Show Notes, August 11th, 2014

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Visual microphone can pick up speech from a bag of potato chips You may want to be careful about the conversations you hold in the future; if you’re near a window, someone might be listening in. A team of researchers from Adobe, Microsoft and MIT have developed a visual microphone algorithm that picks up audio by…
6d
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Google sheds light on its child porn detector after sex offender arrest Thanks to Google, a sex offender was recently arrested after the company tipped off authorities about finding illegal photos of children in his email. Despite the good that came out of it, it raised a number of questions, such as “does Google…
6d
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Why your brand-new plane doesn’t have a seat-back TV Earlier this year, I boarded a United flight from Newark to San Diego. After passing the first few rows, a young boy turned to his mother and asked, “Why aren’t there any TVs?” “It’s probably an older plane,” she responded — but that couldn’t be…
6d
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Gmail now recognizes email addresses from non-Latin alphabets Since the beginning of time — or at least since email was invented — most email services have required the use of non-accented characters from the Latin alphabet for each individual’s address. It’s inconvenient for those who don’t natively use that…
6d
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3D-printed food could expand the options for hungry soldiers In a recent issue of Army Magazine, the possibilities of 3D-printing tech for military use are outlined in great detail. We’ve already discussed the research into crafting mission-specific weapons, but expanding culinary options for soldiers is high…
6d
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US government says someone besides Snowden is leaking secret docs Due to content of a report from The Intercept, the US government says that there’s a new whistle blower leaking its secrets in addition to Edward Snowden. The article details national security documents prepared by the National Counterterrorism…
5d
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NYT: Russian hacker group has over a billion stolen logins Russia and internet security don’t exactly go hand in hand, and the latest news that over a billion user-name and password combos being pilfered doesn’t exactly help the country’s reputation. Researchers at Hold Security have found that some 420,000…
5d
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Amazon’s same-day delivery expands in six cities If you’re the sort who just can’t wait to get household goods but cringe at having to brave the lines at the local store, today might be your lucky day. Amazon has officially expanded its same-day delivery options in six cities that include…
5d
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Why Uber’s ridesharing revolution could be undone by archaic laws and aging industry Like electric cars, the decentralization of broadcast television, renewable energy and other burgeoning technologies, the world of “ridesharing” — largely embraced by consumers — is facing tremendous pushback from entrenched players around the…
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​Android smartphones are about to get multi-user support If you have an Android tablet and kids, you’re probably a fan of the OS’ multi-user feature: it lets you add passwords and lock specific apps based on who is using the device. The feature launched exclusively on tablets last year, coupled with the…
4d
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Pinterest finally lets its users talk to each other So let’s say you just made this awesome Pinterest board for apartment decorations and want your future-roommate to see the Joker print that’s going in the hallway. More importantly, you’re curious if she feels the same way about it as you. Well, now…
4d
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Library of Congress finds unreleased ‘Duke Nukem’ code lurking in its catalog When a video game studio cancels a project, the code tends to stay with the developers or else disappear into the void. Either way, you’re unlikely to ever see it. However, the Library of Congress’ Trevor Owens has unearthed a rare gem. While sifting…
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SexFit is a pedometer for your penis It was only a matter of time before wearable technology moved from people’s heads and wrists and ventured downstairs. British adult retailer Bondara is leading the charge, showing off a prototype activity tracker and sex toy that goes on the…
4d
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Microsoft’s idea of severance pay is a free Lumia 630 If your firm, like Microsoft, was preparing huge layoffs, you’d expect a sweet incentive to leave, like a fat check, or the right to rob the stationery cupboard guilt-free. For workers at a former Nokia factory in China, however, the reward on…
4d
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Edward Snowden gets a three-year extension on his stay in Russia After leaking details of questionable surveillance programs being conducted by the NSA and others, self-titled government spy Edward Snowden fled the US last year and was granted temporary asylum in Russia. The leaks have continued and he allegedly…
4d
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Sproutling’s new wearable tracks your infant’s sleep patterns Baby wearables. With the boom in fitness trackers, you must’ve seen them coming, right? Now, a pair of ex-Apple and Google employees has launched the Sproutling baby monitor, a device the company likens to Nest in terms of design and simplicity….
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Tour college campuses from the couch with Google Maps Street View The time for choosing a college to attend this fall may have long passed, but you can get a jump start on next year with Google Maps. Street View added 36 more campus tours in the US and Canada, including a look at Georgetown University’s Healy Lawn…
3d
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Anonymous email app Leak is down due to overnight success The anonymous email app Leak just launched in late July, but it’s already been shut down — for the time being, at least. The service, which lets you send emails to anyone without identifying yourself, was built over a weekend, and its creators used…
3d
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Here’s how you make your own 3D-printed virtual reality goggles So you couldn’t get your hands on a nice virtual reality headset like the Oculus Rift, but you’d still like something a little fancier than a cardboard display. Are you out of luck? Not if Noe Ruiz has anything to say about it. He has posted…
3d
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Carriers have to let you text 911 by the end of the year You’ve had the option of texting 911 in a handful of US cities for a couple of months, thanks in part to voluntary efforts from bigger cellphone carriers. However, the FCC doesn’t want you to be left out solely because you’re on a smaller network….
1d
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Windows Phone has nearly twice as many apps as it did a year ago Windows Phone’s app catalog may not be as extensive as what you’ll find on Android or iOS, but you won’t be hurting for choices any time soon. Microsoft has quietly revealed that the Windows Phone Store racked up over 300,000 apps as of this past…
1d
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Smart collar turns your cat into a WiFi hacking weapon Forget Trojan horses — it’s the cats you have to worry about. Security engineer Gene Bransfield has developed WarKitteh, a tech-laden collar that turns feline companions into scouts for WiFi hackers. The innocuous-looking accessory hides a Spark…
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Microsoft’s found a way to smooth out your GoPro shakycam footage GoPro footage is great when well-shot, but the jittery results from less-talented individuals can induce nausea or seizures. If you’re interested in doing sped-up time lapse shots, however, Microsoft researchers have created an algorithm that makes…
8h
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Will Steam challenge iTunes and Google Play for your media-buying cash? The only thing that’s better than using Steam is digging through its source code to see what’s coming in the future. On a recent trawl through the digital store’s inner workings, Twitter’s @SteamDB found the words film, tvseries and music as app…
6h
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The $25 Nokia 130 proves Microsoft’s not done with dumbphones Facebook is itching to connect the next billion people. So is Google. Microsoft has been itching to get in on the fun too, and while there’s no shortage of cheap Windows Phones to entice all those first-time smartphone shoppers around the world, the…
3h
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Google backs an undersea cable that will give the internet a big speed boost The internet is quickest when you have a direct connection to the sites you’re trying to reach, but that’s a daunting challenge in the Pacific — undersea network cables can cost hundreds of millions of dollars. It’s therefore good to hear that…
2h
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The ambient sounds of sci-fi will make you ditch that white noise machine Sometimes you just need to clear your mind from all distractions and tune out the rest of the world. Sure, you could rely on a playlist or a regular ol’ white noise machine, but that doesn’t do much to boost your geek cred. Thanks to YouTuber…
12h
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Khan Academy Is there anyone who doesn’t know about Khan Academy, the free online school? A favorite of the digiterati, this website was founded by Sal Khan who started out by making video tutorials on how to learn algebra. He captured his instructional doodles on a black screen (rather than focus on his talking face) and these short intense classes were amazingly effective. Our son used them for high-school m
6d
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Push for Pizza Brings Pizza to Your Door with One, Lazy Button iOS: Since the dawn of time, humans have been building ever more elaborate tools to simplify their lives. Today that long journey comes to an end with Push for Pizza, the app that lets you order a pizza with a single button.As expected, the app requires a one-time initial setup to enter your payment information, as well as your choice of either cheese or pepperoni pizza (sorry everyone who likes o
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Playground Design Aimed at Drawing Kids Away from Their Gadgets A trip to the playground today is not the same as it was fifteen or even 

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