News – Page 54

“USB Killer” Used by Student to Destroy More than $58K of Computers at College

The reasons for nefarious tech behavior is never clear, but to steal information for gain is one thing, but destroy computers and devices for no reason often catches people off guard. A former student used a “USB Killer” to destroy nearly seventy computers in various computer labs at a New York college. Even more inexplicably, he filmed his entire process of destruction. USB Killer Used to Destroy College Computers The name “USB Killer” itself sounds nefarious. It’s obvious what it does, and what its sole purpose is. It’s a cheap USB drive that when plugged into a computer will fry it by rapidly drawing power… Read more

Thank you, next. NexDock 2 – Notable crowdfunding campaigns

CROWDFUNDING NEWS – It’s been about 2 years since the first NexDock device was rolled out as a successful Indiegogo campaign and now the Nex Computer team is back with an updated version of the laptop that is powered by your Android smartphone or Raspberry Pi computer.

What is it?

The NexDock 2 is the latest update to the original NexDock laptop shell. The device looks like a laptop with a display, keyboard, and touchpad, but it’s really a “dumb” device until you connect your Samsung or Huawei smartphone or Raspberry Pi to it. Then it turns into a “smart” laptop using the attached device’s OS.

Why do I like it?

For decades, I’ve had a dream of owning one device to rule them all. A device that would be my camera, and my computer, either as a laptop or a desktop.

The NexDock 2 brings that dream one step closer to reality because I already use my phone as my only camera and now the NexDock 2 gives me a way to turn my phone into my only computer by providing a 13.3 inch IPS LCD, USB-C ports, SD card reader, full-sized keyboard, and a touchpad.

What to consider before pledging

At the moment, the only smartphones that will work with the NexDock 2 are Samsung’s newer Galaxy devices with the DeX feature (Galaxy S8/ S8+/ S8 Active, S9/ S9+, Note 8 / Note 9 and the new S10e/ S10/ S10+) and Huawei’s newer smartphones (Mate 10/ 10 Pro, Mate 20/ 20 Pro/ 20 X, P20/ P20 Pro, P30/ P30 Pro and Honor Note 10 / View 20) that have the EMUI easy projection feature that provides a desktop-like experience when attached to a monitor.

If you don’t have one of those phones, a Raspberry Pi, or a PC stick, then the NexDock 2 will be little more than a paperweight for you until Android Q is released, or if you just want to use it as a second screen for another device since it does have an HDMI connector.

Where can I find more info?

The NexDock 2 campaign ends on 4/20/19 they have already surpassed their funding goal of $50,000. You can pre-order a NexDock 2 starting at $209. After the NexDock 2 campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in September 2019. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: Crowdfunded

Thank you, next. NexDock 2 – Notable crowdfunding campaigns originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 18, 2019 at 8:21 am.

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Facebook Working on AI Virtual Assistant to Be Competitor to Siri and Alexa

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Facebook is undeterred it seems after a prior failed attempt to launch a Siri competitor in 2015. It’s being reported that the social media company is working on an artificial intelligence virtual assistant once again and have been for the past year. They’re still looking to compete with Siri and Alexa. Facebook Virtual Assistant The development team for Facebook’s virtual assistant is led by Ira Snyder, the social network’s director of augmented and virtual reality. The team has also been working on their ideas for hardware. CNBC reported that the team is based out of Redmond,… Read more

Logitech’s new Harmony Express Ultimate remote trades everything for voice control

It’s been over 6 years since we reviewed a Logitech Harmony Ultimate Remote. I remember always wanting one of their remotes because they just looked cool with their big display, eleventy billion buttons, and all the features. But when I reviewed one, I found it to be a little complicated to set up and I didn’t use all those features.

These days I try to live by a KISS mentality. That’s Keep It Simple Stupid for those of you that haven’t heard that term before. Features are nice, buttons are great, and displays are flashy, but if all I want to do is turn on my TV and watch the latest episode of Grey’s Anatomy while sitting on the couch with a bowl of popcorn, I want to keep it simple and the new Logitech Harmony Express might be my next favorite remote because I can boss it around with my voice.

The Logitech Harmony Express universal remote control has Alexa built in so all you have to do is say “turn on the TV”, “go to DVR”, “go to channel “, “go to Netflix app”, and other simple commands. Oh, and since it’s got Alexa, I can also tell it to dim the lights, turn up the thermostat, and tell me the name of the actress who plays Meredith Grey on the show.

The remote features backlit buttons, 1 month battery life per charge and is priced at $249.99. Head over to logitech.com and Amazon for all the details.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: Universal remote control

Logitech’s new Harmony Express Ultimate remote trades everything for voice control originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 17, 2019 at 8:00 am.

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Sony Reveals Details of PlayStation 5 Due in 2020

Are you a Sony gamer? If so, you’ve been waiting for the next PlayStation release for quite some time, but you’ll have to wait at least another year. Sony revealed a few details of their next-generation game system, just to whet everyone’s whistle a little bit, including 8K graphics, 3D audio, speedy SSDs, and backwards compatibility. PlayStation 5 Details It’s been a long wait. Sony’s PlayStation 4 was released in November 2013. Fans are looking for the next version to feed their gaming habit. The tech company was interviewed by Wired and gave just enough details to make everyone salivate but certainly not all the… Read more