Category: The Outdated Archive

All my super old but still amazing blog posts \(^-^)/

First Look: The Blackberry TABLET


Research In Motion, Canadian maker of BlackBerrys, is rumoured to be working on a rival to the iPad, dubbed the BlackPad by tech watchers.

big thanks to @jenny_oreilly for showing me it

The device is scheduled for launch in November, according to reports, and will be roughly the same size as Apple’s device. RIM has already acquired the rights to the blackpad.com internet domain.

Users will be able to connect their BlackPad to the internet using the wireless connection of their mobile phone, rather than having to pay separately for 3G network access as users of the iPad must.

The introduction of the iPad, which hit UK stores in May, has reinvigorated the market for so-called tablet computers. In its recent results, Apple said it has sold 3.27m worldwide. But Steve Jobs’ Californian design empire is unlikely to have the market all to itself for long.

Several computer manufacturers are planning tablet devices based on Google’s rival Android software, which is already gaining a major foothold in the mobile phone market.

Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy tablet before the end of next month while LG plans to introduce one under its Optimus brand by Christmas.

Separately, RIM will tomorrow launch its latest attempt to produce a viable alternative to the iPhone. The BlackBerry 9800 has both a touchscreen and a slide-out qwerty keyboard.

RIM hopes it will be a viable alternative to both the new iPhone 4 and the plethora of devices being launched this year that use Android. Its previous forays into the world of touchscreens, with the BlackBerry Storm and Storm 2, met with mixed success.

RIM has seen its share of the smartphone market dip as a result of fierce competition not just from the iPhone 4 but from Android devices such as the HTC Desire and Droid Incredible. In the first quarter of the year – which did not include the new iPhone – RIM had a 19.4% share of global shipments, down from 20.9% a year earlier, according to research house IDC. Apple claimed 16.1% of the smartphone market, up from 10.9% a year earlier.

In the UK alone, sales of Android phones have risen by more than 300% from the beginning of the year, with one in 10 contract handsets sold in the UK now running Google’s mobile operating system, according to figures from retail watcher GfK.

[the Guardian]

How To Win Rock Paper Scissors Every Time!

Everything you’ll ever need right here!

The graphic above has information compiled about Rock, Paper, Scissors (RPS) from the World RPS Society, the masters of Rock, Paper, Scissors, to help you overcome your opponents and understand the strategies needed to win Rock, Paper, Scissors every time.

Blackberry OS 6 Unveiled!


It’s been teased since WES back in April — but with the launch of the Torch today, RIM had to come clean with all the details on its thoroughly refreshed BlackBerry 6 operating system, too. Besides the obvious name change from “BlackBerry OS” to simply “BlackBerry,” the software features countless updates, most notably new universal search functionality, social network aggregation, WiFi-powered media sync with your desktop music collection, and an all-new (and desperately needed) WebKit-based browser with support for HTML5. Thankfully, RIM has also committed to bringing BlackBerry 6 as an upgrade to at least a few recent models — the Bold 9700, Bold 9650, and Pearl 3G, to be specific — “subject to carrier certifications in the months ahead.” Follow the break for the video teaser.

Hackers Make ATM Machines Spit Out Cash Like A Slot Machine

i HAVE to Learn how its done, life would be so much easier lol

The ubiquitous ATM has quickly become a favorite, and often easy, target for hackers looking to make a quick buck. At the Black Hat Conference in Las Vegas, security researcher Barnaby Jack recently demonstrated a pair of hacks that allowed him to force an ATM to literally spit cash at him like he’d hit the jackpot on a slot machine. In the demonstration, Jack attacked ATMs from Triton and Tranax, but he said that he had successfully tried the methods on two other brands of machines, as well.

The first attack involved accessing a Tranax model over a network (although it could also theoretically be done on the Internet via dial-up) and bypassing the ATM’s authentication systems. Once inside, Jack installed malware that can either collect account numbers and PINs, or simply force the machine to spit out cash with a specially coded card. For his follow-up act, Jack opened the front of a Triton machine, inserted a USB drive loaded with similar malware, and watched as it automatically infected the ATM. The attack on the Triton is particularly unnerving, since it demonstrates that many ATMs use the same key to unlock the access panel (much like filing cabinets). That key can easily be purchased on the Internet for around $10.

Tranax is advising its customers to turn off the remote monitoring features, while Triton has patched the vulnerability allowing the code to be executed from the USB key. Those wishing for a little extra security can upgrade the lock on their Triton model ATM. Jack’s attacks focused on the kiosk-style ATMs found in convenience stores and restaurants, but he didn’t rule out the possibility that these vulnerabilities might affect bank ATMs as well. In April, a man was caught installing malware on Bank of America machines with the intent to steal cash. That was an inside job, but it’s still unclear whether or not your average criminal hacker could do the same.

The Most Expensive Iphone 4 on the Planet


Sure, there might be some kind of problem with the signal bar — perhaps it is software, as Apple claim, perhaps not — one day we’ll know. Meanwhile the adoring iPhone loving or loathing public might as well get their gossip going on this O.T.T. rich person’s creation, the $20,000 diamond-encrusted iPhone 4 from designer, Stuart Hughes.

Hughes likes to bling out his Apple devices — you’ll usually find at least one diamond and gold and dragon’s claw-encrusted Apple product emerge shortly after each Apple product introduction. (OK, I made up that bit about dragon’s claws).

Mitsubishi 75-inch 3D Full HD LaserVue 75-LT1 TV

Mitsubishi has confirmed the availability of the new 3D Full HD Laser TV for the Japanese market. The Mitsubishi 75-LT1 uses the company’s Laser technology, which is one of the most advanced technology so far. Mitsubishi’s laser technology a.k.a. LaserVue TV aims to provide a color range twice than found on a normal HDTV and reduces the power consumption. The new Mitsubishi 75-LT1 features a 75-inch Full HD panel (1920 x 1080) that can display 3D images using the side-by-side format, BS.110/CS Digital TV tuner, five HDMI inputs, an HDMI output, a D-Sub port, a trio of S-Video ports, a couple of 10W speakers and two pairs of active shutter 3D glasses. Priced at 750,000 Yens ($8,692), the Mitsubishi 75-LT1 will be released in Japan on August 21st, 2010.