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Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Inmarsat brings prepaid model to satellite phone calls

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/22/inmarsat-brings-prepaid-model-to-satellite-phone-calls/

If you need a satellite phone, then you need a satellite phone. There's no getting around it. Researchers, government contractors and workers in remote locations around the globe rely on their near universal (and extremely expensive) coverage to keep in touch while out in the field. That has normally meant pricey, long-term contracts that lock users into service much like our nation's cellular providers. Satellite operator Inmarsat is finally providing an alternative for those that need truly global coverage (specifically, here in the US) by offering prepaid voice plans to owners of its IsatPhone Pro, BGAN, FleetBroadband and FleetPhone devices. The new plans, while no less expensive we're sure, should prove to be quite attractive to those that need satellite service for only short periods of time -- say, just a few months. The new plans will be available starting September 1st for those who want sat-phone service without the commitment. Check out the PR after the break.

[Photo courtesy of Tarquin Binary]

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Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Why We're Losing the Password War [Security]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5936515/why-were-losing-the-password-war

LinkedIn, eHarmony, Yahoo—it seems like we hear about a new hack just about every week now. We all know the password rules—don't use your mom's maiden name, don't use your pets name, use numbers and random letters. But despite those guidelines, we could be more screwed than we even thought. Ars Technica has a good look at why it's so bad.

The problem, you see, is that our passwords are spreading across more and more accounts while technology makes cracking passwords ever easier. As Ars explains:

Newer hardware and modern techniques have also helped to contribute to the rise in password cracking. Now used increasingly for computing, graphics processors allow password-cracking programs to work thousands of times faster than they did just a decade ago on similarly priced PCs that used traditional CPUs alone. A PC running a single AMD Radeon HD7970 GPU, for instance, can try on average an astounding 8.2 billion password combinations each second, depending on the algorithm used to scramble them. Only a decade ago, such speeds were possible only when using pricey supercomputers..

Each time a hack happens, crackers become more attuned to the types of passwords people use to protect their accounts and the techniques they employ to make these codes more difficult to uncover. Now they have entire lists full of passwords as a model. A couple of big hacks turned the tide in 2010—one of them hit RockYou, another hit us at Gawker—but since then, they're happening more and more often, as Ars notes:

Almost as important as the precise words used to access millions of online accounts, the RockYou breach revealed the strategic thinking people often employed when they chose a passcode. For most people, the goal was to make the password both easy to remember and hard for others to guess. Not surprisingly, the RockYou list confirmed that nearly all capital letters come at the beginning of a password; almost all numbers and punctuation show up at the end. It also revealed a strong tendency to use first names followed by years, such as Julia1984 or Christopher1965.

So what's the solution? Honestly, beyond everything you've already heard a million times about changing your passwords frequently, there may not be one. Head over to Ars if you want to feel even less secure than you already do. [Ars Technica]

Image credit: Yellowj/Shutterstock

Bowers & Wilkins P3 Review: The Sound Is There, but the Luxury Is Spare [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5936695/bowers--wilkins-p3-review-the-sound-is-there-but-the-luxury-is-spare

That Bowers & Wilkins makes excellent audio products is not up for discussion. The company's product history speaks for itself, ranging from outstanding iProduct docks to speakers made from diamonds. Even the Queen weighed in. A few years ago, B&W started making headphones, releasing the sensational P5s. The P3s are that product's little brother: $100 cheaper, with an additional trick up their cables.

What Is It?

High-class, high-buck headphones that fold up for easy travelin'.

Who's it For?

Frequent bizclass fliers, urban warriors not afraid of getting jacked, rich students, animal lovers.

Design

No animals died to make these headphones: Though they look a lot like the P5s, there's soft-touch plastic and speaker cloth in place of leather and brushed aluminum; this makes them feel like the lower-end product they are. The engineering, however, is still top-notch: B&W gave the P3 a double cord (ie, it comes out of both earcups) instead of a single cord because engineers had to re-design the driver enclosures to maximize airflow for a small space. Dope.

Using It

Sound is excellent, which is to be expected from a serious-business company like B&W—balanced and full, a little less bassy than the P5s, but nothing to whine about. They're quick firing off rapid sound salvos with equal oomph on every shot. The speaker cloth-covered earpads take some getting used to, but they keep your ears from getting swampy during long sessions.

The Best Part

Build quality is exceptional, a bounty of positive onomatopoeias: The 'phones fold up with a positive click; magnetic earpads catch hold of their cups with a satisfying thunk; the black, taco-shaped hard case snaps shut like it's trying to bite off your finger.

Tragic Flaw

Soft touch plastic. Everywhere. This is not a luxury material, it's a goddamn travesty. It belongs on the backs of phones and tablets, where you need a grip, not on an otherwise wonderful piece of gear. It's in such abundance—around the earcups, on top of the headband—that it just makes the whole product feel a little cheap. And this stuff does not wear well. Once it starts taking on that rubbed-down shine, these beautiful 'phones are gonna look like crap.

This Is Weird...

Folded up, in the case, it feels like the P3s take up more room in your bag than the un-foldable P5s in their quilted slipcase.

Test Notes

Listened to more than 100 hours of high-fidelity, low-quality, music—crap like Styx, Rush, Men at Work, and LOTS of Bluegrass. Oh, and Flo Rida—from a variety or sources: iPhone, iPod, HTC One X, Nokia Lumia 800, digital out to a Topping TP32 DAC.
Fucking soft-touch plastic.
Fuzzed for 72 hours using a looped brown noise track I made in a sound design class in college.
Available in black or white, but the white looks stupid.
Comes with a standard cord and one sporting an inline remote that's Made for iPhone. Circle-R.

Should You Buy It?

Sure. Go for it. [Bowers & Wilkins]

Bowers & Wilkins P3 Specs

Frequency response: 10Hz to 20kHz *cough*
Max. input power: 50mW
Sensitivity: 111dB/V at 1kHz
Cable length: 1.2m
Weight 130g
Impedance 34 ohms
Price: $200
• Giz Rank: 3.5 stars

Would You Buy a Plasma TV or a LCD TV? [Chatroom]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5936739/would-you-buy-a-plasma-or-lcd-tv

I know, I know. We all want to enjoy a gorgeous OLED TV or eat 4K visual deliciousness in our living room but those sets are ridiculously expensive and going to be pretty unrealistic for a long while. The best TV at the moment is the Panasonic VT50, a plasma screen, but we all know people's eyeballs have their own preferences.

So let's hear it. Plasma seems to have a lot of value at bigger sizes (I'm looking at buying a 60" set) and they've long shed most of the problems that gave it a bad rep earlier in the decade, so I'm leaning in that direction but do you guys think LED LCD TVs are still king? Which looks better? Are the energy savings real? What TV should I buy? I don't want any sort of quasi-smart features, just a big, dumb, beautiful screen.

Canon announces PowerShot SX500 IS, SX160 IS superzoom cameras ahead of Photokina

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/21/canon-announces-powershot-sx500-is-sx160-is-superzoom-cameras-a/

Digital imaging buffs are certain to experience a whirlwind autumn, but there's nothing on the books saying that manufacturers need wait for the biennial Photokina expo to roll out new models. Just in time for the back-to-school season, Canon is announcing two new superzoom cams -- the SX160 IS will serve as the successor to the SX150, while the SX500 IS is an entirely new camera, set to sit alongside the company's SX40 HS and SX260 HS point-and-shoots. Both new models include identical 16-megapixel 1/2.3-inch CCD sensors, intelligent image stabilization, a relatively modest ISO range of 100-800 and the ability to capture 720p video at 25 frames-per-second.

As you may have guessed the SX500 IS is the higher-end flavor, offering a 30x, 24-720mm lens with a maximum aperture range of f/3.4-5.8. That model boasts autofocus improvements of 32 percent and decreased shutter lag of 33 percent over the SX40 HS, Canon's former top model in this category. The SX160 IS, for its part, packs a 16x, 28-448mm f/3.5-5.9 lens and offers 22 percent faster autofocus and 46 percent less shutter lag than the SX150 it replaces. It's also powered by AA batteries, which some users may find to be an advantage, considering wide availability during trips abroad. Both cameras include 3-inch LCDs -- 461k-dot for the SX500 and 230k-dot with the SX160 -- and are set to ship in September, with the black SX500 IS priced at $330 and the SX160 IS available for $230, in both red and black.

Gallery: Canon PowerShot SX500 IS and SX160 IS