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- The Fastest Phone Charger In The World Requires Only 30 Seconds
- 26 Disney Characters as Hogwarts Students
- New Anti-Theft System Monitors Your Touchscreen Behavior
- Google Glass Could Make Life Easier for People with Parkinson’s
- Game Controller Measures Player’s Emotions, Adapts the Game to Them
| The Fastest Phone Charger In The World Requires Only 30 Seconds Posted: 10 Apr 2014 07:00 AM PDT  We’re living in the future! A company claims that users will soon be able to fully recharge their phones in 30 seconds. That’s less than the time you need to make some instant coffee! This is not a snappy nor a sensationalist title: StoreDot Ltd., a new Israeli start-up claims to have devised a method that can recharge phones (fully!) in only 30-seconds. They were born out of the nanotechnology department at Tel Aviv University, and developed this prototype for Samsung Galaxy 4. Rest assured, though, they plan to create more devices for a variety of models. This might sound to some as a recipe for disaster akin to putting your phone in the microwave, but these guys are pros. Check the video below these lines to learn more! Source: Geekologie Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the Kindle solar charger that makes travelers forget about wires and the HP Chromebook 11 that charges over microUSB.         |
| 26 Disney Characters as Hogwarts Students Posted: 10 Apr 2014 06:00 AM PDT  There’s nothing better than some mashups between universes of fictional words, and the idea to take some of the most popular characters from Disney films and put them into the Harry Potter world and specifically Hogwarts is nothing short of awesome. Hans, Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff
From Frozen. Jasmine, Rajah, Aladdin, Merida, Rapunzel and Flynn
From the films Aladdin, Brave, and Tangled. Cinderella and Prince Charming
From Cinderella. Belle and Prince Adam
From Beauty and the Beast. Tiana and Prince Naveen
From The Princess and the Frog. Ariel, Prince Eric, Snow White, and Prince Florian
From The Little Mermaid and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Princess Aurora and Prince PhillipFrom Sleeping Beauty. Tarzan, Jane, Milo, and KidaFrom the films Tarzan and Atlantis: The Lost Empire. All these artworks are done by Eira1893, or Annabella, who has a lot more great stuff to look at on Deviantart. For you Harry Potter fans, check out these awesome HP tattoos. For some Disney coolness, check out these Disney Princesses as Bad-Ass Warriors.
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| New Anti-Theft System Monitors Your Touchscreen Behavior Posted: 10 Apr 2014 05:00 AM PDT  Since phones are both small and valuable, they tend to be a hot item for many thieves, but some new anti-theft technologies may help deter phone burglary. Last year, in the US alone, lost and stolen phones cost consumers over $30 billion. Many initiatives have been discussed to abate this expense, such as fingerprint scanners and even a proposed national cell phone kill switch, but it’s so easy to steal a cell phone. There has yet to be a foolproof method, but there are always more innovative new ways to stop a would-be thief emerging. Researchers at Georgia Tech have been testing brand new system for Android called LatentGesture that monitors the way you use your cell phone–specifically the way you interact with the screen–and learns to watch for your unique behavior. It then uses your behavior to monitor your device for anyone that doesn’t behave like you, and locks them out. Everyone has a unique pattern with the way they interact–touch, tap, and swipe–at their touch screens. The way we interact with our technology can be just as unique as our fingerprint or retinal scan. The beauty of this system is that even if someone manages to guess a PIN code or password to access a stolen phone, they are still constantly being scrutinized by the software and will likely end up getting locked out anyway if they shouldn’t be poking around. The software was found to be 98% accurate on phones and 97% accurate on tablets. Considering Apple’s Touch ID only works 90% of the time for some users, this could be a much more reliable solution. Behavioral security is also inherently stronger than any fixed or static security methods such as biometric scanners for fingerprints or irises, because fingerprints and irises are static. They can be stolen and faked. The problem when someone steals your fingerprints is that they are permanently attached to your body and cannot be changed. Behaviors are extremely difficult to steal and even more difficult to mimic. Accurately observing the way someone interacts with their phone for a long enough period of time is extremely difficult. It’s not specified how detailed of a sample is collected by LatentGesture, but there are so many different and unique ways to interact with your touch screen from the distance and arc of a swipe the the staccato of a tap, “stealing” someone’s behavior is far more difficult than stealing their fingerprint, especially for a snatch and grab. Phones are easy to steal, and the technology necessary to crack security is always hot on the heels of new security developments, but hopefully some new anti-theft initiatives–such as LatentGesture–will go a long way towards curbing the rampant phone theft. Source: Engadget Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter Read more on Walyou, The Paradox of the Wearable, Google Might Become Your New Favorite Carrier    |
| Google Glass Could Make Life Easier for People with Parkinson’s Posted: 09 Apr 2014 01:45 PM PDT  Researchers at Newcastle University conducted a study on several volunteers and reached to the conclusion that smart glasses in general, and Google Glass in particular, could Judging by the following images, one could say that all that Google Glass does to help people with Parkinson’s is remind them when it’s time to take their medication. However, one must first realize what the main symptom of this medical condition is before making such shallow assumptions. After all, Google Glass could help anyone suffering from a health problem that requires daily medication by displaying reminders, but it’s the inability of people with Parkinson’s to properly use touchscreens that makes smart glasses so great for them. A group of scientists at Newcastle University worked with a group of volunteers aged between 46 and 70 to find out how Google Glass could make their lives better. All the apps used by the volunteers on the smart glasses were specifically tailored to meet each person’s needs and lifestyle. The five headsets used by the University for this studied had been donated by Google with the sole purpose of conducting research. Lynn Tearse, a volunteer on the study, pointed out that “People would probably say you can do all these things on a smartphone but actually, with Parkinson’s, negotiating a touch screen is really difficult.” On the other hand, Roisin McNaney, a PhD student, stated that “People with Parkinson’s are already coping with so much and one of the main causes of social isolation is the stigma around behaviors such as drooling and tremor which they have no control over.” Dr John Vines, one of the researchers who conducted this study, expressed his enthusiasm regarding the way people with Parkinson’s adopted this new technology: “What was really encouraging from this early study was how well our volunteers took to the wearable technology and the fact that they could see the potential in it.” Even the basic features of Google Glass, namely placing calls and sending text messages using voice commands, could prove to be life-saving for people with Parkinson’s, considering how hard it would be for them to dial numbers or type words on a touch keyboard. It will be interesting to see what other uses will researchers find for Google’s smart glasses.
Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the remote control for Google Glass and Google Glass’ integration in the 2015 Hyundai Genesis.    |
| Game Controller Measures Player’s Emotions, Adapts the Game to Them Posted: 09 Apr 2014 12:31 PM PDT  Engineers from Stanford University invented a way of making games even more interactive than when using an Oculus Rift VR headset. Their method involves a game controller that reads emotions and adapts the game consequently. The game controller that Stanford University researchers developed in collaboration with Stanford University was first presented at CES 2014, but it looks like the team has made some progress since then. It’s a pity that the developers of this innovative device have not yet found a name for it. Still, that doesn’t take away from the revolution this game controller may start if it ever hits the market. Of course, there would have to be some support from game developers as well, as without that the controller doesn’t do more than just measuring the frustration levels. Corey McCall, leader of the game controller project and a PhD candidate at the Stanford University explained how the device is able to create a more interactive experience.”By measuring those outputs, we can understand what’s happening in the brain almost instantaneously.” According to McCall, the game controller would also act in lieu of parental control, “We can also control the game for children. If parents are concerned that their children are getting too wrapped up in the game, we can tone it down or remind them that it’s time for a healthy break.” From a gamer’s viewpoint, however, this won’t end up well! Let’s take a look at the possible options. If the player enjoys a game very much, he will continue playing it. On the other hand, if the game seems impossible to finish or it looks like a particular boss is impossible to kill, the player will undoubtedly experience some frustration that will determine him to try over and over again until he succeeds. Below is a video that was posted a few days ago on Stanford University’s YouTube channel that details how the emotions-reading game controller is supposed to look and work.
At this point, I believe it would be much easier to make this controller compatible with Android and iOS smartphones, tablets and consoles, as mobile games are probably easier to adapt to physiological reactions. Either way, it’s great to see that researchers find new ways to make games more interesting. Creating games that adapt to the way we play them and to the way we react to them might change people’s perception regarding dumb NPCs that perform the same actions all the time. Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about Valve’s new Steam controller and the Audojo iPad controller.    |
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