New software uses facial recognition to defend against prying eyes

Having the right programs and hardware to keep the information on your display safe from prying eyes is never a bad idea, and new software from Oculis Labs offers a very interesting take on how to do just that. It's called PrivateEye, and it utilizes facial recognition to automatically pixelate the contents of your display when you look away.

If you step away from your system and someone else decides to sit down and poke around, PrivateEye will present a confusing jumble of garbled text. It'll even notify you if someone tries to peek over your shoulder -- and display a picture of your peeping Tom, throw up an alert, or sound an alarm.

Check out the video embed after the break, and share your thoughts in the comments!

Continue reading New software uses facial recognition to defend against prying eyes

New software uses facial recognition to defend against prying eyes originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/07/new-software-uses-facial-recognition-to-defend-against-prying-ey/

SRA INTERNATIONAL

CrunchGear Week In Review: Composition Edition

Here are some stories from the past week on CrunchGear: Now You Can Fabricate Your Own Strandbeest ThinkGeek?s USB Mushroom Lamp Provides Light, Not Super Abilities The White iPhone Is Official, Available April 28 ?Slow Photography? Is Like Hipstamatic In Real Life Nintendo 3DS Takes Over The Jet Blue Terminal

Source: http://www.crunchgear.com/2011/05/02/week-in-review-composition/

MCAFEE MAXIMUS

First piece of SBIRS missile defense system launched, not shot down

No need to worry about that loud, fiery exploding noise in Florida last week -- that was the sound of us all becoming a little bit safer. An Atlas 5 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral on Saturday, carrying Lockheed Martin's Space-Based Infrared Systems (SBIRS) Geo-1. The spacecraft will be followed by three more satellites launched in the next five years, all totaling $17.6 billion. Ominously referred to as "persistent overhead surveillance," the $1.3 billion first piece of the SBIRS constellation missile defense system is set to replace the antiquated Defense Support Program launched in 1970. It's a small price to pay to keep those darn space invaders out of our hair.

Continue reading First piece of SBIRS missile defense system launched, not shot down

First piece of SBIRS missile defense system launched, not shot down originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 May 2011 03:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/11/first-piece-of-sbirs-missile-defense-system-launched-not-shot-d/

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"Sorry, My E-Cigarette is Vibrating So There Must be Another Failed Smoker Nearby" [Crap]

I'm sorry, but if you're going to smoke e-cigarettes, maybe you should just get back onto the hard stuff, or go cold turkey. You look bloody stupid. If you want to look stupid together though, be my guest. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/43jJmbeNWw4/sorry-my-e+cigarette-is-vibrating-so-there-must-be-another-failed-smoker-nearby

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IE9 and Firefox 4 post top marks in Web browser power use comparison

Over on the Internet Explorer Blog, Microsoft has posted results from an extensive comparison of the top five Web browsers. The goal: to determine whether Internet Explorer 9, Firefox 4, Chrome 10, Safari 5, or Opera 11 is able to squeeze the most life out of your laptop's battery.

A baseline was determined with test systems sitting idle, and then browsers were pointed at about:blank, a news site, the HTML5 Galactic demo, and the IE9 fish tank demo. Perhaps unsurprisingly, IE9 came out on top -- though Firefox 4 was a very close second on nearly every test. As you can see, the other browsers didn't necessarily fare quite as well, with Google Chrome, Safari, and Opera all posting significantly worse scores. In Opera 11's case, a laptop battery would last over one hour more with Internet Explorer 9 installed.

But what we'd really like to know is where did Microsoft find the dilithium crystals required to run a Galactic Total Power Consumption test...

IE9 and Firefox 4 post top marks in Web browser power use comparison originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/30/ie9-and-firefox-4-post-top-marks-in-pc-power-use-comparison/

ECLIPSYS EASTMAN KODAK CO EARTHLINK

PLAN emergency alert system going mobile in NYC and DC this year, nationwide in 2012

If you live in the U.S., you've probably seen those anger-inducing emergency alert system test messages that interrupt your favorite programming on a weekly basis. Most of us have never seen the system used in an actual emergency, but come later this year, cell phone users in New York and Washington will have similar alerts pushed to their mobile devices -- presumably without the annoying weekly tests. Known as PLAN (Personal Localized Alerting Network), the free service will reportedly only work with smartphones (we're guessing the GPS comes into play here) on AT&T&T, Sprint and Verizon. The secure messaging network will likely display messages as notifications, rather than texts, and will push to all compatible devices within an affected area based on the phone's physical location, not just its mobile number. Local, state and federal officials will send notifications in response to disasters and other public safety threats, presidential announcements, and Amber Alerts. In other words: it'll only be used for actual emergencies, so don't expect updates on the whereabouts of your favorite captive reptile.

Continue reading PLAN emergency alert system going mobile in NYC and DC this year, nationwide in 2012

PLAN emergency alert system going mobile in NYC and DC this year, nationwide in 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 May 2011 11:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/SYIDSesEZYE/

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Senate committee hearing on mobile privacy now underway, watch live

You might want to put on a pot of coffee for this one, but the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing on mobile privacy and locating tracking is now underway, and you can watch it live at your choice of the links below. The hearing is broadly titled "Protecting Mobile Privacy: Your Smartphones, Tablets, Cell Phones and Your Privacy" and, as the early going has already shown, it will be covering issues far beyond the recent privacy issues surrounding Apple and Google, although representatives from both companies will be on hand to answer the Senators' questions.

Update: You can read Google's full testimony to the committee on its Public Policy Blog. Its main argument is that location-based services provide "tremendous value to consumers," but that they can't work without the trust of users, which is why it has made location sharing on Android devices "strictly opt-in."

You can also read Apple's testimony here (PDF). In it, the company's Vice President of Software Technology, Bud Tribble, flatly reasserts that "Apple does not track users' locations -- Apple has never done so and has no plans to ever do so." He also insists that the location data Apple has collected is actually the location of cellphone towers and WiFi hotspots, not the users' location, and that it is being used for a crowd-sourced database as it has previously stated. As an independent expert also testifying pointed out, however, that data could still be used to pin down a location or trace a person's movements to as close as a few hundred feet or so -- assuming they aren't in a rural area with few WiFi hotspots and cellphone towers.

Senate committee hearing on mobile privacy now underway, watch live originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 May 2011 10:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/OFGfRcKUTiM/

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IM+ update brings Neighbors [give-away]

IM+, the popular instant messaging app for iPhone and iPad, has updated to 5.0 and bring a new feature called Neighbors. With Neighbors, you can locate your friends on a map and chat with people nearby. Neighbors offers a new dimension of communication in IM+ by providing users the opportunity to find new real life [...]

IM+ update brings Neighbors [give-away] is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/ZI3IK-OkIj0/

YAHOO XILINX WESTERN DIGITAL

Apple� iPad 2? Smart Cover ? Orange (MC945LL/A)

Source: http://www.ipadbuzzblog.com/apple%c2%ae-ipad-2%e2%84%a2-smart-cover-orange-mc945lla/

INFORMATICA INFOCUS ZORAN

Purported seventh-gen iPod nano spotted, complete with 1.3 megapixel camera

Is this Apple's next iPod nano? It is if you believe the folks from Taiwan's Apple.pro website who, as you may recall, also recently got their hands on a purported next-gen iPod nano chassis that seems to match the complete device pictured above. As you can see, the big change here is the addition of a built-in camera that's said to be 1.3 megapixels, which appears to have also shoved the clip out of the way, although there does seem to be a faint outline where one could be. Of course, the key word here is purported -- to its credit, some of the site's leaks have indeed panned out in the past, but we'd still recommend taking this one with a grain of salt for the time being.

Purported seventh-gen iPod nano spotted, complete with 1.3 megapixel camera originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 May 2011 14:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/10/purported-seventh-gen-ipod-nano-spotted-complete-with-1-3-megap/

INTERDIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS INTEL INSIGHT ENTERPRISES

Google Rallies Android Troops at I/O Conference

Google’s Android mobile platform is a force to be reckoned with. In the three years since the operating system first landed on a phone, Google booted top phone manufacturers RIM, Apple and Nokia from their resting places as market leaders. 2 of every 5 phones sold in 2011 will be Android devices, according to [...]

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/05/google-io-2011/

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Google announces Ice Cream Sandwich for Q4 2011, for smartphones and tablets alike

"One OS that runs everywhere." There you have it, folks! Some fancy new additions are being demonstrated right now, including camera focus shifting on voice recognition.

Developing... see our liveblog of Google's I/O 2011 keynote for the very latest.

Google announces Ice Cream Sandwich for Q4 2011, for smartphones and tablets alike originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 May 2011 12:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/10/google-announces-ice-cream-sadwich-for-q4-2011-for-smartphones/

QIMONDA QUALCOMM QUANTA COMPUTER

Windows 8 now available to OEMs via Microsoft Connect

Select Microsoft Connect partners -- major players like HP -- have been given their first taste of Windows 8. According to various sources, the build string currently sits at 7971.0.110324-1900, which is the third milestone build of the successor to Windows 7.

So far, there haven't been many details revealed about Windows 8. An actual System Restore -- which is being referred to as History Vault -- has been reported, and the feature will allow users and administrators to completely roll back a system to a previous state. A factory reset option is also said to be included.

We've also seen Windows Live integration taking shape on the desktop. It's believed that you'll be able to log in to Windows 8 using your Windows Live credentials, not just a traditional offline Windows username and password.

All that's left now is for a leaked Windows 8 build to show up on a torrent site. Feel free to tip us if you see that happen.

Windows 8 now available to OEMs via Microsoft Connect originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/31/windows-8-now-available-to-oems-via-microsoft-connect/

LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS LAWSON SOFTWARE LAND SOFTWARE

In-app payment support arrives on Android

Right on cue, Google has launched in-app payment support for Android applications. Developer testing began last week, and now many popular apps -- like the ones pictured above -- can begin charging users for add-on functionality, content, or whatever the heck else they feel is worthy of additional bits of your pocket change. If you were wondering, Google will take the same 30% cut that Apple takes from in-app purchases.

At last we can buy individual issues in Comics with minimal fuss!

In-app payment support arrives on Android originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/30/in-app-payment-support-arrives-on-android/

PROGRESS SOFTWARE PLANAR SYSTEMS PEROT SYSTEMS

Apple iMac (spring 2011) review

The heaviest of heavyweights in the all-in-one field has seen another update, another batch of new internals to liven up the aging (but still classy) chassis. Apple unveiled its latest iMac refresh last week, surprising nobody with a new selection of AMD Radeon HD graphics cards, quad-core Intel Sandy Bridge processors, and solid-state storage options, all designed to do one thing: go faster.

These latest iMacs are quite naturally the speediest yet, as you'd expect, but with the right configuration they can be properly quick. Faster internals plus Thunderbolt ports on the outside turn what's supposed to be a family-friendly and eye-catching machine into an unassuming powerhouse that might just be quick enough for professional users. There's a more important question, though: is this $1,999 system the right choice for you?

Gallery: Apple iMac (spring 2011)

Continue reading Apple iMac (spring 2011) review

Apple iMac (spring 2011) review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 May 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/09/apple-imac-spring-2011-review/

SKYWORKS SOLUTIONS SILICON LABORATORIES SI INTERNATIONAL

Droid Incredible 2 review

Why mess with a good thing, right? Verizon struck smartphone gold a year ago with the Droid Incredible, a version of the European HTC Desire tweaked for the U.S. market. And so not a whole lot has changed with the follow-up, the Droid Incredible 2.

It actually was an interesting turn of events -- a U.S.-only phone (and one with Verizon's exclusive "Droid" branding at that) -- took its name and design back overseas and was unveiled at Mobile World Congress as the Incredible S. Needless to say, it was a welcome sight for those looking for something a little different from HTC. (Even if it is still a black slab.)

So what's new in the Incredible 2? And is it enough to warrant a purchase? Or does last year's model still have what it takes? Let's find out, after the break.

Droid Incredible 2 Specs | Droid Incredible 2 Forums | Droid Incredible 2 Accessories

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/AARxX9rpjdA/droid-incredible-2-review

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