2013
Is your SD card hacking you?
[caption id="" align=“alignnone” width=“1024”]CC Image - Flick user scanlime [/caption] Think of all of the information your SD cards have seen, questionable pictures, sensitive data. Hardware hacker Bunnie Huang (link) gave an interesting presentation to the Chaos Computer Club Congress that highlighted the fact that SD cards are micro controllers with lax security that can easily be used to trick or hack you. He first sets the tone of the presentation with this statement: "lash memory is really cheap. So cheap, in fact, that it’s too good to be true.
Secret to picking the right AA battery
[caption id="" align=“alignnone” width=“720”]Creative Commons Image - Flicker Swanksalot [/caption] You probably received all kinds of shiny new gizmos for christmas and some of them may need AA batteries. Which ones should you choose? Devices fall into 2 categories : High Drain Devices - These are electronic devices that require a sizeable amount of sustained current to work (like a digital camera, camera flash, etc) Low Drain Devices - These require low amounts of power for short periods at spaced out intervals (like a remote control, alarm clock , etc) There are 2 main AA disposable battery technologies:
AudioFly AF78 - a new earphone king
What am I looking for? Before I review the Audiofly 78 with microphone, I wanted to take 2 minutes and explain what I look for in headphones or earphones. When testing audio gear (particularly headphones and earphones), I am looking for flat frequency response. Flat doesn't mean boring but rather it means the headphones reproduce the soundtrack exactly as the producer intended it. When travelling or working, I may have my headphones on hour hours and therefore I am looking for a sound profile that doesn't tire my ears and I look for products that are comfortable to wear.
BBM Voice chat coming to IOS and Android next year
BBM for IOS and Android has been available for some time but it still lacks many of the features found on the BB10 version. Now Blackberry has let the cat out of the bag and everyone can expect functional parity between all of the different versions in 2014. You don't use a BB10 device so you're wondering what's in store? 2 features: BBM Voice - Is a VOIP service similar to Skype or FaceTime Audio BBM Channels - Is Blackberry's own social media network that reminds me of twitter.
The most unique print ad you have to see
In the age of the internet, traditional print advertisements may seem boring but Motorola will be jazzing it up in the January issue of Wired. Motorola released a US custom built Android smartphone called the MotoX. Motorola created a special website called Motomaker which allows US buyers to customize their device. Now they are bringing this customization to this unique print ad campaign which will allow you to see how the different MotoX colours look in realtime in the magazine.
A Google Thermostat coming to a house near you
This is an interesting development that no one was expecting. TheInformation.com and EVLeaks have confirmed that Google is working on an internet connected thermostat (similar to the Nest). The current rumour says Google is developing the software and backend controls but the actual device will be developed by a third party. It is also expected to work on Android and IOS. It is exciting to think of what Google may be able to do combining a WIFI thermostat with their huge cloud number crunching AI.
Turn your iphone into a free christmas karaoke machine
Open the Safari web browser on your iphone Go to [www.google.com](http://www.google.com) Search for Let's Go Caroling Voila.... You get the above screen with 5 popular christmas songs ready to go
Level Legs Wheelbarrow stability system
I love technology but technology for me isn't limited to products that process bits and bytes. One major complaint every homeowner has is related to using a wheelbarrow on an uneven surface. Enter a neat little invention called Level Legs which automatically levels itself (up to 8") It seems every major retailer carries these from Amazon to Walmart to Home Depot.
Never pay retail again
No one likes paying retail and I'm always looking for ways to save. RetailMeNot has both a US and Canadian site. Its sole purpose in life is to provide money saving coupons for online sites you already use. You go to the site and search for the retailer you are about to conduct a transaction with: <img src="https://ekiledjian2.micro.blog/uploads/2025/3edcb228d8.jpg" alt=""> Most of the time, you will be presented with a series of discounts for each retailer, you select the promo that looks the most attractive and click on the Show Coupon Code.
Students using iPads as glorified textbooks in class
The iPad has captured most of the Canadian education market (some have pegged it's market share at 90%). The Canadian Research Chain in Technologies in Education recently undertook an interesting study of 6000 iPad totting Quebec students. The study found that for every 60 minute chunk of class, 88.5% of students used their device for at least 30minutes. What did they do you ask? Most used them as expected to read textbooks or take notes. It was surprising to see that students typically used these devices as teaching support aids (exactly as the educators intended)and not entertainment devices.
Apple offers free iTunes gift today
Apple has an app on the iTunes AppStore called 12 days of gifts (link). Every day (starting December 26th) Apple will offer a free iTunes gift to its customers (for 12 days). These gifts can be songs, TV shows, movie rentals and iBooks content. Apple seems to be in a giving mood and has already opened up a mini album from Lorde featuring her new song No Better and her music video for Royals. The content can only be downloaded via the special app (not directly from iTunes).
Buy a Pebble SmartWatch for $89.99
The Pebble is a neat little watch but most don't want to pay the $119-150 price. How do you feel about paying $89.99 for it (shipping included)? If you have access to a .edu email account (students, teachers, faculty and alumni) you can get yourself a brand new flashy Pebble smart watch for $89.99. This is the cheapest I have seen this watch and this promo is being offered by BestBuy (link). Sorry this is a US only promo.
Clean Install Windows 8 with an upgrade key
[caption id="" align=“alignnone” width=“2500”]Creative Commons Image - Flicker user Tripp [/caption] Let's say you bought one of those $30 Windows upgrade promotion keys from Microsoft last year and now want to perform a clean install. What do you do? The media you downloaded does allow you to perform the install but windows will refuse to activate a new install with that upgrade key. Unless you perform this magical process. If you don't know what you are doing, stop and call a friend.
Car Thieves go high tech
For as long as people have owned items of value, others have tried to steal them. When someone steals your belongings, it isn't just the monetary value or insurance hassle but also the feeling that you have been wronged. Now car thieves seem to have a new electronic device that allows them to quickly hack a car's control system and open the doors/disable the alarm.
My top 10 Mac OS applications
[caption id="" align=“alignnone” width=“720”]CC Image - Flickr Sean MacEntee [/caption] I have been a technologist for the past 20 years helping customers streamline operations, reduce costs or increase profitability through the efficient use of technology. Over the years, the technologies have changed but one that has remained fairly influential over the last 10 years has been Microsoft Windows. Not only has it been a strong business platform but it has been my main personal (home use) platform. With Windows 8 and the increasingly unfriendly user interface, I finally decided it was time to finally go back to the Apple platform for personal use.
SugarSync kills off its free storage option
[caption id="" align=“alignnone” width=“800”]Creative Commons image- Flickr dell [/caption] Most of us have gotten use to free storage tiers from the various cloud storage providers (Google Drive, Microsoft Skydrive, Dropbox, box.net, etc). Often times this free tier is enough to storage basic files and share things once in a while. Now SugarSync has said No More Free Storage. (link) The company claims this is being done to allow Sugarsync to concentrate on updates and service improvements. The lowest cost paid tier will be $7.
Give the most original gift this christmas
Do you have to buy a gift for someone that already has everything? Do you have to buy a gift for someone you despise? The I have the perfect gift for you... It is one of a kind... It is special... It will be remembered for years to come... This holiday season, give The Gift of Nothing (link). <img src="https://ekiledjian2.micro.blog/uploads/2025/6971fb51c1.jpg" alt=""> The Amazon link provided in this article is a standard web link that has been included for convenience.
Christmas dinner in a can
In August I wrote an article about fine dining in a can. It was the ultimate way to consume a 12 course meal with a can opener (link). A game retailer in the UK, called GAME, has decided that its customers are too busy to cook Christmas dinner. For this holiday season, they are offering a complete Christmas meal in a can (link). Layer one – Scrambled egg and bacon Layer two – Two mince pies Layer three – Turkey and potatoes Layer four – Gravy Layer five – Bread sauce Layer six – Cranberry sauce Layer seven – Brussel sprouts with stuffing – or broccoli with stuffing Layer eight – Roast carrots and parsnips Layer nine – Christmas pudding <img src="https://ekiledjian2.
Bluetooth LE is the future of customer service
[caption id="" align=“alignnone” width=“750”]Creative Commons Image - Flickr User Sean MacEntee [/caption] When most of us think of the upcoming Bluetooth Low Energy retail revolution, we immediately think of Apple's iBeacon technology. why? Apple was the first to launch this tech at its annual WWDC conference. It will be deploying about 20 per store in its 250 stores. 170-200 million iDevices with IOS 7 currently are potential iBeacons. Companies, like Estimote (link) have already launched commercial Bluetooth LE devices compatible with iBeacons.
Google drops Hong Kong datacenter plans
There is no denying Hong Kong is a densely populated business hub and Google wanted to build a datacenter to improve service to its 8 million population. Now we learn that those plans have been axed due to real estate issues. In The Next Web (link), Google said : "While we see tremendous opportunity and potential in Hong Kong – we’re actively hiring, just opened a larger office and recently launched a partnership with the Chinese University of Hong Kong to invest in tomorrow’s innovators – we will not be moving ahead with this project.