Posted: 29 Oct 2013 06:00 AM PDT
Created by the Italy-based design studio Digital Habit(s), P.A.C.O is a minimalist Bluetooth speaker that boasts for gestural controls. The components of the loudspeaker is fabricated in concrete and a special type of wooden material called the Fir Harmonic Board. These materials directly influence the excellence of the sound conveyed through the speaker; the concrete provides a deeper bass sound while the wood provides a warm tone to the treble noise. The combination of the two creates clarity without compromise.
Other than its Bluetooth controls, P.A.C.O. can be manipulated through the speaker’s gesture interface. Some of the movements include placing and holding one’s hand over one side of the sensor—this can be used for increasing or decreasing the volume. Another gesture involves placing the user’s hand above the sensor to stop or play the music. With the wave of one’s hand, this speaker can be enjoyed with various movements for fun and leisure.
This innovative product comes with a 3.5” speaker and a 2” surface transducer. P.A.C.O. has a 2×6 power amplifier, increasing its sound quality for better user experience.
As revealed by Design You Trust, the P.A.C.O. speaker is an open source material, just like the other products from Digital Habit(s). This means that these items are open to changes and developments that any user can apply to it. But the designs are all covered by a non-commercial Creative License. This means that while P.A.C.O. is encouraged to be improved, redistributed, optimized and used as a foundation for a new design, these items cannot be sold commercially.
Digital Habit(s) states that this project highlights the distinction between an electronic product meant for display and typical use, and an innovative item that offers something more. With its minimalist design, P.A.C.O. becomes a companion for music enthusiasts craving for new products that are out of the ordinary. Any user can make use of this product with iOS and Android OS; it is compatible with different digital devices connected wirelessly using Bluetooth.
[Image via Design-Milk]
The post Bluetooth Speaker P.A.C.O Makes Use Of Gesture Controls appeared first on TechBeat.
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Posted: 29 Oct 2013 05:00 AM PDT
About six months ago, BBM for Android and iOS was announced. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: BBM is the one thing that BlackBerry can be totally proud of. Outages notwithstanding. Of course, we know just how limited you can be with using BBM, as BlackBerry phones are not exactly the most popular units out there, but with the app finally available for the two other mobile platforms, BBM just might get a boost. And, if the numbers released by BlackBerry are accurate, they might just have a hit on their hands.
According to BlackBerry, BBM for Android and iOS was downloaded over 10 million times in merely 24 hours. Just as quickly, the free app topped the App Store’s charts, although the American Play Store seems more difficult for BBM.
Even the harshest BlackBerry critic has to give them a thumbs up for those numbers, yes?
Going past the impressive download numbers, though, BBM for Android and iOS still has to live up to its competition. The messaging niche is a crowded one, and while BBM has been around for many years, it has its work cut out for it, especially in the iOS and Android realms.
This is where issues do crop up as the cross-platform app is nothing like the original BBM. Naturally, it fits the latest BlackBerry OS, BB10, and early users have been free in mentioning how confusing the interface can be.
BBM for Android and iOS does retain its core features, some of which are not available in the popular messaging apps today. Remember how you can “ping” or “buzz” the person you are chatting with on Yahoo Messenger, for example? The original BBM had this, and this feature remains in the cross-platform version.
On the downside – which seems to outweigh the positives – BBM for Android and iOS has no video sharing and other fun features like Stickers. You can’t make voice calls. You can’t share contacts or calendar events either. Rumor has it that video and voice calls are coming in the next months, though.
The verdict
While it may be too early to give a verdict, initial impressions don’t bode well for BBM. Aside from the download numbers, there might not be much to keep BBM for Android and iOS to keep going.
[Image via tech2]
The post Is BBM For Android & iOS A Hit? appeared first on TechBeat.
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Posted: 29 Oct 2013 04:00 AM PDT
The Silk Road made a small fortune during its two and a half years as the web’s biggest anonymous black market for illegal drugs, but at least a $28.5 million chunk of that money now belongs to the FBI.
The bureau has located and seized a collection of 144,000 Bitcoins, the largest seizure of that cryptocurrency ever made. The value is worth close to $28.5 million at current exchange rates. It is believed the stash belonged to Ross Ulbricht, the man who allegedly created and managed the Silk Road. The popular anonymous drug-selling site was taken offline by the Department of Justice after Ulbricht was arrested earlier this month and charged with engaging in a drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracy, charges of computer hacking and attempted murder-for-hire were also mentioned.
The FBI official wouldn’t say how the government agency had determined that the Bitcoin “wallet” (a collection of Bitcoins at a single address in the Bitcoin network) belonged to Ulbricht, but, they did say that it was sure they belonged to him. “This is his wallet,” said an FBI official. “We seized this from DPR,” they added, referring to the pseudonym “the Dread Pirate Roberts,” which prosecutors say Ulbricht allegedly used whilst operating the Silk Road, (the Dread Pirate Roberts is a mysterious character from William Goldman’s 1973 novel, The Princess Bride).
When the Silk Road was taken down on October 1st 2013, the FBI seized nearly 30,000 bitcoins, which are worth close to $6 million based on the recent surge in the value of Bitcoin’s against the dollar. That was the first time the FBI had ever seized any amount of the cryptocurrency. This more recent seizure represents the biggest Bitcoin takeover by a law enforcement department, ever. “This is unprecedented,” said the official. “Even if this were a regular drug case, it would be huge.” In total, the FBI has now seized close to $34.5 million from the Silk Road. An FBI spokesperson previously told Forbes that it will likely exchange the seized bitcoins for dollars after Ulbricht’s trial or settlement concludes. In fact 174,000 bitcoins that the FBI controls now account for about 3.15% of all Bitcoins in current circulation.
In its criminal file against Ulbricht, the Department of Justice has claimed that the Silk Road had earned $80 million in commissions during its time in operation. It is unlikely, however, that the site’s administrators pocketed anywhere near that much in actual profit.
[Image via wired]
The post FBI Seized $28.5 Million in Bitcoins From Silk Road Owner Ross Ulbricht appeared first on TechBeat.
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Posted: 29 Oct 2013 03:00 AM PDT
In the age where everything can be written electronically, there’s so little need for real pens and pencils. However, Suck UK turned this notion around by producing a set of special pens called the Sketch Stylus. This item may look like your typical graphite pencil. The standard HB lead is perfect for doodling or for jotting down notes. However, don’t put a limit to what it can do; this can also work as a fitting stylus for your smart phone or tablet.
From the same maker who has created the Yellow Touch Screen Stylus Pencil comes another quirky innovation for consumers who loves drawing on their tablets but avoids the use of their fingers. The Sketch Stylus is an easy-to-grip pen that gives the user the capability of maximizing their touch screens. The traditional wood pencil shape presents comfort and accuracy, even when used for long periods. Signing, writing and drawing is made easy with a real pencil at hand.
The Suck UK brand is known for creating odd but useful accessories made to put some fun into daily digital living. Sketch Stylus is created with a built-in stylus in the form of its eraser. The electro conductive rubber is attached at the end of the pencil so you can use the other half for electronic purposes. This makes drawing in apps easier; you can now beat your friends at Draw Something with a real pen.
Gone are the days when you have to choose between analog and digital. With the Sketch Stylus, you can have fun with both worlds. Flip up your phone for a cool drawing session or take some piece of paper for a real hand-drawn art. Either ways, this handy stylus is perfect to keep you company. The Sketch Stylus works perfectly on iPad, iPhone, Android tablets and other devices.
[Images via design-milk]
The post Sketch Stylus: For Paper And Tablet appeared first on TechBeat.
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Posted: 29 Oct 2013 02:00 AM PDT
At the end of Treaure Island, San Francisco, a mysterious structure is rising from a floating barge. Although no one knows what is inside the series of modern cargo containers making up the strange structure, speculation is mounting that it belongs to Google.
Although Google has refused to comment on the matter, one expert who examined photographs taken of the site thinks that it could a sea-faring data centre. The position of the barge on water means that it would have easy access to a source of cooling.
In 2009 Google was granted a patent for a floating data centre. Plus, putting data centres inside shipping containers is already an established practice, so evidence is mounting to support the speculation.
The site that has been acquired for the project, named Hanger 3, is well guarded and protected by a private security company but satellite images show that the barge holds a four-story-tall modular building made up of shipping containers. The containers all have three narrow slits for windows and one container slops down at a 45-degree angle. Everything is wrapped in dark netting, giving no hint as to what is inside.
Stanford research fellow and data centre expert Jonathan Koomey, said that although saltwater could be problematic as a cooling source, it is a surmountable problem. “It wouldn’t surprise me at all,” Koomey said, “if there were a bunch of containers, and it turned out to be a data center.”
Regulating temperature is one of the biggest costs in maintaining a data centre but Google’s patent describes a data centre on a ship that can be perpetually powered by ocean currents, using sea water to cool the servers.
If this structure does indeed belong to Google then it could save the company millions in data storage costs.
[Image via TechSpot]
The post Is This Google’s Floating Data Centre? appeared first on TechBeat.
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Wednesday 30 October 2013
Bluetooth Speaker P.A.C.O Makes Use Of Gesture Controls
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