Myo : Bring on the smart bracelet and control your digital world.

Feb 28

In the category “Shut up and take my money” friend of the show Konrad sent us a great new product that we can pre-order if we have some cash to spare. The MYO can be considered the lovechild between the Microsoft Kinect (but without any optics) and a Nintento Wiimote. This “Smart Bracelet” uses the power of gyroscopic sensors with muscle movements to ” See what you mean”.  Just like the “Leap” we talked about on a previous post, the Myo offers another deadly nail to the coffin of mice and touchpads all over the world and is heralding the coming of a new age where a we will interface with technology in a way that is dramatically different from today.

Whether or not this is vapor-ware still needs to be proven. The site is taking pre-orders and at 149 dollars its a risk some of you might be willing to take. If the Mo ever gets massed produced depends on the way developers will react to this. Unlike Google with Google Glass , this company does not have a multi million dollar budget or hords of drooling staggering developer-zombies on its payroll. But it all .. it looks amazing.

Aside from the fact that you will look a little awkward waving your hands and arms around to make a point. Some people might mistake you for a Sith lord and await lightning bolts to fire from the fingertips of your outstretched hands, Others might see you as the next leader of the “third reich” as you swing your rightarm upward to control that military jeep. Although I can see the possibilities here, I’m also very worried that you might delete the textfile you have been working on for hours because you scratched your head with the wrong hand.  

But no matter if it makes you look as a megalomaniac super villain who is suffering from an epilepsy attack in the middle of the street .. I want this ! 

Links : https://getmyo.com/

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Pimp an old laptop into a surveillance system with Skype.

Feb 26

A couple of days ago I got a second hand 7 inch EEE-Pc as a gift from a friend. Its a cool little system and I was looking for an interesting way of putting it to good use. Of course our “Return of the Netbook” podcast brought many an idea to mind, but I wanted something different. Instead of using it as a workstation, I thought that a little bit of “Server Side technology” would come into good use. The thing is pretty small, consumes no power whatsoever and can do some cool things should you want it to.

Turn it into an “on demand” Nannycam. : One of the simplest alternatives is to install Skype on it and turn it into a Nannycam. 

  • Install Skype.
  • Create a separate account for the laptop
  • Set up the laptop to automatically send video.
  • Add your Skype account to the friends list.
  • Configure : Auto-answer to have the laptop “pick up” whenever you call it using your account.
  • Mute the speakers on your laptop.
  • ( Or follow this guide

This is by far the easiest and most cross-platform friendly solution for your old netbook that will help you get some use out of the old baby. Make sure to tweak your security settings on Skype so the laptop won’t accept calls or chats from people outside the contact list. (and just to make sure , cover the webcam with a post-it note when you want to be sure nobody is watching.

What would you use as surveillance software ? Tell us in the comments section.

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The Geek survival pack for social gatherings : The Facebook Cheat Sheet.

Feb 25

With more and more people flooding to Facebook it is only a matter of time before us geeks can no longer wander through the streets without “norms” clambering up to us … cellphones in hand .. mumbling questions of “How do I do this on Facebook ? ” Like a scene from the popular TV show “The Walking Dead”… us Geeks are the last surviving Humans, beholding the sacred knowledge of the Interwebs, while countless others stumble around in ignorance and .. try to pick our brain !  So instead of a flamethrower, here is another way of defending yourself. Instead of explaining over and over how Facebook works : Just hand them the “Facebook Cheat Sheet” from the “Dummies” series of books. 

One of the lesser known secrets to man is that, with every “Dummies” book there is an online cheat sheet available to help you “remember” how things are done. This “Facebook Cheat Sheet” is just one of the many examples. Hopefully it will help you at the next family dinner … if not .. you can still build your own flamethrower.

Links : The Facebook Cheat Sheet. 

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“Tiltshift” for IOS helps you become the bigger man.

Feb 24

The one thing that is a bit of a bummer when it comes down to being a city stomping giant like Godzilla is that its very hard to find gloves in your size. One of the upsides is that people look very small and insignificant. How about an application that helps you to achieve both things ? Enter “Tiltshift” for IOS. A cool little application that lets you make these great shots where cars look like toys and people look like tiny tin soldiers wobbling around your on private city mockup. Its simple to use, has some pretty effects and the results are pretty good.

For a free app this surely beats posting yet another picture to Facebook with some signature “This was done in Instagram” effects. Get it now and feel what its like to be Godzilla ! 

Download : Tiltshift.

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kw505 : Curating the library of your mind.

Feb 20

The internet is a valuable source of information but the question is : How can we get the most out of it ? In this show we take a look at the possibilities of gaining knowledge and experience from the wide wide web. We look at the different sources of information that are out there and how you can streampunk these informationstreams into your way of life. Last but not least we give you some essential tips on where and how to consume your carefully selected information to “curate the library of your mind’.

Shownotes.

Music by Aes Dana : Principles of Gravity.

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