John McAfee Wants To Make A Cheap Gadget For Decentralized Networking, But Occupy.here Already Does

Antivirus creator and eccentric world-roaming rich guy John McAfee has a plan to get around the NSA’s snooping with a gadget called the “D-Central,” which is essentially a $100 router for building small, disconnected private networks that act as pockets of sharing access that’s not connected to the broader worldwide web.

It’s an admirable enough plan, and it may sound familiar, since that’s pretty much exactly the idea TechCrunch Disrupt NYC 2012 Startup Alley participant Occupy.here was showing off this past spring. The Occupy.here project, created by founder Dan Phiffer, is intended to “create a distributed network of wifi locations,” each of which runs a version of its light forum software and serves people in the immediate network. Long-term, they’d like to deploy lots of router hardware running their software, which users can then jump between, creating a broad network that could cover an entire city, or even beyond.

Occupy.here is designed to work on router hardware that supports OpenWRT Linux and USB memory expansion for file sharing, and its founder explained to me in an interview back at Disrupt that they were looking around for a dedicated hardware provider. McAfee says his hardware design is in place, but requires an actual hardware manufacturing partner to come to fruition.

D-Central is still largely in the idea phase, but McAfee seems to believe that it will have encryption that can beat any attempts to hack in by the NSA, and we should learn more in a little under half a year according to a countdown clock on the D-Central official website. Meanwhile,Occupy.here’s Github repo just got an update this very morning, and it’s available to download and use on third-party hardware right now.

Both of these ideas are similar and will likely strike a chord with a group of users looking for privacy greater than that offered on the open web. One may be the fevered brain sneezes of a man well on his way to utter insanity, but the other is a viable project being actively worked on. Your choice which to support.

Courtesy: techcrunch

By: Unknown On 8:24 AM

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FAA to allow gadgets to be used during take-off and landing?

The organisation in charge of flight regulations in the United States is considering relaxing rules around the usage of gadgets during take-off and landing.

The Federal Aviation Administration is to receive recommendations later today on whether or not to change the rules.

Under current regulations, all passengers must turn off and stow away any electronic devices during take off and landing. Any change to the rules will only apply to flights taking off and landing in the United States.

A 28-member advisory committee will submit the recommendations later today.

If adopted, the new rules will allow passengers to continue using their electronic devices, including mobile phones during ascent and descent. However, they will need to be put into airplane mode.

Speaking to the Associated Press, airline and travel analyst Henry Harteveldt explained what passengers would and would not be allowed to do if the rules are changed.

“You will not be able to play Words With Friends. You will not be able to shop. You will not be able to surf websites or send email,” he said.

“You will be able to read or work on what’s stored on the device. You want to edit that PowerPoint? Great. You want to watch Breaking Bad and you have it downloaded to your smartphone or your tablet? You can continue to do that.”

There is a common misconception that passengers are asked to turn off electronic devices to prevent interference with the plane’s instruments.

However, the rule is actually designed to prevent hundreds of tiny, high speed ‘missiles’ being catapulted throughout the cabin in the event of a crash or emergency landing.

Despite this, the new rules will not allow devices to receive or send data, including browsing the internet or making calls under 10,000 feet.

Image credit: Tim Fields
Courtesy: T3

By: Unknown On 3:42 AM

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Google Glass is the UK's most wanted gadget

Google Glass is the UK’s most lusted over gadget of 2014, according to the Gadget Show.

The show polled 3,900 UK gadget fans to find out what their most anticipated gadget of next year is. The poll was commissioned as part of the Gadget Show @ Christmas event. 

Google’s high tech glasses racked up 24 per cent of the vote. And while Apple failed to pick up the top spot, it did sew up second, third, fourth and fifth. 

There was also good news for Microsoft. While its Surface tablet may not have been a hit with gadget fans, they are looking forward to its Surface SmartWatch. 

The top ten most anticipated gadgets are: 

• Google Glass: 24 per cent 
• Apple 5.7-inch iPhone: 16 per cent 
• Apple iWatch: 15 per cent 
• Apple iPhone Mini: 12 per cent 
• Apple Retina iPad Mini: 8 per cent 
• Microsoft Surface SmartWatch: 7 per cent 
• Nvidia Tablet: 7 per cent 
• Oculus Rift: 5 per cent 
•  Paper Tab: 3 per cent 
• LG voice command phone: 3 per cent 

“Google Glass is a fascinating choice,” said Gadget Show presenter Jon Bentley. 

 “It’s a genuinely exciting development and a refreshingly new gadget. It’ll be fascinating to discover just how alluring it is to be connected in this way and whether we learn to live with the potential intrusions into privacy such devices create, but however it works out it’s sure to be thrilling finding out.” 

“In the future we’re going to be seeing technology change more aspects of our lives. We’re used to incremental boosts in computing power and connectivity and ever more competent portable devices.

"But we’ll soon be seeing more radical developments in how technology can transform our health and what we can do with our bodies – from replaceable body parts and brain implants, to the eradication of common diseases. 

“Robots will start to become genuinely useful, transport will become ever more efficient, we’ll get better at harnessing and storing energy and there’ll be new ways of storing increasing amounts of data in ways that are immune to bit rot and storage calamities.” 

Courtesy: T3

By: Unknown On 6:42 AM

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