Showing posts with label Cool Tech. Show all posts

Verizon USB551L 4G LTE Modem Available March 31st

The Verizon USB551L 4G LTE USB modem, made by Novatel Wireless, which the company states is “the smallest LTE USB modem available today”, will be available in Verizon stores and online this Thursday, March 31st. According to Verizon, the device is up to fifty percent smaller than competing products.

The USB551L has download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps, and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps. The modem supports Windows XP 32-bit, Vista 32/64-bit (SP2), Windows 7 32/64-bit, and Mac 10.4 or higher.

It will be $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate, and that price comes with a new two-year customer agreement on a 4G Mobile Broadband plan, which start at $50 a month for 5GB.

Corporate quote: “The Verizon USB551L 4G LTE modem is a high-performing USB modem with a

compact design and industry-leading flexibility, convenience and reliability.”

The full press release is below:

THE VERIZON USB551L 4G LTE MODEM LANDS ON THE VERIZON WIRELESS NETWORK MARCH
31ST

Verizon Wireless and Novatel Wireless today announced that the Verizon USB551L made by Novatel Wireless will be available to order on March 31st in Verizon Wireless
Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com. The USB551L
give customers expected download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps and upload speeds of
2 to 5 Mbps in 4G LTE Mobile Broadband coverage area in a portable device,
small enough to fit in the palm of the hand.
The Verizon USB551L 4G LTE modem is a high-performing USB modem with a
compact design and industry-leading flexibility, convenience and
reliability. The USB551L modem is designed to provide connectivity to check
email, download rich multimedia content and stay connected to family,
friends and coworkers. Customers who travel outside of a 4G LTE coverage
area, will stay connected on the Verizon Wireless 3G network.
Key Features:
€ Compact and lightweight USB modem with advanced proprietary antenna
technologies to maximize data throughput and operating range.
€ Supports Windows ® XP 32-bit, Vista® 32/64-bit (SP2) and Windows® 7
32/64-bit, MAC: 10.4 or higher

Pricing and Data Plans
€ The Verizon USB551L will be available for $99.99 after a $50 mail-in
rebate with a new two-year customer agreement on a 4G Mobile Broadband plan.
€ 4G LTE Mobile Broadband plans begin at $50 monthly access for 5GB.
Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt,
customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted. Data
usage can be tracked by logging on to My Verizon online at

Source : www.verizonwireless.com/myverizon.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011 // Labels: Cool Tech // 0 comments //

Fancy De Bethune pocket watchcase mixes old school and high-tech

I long ago stopped wearing a watch on my wrist when the iPhone became my go to timepiece. If you like your iPhone and want an old school pocket watch to boot, we have the case for you. This fancy case has what appears to be crocodile skin leather and a fancy watch on the back.

That pocket watch movement on the back of the case is certainly the big feature here. The watch is a De Bethune DB 1024 movement nestled on the on the back of the case. It’ looks pretty cool actually, but with the way my iPhone cases tend to get scratched I don’t even want to think what this case would look like in a few months.
I also don’t even want to think about what would happen to that fancy watch or my iPhone if I dropped the thing. There is no word on pricing, but considering the fancy nature and style I am betting it’s not cheap at all.

[via CrunchGear

// Labels: Cool Tech // 0 comments //

JBL OnBeat speaker dock supports iPad 2

JBL‘s latest iPod speaker dock has broken cover, and the JBL OnBeat joins the rare group of those units that support the iPad as well. Thanks to a range of docking clamps – which rotate to support iPhone and iPod touch landscape orientation – the OnBeat will accept your iPad or iPad 2, along with a 3.5mm aux-in for using other PMPs.

As you’d expect, the OnBeat charges your iPod while it’s hooked up, and there’s a USB connection so you can sync it with iTunes as well. There’s also a composite video output, so you can hook up a TV rather than squinting at a 3.5-inch screen.
JBL throw an infra-red remote in the box too, along with all the dock brackets you’ll need, while the speakers use a 2 x 7.5-watt amp with various DSP systems to massage the sound. The OnBeat is available in April, priced at $149.95.

Press Release:

HARMAN Brings Entertainment Experience on iPad® to Life with JBL OnBeat™ Speaker Dock
Company whose legendary JBL brand brought the first sound to cinema introduces a new loudspeaker dock, bringing the same dynamic sound to the next wave of technology: iPad®, iPhone® and iPod® devices
STAMFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated (NYSE:HAR), today announced the release of its new JBL OnBeat™ loudspeaker docking station, a JBL® dock to bring your next-generation entertainment experience to life, delivering realistic, dynamic sound with any iPad®, iPhone® or iPod® device.
“Imagine what moviegoers must have felt when they heard sound paired with film for the first time in history. This is what we hope to accomplish for the next era of entertainment experiences with products such as the JBL OnBeat for the iPad, iPhone and more”

Bringing Netflix® movie streaming, gaming, YouTube clip watching and more to an entirely new level with HARMAN’s signature sound quality, the JBL OnBeat dock features dual Phoenix full-range transducers with computer-optimized DSP equalization, creating a richly detailed soundstage. A universal connector that firmly docks an iPad, iPod or iPhone lets you rotate iPod and iPhone screens to portrait or landscape orientation for the best video display, and an infrared remote (IR) puts you in full control of system functions and music navigation from across the room.

Stream action-packed movies and intimate family photos and videos, and share the hottest content on the Web in your living room with family and friends through the addition of an optional composite cable that can send video content from the device directly to your TV.
“Imagine what moviegoers must have felt when they heard sound paired with film for the first time in history. This is what we hope to accomplish for the next era of entertainment experiences with products such as the JBL OnBeat for the iPad, iPhone and more,” said David Slump, president, HARMAN Consumer Division. “Our goal is to awaken our senses to the power that great sound and music can have on bringing media to life through the most cutting-edge devices out on the market right now.”
The new JBL OnBeat also features a USB connection to sync and charge devices when connected to the iTunes® music library (cable not included), and a 3.5mm stereo mini-jack auxiliary input that connects to virtually all portable media devices (cable not included). The dock features a dynamic JBL Weave design styling that is as sculptural as it is conversation-starting. Brackets to attach the iPod, iPhone and iPad to the dock are included in the package. The JBL OnBeat also serves as a charging station for your iPod or iPhone while it is docked.
Pricing and Availability
The JBL OnBeat loudspeaker dock is available in April in black for $149.95. For additional information or to purchase, visit http://www.jbl.com/onbeat.

// Labels: Cool Tech, Super Phones // 0 comments //

LG Smart TV Upgrader ST600 priced/dated; Plex support incoming

LG’s Smart TV Upgrader ST600 is apparently only weeks away from launch, with Amazon taking orders for the internet-enabled STB and suggesting a ship-date in two to five weeks time. Priced at $129.99, the ST600 will turn any TV – and it needn’t be an LG model – into a smart TV, complete with Netflix, VUDU and CinemaNow streaming, a browser, and LG TV Apps. However, there’s also Plex functionality in the pipeline as well.

Plex – which is a media server app for PC or Mac – has confirmed that its system will be supported on the LG Smart TV under the name MediaLink. That will allow streaming of digital content (in addition to real-time transcoding) from a home media server to the ST600 (or, indeed, to your PC/Mac or a smartphone/tablet).
According to Automated Home, Plex support won’t be present on the Smart TV Upgrader out of the box, but will follow on in a free firmware update come Q3 (or potentially earlier). The box supports 1080p HD, integrated WiFi b/g/n and lashings of codec support;

[youtube 5660INkAGjE]

// Labels: Cool Tech // 0 comments //

Nokia accuses Apple of further patent theft

Nokia has filed a second ITC complaint against Apple, claiming that seven patents it holds are being infringed “in virtually all of its mobile phones, portable music players, tablets and computers.” According to the Finnish company’s patent lawyers, Apple is using Nokia IP in its multi-tasking OSes, data sync technology, positioning, call quality and the Bluetooth accessory systems.

In fact, it means that Nokia now has a whopping 46 patents in suit against Apple, with Paul Melin, Vice President of Intellectual Property at Nokia pointing out that “many [were] filed more than 10 years before Apple made its first iPhone.” The case has not only been filed with the ITC but in the Delaware courts, joining an international portfolio of litigation in which the only happy people are probably the lawyers.
Still, no matter how much Nokia talks about its strong patent position, it doesn’t seem the courts necessarily agree. The ITC recently rejected the company’s claims in a previous patent case against Apple.

Press Release:

Nokia files second ITC complaint against Apple
Published March 29, 2011
Alleges Apple infringes additional Nokia patents in virtually all products
Espoo, Finland – Nokia has filed a further complaint with the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) alleging that Apple infringes additional Nokia patents in virtually all of its mobile phones, portable music players, tablets and computers.
The seven Nokia patents in the new complaint relate to Nokia’s pioneering innovations that are now being used by Apple to create key features in its products in the areas of multi-tasking operating systems, data synchronization, positioning, call quality and the use of Bluetooth accessories.
This second ITC complaint follows the initial determination in Nokia’s earlier ITC filing, announced by the ITC on Friday, March 25. Nokia does not agree with the ITC’s initial determination that there was no violation of Section 337 in that complaint and is waiting to see the full details of the ruling before deciding on the next steps in that case.
In addition to the two ITC complaints, Nokia has filed cases on the same patents and others in Delaware, US and has further cases proceeding in Mannheim, Dusseldorf and the Federal Patent Court in Germany, the UK High Court in London and the District Court of the Hague in the Netherlands, some of which will come to trial in the next few months.
“Our latest ITC filing means we now have 46 Nokia patents in suit against Apple, many filed more than 10 years before Apple made its first iPhone,” said Paul Melin, Vice President, Intellectual Property at Nokia. “Nokia is a leading innovator in technologies needed to build great mobile products and Apple must stop building its products using Nokia’s proprietary innovation.”
During the last two decades, Nokia has invested approximately EUR 43 billion in research and development and built one of the wireless industry’s strongest and broadest IPR portfolios, with over 10,000 patent families. Nokia is a world leader in the development of handheld device and mobile communications technologies, which is also demonstrated by Nokia’s strong patent position.

// Labels: Cool Tech // 0 comments //

QNAP unveils TS-X59 Pro II Turbo NAS

QNAP has unveiled a new storage device that is aimed at the business and enterprise user called the TS-559 II Turbo NAS. This device is a storage platform that will work with just about any platform including Windows, Mac, Linux, and Unix operating systems. It acts as a centralized backup point and allows for printer sharing, FTP download, and video surveillance recording.

The device claims to be the industry’s first business-class NAS deice with next generation tech inside like support for 6Gb/s SATA III ports. The enclosure supports up to five hot swap 3.5″ or 2.5″ SATA HDDs up to 3TB each for a total capacity of 15TB. The device has 1GB of DDR3 RAM inside and that RAM can be updated to 3GB.
The NAS enclosure supports both eSATA and USB 3.0 ports with dual gigabit Ethernet interfaces with load balancing and fail over. It will also support multiple RAID levels including RAID 0, 1, 10, 5, 6, 10+hot spare, 5+hot spare, or 6+hot spare. The device also supports virtualization with advanced iSCSI services.

// Labels: Cool Tech // 0 comments //

WWDC 2011 tickets sold out

WWDC 2011 looks unlikely to bring any new Apple hardware to the table, but that hasn’t stopped loyal iOS and OS X developers from flocking to the annual coding bash. Tickets to the conference have already sold out, and in fact did so less than 12 hours after going on sale (and despite being $1,599 apiece).

The allure is the opportunity to get up close and personal with the Cupertino mothership, with a week of coding workshops, access to Apple engineers and the opportunity to bump ideas up against other Apple developers. There’s also the Apple Design Awards, which every year rewards the best in iOS and Mac apps.
For the rest of us, meanwhile, there’ll be the usual WWDC opening keynote, with Apple promising a preview of what’s coming next in iOS and OS X. That likely means iOS 5.0 and OS X Lion, and you can bet SlashGear will be there to cover all the juicy details.

// Labels: Cool Tech // 0 comments //

Presenting you with two vital nuggets of information surrounding the Xtreamer Ultra HTPC most compact and affordable machine.

Presenting you with two vital nuggets of information surrounding the Xtreamer Ultra HTPC most compact and affordable machine:hd streamer, HdStreamer, htpc, media pc, media streamer, MediaPc, MediaStreamer, ship, ship date, ShipDate, streamer, Xtreamer, xtreamer ultra, XtreamerUltra

We’ve heard, we’ve toyed, and we’ve waited. And now, we’re presenting you with two vital nuggets of information surrounding the Xtreamer Ultra HTPC. The Ion 2-based machine is one of the most compact (and most affordable) pre-built HTPCs available, complete with six USB sockets, 4GB of DDR3 memory, an HDMI socket, IR remote and — if you place a pre-order before the end of April — a mini wireless keyboard, 8GB USB key, an HDMI 1.4a cable and a fresh copy of Linux. €249 will get one headed your way on May 3rd, or $323 if you’re Livin’ In America. Hit the source link to get in line, ya heard?

Source: scinentech

Monday, March 28, 2011 // Labels: Cool Tech // 0 comments //

Surprising Samsung telepresence kiosk make us possible shopping at near mall

Surprising Samsung telepresence kiosk make us possible shopping at near mall:ads, advertising, hands-on, marketing, retail, retailer, retailers, samsung, shopping, teleconference, teleconferencing, telepresence, telepresence tech, TelepresenceTech, video conferencing, VideoConferencing.

were to venture beyond the web in favor of a more tangible medium to peddle its wares, it might consider something like Telepresence Tech’s new telepresence kiosk for the job. We got a surprise demo of the system at a Samsung event today and came away intrigued. The technology renders 2D images that float and rotate in space, giving retailers a way to let customers see their products as if they were actually there, and at a fraction of the cost — about $1.50 per hour — of paying meatbags to man a traditional brick-and-mortar store. A separate touchscreen lets shoppers scroll through available items, speak face to virtual face with customer service, and make purchases. Check the gallery to see more of what our retail future looks like.

Sunday, March 27, 2011 // Labels: Cool Tech, Invention // 0 comments //

Jabra FREEWAY Hands-On

At CTIA 2011 we’ve been given the opportunity to take a close look at Jabra’s newest effort, a dip into the world of speakerphone technology with a device that’s made specifically to attach to your car’s visor over your head whilst you drive. This is a device that, at a glance, looks very similar to a device yours truly recently reviewed over on Android Community, but we’ll get to that in a little bit.* This device features three speakers, HD Voice Ready for fabulous quality audio both from and two the device as a conduit to and from your phone.

Two models were on hand, one with the cover on, one where we were able to take a peek under the hood. As you can see in the images above and below, there are indeed three speakers featured on this device, each of them pumping sweet sounds directly to your ears for superior quality sound as it connects to your device, be it an iPad 2, mp3 player, or video game console. The look we’ve been given is the first that anyone in the whole wide world of media has seen it, and we got a really nice fellow to give us a full run-through of the details.

What this device reminds me of is the Motorola Roadster, a device which you can peek at a review of [right over here]. The reason I mention that particular unit is that it’s got many of the same features that this one does. The difference is that this one’s made in a slightly more third-party manner, this meaning that a whole market of speakers, receivers, and transmitters has potentially been cracked open. We’re excited because we really did enjoy the ability to wirelessly connect to the car’s audio whenever entering the car, and this device looks just lovely.

[announcement post]

Thursday, March 24, 2011 // Labels: Cool Tech // 0 comments //

EchoStar SlingLoaded HDS-600RS hands-on [Video]

How smart can a set-top box get? If EchoStar are behind it then the answer is pretty darn smart indeed; the company’s new DVR, the EchoStar SlingLoaded HDS-600RS, pulls together not only live TV recording and time-shifting but media shifting using Slingbox technology. Initially intended for the UK freesat+ system, the HDS-600RS promises to push live and recorded content to your iPad, laptop and smartphone whether you’re at home or on the move. SlashGear caught up with the EchoStar team to find out more.

The HDS-600RS does a lot, and there’s plenty of box to accommodate all that too. Measuring in at a hefty 386 x 280 x 58 mm, it follows the usual trapezoidal Slingbox style with red highlights. Up front is a 16-character LCD display and a row of nine touch-sensitive buttons, along with a USB 2.0 port and Smart Card reader. On the back, meanwhile, there’s HDMI, two SCARTs, S/PDIF digital audio, RCA audio, another USB port, 10/100 ethernet, twin RF inputs and the power port.
Inside, meanwhile, there are two DVB-S2 freesat+ tuners – allowing the HDS-600RS to record two channels simultaneously, or show live TV while recording another program – together with a 500GB hard-drive good for up to 300hrs of SD content or 100hrs of HD. Regular 576i SD broadcasts can be upscaled in-box to 720p or 1080i.

Rather than the more common – and more easily installed – Freeview standard, EchoStop opted for freesat+, which is subscription free but still demands a satellite dish be installed (or a leftover Sky dish be used). That, the company told us, was to bypass the “unregulated free-for-all” of budget Freeview boxes and DVRs as well as give the company more scope for launching the HDS-600RS hardware across Europe. With only minor – and relatively low cost – modifications, the DVR can be adapted to suit Germany, Italy, France and Spain, following the UK debut.

Of course the most interesting aspect of the new EchoStar box is its Sling functionality. Like the Slingbox Pro-HD, it can push content from its own tuners either within the home network or over the internet, using automatic quality-scaling to suit the capacity of whatever connection you’re working with. The HDS-600RS is particularly targeted at multiroom media addicts; 55- to 60-percent of Sling users funnel their content around the home rather than outside it, and EchoStar expect the DVR to be popular with young couples and small families who want to be able to pause TV in one room and resume playback elsewhere without the traditional hassle of setting up a distributed A/V system.

Source : Slashgear

Tuesday, March 22, 2011 // Labels: Cool Tech // 0 comments //

Sprint Keynote at CTIA 2011: 3D on the menu!

It’s CTIA 2011 day one, and we’re waiting for Sprint‘s keynote to begin and the company’s latest and greatest products to take the stage. We’ve already seen Samsung’s new tablets, and we’re expecting the HTC EVO View 4G to be Sprint’s latest tablet, a version of the HTC Flyer. 3D is also on the cards, and in fact we’ve just been handed a pair of 3D glasses…

That would certainly fit in with the other device rumor of the morning, that Sprint will bring out the HTC EVO 3D, the flagship replacement to the HTC EVO 4G with a dual-core processor and a 3D display. The handset itself is expected to use an auto-stereoscopic, “glasses free” panel, but we’re assuming Sprint will be showing us some 3D footage recorded with the camera during the keynote.

We’ll be bringing you all the news as it’s announced, so stay glued to SlashGear and don’t forget to let us know what you think of the new products in the comments! Is 3D a gimmick or something you’re looking for on your next smartphone?

Update: Looks like there are only two products on the menu this morning, going by the covered stands on the podium.

// Labels: Cool Tech // 0 comments //

BookBook iPad case supports iPad 2

I really like the cool BookBook cases from 12South. These cases look like old and battered hard cover books, but they are actually cases for all sorts of gadgets from the original iPad to the Kindle and more. 12South has announced that its BookBook style for the original iPad will fit the iPad 2.

This is still one of the coolest cases you will find and is made from real leather and has a zipper closure to keep your iPad 2 safe and secure. This case will also fit the original iPad as well. And it comes in two styles.

The BookBook for iPad sells for about $69.99 and comes in black and red styles. The case is made to fold backwards and turn into a stand to support the iPad in portrait mode. The case ships for free as well.

// Labels: Cool Tech // 0 comments //

Energizer adds new Qi-enabled single-zone inductive chargers

Energizer unveiled a new cordless charging system for smartphones like the Blackberry and the iPhone a while back. These are the sort of chargers that use a case or battery door, you just lay them on the charge plate, and they charge. The line of Energizer offerings is Qi-enabled allowing them to work with any case brand that supports Qi.

Energizer has announced that it has added some new single zone chargers to its lineup. The single-zone offerings are smaller and only have space for one device to sit on the plate. The original Energizer charge plates were much larger and have space for more than one device.

The smaller plates are perfect for anyone that has a limited amount of space on their desk to nightstand and only needs to charge a single device. Energizer will also be showing off new products at CTIA including a new travel adapter with an iPhone dock, nightlight, and three AC outlets and dual USB outlets. A universal USB wall adapter will debit and a DC universal car charger.

Monday, March 21, 2011 // Labels: Cool Tech // 0 comments //

Ditch Your Universal Remote for Multiple Remotes

Most people want to find a way to replace all their remotes for a single universal remote that can do it all. They reason that with a single remote, they can cut down on confusion and annoyance. Oh, how wrong those universal remote seekers are.

Like many others who have several devices hooked up in the living room, I’ve tried to find some help organizing my life with a universal remote. I’ve bought some of the most highly acclaimed remotes on the market in an attempt to find a solution, and I’ve spent hours programming all my products to work with them. Needless to say, I’m a veteran when it comes to universal remotes.

But each and every time that I’ve bought a universal remote, I’ve done away with it in a matter of months. In some cases, they don’t provide all the features I’m looking for. In other cases, they become a pain to use. And at times, I’m left wanting more. I’ve simply never been happy with a universal remote. And my most recent search for the suitable solution has turned up empty. I have nothing left to try.

So, I’ve decided that it’s time I share with you all that the best solution for controlling all the devices in the living room is to use multiple remotes. Sure, that might run against conventional wisdom, but trust me, you’ll be much happier (and wealthier) if you follow my lead.

The biggest issue with universal remotes is the cost. Any worthy device on the market will set you back at least a couple hundred dollars. I don’t know about you, but the thought of buying a $200 or $300 remote for the sole purpose of controlling devices in my living room that came with free remotes in the first place doesn’t appeal to me. I’d much rather save that cash for the next big thing, rather than on a remote that’s overpriced.

But it goes beyond pricing. Even if you get a high-quality universal remote, you won’t always get the same functionality you can expect from the remote that goes with a specific device. More popular devices will have ample support from universal remote makers. But try something a bit more obscure and chances are, you’ll be left wondering why you can’t perform at least a couple functions.

And then there’s the set-up time. Call me crazy, but I don’t like spending an inordinate amount of time searching for my devices, ensuring it’s the right version, and programming that into a universal remote. And I especially don’t like doing so every single time I buy a new device. To me, it’s simpler to break out the batteries and pop them into the remote for the respective product. I can then sit down, relax, and enjoy my new gadget.

Plus, let’s face it: in order to watch a movie, do you really need to juggle more than two remotes at a time, anyway? And don’t forget that once the movie is playing, you can put the remote back and not think twice about all the remotes you have.

Sorry, but I’m not seeing so much value in universal remotes. Are there fine options out there for those who are? Of course. But if you ask me, the cheaper and best option is to buy all the devices you want and use the remotes that come with them. Over time, you’ll realize it’s the right move.

Author Bio

Don Reisinger is a technology and video game columnist. You can see what he's up to each day on Twitter by following him @donreisinger.The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of SlashGear

// Labels: Cool Tech // 0 comments //

Microsoft Research: Medical Imaging Search Engine

Right now, we’re living in a world where we look at more computer generated imagery than anything else. Doctors are reaching a critical point where the amount of medical imagery generated during something like a routine CT scan is daunting to navigate. Kenju Suzuki at the University of Chicago says, “As medical imaging has advanced, so many images are produced that there is a kind of information overload. The workload has grown a lot.” Antonio Criminisi leads a group at Microsoft Research in Cambridge, U.K. working on a system that will make it easier for doctors to work with databases of medical imagery. The system indexes the images generated during the scans. It automatically recognizes organs, and they are working to train the system to detect certain kinds of brain tumors.

Criminisi’s team has developed a piece of software that takes the collection of 2-D and 3-D images and indexes them together. There is a short demonstration video on MIT’s post where he describes a number of the different features currently available in this piece of software. Currently it can give doctors the ability to quickly search and index a database of images by organ. The system puts the indexes together through an analysis of the images taken. Currently, medical imaging databases use the text comments linked to the image for doctors to search. This gives them the ability to search, but it takes time because not all of the results are relevant. These kinds of systems will allow doctors to easily navigate from new images to old images in the same patient, side-by-side. It will also allow doctors to easily pull up images from other patients for comparison.

The team is also working on integrating the technology found in Microsoft’s Kinect. This will give surgeons the ability to navigate through the images with gestures. This will give them access to the images mid-procedure without them having to touch a mouse, keyboard, or even a touch screen. As these are all things that could compromise the sterility of the operation, this will be a very useful tool. Criminisi’s team plans for this tool to be implemented at a large scale, making automatic indexes of images as they are scanned and tying them into the greater database seamlessly.

[via MIT: Technology Review]

Saturday, March 19, 2011 // Labels: Cool Tech // 0 comments //

Booq launched stylish Booqpad folio for iPad 2

Booq announced smart Booqpad folio for iPad 2. Booq a leading brand of iPad carrying cases.

Booq combined creative tools together perfectly in this simply elegant folio. It’s not so long ago that iPad 2 was announced, and more and more accessories for the deployment, of course, something on the cards was a long, long time since the early rumors that the magic pill is making its rounds. Well, the latest enhancement here would be recommended for iPad Booqpad 2, where he plans to both old and new tablets of the merger – we’re talking about iPad 2 and notebook kind.

It does not matter if you work on your next application or busy thumbnails of your latest product design – Booqpad good as it fuses functionality of the old school notebook combines all the revolutionary iPad 2, which snap – no, a source of inspiration for creating, storing, revising , and all present your latest ideas in one case.

With a highly functional interior layout that includes designated areas for pens, pencils, cash, notes, papers, and iPad 2, for people who tend to like the organization of things in their proper place would be heaven sent Booqpad find. Heck, there’s even a couple of business card slot allows you to access them in a snap in an improvised interview while the holder is a must for all key contacts during the day.

That will be fun to play with both righties and lefties, after symmetrical design. Booqpad Each comes with 50 sheets A5 notebook of at least 30% post-consumer material and printed with soy ink, and you can choose for charging are available in several variants, where all creative professionals on the go user.

Available at www.booqbags.com with eco-friendly and weatherproof versions for $49.95 and a higher-end luxury option for $99.95, the Booqpad is the ideal tool for designers, writers, engineers, and creative professionals everywhere.

Friday, March 18, 2011 // Labels: Cool Tech // 0 comments //

As bad security news goes, the confirmation that EMC’s RSA system – at the heart of SecurID two-factor authentication products provided by many corporations and banks - has been potentially undermined isn’t going to give many system admins much relief today. According to RSA Chairman Art Coviello, “an extremely sophisticated cyber attack” has been spotted that managed to extract “certain information” that “could potentially be used to reduce the effectiveness” of the SecurID tokens.

The exact nature of the information and the attack are not specified, but the company is keen to point out that no personal or customer information is believed to have been lost, and no other EMC products impacted. The RSA guidance is apparently to strengthen passwords and PINs while it works out the full extent of the security damage.

Open Letter to RSA Customers
Arthur W. Coviello, Jr.
Like any large company, EMC experiences and successfully repels multiple cyber attacks on its IT infrastructure every day. Recently, our security systems identified an extremely sophisticated cyber attack in progress being mounted against RSA. We took a variety of aggressive measures against the threat to protect our business and our customers, including further hardening of our IT infrastructure. We also immediately began an extensive investigation of the attack and are working closely with the appropriate authorities.

Our investigation has led us to believe that the attack is in the category of an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT). Our investigation also revealed that the attack resulted in certain information being extracted from RSA’s systems. Some of that information is specifically related to RSA’s SecurID two-factor authentication products. While at this time we are confident that the information extracted does not enable a successful direct attack on any of our RSA SecurID customers, this information could potentially be used to reduce the effectiveness of a current two-factor authentication implementation as part of a broader attack. We are very actively communicating this situation to RSA customers and providing immediate steps for them to take to strengthen their SecurID implementations.

We have no evidence that customer security related to other RSA products has been similarly impacted. We are also confident that no other EMC products were impacted by this attack. It is important to note that we do not believe that either customer or employee personally identifiable information was compromised as a result of this incident.

Our first priority is to ensure the security of our customers and their trust. We are committed to applying all necessary resources to give our SecurID customers the tools, processes and support they require to strengthen the security of their IT systems in the face of this incident. Our full support will include a range of RSA and EMC internal resources as well as close engagement with our partner ecosystems and our customers’ relevant partners.

We regret any inconvenience or concern that this attack on RSA may cause for customers, and we strongly urge you to follow the steps we’ve outlined in our SecurCare Online Note. APT threats are becoming a significant challenge for all large corporations, and it’s a topic I have discussed publicly many times. As appropriate, we will share our experiences from these attacks with our customers, partners and the rest of the security vendor ecosystem and work in concert with these organizations to develop means to better protect all of us from these growing and ever more sophisticated forms of cyber security threat.

Sincerely,
Art Coviello
Executive Chairman, RSA

[via Engadget]

// Labels: Cool Tech // 0 comments //

iPad 2 Smart Cover teardown reveals 21 magnets

We’ve already seen the iPad 2 teardown, but who would’ve thought Apple’s Smart Cover would deserve the teardown treatment by itself. Steve Jobs spent plenty of time waxing lyrical about the Smart Cover tech at the iPad 2 launch, and so iFixit took a closer look to see if it was worth the attention. The headline feature? A full twenty-one magnets.

Magnetic viewing film identified them all, with four used to hold the Smart Cover to the iPad 2 (along with another four in the iPad 2 itself). Interestingly, Apple has arranged them with alternating poles, so that the cover will only clip on in one orientation. Eleven magnets hold the Smart Cover in its triangular prop position.

Source : [Slashgear]

Monday, March 14, 2011 // Labels: Cool Tech // 0 comments //