Being prepared for such unfortunate scenarios is wise. In this article, we show you fice of the best apps out there designed to help you recover your stolen laptop. Remember, these apps are most effective when installed in advance, rather than after the theft has already happened.

Overview:

1. Prey

Prey is a robust app designed to track and secure various devices such as laptops, smartphones, and tablets. It employs multiple tracking methods like GPS, WiFi triangulation, and GeoIP to ensure precise location tracking. The app’s “Smart Tracking” feature is not only accurate but also battery-efficient. It updates the device’s location whenever it detects movement. A global view allows you to monitor the location of all your devices simultaneously.

Additionally, Prey lets you create “Control Zones,” which are geofenced areas that send alerts if a device enters or leaves them. You can also set automated security actions, such as device locking, based on these zones.

The “Location History” feature in Prey allows you to backtrack a device’s movements. This can help you spot any unusual activity. The data is organized by date and time and is visually represented through a heatmap. If a device is lost, the “Missing Reports” feature collects essential data like nearby WiFi networks and device photos to aid in its recovery.

Cost:

1. Prey Tracking: At $1.1 per month per device slot, this plan offers basic tracking features. It includes location history, missing reports, activity logs, and geofencing. The plan also allows remote screen locking. NGOs and educational institutions are eligible for a 10% discount.

2. Prey Protection: Priced at $1.6 per month per device slot, this plan includes all the tracking features of the first plan, along with added security features. You can perform custom wipes, factory resets, and even use a kill switch on Windows devices. It also supports remote encryption for Windows and file retrieval. A 10% discount is available for NGOs and educational institutions.

3. Prey Full Suite: Costing $1.8 per month per device slot, this all-inclusive plan offers all the features from the previous plans and adds mass actions, audit logs, and device loan management. Automated actions based on specific events or time frames are also included. Any future features will be added to this plan at no extra charge.

Compatibility:

Prey is compatible with Mac, Windows, Ubuntu, iOS, and Android.

2. Find My

If you’re a part of the Apple ecosystem, the Find My feature is a built-in solution for tracking your Apple devices. To enable this feature, go to System Preferences > iCloud and check the Find My box. This allows you to locate missing Apple devices like Apple Watch, AirPods, Macs, iPhones, and iPads through iCloud, or via your Mac.

Beyond just tracking, Find My also offers additional security features. You can remotely lock your device using a custom passcode. In more severe cases, you have the option to remotely wipe the device to safeguard your personal data.

Cost:

The Find My app is free, it comes built-in with your iOS and iPadOS devices.

Compatibility:

Find My is compatible with Mac and iOS.

3. LockItTight

LockItTight is a multifaceted tracking and monitoring app suitable for various users, including individuals, parents, and IT managers. For personal use, it provides GPS-based location tracking for all your computers and phones. Parents can utilize features like zone alerts, browsing history monitoring, and app tracking to ensure their children’s safety. IT managers in educational or corporate settings can manage multiple devices, generate reports, and apply universal settings with just one click.

The app boasts a wide range of core features compatible with different devices. These include location tracking and zone alerts, which notify you when a device enters or leaves a specified area. Android users can benefit from app tracking, while Windows users have access to features like screen captures, camera shots, key logging, clipboard logging, browsing history, and website blocking. This makes LockItTight a comprehensive solution for monitoring your devices, whether you’re an individual, a parent, or an IT manager.

Cost:

1. Free Plan: This no-cost plan allows tracking of up to 5 devices and includes 25 saved reports with updates every 5 minutes. All reports are encrypted for security.

2. Standard Plan: Costs $1.99 per device per month for monthly billing or $0.99 per device per month for annual billing. It includes 100 saved reports, 5-minute updates, and encrypted reports.

3. Premium Plan: Priced at $4.99 per device per month for monthly billing or $2.99 per device per month for annual billing. It offers 500 saved reports, updates every 2 minutes, and encrypted reports.

4. Ultimate Plan: Costs $9.99 per device per month for monthly billing or $7.99 per device per month for annual billing. It provides 1000 saved reports, updates every minute, and maximum security with encrypted reports.

All plans offer on-demand report requests and feature encrypted reports for enhanced security.

Compatibility:

LockItTight is compatible with Windows, ChromeOS, Android, and iOS.

4. Absolute

Absolute is a comprehensive security app designed to protect both your home and personal devices. It offers a variety of features focused on safeguarding your sensitive information and hardware. With enterprise-level data and device protection capabilities, Absolute is particularly well-suited for securing laptops and personal computers.

If a device goes missing, you can track it using GPS, Wi-Fi, and IP address data. Additionally, you can remotely lock the device to prevent unauthorized use and even remotely wipe all sensitive data to protect against fraud.

What sets Absolute apart is its unique device recovery feature, supported by a dedicated Investigations Team. This team assists in the retrieval of stolen devices. Moreover, the app offers a guarantee: if your stolen device is not recovered within 60 days, you may be eligible for up to $1,000, subject to specific conditions. This adds an extra layer of assurance, giving you both control and a safety net in unfortunate situations.

Cost:

1. Basic Plan: Priced at $19.99 for one year, this plan offers three core features:

   • Locate your device
   • Lock your device
   • Delete data from your device

2. Standard Plan: Costs $39.99 for one year and includes all the features of the Basic Plan, plus:

   • Recover your stolen device

3. Premium Plan: Priced at $59.99 for one year, this plan includes all the features of the Standard Plan and adds an additional guarantee:

   • Receive up to $1,000 if your stolen device is not recovered within 60 days (conditions apply).

Each plan is available for either a one-year or a three-year subscription period.

Compatibility:

Absolute is compatible with Windows and macOS.

5. Pombo

Pombo is a security software designed to assist in the recovery of stolen computers. Compatible with Windows, GNU/Linux, and macOS, it runs unobtrusively in the background, sending encrypted tracking data to a web server of your choosing. If your computer gets stolen, you can log into your web server to retrieve the most recent file uploaded by Pombo.

Once decrypted, this file can be handed over to law enforcement, providing them with vital information like the thief’s IP address, timestamps, nearby routers, and even a photo if your computer has a webcam.

With a focus on user privacy and security, Pombo encrypts all tracking data using GnuPG, ensuring that only you can decrypt it. Unlike other solutions, Pombo doesn’t depend on third-party services, giving you full control over both the client and server. Being open-source, it allows for customization and further development.

Additional features include the flexibility to switch servers, no software fees or subscriptions, and minimal impact on system resources. The collected data includes system details, network interfaces, current connections, and nearby Wi-Fi access points.

Cost:

Pombo is open-source and free to use.

Compatibility:

Pombo is compatible with GNU/Linux, Mac, and Windows.

Final Thoughts

The adage “prevention is better than cure” holds true, especially when it comes to safeguarding your laptop. The most effective way to recover a stolen laptop is to ensure that it doesn’t get stolen in the first place. While it’s true that unfortunate events can’t always be avoided, taking proactive measures can significantly reduce the risk.

Always be vigilant when you’re away from your laptop or other belongings. Keep an extra eye out to ensure their safety. Additionally, it’s advisable not to leave your devices unattended for extended periods. By taking these precautionary steps, you not only minimize the chances of theft but also save yourself the hassle and stress of dealing with a stolen laptop.

The post 5 Best Apps to Track Down Your Stolen Laptop (2023) appeared first on Hongkiat.

In this post, we’ve gathered 45 beautiful photos of abandoned places from around the world. Whether from accidents, wars, money or just simple abandonment, each one has its own history that will surely keep you intrigued.

Namie, Fukushima, Japan

Image Source: Damir Sagolj

Ryugyong Hotel, Pyongyang, North Korea

Image Source: Timur

Tanque Verde Guest Ranch, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Image Source: Ethan Kahn

Domino Sugar Factory, Brooklyn, New York City, USA

Image Source: Tom Harrison

Michigan Building, Detroit, Michigan, USA

Image Source: Bob Jagendorf

Bannerman Castle, Pollopel Island, New York, USA

Image Source: ArtificialOwl

Buzludzha Monument, Bulgaria

Image Source: KamrenB

Hashima Island, Nagasaki, Japan

Image Source: Jordy Meow

Miranda Castle, Celles, Belgium

Image Source: P. J. L. Laurens

Chambre de Commerce, Antwerp, Belgium

Image Source: Saul

Denbigh Asylum, Denbighshire, Wales

Image Source: Jo Conchie

Pripyat, Ukraine

Image Source: Timm Suess

New World Shopping Mall, Bangkok, Thailand

Image Source: Jesse Rockwell

Barnes Hospital, Cheadle, Greater Manchester, England

Image Source: Mike Peel

City Hall Subway, New York City, New York, USA

Image Source: openingintro

Michigan Central Station, Detroit, Michigan, USA

(Image Source: Albert Duce

Yekaterinburg TV Tower, Yekaterinburg, Russia

Image Source: Kuriositas

Red Sea Star Bar, Eilat, Israel

Image Source: Distaplia

Wonderland, Chenzhuang Village, China

Image Source: David Gray

Spreepark, Berlin, Germany

Image Source: Jan Bommes

Sathorn Unique, Bankok, Thailand

Image Source: IMP1

Aldwych Tube Station, London, England

Image Source: David Jones

Book Tower, Detroit, Michigan

Image Source: Albert Duce

Baker Hotel, Mineral Wells, Texas

Image Source: Festino114

Mos Espa Set, Tunisia

Image Source: Iñaki Martínez de Marigorta Díaz

Oradour-sur-Glane, Limousin, France

Image Source: Dna-Dennis

Canfranc International Railway Station, Canfranc, Spain

Image Source: Wikimedia

Six Flags New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Image Source: Kim Hill

Sanzhi UFO Houses, New Taipei City, Taiwan

Image Source: Chao-Wei Juan

Kolmanskop, Namibia

Image Source: Damien du Toit

Dayton Arcade, Dayton, Ohio

(Image Source: vistavision

Grande Ballroom, Detroit, Michigan, USA

Image Source: Albert Duce

Mid Wales Hospital, Talgarth, Wales

Image Source: True British Metal

Camelot Theme Park, Lancashire, England

Image Source: True British Metal

St George’s County Asylum, Strafford, England

Image Source: True British Metal

Orpheum Theatre, New Bedford, Massachusetts, USA

Image Source: Marc N. Belanger

Battersea Power Station, London, England

Image Source: Alberto Pascual

Beelitz-Heilstätten Hospital, Beelitz, Brandenburg, Germany

Image Source: Doris Antony

Czestochowa Train Depot, Czestochowa, Poland

Image Source: Mircea Tătuc

Nara Dreamland, Nara, Japan

Image Source: Jordy Meow

Abandoned City By The Yangtze River, China

(Image Source: cindyt7070

Abandoned Buildings Along Route 66, USA

Image Source: Andrew Yang

Starlite Music Theatre, Latham, New York

Image Source: Sébastien Barré

The Holy Cross Campus of Pius XII Youth and Family Services, Rhinebeck, New York, USA

Image Source: Sébastien Barré

Nicosla International Airport, Cyprus

Image Source: Neil Hall

The post 45 Beautiful Photos of Abandoned Places appeared first on Hongkiat.

So now that we have ourselves a fancy new toy to play with, we’re going to want to load as many apps as possible to see what the device is truly capable of. The Play Store is already filled with apps that support Android Wear and here we feature 10+ android wear apps that you should check out for yourself.

Wear Mini Launcher

With Android Wear, the default way to open an app is to use voice control or scroll down a list to find and launch it. The Wear Mini Launcher helps by adding an actual launcher straight on your wearable, just like the one you have on your phone.

Find My Phone (Android Wear)

Are you one of those people that sometimes forget about their phones and accidentally leave it behind? Find My Phone is here to make sure that you’ll never leave it behind ever again. If you ever stray too far from your phone, your wearable will vibrate. You can even set your phone to go off via an alarm if it goes missing.

Wear Apps Tracker

When you install an app on your Android phone, you’ll get a notification saying that the app is installed. This however isn’t the case with an Android Wear device. With Wear Apps Tracker, you’ll be able to know if and when your new app will be loaded and installed on your wearable.

Android Wear Lock

Android Wear doesn’t have a lock screen of its own. The majority of the time you probably don’t really need one but in the cases that it might come in handy, Showear is just the app for you. With it, you can set an unlock sequence similar to the one you already have on your phone.

Calendar for Android Wear

If you need a compact calender that’s easy to look at on your Wear instead of using a voice prompt, this app will give you just that. It comes with a detailed daily and monthly view of your agenda. The monthly view is free with the daily and detailed view available as an in-app purchase.

Wear Internet Browser

Want to browse the Internet but don’t want to take your phone out of the pocket? The Wear Internet Browser provides a browser on your wearable, so you can navigate to your favorite sites easily whilst having your phone firmly tucked away.

WearSquare

Heavy Foursquare and Swarm users should check this app out. It allows you to check in and view nearby venues straight from your Android Wear device. Once you find an interesting place, use the app to navigate yourself there. A great app for when you are somewhere new.

Calc Wear (Android Wear)

It’s a calculator on your wrist, what more needs to be said? Reminiscent of the 90s, it does what it says and is convenient when you don’t want to use "Ok Google" voice control to do your math for you.

VimoFit Android Wear Fitness

A wearable device can be a good companion piece in one’s daily fitness regiment and the VimoFit Android Wear Fitness can aid you in this way. It tracks all your repetitive movements using the sensors on your watch and creates a customized workout that fits your needs. There are even videos of a personal trainer to help you.

RunKeeper – GPS Track Run Walk

For the active runners out there, you should already be using RunKeeper as it is a great way to monitor your running, walking and cycling statistics. You can even post to social media and challenge your friends with your score. The app is compatible with Android Wear, so you can just glance at all your data without taking out your phone.

Wear Wiki Reader

Wikipedia offers a wealth of information. However, if you need very quick info from it, you can use Wiki Reader which is an Android Wear version of the site. It’s also handy if you just want a quick read for when you don’t want to whip out your phone.

Duolingo

For those learning a new language, Duolingo is a great free way to learn them, using gamefication to make it fun. Your Android Wear device will now aid you in the learning process, by having flash cards readily available for you to brush up on your French or Spanish.

Wear Camera Remote

Hate having to be ‘that guy’ who has to take the group photo and have to be left out of the shot? Wear Camera Remote gives you the capability to control your phone camera from an Android Wear device. There’s even a timer on it so you can time your shot perfectly.

The post 10+ Android Wear Apps to Download appeared first on Hongkiat.

There are even times when they try to fight injustice and crimes that happen outside of the virtual space, in the real world. However, the Internet is still made up of everyday people with everyday follies, and just like real life, are prone to a hive mind mentality.

And this hive mind can be a dangerous thing once they’ve picked their target. And the target doesn’t even have to be guilty. The group could just easily be looking for someone to blame for a crime.

There have been several instances where when a crime is perpetrated, Internet vigilantes try to figure out who did it, sometimes, actually oftentimes, getting the wrong person, putting the lives of the accused in danger. Here are 5 cases of when Internet vigilantes didn’t save the day.

1. Reddit Didn’t Find The Boston Bombers

The Reddit investigation to find the Boston Bomber in 2013 has somewhat become a poster child for what could happen when you have a bunch of random Internet sleuths trying to find the identity of a wanted killer. What you get is a bunch of false accusations against innocent people made by a potentially dangerous mob of angry people. In other words, a classic witch hunt.

All discussions were made on r/FindBostonBombers and while the rule was to not post personal information, several of the accused were identified. It did not help that mainstream media also fueled the witch hunt by putting the photos of the accused on their front page.

One of them was even found dead, 22-year-old Sunil Tripathi, though officials ruled out foul play. Reddit admins apologized with the subreddit no longer publicly available. As stated before, the incident is often used to highlight how Internet vigilantism can go wrong very fast due to the lack of fact checking by the people involved.

2. The Wrong Cop In Ferguson

What happened in Ferguson was a wake up call for racial relations in America. What made it even worst was the perception by many black residents that the mainly white police department was protecting the shooter by withholding the name.

The whole incident led to a lot of anger on social media sites, with some from the hacker collective known as Anonymous threatening to find and release any information they can get their hands on.

They did just that, releasing a 2 hour dispatch tape for the night of the incident. It was also claimed that they obtained the identity of the shooter and threatened to release the information to the public. The identity was eventually released on an Anonymous affiliated Twitter account.

But there was a slight problem: it was the wrong guy. Twitter then banned the account and the actual identity of the shooter, Darren Wilson, was released by the department.

@TheAnonMessage Bryan Willman is not even an officer with Ferguson or St. Louis County PD. Do not release more info on this random citizen.

– St. Louis County PD (@stlcountypd) August 14, 2014

3. Sandy Hook Shooting

The Sandy Hook Shooting that took place at the end of 2012 was a tragedy that took the lives of 20 school children and 6 adult staff members. It is considered to be the deadliest school shooting in the US. And in the process of identifying the perpetrator of the shooting, many got the name mixed up.

Quite a few mainstream news media got the name of the shooter wrong as they based it on reports by unnamed authorities that were not officially released yet. They singled out Ryan Lanza, the brother of the actual shooter, Adam Lanza. Unfortunately, this mattered little to the online social media communities, which then proceeded to gather an online lynch mob, that called for the usual death threats.

It was cleared up when officials released the identity of his brother. Though Internet vigilantes did not release the name, their hive mind hate and actions only made the situation worse.

4. Amanda Todd’s Suicide

Amanda Todd was a Canadian teen who committed suicide in 2012 when she was the victim of an online bullying campaign from a stalker. The entire ordeal generated a lot of sympathy from the online community and thus a hunt for the perpetrator was launched.

When it comes to hunting down someone, no other group on the Internet is as relentless as the hacker collective known as Anonymous. While the actual authorities were still figuring out who the stalker was, Anonymous went ahead and released the personal information of a man located in Vancouver, who they claimed is the one behind the suicide.

Again, as most can probably guess from reading this article: wrong man. Even some of the info they released on the man was wrong. Though the man was accused of sexual assault, he claimed that he was helping Todd and tipped the authorities to another suspect. This was then revealed by Anonymous. The real culprit actually turned out to be a 35 year old Dutch man.

5. Andrew Moskowitz Doesn’t work Here

This is an incident that wasn’t about a single individual being outed by mistake. Instead, this story is about a pair of companies that was caught in the crossfire when the Internet lynch mob went out looking for a racist hiring manager.

Andrew Moskowitz made some disparaging remarks on those who had “African sounding names” and said that he would never hire them on one of New York Times‘ Facebook comment thread. This riled up the Internet with righteous fury and a campaign was instigated on Twitter and Tumblr to find the company he works with.

Internet denizens started to accuse 2 cotton plants located in Monroe, Georgia – the Monroe Cotton Mill and the Cotton Warehouse – of hiring Moskowitz, based on his online activity. Unfortunately, this online activity was him checking in at the Cotton Mill, with the Cotton Warehouse being confused as it was another popular landmark.

The false accusation led to a lot of misplaced anger and complaints towards the two companies, with their Yelp and Facebook page invaded by the netizens. In fact, the two companies never even heard of a man named Andrew Moskowitz, with the Internet just looking for a scapegoat to blame.

https://t.co/xalvcRqePu has a disclaimer on their webpage(!) that Moskowitz doesn't work for them. I'm prepared to take them at their word.

– Dan Holzman-Tweed (@HolzmanTweed) September 22, 2013

The post 5 Times Internet Keyboard Warriors Didn’t Save The Day appeared first on Hongkiat.

In this list, we pick our favorite and best looking 25 Android Wear watch faces you can get from the Play Store. Some of them just tell time while looking good doing it. Others do so in a unique fashion while some have extra functions that add to their value. Without further ado, here are 25 beautiful Android Wear watch faces.

Recommended Reading: 10 Latest Smartwatches You Can Buy In 2014

Binary Watch Face

Android Wear users with the ability to read binary in an instant should try out this watch face. The hours, seconds and minutes are translated into binary, which on the watch is shown as colored dots. You can change the colors of the dots, with premium features letting you display the time in decimals, for those who need a little help. [Download]

Convergence Watch Face

The new UI language for Android, Material Design, will soon be on phones with the release of Android L. For fans of the design, you can add in a watch face inspired by it with Convergence. From the paper stack feel, colorful circles and drop shadows, it’s one of the nicer looking faces you can get right now.

Chrono Watch Face For Wear

Combining the look of both an analogue and digital watch face, Chrono offers up a lot of useful information at a glance while looking slick at the same time. It even lets you get ahold of battery information of both your wearable and phone, along with the day and date in the middle. [Download]

Matrix Face For Android Wear

This watch face emulates the famous Matrix digital rain on your Android Wear device, letting you peer into the Matrix while knowing the time of day.

Timeless – Wear Watchface

A minimalists watch face that includes beautiful background photos and will transition between them over time. If you prefer it without the background, you can disable it in the settings.

Human Time Watch Face

If you want a more human readable watch that doesn’t involve numbers, download the Human Time Watch Face. Instead of numbers, the display will show the time the same way people say it, like “Nine o’clock” or half pass ten. You can customize the look of the face, from the background to the font.

Aviation Watch Face For Wear

This watch face was a contest submission for the Moto 360 watch face competition. It is based on an aircraft speed measurement instrument.

Orbital – Wear Watchface

A very simple, black and white watch face that tells time using 3 dots that represents the hands on a clock. [Download]

TextFace For Android Wear

Another human readable watch face, this time with a minimalist bent and the date of the day.

Woto Watch Face

Fans of the Moto 360 default watch face currently owning other Android Wear watches should give this a try. It will help you fantasize about owning one. And on its own, it’s a good looking watch face.

Terminal Watch Face

Tech geeks and CLI purist should consider the Terminal Watch Face, which will tell the time in a command line environment. It’s not an actual terminal so you can’t actually give commands to your Wear but it will make you look like a retro hacker. [Download]

Minimalist Wear Watch Face

True to its name, this watch face is a minimalist, analogue style clock. You can change the color of any of the elements on the clock and that’s pretty much it as far as customization goes.

Ingress Wear Watchface

Ingress players should download this watch face, as it shows the time to the next checkpoint as well as the time to the end of the current septicycle. And it looks good to boot. [Download]

DigiWatch For Android Wear

A no-fluff digital watch face for Android Wear. You can change the font, size and background color of the watch face to your taste. [Download]

9elements One Watch Face

A human readable watch face that looks like a word search puzzle. The time will highlight itself among the words.

Planets Watchface Android Wear

A watch face for the astronomy junkie, Planets will display the position and rotation of the planets in the Solar System behind an analogue clock. The data is taken from NASA so you can be pretty sure of the accuracy of the planets. [Download]

Wear LCD Watchface BETA

How about a little bit of nostalgia? 90’s kids will appreciate the Wear LCD Watchface as it is mimics the Baby-G of their era. [Download]

Weather Wear Watch Face

Not only will this beautiful watch face tell you the time, it can also keep you up-to-date with the weather conditions in your area.

Chron Watchface

A great, futuristic looking watch face that looks like something out of Tron. If the colors aren’t your style, you can change them to something that’s less neon.

12Hours Wear

An Android Wear version of the phone widget, 12Hours will sync up with your calender and represent them on your Wear as time blocks.

Speeds Watch Face

Emulating the aesthetics of a sports watch, this watch face even includes a speedometer for use when running and cycling. [Download]

Watch Face For Wear – Square

A simple watch face that is mean to to give your Wear a more sleek and classical look. [Download]

Just A Minute: Wear Watch Face

This watch face shows you how many minutes are left within an hour. Perfect for those who like to keep track of time right down to the minute. [Download]

Wear Watch Faces

A collection of great looking watch faces in one app, this one having 4 to choose from. My favorite has to be “Back to the Watch”, which gives you a watch face inspired by Back to the Future. Download it to see what other faces it has to offer.

Android Wear Beautiful Watches

Another collection of great looking watch faces, this time 10 of them in the package. They range from analogue, digital to human readable but all of them look well made and gorgeous. [Download]

The post Simple And Gorgeous Android Wear Watch Faces appeared first on Hongkiat.

However, just like any tool, you need to be trained, or you could end up with a blunder. Even professionals sometimes don’t notice the mistakes they make, and it’s especially funny to find a Photoshop error in a high-end magazine. This list is the sequel to our previous worst Photoshop mistakes, and this time we’ve featured other ads as well. You might find this hard to believe, but we have 70 of them.

The left leg and hip don’t seem to connect very well, do they?

Adam Levine is wearing that red carpet behind him and it looks like Carson Daly has really long fingers.

Claire Danes’ right leg seems to have gone through the bed.

Again with the legs. I’m suspecting Photoshop hates legs.

I stand corrected, Photoshop hates all limbs equally.

That F1 vehicle is so obviously there (or not).

Who needs a tummy tuck when you have Photoshop?

The only thing worse than the fact that some of her fingers are missing, is the fact that she’s drinking McDonald’s coffee.

It’s the new thing in modeling. Two belly buttons. You heard it here first.

Lebron has learned that floating towards the hoop is much more efficient than dunking the ball.

This bikini is brought to you by Microsoft Paint.

Those phantom limbs have to go somewhere, right?

Five fingers make you play better than the love child of Hendrix and Clapton.

More arms mean more ducks.

This image is going to give me nightmares for weeks.

All that cycling made her left foot grow more toes.

Holding on to a phantom hand.

The baby’s face is badly copied and pasted onto the bag.

Her hips don’t line up well. This must be another modeling trend.

Again with the legs!?

The incredible airplane is able to stand without the front wheels.

Amazing dad has three arms to hug his family.

World’s most awkward thigh gap.

The woman is missing her entire lower body. Must have made it easier for him to carry her.

The left arm is missing. Sure it will turn up somewhere later on.

Or maybe the people who Photoshop have some sort of amputee fetish.

See what I mean?

The girl must be some sort of contortionist to hold a man like that.

"My mommy has two hands on one arm!"

Whatever diet Adam Levine is on has just cut away half of his torso.

Avril, you really should see a doctor about that right elbow.

Sunbathing can be dangerous. Here is an example where her right leg melted off.

Maybe a bit of Skele-Gro can fix that right leg of yours, eh Hermione?

That right hand looks like it’s been broken in two.

The day daddy decided to become a disembodied head was the happiest day for the family.

It’s great to know that all disembodied hands are actually enjoying a career in modeling.

Someone call Sir Mix-a-lot. Those are some unusually huge hips.

2D Pokemon pants, coming to a Pokemon Center near you.

Careful not to hit Phil with that club there, Tiger.

The lone hand offering congratulations to his opponent.

That necklace looks painful, being embedded into your skin and all.

Shadow – the natural enemy of Photoshop.

Proof that couples who stay together long enough begin to look like each other.

Does this snuggy make my head look big?

You should see a doctor about that small, thin and disjointed right leg.

The bikes are cutting it a little too close there.

In order to become the best chauffeur you can be, you must be one with the car.

Michelle Obama has plenty of fingers to go around.

The legs and upper body look like they don’t connect very well. And what in the world is between them?

Maybe he’s adopted. Or more likely they copied and pasted the face of an Asian kid.

Knew we’d find that missing arm somewhere. Under a desk of all places.

If it’s women, then big hands, big…?

It looks like a very uncomfortable position to hold a sign.

Again, somebody call Sir Mix-a-lot.

My mommy has really, really long legs.

The two towering bosses looming over their peons.

I’m running out of leg jokes.

This diet plan will turn your body disproportionately tall.

Model holding The Thing with his left hand.

The bride of Edward Scissorhands.

The arms are melting into each other.

A pair of giant hands and a head on a pair of legs.

See? Told you double belly buttons would catch on.

No amount of Vaseline can help that hand of yours.

Sometimes, you feel like they hired 6 year olds to do their Photoshopping.

The Thing decided to try for a career in basketball.

That waistline cannot be healthy.

Another example of the torso not lining up properly.

Toes are unsexy so of course, we have to Photoshop them out into blocks.

This baby will make a fine addition to the X-Men.

The post 70 Photoshop Mistakes in Magazines & Advertisements, Vol. 2 appeared first on Hongkiat.

Not even the world of escapism is safe from corporate advertising. Advertisers are quick to use a new medium to push their wares and this is no exception when it comes to TV and movies. In fact, in the process of writing this article, I have become more aware of how rife they are with product placement.

Some inconspicuous, many blatant. In this list, we have for you just 18 examples of obvious and shameless product placement in movies and TV.

Little Nicky

Adam Sandler loves to integrate product placement into his movies. In Little Nicky, we see the titular character being introduced to Popeye’s Chicken for the first time by his friend/talking bulldog, Mr. Beefy, where Nicky declares it as “f***ing awesome!”.

A one off shout out is maybe acceptable but it became worst when later on in the movie it becomes an integral tool to defeat a demon horde, with said demon’s also declaring it as “the shiznit”, putting Popeye’s Chicken in the same pedestal of good as butterflies and fluffy things.

The Wizard

Probably the number one contender for biggest media attention seeker in the 80’s has to be Nintendo. When it comes to promoting their products, there’s no line the Big N wouldn’t cross.

Their crowning achievement has to be The Wizard, a 90 minute commercial for Nintendo masquerading as a movie. It goes beyond simple product placement, with plot and narrative taking a back seat to the parade of games on show, including the yet unreleased at the time Super Mario Bros. 3.

Take a look at this scene that is obviously a commercial for The Power Glove. Oh yeah, it’s bad.

Foodfight!

Think Toy Story or Wreck-It Ralph, but with food mascots instead. However, unlike the two, the mascots are horribly underused, with all of them appearing as simple background characters with no dialogue and little involvement in the plot.

Just take a look at the poster below, where the mascots for real life brands, which do nothing in the movie, are prominently displayed while the main characters are in the background.

It all feels like a cheap tack on just to promote the product. In the end though, the movie was so horrible that the brand executives probably wished they never got involved in the first place.

The Island

Director Michael Bay is notorious for a lot of product placements in his movies, probably in the same tier with Adam Sandler. In his movie, The Island, there are around 30 product placements, prominently among them are the XBox logo during the game scene and a Calvin Klein ad that leading actress Scarlett Johansson just happens to be in at the time.

Michael Bay’s Transformers

If shilling for products in one movie isn’t enough, why not do it to an entire series? Granted, the whole concept of Transformers is to sell toys but Michael Bay managed to shoehorn in a few more products to showcase within the series. And when I mean ‘a few’, I mean more than 50 of them.

The obvious is using GM cars for all the Autobots. Then we have a transforming XBox 360, a Mountain Dew vending machine, a Nokia cellphone and that’s just the first movie! Watch the series for them and you may even turn it into a drinking game.

Warning: we are not responsible for the alcohol poisoning resulting from watching a Michael Bay movie.

Mac And Me

Think E.T. but with a heavy dose of McDonald’s advertising. In fact, just like The Wizard, the whole movie felt like a giant, hour long commercial for the restaurant. Just take a look at the name, Mac and Me, where Mac is obviously referring to the Big Mac.

Then there’s the five minute dance scene taking place in a McDonald’s birthday party complete with Ronald McDonald. Rotten Tomato called it “…a thinly-veiled feature length commercial for McDonald’s and Coca-Cola” while film critic Leonard Maltin described it as “more like a TV commercial than a movie”.

You’ve Got Mail

‘You’ve Got Mail’ is the popular (and trademarked) slogan for AOL back when it was the Internet for most Americans. So why don’t we feature that prominently as the title of a movie staring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan?

The movie of the same name is based on a 40 year old play but instead of snail mail, we have email, with the AOL jingle playing every time ‘you’ve got mail’.

Code Geass

Apparently, empires may rise and fall in alternate timelines but Pizza Hut is eternal. When not blowing stuff up with their mechs and weird eye powers to overthrow the British Empire, the cast frequently eat Pizza Hut pizza, with the logo prominently displayed for all to see.

Also, one of the main character’s prized possession is a plush of Cheese-kun, the mascot of Pizza Hut in Japan. Pizza Hut paid a lot of money to be featured in the anime and now fans can’t think of toppling the established order without thinking what topping to have with their order.

I, Robot

I, Robot takes place a few decades into the future but in one 15 second scene, Will Smith’s character will start wearing a pair of “Converse All-Stars Vintage 2004”, an obvious attempt to sell the sneakers. He even calls it “a thing of beauty” and another character comments that they are “nice shoes”.

Days Of Our Lives

Did you know the reason they are called soap operas is because they were funded by soap manufacturers? While the name has stuck around, soap operas today parade more than just soap.

Take a look at the very long running ‘Days Of Our Lives’, which sometimes doesn’t even bother to seemlessly incorporate their product placement into the story.

This Gawker article features some of the more hilarious ones. Below is an example and personal favorite, as you can’t tell if it’s from the show or an actual commercial.

Evolution

Evolution puts Heads & Shoulders shampoo front and center with the main cast using it as the MacGuffin to defeat the creatures that threaten them. They even manage to squeeze in a bit where some of the characters talk about the virtues of using Heads & Shoulders, on how it can keep your hair shiny and flake free.

It’s played for laughs at the end where the main characters actually appear in a Heads & Shoulders commercial.

E.T.

Everyone loves E.T. (unless you had an Atari 2600). And if E.T. liked something, chances are you’ll probably like it too. In the movie, one of the more prominent food items that E.T. enjoys is Reese’s Pieces. While director Steven Spielberg wasn’t paid to use the product, the movie was a boon for Hershey’s as their profits went up by 65%.

Funny enough, Spielberg originally wanted to use M&M’s but Mars declined, thinking the movie will not do well.

The Internship

While Google technically didn’t make any money from the movie that is arguably a 2 hour commercial about Google, it did lend its support in the production, with even a cameo appearance by Sergey Brin himself.

The result is that the audience probably felt that they should have been paid to watch the commercial. Sure, Google may have gotten some perks with their brand name being so predominantly displayed. However, the movie, by most accounts, stunk.

Man Of Steel

Because nothing says Truth, Justice and The American Way more than product placement. In fact, it made $160 million even before it’s release. It did this by featuring a hundred different products in the movie. Some of them are subtle. Others, not so much.

Hawaii Five-0

They literally put a 50 second plug for Subway in the middle of an episode. It wasn’t even subtle, it really was a commercial that is playing out in the show.

If you were to cut it out and place it in a normal timeslot for commercials, you would probably think that it was an actual commercial. Just take a look at the video below.

Back To The Future II

Whether back to the future or here in the past, product placement will always be with us and stay the same. While the first Back To The Future movie was fairly subtle in its product placement, the second one takes it up a notch, marketing the brands more directly to the camera.

Let’s see, we have Pepsi out of a pneumatic tube, self laced Nikes, a Mattel hoverboard (still waiting on that one), Pizza Hut, etc.

James Bond

As a superspy, James Bond deserves the best and he gets the best, which is defined as who pays the most money for the next movie. Product placement has been in the James Bond movie since Dr. No and many people who grew up with the 50 year old franchise can probably name some of 007’s favorite brands.

Aston Martin, his Walther PPK, Rolex and Omega watches, you name it. So it’s no surprise that the latest Bond movie, Skyfall, managed to rake in 1/3 of its budget ($45 million) from Heineken alone. Here’s a video and article that shows the history of product placement in 007’s long career.

Jack And Jill

This movie takes Adam Sandler’s pandering to product placement to its logical conclusion, with the man himself playing an advertising executive. The center of the story is Sandler’s character trying to get Al Pacino to shoot a commercial for Dunkin’ Donuts.

Spoiler alert: he succeeded and there’s actually a Dunkin’ Donuts commercial at the end, though it was played for laughs.

However, throughout the movie you can still see several brands featured in the movie, par for the course in a Sandler movie. To end this list, here is Pacino rapping and break dancing in said commercial. God help you all.

The post Uncovering Hidden Product Placements in Movies and TV appeared first on Hongkiat.

If you’re reading this and have never set foot into the site before or just have and are completely confused on how to navigate the site, fret not as we have have for you 20 tips, tricks and tools to help get you started in finding the content you love. There are even tips here for current Redditors and you will be surprised with some of the hidden features and gems the site has.

1. Understand The Subreddit

The first time a user enters Reddit, they may experience a sense of information overload on the front page of the internet. In order to understand the site, the user must first understand the subreddit.

A subreddit is like a section of the site that is dedicated to one topic, such as news, games and fitness. The front page is filled with information that are made up of posts from the default subreddit of the site. Look around for subreddits that will fit your niche and you will find a community ready to engage with you.

2. Search For A Subreddit

Reddit is a very large site with millions of users and thousands of subreddits catering to nearly every topic imaginable so it can be a bit hard to find a community that fits your interest. To help you search for one, you can use their subreddit search which can be accessed by pressing ‘More’, located at the very right of the My Subreddits bar. You will see 2 search bars.

The first will give you quick recommendations based on a keyword. For example, searching for the word book will give you the most popular book-related subreddits. The second will give you a list of all related subreddits for a more in-depth discovery.

3. Create An Account And Subscribe

Probably the first thing you should do if you’re serious about getting into Reddit is to get an account. Not only will you be able to participate in the comments sections, you can subscribe to the different subreddits you find intruiging, so that they will appear on the front page. Plus, you will be able to unsubscribe from any of the default subreddits that you may not like, so their posts will no longer appear on your page.

4. Learn How To Style Your Comment

You’ve probably seen some of the comments on Reddit, on how they are able to add some style into the comments. There are a lot of ways to stylize your comment. A good way to learn them is to read through their Commenting FAQ. If you know how to use the Markup syntax, you have a head start as Reddit is able to recognize these.

If you want to use those funny styled emoticons that are common on Reddit, such as the look of disapproval (ಠ_ಠ), it is done by the use of Unicode characters from the Kannada language. For the look of disapproval, copy and paste ಠ_ಠ into the comment box or just copy it directly if you see it elsewhere. Reddit supports the use of Unicode characters in comments, so use them to your heart’s content.

5. Follow Some People

Found an interesting Redditor and would like an easy way to follow their activity across the site? Add them into your own personal subreddit that contains just the posts from the people you like. To add a user, go to preference > friends and then type in the username of the Redditor you wish to stalk. Once that’s done, go to reddit.com/r/friends to view all the posts submitted by them. Do take note that you will need an account for this.

6. Find New Stuff With The Random Button

Tired of the usual subreddits you usually go to and want to discover new ones? Try out the Random button, which will throw you a completely random subreddit for you to peruse. Though you might want to be careful when you click it because, as the name implies, it is random and pressing it could possibly land you in a NSFW (Not-Safe-For-Work) subreddit.

7. Sort The Subreddit Submission

The sorting feature can be a great way of discovering new content when browsing on a new subreddit. On the top of the page, you will be given the options to sort by the newest, the hottest or the most controversial. But the best way to make use of the sorting feature is the top. Press it and you will be given the option to sort from the best of the hour, week, month, year and, for the very best, of all time. A great way to discover the gems a subreddit has to offer.

8. Combine Subreddits Into A Multireddit

Reddit allows you to create what is called a multireddit, a way for you to group together different subreddits to view within a page. This can be incredibly useful if you want to group together related subreddits into one page instead of going to each one individually.

To create a multireddit, you have to be logged in. Go to your front page and press create located on the left side of the page, under multireddits. Name it and you will be taken to a page where you can add in the subreddits. You can explore other multireddits people create by pressing explore multis.

There is also a way to create a multireddit on the fly without logging in by using this URL, www.reddit.com/r/subreddit+subreddit, where the word ‘subreddit’ is replaced with your preferred community. Example, www.reddit.com/r/wallpaper+wallpapers. If you want to add more, just add another + in the URL.

9. Linking Comments

Need to link to a particular comment made by a Redditor? Use the permalink option on their comment so that you can link directly to it. Also, if you want to link to a comment thread on Reddit but find that the URL is too long, use their shortlink which can be found at the right sidebar.

10. Create A Slideshow Of Pictures In A Subreddit

A lot of subreddits are about posting photos, r/pics being one of the biggest and also a default subreddit. If you want to just view the photos without clicking on every single link, add a ‘p’ at the end of reddit in the URL: redditp.com/r/subreddit. This will create a slideshow of all the post within the subreddit. This tip really works well on the subreddits that primarily feature images. (Tip credit: euphoniumguy)

11. Live Update Of Reddit Comments

If you want to see the stream of Reddit comments in a chronological timeline, there is no better way than Reddit Stream. It will show you all of the comments as they come in, similar to a chat log. A great tip for threads that cover live events. To access it, add in -stream in the Reddit URL when in the comments section, example www.reddit-stream.com/r/subreddit/comments/article. (Tip credit: gologologolo)

12. Use Mobile Site for Smartphones

When on a smartphone, it is preferable if you use an app to browse Reddit, as the main site isn’t well suited for mobile. But did you know that they actually have a mobile version of the site? To turn the regular site into a mobile one, add in an i on the URL, i.reddit.com. This will format the site into one that is suited for smartphone browsing.

13. Imgur Has Subreddits

Imgur is an incredibly popular image sharing site on Reddit, with Redditors uploading their photos to it and then sharing it on the site to reap in the upvotes. The majority of pictures on Reddit are hosted on Imgur. If you want to skip Reddit and just get to the pictures a la 9GAG, replace reddit in the URL with imgur, example reddit.com/r/pics becomes imgur.com/r/pics. This will show you most of the pictures that are posted to a particular subreddit.

14. Change The Interface Language

Want to browse Reddit in your own native language? You can change the interface language by pressing English (the default language) on the top right corner of the site. From here, you can select the language of your choosing or, if it’s not there or incomplete, volunteer to be a translator. Do note that the post will still be in their original language.

15. Quote a Redditor By Highlighting Before Pressing Comment

What to quote another Redditor in your reply message while in the comments section? Simply highlight the quote in question before clicking reply. When you do click it, you will see the quote in the comment box, ready to be used, analyzed, praised and/or teared down. (Tip credit: Castun)

16. Unblock A Subreddit

There are times when the Wi-Fi you are using will block access to Reddit or some of its subreddits. There are 2 easy ways for you to get over this block. One is to use HTTPS, which can be accessed at https://pay.reddit.com. This will get through most blocks and all of Reddit will be available for browsing.

If only certain subreddits are blocked, there is an easier way to unblock it. All you have to do is add a + at the end of the subreddit’s name. Example, www.reddit.com/r/pics+. (Tip credit: ShetlandJames)

17. A Quicker Way To Get To Your Subreddit

When typing in the URL for a subreddit, you can skip adding in the slashes by adding the subreddit name at the front instead of the back. For example, instead of typing in reddit.com/r/pics, enter pics.reddit.com. This way, you can browse your favorite subreddit faster. (Tip credit: Aww_Shucks)

18. Reddit Everywhere With Extensions

Wish you could post the website you are currently on to Reddit or view the comments already made about it without having to open up the Reddit on another tab? There is a way to do so by downloading a Chrome or Firefox extension that is provided at the site. The links are available at the very bottom of the Reddit page, under tools. Once installed, you will be able to vote, view comments or post the site to Reddit.

19. Consider Reddit Gold

Reddit offers a premium membership program called Reddit Gold where you can subscribe to receive extra features on the site as well as some other perks. Example of features include being able to beta test the latest Reddit features, no advertisements, special offers from third parties and access to the exclusive, super secret subreddit, The Lounge, which may or may not exist. The prices are low but if you want a fun way to obtain it, make a comment that is so good that other users may gift it to you or send in a postcard to the Reddit HQ for a month worth of Gold.

20. Download Reddit Enhancement Suite

Once you are comfortable enough with Reddit the site, it’s time to take it up a notch by installing the Reddit Enhancement Suite (R.E.S) on your browser. As the name suggest, installing R.E.S. will add in a bunch of different tools that will enhance your Reddit experience, such as logging in as multiple users, an in-line image viewer, an infinite scrollable Reddit front page, among others. Once installed, you’ll wonder how you reddit without it in the first place.

The post Getting The Most Out Of Reddit: 20 Tips, Tricks And Tools appeared first on Hongkiat.

These knockoffs were made as a copy of the original, sometimes using the logo and design of the original. Sometimes they get it right and many might not notice. Often at times, they get it wrong. Very wrong, in fact, to the point of hilarity. Here are 20 of the most amusing knockoffs of popular tech brands that you may have seen.

Spoiler alert: Apple gets ripped off a lot.

PolyStation

This Sony Playstation knockoff is actually a Famiclone, a hardware clone of the Nintendo Entertainment System. If you open the CD tray, you’ll actually get a cartridge slot.

(Image Source: Wikipedia)

Blueberry

Obviously this Blueberry is neither blue nor a berry.

(Image Source: College Humor)

PX 3600

A mad experiment to hybridize a PS3 and XBox 360, and it came out so very wrong. The controllers won’t vibrate. The disc tray won’t open, which doesn’t matter since there’s no disc drive in the thing. And worst of all it can only play pre-installed games. And not very good ones, I might add.

(Image Source: Buzzfeed)

Wiwi

If saying "I like playing with my Wii" makes you uncomfortable, how about the Wiwi for extra social awkwardness? Like many knockoff game consoles, it too still relies on cartridges.

(Image Source: Tom’s Hardware Italy)

Action Pad

If your iPad isn’t cutting it anymore, perhaps it’s time to look into the Action Pad. Don’t be fooled though as it runs on Android. And honestly, if the Taiwanese Steve Jobs with angel wings and halo can’t sell you this, I don’t think anyone can.

CECT m188

The eventual endgame for Apple and their fetish for miniaturization is to create a phone so small it might as well be called the iPhone Invisa. The Chinese, however, are beating them to it.

(Image Source: Dvice)

Teso Blackbook Air

As far as knockoffs go, this one is drop dead gorgeous and could even be mistaken for the real thing. If it weren’t black or made of plastic, that is.

(Image Source: CIO)

Fake Apple Store

If you think China’s copycat machine weren’t blatant enough, here’s a fake Apple store that looks and feels exactly like the real thing. Spotted by a Westerner in Kunming, the whole store has everything down; from the layout, wood furniture to even the employee uniform. It’s not licensed by Apple but for most residents, if it looks and quacks like an overpriced computer, it is an overpriced computer.

Blockberry

It took a lot to convince President Obama to give up his Blackberry. Now he’s addicted to another type of berry, the Blockberry, as seen in this advertisement where his photo is used to promote the phone.

(Image Source: phoneArena)

PCP Station

This thing barely qualifies as a game console, with the ‘games’ being swappable LCD cartridges you add to the handheld.

(Image Source: Arcade Sushi)

Red Star OS

A software knockoff this time around. This North Korean Linux distro was made to look almost exactly like the Mac GUI. Kim Jong Un is obviously a Mac fan. You can even find pictures of him using a Mac online. Because Best Korea only copies from the best.

(Image Source: Wikipedia)

Sciphone A5

Looking like a hybrid of Apple’s Mighty Mouse and iPhone, it is neither mighty nor a mouse. It’s probably not even a very good phone, running some no-named OS.

(Image Source: Complex)

CoolK07

Remember the Palm Pre? I still haven’t forgiven HP for what they did to them but there’s no denying that they were never very popular compared to iOS and Android. That doesn’t mean that it didn’t get any love from the Chinese copy machine, as evident by the CoolK07, which copies the design of the Pre.

(Image Source: ChannelPartner)

MiniPolyStation3

Want to have a handheld console with the power of a PS3? Sorry to break it to you but that’s not going to happen. But you can settle for the next best thing with the MiniPolyStation3, a small, portable knockoff console that looks like a PS3, complete with LCD screen. And it only requires 3 AA batteries to operate.

(Image Source: Destructoid)

i-dong

The less we talk about the i-dong, the better. All joking aside, it’s actually a competent game console similar to the Wii, using infrared lights to detect the controller. You can even connect it to your PC. It does, however, look eerily similar to the Microsoft Kinect.

(Image Source: Nikkei Technology)

iPhoho6

Can’t wait for the latest iPhone to come out? Why not get the iPhoho6? It even has an Apple logo shaped home button for twice the Apple logo goodness.

(Image Source: TechCrunch)

HP Spectre One

Proving that the Americans are just as good at copying stuff, the HP Spectre One looks incredibly similar to the design language of a certain fruit company.

(Image Source: Apple Insider)

Chuwi PadMini

Like the look of the iPad Mini but detest Apple and iOS to the point that you won’t even look at an actual Apple product? Then the PadMini is for you! Except for a few differences, mainly a missing home button and extra ports, the PadMini looks incredibly similar to an iPad Mini, except for the fact it runs Android. And if you think this isn’t amusing enough, check out their website, which is a mishmash of Apple’s website design and hilariously broken English.

(Image Source: Chuwi)

Samsung

Samsung creates knockoff Apple products. Regardless of what the Android fanboys may lead you to believe, this is very obvious, with Samsung copying the user interface, advertising designs and hardware of Apple’s products. I can already hear the Samsung fanboys screaming at the top of their lungs at me, so here’s some proof to the claim.

(Image Source: Nicklazilla)

Xiaomi

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and that’s no more true than with Xiaomi. In fact, they’re more blatant than Samsung when copying Apple, even copying the presentation style, down to the black turtleneck and ‘one more thing’. Take a look at this TechCrunch article to see how hilariously similar the products are. And this Mi Pad commercial that looks like something Apple would make.

The post 20 Tech Knockoffs That Will Leave You Dumbfounded appeared first on Hongkiat.

Then again, there are those who enjoy the challenges and the rewards that it could bring when it does succeed. These people have founded many different companies and invest in ideas that they were sure was the next big thing. In this post, we will show you 10 serial tech entrepreneurs and the companies they helped create.

Elon Musk

The South African entrepreneur is known for Tesla Motors, famous for the first fully electric sports car. He is also famous for being a co-founder of PayPal. His company, X.com merged with Confininty Inc. to eventually become the PayPal we know today. Even before PayPal, he already had an Internet based company with Zip2, a business directory for newspapers, which he sold to Compaq in 1999.

Today, along with Tesla Motors, he is the CEO and CTO of SpaceX, a civilian space transport company known as the first privately funded company to launch, orbit and recover a spacecraft and send one to the International Space Station. He also provided the concept for SolarCity, a solar energy company, and is promoting his idea for Hyperloop, a high speed transportation system.

Kevin Rose

If you ever were a fan of TechTV, you may remember watching Kevin Rose on The Screen Savers, a show all about computers and new technology. If you haven’t heard of it, more likely you are familiar with his most famous creation, Digg, the social news site that allows users to share and discuss news and related topics. He also started Revision3, an Internet television network that creates online shows, focusing on niche interests.

Rose also established a micro-blogging site called Pownce, which didn’t pan out, and Milk, a mobile development lab, which was acquired by Google. As a venture capitalist, he has invested in Twitter, Foursquare, Facebook, just to name few. He is currently a venture partner at Google Venture.

Jay Adelson

Jay Adelson was one of Time’s Top 100 Most Influential People In The World in 2008 and as a finalist for the 2009 list for being the CEO of Digg, one of the biggest websites at the time. Before Digg, Adelson co-founded Equinix, a company that provides data centers and Internet exchanges. Along with Kevin Rose, he went on to start up Digg and Revision3, where Adelson sits as Chairman of the Board.

Adelson went on to co-found SimpleGeo in 2010, a company that provides infrastructure for apps to add in geolocation features. He remained as CEO until it was bought by Urban Airship, where Adelson remain as an advisor. Today, he sits on several boards and performs as an advisor for many different companies. His recent venture, Opsmatic, aims to assist other companies in their operations.

Evan Williams

A one of the founders of Twitter, he already had number of companies under his belt. His first successful venture was Pyra Labs, which he help start. Their crowning achievement was Blogger, that was later sold to Google. He later went on to establish Odeo, a podcasting company, which was later sold off to Sonic Mountain.

His biggest accomplishment to date has to be Twitter, born out of the incubator Obvious Corp, which he co-founded with Biz Stone and former Odeo employees. Since Twitter, Williams created Medium, a publishing platform, with fellow Twitter co-founder and Blogger developer, Biz Stone. Today, Williams and Stone are winding down Obvious Corp. to focus on individual startups.

Sean Parker

He was caught at the age of 16 by the F.B.I. for hacking into the network of a Fortune 500 company. Parker then went on to co-found Napster, which was formerly one of the biggest file sharing sites on the Internet and a name that is synonymous with music piracy. So how exactly do you top that? His first venture after Napster was an online address book and social networking service called Plaxo, where he was eventually ousted by the company’s financiers.

He was instrumental in the development of Facebook, eventually becoming their first president. As Mark Zuckerberg noted, “Sean was pivotal in helping Facebook transform from a college project into a real company”, helping with investors and giving advice. He also helped fund Spotify and founded Airtime.com, a real time video chat site with fellow Napster co-founder Shawn Fanning, along with Causes.com, an online campaigning platform.

Max Levchin

He is known as one of the co-creators of PayPal. There he served as CTO and contributed to their anti-fraud efforts. Since PayPal, Levchin went on to several ventures, his first being Slide, which started out as a photo sharing software for social networks but later on became of the largest third party app developer for Facebook.

A more well known venture is Yelp, a business ratings and review site. He has also started HFV to fund companies that focus on data analysis, Affirm to build the next generation credit network and Glow to help parents conceive.

Reid Hoffman

More of a serial investor than an entrepreneur but without him, a lot of the companies you know today would probably have a difficult time coping. His first company, SocialNet, was initiated in 1997, an online matching site for both dating and interest based pursuits; a precursor to today’s social networks. He later became a member of PayPal’s board of directors (do you see the trend here?).

He went on to co-found LinkedIn, a business oriented social network. He is known as one of the the most successful angel investors of Silicon Valley, becoming one of the first investors in Facebook and Zynga, as well as investing in Digg, Wikia, Flickr, Last.fm, just to name a few.

Nolan Bushnell

Have you played Atari today? Children of the 80’s would probably remember that jingle, along with the many games that were on the Atari consoles. The company was built by Nolan Bushnell, considered one of the founding fathers of the video game industry.

Newsweek Magazine named him as one the “50 Men Who Changed America” and has gone on to establish more than 20 companies, the most famous being Atari and Chuck E. Cheese’s, a family entertainment center. His latest company is BrainRush, which aims to add gamefication into education.

Niklas Zennström

The Swedish entrepreneur is mostly known for the development of Skype and co-founding Kazaa, a peer-to-peer file sharing program, both of which he did with his partner, Janus Friis. Again with Friis, he went on to set up Joost, an Internet television service that used peer-to-peer technology to deliver content to the user.

His latest venture is Atomico, a technology investment firm that invest in fast-growing, disruptive technology companies. The firm has made investments in several companies, famous among them are Rovio and Supercell. So yes, you can blame him for Angry Birds and Clash Of Clans.

Marc Andreessen And Ben Horowitz

The title technically says “10 serial tech entrepreneurs” but the team of Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz have invested a lot through their venture capital firm, Andreessen Horowitz, that it only seems fair to include the two together. Andreessen is known as the co-author of Mosaic, the first popular web browser, one of the founders of Netscape Communications Corporation and together with Horowitz started Opsware, an IT management software provider.

Before setting up their investment firm, the two were already active investors in the tech field, well known for their early investment in Twitter. With their firm, they had investments in many companies that would become the ones we know of today, such as Skype, Facebook, Twitter, Groupon, Zynga, and the list goes on. In fact, try finding a modern tech firm that wasn’t involved with Andreessen Horowitz. Safe to say, the two help build the current tech industry.

The post 10 Influential Tech Entrepreneurs You Should Know appeared first on Hongkiat.

Today, however, we are seeing several non-governmental agencies and companies that aim to bring space travel down to the civilian level, using the advantages that private industry has to offer, such as less bureaucracy and a profit motive. In this post, we will show you 8 non-governmental spaceflight companies that aim to do just that and get you into space and among the stars.

1. Scaled Composites

Founded by Burt Rutan, an aerospace engineer with a reputation for designing strong, lightweight aircraft with unusual designs, Scaled Composites aim is to create experimental and concept aircrafts and provide fabrication for other vehicles. Its claim to fame is winning the Ansari X Prize, which offers $10,000,00 for the the first non-governmental organization to launch a reusable manned spacecraft into space, with their spaceplane, SpaceShipOne.

The spacecraft was funded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and he would later partner with Rutan to start a new spaceflight company. Scaled Composites was acquired in 2007 by Northrop Grumman, an aerospace and defence company, with Rutan leaving in 2011. It is now working with several others to develop new spacecrafts to progress civilian spaceflight.

2. Virgin Galactic

What pie doesn’t the Virgin Group have their fingers in? Starting of with music and then wildly going to nearly every type of venture imaginable, it’s no surprise that Sir Richard Branson would finally set his sights towards the stars. Virgin Galactic is a spaceflight company with aims to provide spaceflights for tourist, science missions and launching small satellites.

They are currently in their testing phase, with their current space plane called SpaceShipTwo, built in conjunction with Scaled Composites. The space planes are launched from a very large plane, as this will give it a higher initial speed and altitude when compared to launching from the ground. George Whiteside, Virgin Galactic CEO, hopes to have commercial services up and running by 2014.

3. SpaceX

Founded by Tesla Motors CEO and serial entrepreneur Elon Musk, the goal of SpaceX is to reduce space transportation cost, which will help with their their main objective to help humanity colonize Mars. The idea came about with Musk’s idea to build a cheap, reusable spacecraft, similar to the aeroplane.

SpaceX has already accomplished a lot, such as being the first privately funded company to launch and recover a spacecraft and the first company to send a spacecraft to the International Space Station. The company today has contracts with several governmental and private entities, NASA being one of them. Ultimately, the end goal of Musk, and by extension, SpaceX, is to colonize Mars, with him quoted as saying that he "would like to die on Mars, just not on impact".

4. Blue Origin

(Image Source)

Blue Origin is the brainchild of Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon.com. Similar to SpaceX, its aim is to develop technologies that will enable people to get into space cheaply and reliably. The idea for Blue Origin stems from Bezos dream to colonize space and preserve Earth, a dream he’s had ever since he was a teen.

The company relies on the idea of incremental improvement and builds on prior advances. It’s even the company motto, Gradatim Ferociter, Latin for "Step-by-step, Ferociously". The company is known to be tight lipped, but they have performed test flights with two vehicles, Charon and Goddard. They are currently working on the New Shephard, a reusable vertical-takeoff, vertical-landing manned rocket.

5. Stratolaunch Systems

Founded by Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen and Scaled Composites founder Burt Rutan, Stratolaunch Systems is a aerospace company that specializes in air launch to orbit, which basically means launching stuff to space from an aircraft.

They have not yet made a test flight as they are currently developing their air launch system, the Stratolaunch carrier aircraft. Once completed, it is projected to have a wingspan of 385ft (117m), which would make it the largest airplane to fly, by wingspan. As a comparison, the current holder of the title is the Hughes H-4 Hercules, a.k.a. the Spruce Goose, with a wingspan of 320ft (97.5m).

6. Space Adventures

Cofounded by Eric Anderson and several other entrepreneurs, Space Adventures provides space-based tourism to civilians, offering activities such as orbital spaceflights, atmospheric space flights, cosmonaut training and other related activities.

So far, only 7 clients have participated in the orbital spaceflight, famous among them including, Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth, Richard ‘Lord British’ Garriott and Cirque de Soleil cofounder Guy Laliberté. The company hopes to soon offer a lunar spaceflight, which will involve circumnavigating the moon.

7. Planetary Resources

Cofounded by Eric Anderson and fellow Space Adventure cofounder Peter Diamandis, the long term goal of Planetary Resources is to "expand Earth’s natural resource base" by developing technologies that will enable asteroid mining.

The company already has a list of big and well know investors including Google’s Larry Page and Eric Schmidt, filmmaker James Cameron and Perot Systems chairman Ross Perot Jr. Currently, the company is developing low cost space telescopes which will be a first step as it can be used to survey near-Earth asteroids.

8. Bigelow Aerospace

Bigelow Aerospace was founded by Robert Bigelow, a real estate entrepreneur and owner of Budget Suites of America hotel chain. He actually created his real estate empire specifically to fund his aerospace ambitions, as at the age of 12, he viewed the mushroom clouds from the atomic tests near his home town. He then vowed to create a future for man in space and will choose a career that will help him fund such an endeavour.

Currently, the company is developing inflatable space habitats, already launching and testing two modules, Genesis I and II, as well as a private orbital space complex, the Bigelow Commercial Space Station.

The post 8 Private Spaceflight Companies Reaching for the Stars appeared first on Hongkiat.

If you are looking for something different to try on the desktop besides Mac and Windows, you should really give Linux a try. Not only is it free, it is extremely customizable. Similar to Android on the smartphone, you can customize Linux to your heart’s content.

However, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. In order to get into Linux, there are probably a few things you should know first before diving in. In this guide, we will cover what you should know about a Linux operating system on the desktop.

1. What is Linux?

When someone mentions Linux, it’s always in conjunction with another name, e.g. Fedora Linux, Ubuntu Linux, Android powered by Linux; the list goes on and on. What exactly is Linux anyway? ‘Linux’ refers to the Linux kernel, which is a program that interfaces between the application software and the hardware of a computer.

What they all have in common is that they all use the same kernel as the interface between software and hardware. In cases where the computer is referred to as ‘running Linux’, it is running an OS with Linux as the kernel.

Some of you may encounter some people insisting that it be called GNU/Linux. This refers to the fact that most of the operating systems that uses Linux gets a large portion of their code from the GNU Project, without which, the Linux kernel itself cannot function.

Calling it GNU/Linux is a way to give credit where credit is due. For the sake of simplicity, we will refer all operating systems using the Linux kernel as Linux.

2. Why is it free?

Most people know Linux as the free operating system, free here meaning free of charge. That’s right, free of charge, but it also refers to free speech. What this means is that the source code for Linux is available for everyone to view, study and modify, along with sharing their changes with anyone who would like a copy.

Compare this to Windows and OS X which, while still popular, are closed source, cannot be studied and cannot be distributed freely. This open nature is one of the main reasons that Linux derived operating systems have been successful, with many people and companies creating their own derivative versions of Linux.

3. What is a Linux Distro?

A ‘distro’ refers to a distribution of the Linux Operating System, where a person, group or company builds upon Linux and releases it under their name. Examples of popular Linux distros include Ubuntu, Fedora, OpenSUSE, among others.

While all of them use the Linux kernel, they are all different with what software they include. From the the default software to even the user interface and experience, no two distros are alike.

Each distro brings something different to the table, offering up specific features for specific user sets. However, for a beginner, it is best to start simple, with a distro that offers a simple user experience for people that are new to Linux.

The most recommended Linux distro for beginners would be Ubuntu Linux, as it is relatively easy to set up and use and has a lot of support.

4. Will my hardware support it?

It used to be that hardware support for Linux was spotty at best, with many components and peripherals not working properly or not working at all.

Fortunately, most of that is in the past with the majority of Linux distros being able to run on modern hardware with little to no problem. So chances are your hardware will be able to run it.

I say ‘little to no problem’ because there may be times when you might run into an issue or two. While the Linux community have done an amazing job in making sure that the OS will be able to use your hardware, it may still not run.

You will have to shoot down for a troubleshooting guide or hope that the manufacturer has provided a proprietary Linux driver for the hardware.

5. Can I try before installing it?

The great thing about most Linux distros is that you are able to try them before installing what you like on your computer. Linux providers provide you with an easy way to try out the OS by way of a Live CD.

Download an ISO, burn it, and from there you can boot from the disc so that you can try out a distro before committing to it.

If you decided not to install Linux but the idea of carrying a spare OS around with you sounds useful (and really there are many cases where you might want one), you can create a Live USB.

Just like a Live CD, a Live USB is a bootable USB drive that can boot Linux on most computers. This way you can have the Linux experience without installing over your computer’s OS.

6. What is a Desktop Environment?

As you may have noticed when looking over all the various distros, not all Linux Operating Systems have the same look. This is because they are using different desktops environments such as GNOME, KDE, Unity, etc.

This is similar to Aero for Windows 7 or Aqua for OS X; they govern the overall ‘look and feel’ of the operating system and the way you use them, having different features and ways of getting things done.

The most popular of the desktop environments and the one’s that most distros ship with are GNOME and KDE. As with everything about Linux, if you don’t like something, you have the freedom to change it.

If your chosen distro comes pre-installed with an environment that doesn’t suit your taste, you can install your own preferred one instead.

7. Can I run my old Windows/Mac apps?

There is currently no way of running any of your Mac apps on Linux but there is a way to run some of your Windows apps. This is done through the use of a program called Wine, which will allow you to run some of your Windows programs on Linux at native or near-native speed.

Not all of your apps will run though, and even when they do, you may encounter some incompatibilities, such as graphical glitches or features that are not working.

Wine is free to download and install but new users may find it difficult to use. In which case there are third party tools that make using Wine much easier to use and are preconfigured to make running certain Windows software much smoother on Linux, a prime example being CrossOver Linux.

8. How do I get apps?

Now that you have a fresh install of Linux, naturally you wis or Mac.

Unlike the two, where you have to hunt down an EXE or DMG, on Linux you will have to search through your distro’s repository to find what you are looking for.

Most of the distros make it easy by having a GUI for you to navigate; Ubuntu easier still by creating their own app store. Sometimes you may not find what you are looking for in the repository, in which case all you have to do is add another repository that contains the item you seek.

Updating is also easier due to the repository system, as the OS can find and update all of your installed apps in one go, instead of one at a time.

9. How do I get support?

Just like when you first started using Windows or OS X, you have a few things to learn when starting to use Linux. The good thing is that nowadays Linux is pretty simple to figure out in terms of how to install and use, as most distros have focused on ease of use for the end user.

If the majority of your computing task is relatively simple, i.e. web browsing, word processing, chances are Linux will pose no trouble at all.

However, there may be times when you need a little help with your operating system. Never fear as Linux has a large fan base and community ready to help you on any issue that you may encounter.

Most of the time, troubleshooting Linux will not be that hard, as many can be resolved by typing in something in a command line, of which the community will help you with step-by-step.

10. Can I till run my old OS?

So you’ve installed Linux and while you feel it’s a great OS, you find that there are some things that are just better on your previous one. Usually this pertains to games and and other apps you cannot run on Linux or Wine.

The good news is that you can still have the open goodness of Linux alongside your favorite OS. This is done by either using a virtual machine or dual booting.

With virtual machines, you get the best of both worlds, running Linux and your default OS at the same time. You could either run Linux or your OS in a virtual machine, depending on which you use more, as this method can eat up your systems resources.

On the other hand, you have dual booting, where you run one OS at a time but can switch between them with a reboot. Either method is great depending on what you need and you can switch to Linux without worrying about getting access to your favorite OS.

The post 10 Most Frequently Asked Questions About Linux appeared first on Hongkiat.

In this post we will be looking at 6 different ways a few brave souls have been trying to use tech to compensate for a disability or to give them "special powers". From inserting magnets into fingertips so one can feel the effects of magnetic fields, to attaching devices (to the skull!) that help the user "detect color", here are just 6 examples of amazing biohack enhancements actual people underwent.

Recommended Reading: 10 Amazing Prosthetic Replacements That Make Us Part Man, Part Machine

1. Magnetic Fingertips

While you and I are probably content to have just five senses, there are people who would like to take that a step further and get a sixth sense. This however has less to do with sensing the paranormal and more on sensing magnetic fields. By inserting a special bio-coated magnet into your fingertip(s), you can feel vibrations generated by magnetic fields and even attract light ferrous or metallic objects, say a paperclip, to your "enhanced finger" just by touch.

Image source: io9

The procedure is not done by a medical professional, in fact you can buy the magnets online then go to a tattoo parlour to get it inserted into your fingers (note that there is a bit of pain involved due to the absence of anesthetic). The magnets will also not be strong enough for you to move metallic objects around, or wipe out hard disks. It will however cause a bit of a problem if you need to go through an MRI scan.

2. RFID Implants

You may have heard of RFID implants. They come in the form of chips that carry specific information about the individual they are embedded in, e.g. RFID chips can be embedded in pets to help identify their owners in case of a stolen pet or a pet gone rogue. But in humans, you can even use RFID implants to control doors, trigger lights, adjust surrounding temperatures just by being near a sensor. This was what British engineer and researcher Kevin Warwick did in Project Cyborg, via an RFID chip implanted in his arm.

Image source: Kevin Warwick

Other usage include the use of RFID implants as debit card, a technology offered to patrons to a Barcelona club. This however raises concerns of potential abuse such as forced surveillance and remote hacking of chips for illegal use. So far, there is no way to block or lock down RFID transmission as yet.

3. Neural Interface

Kevin Warwick’s Project Cyborg also explored the possibility of implanting electrode arrays into nerves. The electrodes can then "plug into" his nerves and function as if it was actually his real arm. In a demo where Warwick was in New York, he connected his implant to a robotic arm in Reading, UK, via the Web, and was reported to have ‘felt feedback from the robotic arm’.

In a second demo, Warrick’s wife was given a simpler form of the implant. She then could send and sense what Warwick could via signals sent through the Internet. It became a sort of sensory synchronization. Although the nerve tissues were said to have wrapped around the implant, the procedure and chips don’t seem to have a negative effect on Warwick or his wife.

Image source: BBC

4. Eyeborg

An eyeborg is a device that allows a user to detect colors. The user wears the eyeborg on their heads and it contains a sensor that can sense the colors in front of it. The device will then translate that color into sound waves that will be transmitted to the user’s ear through bone conduction. Each color generates a special frequency that the user can identify specific colors with.

The eyeborg is the result of Adam Montandon (its creator) and artist Neil Harbisson who was born with achromatopsia: he can only see in black and white. The eyeborg allows him to not only tell apart different colors, but even detect color tones based on the frequencies. Eventually Harbisson had the device permanently attached to his head.

Image source: Flickr

5. The 3rdi

The 3rdi was a 2011 art/performance project by Iraqi-American artist Wafaa Bilal. An assistant professor at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, he attached a titanium plate to the back of his head that holds a camera setup which snaps a photo at one-minute intervals. The images are then uploaded to a website to be viewed by the general public as well as a museum in Doha, Qatar, via monitors.

He has no control over the images taken by the camera setup but to him, that is the point of the performance – to snap photos of the mundane and "what is left behind" in an attempt to make us pay attention to what happens in the present. The performance also emphasizes his belief that these devices will one day be part of the human body.

Eventually he had to remove part of the apparatus because his body rejected one of the pieces despite the use of antibiotics. You can view more of his extreme projects at his personal site.

Image source: OneArt

6. EyeTap

Steve Mann is widely considered to be the father of wearable computing with his invention, the EyeTap. The device is akin to a proto-Google Glass, and was developed in 1981.

It is worn in front of the user’s eye, acting as a camera and allowing you to superimpose information on top of the images, creating augmented reality. In Mann’s case, he chose to permanently attach the device to his skull, as he is so used to wearing it to the point that without the device, he feels nauseous, unsteady, even naked.

There are several potential uses for the EyeTap. The most obvious is the heads-up display that it can provide, in addition to the augmented reality features. Mann himself uses it as a form of sousveillance (recording an activity by the participant) but in extending the potential the device has, it is possible for the EyeTap to help people with visual disabilities.

Image source: BBC

The post BioHacks: 6 Cases How Tech Upgraded Human Abilities appeared first on Hongkiat.

While some see it is as nothing more that a video-game add-on, the Microsoft Kinect commands technologies that extend practical usage beyond the gaming realm.

After Microsoft released the SDK for Kinect, it has been a vital part in many medical, robotic and other fields, re-invented as part of a homemade hack, a university research project and lots more. Here are just 10 of the innovative ways the Microsoft Kinect is being used.

1. Produce high-Quality 3D Scans

The Kinect Fusion project allows a user to use an off-the-shelf Kinect camera as a 3D scanner for producing high-quality 3D scans of small or large objects. With smaller objects, the user has to move it around in front of the sensor while with large objects, the user moves the sensor to scan it.

As said by Shahram Izadi, a senior researcher at Microsoft Research, "The amazing thing about this solution is how you can take an off-the-shelf Kinect for Windows sensor and create 3-D models rapidly". The software is available in the Kinect For Windows SDK.

2. Help With Stroke Recovery

Stroke Recovery With Kinect is a project sponsored by Microsoft Research and Seoul National University with the aim of providing a low-cost home rehabilitation solution for stroke victims.

Users will be given exercises that will improve their motor functions. Their activities will be monitored with Kinect’s scanning ability, and a program that helps keep track of their progress.

This allows the patients to recover from home under private care or with family, instead of hospital environments. Their recovery levels can be measured and monitored by the system, and researchers believe the game-like atmosphere generated will help patients recover faster.

3. Translate Sign Language

Researchers in China, in collaboration with Microsoft Research, developed the Kinect Sign Language Translator, a system that can translate sign language into spoken and written language in near real time.

This will allow communication between those who speak sign languages and those who don’t. This is also helpful to people who speak different sign languages – there are more than 300 sign languages practiced around the world.

The Kinect, coupled with the right program, can read these gestures, interpret them and translate them into written or spoken form, then reverse the process and let an avatar sign to the receiver, breaking down language barriers more effectively than before.

4. Retrieve Data Via Gestures

Surgeons in the middle of a surgery may need certain information about their patient and this requires them to interact with non-sterile surfaces which may be detrimental to the surgery. Hence, they need to scrub out or depend on auxiliary team members to extract that info from them.

With GestSure however, they can use gestures to manipulate images via the Kinect, from inside the operating room. Not only does this minimize problems from information transfer, it also saves time by giving surgeons access to the data they need as soon as possible.

5. Virtual Reality Interaction

The Holoflector is an augmented reality mirror. Behind the mirror is a large LCD monitor and right above the mirror is the Kinect.

When a person stands in front of the Holoflector, the body movement will be captured and transferred onto the mirror. The system can also detect the presence of a foreign object such as a phone you hold in your hand while in front of the system.

It is also possible to add virtual objects into your projected image in the mirror and have them interact with your image. Check out the video for a visual demo of what the Holoflector can do.

6. Hack A System Via Avatar

In a case of life imitating art, security researcher at p0wnlabs, Jeff Bryner, showcased how one can use a 3D avatar to hack into a computer system.

Combining a Kinect, a few hacking tools and a 3D environment, Kinectasploit allows a user to break into a computer’s security system using body gestures. The system works almost like a video game. In one demo, a hacker ‘shoots’ at WiFi targets to break into them.

7. Turn Any Surface Touchscreen-Enabled

Ubi Interactive developed their software, Ubi, which combines your Windows 8 computer, a Kinect and projector to create an interactive touchscreen off any surface.

Basically you can project the system onto any flat surface such as a wall and turn that wall into a touchscreen surface you can interact with. With the Kinect sensor picking up the input, users can make interactions by waving, taping, swiping or zooming on the surface like they would a touchscreen device. No other special setup is needed.

8. Virtual Clothes-Fitting

Wouldn’t you like to see how a piece of clothing would look on you without the hassle of going to the dressing room? You can, with Fitnect, an interactive dressing room where users can pick out clothing and try them all out virtually.

Here, the Kinect is used to take a scan of a body then they can apply their choice of attire on a screen, letting them quickly check out how a piece of clothing looks on them. This allows for a better online shopping experience particularly when buying clothes.

9. Augmented Anatomical Overlay

The Magic Mirror, developed by Tobias Blum of the Technical University Of Munich, is an augmented reality app for the Kinect that overlays anatomical data such as organs and skeletons on a user.

By standing in front of the Kinect, the user can see in real-time bone structure projected on the area of focus e.g. near the chest or the stomach, much like getting X-ray vision.

Note that it isn’t the user’s actual bone structure being projected, but the device proves valuable as an educational tool for learning body anatomy.

10. Control Robots With Body movement

In another case of copying from the movies, many users have hacked their Kinect to allow users to control robots via body movement. There are more than a handful of these videos on Youtube where hacked Kinects can be used to copy the movement of limbs with surprising accuracy.

Even NASA has gotten into the game, combining an Xbox One Kinect to control a robotic arm and an Oculus Rift to provide first-person view. NASA hopes to install the system aboard the International Space Station if testing proves successful.

The post 10 Creative And Innovative Uses Of Microsoft Kinect appeared first on Hongkiat.

In this post, we will briefly look into the lives, motivations, and outcomes of 10 hackers who have made the headlines by targeting and hacking into large organizations and even governments. Some bear good intentions while others have no qualms about hacking for personal benefit, but no matter what their reasoning is, these are hackers that keep the major organizations on their toes when it comes to the security measures they employ in their systems.

1. Hector Xavier Monsegur (Sabu)

Sabu is well known as one of the founders of LulzSec, the infamous black hat hacker group that broke into and stole information from government and corporate websites, all mainly "for the lulz" or in other speak, entertainment. His real identity was eventually discovered by the FBI, and he was given a choice: turn informant or go to prison.

Monsegur chose the former and co-operated with the FBI, hacking with his Lulzsec team all the while keeping tabs of their activities and reporting to the feds. This eventually led to the capture of the other members and the end of Lulzsec. Monsegur spent a mere 7 months in jail due to his co-operation. Count him lucky because his original sentence was supposed to be a good 26 years.

2. Kevin Mitnick

Kevin Mitnick was a hacker before computers were cool or mainstream. His first hack was done when he was 15, back in 1978, through a method known as social engineering, involving a ticket puncher and dumpster diving. Basically, he could get all the free bus rides he wanted with a counterfeit punch card.

His first computer hack though was for unauthorized access to the computer systems of Digital Equipment Corporation. He was jailed for 12 months plus a 3-year supervised release. He broke the 3-year agreement when he hacked into Pacific Bell’s voice mail computers, and an arrest warrant was released in his name, which he succeeded in avoiding for 2.5 years.

During his time on the run, he went on a hacking spree, using cloned cellphones to hide his location and breaking into the systems of some of the largest cellular and computing companies. He was eventually caught and made to serve five years in prison. He now runs a computer security firm, Mitnick Security Consulting.

3. Gary McKinnon (Solo)

According to US prosecutors, Scottish hacker Gary McKinnon was responsible for committing the "biggest military computer hack of all time" – he hacked into 97 US military and NASA computers in 2002. And it wasn’t just a simple break-in as the incident happened less than a few months after 9/11.

He did real damage to US military infrastructure, halting munitions supply to the US Navy’s Atlantic Fleet, and for some reason, he left taunting, anti-American messages on the computers. McKinnon has Asperger’s Syndrome and when he was caught, McKinnon, he claimed that he was only looking for proof of UFOs, anti-gravity technology and free energy suppression.

The US government tried to extradite him for trial but could not do so due to his medical condition and the fact that medical experts consider him a suicide risk should he be made to leave the UK to stand trial. At the end of a 10-year tug-of-war, prosecutors decided to drop any plans to prosecute him on UK soil due to the complications of him being in the UK and the evidence and witnesses being in the US.

4. Ehud Tenenbaum (The Analyzer)

At the age of 19 in 1998, Israeli hacker Ehud Tenenbaum was the head of a group of hackers that managed to break into the computer systems of the NASA, the US and Israeli military, and several US and Israeli universities. They installed backdoors to get classified information. Then-US Deputy Department of Defence John Hamre called it "the most organized and systematic attack to date" – they thought the hack was done by the Iraqi government.

In order to stop the attacks and capture the hackers, several branches of the US government assembled their agents and started an investigation (codenamed Solar Sunrise). They finally manage to capture Tenenbaum and his team. In 2001, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison, of which he served only eight months.

He was later arrested again in 2008 for hacking into financial institutions and stealing credit card numbers – damages totalled around $1.5 million. He pleaded guilty and accepted a plea bargain for his cooperation in the investigation.

5. Jonathan James (c0mrade)

When he was 15, Jonathan James was caught breaking into the BellSouth and Miami-Dade school system. This led to the discovery that he had backdoor access to a division of the US Department of Defence – basically he had access to thousands of employee messages.

He had also hacked NASA and obtained the source code for life support functions at the International Space Station. The intrusion caused NASA to shut down their computers for three weeks and $41,000 to patch the system. James was arrested and made to serve six months in a federal correctional facility.

Later, in 2007, James was under suspicion of helping some of his hacker friends commit a massive computer hacking spree that compromised the credit information of millions of people. He repeatedly denied involvement but was raided by the Secret Service nonetheless. In 2008, he committed suicide by gunshot to the head, believing that he would not receive proper justice.

6. Edward Snowden

Edward Snowden became a household name by blowing the lid off the NSA’s spying program. The agency had been spying on regular Americans in an unprecedentedly massive scale. How did Snowden get his hands on evidence to prove that allegation? Well, he didn’t really need to rely on hacking tools. Like Mitnick, all he had to do was use social engineering – oh, and he took advantage of a broken security policy to get access to the files.

You see, Snowden was working as a system administrator for the NSA and was able to access the majority of their top secret documents, and there was basically no one auditing him for potential leaks. If he couldn’t get a document, all he had to do was get the credentials of someone who had access – people already assume sysadmins had access to them already.

After the revelations, Snowden fled to Russia where he obtained political asylum.

7. Andrew Auernheimer (weev)

weev is a grey hat hacker and Internet troll, first gaining notoriety for claiming responsibility for a hack done on Amazon. He is very well known for his trolling antics, once becoming the president of a group dedicated to trolling the web with malware, website hacking, and shock images.

From this group came Goatse Security, a grey hat group created to distance themselves from the trolling antics of the former. In 2010, he helped find a vulnerability on the AT&T website that exposed the emails of iPad users, some of which include those owned by celebrities and military officials.

While they eventually turned over the exploit to AT&T, they had first gone to a news agency to share their discovery. This lead to a criminal investigation where he was charged by the FBI for the hack and was given 41 months of jail time.

8. Julian Assenge (Mendex)

Today, Julian Assange is known as the creator and public face of Wikileaks, the online organization that publishes leaked government and corporate documents. But before all that, way back in the late ’80s at the young age of 16, he was known as Mendex and, together with two other hackers, formed International Subversives, what they consider to be an ethical hacking group.

He went on to hack into several high profile targets such as the US Department of Defence, NASA, Lockheed Martin, just to name a few. He was eventually caught while hacking into Nortel in 1991 at the age of 20. He pleaded guilty to 35 charges. He managed to avoid heavy penalties due to perceived non-malicious intent and a disrupted childhood caused by his mother being part of a controversial New Age group and frequently moving about.

9. Jeremy Hammond

Jeremy Hammond is a political activist, and he uses his computer hacking skills to aid in his activism. For example, during the 2004 DEFCON, he encouraged "electronic civil disobedience" to the audience as a form of protest against the annual Republican National Convention.

He founded HackThisSite, a way to train would-be hackers with all the tools of the trade, describing itself as “a non-profit organization that strives to protect a good security culture and learning atmosphere”. He mostly got into trouble with the law with his activism, from refusing to follow police orders when protesting.

But what finally got him arrested (and a 10-year sentence) was the hacking of the private intelligence firm Stratfor in 2012. He had leaked an obtained client list to Wikileaks and donated an additional million dollars via stolen credit cards to several charities. An interesting titbit you might like was that Hammond was actually caught by Sabu (from #1) who was working with the FBI as an informant at the time.

10. The Jester

The Jester is an internet vigilante and self-described grey hat hacktivist. His real identity is unknown except for the fact that he is a former soldier that had served tours in Afghanistan and elsewhere. The Jester made a name for himself by hacking several websites he perceived as anti-American.

His first public attack was against the Taliban and other related jihadist groups on the Internet. He also hacked the website of the Westboro Baptist Church to disrespect the funerals of American troops. He has also DDoS several websites that he claims are endangering American troops abroad, such as Wikileaks.

Not only that, he has hacked countries that show support for Snowden, such as Ecuador, DDoS-ing their stock exchange and tourism website. The Jester is still active on Twitter and his blog, where he gives his opinions regularly.

www.wikileaks.org – TANGO DOWN – INDEFINITELY – for attempting to endanger the lives of our troops and 'other assets' #wikileaks #fail

November 28, 2010

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