hear. Namely, the console will ship with a new version of Microsoft's motion-sensing camera controller, Kinect, and that the device, "must be plugged in and calibrated for the console to even function," the piece says. The new Kinect -- which we've heard of in the past -- is said to capture up to six people at once, and an alleged image demonstrating the difference between new and old versions of the camera puts much higher specs on said device (1920x1080 color resolution, more trackable joints, improved depth resolution, etc.).

The new console is also reported to employ multitasking, enabling multiple games or apps to run concurrently, similar to mobile phones and tablets; how many apps that could mean is unclear, if true. Sony's PlayStation Vita already employs such functionality, making the claim all the less far-fetched.

The piece also states supposedly final retail hardware specs for Microsoft's next game console, including a 64-bit D3D11.x 800MHz GPU, an 8-core x64 1.6GHz 4MB L2 CPU, 8GB DDR3 RAM, 500GB of on-board memory, USB 3.0, HDMI-out, and an optical drive for 50GB discs. For its part, Microsoft's staying mum -- "We do not comment on rumors or speculation. We are always thinking about what is next for our platform, but we don't have anything further to share at this time," a Microsoft spokesperson told us -- and Sony's the only game in town with even an event scheduled in the near future.

[Photo credit: Kotaku]

Filed under: Gaming, HD, Microsoft

Comments

Source: Kotaku

via http://www.engadget.com , , , , , , , , , ,

New nanotech promises nothing will ever get wet—so how should it be used?

Infomercials are notoriously tough to take seriously. Anyone with minor computer familiarity can sniff out the "MALWARE IS COMING NOW" 3am appeals. And even though something like the Slap Chop works, its autotune remix tends to be more famous than the actual product.

The newest infomercial to go viral, however, appears to have a surprising level of credibility. Take a look at Ultra Ever Dry, a "revolutionary super hydrophobic coating that repels water and refined oils using nanotechnology." The demonstration video is nearing 500,000 views in a little more than two weeks, and it already received attention from The Daily Mail, i09, and NPR (where it was written up by Radiolab's Robert Krulwich no less).

As any fan of the old PitchMen series knows, a good infomercial relies heavily on a wow-inspiring demo. Ultra Ever Dry is no different, with a series of coated vs. uncoated demos showing everything from concrete to oils unable to penetrate a layer of Ultra Ever Dry. Below, you can see some before-and-after screen grabs of gardening gloves with mud or a side-by-side of a funnel and paint (Another favorite: a piece of glass is framed with a perimeter coating of the substance and beads of green test liquid flow quickly to the center.)

Read 5 remaining paragraphs | Comments

via http://arstechnica.com , ,

How a security ninja cracked the password guarding his most valued assets

JasonBechtel

Jeremiah Grossman is widely considered to be one of the world's most talented ethical hackers, but even his ninja-like prowess wasn't enough to recover a forgotten password used to encrypt sensitive work documents contained on his MacBook Pro.

After fiddling with a freely available password cracking program, the CTO of Whitehat Security soon realized that its plodding speed—about one password guess per second—meant it would likely take him decades of tries before he arrived at the right one. That's when he called in the big guns, namely Solar Designer and other principals behind the free John the Ripper (JtR) password cracker as well as Jeremi Gosney, a password security expert at Stricture Consulting Group. (Ars has chronicled Gosney's cracking prowess in articles here and here.)

"Collectively, these guys are amongst the world's foremost experts in password cracking," Grossman wrote in a blog post describing the odyssey unlocking the crucial files. "If they can't help, no one can. No joking around, they immediately dove right in."

Read 4 remaining paragraphs | Comments

via http://arstechnica.com , , , , ,

Digitize What’s Important to You

I just finished a project to digitize all my old audiocassettes, videocassettes (home movies), and 8mm tapes to digital. I wish I had done it years ago, because the images and sound had faded a lot.

Digital will last forever without degradation if you store it digitally (not on a physical medium like a CD or DVD.) I put all the digital copies on my computer, and use Carbonite.com to keep a secure, off-site backup.

My next project is to scan all the documents I care about (old certificates, letters, programs, etc.) so I have a digital copy of them. Paper fades over time and can get lost, stolen, burned in a fire, or ruined in a flood. Digital copies can last forever. (Keep a safe, off-site backup.)

The Church’s Family History Department offers free scanning of journals and other documents. They have 3 brand new book scanners available for anyone to use free of charge. They do a great job and are very easy to use and do not require you to cut the binding of the diary. The PDF scan can be saved directly to a USB drive.

Once I get all my documents in digital form, I will insert them into my digital life history. For ideas on creating a digital life history, see “Keep a Journal.”

Note: After paying a company hundreds of dollars to covert my old tapes, I just learned about a video capture device that you can use to connect a VCR or camcorder to your computer for $80, including the software. Let me know if any of you use it to transfer your tapes and how it works for you.

via http://ldsmediatalk.com , , ,

OUYA following mobile model: 'There will be a new OUYA every year'

http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/07/ouya-annual/

There will be a new OUYA next year, and the year after that, unlike the traditional game console model, where new hardware ships in five- to seven-year generational increments. "Our strategy is very much similar to the mobile strategy," OUYA CEO Julie Uhrman told us in an interview this afternoon, following her DICE 2013 speech. "There will be a new OUYA every year. There will be an OUYA 2 and an OUYA 3," she added. One potentially featuring the recently revealed Tegra 4, perhaps, rather than the Tegra 3 powering the first units? It sure sounds like it. "We'll take advantage of faster, better processors, take advantage of prices falling. So if we can get more than 8GB of Flash in our box, we will," she explained.

But don't fret, nervous game buyer. Uhrman assured us that "all the games will be backward compatible" going forward. When pushed on how this will work, she said, "The games will be tied to you, the gamer," (like Steam is now) rather than tying your game licenses to the hardware you purchased (like, say, Nintendo's Wii U).

The first OUYA, set to launch for Kickstarter backers this March and at retail in June, comes with a quad-core A9 Tegra 3 that's been maxed out to 1.6GHz. Uhrman pointed out that, because of OUYA's home console form factor (which plugs into a wall, rather than relying on a tiny battery), the console will be, "the best Tegra 3 device on the market." It also doesn't hurt that OUYA's working directly with the Tegra 3's manufacturer, NVIDIA. She said that NVIDIA has a group of folks dedicated solely to getting the chip driving the OUYA to run at its highest capacity ever. We'll find out what that means when we get our hands on the console later this year. Should you like to hear more from Julie Uhrman ahead of that launch, she'll be speaking at Engadget's Expand event this March. Grab your tickets right here!

Filed under: Gaming, HD, NVIDIA

Comments

via Engadget RSS Feed http://www.engadget.com

Plex unveils 'massive' Plex/Web update, Windows 8 app tweaks and more

http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/06/plex-unveils-massive-plex-web-update-windows-8-app-tweaks-and/

Plex's busy bees have sweetened the media server / client honeypot again with new updates, including a "giant, thundering" update of the Plex/Web UI featuring a redesigned home screen and easier navigation. It also has a new version of its next-gen transcoder for the Windows 8 and PlexSync apps -- with iOS, Android and Plex/Web versions promised soon -- which brings better performance and improved support for subtitle burn-in, according to the outfit. Other features include a new iPad mini sync profile, better keyboard navigation, a media info popup and numerous bug fixes. You can grab it by checking your app for updates or hit the source for the full list.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Software, HD

Comments

Source: Plex (1), (2)

via Engadget RSS Feed http://www.engadget.com