This High Tech Criminal Wunderkind Puts Any Bond Villain To Shame [Masterminds]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5501343/this-high-tech-criminal-wunderkind-puts-any-bond-villain-to-shame

Wired has an incredible article on Gerald Blanchard, a young criminal mastermind with a "savantlike ability to assess security flaws." The story opens with him parachuting onto a Viennese castle to steal a $2 million diamond jewel. Yeah.

In addition to his unique ability to find security holes, Blanchard used every type of surveillance gadget available as he meticulously planned his heists. Before stealing money from one bank, the article explains:

He had put a transmitter behind an electrical outlet, a pinhole video camera in a thermostat, and a cheap baby monitor behind the wall. He had even mounted handles on the drywall panels so he could remove them to enter and exit the ATM room.

In this case, it's hard not to root for the bad guy. [Wired via BoingBoing]

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Verizon to blanket 'one third' of America with LTE this year, double coverage in 15 months

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/24/verizon-to-blanket-one-third-of-america-with-lte-this-year-do/

Remember when we heard that Verizon Wireless just might be able to bump its commercial LTE rollout to the first quarter of 2010? Man, talk about having our hopes and dreams dashed. Here at CTIA, we heard a few details on the company's most up-to-date deployment plans, and it sounds like things are pretty well locked into place at this point. Tony Melone, the company's Senior Vice President and CTO, seemed remarkably enthused that a bona fide LTE network would be launching "in the not too distant future," and when pressed for specifics, he stated that they would launch "25 to 30 networks this year, covering one third of America by the end of 2010." Beyond that, we're looking at a footprint twice that size "15 months" after the initial rollout, and by the end of 2013, the company's 4G coverage map will be the same size, "if not larger," than its existing 3G map. Of course, the carrier insisted that they wouldn't be abandoning 3G advancement while being fixated on 4G, noting that it was moving "fast and aggressively" on both fronts, with hopes that its LTE network would eventually eclipse even the 3G networks (in terms of coverage size) of competitors. Them's bold words, VZW, and we'll be carefully watching to see if that really does come to fruition.

Verizon to blanket 'one third' of America with LTE this year, double coverage in 15 months originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 15:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Survey finds people eager to 'work on the go' with iPad, we wonder what line of 'work' they're in

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/24/survey-finds-people-eager-to-work-on-the-go-with-ipad-we-wond/

So, give this a listen -- a survey from the lairs of Sybase has found that among smartphone-owning respondents, some 52.3 percent of them "would use a tablet device such as the Apple iPad is for working on the go." We fully understand that this phrase leaves open the possibility of using tablets not Designed in Cupertino, but the mere fact that it's highlighted gave us pause. We're still trying to figure out how exactly Apple's forthcoming tablet is going to fit between our daily laptop and workhorse-of-a-smartphone, and without a major overhaul of the iPhone OS, we definitely can't visualize ourselves using it for "work." 'Course, maybe they're into something that doesn't require the use of multiple applications at once, and maybe the dearth of a real keyboard isn't much of a productivity killer, but we're just not sold on the iPad being a bona fide work machine as-is. So, what say you? Are you one of those 52.3 percenters? Or do you relate more with the vocal minority?

Survey finds people eager to 'work on the go' with iPad, we wonder what line of 'work' they're in originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 17:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Re universal remote dongle for iPhone now available

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/24/re-universal-remote-dongle-for-iphone-now-available/

Most of prefer to keep our eyes on the TV when in couch potato mode -- which kind of makes the smooth glass interface of a touchscreen remote out of the question. But who knows? Maybe you're some sort of Alpha control freak who needs to be able control damn near every A/V and/or home automation devices in your stifling McMansion. In that case, you're in luck -- the Re IR dongle for iPhone / iPod touch is now available -- officially and internationally. The App is free but the hardware will cost you a cool $70 -- hit the source link to get started. PR after the break.

Continue reading Re universal remote dongle for iPhone now available

Re universal remote dongle for iPhone now available originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 18:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung's ST5000 and WiFi-infused ST5500 digicams emerge in Korea

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/24/samsungs-st5000-and-wifi-infused-st5500-digicams-emerge-in-kore/

How's a company to follow-up on a point-and-shoot camera with two LCDs? Why, by tossing out a new one with integrated WiFi, of course! Originally teased last month, Samsung has gone ahead and rightfully introduced its new ST5000 and ST5500 over in South Korea, both of which tout 14.2 megapixel sensors, a 7x optical zoom and your choice of black or orange color schemes. The ST5000 gets gifted with a 3.5-inch rear touchscreen, while the ST5500 steps it up ever-so-slightly with a 3.7-inch AMOLED panel. The both of 'em can handle 720p movies at 30fps (H.264 format), and the HDMI output ensures that these will easily pipe footage to your nearby television. If you're looking for built-in wireless for uploading or emailing pictures sans a PC, you'll need to focus on the ST5500, but most every other internal feature on the big boy is also on the lesser guy. These seem to be headed out to South Korean shops as we speak, and we know that they'll be landing within the next month over in Britain for £279.99 ($417) and £349.99 ($521), respectively. As for you Yanks? Be patient, we guess.

Samsung's ST5000 and WiFi-infused ST5500 digicams emerge in Korea originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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