Gadget Hacks News
News: Appysnap Turns iPhone Photography into Social Game (with Prizes!)
With social photography, geo-location and iOS gaming apps on the rise, the latest addition is a hybrid of all three: AppySnap is a social location game that requires participants to complete photography "missions" in order to cash in on prizes and special offers.
News: New Law Makes Netflix Password Sharing Illegal
Have you been sharing your Netflix password with your friends? How about Rhapsody or Hulu Plus? If you get caught sharing your online subscription accounts, you could be slapped with a fine and even imprisoned.
News: im in mac heaven (almost)
Ok i have the macbook pro unibody, and my phone is an iphone 3gs but this coming thursday my iphone 4 arrives ya ha har I just cant wait . sorry but just had to share
News: Duplicate Keys with Your iPhone (Or Make Plastic 3D Printed Backups)
Aside from food, oxygen, sunlight and water, there are other necessities that humans arguably need today to survive—clothing, love and shelter among them. Almost everyone wears clothes, needs somebody (or something) to love and a place to call home. And what's the one thing that connects all three? Something we all have? Keys.
News: Why Rdio.com Is Better than the iTunes Music Store
When Apple‘s iTunes was introduced back in 2001, it rekindled my interest and purchasing of music. I was so excited by the program that I immediately started converting all my rather large collection of CDs into MP3 tracks. I then sold off my CDs and remaining vinyl albums, and used the money for additional iTunes purchases. iTunes made managing and listening music a wholly different experience. But in the last few years, iTunes has taken a back seat to streaming music services, which I find ...
Hack the News: Build Your Own Media-Altering Newstweek Device
At first, it seemed like a clever art installation housed on the web, but now we're not so sure... the Newstweek hack may indeed be legit.
News: Google +1 Button Now Available for Websites
Google's sociable equivalent to the Facebook Like button is finally here, and it works very similar to your favorite social network's recommendation system, except it shows up directly in Google search results. Whenever your Google friend gives a website or webpage the +1, you'll see it in your search results, as long as you're signed into your Google Account.
News: "This Guy Has My MacBook"—A Tale of Evil, Redemption & the Power of the App
This Guy Has My MacBook is a gripping tale for iOS nerds far and wide, documented via interaction designer Joshua Kaufman's tumblr. When Kaufman's MacBook was stolen from his apartment in Oakland, CA, on March 21, 2011, he quickly activated Hidden, a previously installed app that enabled Kaufman to collect photos of the thief, as well as screen shots of the computer in use.
Instacast: A Better Way to Listen To & Manage Podcasts
Though it could be argued that Apple's popular and widely used iTunes media player was responsible for the growth and explosion of podcasting, I would argue that iTunes is not the best way to manage and listen to your podcast subscriptions—if you're a iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch user. Instead, you will find that a $1.99 mobile app called Instacast (iTunes App Store link) is a much better method. Below, a short video introduction to Instacast, plus a written breakdown of its features. Mobile L...
News: Android App PicshaPass Generates Secure Passwords from Photos
Developers have created many tools for testing the strength of passwords (1, 2); there are also plenty of tips for coming up with a strong password in the first place. But why do the grunt work when an app could generate a perfectly secure one for you?
News: Indestructible iPhone 4 Case Inspired by Shark Eyes
It's not uncommon for nature to inspire technology and innovative products. Airplanes were inspired by birds, Velcro by burrs and dog fur, bullet trains by owls and kingfishers, and gecko tape by... well, you can probably figure that one out. And one of the deadliest fish ever to swim the oceans has also influenced its share of merchandise; Sharks made humans faster in the water with Fastswim Suits, and now they've helped make one of the most rugged smartphone cases in the world—SharkEye's Ru...
News: Japanese Smartphone Doubles as the World's Smallest Windows PC
Fujitsu Limited has developed what they call the world's smallest Windows 7 PC, which will become available shortly on NTT DoCoMo, Japan's predominant mobile phone operator. The dual-boot device acts as both a smartphone and a portable personal computer that runs the Windows 7 operating system.
News: 5 Useful Apps & Charts for Choosing Seasonal Produce
Finally, summer is just around the corner! And while there are delicious fruits and vegetables available nearly every season, summer yields some of the very best picks. Equip yourself with one or more of the tools below before your next trip to the farmers market.
News: Flickr Images Corrupted by GlitchBot
The term glitch always seemed best suited for computer programs, video games and electronic equipment, where a slight irregularity in the device or system would create a temporary malfunction with annoying, sometimes even amazing unexpected results. Only the effect was never really considered artistic—until now.
Atomic Web: The BEST Web Browser for iOS Devices
Over the past few years, I have downloaded several third-party web browsers for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, and the one I have found most advanced and feature rich is Atomic Web. While many mobile browsers have their unique features, Atomic Web could well be considered the professional browser for advanced web users. With each version of the app, the developer has included features that make navigating the browser more user friendly and useful for bookmarking, managing and saving website...
News: ShakeCall App Lets You Answer and End Calls Agitatedly
Android users aren't required to answer and end phone calls by pushing buttons, thanks to ShakeCall by YSRSoft. It's a free application available in the Android Market, which links the answer and end functions to the motion of your smartphone. If someone calls you, shake to talk to them, or leave it alone to ignore. To end your conversion, shake again.
News: MacRecipes Catalogs All 313 of MacGyver's DIY Hacks
Can you really make an explosive from salt, sugar and weed killer? Does glycerol and water actually recover text from burnt paper? Is it possible to develop film with a first aid kit and some orange juice? MacGyver says yes.
News: 10 Uses for the Front-Facing iPhone Camera
If you're a lucky owner of the iPhone 4, you know that the upgrade to its camera app includes a front-facing camera feature which acts like a video cam on your computer. Apple, of course, intends the front-facing feature to be mainly used for the FaceTime application which enables you to hold video phone conferences with other iPhone 4 and Mac users who have FaceTime installed on their device. This is all well and good, but there several other ways the front-facing camera can be used.
News: Zaarly Launches Real-Time Mobile Marketplace
What do you get when you combine eBay, foursquare, and Craigslist want ads into a single mobile application? A really gnarly mobile bazaar called Zaarly that lets you post wanted products or services based on local proximity and timeliness. It's not a new idea, but it's the first to get it right.
News: iPlayboy Circumvents Apple's Puritanical App Store Policy
Playboy on iDevice has historically been a big letdown for fans; in order to meet the Apple store "morality" demands, the app offers no nudity, and poorly rated features to boot. But times are changing. Previously stumped on how to circumvent Steve Jobs' puritanism, Heffner and team have now found an alternative to providing loyal Playboy/Apple lovers with a high tech, digital option for browsing.
News: Yale Opens Up Online Digital Library with 250,000 Free Images
Yale University has opened up its museum archives to the public in digital form, providing free online access to high-resolution images from its cultural collections, making it the first Ivy League school to do so in this fashion. Currently, there's over 250,000 "open access" images available from their new online collective catalog, with the goal of providing scholars, artists, students and all other worldly citizens royalty-free, no-license access to images of public domain collections with...
News: Automatically Manage and Sort Files Using Hazel [Mac]
In many of my articles, I will refer to applications designed to empower Mac users to automate various tasks on their computer. One such application is called Hazel. Like smart folders, smart playlists, and smart albums found in Mac OS X and iPhoto, Hazel can automate the task of moving, copying, or deleting files in folders on your Mac. I recommend Hazel as one of the most essential applications for any Mac user. Let's explore how it works.
News: Apple Evolution Timeline
Apple Evolution Timeline (click to magnify) by Edwin Tofslie.
News: The Almighty Mouse
Photo credit: World header image by lastquest.
News: Seamlessly Transition Your Music from Mac to iPhone in One Click
You're rocking out to your favorite new song playing in iTunes on your Mac, and you've got to go for a run or meet your friend at the local coffee shop. But you're grooving to the music and don't want to leave until you've found the same song on your iPhone, to continue jamming your heart out. There's a few problems with this scenario though: First, it's time consuming. Second, you're most likely to start the song from the beginning, ruining the groove you had going.
News: The 5 Best iPhone/iPad Apps for Exporting and Importing Your Photos
With so many wireless iOS networking apps for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch available, there’s very little reason to connect any of these devices to iTunes, except to update the software. Besides, importing and exporting photos using iTunes has never been one of the best features of Apple‘s mobile device process. Let me introduce you to 5 useful apps for importing and exporting photos to and from your iOS device(s).
News: Angry Birds Now on Chrome (Plus the Epic Battle Between Man and Robot)
Rovio's highly successful Angry Birds game has generated a slew of wannabe Angry Clones and dominated nearly every device and platform known to man—iPhone, Android, PSP, Xbox 360, Windows—and now, for the first time it's available for play directly on the web (for free). It was specifically designed for Google's Chrome OS and their new Chromebook line of laptop computers, but can play on any device in almost any web browser (like Firefox).
News: Share Music Wirelessly by Tapping Two Android Devices Together
Android users are probably already familiar with the doubleTwist Player (free) from doubleTwist, available on the Android Market. They recently added AirPlay support for users with AirSync ($4.99) that allows streaming to Apple TV and DLNA devices, which is sure to provoke some cease and desist requests from Apple. But their second, newly unveiled feature is more enticing—doubleTap, which adds proximity-based file sharing for Android devices.
Obtract: Become More Productive by Wandering Through Mazes
Are you a well intentioned busy bee plagued by a lack of focus? Whether you've been diagnosed with a legit case of ADHD, or you've been plainly labeled "scatterbrain", Obtract may be just the solution for properly channeling your concentration.
News: Google Music Now Live in Beta Mode
At Google I/O this morning, Google finally announced the launch of its much awaited Google Music service. It's currently in invite-only beta mode, but they claim it will open up to the masses soon enough. To start syncing your music library with Google's Cloud now, you need make sure you're signed into your Google Account, then click here for a personal invite. It's currently free for a limited, undisclosed amount time.
LeafSnap: Identify Tree Species in Just One Click
Being a Southern Californian, I typically miss out on the incredible springtime bloom of flowering trees in the East. But not this year. By some stroke of luck, I was in Boston early last week, and witnessed the most spectacular trees and foliage at their prime—lilac, magnolias, crabapples, dogwood, and many more.
News: Geocaching Made Easy with Garmin's Android and iPhone Apps
In the past, geocaching has been an activity overlooked by most. Partly because nobody really knew what it was and partly because you needed a GPS-enabled device to participate, like a Garmin. But now, thanks to GPS-enabled Android and Apple devices, geocaching will finally be noticed by the masses in Garmin's own OpenCaching.
Coming Soon: Charge Your Cell Phone by Screaming at It
The Telegraph reports that a team of researchers lead by Dr. Sang-Woo Kim of the Institute of Nanotechnology at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul have developed a method for converting the energy from sound into electricity. They've applied the research to the charging of mobile phones, and while you don't have to yell with all the emotion and fear exhibited above by Drew Barrymore in Scream, it sounds like the more energy the better. Dr. Sang-Woo Kim says:
Inventables: A Store for Superheroes & Hackers
Founded by Zach Kaplan, a "serial entrepreneur" with a B.S. in mechanical engineering, Inventables is a futuristic online hardware store based out of Chicago. The company sells innovative materials at much smaller quantities than typically available—largely to artists, inventors, developers, and researchers. If you've got a brilliant idea and cash to spare, careful, you just may go hog wild. My premature "Dear Santa" wishlist-in-progress:
News: Planetary Transforms Your iPad's Music Library into a Solar System
Browsing and displaying your music library on the iPad is a cinch with Apple's iPod app. But by no means would it be considered exciting. Thankfully, there's another option for sorting and playing your iTunes library. It's a unique iPad-only application for those of us who want something more visually stimulating, something otherworldly—something galactic.
News: Google's New "Search Globe" Visualizes Search Volume by Country
Want to see which country or city uses Google the most? Try Google's new eye-stimulating tool, Search Globe.
News: From Backpack Transceiver to Smartphone: A Visual History of the Mobile Phone
Remember what life was like before your iPhone? Before there were palm-sized smartphones with seemingly endless features, there were phones like Motorola's RAZR that peaked with its embedded camera. Before that, there were simple flip phones with texting capabilities, bulky two-pound Gordon Gekkos—even briefcase phones.
News: Wearable Electronic Displays Coming to Your T-Shirt Soon
E Ink technology is nothing short of amazing. It recently contributed to the world's first bend-sensitive flexible smartphone, and now it's capable of something even cooler, not to mention astonishingly simpler—flashing digital displays on cloth.
News: World's First Bend-Sensitive Flexible Smartphone
Apple's iPhone is considered one of the best smartphones in the world. Many cell phone makers have tried to take down the juggernaut, with some Android-based devices coming close, but in order to become an actual iPhone killer, something revolutionary needs to happen in the mobile world. And Human Media Lab (HML) may be the ones to make it happen.
News: Angry Clones Are Taking Over the App World
In December 2009, Angry Birds was released to the public. The iPhone and iPod touch were the first to take on the demand, then a devoted HD version for the iPad. Since then, it's transcended iOS devices to appear on Android, Nokia, Palm phones, and many others. Next, it broke away from mobile devices with versions available on PSP, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, 3DS, Windows PC and Mac computers. Facebook and Windows Phone 7 apps are in the works.