Lose your keys? Find them with your smartphone. It seems like a simple and logical enough idea that you wonder why it’s never been done before.
The Cobra Tag that we found over at Uncrate definitely gave us of those ‘why didn’t I think of that’ moments. It’s a small dongle that connects to your iPhone, Android or Blackberry by Bluetooth. Then you can attach it to your keys, dog, TV remote or any other object you need to keep track of.
Then, when the object leaves Bluetooth range, you can set it to send you an email or text message with exact GPS coordinates.
There’s another use for the PhoneTag though and that’s what really excites us. Instead of finding your items with the PhoneTag, you can also use it to ring your smartphone. That means no more frantic searches through a house with no land-line for your phone. Just grab your keys and punch the button on the PhoneTag. Ring ring!
I’m sure there’s other uses that you could think up for a Bluetooth location-enabled dongle for your smartphone, let us know what you think in the comments.
We’ve seen plentyofportablesolar chargers in our time, but few have looked quite as versatile as B-Squares — a new collection of 3D modular energy storage devices that can be arranged in various configurations, according to the kind of gadget you’re looking to juice. Developed by MIT grads Jordan McRae and Shawn Frayne, each solar-powered B-Square features a sticky microsuction surface, along with magnetic and electric contacts at each corner, making it easy to connect and arrange them in different formations. Rotating a single square will change its electrical circuit, depending on its adjacent connection. Some B-Squares, for example, feature LED surfaces, allowing you to create solar-powered lanterns, while others have solar panels, or simply serve as rechargeable battery sources. There’s even a square devoted to Arduino boards, along with another surface designed to dock and charge iPhones. McRae and Frayne have already put together a full “recipe book” of different configurations, though the DIY route seems a lot more enticing to us. Their B-Squares are set to leave the prototype phase on May 1st, at an as yet unspecified price. Check them out in video action after the break.
Two security researchers have discovered that Apple’s iPhone keeps track of a user’s location and saves that information to a file that is stored both on the device and on a user’s computer when they sync or back it up in iTunes.
The researchers, Pete Warden and Alasdair Allan, discovered the hidden file while collaborating on a potential data visualization project. “At first we weren’t sure how much data was there, but after we dug further and visualised the extracted data, it became clear that there was a scary amount of detail on our movements,” Warden told The Guardian.
You can watch Allan and Warden’s discussion about the data and how it can be surfaced in this video:
What Does the Data Say
The data, which is stored as a log in a file called “consolidation.db,” contains longitude and latitude coordinates along with a timestamp. Right now, it appears that Apple has been recording this information since iOS 4.0 was released last June. Allan and Warden think that this information is determined by cell-tower triangulation. Although it isn’t always exact, it can give a very detailed overview of where an individual (or their phone) has traveled over a period of time.
Visualizing the Data
Beyond simply revealing that this data is available and, with a little work, accessible, Warden and Allan created a web app that can create a visualization of a user’s location information from an iPhone or 3G iPad.
Warden and Allan are not the first two data scientists to uncover this data store. However, they have created the most layperson accessible proof of concept that can showcase how this data could potentially be used.
What Does this Mean
As Warden and Allan make clear, right now, there is no evidence that the data ever leaves the user’s custody or that it is transmitted to anyone else. In other words, for someone to access this information, they need physical access to your phone or your computer with data backups, along with the wherewithal to actually use it.
The bigger question is: why does this data exist in the first place? Moreover, why is this data not encrypted within a backup? Sure, users can choose to encrypt their iPhone backups, but this is the type of file that strikes us as being encryption-worthy from the start.
Realistically speaking, the likelihood that this data could be used for evil is miniscule. We would be far more troubled if this information was accessible to other apps or was sent to Apple. Having said that, its very existence raises questions that Apple should be forced to address.
iOS games range from the casual Doodle Jump to the nail-biting action of Dead Space. A new entry into the gaming market, One Single Life, puts you on the edge of your seat by offering players a single chance to beat the game. It’s do or die time on every round in this thriller released by FreshTone Games.
The gameplay is deceptively simple; all you have to do is jump from building to building without getting killed. One false move, though, and your character plummets to its death, and the game is over. Once you are gone, there is no second chance.
To make the game more of a nail-biter, players are subjected to some good ol’ verbal taunting before a jump. The game presents your dire chances of completing that level and questions your ability to beat the task at hand. As you can imagine, One Single Life is less about skill and more about mental toughness as you face this increasing pressure.
The game is available for free, so iOS owners can give it a try with no financial risk. The only thing you stand to lose is your pride.
Augmented Reality is done so much these days that it’s not even terribly cool anymore. However, Aurasma, a new iPhone app due out next month, is promising to add a new layer of video and interactivity onto everyday print.More »
