InfiniGEEK - Geek Lifestyle, The Universe, and Beyond.

Top 7 Features Of Hidden Cameras

Eric — Sat, 18 May 2013 21:13:45 +0000

Remember being a kid and wishing you had a spy camera? I know I did. Heck, even my kids still do it. There is just something about sneaking around, being a stealthy ninja spy, that excites us as a kid (and as a adult geeky man child) to no end. As a child of the late 80′s and early 90′s there were not too many “cool” items that could be used as spy gear compared to today. We would be lucky if we could just pretend that our pen was snapping secret shots of the cat eating its food out of the dish, or getting stuck in the toilet. These days… we actually have this stuff!!

Evolution of Hidden Camera Tech

5 Best Android Spy Camera Apps

These days technology is advancing at a blinding pace, making smaller, faster, cheaper gadgets every single day. Who would have thought that we could have spy camera apps on a handheld smartphone device that we take everywhere, not to mention have cameras the size of pinholes that can record hours upon hours of hidden and secret video. There is no better time to be a spy, especially if you are a kid with a couple of fairly cheap gadgets and a computer.

As an adult though, you tend to think of using these cameras for home security and making sure your family is safe when you are away. If you have children and have ever had to leave them with another provider for any length of time, you know how stressful it can be. You worry if your children are being adequately supervised and treated kindly. With frequent reports of child abuse from close relatives and friends, unfortunately the care of your children while you’re away is probably a major concern. Additionally, if you have aging parents who live in a care facility you possibly wonder if they are being treated kindly. Even if you don’t have the above mentioned personal concerns, you may just want to know what happens in your home or office while you are away. Fortunately, there is a way for you to find out the answer to these questions: installing a hidden camera. Here are the top seven features of hidden cameras.

Dual Functionality

Functional Smoke Detector Covert Color Camera

If you have done any research on spy cameras, you probably noticed that most of these cameras come packaged in the form of an everyday household or office product. For example, many nanny cams come packaged in the form of a teddy bear, wall clock or other common bedroom/household item. For the office you can find cameras in the form of a ballpoint pen, pencil sharpener and even coat hook. Dual functionality refers to the ability an item has to function as a hidden camera as well as its’ original purpose (e.g., a clock).

Time Scheduled Recording

Defender ST300-SD Covert Alarm Clock Security DVR & STEALTH1 Covert Motion Sensor MPEG4 DVR Recording System

This is not one of the most common features of spy cameras but it is available on some models. Time scheduled recording can be useful if you know you always want to record a specific area at the same time each day. This differs from motion recording in that the device will still record even if there is no movement detected.

Audio Recording

LYD CM203CA Mini Spy Camera with Audio

If you want to be able to hear what is being recorded on your video, be sure the device you are looking to buy has audio recording as well. While most devices come standard with audio recording, some lower end models may not come equipped with this feature. It is always best to ask questions or read all specifications before you buy anything.

Motion Detection

Mini Clothes Hook Hidden Camera DVR

You may not care about recording an empty room and only want to see movement that occurs at any given time of day. If this is the case, look for hidden cameras that offer motion detection. This allows the device to start recording only when movement is sensed.

Still Images

MP3 Player Mini Spy Camera

Some spy cameras are capable of taking still image pictures. If you want to have a combination of video and still images, be sure to check the model specifications as many models do not provide still images.

Video Format

Mini Built-in 4GB Memory HD Pinhole Hidden Video Camcorder DVR Pen Camera

The easiest way to view video on your computer is with audio video interleave (AVI)format. It was developed in 1992 by Microsoft and is one of the most commonly used video formats. It is supported by systems such as Windows, Mac, Linux and Unix. The format is easy to use because a single file includes a combination of audio and video files; allowing for the playback of audio and video simultaneously.

Adjustable Recording Options

Spy on Anyone! Build A DIY Motion Triggered Spy Cam!

This feature is nice to have if you want to change the quality of video you are recording in order to take up more or less space on the memory card.

Research Before You Buy

As you can see, there are many different features available on hidden cameras. Be sure to assess your needs, conduct some research and ask questions before making your purchase.

What was your favorite hidden camera? Have a favorite spy camera that we didn’t mention? Let us know in the comments below or in the forums! Thanks for Reading!

You like this? Don’t forget to follow us on twitter @infinigeek and like us on facebook @infinigeek! We are also on that Google Plus thing.

If you like this, You’ll love These.

Making the Switch: From Consoles to Smartphones

Marcela De Vivo — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:29:23 +0000

Critics eager to wail over the dismal drop in console sales— a cataclysmic 21% in 2012—should take pause. While the jury is still out, it’s safe to say that this figure simply reflects the current mobile (r)evolution that affects how many people do just about everything, not just play games.

Mobile Kills the Console But Advances the Gaming Industry

Indeed, Americans are still spending over $25 billion a year on games; a growing proportion of that figure reflects on consumers who are making the transition to pay-to-play downloads and online subscriptions for mobile devices (this is in addition to the untold number of free downloads that gamers are as well, despite the deluge of freebies).

How is this mass migration changing the nature of the games themselves? Two words alone serve to illustrate a dominant chord in the world of mobile-centric games: Angry Birds. Love or hate this zeitgeist of addictive toon angst, you have to admit it’s no flash (animation) in the pan. If we’re to believe one of Rovio exec’s estimates, the world spends a collective 200 million minutes per day slinging their furious feathered onscreen avatars pig-ward.

Windows Phone Users Will Get Angry Birds Space, Eventually

Angry Birds is such a perfect symbol for the most popular phone games because it has all the elements that you can see in other breakout hits. Instead of the labyrinthine narratives and complicated mysteries we associate with state-of-the-art console games, phone games tend to manifest a set of more simplistic features:

Simplistic, easy-to-digest goals. You are a good cat out to thwart bad dogs (or vice-versa). Zombies are everywhere: avoid them. Save the girl (or guy, even). Or so on. In other words, the new breed of mobile games presents challenges you can understand just from taking one look at your touchscreen.
An endless array of levels. Whatever your objective may be, chances are you’ll be doing it over and over and over. Rather than resolving in a big, splashy Hollywood movie climax (a la many console titles), mobile games give you the satisfaction of small victories at the completion of increasingly difficult stages.
Old school graphics. As powerful as your Smartphone may be, its small screen doesn’t give much room for nuances. As a result, handheld apps are populated by cartoon heroes, primitive icons and keep-it-simple retro-chic.

The reason for these factors is that mobile gamers spend a different kind of game time. Rather than long, dedicated hours in the den, smartphone players seek games that can be played on-the-go, with the possibility of many interruptions and distractions. To wit, if your gaming life is something you do between subway stops, this is hardly conducive to solving the new Bioshock.

This transition is not only affecting the way designers are programming, but also expanding the demographic of users beyond hardcore gamers. Since you don’t have to go out of your way to download Fruit Ninja or Doodle Jump—and maybe because it’s easier to keep your gaming habit a guilty pleasure on a phone—mobile games are wrangling in new kinds of audiences, including senior citizens.

Another development of the level-oriented, low-res nature of mobile games is the return to first-generation console and even classic arcade titles, such as Legend of Zelda and Donkey Kong—games whose very nature lend themselves to Smartphone translations. Not surprisingly, this has resulted in a deluge of more cheesy rip-offs and bootlegs than you can find on Canal Street, with obviously tweaked titles such as “Krazy Kong” and “The Legend of Zenda”.

Top 10 Best Retro Games for iPhone and iPad

Even cross-platform and multi-player games like as Modern Combat reflect a similar Smartphone-logic. While devotees of said games may find the back-to-basics addictive repetition of the average app game less than stimulating, they still seek the option of jumping into—and out of—a game from any location.

As with anything else in cyber world, it’s inevitable that mobile games will morph into unexpected and increasingly sophisticated forms; however, it’s probably a safe bet they will continue to accommodate the legion of avid players aiming for fun on the run.

If you like this, You’ll love These.

Geeky Gallivanting: Road Trip Destinations for GEEKS

infinigeek — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 19:41:49 +0000

America is a country steeped in nerd culture. Silicon Valley, Comic-Con and a variety of specialty museums celebrate the nerd within all of us. Set your coordinates, wandering geek, and prepare to behold the country’s nerdiest destinations.

Road Trip Prep

A Travel Geek’s Guide To Being Prepared

Before you embark on your geeky quest, there are a few preparations to make. We’re assuming you’ve gathered some like-minded friends and have chosen the driver. An entire automotive inspection is in order, in addition to an oil change and air filter replacement. Inspect the tire treads. If they’re worn down past what’s deemed safe, you and your friends can easily chip in and pick up some cheap Nitto tires before departing for a smooth, safe ride.

Geeky Apps

The Best Apps and Tools for Rocking Your Next Road Trip

Never leave home without your smartphone. The two apps below will nicely complement your tech-fueled travels around the country.

Wi-Fi Finder – To avoid exorbitant data roaming charges, the Wi-Fi Finder will lead you to the closest hotspot. Its offline mode enables users to download maps before hitting the road.
Google Goggles – Until the futuristic Google Glass is affordable and available to the public, the Google Goggles app will do. With this astonishing app, users can take a picture, and image recognition technology will recognize what’s in the photo and present relevant search results. Snap a photo of a famed landmark, artwork or storefront, and Goggles will identify it.

Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame

Also known as the EMP Museum, the Experience Music Project Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame is a haven for nerd culture. The building itself is a sight to behold, with its fusion of stainless steel and painted aluminum shingles. This Seattle museum hosts exhibitions like “Icons of Science Fiction,” “The Art of Video Games” and the upcoming “Fantasy: Worlds of Myth and Magic.” Music aficionados will also find a lot to love at the Sound Lab, a soundproof room where musicians come to play. The Guitar Gallery features 55 vintage guitars that changed the world from the 1770s to modern day.

Military protective suit worn by Michael Biehn (Cpl Dwayne Hicks) in the movie Aliens. Exhibit at the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame in Seattle.

Different phasers used in Star Trek. Exhibits at the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame in Seattle.

Bonus nerd note: Microsoft headquarters are in in Redmond, Wash. Nerds can learn the company’s history and get a sneak peak at new Microsoft gadgets.

Roswell, N.M.

Roswell UFO Museum

Roswell 1947 UFO Crash Site

Home of the supposed alien landing(s), Roswell will please extraterrestrial-loving nerds. Visit the International UFO Museum and Research Center to learn about the mysterious 1947 crash. Newspaper clippings, incident photos and a film of the “official” alien autopsy can be seen. Visitors can also attend Roswell UFO Festival in July.

Computer History Museum

a Difference Engine designed by Charles Babbage in the 1840s and constructed by the Science Museum

UNIVAC I supervisory control console

Located in Mountain View, Calif., the Computer History Museum houses the artifacts and stories from the information age. One exhibit, “Revolution: The First 2,000 Years of Computing” presents 19 alcoves detailing everything from ancient devices to the future of technology. Nerds will want to check out the 150-year-old computer, faithfully reconstructed from the notes of Charles Babbage, the first computer pioneer.

Ground Kontrol

Ground Kontrol interior, pre-remodel

Inside the New and Improved Ground Kontrol

An homage to classic pinball and the 8-bit era of video gaming, Ground Kontrol in Portland, Ore., is the premier arcade on the West Coast. More than 60 retro video games and 27 pinball machines glorify the golden age of video games. The original cabinets and quarter slots contribute to the gaming nostalgia of the latter decades of the 20th century. Older arcade-goers will remember their favorites from “Asteroids” and “Pac-Man” to “Street Fighter” and “Galaga.” During the arcade’s evening hours, beer and wine are served. Pinball enthusiasts are encouraged to compete at Ground Kontrol’s 5th Annual Pinball Tournament on April 21.

The Museum of Science and Industry

First Look review: Animal Inside Out at the Museum of Science and Industry

U-505 Submarine Exhibit

Originally constructed as the Palace of Fine Arts during the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893, Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry now houses exhibits featuring cutting-edge science and industrial innovation. Current featured exhibits include “Science Storms,” which explores the science behind lightning, tornadoes, tsunamis and atoms in motion. The “Animal Inside Out” exhibit, brought to you by the creator of “Body Worlds,” is open until September. Visitors can peer at the anatomical inner workings of of animals such as octopi, giraffes and ostriches.

What are your favorite places on this list that you would like to go to on a geek road trip? Have you been to any of these places? If you could go anywhere on a geeky traveling trip (to anywhere!) where would you go? Let us know in the comments below!

You like this? Don’t forget to follow us on twitter @infinigeek and like us on facebook @infinigeek! We are also on that Google Plus thing.

If you like this, You’ll love These.

50+ Epic Video Game History Facts You Probably Didn’t Know From Did You Know Gaming

infinigeek — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 10:05:48 +0000

What do hardcore gamers love most? Gaming! But..but what else do they enjoy?! Video Game History! My love for videogames is infinite, like the universe! I grew up playing video games like most of you, and the impact they had on my life was great. I owe a lot of things to video games. If you are like me, one of the most addicting (and fun) things to do, is sit and read about video games, especially the history and interesting facts behind some of your favorite titles, or gaming companies, or game developers – it is all so interesting how it came together (or almost didn’t)!! I could get lost for hours on wikipedia just reading through the history of gaming (which isn’t always a good thing when on a project deadline haha). However since a lot of the resources I used to read these interesting facts and things in were print gaming magazines as a kid, which have been having trouble the past few years for obvious reasons and going away because of the internets (RIP Nintendo Power ), I went a few years missing that type of nostalgic feel browsing through a magazine getting awesome insider facts and history bits that seemed to be few and far between on the net a few years ago. Now though sites like Did You Know Gaming and VGFacts have popped up in recent years and totally brought life back to “dat feel” and really make it fun again to be a video game history nerd gobbling up random information about the usually amazing and often mysterious past of gaming!

History of Video Games

So much! history! gah! nostalgia overload! There really is so much gaming history at this point with gaming starting to get older (like myself. lol) it is really hard to find a starting point to dig in – and you quickly feel like your brain is running out of disk space to store it all haha. Today we have put together some of our favorite tid bits of video game knowledge from Did You Know Gaming – they range from “Oh thats neat” to the “OMFG NO WAY WTF” scale haha. Some are funny, some are amazing, others are creepy, dark, and strange (so you have been warned! lol). We also included a bunch of other resources to help you get all those childhood memories flowing and learn even more about where our games came from (and how they came about) and even learn a little bit about the technology behind them.

If you are a gamer, you will definitely enjoy this trip down memory lane – for some of you there will be much to learn (and many aspects of childhood to be questioned lol) for others you will be captivated and enthralled with video gaming bliss that will lead you down a rabbit hole of never ending time sucking destruction – you might even get kicked in the feels a few times. Whatever you get out of this epic collection of gaming history, I hope that you enjoy!

O_O Mind = Blown. Nature, you are crazy.

O_O Terrifying. Pokemon Cordyceps. lol.

Amazing. The world of gaming would have been so different.

So Interesting. So Awesome!

Sudden Realization… Right in the childhood!

Oh man. THE FEELS! My heart strings, they have been tugged!

It all makes sense now…

LOL EPIC. I Loved Diablo.

Wow. Totally reminds me of the 80′s anime “Unico in the Island of Magic” where the wizard turns the people into zombie like “living puppet” block people. So creepy. Good movie from le childhood though lol.

One of my favorite gaming facts!

That is INCREDIBLE!

Super Smash Bros Is somehow linked To Bill Nye By Voice Actor?! WIN. Loved that game, and that show.

Way to be original, Sony! lol but seriously that is so Interesting.

Wow. That is Insanely creepy.

Bowser, You are NOT the father. I could not resist hahaha.

I love gaming lore.

That is so Ironic. Awesome gaming history tidbit!

Man, I never imaged that pokemon could be that deeply complex lol.

The power of arcade games in their prime!

All I can hear is “Money, Money, Money!”

That makes sense, but still interesting!

Talk about an epic easter egg.

Dat Mathematical Symmetry!

Video games are so creative in the laziest ways sometimes. I love it.

Valve is awesome.

Holy Crap. I did not know that. (I didn’t play much ps2 though either) That is so cool.

The comments on this one are really interesting, so much backstory/rumors about this topic in pokemon lol. Geek out!

Oh man I remember renting this game as a kid, I hated it. It was horrible. And now I know why. haha.

That was brilliant. Tricky game programmers!

I love cross reference throwbacks in games like this – plus Symphony of the Night was my favorite Castlevania game, nay, best game ever!

Wow, this game would have been useless to me and my friends had it not been for multiplayer! FUNNEST THING EVER (then. lol)

Dang.

Even More Gaming History Facts!

Need even more gaming history goodness? Don’t worry, here are some more tidbits, then a list of more resources to point you in the direction of more awesome nostalgia inspiring video game videos, images, and trivia! Enjoy!

“Introduced in 1993, the 3DO was the first video game system to be based entirely on CD technology.” – VGFacts

“The word “Capcom” was created from taking the first 3 letters from each word in “Capsule Computers” (from the subsidiary Japan Capsule Computer Co).” – VGFacts

“Due to South Korea banning Japanese cultural imports at the end of World War II, the Master System was distributed by South Korean company Samsung, and was named the Gam*Boy.

Samsung released many consoles in South Korea under alternate names, like the Game Boy, Genesis, NES, Game Gear, SNES and Nintendo 64.” – VGFacts

“If you open a Dreamcast VMU, you can see “potato” printed on a chip, as a joke referencing a “potato chip”.” – VGFacts

“Ironically, SEGA’s GD-Rom technology was created as DVDs were not available for SEGA, and they wanted to create a disc that would be hard for pirates to copy and use.

“Sega intended to use the format to curb piracy common to standard compact discs and to offer increased storage capacity. It is similar to the standard CD-ROM except that the pits on the disc are packed more closely together, resulting in a higher storage capacity: around 1.2 gigabytes, which is almost double the storage capacity of a typical CD”

The Dreamcast is infamous for being the easiest console to pirate games on.” – VGFacts

G4 Icons Season 1 Episodes

Freaking LOVED this show. Still love it. So much gaming history knowledge and nostalgia packed into these things.

G4 Icons Episode #1: Oddworld Inhabitants

G4 Icons Season 2 Episodes

Back when G4 was still good (and alive lol.)

G4 Icons Episode #19: Atari

History of Video Games

Spacewar! is credited as the first widely available and influential computer game.

Evolution Of Home Video Game Consoles: 1967 – 2011

Video Game History Museum

The 25 Greatest Breakthroughs in Video Game History

Memorable quotes from video game history

150+ Best Classic Video Game Box Art Covers

Well, There you have it! You are now trapped in nostalgia-ville. lol.

What was your favorite gaming history fact? Have a favorite tidbit of gaming history that we didn’t mention? Maybe even a history of gaming resource that we didn’t mention? Let us know in the comments below or in the forums! Thanks for Reading!

You like this? Don’t forget to follow us on twitter @infinigeek and like us on facebook @infinigeek! We are also on that Google Plus thing.

If you like this, You’ll love These.

Applications From Google Play Store To Your Computer

Kate Wilson — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:45:16 +0000

The Google play store (previously known as the Android market) is a digital application distribution platform for Android and an online electronics store that is developed and maintained by Google. The Google play store enables one to browse and download movies, music, games, books and applications published through Google for Android powered devices. Well, some applications are only paid while others can be obtained absolutely free. You can even download the apps to your Smartphone after buying them. But there are certain problems that arise while downloading directly to your Smartphone.

Problems Downloading Apps To Smartphone

Getting Google Play store errors? You’re not alone.

For downloading from Google store directly to your Smartphone, it is necessary that you must have an account and after logging in you can download the apps. However, you must also have an internet connection on your phone and the process can be pretty time consuming. If your Internet connection on your phone is weak or slow then it will be very difficult to download the applications from the Google play store. Maybe you don’t even have internet on your phone? You might only have internet on your PC.

If you carry out the updates and ROM installations frequently on your Smartphone, then you have to re-download the applications again from Google store. It is because of this that when you download the apps it directly installs the apps to your phone rather than saving it first to SD card, so you are also not provided with any setup file. But now you can download the applications from Google store directly to your computer. You can use an app to back up the applications & save them conveniently on your computer.

How To Download Apps From Google Play Store To Your Computer?

Tired of Google Play? Check out these alternative Android app stores.

Well, downloading apps from Google store directly to your computer is not as troublesome as you may think, because there is a remarkable new app that makes this process easier. It creates its own .apk Backup file that can be transferred to your phone and then you can easily install the apps. The app is called Real APK Leecher, which is developed by Codeimba.com and is a program based on Java that allows you to connect to the Google play store directly from your PC through an internet connection. For this, you need to provide details like email and password for your Google Play store account then you can download the apps to your computer. Let’s have a look on the step by step instruction to download the apps to your computer using the APK app.

Step By Step Process of Downloading

Real APK leecher the easiest way to download Android .apk File from Android Market To Desktop

Step 1

First, download the Real APK Leecher Software for free (you can find it via the image link above). As it is an Archived ZIP file, hence UNZIP the file after downloading the software and run the extension file of the software.

Step 2

XDA Developers Forum – [APP] Real APK Leecher v1.3.5

While running the “Real APK Leecher” for the first time, it will ask you to provide your account details for the Google Play store along with your Device ID. By dialling *#*#8255#*#* from your dialler, you can verify your device ID. In case of tablet, no dialler will be present so you have to download an app Device ID to obtain the Device ID. However the device ID looks somewhat like android-39bfe2hsaxxxxxx, but you have to provide the letters after android like 39bfe2hsaxxxxxx. Next, specify a folder to save the apps on your computer. Click the save button after you have provided all the details. However by pressing CTRL+0, you can alter your account details whenever you want.

Step 3

Next, look for the app for downloading through the easy to use tool. You can search by package name, vendor name, or customer name.

Step 4

After you have selected your app for downloading, just right click on the app and then select “Download this app.”

Step 5

The app will be downloaded to your computer. Now you are all done with the process of downloading the app from Google store directly to your computer. But make sure that you have provided the correct device ID and Correct account details otherwise you cannot download the applications. You will get an error message as Logging error or Connection error. If you have trouble we suggest you click through to the original software authors post (linked via images above) and check out the comments for help – or check out the xda developers forum post (also linked in the image above) for help from those awesomely helpful people!

More About The Apps

The Google Play problem: paying for ‘Angry Birds’ with battery life instead of money

You can now update your apps that you have previously downloaded. To do this you just need to right click on any applications listed in the search app list of APK software and thereafter select Scan Existing folder. It will again ask for scanning, and you just click “OK”. You can see the entire list of all of your downloaded apps. The app with an Exclamation mark shows that there is a new update available for it and the app with a green tick signifies that no updates are available for that particular application.

Google play store has now become one of the most famous application stores for Android devices. Now hopefully downloading apps directly to your PC doesn’t seem that hard, and this in turn will help you in keeping a back up of your downloaded apps, not to mention save your phone a ton of bandwidth, or give you another option of getting apps to your phone if you don’t have internet on your smartphone. So, if this is something you want to do just try it out!

Hope you guys found this article helpful! Have you used this process? Know of another process that you prefer? Leave it in the comments below! Thanks for reading!