Did a Car Company Really Just Make the Best Password Manager We've Seen? [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5920197/did-a-car-company-really-just-make-the-best-password-manager-weve-seen

Imagine if when you sat down at your computer it recognized you and unlocked all of your web accounts. No more logging in to anything. That's the promise of this new app by Ford. Yes, the car company.

Like other companies Ford has been using NFC keys for a while. When you're close to your car, it unlocks. So easy. Now the company has created Ford Keyfree, a Chrome extension which does essentially the same thing for your passwords. Your "key" is your smartphone. When you're close to your car, your phone talks to the Chrome extension via Bluetooth and automatically enters all of your passwords. When you walk away, the extension logs you out. Brilliant.

Ford Keyfree is a slick, intelligent piece of work. It turns out Detroit CAN innovate. As you can see from the video above it's obviously a marketing gimmick, and there are some practical security concerns. Isn't it kind of weird that all someone needs to get into my sensitive accounts is my phone? What's the proximity radius? Furthermore, since the app uses Bluetooth, it'll put a strain on your battery.

The app is only available in France right now. Ford reportedly plans to bring its password manager to America soon. [Fast Company]

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Brilliant Spinning Heatsink Cools CPUs 30 Times More Efficiently [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5920224/brilliant-spinning-heatsink-cools-cpus-30-times-more-efficiently

Most computers use a two-step process to cool the CPU. First, a heat exchanger pasted to the processor draws the warmth away. And then a combination of a heatsink and fans dissipate it away from the PC. But by merging those two steps into one, this spinning cooler ends up being greater than the sum of its parts.

The Sandia Cooler was developed by the Sandia National Labs who do enough research to know a thing or two about how to effectively cool a computer. The most interesting aspect of the cooler is that it doesn't attach directly to the CPU using thermal paste—which isn't possible given it's always spinning. Instead, it sits a mere thousandth of an inch above the processor, which creates what's called an air bearing that's actually just as efficient at transmitting heat.

And as the heat moves from the CPU to the cooler, it's almost immediately blasted away via a series of fins spinning at 2,000 rpm. As a result, Sandia claims the system is at least 30 times more efficient at cooling a processor than traditional heatsink and fan methods.

And not only is it also far quieter, but the blades are spinning far too quickly to ever collect dust. So while it lets you safely overclock your system, it's also automatically keeping it clean at the same time. And maybe that's the real innovation here. [Sandia National Laboratories via Dvice]

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Google files for a patent on peer-to-peer location finding, says cell tower triangulation is for chumps

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/21/google-files-for-a-patent-on-peer-to-peer-location-finding/

Crowdsourcing map data itself isn't a surprise; it's been the cornerstone of OpenStreetMap and is about to get a big boost through iOS 6. Crowdsourcing actual positions is still a relatively untapped resource, however, and Google thinks that it might just be the ticket to getting a device's location when GPS alone doesn't cut it. Much as your current phone uses triangulation between cell sites to help speed up a position lock, a technique in a new Google patent application uses the physical distances between nearby devices to get a complete picture, even if GPS is completely on the fritz. The peer-to-peer technique still needs an internet connection to reach the central service piecing information together -- there isn't much help if you're in areas where reliable internet access isn't always guaranteed. Likewise, there's no certainty that Google will use the patent in a future build of Android or Chrome OS. If it does, though, at least some of us may say goodbye to the days of our map positioning going haywire the moment we drive through a tunnel or step into an office without WiFi.

Google files for a patent on peer-to-peer location fin! ding, sa ys cell tower triangulation is for chumps originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Jun 2012 11:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here it Is: The World's First Remote-Controlled (LED) Light Bulb [Led]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5920090/here-it-is-the-worlds-first-remote+controlled-led-light-bulb

Don't you hate getting all bundled up under the covers, your pillows in the perfect scrunch position under your head, only to realize you didn't turn out the lamp on the opposite end of the room and there's no way you'll be able to sleep with that bright bulb shining in your eyes all night? I do. And I do this all the time.

Luckily for everyone, INSTEON, manufacturers of the best-selling and most reliable home-automation technology today, have come up with the perfect way to avoid finding yourself in the predicament ever again: the world's first remote-controllable LED light bulb.

The 60W, $29.99 bulb can be dimmed via a remote control available for both iOS and Android. As soon as the bulb is screwed in, its unique network address (which is printed on the bulb itself) is instantly recognized by the INSTEON network (or any nearby devices)—which means you'll be able to easily swap bulbs out without having to go through an annoying linking process.

With the most reliable, expandable, brilliant remote control system built right in, it's easy to grow your home network. Link one INSTEON LED Bulb to as many controllers as you want-including keypads, motion sensors, door sensors or even your smartphone. Or, link multiple bulbs to a single controller and turn them all on or off at the same time.

With intuitive tap, double-tap and press-and-hold controls, customize INSTEON LED Bulb's settings to suit any ambience through smooth dimming transitions and a wide range of brightness levels. And installing INSTEON LED Bulb is as easy as 1-2-3:

It's a modern tech twist on the old clapper. "App on—app, app—App off—app, app."
[Press Release]

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The Retina MacBook Pro Can Drive Four Screens Simultaneously [Apple]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5920134/the-retina-macbook-pro-can-drive-four-screens-simultaneously

The new Retina MacBook Pro is an incredible piece of hardware. On its spec sheets, Apple claims it can support "up to two external displays", but it turns out that's bull. In fact, it can support three external monitors.

Hey now. That's some impressive graphics performance from a laptop. This set-up has been tested by several people independently—including The Verge and OWC—and the results are impressive. OWC in particular reports being able to run the following displays:

Retina on laptop @ "best for Retina"
iMac used as a display @ 2560 x 1440 via Thunderbolt
iMac used as a display @ 2560 x 1440 via Thunderbolt/DisplayPort
LG monitor @ 1920 x 1200 via HDMI

Perhaps more impressive is the graphics performance on each and every display—after all, a static display on four monitors isn't much use unless you can actually do something useful with it. Again, leaning on OWC's test, it seems the MacBook has no issues:

"Moving images and media didn't create any lag and we were able to play video on all four displays simultaneously."

Four videos, simultaneously, with no lag. On a laptop. That's pretty sweet. For the record, Apple officially claims the MacBook "simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 2560 by 1600 pixels on up to two external displays." But we know better.

Of course, running three external displays from a laptop is (i) a pain in the ass and (ii) not as efficient as using a beefier computer. But it's still nice to know it can handle it. [The Verge, OWC]

Image by The Verge

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