Internet's Best Secrets

Portugal Cable Operator MEO Offers Each Subscriber their Own Channel

2012-02-10T13:41:00.000Z

We all now TV is trying to find new ways to fight the increasingly popular internet video, and in Portugal one of the main cable operators - MEO - has launched a revolutionary new product: the chance for each and every subscriber to create their own custom made TV Channels, the Meo Kanal.

If you're a MEO subscriber you can create up to 6 custom channels (3 public ones, 3 private ones), where you can show off... well... whatever you want. From your finest selection of family or pet videos to your self-produced programs, the choice is yours, and it can be immediately seen by nearly 1 million MEO subscribers around the country. For the private channels, you'll need a PIN code to be able to watch.

Just like a real TV channel, you have the option to create a pre-scheduled weekly grid of your content (or leave it as a playlist).

Subscribers need only press the green key on their powerbox remotes and enter the custom channel numbers (brands and companies have the option to buy premium channel numbers for easier access), but once you've found a channel of your liking you can easily add it to your favorites.

The most popular channels/programs will also be featured on a TOP+ list, for added visibility.

The only "let-down" is that these channels are currently restricted to MEO subscribers, meaning that there are millions others that won't be able to access it - which my prompt people to opt for more generic video sharing sites, like YouTube, or even Facebook. But, 1 million potential viewers still is a nice a number, and this kind of concepts shows us that our old "TVs" can still find new ways to surprise us.

Patent Troll Claims to have Rights over the Web

2012-02-09T13:25:00.012Z

Patents and copyrights really are starting to get out of hand - and I suspect it will only serve to force all of us (authors, inventors, consumers) to really think about where we're heading.

For instance, take this case, where someone is claiming it has a patent over the interactive web, and that if you're doing something as simple as watching a video on your browser... then you have to pay him.

When we see companies as Microsoft and Apple, that so actively pursue their own patent rights, say it's time for "reasonable patent rules", I think it's a sign that something really must be done before our society gets (even more) stuck in endless and circular patent wars that really have nothing to do with the concept of "patents" or "copyright" as it was intended.

Google Chrome for Android

2012-02-08T13:46:00.001Z

Yes, it's still tagged "beta". Yes, it's still only available for Android 4.0 devices. But, who cares... Google Chrome is finally available for Android!

Considering that the current Android browser is kind of a let-down, even when running on a speedy quad-core Tegra 3 like the one equipping the new Transformer Prime (if you don't think so, just try and work a bit on Google's own Google Docs spreadsheets - when requesting the full "desktop" experience), I've been saying that what Android really needs is a decent - desktop-like - Chrome browser. And now... here it is.

I still haven't had a chance to test it myself, my Transformer Prime review unit is already on its way back, sadly, but I can't wait to try it and see if those odd behaviors and inexplicable delays are now gone.

If that's the case, as I expect it to be, then will make even more sense to consider merging the Chrome OS project with a Android Chrome OS... as it eventually become one and the same - even is spanning across different platforms (ARM, x86, etc.)

Get your Chrome for Android on Android Market.

Raspberry Pi has Launch Date

2012-02-07T13:46:00.013Z

The small linux computer Raspberry Pi, that is posed to shows us that size doesn't really matter... nor price... is generating lots of hype on the developer community. After all this tiny $25 computer isn't afraid of becoming a full fledged media center, running XBMC with Full HD video support.

And now, we finally now when it will be available at last: after some delays due to a hard to get component, the board will be ready on Feb 20th, meaning they'll be available for you and me before the end of this month.

Now, the real question is... who will be lucky enough to get one of the first batch Raspbery Pi's? My guess is that it won't be easy.

Siri Always Ready on your Jailbroken iPhone

2012-02-06T13:18:00.007Z

Siri has been one of the most important differentiating features of the new iPhone 4S (even though it could easily be allowed on the iPhone 4 and 3GS), and while still in "beta" and with limited usefulness in other countries, it has been transforming our habits.

Things like setting reminders, appointments, setting alarms, doing conversions, and lots more - that could be done before with a bunch of swipes and touches, can now be done instantly via voice. And it makes us wonder... wouldn't it be nice if it were always listening so that it didn't require the initial Siri button press?

If you have a jailbroken iPhone... you can, thanks to this Hands-Free Control.

This mod allows you to have your iPhone always listening, and enable Siri as soon as you say her name. Sure it will have an adverse impact on the battery life, but hopefully, in the future, this sort of thing will be handled by low power cores that can perform these actions more efficiently, and make voice commands really "full-voice" without the need for any physical start up action.

[via macdaddynews]

Pile of Poo Makes it to Unicode

2012-02-05T13:37:00.016Z

Considering that our emoticon and smileys posts are some of the most popular, and that the pile of poo symbol is still one of the most sought for... Here's a big announcement to make: the "pile of poo" symbol is now part of the Unicode standard!

... I can already imagine it won't take long before keyboard manufacturers start adding special emoticon keys, that can range from the popular smiley symbols to these... smelly ones! :)

Portugal

2012-02-04T13:26:00.000Z

Portugal may be a land that looks completely surreal for some; where our President tells us that his monthly 10k € isn't enough to "pay his bills" while most citizens have to make do with 20x less; where we have toll-free roads that now have tolls; and where justice often takes so much time that most cases prescribe without sanctions.

But, not everything is bad... In fact, the pros still outweigh the cons regarding Portugal. And besides its people - truly one of its best kept secrets - and that you can surely check for yourself should you come visit, Portugal is also home to some of the most beautiful places on earth.

And, to prove it... just watch the following documentary... that isn't even done by Portuguese folks, but by our long time neighbors/friends/rivals... the Spanish.

Portugal mostrado pela TVE Espanhola from Luis Oliveira on Vimeo.

Clear - A New To Do List App

2012-02-03T13:30:00.010Z

One might be tempted to think that: if you've seen a todo list App... you've seen it all. After all, just how much can you improve something as simple as a list of items shown on screen?

Well, that's precisely what Clear is hoping to do. This upcoming iPhone Apps reminds us that there's always room for improvement, even when you think there's not anything else to be done. Instead of the usual interface elements to manage your tasks/todo lists, it simply removes it all... leaving nothing but the items themselves.

Everything is accomplished via natural and intuitive gestures, like pinching apart to make room to new tasks, or dragging the lists. It's just another step in the evolution of touch interfaces, that shows us there's still a lot to be done - and I wouldn't be surprised most of these gestures to serve as inspiration to upcoming Apps, just like the "Pull to refresh" has become a standard that makes its absence noticeable even in the official iOS Mail App.

Clear for iPhone (Coming Soon!) from Realmac Software on Vimeo.

GLASt Tempered Glass Protection for iPhone

2012-02-02T13:30:00.013Z

If you wouldn't think of using your iPhone 4/4S without a screen protector, you'll definitely want to see what Spigen's GLASt has to offer. Instead of a plastic screen protector, Spigen goes all in and offers a highly durable tempered glass protector. A glass shield that is said to withstand all types of use... and abuse.

Personally, I've never used screen protector since I got my first iPhone, and I think the iPhone 4/4S screen is already durable enough for regular use and the occasional accident. Things were different back in the day when "Pocket PCs" had plastic screens, which a stylus would scratch over and over again - back then, even I had to use a screen protector (although there would always be air bubbles in there, making me mad in the process of trying to make it look "perfect".)

But this GLASt seem to make that easier than ever... as you'll be able to see in the following video:

[via RedmondPie]

Turn Your Facebook into a Movie

2012-02-01T13:41:00.010Z

Ever felt touched when you saw one of those "memories videos" when you want to praise someone you admire/love/cherish? It's about to become easier than ever, should that person be on Facebook. You've probably noticed that Facebook now has your life timeline, allowing you to quickly glance at what you've been doing... and now with this new Timeline Movie Maker you can easily turn it into a video with a simple presso of a button.

It really is that simple, altough you can still edit some of the stuff (photos, video, check-ins, etc) if you think the automatic process doesn't do you justice (or should you want to prove your directing skills rival Hollywood's finest directors ;) but indeed it does provide a valuable tool to turn your digital life - which more than ever also closely resembles your real life - into a nice video you can share with your friends.

[via ZDnet]

YouTube gets New Video Editor

2012-01-31T13:56:00.014Z

It's still not an Adobe After Effects or Adobe Premiere on the web (yet), but YouTube's video editing tools are getting better and better.

If you have been around for a while, you'll certainly remeber the days where internet video was a synonym for RealPlayer, with blocky, low resolution crappy videos; and remember that even YouTube as well was regarded as a crazy site that would never succeed... Well... We all know how that worked out...

Besides the revamped video editor, Google team has also made it easier to browse and manage videos. But that's something that won't be as fun as editing and remixing videos on the YouTube Video Editor, and reminding yourself constantly: your doing it inside a browser window!

New Samsung Galaxy S Advance

2012-01-30T13:34:00.014Z

Having trouble trying to figure out which Samsung Galaxy S you should get? Well, things are about to become even more complicated with the new Galaxy S Advance. It has a 1Ghz dual-core CPU, 768MB of RAM, and 16GB Flash; but instead of the new HD resolution displays found on the Galaxy Nexus, it sticks to a 800x480 Super AMOLED screen, and just HSPA 14.4Mbps connections. It has 5MP and 1.3MP cameras, and sadly... no Ice Cream Sandwhich for it yet, as it's being announced with Android 2.3.

All that's left to know is its price, that must be cheap enough not to make people opt for the better Galaxy S2... but not that expensive that makes people wait out one more generation in order to get their hands on Ice Cream Sandwich Android smartphones...

Free GPS Navigation App for Portugal

2012-01-29T13:20:00.000Z

If you ever happen to visit Portugal and need to get your bearings straight, there's always the possibility of using a GPS navigation App in your iPhone or Android device. But, most time you might have to spend money aquiring a new map, or buy a new app... And online solutions like Google Maps, use up valuable roaming data that is obscenely overcharged. So, why not forget about all that and do it without spending a cent?

Thanks to TMN (a national cell phone operator) we can now have a completely free GPS navigation App to drive around Portugal: TMN Drive for the iPhone; TMN Drive for Android.

This App is based on a well known portuguese developed GPS navigation system call NDrive, that is currently being used by many navigation Apps under customized versions, and besides the obvious advantage of beeing free, it has probably the most comprehensive database of PoI (Points of Interest) of them all: over 700 thousands!

Extra features, like live traffic info and extra maps will still cost you extra. But for the most part, you can use it for free. Something to keep in mind should you ever come driving to our cozy little country. :)

Google Earth gets Seamless Terrain

2012-01-28T13:20:00.014Z

If you're like me - that regularly gets drawn into peeking into Google Earth just for a few moments, and end up spending hours there, mesmerized by the beauty of our planet - then you should get worried. That's because Google has just launched Google Earth 6.2 which offers much improved visual quality. You can say goodbye to the traditional quilt text terrain textures where you could see where each section was stitched, has Google Earth now offers a apparently seamless worldwide texture!

As you can see in the images above, the "before" and "after" images speak for themselves.

Google didn't tell us (yet) how they were able to make all those different captures look so similar - but the truth is that Microsoft was already doing it as well in their Bing Maps.

As for other improvements, you can expect enhanced search features and Google+ sharing.

If your Google Earth didn't update automatically, you can get the new Google Earth 6.2 here.

Portuguese Authors Association Caught Faking Authors Names

2012-01-27T11:15:00.003Z

While the entire world is revolting against SOPA/PIPA and other abusive anti-piracy laws, in Portugal there's a little know association called SPA that allegedly cares of authors best interests. It's an association that already receives levies on each and every virgin CD and DVD sold, no matter what it is used for: whenever you're storing your family photos on a DVD, you're paying them for it. And it still unclear how much of that money really makes it to authors themselves...

But, they think they don't receive enough, and now they're trying to pass a new "Private Copy Law" with which they hope to put a tax on every digital storage device! A few cents for every Gigabyte on every hard drive, memory card, embedded flash storage, etc. A tax that is so obscene that would invert the usual market tendencies where you get roughly the double amount of storage space for the same price every couple of year - and make presumable larger hard drives more and more expensive as they come to market. It's the Lei da Cópia Privada (PL118) and it would mean that even if used your hard drive just to store an operating system... you'd be paying for that "author's society" (and again, without really knowing which authors would get what).

This is causing a bug outcry from the portuguese society, and SPA has tried to validate their point by presenting a list of one hundred authors and artists that support this PL118 law. There's no denying that some author might thing its a good idea... even though it might look suspicious that they could get only a hundred of them among their 25k+ registered members; and even though that roughly 20% of those 100 are the association board members; the really horrendous part is that we now found that some of those nomes were put there without any consent from the authors!

António Pinho Vargas (one of my most appreciated Portuguese music composers, you should check his Tom Waits if you don't know him) has came forth and revealed that it has no idea of how his name got there, and that he was never contacted about it. More so, he said he doubts some of the other names he sees there, from friends of his, would have agreed to that as well!

I think this says it all regarding these "author protection associations"... When they have to resort to such low tactics and fake their own members names to support such ilogical laws, it's a sign that something really has to change! (And by that I don't mean taxing each and every gigabyte no matter what you intend to use it for!)

[My original portuguese post - and we made it to Boing Boing too! Thanks Cory!]

Boxee Live TV

2012-01-26T13:28:00.000Z

It's no secret there's a of effort going on to change the TV as we know it - just look at how important Google considers Google TV to be, not to mention the upcoming and possibly disrupting Apple TV offering that should come out during this year. Peopler are increasingly tired of traditional TV channels and cable operators, where you pay up for hundreds of channels even though you end up watching just a handful of programs.

Boxee is well known for they popular media center software and their Boxee Box. And to prove that on-demand and stored content can live hand-in-hand with live TV, hey now have Boxee Live TV, a small USV digitial TV tuner that allows your Boxee Box to add all the interactive social elements to live TV as well.

Ubuntu Trades Menus for HUD Interface

2012-01-25T13:14:00.011Z

It might sound strange to hear Ubuntu is working on making a more usable user interface for keyboard users, in a time where most people are flocking around touch devices which lack a keyboard; but indeed it is what it's doing. With version 12.04 LTS Ubuntu will offer a overlayed Head Up Display (HUD) which claims to make life easier for users tired of navigating through endless menu levels.

I don't if this will appease all those users that are highly critical of the Unity interface... But at least is seem like something different that might appeal for keyboard power users (though much of what it does can already be accomplished today using 4rd party programs).

LED Reading Lights for Books

2012-01-24T13:57:00.007Z

Tablets and eBook readers may be on the rise, but there's still a lot of people out there that are unwilling to let go of their old (and new) paper books. And unlike their digital screen counterparts, when it gets dark... you can't really see whats printed on its pages.

The time of reading holding a flashlight are long gone, and today we have more comfortable ways of reading books during the night like this Philips bok reading LED light which uses light guides technology similar to the ones used on LCD screens, allowing the LEDs placed on the frame to evenly light a larger area.

Unfortunately, its price isn't that cheap (nearly 40 euros) so... here's a similar, but cheaper alternative:

This LED book reading light isn't rechargeable via USB like the Philips above, but costing under 5 euros, I guess most people won't mind that.

How to Fix Google Chrome Flash Crashes

2012-01-23T13:19:00.016Z

Just the other day I was complaining that, being an intensive Google Chrome user, with two or three windows open with over twenty tabs on each, for weeks or months at a time without reboot (unless there's an update), I'm still surprised to see that most Chrome crashes are not caused by Chrome itself but due to the Flash plugin!

But now, it seems there's an explanation for it... and more importantly, a way to prevent it from happening again. It seems the problem is caused by having two different flash versions installed.
Chrome has its own internal Flash plugin, but most people are also likely to have the regular "installable" Flash plugin.

You need to check your Chrome plugin section (type "about:plugins" in the navbar) and check the Flash area.

If it states that it has "2 files", then it's likely you'll have problems and crashes.

The key is to disable either of them (click expand to see its details). I've chosen to disable the external Flash plugin - you can tell which is which by its location; the internal one will have a path containing Google\Chrome, the other most likely will be installed in another Windows folder. This way, I won't need to manually upadate Flash, or rely on yet another "Flash updater" task running on my system - Chrome will take care of that for me.

So, you just need to disable one, and restart Chrome, and to be sure, you can visit Adobe Flash's test page to really make sure everything is in working order.

Perfect Group Photos with GroupShot

2012-01-22T13:38:00.000Z

Tired of taking dozens of photos to try and get the perfect group photo - the one where everyone has their eyes open and is looking at the camera? Then you'll certainly appreciate this App for iPhone and iPad: GroupShot.

With this App, you simply need two or three group shots, and it won't matter if someone is looking elsewhere, as long as you have at least one photo where each person is looking "right". Using this App you can simple select which persons (or areas) to replace with pieces from the other shots, and the results speak for themselves.

FullHD Videochat with the Logitech C920

2012-01-21T13:03:00.010Z

With all the technology at our disposal today, there are no excuses not to keep in touch with friends and family, even if they're on the other side of the world. And to prove that the days of those low quality blurry videocalls are over, Logitech has brought us the new HD Pro Webcam C920, a webcam that - for the first time - allows you to do videochats with FullHD 1080p quality.

For that, you need only to download the latest Skype 5.7 beta for windows (or newer versions). But even if you use Windows Live Messenger, you can still chat with HD 720p quality that will make your friends feel like they're seeing you with their own eyes.
As usual, you can also easily send your H.264 videos to YouTube, and send snapshots to Facebook and Twitter.

The Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920 should be hitting the stores anytime now, and has an estimated price of 99,99€.

Notification Control - Keep your Emails in Order

2012-01-20T13:30:00.000Z

Tired of receiving emails whenever someone mentions you on a Tweet, or answers you on Facebook, or contacts you via Foursquare, or sends a message via YouTube, Ebay, LinkedIn, or Google+?

This Notification Control is handy shortcut list that allows you to quickly jump to each service notification settings, where you'll be able to turn it off or adjust it as you wish. It certain beat having to look for each and every settings page in each service (not to mention that some of those might not be easy to find.)

This way, you don't have to worry about giving permissions to a 3rd party service, as this site will just provide the links to each service official pages.
Might come in handy when your email notifications get out of control.

[via TNW]

How to Install iOS5 on iPhone 2G and iPod Touch 1G

2012-01-19T13:55:00.012Z

iPhone and iPod Touch users might not have much to complain about system updates from Apple. Unlike other platforms, where devices are launched with outdated system versions, and support seems lacking even for devices barely a year old; with iPhones, users have grown accustomed to have official support and updates for a long time.

That's not to say that inevitably, older devices just can't keep up with the system improvements - even though sometimes some limitations are deliberately put in place by Apple, like not having Siri on the iPhone - which means that iPhone 2G and the original iPod Touch users have been left behind when iOS5 came out.

But... if you're still patient enough to be using one of those devices (let me tell you, I really admire you if you do) now you can try iOS5 on the iPhone 2G and iPod Touch 1st Gen thanks to this Whited00r.

I wouldn't expect it to work wonders for your device... but if you're tired of finding Apps that refuse to work in older iOS... this might buy some extra time before upgrading to a newer iDevice.

Internet Against SOPA and PIPA

2012-01-18T13:39:00.002Z

If you try to visit Wikipedia today you'll be redirected to a page that reminds you just how easily any site could be shut down if laws like SOPA and PIPA get approved in the USA. Laws that, under the disguise of copyright and piracy fighting would give some entities the power to easily shut down and block any website they deemed "undesirable".

They're not alone. All over the net, hundreds of sites join in this fight, like ARStechnica's SOPA Resistance Day and even Google.

In the radio, I've heard some news about this... and the regular media still seems to be missing the point, as they only state that these sites are opposing anti-piracy laws, in a way that makes them seem "pro-piracy" - which is definitely not the case.

The case here is that, under the "stop piracy" claim, these laws can easily be abused and effectively censor any site they choose. Just imagine... someone leaves a comment on your site/forum/blog linking to infringing content, and your entire site can be blocked and you can even face criminal charges...

Sure, we need new ways for copyright holders to be compensated by their works... but it isn't with laws like this that well get there.

Preview your Dream Home with Augmented Reality

2012-01-17T13:24:00.009Z

What do you think about being able to preview how your dream house will look like, on site, before spending a single cent? That's exactly what you can do right now, providing you have a SketchUp 3D model of your future home and an iPhone or iPad to use this free 3DOn App. which allows you to preview it on-site, thanks to the "magic" of augmented reality.

The App has several different viewing modes:

Preview - lets you overlay your model onto a photograph of your site
Walk - lets you explore your model inside and out
On-Site - lets you view your model where it will stand, in real time, using augmented reality.