Tuesday, April 17, 2012

How Secure is My Password lets you know just that

howsecureismypassword
We've all heard it before; you need to select a lengthy password, one that's hard to guess. Not a dictionary word. And it has to have some capital letters in it too, and some digits, and a symbol or two won't hurt either.

That's a handy set of rules to keep in mind, but How Secure is My Password helps us understand why they're important.

It's basically like a full-screen version of one of those password-strength meters websites sometimes use. But instead of showing you a bar going from "weak" to "strong", it shows you an estimation of how long your password would take to crack. That's a much more visceral way to understand why your password is strong.

For example, when I entered "rabbit", it came back with "your password is one of the 500 most common passwords. It could be cracked almost instantly". "rabbit5" would take two hours, "$rabbit5" would take 38 days, and "$rabbitZ5" would take 237 years. It's quite enlightening to see what a difference three simple characters can make.

How Secure is My Password lets you know just that originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 05 Mar 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/05/how-secure-is-my-password-lets-you-know-just-that/

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Korean Antitrusters Put US Tech Heavies Under the Microscope

The Fair Trade Commission, a Korean antitrust agency, has launched an investigation into the Korean units of HP, Oracle and IBM. The commission's investigation stems from alleged unfair business practices. From The Korea Times: "Investigators of the Fair Trade Commission raided HP's Seoul office Friday, officials said. They took computer records and documents and questioned employees over their suspicions."


Source: http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/1e791eae/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C748830Bhtml/story01.htm

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Boeing 787 set for first biofuel-powered flight tonight

Boeing 787 set for first biofuel-powered flight tonight

Biofuel in planes is hardly a new idea, but when Boeing's latest and greatest aircraft gets in on the green game, we take notice. That's right, a ANA 787 Dreamliner is currently preparing to take off from Everett, Washington this evening and will make its way across the Pacific to Tokyo powered by biofuel. Well played, Boeing, we're all for celebrating Earth Day a little early, and it's always good to see someone giving Sir Richard Branson a run for his money.

[Photo credit: Boeing, Flickr]

Boeing 787 set for first biofuel-powered flight tonight originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Apr 2012 21:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/AI_LSDlG-5A/

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Alternative PC Tablets Like the iPad

Over the past two decades, alternative PC tablets like the iPad have been developed by computer entrepreneurs like the late Steve Jobs to make people?s lives easier in many ways, as well as more entertaining. The iPad was first released in 2010 and within a year, it had sold more units than all other tablets put together. Already it has been updated once, and the iPad 3 may be released within the next month or so – although even now [...]

Source: http://tabletbuzzblog.com/alternative-pc-tablets-like-ipad/

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New iPad 3 Retina Display

The new iPad 3‘s retina display has caused a real stir amongst those anxiously awaiting the new tablet PC. The Retina display features the best display ever available on a mobile device. Many consider the upgraded display the single biggest selling point when moving from the iPad 2 to the new model. Apple definitely feel this way as they made the new display the subject for the first commercial for the new iPad 3. All this has probably left you [...]

Source: http://tabletbuzzblog.com/new-ipad-3-retina-display/

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Tupac hologram performs at Coachella, keeps all eyez on him

Tupac hologram performs at Coachella, keeps all eyez on him

Have you been getting a kick out of Coachella's jams and arts in Indio, California? Or, did you decide to peacefully enjoy it from home via YouTube's site? Either way, you may have heard Tupac made an on-stage holographic appearance over the weekend, performing Hail Mary and 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted alongside Snoop Dogg. Tupac's hologram was made possible by AV Concepts in partnership with Dr. Dre's production company and Digital Domain, after reportedly working on the project for a few months. The outfits used a display technology dubbed "Eyeliner" that, with the help of a custom rig and a mechanical solution, was able to shoot out a life-sized, 3D illusion of Mr. Shakur onto the Coachella platform. Don't believe us? Hit 'em up at the source below, though we feel compelled to tell you language isn't exactly for all ages.

Continue reading Tupac hologram performs at Coachella, keeps all eyez on him

Tupac hologram performs at Coachella, keeps all eyez on him originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/16/tupac-hologram-performs-coachella-2012/

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New iPad 3 Retina Display

The new iPad 3‘s retina display has caused a real stir amongst those anxiously awaiting the new tablet PC. The Retina display features the best display ever available on a mobile device. Many consider the upgraded display the single biggest selling point when moving from the iPad 2 to the new model. Apple definitely feel this way as they made the new display the subject for the first commercial for the new iPad 3. All this has probably left you [...]

Source: http://tabletbuzzblog.com/new-ipad-3-retina-display/

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Vatican and Oxford libraries scan ancient works, let scholars stay in their armchairs

Vatican and Oxford libraries scan ancient works, let scholars stay in their armchairs

Two of the world's most hallowed libraries are about to get even quieter, having been given $3 million to go with the flow and put some of their oldest collections online. The Vatican Library and Oxford University's Bodleian Library will together offer up 1.5 million pages of hoary text, including Gutenberg's Latin Bible from the 15th Century, a 1,200-year-old Hebrew codex called the "Sifra," and enough Greek philosophy to make even Homer seem succinct. At the end of a five-year flatbed scanner marathon, these digital copies will be accessible to speakers of dead languages everywhere, and hopefully for less than sacrilegious prices.

Vatican and Oxford libraries scan ancient works, let scholars stay in their armchairs originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Apr 2012 07:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/16/vatican-and-oxford-libraries-scan-ancient-works/

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Monday, April 16, 2012

Federal Court Rules Pilfered Source Code Isn't Stolen Loot

Computer source code isn't a physical object under federal stolen property laws, according to a federal court of appeals that overturned the conviction of a former Goldman Sachs programmer. Sergey Aleynikov, the programmer, was wrongly convicted under the National Stolen Property Act and the Economic Espionage Act of 1996, according to a decision from the Second Circuit Court of Appeals Wednesday.

Source: http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/1e5e4a7a/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C74860A0Bhtml/story01.htm

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The art of the gimmick: an interview with the Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne

The Flaming Lips have never done anything small, from the "Parking Lot Experiments" of the mid-90s to this year's Record Store Day album, "The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends." Set for an April 21st release, the limited edition vinyl record features an odd cast of characters, including Bon Iver, Erykah Badu, Neon Indian, Nick Cave and Ke$ha, many of whom have lent their actual blood to the record.

Image

"That is totally a gimmick," Wayne Coyne answers with great relish. "It's a beautiful gimmick. I think all things that we marvel over are based in gimmicks."

He's on the phone for a day of back-to-back interviews, a trapping of the job that would cause lesser, more jaded men to roll their eyes and submit with dragged heels, particularly those who've been playing the game through 30 years and 13 LPs. But Coyne, much to his credit, dives into everything he does headfirst with the manner of childlike wonder that's come to be established with the vast majority of the Flaming Lips' catalog.

At the beginning of our conversation, he lets it be known that he's slightly distracted. His wife is photographing him. And he's in his underwear. He didn't bother putting anything else on, knowing that he'd be running a marathon of phone interviews all day. Maximum comfort is important. It's a hard image to erase from my mind as Coyne settles in to explain the band's decision to embrace Siri on a recent web-only track called "Now I Understand."

Continue reading The art of the gimmick: an interview with the Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne

The art of the gimmick: an interview with the Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/16/the-art-of-the-gimmick-an-interview-with-the-flaming-lips-wayn/

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Line Grapefruit is a tricky Flash "path" game

linegrapefruit
Okay, see that snaking line coming in from the right on the screenshot? That's you. And see those large round circles? Those are supposedly grapefruits, only they won't sit still - they keep moving up and down and cutting across your path. And if you touch one, you die!

That's what you have to deal with in Line Grapefruit. But that's not all - you're also on a time limit. In fact, you have a very limited amount of time to make it through the "path" (for lack of a better word). You need to snake your way through the winding trail without touching anything. The good news is that a grapefruit only kills you if it touches the end of the line - once you've made it past the grapefruit, nothing happens if it crosses the path you've made.

This is not an easy game, but it's quite unique - I can't recall seeing another game quite like it.

Line Grapefruit is a tricky Flash "path" game originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/01/line-grapefruit-is-a-tricky-flash-path-game/

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Windows 8 welcome screen revealed, looks very Metro

windows 8 welcome screen
It's not really a secret the Microsoft had planned on bringing bits of Windows Phone 7's Metro UI to Windows 8, but we haven't seen a lot of really telling evidence. However, with the Windows 8 milestone 3 build now available to Microsoft Connect partners, it was really just a matter of time before we started to get a peek.

Thanks to Rafael Rivera and Paul Thurrott, we've now had a glimpse at what the Windows 8 welcome screen will look like. As you can see, the typography is very Metro indeed. Within Windows also mentions that the background image is customizable, and we're wondering if it might not pull from your current Windows 8 theme. This particular shot shows the CTRL + ALT + DELETE login option, but we imagine you'll still be able to log in by clicking your account picture tile as well.

Rivera and Thurrott also mention that the tablet version of the welcome screen will allow you to log in by swiping a pattern on the screen -- as you can on current Android devices.

Windows 8 welcome screen revealed, looks very Metro originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/01/windows-8-welcome-screen-revealed-looks-very-metro/

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Survival Lab is a fun pixelated game where dying doesn't matter

Survival Lab
In most games, dying is a bad thing. You have to start all over again, or at least revert to the last save point and lose some progress. Not so in Survival Lab: in this pixelated gem you play as a lone individual pitted against ruthless weapons in a sealed chamber. You have to run, jump and duck, collecting little yellow things (I have no idea what they're called).

For each donut-like yellow thing you pick up, you gain a bit of experience. If you manage to collect several in a row without getting hit, this counts as a combo. You can see my mad combo skills in the screenshot, of course. Collecting combos is a good thing, because a ten-point combo gives you for more experience than just collecting ten dounts one by one (getting hit in-between).

Having experience is useful, because once you die, you get to a screen where you can upgrade your skills. You can learn to run faster, double-jump (and then double-jump higher), and duck. You can also gain more armour so that getting hit won't kill you so quickly.

What makes this simple game so addictive is that when you die, your experience doesn't reset. You just go back to the same level, or another level of your choosing, and keep accumulating more and more experience. Lots of fun, especially if you're into the whole retro-gaming thing.

Survival Lab is a fun pixelated game where dying doesn't matter originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/28/survival-lab-is-a-fun-pixelated-game-where-dying-doesnt-matter/

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Panasonic introduces new microP2 SD-sized storage at NAB 2012

Among several new announcements for NAB 2012, Panasonic had time to show off its new microP2 card. It does all the high speed transfer pro video shooters have come to expect from their P2 hardware, but in a package that's the size of an SD card. Panasonic also showed off a companion adaptor that could be used to make the new micro-sized cards compatible with existing PCMCIA-based hardware, however they will need a firmware upgrade (at an unspecified cost, of course) first. Of course, that's all still off in the future, since these won't hit the market until spring 2013. Check out our gallery for a few more pictures and look after the break for the press release.

Continue reading Panasonic introduces new microP2 SD-sized storage at NAB 2012

Panasonic introduces new microP2 SD-sized storage at NAB 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Apr 2012 19:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/15/panasonic-introduces-new-microp2-sd-sized-storage-at-nab-2012/

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Is There Really a Fourth Dimension? Yes and No [Video]

It's time to spend another lethargic Monday morning wrapping your head around Minute Physics' latest crash course in science. This time around they explain why trying to name or number the multiple dimensions in our universe is a pointless endeavour. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/zdmqdZ4fuAw/is-there-really-a-fourth-dimension-yes-and-no

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Tasty Planet is a fun flash game where you eat everything in sight

tastyplanet
So this professor comes up with a new toilet cleaner that works by "eating" the dirt; or so he thinks. That's how the plot starts for Tasty Planet. You play the role of the toilet cleaner, but you're not really a toilet cleaner after all -- you're a blob of gray goo that can eat anything that's smaller than yourself.

As you chomp away, you grow -- and as you grow, you can eat bigger and bigger stuff. The first level pits you against microscopic particles; by the time I stopped playing, I got all the way to eating cats and dogs. I know that sounds disturbing, but it's a really cute game, and there's no gore or anything like that.

Supposedly you keep growing and growing until you're able to eat whole planets (hence the name). The challenge factor comes when you realize you can't touch any critter larger than yourself - you'll get "bitten" and become smaller. In the beginning you're so small, that a single touch can kill you. Later on, you're big enough that touching larger animals doesn't kill you on the spot, but it does reduce your size. Each level is timed, so if you're not large enough by the time your clock runs out, you need to start again. As long as you don't touch the larger animals, you should be fine.

All in all, a fun, addictive little game. It's available for iOS, too.

Tasty Planet is a fun flash game where you eat everything in sight originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 08 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/08/tasty-planet-is-a-fun-flash-game-where-you-eat-everything-in-sight/

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2012 Mazda Mazda3 i Grand Touring 4-Door Test Drive

Last week the same people that allowed me to test drive a 2011 KIA Optima SX Turbo last Fall, contacted me with an offer to do another 1 week test drive. I had a lot of fun with the KIA, so I was happy to accept their offer to take �a look at a 2012 [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/04/15/2012-mazda-mazda3-i-grand-touring-4-door-test-drive/

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Compact Foosball Coffee Table Makes For a Great Alternative To After-Dinner Conversation [Foosball]

It's certainly not the first coffee table we've featured that does more than just keep a stack of magazines off the floor. But with Teckell's Intervallo micro foosball table in your living room, you might actually look forward to sitting around sipping coffee after dinner. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/YkY-CcasgDY/

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