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Monday, August 06, 2012
TRENDING STORIES IN TECH & GADGETS eBay Testing Same-Day Delivery Service in San Francisco Smooth-Talking Hacker Remote-Wipes Reporter's iPad, MacBook 45 Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed ALL STORIES IN TECH & GADGETS Have Fun Destroying Web Pages with Font Bomb Sunday, August 05, 2012 8:32 PM Marc Georges The next time an annoying commentator leaves a poorly-worded response on your blog, or tweets something offensive at you, don't get mad. Just use Font Bomb. Developer Philippe-Antoine Lehoux created the browser plug-in, which uses a combination of HTML 5, CSS and Javascript to blast away on-screen text. The digital dynamos go off after three seconds, but worry not -- the destruction isn't permanent. Refresh your page to undo any ill effects. To install the plug-in, visit the Font Bomb homepage, and drag the corresponding link to your bookmarks bar. What other fun browser plug-ins do you use? Tell us about your favorites in the comments. Meet Nina: Siri's Cousin for Apps Sunday, August 05, 2012 8:01 PM Pete Pachal Siri may have her critics, but Apple's talkative virtual assistant is definitely useful for some functions, like checking the weather and texting. Nuance, which works with Apple on voice control, now plans to take Siri-like abilities to more apps. The product is called Nina, and it'll let businesses build voice capabilities right into their apps -- iOS or Android -- via a software development kit (SDK). Nuance says it's the first voice assistant with an SDK (Siri still doesn't have one), and Nina obviously has access to all of Nuance's data on the industries that use its tech: banks, airlines, hotels, retailers and more. Nina is aimed at the enterprise, essentially taking the automated call center functions you might encounter when calling an 800 number, and putting it into an app. "Nina takes natural-language understanding, and it provides a way for a developer to add that into an app," says Robert Weideman, executive vice president of Nuance's enterprise division. In a demo at Mashable's offices, Nuance reps showed us a mock banking app equipped with Nina. Responding to commands like "Pay my bill," or even "Pay the full balance on my Visa bill on August first," Nina performed tasks that would probably take complex navigation in one step. SEE ALSO: What Does Siri Know About the iPhone 5?/a> Nina is dependent on Nuance's Voice Assistant Cloud, so she won't work without a network connection. And as we discovered in the demo, her speed and ability to parse longer phrases depend on the quality of that connection. Using a Verizon 3G modem, Nina had trouble figuring out the longer bill-paying command above, but on Wi-Fi she executed it almost instantly. Nina also happens to sound almost exactly like Siri, though Nuance says businesses will be able to choose from 40 different voices, and even be able to customize it with their own voice "persona," if they have one. One of the major differences between Nina and Siri is voice biometrics, which means Nina can actually tell that it's you talking, and not someone who just picked up your phone. This can act as both a security and convenience feature -- after all, passwords become redundant if the app can tell it's the right person speaking just by voice. "For the first time on a mobile device, our virtual assistant doesn't just understand what you said and what you want, we can actually understand who said it," says Weideman. Nuance is releasing the SDK for Nina today, and the company says the first crop of apps incorporating the service should arrive in the fall. What apps would you like to see Nina built into? Share your ideas in the comments. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, pictafolio 11 Deep Student Discounts on Back-to-School Tech Sunday, August 05, 2012 5:36 PM Stephanie Buck It's August, which means you're already thinking about back-to-school preparation. A big part of that process is shopping for the gadgets and software that will help prepare your student for a serious education. We've collected a list of sites that offer student discounts on some of the most popular products: Sony Vaio laptops, iPads, Xbox consoles and Intel developer software, to name a few. Plus, did you know your student could qualify for a discounted phone plan? SEE ALSO: 25 Twitter Accounts That Will Make You Smarter Scroll through our selections and add your own suggestions for back-to-school deals in the comments below. Thumbnail image courtesy of iStockphoto, Pinopic eBay Testing Same-Day Delivery Service in San Francisco Sunday, August 05, 2012 4:55 PM Marc Georges eBay is testing a same-day delivery service called eBay Now, the company announced in an email to users on Sunday. The iOS app, currently only available in San Francisco, will let users order and receive products from local stores, usually within an hour, the online auction site said. SEE ALSO: 10 Weirdest Things for Sale on eBay eBay Now will also give users a $15 discount off their first order, as well as free delivery on their first three orders. Users will be charged $5 for each subsequent delivery. To sign up and download the iOS app, visit the eBay Now site, and log in with your credentials. The service is powered by Milo, a local shopping startup that eBay acquired in 2010. At the time, it was a strategic move to infiltrate a growing local commerce market. Milo is a shopping search engine that helps consumers look for products available in nearby stores. For retailers, Milo is a platform for driving online shoppers to offline stores. Do you plan to use eBay Now? Tell us what you think of the service below. Why This Haptic Steering Wheel Could Save Your Life Sunday, August 05, 2012 4:15 PM Seth Porges The car world's best hope for fighting in-car distractions can be summed up with one word: Haptics. Haptics is the study of touch, and haptic feedback is when a device directs a sensation at you. You've felt this form of feedback every time your smartphone has vibrated, or your Xbox controller has rumbled along with the explosions on the screen. SEE ALSO: The 5 Greatest Failures in Car Tech Here's how it involves cars. Since touchscreens don't have the feel of actual buttons, they require users to pay extra attention to making sure they've pressed the right key. This is a particular problem for in-car touchscreens, since every second a driver's eyes are off the road increases their chance of a collision. With haptic touchscreens, such as a prototype developed by California-based Tactus Technology, the flat screen pops up into actual buttons when they're needed. Users would technically spend less time with their eyes off the road. In other words, they'd be safer. This is probably where the emphasis on haptic touchscreens as a safety measure sort of misses the point. The safest in-car systems will keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel. With haptic touchscreens, you still need to move your hands, and you still need to at least glance their way. This is why the prototype steering wheel that was jointly developed by researchers at AT&T Research Labs and Carnegie Mellon University is so interesting. The steering wheel is embedded with a series of tiny motors, similar to the ones that cause you cellphone to vibrate. As drivers get closer and closer to a turn, the motors cause the steering wheel to vibrate with increasing frequency in a clockwise or counterclockwise pattern, depending on if it's a left or right turn. According to Kevin Li, the AT&T researcher who developed the wheel, these vibration patterns trigger a "human perception trick" that causes the brain to sense a number of discrete vibrations as a continuous line of motion. So you don't just feel a vibrating steering wheel, but actually sense a clockwise or counterclockwise motion, which causes you to instinctively turn the steering wheel along with it. Li says his research has shown this has a noticeable impact on how much certain drivers keep their eyes on the road. "Interestingly, this seemed to overload the senses of older drivers," Li says. "But for younger drivers, eyes off the road as a proportion of driving time decreased by about 10%." But sensing upcoming turns isn't all haptics can do. The same sensory trick that causes discrete vibrations to feel like a continuous line can also be used to convey other, more complex types of information to drivers as well. For example, Li says that he is playing around with a haptic seat that lets drivers "feel" a car pass through a blind spot. This sensory trick would allow the vibrations to tell drivers where a car is, and how it is moving in relation to them. The way I see it, this is basically a sort of "spidey sense," where you instinctively feel the presence of on-the-road danger. And you do it without moving your eyes, or your hands. National Zoo Live Streams Cute Critters to Your Phone Sunday, August 05, 2012 3:29 PM Anita Li Lions and tigers and pandas -- oh my -- are now available round-the-clock, thanks to a new app for Smithsonian's National Zoo. Released on Aug. 1, the app features maps, guided tours and information on daily activities. It also includes an alphabetical list of animals, where hundreds of species are described in detail. If a day at the Washington, D.C.-based zoo doesn't satisfy your appetite for animals, there are live cams and movies showcasing popular exhibits, including gorillas and flamingos For fun, the app has a "Zooify Yourself" option that lets visitors add animal features (like a parrot beak and lion's tail) onto their photos, as well as animal "voices." You can buy the app in Apple's iTunes store for $1.99. Will you download this app? Tell us in the comments. Smooth-Talking Hacker Remote-Wipes Reporter's iPad, MacBook Sunday, August 05, 2012 1:24 PM Marc Georges We've heard it before: Make sure to secure your online accounts with a strong, distinct password to avoid being hacked. But what if hackers can simply circumvent the need for your password to gain access to your information? That's what happened to reporter Mat Honan when Apple tech support gave a hacker access to Honan's iCloud account, wreaking havoc on the Wired reporter's digital life. Late Friday, hackers gained access to Honan's iCloud account. From there, they were able to access his Gmail account, Twitter account and the Twitter account of his former employer Gizmodo. In his blog, Honan recounted the speed of the attack: At 5:00 PM, they remote wiped my iPhone At 5:01 PM, they remote wiped my iPad At 5:05, they remote wiped my MacBook Air. Even scarier, because Honan's password was bypassed, his password strength -- he used a seven digit alphanumeric password -- and reliance on software like 1Password did him no good. @stlwpmeetup thanks Rob, I already use 1password to do the same. In this case, however, my passwords on all services were bypassed— Is this Mat Honan? (@mat) August 5, 2012 After a nightmare ordeal trying to regain control of his accounts, Honan was contacted by someone claiming to be his hacker. After some digging, Honan says it was Apple support that mistakenly gave the hacker access to his iCloud account. "I know how it was done now. Confirmed with both the hacker and Apple. It wasn't password related," Honan wrote in the latest update on his blog. "They got in via Apple tech support and some clever social engineering that let them bypass security questions." Honan's Twitter and Gmail service have been restored and he is working to recover what data he can from his machines. However, it's still unclear what "clever social engineering" his hacker used to avoid answering security questions. Honan has been responding to questions on his Twitter feed about the experience and says he is giving Apple a chance to respond before giving more details of the attack. Mars Rover Set for Nerve-Wracking Landing on Red Planet Today Sunday, August 05, 2012 10:17 AM Space.com PASADENA, Calif. — After 8 1/2 months crossing the millions of miles between planets, the biggest and most complex rover ever sent to another world is now on its final approach for a hair-raising touchdown on Mars. NASA's 1-ton Curiosity rover is set to land inside the Red Planet's Gale Crater at 10:31 p.m. PDT tonight (Aug. 5; 1:31 a.m. EDT and 0531 GMT on Aug. 6). As with any planetary landing, success is not a given, and tensions may be especially high tonight given Curiosity's elaborate, unprecedented landing sequence. The rover's spacecraft will barrel into the Martian atmosphere at 13,000 mph (21,000 kph), then deploy a huge supersonic parachute to slow it to about 200 mph (320 kph). Rockets will slow the vehicle's descent further, to less than 2 mph (3.2 kph), setting the stage for a spectacular "sky crane" maneuver. Curiosity's descent stage will lower the enormous rover to the Martian surface on cables, then fly off to crash-land intentionally a safe distance away. Engineers have dubbed the entire sequence "seven minutes of terror," because that's how long it'll take from atmospheric entry to touchdown. The sky crane method may sound crazy, but it's the best way to land a rover of Curiosity's bulk on Mars, mission engineers said. "We've become quite fond of it, and we're fairly confident that Sunday night will be a good night for us," Adam Steltzner, of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., told reporters Thursday (Aug. 2). Steltzner is entry, descent and landing phase lead for Curiosity's $2.5 billion mission, which is known as the Mars Science Laboratory. Two spacecraft, the Mars Odyssey probe and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, will watch Curiosity's landing from the Red Planet as NASA's Deep Space Network if antennas listens in from Earth. If all goes well tonight, Curiosity will soon begin roaming around its landing site, using 10 different science instruments to search for signs that the Gale area is, or ever was, capable of supporting microbial life. Artist's concept: a sky crane lowers NASA's Curiosity rover onto the Martian surface. CREDIT: NASA/JPL-Caltech Curiosity is not a life-detection mission, but its discoveries should pave the way for future efforts along those lines, NASA officials said. The rover will spend a lot of time investigating Mount Sharp, the mysterious 3-mile-high (5-kilometer) mountain that rises from Gale's center. Mars-orbiting spacecraft have spotted signs of clays and sulfates near the mound's base, suggesting that its lower reaches were exposed to liquid water long ago. "It's a transition mission, from 'follow the water' of the last decade to seeking the signs of life and heading towards sample-return, which is what the National Academy of Sciences' Decadal Survey recommended as the next major step in the exploration of Mars and the exploration of the solar system," said Doug McCuistion, director of NASA's Mars Exploration Program. Three generations of Mars rovers. CREDIT: NASA/JPL-Caltech NASA is also hoping that the rover's two-year mission will help reinvigorate the agency's planetary science exploration program, which suffered deep cuts in the proposed 2013 federal budget released by the White House in February. The cuts forced NASA to temporarily shelve plans for ambitious future multibillion-dollar planetary missions and drop out of a European-led effort to send an orbiter and rover to Mars in 2016 and 2018, respectively. NASA officials have said they hope Curiosity's findings generate enough excitement among the public and politicians to bring some of the lost funding back. NASA Television will broadcast live coverage of Curiosity's landing on Aug. 5 beginning at 8 p.m. PDT (11 p.m. EDT; 0300 GMT Aug. 6). You can watch NASA's live webcast on SPACE.com by clicking here. Copyright 2012 SPACE.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. 45 Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed Sunday, August 05, 2012 8:02 AM Allegra Tepper Has your passion for the Olympics thrown a wrench in your workflow? Join the club. Spreadsheets and deadlines versus gymnastics vaults and 100m 'fly? There's no contest. If for some crazy reason you do take a break from the Games -- or your boss issues a city-wide kibosh -- then spend some time checking out this week's top digital media resources. Of course, there are a handful of features to enhance your Olympics experience, both social and otherwise. But there's also so much more! Browse below to find fantastic tips, tricks and guides to enhance your digital life in the office, on the web and on the go. Editor's Picks Nerds on Film: 10 Techie Character Types We Love We love movies featuring nonexistent technology, innovative science, fancy gadgets and robots. Here are our fave character archetypes from tech films. 13 Fantastic Subreddits You Should Subscribe To Need to go a little deeper with your Reddit experience? These 13 communities are a great place to discover fascinating content and culture. 5 Ways to Get Email Overload Under Control The number of emails you receive will continue to grow every year. So what, if anything, can you do? Start with these five tips. 8 Human Jobs That Will Survive a Global Robot Takeover We found eight human jobs that we'll still need when robots rule the world. Start training now so you can outsmart the overlords. 8 Hot Gadgets That Stand Out -- At Any Price Here's a selection of devices that are -- either through price or uniqueness -- well worth what you'll pay for them. 13 Tumblrs to Satisfy Your Olympic Appetite These 13 Tumblrs will keep you up-to-date and entertained with Olympic coverage. Social Media 18 Social Media Slip-Ups That Will Get You Fired What not to do: 19 absurd (and sometimes hilarious) Facebook and Twitter updates that won't impress your boss or potential employer. 11 Social Media Tips for the Public Sector Based on tips from social media directors in the U.S. federal government, here's a list of social media guidelines in the public sector. Music Monday: Mashable's First MP3s From Metallica to Kelly Clarkson, on this Music Monday check out the first MP3s Mashable's staff ever downloaded. 20 TV Shows With the Most Social Media Buzz This Week Which TV shows generate the most buzz on social networks? Find out each week from our social TV chart. How Churches Use Social Media/a> Churches are using social media to increase outreach. 10 Moments of Triumph Photographed by Our Readers Check out these moments of triumph submitted by our readers for this week's Mashable Photo Challenge. 9 Inspiring Photo Blogs You'll Love From travel to fashion, these photo blogs will give you a little dose of inspiration and creativity. And maybe a little wanderlust. Which Social Networks Take Home the Gold?/a> Breaking down demographic, geographic and search data that shows which networks are the underdogs and which have mounted the winners' podium. Which US Olympians Have the Most Social Media Influence?/a> Basketball star LeBron James takes the gold for social media influence. Here's How to Appear Higher on Google Search Results/a> BrandYourself created this infographic to help you learn how to make results that are actually you appear higher up. 15 Travel Twitter Accounts to Follow Check out these 15 Twitter accounts to follow in the travel industry. 13 Bona Fide Geeks to Follow on Twitter Looking for the geekiest people on Twitter? We've created a list of the 13 best geeks to follow. For more social media news and resources, you can follow Mashable's social media channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. Business & Marketing 10 Tips for a More Beautiful and Functional Home Office If you work from home, you owe it to yourself to set up a proper office space. We have tips to make it great. Are You Your Own Worst Boss? The self-employed are often overworked, stressed, and underpaid. Here are six ways to be a better boss to yourself. 3 Reasons Your Company Still Hasn't Moved to the Cloud Cloud-hosted enterprise software is evolving fast. So, who or what may create hesitation about adding new tech to your company? How To Work From Anywhere: the Documentary/a> The Wireless Generation takes us around the globe to see how mobility has improved working. 7 Benefits of Mobile Expense Reporting Mobile expense reporting essentially automates the entire process. Here is a breakdown of just a few of the benefits. How to Ensure Your Subscribers See Images in Emails Many email users automatically turn off images in their browser. Here's how to make sure those subscribers don't miss your creative. Marketing to Women? Keep These 3 Facts in Mind New findings shed light on social media marketing and women. We've pulled three important lessons from the data. 3 Game Changers in Online Marketing These are the three current developments that every marketer needs to pay attention to and address. How to Capitalize on Web-Generated Sales Leads So someone is interested in your product. How quickly should you pounce on a web-generated sales lead? 5 Reasons to Join a Niche Online Community If you're wondering about the pluses to joining a niche social network, here are five reasons B2B professionals like going narrow. 5 Tech Companies That Get Content Marketing Right The following five companies not only have innovative products, but also have insightful blogs with valuable and compelling content. 45+ Events in Advertising, Social Media and Marketing Our Events Board helps event organizers and the Mashable community convene at events in social media, tech, marketing and other fields. 5 Things Your Digital Agency Isn't Telling You Five things you may never hear from your PR firm. How to Build a Company Culture of Experimentation You have to build a culture of experimentation where testing is part of everything you do. Here's how you can get started. For more business news and resources, you can follow Mashable's business channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. Tech & Mobile 5 Super Cheap Web Analytics Tools Besides Google Google Analytics isn't the only measurement tool. We found five free (or really cheap) alternatives that offer handy features. 15 iPhone Apps for Your Summer Getaway We've rounded up 15 apps to make your vacation more efficient, relaxed and fun. 15 Texting Faux Pas to Avoid at All Costs Don't get a bad texting rep. Avoid these 15 texting gaffes, and your friends and family will thank you. 9 Evernote Products You Have to Try Apart from Evernote's basic note and archive tools, these products expand the functionality of the app for a richer, more organized experience. How to Get the Outlook.com Email Address You Want If you have a Hotmail address, you don't automatically get the same address under Outlook.com. Here's how to make sure you get it. How to Change Your Dropbox Password, and Make It Better Dropbox is the latest tech company to have fallen victim to a security breach, and there's a good chance your account is at risk. How to Turn Your Smartphone Into An Emergency Kit Here are nine that will help you prepare for, react to, and report emergency situations. How Does 3D Printing Work, Anyway?/a> 3D printing is some pretty impressive technology, but how exactly does it work? This infographic breaks down the potential. If the Internet Were a Galaxy it Would Look Like This Russian programmer Ruslan Ekineev created The Internet Map of the world wide web, plotting 350,000 websites as though they were planets. 7 Beautiful Timelapse Videos and How They're Made Check out some amazing timelapse videos and get a brief overview of the genre. 10 Email Extras You Should Be Using for Increased Productivity Stop wasting time by sticking these 10 email tools into your productivity toolbox. 10 Terrific iPad Apps for Toddlers From potty training to musical experimentation to a digital doll house, these 10 iPad apps are the perfect mix of educational and fun. 6 Hot Mobile Games You Need to Play We've rounded up the most talked-about mobile games that are popular right now. For more tech news and resources, you can follow Mashable's tech channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.		TOP STORIES TODAY Have Fun Destroying Web Pages with Font Bomb Meet Nina: Siri's Cousin for Apps 11 Deep Student Discounts on Back-to-School Tech National Zoo Live Streams Cute Critters to Your Phone Why This Haptic Steering Wheel Could Save Your Life TOP TOPICS Trending 7,545 followers Social Media 75,581 followers Mobile 5,253 followers Watercooler 70 followers Apps And Software 1,208 followers Entertainment 3,784 followers Gadgets 8,445 followers Business 39,153 followers US 1,079 followers Twitter 60,268 followers
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