Tiny accelerometer adds motion detection to clothes and cheap phones
Imagine a shirt or pants that can detect movement and tell you if that golf swing was weak or that jump shot was a bit lacking. That’s the biggest goal of a company called mCube: to have its new and really tiny accelerometer embedded in clothing, though it could obviously be used for sports bands and other devices, as well. At just one millimeter across, the new motion detector measures but less than half of traditional ones. More importantly, it combines the accelerometer component that detects movement and the other that processes signals and data gathered by the first one, which are typically separate. This allows the chip to be power efficient, cheaper and — according to mCube, at least — more accurate than alternatives. mCube even believes that the device is effective enough to provide motion detection for super cheap phones without gyroscopes. While the company hasn’t announced which devices will carry the product, we’ll likely come across one of ‘em soon enough, as mCube has already shipped 70 million units to China.
Filed under: Misc
Source: Technology Review
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Heartbleed blamed for Chinese theft of 4.5 million health records
Yesterday, Community Health Systems announced that Chinese hackers had managed to steal the healthcare records of 4.5 million of its customers. Now, security firm TrustedSec is claiming that the reason the information was swiped was because of the world-famous Heartbleed vulnerability. TrustedSec founder David Kennedy then told Bloomberg that he learned this fact from three unnamed insiders who told him under the cloak of anonymity. The security expert went on to say that the attack took place roughly a week after Heartbleed was made public, but before the healthcare chain could patch the hole in its system. We don’t think we need to tell you what the lesson is, here.
Filed under: Internet
Source: TrustedSec, Bloomberg
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GIFYouTube does exactly what its name implies
Not sure how to make an animated GIF? Don’t worry, you don’t have to learn a darn thing — an unofficial web tool will do it for you. The website, simply named GIFYouTube, does exactly what it sounds like: it converts your favorite streaming video into an animated image. It’s ridiculously easy to use (simply adding “GIF” to the front of any video URL kicks off the process), but it isn’t perfect: GIFs only output in the above size for now, and the user controls are limited to selecting the animation’s start time and duration. We also found that it only worked consistently in Chrome. That said, it’s a neat tool, and its creators plan to add Webm and caption support in the near future. Want to check it out? Well, click right here.
Filed under: Internet
Via: Google+ (Google+)
Source: GIFYouTube
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Brazilian judge tells Apple and Google to pull Secret from people’s devices
Secret’s app is ostensibly meant for office gossip and getting transgressions out of your system, but it has also been abused by bullies wanting to intimidate and shame others. Well, one Brazilian judge is fed up with that misuse — enough so that he’s ordering Apple and Google to remove Secret not just from their respective local app stores, but from people’s devices. Microsoft also has to yank Cryptic, an equivalent Windows Phone app. If the companies don’t take action within 10 days, they face fines of 20,000 Reals ($8,876) per day. That’s a drop in the bucket given their massive revenue streams, but it’s reasonable to say that they’d rather not pay that much just to keep one title available in one country.
The request is certainly feasible. All three companies have removed apps from their stores, and they can technically pull or block software installed on gadgets. However, that last measure is primarily used as a last resort, such as in the event of a malware outbreak; Apple, Google and Microsoft might be reluctant to act unless they have no choice. Whether or not they’re stuck isn’t clear. Brazil’s Constitution bars anonymous attacks that don’t let you defend yourself, but there are arguments both that the data isn’t truly anonymous (Secret knows the culprits) and that the ban hurts freedom of expression. Don’t be shocked if one or more tech firms contest the ruling.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Internet, Mobile, Apple, Microsoft, Google
Via: 9to5Mac
Source: Estadao (translated)
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Ubisoft won’t attempt an unlimited gaming service until EA proves it can work
It turns out Electronic Arts’ Access program has at least one high-profile spectator: Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot. The Assassin’s Creed and Watch Dogs company’s head says that Ubisoft is keeping a keen eye on what that type of service can offer players, telling Game Informer that he’s open to “any way” of giving fans access to Ubisoft’s games. However, “it has to work well and be a smooth experience,” he says. An Access-like system seems like the natural progression that the French company’s been building toward for awhile, albeit slowly, putting various pieces in place and testing them out over time. Given Ubisoft’s checkered history with DRM issues and that Uplay Passport system, though, it’s probably better if Guillemot lets someone else deal with the growing pains with this time ’round.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD
Via: NeoGAF
Source: Game Informer
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Discarded car batteries could become low-cost solar cells
It’s great that manufacturers recover lead from discarded car batteries to use in new ones, since lead production from ores yields toxic residues. The problem is, when we shift from lead-acid to lithium-ion and other types of batteries (and we’re starting to), over 200 million old batteries could be retired in the US and cause serious environmental issues. Thankfully, a team of MIT researchers has discovered one way to recycle lead from car batteries, and the end product is something very, very useful: long-lasting solar cells. We’re talking about a new breed of solar cells in particular, one that uses a compound called perovskite, which needs lead to be manufactured.
For the past two years, the scientists have been working on using old car batteries to make perovskite solar cells, until they’ve finally reached a 19 percent efficiency that’s comparable to more traditional silicon cells. Even better, since perovskite cells are extremely thin, a single car battery could produce solar panels for 30 homes. These new cells are also potentially cheaper to make, as the scientists came up with a low-temperature process that’s comparably quicker than traditional solar cell production. Want more info? You can read the team’s paper published in Energy and Environmental Science for a detailed explanation, or watch how the scientists process old lead in new solar cells in the video below.
[Image credit: Getty Images]
Filed under: Science
Via: The Washington Post, IEEE Spectrum
Source: MIT
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See-through solar panels provide power and a killer view
While we’ve seen some pretty big advancements (and even bigger installations) in solar-energy collection lately, unless you’re looking for privacy, one of the biggest light-catchers — windows — have to go largely under-utilized. Researchers at Michigan State University might have a solution for that, though. The Spartan scientists have developed a transparent, colorless method for collecting the sun’s rays and converting them to electricity, claiming that the tech’s applications could be used pretty much wherever clear materials are needed. The system relies on a coating of organic molecules that soak up ultraviolet and near-infrared rays. From there, the rays are pushed to photovoltaic solar cells at the edge of the surface where they’re converted into electricity.
The tech isn’t as efficient as it needs to be, though. As of now its solar conversion rate is only about one percent versus the 19 percent ideal of other methods. MSU College of Engineering’s Richard Lunt knows this is inadequate and says that it’s targeting a “greater than five percent” yield for the final product. While the energy produced might be lower than with other formats, the tech’s strength could lie in its flexibility — every window a solar cell or a smartphone that could possibly never run out of juice, for instance.
Via: Phys Org
Source: MSU Today
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Xbox 360 HDD now comes in 500GB format, costs less than 320GB version
Been taking advantage of the Xbox 360′s “Games with Gold” deal? You might be running out of hard drive space, and Microsoft knows it: it just updated the Xbox website with a teaser for a 500GB hard drive. At $110 it’s still more expensive than PC storage, but it’s oddly cheaper than the 320GB Xbox 360 HDD that’s currently on the market. It’s not clear if the new drive will serve as a replacement or if the price is merely a placeholder, but we’ll never scoff at more storage space. Unfortunately, you can’t order the new drive just yet — the product page just says that pre-orders are “coming soon.”
[Image credit: yum9me, Flickr]
Filed under: Gaming, Microsoft
Via: IGN
Source: Xbox
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HTC One M8 with Windows?! Sharp Aquos Crystal has No Bezels! – ManDroid Daily
Sharp Aquos Crystal…now that is pretty. Don’t think any of us saw this phone coming. Just announced that Sprint will carry the Crystal phone that really has no bezels at all. The HTC One M8 is getting released once again, but this time it will be running Windows. Not typical play for an OEM to release a successful device with an entirely different OS on it. Hopefully it works out for them.
Android News
HTC Butterfly 2 announced
HTC One M8 with Windows
ASUS teases a smartwatch
Sharp Aquos Crystal
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Apple Reportedly Building ‘World’s Largest’ Apple Store in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Last week, Apple posted retail job listings for a future retail store to be located in the United Arab Emirates, hinting that the company will soon open its first store in the Middle East. Now, Middle East website EDGARDaily.com reports that the store will be located at Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates, and will be Apple’s biggest retail location to date.
Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates
Our undisclosed source said that the store – which will be the biggest Apple has ever built – was originally planned to replace the current cinema complex. The timing of the recent job adverts suggest the store could have a planned opening for the first quarter of 2015.
Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates originally opened in September 2005 and boasts more than 700 stores and services over 2.4 million square feet, making it a desirable location for Apple to open a store. In February, Apple CEO Tim Cook was spotted visiting the country, posing for photos at Apple resellers and meeting with UAE Prime Minister Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. While the purpose of his visit was unknown, it is likely that Cook may have been meeting with officials to discuss growth opportunities for Apple in the region.
MacRumors did receive a tip last year claiming that Apple was planning to open its biggest retail store in the world, however that source claimed that it would be located at The Galleria in Sowwah Square in Abu Dhabi. Based on hiring schedules, it is possible that the Apple Store at the Mall of the Emirates could open in February 2015.
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AIVAnet 