Gadget Hacks News
News: Hulu Plus a Negative on Xbox Live?
If you powered up the ol' Xbox 360 last night to watch Netflix, you probably noticed that a new streaming service moved into Xbox LIVE—Hulu Plus. Netflix finally has some competition. Or maybe not. But with a week of free service, they're sure to attract some would-be watchers.
Coming to iPad: Glasses-Free 3D
It seems the French have carefully observed the hacking achievements of one super clever Carnegie Mellon grad, turning his hack into a modern iPad application-to-be.
News: Print a 3D Model of Your Face Using Your iPhone
There are plenty of cutting edge apps out there, and endless innovations in the field of 3D printing. But to combine the two—and make it available to the common consumer—is unprecedented.
News: The Revolution of the Hacked Kinect, Part 4: The Future Is YOU
Our hacked Kinect series has demonstrated amply how the Kinect is changing the worlds of business, art, medicine and robotics. But where does it go from here? That will be determined by the thousands of dedicated DIYers out there doing work like you've seen here over the last week.
News: Eee Pad Sells Out on First Day—The Biggest iPad Rival to Date?
The iPad has established itself as "the" tablet computer for gadgeteers on the go. But Google is giving Apple a run for their money as Android tablets improve with each new release. Motorola XOOM and Samsung Galaxy are among the top dogs competing against the iPad, along with another from ASUS, which just became available yesterday in the United States—selling out in mere minutes.
News: Keysmash Your Way to Convincing Hacker Code, Just Like in the Movies
Hacking can't be that hard, can it? At least, that's what it seems like thanks to movies like Hackers, The Net and that last Die Hard flick. Even the Jurassic Park girl's got some game. They all look like they're typing 20wpm, yet can generate a screen full of code in the blink of an eye. Amazing. As long as they're some isolated computer nerd who's glued to their PC all day long (which is pretty much all of us these days, thanks Internet), they're a bona fide hacker.
News: The Revolution of the Hacked Kinect, Part 2: Even MBAs Gotta Have One
It's remarkable that a gaming device (from Microsoft, no less) designed for geeky gamers has incited broad innovation in medicine and robotics. But that Kinect has captured the imagination of hackers-with-MBAs-in-mind is downright amazing.
News: The Revolution of the Hacked Kinect, Part 1: Teaching Robots & the Blind to See
In 2007, Nintendo introduced the world to motion control video games with the Wii. Microsoft and Sony built on Nintendo's phenomenal success and released their own motion control products for the XBox 360 and Playstation 3 late in 2010: the Kinect and the Move. The Move is basically an improved Wiimote that looks like a sci-fi Harry Potter wand, but the Kinect just might be the most important video game peripheral of all time.
News: Data Pirates (AKA Cops) Can Hack Your Cell Phone
By now, many of you may have heard about iPhone tracking and recording your location data, but is there anything else being extracted from cell phones without our knowledge? If you're a Michigan state resident, the answer is an alarming "maybe".
News: MyndPlay Gives Mindf*** Movies a New Meaning
Were you horrified when Gwyneth Paltrow's head ended up in a box in Se7en? Do you share Harrison Ford's opinion that Han Solo should have died in Return of the Jedi? Think Kurt Russell could have handled aliens better in The Thing? Well, sorry—you're out of luck. There's nothing you can do to prevent William Wallace's beheading or Carrie's mayhem. But thanks to MyndPlay, controlling the plot to future films is totally possible.
News: Amazingly Complex, Yet Simple LEGO Contraptions in Rube Goldberg Fashion
Back in the '80s, I was just a kid with a LEGO hobby. I remember building castles and floating boats, spaceships and monster trucks, even a working LEGO train powered by battery, lights and all.
Altruistic Hacking: The Rise of the DIY Radiation Detector
Understandably, the tragedy in Japan has substantially risen the level of worldwide radiation-related hysteria. So much so, as an alternative to stampeding health food stores for iodine tablets, crafty individuals and organizations are hacking together personal radiation detectors. Rather than relying on the government, the creation and modification of handheld Geiger counters provides a self-sufficient solution to today's questions regarding radiation. Profiled below, three admirable organiz...
News: Compose DIY Meditiative Music with Otomata, an Online Audio Toy
It's more addictive than Angry Birds, perhaps as relaxing as transcendental meditation, and satisfyingly simpler than GarageBand. It's Otomata, a newly programmed generative sequencer designed by Batuhan Bozkurt, a Turkish sound artist, computer programmer, and performer. But really, it's best described as an audio/visual music toy that anybody can play online—with beautiful results.
News: iPhone App Dictates Steps to Amputations and Common Surgical Procedures
Can you really teach yourself to do a bilateral orchiectomy by reading a book? Would watching a few YouTube videos make you confident enough to perform an appendectomy? Could an iPhone app actually help you learn the skills needed to amputate a toe?
News: Are You Hotter than Bieber? Measure Now with the World's Vainest iPhone App
TGIF. What better day to take a break from the week's dwindling grind? Below, a video demo plus instructions for indulging in a little tech-aided vanity during your next water cooler hiatus. An iPhone is necessary, so if you don't have one, find a co-worker stat. 1. Buy & Download.
News: 10 Ways to Lose Weight Using an iPhone
Sounds like a false promise à la infomercial or typical spammy web headline—how can a 4.8 ounce gadget aid in weight loss? But, in truth, "who" better to act as a dedicated personal trainer and nutritionalist than the iPhone? The smartphone is completely and utterly tethered to the daily life of the average middle to upper class American. It's reliable and exact. All it needs is a charged battery, the right app, and of course, as with every diet and fitness regime, a user with unwavering self...
MANsaver: The Life-Saving App for Lazy and Incompetent Romeos
Are you a conventional male in a conventional relationship with a conventional female? The majority of the population aged 25+ would likely answer "yes". According to stereotype, many males seem to "genetically" struggle with what many females seem to "genetically" value: the acknowledgment and appropriate appreciation of relationship milestones. If you've answered in the affirmative, worry no more, because there's an app-to-the-rescue for the helpless male: If you include yourself among the ...
News: Become Your Own Souvenir
As a kid, my favorite thing to do at the Natural History museum was a midday stop, when my family strolled past an antiquated looking vending machine in the museum's musty basement. The Mold-A-Rama machine was oddly shaped, George Jetson-esque, and spewed out made-to-order, brightly colored plastic dinosaurs. There was such joy in watching the liquid wax pour into the mold, and then eject a warm, custom toy—well worth the dollar or two demanded. A version of this tradition was recently elevat...
News: Transform Your Android Home Screen into a 3D Environment with the SPB Shell 3D Launcher App
Fed up with the standard Android home screen, but don't want to root your smartphone? Then a launcher app is what you're looking for. It's nothing new, with past home screen launcher apps like LauncherPro, HelixLauncher and any from ADW Things, which transform your home screen into a customizable experience. But one thing missing from these Android home screen replacements is 3D, something the new SPB Shell 3D app nearly masters.
News: Facebook Unfriending Made Easy with iPhone App
Befriending someone on Facebook is like second nature for most of us these days. We see someone we know or knew or would like to know and ask for their friendship. They approve and you've just gotten another Facebook friend. On the other side of the Ethernet cable, someone finds your Facebook profile. They know you, knew you, or want to know you and they send you an invite. You approve and it's another one added to your list. But after awhile, this starts to add up and before you know it, you...
News: Truck Driver Reverse Engineers Atom Bomb, Rebuilds Little Boy
You're walking down the street, minding your own business. Then you see it—a large, bright fireball in the near distance. A tremendous heat wave speeds towards you at one thousand miles an hour, and before you can think, before you can even blink, the extremely heated wind pushes right through you. Your skin melts, your eyes liquefy—your face disappears into the wind. Before you know it, your pancreas collide with what’s left of the person next to you, your duodenum is dissolving faster than ...
An App for Stalkers: "Creepy" Geo-Locates Based on Social Networking Activity
With the globally rampant use of such social networking platforms as Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare, the issue of privacy has become a prevalent concern for many. And for good reason—there's the violation of Facebook employing user names in ads, the Etsy slip-up, and of course, the everyman act of recklessly sharing too much information via common social media outlets: a night of drinking results in morning after embarrassment, or worst case scenario, sloppy Facebook posts and tweets resul...
News: 10 Devious April Fool's Day Apps for the Lazy Prankster
No time for elaborate practical jokes this April Fool's? Not a problem, it's 2011—meaning, apps can do just about anything these days. Measure beauty, check for STDs, even fix late night drunken social media stupidity. So why not pranks? Below, 10 digital solutions for your April Fool's Day wickedness.
The Morning After App: A Quick Fix for Drunken Social Media Stupidness
It's happened to the best of us—a drunk dial or text; a humiliating Tweet or incriminating photo uploaded to Facebook. Spirits are high, gestures are fearless… If only we could take it all back once the cold, sober morning light creeps through the blinds.
News: Creepy Theremin Utensils Howl the Pain of Slaughtered Ghost Chickens
One of the creepiest musical instruments ever is undoubtedly the theremin, a device originating from the early 20s that emits eerie sounds with a just a wave of the hand. If you've seen the original movie The Day the Earth Stood Still, you know what I mean—freakishly creepy. Playing the theremin can be off-putting for some, since it's a relatively pricy gizmo, but a new geek gadget called the EaTheremin aims to make all of us professional, dinnertime theremists.
News: Coming Soon! Get a Hot (Um, Imaginary) Girlfriend on Facebook
Okay, look behind your shoulder. Now check behind the other. Anybody looking? No? Then read on... Here's the scenario: You're single. You're an avid Facebooker. You're tired of your sans hottie reputation, and you're yearning for some much needed street cred. Well, Facebook street cred.
News: Turn Your Browser into 3D
The title 333DDD may evoke a familiar NSFW project by the name of 3DD... but, sorry guys, this one isn't about boobs in the third dimension. Artist Mark Beasley’s 333DDD project is “a javascript bookmarklet that converts images on the current page into red/cyan anaglyphs.” Here's a simple (and awesome) way to waste time today:
News: 3D LEGO LikeLight Shows You Facebook Likes in Real Time
Matt Reed, a web developer at Nashville interactive ad agency Redpepper, built a massive, real life Facebook Like "button" out of Legos, which lights up whenever someone clicks Like on his Facebook page. The programmer loves LEGOs, and draws an affinity between the legendary building blocks and engineering: "[Legos] are great for prototyping physical objects. I don’t manufacture things, but I do click blocks together. Plus, most things I deal with on a daily basis are pixelized. Legos are som...
News: Nonviolent App "Tiny Wings" Ousts Those Mean, Angry Birds!
Watch out Angry Birds, there's a new bird-flinging game in town and its zen flavor is converting addicted Angry Bird players far and wide. Within the first week of its release, Tiny Wings—a $0.99 mobile phone game developed by Andreas Illinger—soared to the top ten most popular paid apps in the US. Then, unthinkably, it dethroned Angry Birds at the number one spot, where it continues to reign.
News: Block Charlie Sheen From Your Browser with F.A.T.'s "Tinted Sheen" Extension
There are currently two camps on the internet. The first camp—those who are slurping up as much Charlie Sheen tiger blood as possible (hence Sheen's newly bagged Guinness Book of World Records status for most Twitter followers)— drastically prevails. The second camp—those who would rather not hear poor Charlie's ravings—is, however, much smaller. If you fall into the latter camp, Greg Leuch of F.A.T. has a solution for you. Leuch—who is also responsible for the Justin Bieber Mention Blocker—h...
News: New Ultra-Realistic Android Scares the Crap Out of Everybody
Holy… Lord, help us all—this isn't CG, it's for real. Meet Geminoid DK, the latest spawn from Osaka University Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro's legion of ultra-realistic Androids.
Technology Begets Art: Google Earth Gets Trippy
Enter the warped geography of Clement Valla, a recent R.I.S.D. MFA graduate who fancies himself a sort of Google Earth preservationist. The artist's "Postcards from Google Earth, Bridges" series manipulates the software's alogrithmic mappings as an exploration of human/computer relationships.
News: Facebook Photo Album Hacked (You Can Do It, Too)
When the much buzzed Facebook profile page redesign was released back in December, French artist and co-director of ad agency La Bande Originale Alexandre Oudin came up with an innovative way to maximize the visual possibilities of the page. His clever "hack" created a ripple effect of copycats across the web.
News: Insanely Epic Resident Evil Biohazard Case Mod
If you dig case mods and Resident Evil, it's fair to say you'll find Ron L. Christainson’s nothing short of epic. Inspired by the renown video game and movie, Ron—an artist and PC tech from Seattle—has already spent a year constructing the mod from scratch, and still has a couple months of work ahead of him.
News: Google's New Pimped Out Profile Page Heavily Inspired by Facebook
Err, I'd say "inspired" is putting it lightly. A recent Google Profiles redesign reveals a new profile page that looks nearly identical to the current Facebook profile page.
News: Smuggle Immigrants Across the US Mexican Border (Via Your iPhone)
Immigration is a serious political issue in the United States, and those who oppose or support stricter immigration laws are often outspoken and candid about their beliefs, imposing their will on future legislation to not only politicians, but the general public—the voters. And what's the best way to reach the public? Entertainment.
News: The Coolest iPad Cover EVER (Oh... And the New iPad 2)
If you tried visiting the Apple Store online this morning, you were probably prompted with the same notice as the one below, which lasted a good portion of the a.m. What could Apple have been doing to shut down their online store for so long?
News: Hacked Wristwatch Connects to Facebook
Too lazy to take your phone out of your pocket? If so, then here's a must-have: a customizable inPulse wristwatch that can check into Facebook Places. Created by inPulse designer Eric Migicovsky, the hacked watch uses Bluetooth to pull Facebook Places from a connected Android smartphone. The app sends real time latitude and longitude stats from the smartphone's GPS to Facebook, which then transmits nearby places to the watch, navigable by a one button interface.
News: Play Google Streetview Zombie Apocalypse!
You never know when the zombie apocalypse may hit your hood, and now, thanks to writer and designer Mike Lacher‘s new Google streetview mashup, you can test run your evacuation plan. Just enter your location and dodge those little red markers (re: zombies) on the map. As you move with the arrows, zombies come at you from all directions (choose your level: Easy, Normal, Hard, I Am Death Incarnate) and try to eat your brain. The game is in beta, and you can currently play it on Google Chrome. H...
News: Control a Video Game by Swapping Spit
Once there was Spin the Bottle. Then there was the embarrassing adult version of Spin the Bottle—on Wii. And then there was artist Hye Yeon Nam, who decided to skip all pretenses and go straight for the spit-swapping, no foreplay necessary. Hye Yeon Nam devised a method for controlling a bowling video game by French kissing. It works like this: "One person has a magnet on his/her tongue and the other person wears the headset. While they kiss, the person who has the magnet on his/her tongue, c...