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Shell petrol stations to let you pay with your phone using PayPal
Those of us in the know are patiently waiting for QR code technology to take off, as it inevitably will, but Shell and PayPal aren't willing to stand by and end up falling behind the curve. Pouncing on the flourishing standard, the two have shaken hands on a deal that'll soon let patrons at Shell petrol stations pay for fuel using only their phones, PayPal details, and some well-placed QR codes. Having successfully trialed the mobile payment method way back in 2013, it's ready to roll out to the "vast majority" of Shell garages in April, though will initially be reserved for members of Shell's Drivers' Club programme before randoms can get involved later this year. "Using a debit or credit card to pay at the pump simply isn't convenient enough," a fictional spokesperson commented, adding that booting up the Android/iOS Shell Motorist or Paypal apps, and pairing with a pump via a QR code so your PayPal credentials can be charged is the stuff futuristic nightmares dreams are made of. A receipt of the transaction will also be sent to your phone when you're done, confirming you've successfully completed the process and not screeched off with a full, free tank.
What is the Shellshock Bash bug and why does it matter?
By now you may have heard about a new bug found in the Bash shell. And unless you're a programmer or security expert, you're probably wondering if you should really worry. The short answer is: Don't panic, but you should definitely learn more about it, because you may be in contact with vulnerable devices. This bug, baptized "Shellshock" by Security Researchers, affects the Unix command shell "Bash," which happens to be one of the most common applications in those systems. That includes any machine running Mac OS X or Linux. The "shell" or "command prompt" is a piece of software that allows a computer to interact with the outside (you) by interpreting text. This vulnerability affects the shell known as Bash (Bourne Again SHell), which is installed not only on computers, but also on many devices (smart locks, cameras, storage and multimedia appliances, etc.) that use a subset of Linux.
'Bash' command flaw leaves Linux, OS X and more open to attack
Apparently, the internet has more deep-seated security bugs to worry about than Heartbleed. Researchers have discovered a longstanding flaw in a common Unix command shell (bash) for Linux and Macs that lets attackers run any code they want as soon as the shell starts running. They can effectively get control of any networked device that runs bash, even if there are limits on the commands remote users can try. That's a big problem when a large chunk of the internet relies on the shell for everyday tasks -- many web servers will call on it when they're running scripts, for example.
Pennzoil and Nintendo bring Mario Kart to life at SXSW
Our friends at Engadget report that Pennzoil and Nintendo have partnered up for what the 8-year old inside us could only describe as "the coolest commercial ever, next to those Stretch Armstrong guys." The two companies have brought the Mario Kart franchise into the real world with modified karts on a specially-designed track at the SXSW festival. Icons representing familiar in-game weapons like the banana peel and red shell (as well as a Pennzoil icon) are spread throughout a 1,000-foot long track, and grant bonuses when activated. The Pennzoil icon, for example, will speed up a driver's kart. The karts are representative of Mario, Luigi, Peach and Bowser who - hey, imagine that! - will be appearing in Mario Kart 8, due this May. This might seem like a strange partnership, but hey, it's not the first time Nintendo has spread to the real world to cross-promote products. Besides, the Big N couldn't have found a more appropriate partner - Pennzoil is owned by Shell. Shell. Get it? Cuz it's Mario Kart. *drops mic* [Image: Nintendo]
Captain's Log: Arc Q&A with Perfect World's Noel Holmes
A week or two ago, I came across a dev blog about the new portal called Arc on the Star Trek Online website that seemed to raise more questions than provide answers. Not unlike most passionate gamers, I reacted emotionally and admittedly with some unfounded anger. I realized very quickly that if I was having that kind of reaction, then there were likely many others who were having similar reactions. So I did the only thing that I could: I contacted the representatives of Perfect World to gain some clarification to the blog and hopefully ease my concerns. Instead of a shoving a palm to my face, Perfect World made available Noel Holmes in the hopes he would be able to clarify not only my concerns but also concerns borne by other Star Trek Online players as well.
Alleged budget iPhone shows off polycarbonate body, brings back good memories
The rumor about that more affordable iPhone just keeps coming back, but this time we're finally seeing some sort of progress. Courtesy of case manufacturer Tactus, we're apparently looking at the upcoming budget iPhone's polycarbonate shell, which was spotted at a factory that provides parts to Foxconn. It's the same story for the "iPad 5" case leak that Tactus published two days ago (the same day as our own scoop), so the company does seem to have a good contact for these kinds of goodies -- and it is a very competitive market, after all. Compared to the old polycarbonate iPhone 3G and 3GS, this mysterious shell appears to have a flat back instead of the old curved one, meaning it should reduce manufacturing complexity and therefore the cost as well. Another notable difference is that the old volume rocker is split into two, and then there's also the LED flash that was absent on the old polycarbonate iPhones. Tactus adds that this body is slightly taller, wider and thicker than the iPhone 4 and 4S, but what we do struggle to believe is that apparently the same factory is producing this shell in black and white as well as blue, red and yellow. A decoy, perhaps? Only time will tell.
Terminally Geeky: How to tell if a script is being called from launchd
Warning: command line geekiness ahead. When writing shell scripts, I often send interactive output to the user via echo to give feedback or information. But if the shell script is called on a schedule via OS X's behind-the-scenes process launcher launchd, rather than from a Terminal session, chances are that I won't ever see that message. Fortunately, it's relatively easy to figure out if a shell script has been called from launchd or not, simply by checking the $PPID variable. (Note: this works in zsh and may work in bash as well. If it doesn't work in your shell, this is a good time to upgrade to zsh.) But how can I make sure my messages are seen if a shell script has been called via launchd? For that I use the Swiss Army Knife of notification tools, Growl. Specifically, I use the growlnotify optional package, which allows me to send Growl notifications from shell scripts. For example, imagine that I wrote a script where I wanted to tell the user that a certain process had succeeded or failed. Normally I might just use echo 'SUCCESS!' or echo 'FAILED!' But now, instead of 'echo' I use a function called msg (short for 'message'). If the script was called from launchd then msg will use growlnotify, but if the script was called from the command line, it will just use echo. Here's how that works: This method is not foolproof. For example, if you call a shell script from launchd and that shell script calls another shell script, it might not realize that it was originally executed from launchd. In practice, I have not run into that problem, but it did seem worth mentioning.
Best Buy, Walmart, Target, more join forces for MCX mobile payment, deals provider
Mobile payments make strange bedfellows, so it's perhaps not all that surprising that a group of high profile retailers have teamed up to bring the world the Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX). The list includes such biggies as Best Buy, Walmart, Target, Sears, Lowe's and Shell, among others. The venture is set to offer up a mobile-commerce app that will provide payments and deals on "virtually any smartphone." Details are still pretty scarce, though the MCX's official site promises more info on the offering soon, including further details on deals and additional company names. In the meantime, there's a press release after the break.
New 2012 iPhone body reportedly leaks, gives the glass front its time to shine
Remember that tall, mostly aluminum 2012 iPhone shell that appeared to have leaked? It's back. This time, KitGuru has unearthed what it claims is a "test sample" with the glass front panel roughly intact. We've seen the darker steel sides, aluminum back and new dock connector before, but the front gives us a much better sense of how the finished product (if real) will turn out. Sitting next to an iPhone 4S, it's suggested that the new model would stuff in that bigger screen more through a better use of the available area -- there's much less blank space than on the iPhones we've known since 2007. While we still don't know for sure if the design shown here is close to what will go hand-in-hand with iOS 6 in the fall, we're starting to see enough smoke that there's bound to be a fire nearby.
The Repopulation lets players customize outfits to their hearts' content
As The Repopulation is free from conventional MMO leveling and hews to skill-based progression instead, dealing with player gear is substantially more difficult than it would be otherwise. The team posted a five-minute dev video explaining how items, repair, and what it calls "fittings" work in the game. The long and the short of The Repopulation's gear system is that players will be able to pick the outfit (or "shells") that they like the best visually and then equip the stats they want on it. This is done through fittings, which is similar to socket systems found in other MMOs. As outfits take damage, the conditions of the fittings can and do degrade, reducing the stats associated with it. If it gets too bad, the fittings will either need to be repaired or replaced. You can check out The Repopulation's gear system after the break. The team is currently accepting signups for June's alpha testing. [Thanks to Halldorr and J.C. for the tip!]
Cerevo Live Shell with Contour+ hands-on (video)
Contour and Cerevo are teaming up this week at CES to release the Cerevo Live Shell accessory for HD camcorders enabling high-quality automatic upload and streaming to UStream from any HD video source -- in this case, the Contour+. The Live Shell is simplistic in design, featuring a small LCD screen with icons for useful indicators, an HDMI input, line-in port, microphone input, composite video input as well as a choice of Ethernet port or built-in WiFi for connectivity. It can run off three AA batteries, giving up to three hours of usage or can be used with the accompanied AC adapter for all-day use. The Cerevo Live Shell also comes with its own dedicated web-based control screen called the "Dashboard," which allows you to customize the settings on the device (volume, video quality, etc.) via personal computer or smartphone. The overall package is portable enough to tag along with the Contour+ and other HD action cams, however, we can't really see much use considering that WiFi (and certainly Ethernet connectivity) can be pretty scarce while carving some narly pow on a mountain or biking through some trails. The duo is well presented here at CES, putting the Live Shell in its natural environment -- indoors, in front of a computer monitor, with the comfort of crashing WiFi waves instead of real ones. However, there's no doubt that the Live Shell finds a niche in the hearts of all the adventurous and outdoorsy people, wanting to share each jump, grind and stunt with others. For $299, we think we'll hold out for a version with mobile 3G / 4G capabilities built-in though, but it's a step in the right direction to show off some helmet-cam moves. Check out the gallery below to see the getup all put together.
Project Shellter: crowdsourcing 3D-printed homes for hermit crabs
The fine folks at MakerBot have impressed us enough with their Mario-themed RC racers and self-replicating 3D printers, but now the collective is looking to save mother nature with Project Shellter. Turns out, there's a housing shortage in the oceans. Harvesting of shells has left many hermit crabs with no option but to take up residence in bottle caps and other debris they can squeeze their soft bodies into. MakerBot's Miles Lightwood, has decided to crowdsource designs for artificial shells that hermit crabs can live in. Right now Lightwood is testing different shapes, materials and colors, looking for the combination that the critters will find most attractive. The shells are not intended to be placed in the wild -- putting plastic into the sea wouldn't be very environmentally friendly. Instead, the artificial domiciles are meant for domestic use, reducing the number that must be harvested for pets. You can get updates on the project from its Facebook page (at the more coverage link) and submit your own designs to Thingiverse, just make sure to tag them "shellter."
Virgin Mobile lets Android run Blur-free on the Motorola Triumph
Motorola hopes to rescue its tarnished MOTOBLUR UI with a name-change. We, however, think the rust runs deeper than that -- and it seems we're not alone. Virgin Mobile has decided to give its prepaid customers the "true Android experience" from now on, which means you'll find no proprietary shell whatsoever sitting atop its new Motorola Triumph handset. Aside from a few bits of Virgin bloatware, the Triumph escapes with a relatively standard install of Android 2.2. Meanwhile, MOTOBLUR will still be foisted on pay-monthly customers who buy a Photon 4G or XPRT from Sprint, Virgin Mobile's parent company. Some of them might like the shell and its add-ons, but others will be better off without such OS contamination.
Mozilla's Webian Shell interface will cloak your OS in a browser (video)
With Google's fleet of Chromebooks making their way to market, Mozilla Labs has decided to release a similarly browser-based desktop interface, known as the Webian Shell. As of now, the prototype app consists of a screen-encompassing web browser, which essentially replaces your desktop interface. There's an address bar running across the top of the screen, a clock in the bottom right corner, and a tab button for all your web apps. Developed as part of the company's Mozilla Chromeless project, the tool was written entirely in HTML, CSS and JavaScript and, unlike Chrome OS, is designed to run on top of existing operating systems, rather than replace them. For now, the Shell is still in an early phase of development, looks pretty spartan and can't control a system's hardware. Mozilla, however, says it has plans to incorporate multiple home screens, split screen views and an on-screen keyboard, among other features. Windows, Linux and Mac OS X users can download the Shell now, from the source link. Otherwise, you can just head past the break to see a brief demo video.
Shell opens America's first pipelined hydrogen-fueling station in Southern California
Residents of SoCal's Torrance should consider themselves lucky, as they're now living in America's first-ever city to have a pipelined hydrogen-fueling station. You can thank Shell and Toyota for picking up this government-funded green project. Sure, while the few other hydrogen stations still rely on delivery by supply truck (presumably running on diesel, ironically), this nevertheless marks a new milestone for our squeaky clean fuel, and it's only a matter of time before more stations get piped up to Air Products' hydrogen plants. If there's any indication of a time frame, Wired reminds us that 2015 should see the arrival of many new mass-market hydrogen cars from Toyota, Honda, and Mercedes-Benz. Not long to go now, fellow tree huggers.
Lian Li PC-U6 Cowry case: an aluminum seashell to keep your PC looking stylish
It takes quite a bit to get us excited about desktop case designs these days, but Lian Li's voluptuous new PC-U6 Cowry would seem to qualify pretty easily. It's fashioned after a seashell, giving it an appearance that's remarkably fresh and novel for such a well developed market, but it's also functionally useful -- the deepest part of the case is exactly where graphics cards would be expected to reside, permitting it to accommodate a video card as long as 310mm. There are also two 120mm side-mounted fans, a red LED kit, room for a full-sized power supply, and tool-free mounts for three 3.5-inch and two 2.5-inch storage drives plus an external 5.25-inch ODD. All that goodness is encased in an aluminum body and coming at you later this month for $349. How could you possibly resist? Video of the Cowry follows after the break.
Purdue's Celeritas car scores 2,200MPG from the sun, wins Shell Eco-marathon
With gas prices topping $4.50 per gallon in some parts of the country, a car that costs a fraction of a penny per mile to drive (and looks like it belongs on the road) is sure to get our attention. The 275-pound, 2,200MPG Celeritas appears to be the closest we've come to having a solar-powered car that could one day take to the streets, however, which explains why the vehicle scored first prize in the Urban Concept category in this year's Shell Eco-marathon. While it can only transport a single person (the driver), the car includes headlights, taillights, a trunk and even backup cameras. Notably absent from this version are air conditioning and a license plate -- the latter of which would (naturally) be required before the car becomes street legal. The Purdue University design team chose "Celeritas" (Latin for "swiftness") as the name for this soon-to-be-street-legal roadster, though in a category that's notorious for slower vehicles, we wouldn't expect the prototype to fly past us in the fast lane. Perhaps we can get Celeritas and IVy together for some alone time before we're dropping Hamiltons for a gallon of regular?
App review: SPB Shell 3D for Android
As we all know, the beauty of Android stems from the fact that you get a wide variety of choices when it comes to devices and interface, though the latter can sometimes be a double-edged sword. Luckily, users who are fed up with their bloated Android UI but don't want to (or can't) mess around with ROMs now have another easy solution. Joining the handful of Android launchers is SPB's Shell 3D app, which installs as a replacement (but removable) home screen that comes with some nifty widgets (radio switches, backlight dimmer, weather forecast with a 3D chart, clock with over 60 skins, world time with a 3D globe, etc.) and resizeable folders. As you can see above, the highlight of the show here is a cool-looking 3D carousel for switching between up to 16 panels, and you can trigger it by either tapping or horizontally dragging the bottom-center button. Whilst in carousel mode, you can also rearrange the panels, change their colors, or flick away excess panels. All of this required no manual reading on our end, so it's safe to say that this is a pretty intuitive app. Read on to see what the performance is like. %Gallery-120445%
Shell Oil pulls the plug on its last algae biodiesel research project
Algae biodiesel has looked so promising (as in 100 times more fuel than corn or soy) that the U.S. Department of Energy gave $9 million to Cellana, a joint research venture between Shell Oil and HR Biopetroleum, specifically to look into the alternative energy source's prospects. It seems, however, that those prospects were no longer attractive to Shell, which has announced it will no longer pursue algae biodiesel, because it feels it doesn't have sufficient commercial viability. Partner HR Biopetroleum has stated it cannot continue the project on its own as Shell pursues other biofuel initiatives with other companies.
Hands-on with the iPad ClamCase keyboard/stand
We've been stopping by the trailer of our sister site Engadget quite often here at CES for the excellent company (and the excellent Wi-Fi), and while we were in there the other day, the good folks from ClamCase came by to show off their product. Engadget got their own look, but we were kindly handed one of our own to give it a good once-over from a more Apple-centric perspective. The most intriguing thing about the ClamCase is how light it is. At just 1.8 pounds, even with a 1.6 pound Wi-Fi+3G iPad snapped in securely, the whole unit is only a little bit heavier than a 13-inch MacBook Air. It doesn't fold down quite as thinly, but it's still a pretty compact package that feels solid and well-made. The iPad does just snap in -- there's no release or switch, so you kind of have to "pop" the case open to get it out. But ClamCase told us that they tried a few different things, and in the end, the snap was what worked best and easiest. The keyboard is a Bluetooth keyboard and the keys are tiny. The whole thing couldn't be made bigger than the iPad itself, so if you've got fat fingers, you might find more key presses than you meant to have. The scale takes a little getting used to as well -- reaching for the shift key will have your pinky falling right off of the case if you're used to a standard keyboard.
