Friday, 29 January 2016

This user hacked his Nexus 5 to add SD Card slot

This user hacked his Nexus 5 to add SD Card slot

This is how you can add a MicroSD slot to your Nexus smartphone running on Android 6 Marshmallow

Except for the first Google Nexus, Google and the Nexus manufacturers have been shipping the Nexus smartphones without MicroSD slots. In fact, after 2010 when Google launched Nexus One with SD Card Slot, it never again included support for a removable storage card in a Nexus phone.
A Reddit user, Sockpockets took it upon himself to add a MicroSD slot on his 2013 Google Nexus 5 smartphone. To understand why he did you should know that the Android 6 Marshmallow version supports MicroSD cards as internal memory.
Sockpockets took the back cover off his phone, connected a microSD card adapter to the micro USB connector, and now his phone can read removable storage cards.
Since Android 6.0 allows for adoptable storage, he can even treat a microSD card as if it were internal storage, although it won’t be as fast as the built-in storage. He notes on the thread that,
“So this is barely an actual modification, i’d really like to just solder the microSD slot + PCB to the micro USB pins, and have it mounted outside the back cover but im not sure if I would be able to keep the functionality of the original micro usb port.”
While he can successfully access the memory from MicroSD card after the hack, he has had to face following problems :
  • The back cover won’t fit on the phone while the adapter is connected, so you’ll need to improvise a solution. Sockpockets put a third-party cover on the back, but it doesn’t offer a lot of protection against dust since there’s an opening for the camera.
  • While a USB OTG adapter is connected, you cannot charge the phone with a USB cable. So you’ll need to use wireless charging.
However considering all the odd, Sockpockets did something impressive. If you want to try out the same, do remember, you can damage some functionality in your Nexus smartphone or worst still brick your smartphone.
Source:Techworm.net
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This 18-year-old left his job at ‘Yo’ to spread the joy of programming

This 18-year-old left his job at 'Yo' to spread the joy of programming

Coding makes this 18 year-old leave a secure job at one word messaging app ‘Yo’

Zach Latta had already seasoned out of his Los Angeles, California public high school by the time he as 16 and was working at Yo – a one-word messaging app that came to fame in 2014 – as an engineer and lead backend developer.
Now, Latta at 18 is residing in San Francisco and working on his quickly expanding coding organization called Hack Club.
“I’ve always found myself able to learn the most when I can completely throw myself at something,” Latta told Business Insider.
Latta has surely thrown himself strongly into his work as co-founder and executive director of Hack Club. The organization has grown to 54 schools across 12 states and five countries in just one year after founding it.
Hack Club is a non-profit organization with four full-time employees including Latta. The organization’s 2014 tax filings indicate the majority of its funding resulted from grants and contributions.
A 2015 Thiel Fellow, Latta has become one of 20 people selected to receive $100,000 and mentorship, on a condition that they skip or withdraw from college for two years. When Latta was 17, he was awarded the fellowship last June and had no plans of attending college.
The thought behind Hack Club is simple, even if the coding behind it is not. Coding classes or clubs may be offered by a few high schools, they generally teach students dated coding standards. According to Latta, coders working in the industry in reality use software written in the past six months.
Using up-to-date standards, Hack Club works with high school students to start and lead programming clubs at their schools. It offers software tools, baseline coding curriculum and community-building training.
The education category saw Latta, and his co-founder Jonathan Leung, 25, earn a spot on Forbes’ 2016 30 under 30 list due to the innovation and success of Hack Club. Latta was one of the youngest honourees on the list.
“Our whole philosophy is that what’s cool about coding is that it lets you do what you want to do and it lets you build real things,” Latta said. “You don’t have to have a college degree, you don’t have to have years of training. As long as you have internet access you can do whatever you want to.”
Many of the apps or websites that Hack Clubs members have built are on display on its site.
For example, there is Kenko, which is funded by Goldman Sachs that labels itself as “shazam for food,” where you take a photo of any food and receive health insights. It definitely seems targeted at challenging the status quo, even though not all of the coding at Hack Club involves “hacking” per se.
Latta stated that one group of students in one of his clubs is working to “kill Slack” and build a better app for communications in workplace. Many companies including Business Insider, use Slack, a real-time messaging service to communicate around their offices.
Some of that “establishment-killing attitude” is intrinsic in hacking subculture, with its documented distaste for authority. But some of that approach within Hack Club is likely a by-product of Latta’s own attitudes about coding.
“Before I started focusing on programming, I felt really stuck,” he said. “I thought the way the world was put together is the way the world was put together, and it’s always going to be that way. Programming really changed that mindset for me.”
Latta started coding in middle school. His interest grew into a love of programming by the time he got to high school. He started a coding club with about 15 students, as Latta did not know anyone at school he could write code with.
“It wasn’t the greatest club, but just having anything at all made such a profound impact on what I got out of high school,” he said.
In order to dedicate all of his time to programming, Latta started concentrating on seasoning out of school early. He designed his own home-schooling program sophomore year and tested out that same year.
While he was thrilled for the chance to pursue programming, his parents, both social workers, were not very sure of his decision, especially when he made a decision to skip college and jump right into the industry.
When Latta’s parents saw the success he was finding in the workforce, their unwillingness gave way to support.
He was a 16-year-old without a college degree making market rate as an engineer says Latta when he started working at Yo. While he did not spill how much Yo paid him, a search of Glassdoor indicated that software engineers in San Francisco make an average salary of $103,000.
“I think to them at the time that was a ridiculous concept,” Latta said.
He considers a college degree isn’t that important to employers anymore, for which the internet should be thanked in part.
“I think the fundamental idea is that a college degree is a ‘vote,’ and so many other things can provide the same value as that vote can,” Latta said.
During the upcoming year, he plans to concentrate on expanding his Hack Club. Currently, there are clubs in Indonesia, Zimbabwe, and Hong Kong. He plans to expand his reach domestically and internationally.
But at its root, his inspiration is to continue to empower students through coding.
“The reason why programming is so special to me is that I think programming shows you that you have power, and that you can do things, that you are your own person,” he said.
Source:Techworm
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Thursday, 28 January 2016

Loon Copter is a drone that can not only fly in the air, but swim underwater as well

Loon Copter, drones

A drone that can swim, float or fly according to your wish

If you want to capture some underwater photography, or travel far above the ground, Loon Copter is definitely the drone for you

As more and more drones are being manufactured, their functionality will also have increased in the near future, thanks to the latest product. Loon Copter, as they are calling it, is the latest drone that possesses the capability to not only fly above the ground, but if you wanted to search for a missing artifact or a valuable necklace (Titanic reference) under the sea, then this drone is capable of traversing underwater as well (to a certain limit that is).
The drone was developed thanks to the combined efforts of the intelligent folks stationed at Oakland University’s Embedded Systems Research Laboratory. As stated above, Loon Copter will not only be able to fly above the ground, but it will also be able to navigate under the water’s surface. Despite the fact that The Loon Copter project has been around for quite some time now, the latest prototype is much more refined, to the extent that it actually became a semifinalist in the 2016 Drones for Good competition.
Aesthetically, the Loon Copter looks pretty much like a conventional quadcopter, and the only distinctions that separate the drone is a taller, barrel-like body. The magic behind the machine’s capability to traverse on both air and water is the ability to fill its buoyancy chamber, causing it to safely sink to a few meters beneath the surface. Additionally, the Loon Copter also employs a very clever design that allows it to tilt 90 degrees in the water.
In this manner, its propellers will start to act like outboard motors, allowing it to navigate sea. Unfortunately, the drone has not been manufactured for exploring the deepest depths of sea since the extreme pressure will alone cause it to stop malfunctioning, but it is possible that future revisions will definitely bring in more drones that will have the capability to go further deep into the ocean. For now, we will have to commend upon the advancement of the new drone, and with each iteration, hope for better features to come forward.
Source:Techworm.net



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Its Not Just You, Everyone Is Looking For Free Wi-Fi In Hotels, Here Is Why

Its Not Just You, Everyone Is Looking For Free Wi-Fi In Hotels, Here Is Why

Even the Super-rich want free Wi-Fi in hotels according to  a survey

In an age where everything is done online, internet is a must, wherein Wi-Fi is the most preferred network. So, what happens when you travel and you need Wi-Fi. How about checking into a hotel that has free Wi-Fi?
Yes, most of the hotels these days provide free Wi-Fi as a complimentary service. There may be good chances of free Wi-Fi connection when you check into any average US hotel. But what about those lavish hotels that charges you for internet connection and presents you with a huge bill.
This disconnect has been noticed by the wealthiest group of people, and they are not happy.
Complimentary Wi- Fi is the top “desirable amenity” for more than half this demographic based on the habits and preferences of the wealthiest 1 percent and 5 percent of travellers says reports. While fifty-one percent called it “extremely important,” 66 percent said it was at least “very important” to have at a hotel.
Resonance Consultancy came to the figures after doing a survey of 2,391 travelers. The top 1 percent was defined as those with annual income of US$400,000 or more or a net worth above US$8 million. The 5 percent were classified as earning at least US$200,000 per year or having US$2 million or more. (The former group represented 724 of those surveyed.)
Henry Harteveldt, a travel consultant with Atmosphere Research Group in San Francisco said that many of the costliest hotels charge extra for the Wi-Fi just because the guests are traveling for business and expensing the cost or are wealthy clients who have no problems in paying a bit more.
“It’s a glaring inconsistency in the hotel business, and frankly it’s just a flat-out stupid approach to doing business,” he said.
The issue is likely to continue stirring many upscale lodging chains that are weighing where and how to offer Wi-Fi and whether it will need to become complimentary. Currently, many luxury brands offer free Internet access to guests who join their loyalty programs including Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants Group and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts.
For instance, if you book rooms in Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide through its hotel’s website or mobile app, it offers free Wi-Fi to members of its loyalty program and in public spaces. Booking through the hotel’s site or mobile app helps decrease the company’s distribution costs. Its lower-cost chains-Aloft, Element, and Four Points-offer free in-room access, while guests at its luxury St. Regis properties have complimentary Wi-Fi period. However, in the midst of Starwood’s hotel-room price pack, the W and Westin brands charge guests additional fees to access Wi-Fi in their rooms.
All members of loyalty program of InterContinental Hotels & Resorts are offered free Wi-Fi. Even if you are not a member of the program, Internet is free at seven of the company’s midscale brands, including Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza. However, there is no offer provided at the luxury Intercontinental chain.
There is no clarity as to why no free internet service is provided at a US$500 (or more) hotel room when Starbucks, airports, and coffee shops on the other hand have thought out the finances for doing so. It could be that most hotels look at the way to free Wi-Fi easy enough and see it as a serious way to drive greater involvement in direct bookings and loyalty programs.
Others have surrendered to demand. Hyatt Hotels nearly a year ago had made Wi-Fi free in rooms and public spaces at its more than 500 properties throughout the world on Valentine’s Day. (Meeting rooms are not covered by the policy.)
Hyatt Hotels spokeswoman Stephanie Sheppard via e-mail said, “Wi-Fi had quickly become a basic expectation for travelers, as essential as a comfortable bed or clean room.”
Hotel operators such as Hilton Worldwide Holdings offer free basic Internet access but impose fees for greater bandwidth use, including video streaming. This development partially reflects the growing inventory of Wi-Fi gadgets basically packed by travellers these days such as a laptop, tablet, and smartphone per person, said Harteveldt. The bandwidth increases rapidly when you have a couple staying with two teens in a hotel.
Still, the obvious gap between room prices and free Wi-Fi is not lost on many travelers. It also helps clarify as to why so many popular hotel lobbies are congested with guests looking at their phones and laptops.
“It’s just a jarring inconsistency and a black mark on what is otherwise a wonderful guest experience,” said Harteveldt.
According to the report, privacy was the second-most requested hotel facility for wealthy travelers after free Wi-Fi. Just below kids’ programs, the least attractive hotel option was Tennis.

Source:Techworm.net
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Awesome Global Competitive Drone Racing League on the lines of podracing from Star Wars

Awesome Global Competitive Drone Racing League on the lines of podracing from Star Wars

People to race their drones in the first global Drone Racing League

This is a race straight out of Star Wars! If you remember, young Anakin Skywalker win the Boonta Eve Classic podrace on Tatooine, you will know the excitement that comes with it. Now a league from New York is planning a global race with drones.
The New York City-based Drone Racing League (DRL) was launched yesterday and will kick off with six events in 2016 throughout the world. The first event will be in Miami on Feb. 22 and the second will be in Los Angeles in mid-March. Locations haven’t been finalized for the remaining four events, but locations under consideration include Detroit; Auckland, New Zealand; and Mexico City.
For you to understand what drone racing is all about see the GIF below :
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All the DRL drone races will be in closed-door locations. DRL’s first official race was in the Dolphins’ stadium, and its next one will be in an abandoned mall in Los Angeles—and after each event, the DRL will produce a series of episodic videos of the races.
DRL plans to add funk to the racing arena by lining the buildings in bright neon lights and pumping in dry ice fog. This make the course and the drones a bit easier to spot with the naked eye, and also a video to watch for aficionados.
Drone pilots will wear goggles that show a live video feed from the perspective of the drone they are controlling. The winner will be decided on skill rather than speed because all drone pilots will get the same, custom racing drone called the DRL Racer 2, which can go as fast as 80 miles per hour.
“We’re committed to building the best drones, most inspiring courses and creating the ultimate proving ground for the world’s greatest drone pilots,” says Nicholas Horbaczewski, the founder and CEO of DRL, in a statement announcing the new league.
The league is also using a competitive structure similar to downhill skiing to ensure pilots get a fair shot. Other drone races have had qualifying heats, but the DRL will have multiple heats per race. Season winners will be decided by the racers with the most points after all the events are complete.
Source:Techworm
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Physicist risks gunshot underwater for the sake of science

Physicist risks gunshot underwater for the sake of science

An amazing video shows how a physicist braved gunshot underwater to prove science

Daredevil Physicist Andreas Wahl in his video has proved how the velocity of a bullet slows down when it’s fired underwater unlike in movies and video games where it is shown that the bullets travel in a straight line. Wahl decided to test it by putting his life on the line in the name of science in a lovely visual experiment.
The video posted by Wahl on YouTube shows him standing in the middle of a swimming pool holding a string that will pull the gun’s trigger aimed at him from 1.5m away. When the string is pulled, the bullet bursts out of the gun with as much power as it would above the surface. However, it does not even come close to hitting Wahl. The video shows that the bullet loses a lot of its momentum before it sinks to the bottom, which is not even halfway to its mark. And the reason for this is due to resistance underwater.
According to the video, “It’s harder to create movement in water than in air, because water molecules are closer together than air molecules.”
We all are aware that it is difficult to move in water than out of it but the extent to which it slows something as streamlined as a bullet is far more impressive than one can imagine.
Check out the video below to see Wahl’s impressive experiment with the underwater gun.
Source:Techworm



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Tuesday, 26 January 2016

How Intel Aims To Defeat Hackers With Intel Authenticate Technology In Processors

Intel-Authenticate-dengan-perkakas-Intel-Core-vPro

Short Bytes: On Tuesday, tech giants Intel announced a chip technology called Intel Authenticate to defeat the hacking attempts. This technology uses hardware-based ‘multifactor authentication’ and it will be added to company’s line of sixth-generation processors. 
Multinational technology giant Intel announced its new technology Intel Authenticate which is designed specifically to curb and foil hackers who use fake email ID’s to lure employees into giving in their usernames and passwords. The authentication system, which will use the multi-factor authentication – a system which uses more than one method to identify a user, will be a part of the company’s sixth generation processors.
Intel Authenticate is also said to allow future corporate IT managers to replace the long and ever-changing passwords with a rather short personal identification number, among other identification procedures that may include biometric identification systems such as the fingerprint system, location of the building the employee is in and other systems such as the proximity of the employee’s mobile
or badge etc.
IT managers also have the option to choose the features to be embedded into the chip. Tom Garrison, an Intel Vice President said, “IT has full power”.
Intel will add Authenticate to all the processors that it will sell for all enterprise computers. However, the chips embedded with Authenticate will enter production after being tested by some businesses, Garrison said.
Garrison also reported that an estimated 117,000 corporate cyber-attacks occur every day and involve phishing for the username and password. Phishing is a method used to trick people into revealing their usernames and passwords. The biggest advantage of including Authenticate into the chips is the inherent inclusion of an element of security in the PC. In other words, the PC itself becomes a part of the security system. Industry analyst Patrick Moorhead of Moor Insights and Strategy supported this by saying:
One of the biggest keys to this is there is a secure element inside the Intel processor that manages all of this. That wasn’t available before. A lot of different pieces had to come together. Hardware is a lot harder to get into.
Even if someone obtained the password, he would be blocked by layers of additional security stashed inside the computer’s processor, he said.

source:fossybyte
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10 Most Common Mistakes Every Beginner Java Programmer Makes

java common mistakes

Short Bytes: According to you, which is the most common mistake every beginner makes while coding in Java programming language? Well, there are some basic coding mistakes that people make again and again. Know how to spot them and improve your coding skills.
Since its advent in 1995, Java has been changing our lives and exceeding the expectations of people. The Sun Microsystems team that worked around the clock to develop this programming language targeted the digital television industry. As the concept of Java was too advanced at that time, it seemed perfect for the internet and other applications.
Over the time, object-oriented programming language Java has spread everywhere and created its own special place in the world of programming. The language is easy to learn but problems do exist in Java just like any other language. Here I’ll be covering the 10 most common mistakes made by every Java programmer.

This list is based on the research work done by data scientists that covered 250,000 Java programming beginners from all around the world. Using 37 million compilations, they revealed the most common errors a developer makes while coding in Java.

To scan this enormous data set, Amjad Altadmri and Neil Brown from the University of Kent, UK put the mistakes in 18 possible categories. The programs were scanned for changes over the time by looking for the next compilation where the mistake was no longer present.

10 Most Common Mistakes Every Beginner Java Programmer Makes

Surprisingly, it was found that most common Java mistakes were actually a result of common misconceptions based on loose evidence. Here are the top 10 errors made by beginner Java programmers:
  1. Unbalanced parentheses, curly braces, brackets, and quotation marks, or using these different symbols interchangeably, such as in: while (a == 0].
  2. Invoking methods with wrong arguments or argument types, such asin:list.get("abc").
  3. Control flow can reach end of non-void method without returning, such as in:
  4. Confusing the assignment operator (=) with the comparison operator (==), such as in: if (a = b).
  5. Ignoring or discarding the return value of a method with non-void return type, such as in: myObject.toString();.
  6. Use of == instead of .equals to compare strings.
  7. Trying to invoke a non-static method as if it was static, such asin:MyClass.toString();.
  8. Class claims to implement an interface, but does not implement all the required methods, such as in: class Y implements ActionListener { }.
  9. Invoking the types of parameters when invoking a method, such as in:myObject.foo(int x, String s);.
  10. Incorrect semicolon in if statements or for and while loops, such as in: if (a==b); return 6;.
The researchers observed that the most common mistake as also the easiest to spot. Comparatively, other bugs were difficult to notice and they went unnoticed for more than 1,000 seconds or were never tracked at all.
Did you find this list of the 10 most common mistakes made by every Java programmer helpful? Share your views in the comments below.
Source: Askaswiss
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