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New 'nano-code' could help fight banknote forgery by embedding invisible QR-style ciphers
We've all seen (and probably used) QR codes at some point. And, handy as they are for quick linking to apps, or value added content etc, there's usually not much else going on. Unless you're one of the team at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, that is, who have created a tiny version of the quadrilateral-codes that could be used to spot counterfeit money. The invention uses nanoparticles combined with blue and green fluorescent ink, and can be sprayed onto surfaces such as glass, plastic film, or of course, pictures of American presidents. The nano-code remains invisible until placed under a near-infrared laser, making it ideal for helping spot legit bank notes. The creators say they have done significant wear tests, which suggest that it's durable, but they also accept that eventually criminal technology could eventually catch up, in the constant cat and mouse game between mandated money producers and forgers. Whether there'd be links to the Benjamin Franklin Wiki page is unclear.
Arduino-based SocialChatter reads your Twitter feeds so you don't have to (video)
If you prefer reading your RSS feeds without the backlight, there's hardware for that, and if you'd prefer not reading your Twitter feeds at all, there's now hardware for that as well. Mix an Arduino Ethernet board, an Emic 2 Text-To-Speech Module and the knowhow to put them together, and you've got SocialChatter -- a neat little build that'll read your feeds aloud. The coding's already been done for you, and it's based on Adafruit's own Internet of Things printer sketch with a little bit of tinkering so nothing's lost in translation. If your eyes need a Twitter break and you've got the skills and kit to make it happen, head over to the source link for a how-to guide. Don't fill the requirements? Then jump past the break to hear SocialChatter's soothing voice without all the effort.
Nexus Q repurposed to play Pong, games with your heart (video)
Google's mysterious, if not ominous Nexus Q has already been hacked to launch apps of varied origins, but there's one particular app that stands above all: Pong. Or, Brick Defender -- you know, what's a generic title amongst friends? BrickSimple managed to hack the Q for Pong playback, using the spinning top (read: volume wheel) to move the lower bar in the game. We'll let you get right to the action; the video's embedded after the break, and the code snippet necessary to duplicate it is there in the source below.
Anarchy Online gearing up for more major updates in July
Anarchy Online is still going strong several years after release, due in no small part to several rolling upgrades from the development team. The latest monthly developer update makes it clear that the team is nearly done with another major update -- after spending April through June getting the existing game to work with a new game engine, the task of getting art assets lined up and working is underway for July. But it's more than just a new engine on the way. The developers are actively looking at making the new player experience more engaging and accessible, as well as looking to roll out further improvements to the game's market system. The procedure for server migration of organization-run cities is also covered, with some vague statements about the land previously reserved for non-instanced cities. If you're a stalwart player of Anarchy Online, there's plenty of interest within the latest update, even if it's not quite on deck just yet.
QR codes get gussied up in 'Beautiful Traps,' become art (video)
Louis Vuitton QR codes not your thing? Leave it up to Yiying Lu -- illustrator of the infamous "fail whale" -- to make QR codes presentable enough to bring home and show the family. As part of an art project called Beautiful Traps, Lu hand painted codes into portraits featuring carnivorous plants. The codes aren't just for show -- scanning them pulls up a video of the painting process, handily viewable on your mobile device of choice. Roll past the break for a timelapse video of their creation.
Samsung posts Galaxy S III source code, modders start their engines
That was fast: just a few days after the Galaxy S III reached buyers' eager hands, Samsung has posted the phone's source code. Its dutiful clinging to Google's Android guidelines opens the floodgates to custom ROMs as well as a better sense of what makes Samsung's Android 4.0 variant tick. As you'd anticipate, the code is only valid for the international GT-i9300 version. North American models, for the time being, are left out. Still, the source is useful for most anyone that wants to tinker with what should be the most ubiquitous Google-powered phone of the year, so get to downloading if that sounds like you.
Codea-created app arrives on the App Store
I've been slowly wading into App Store development recently, and while I've found Apple to be extremely supportive developers on the Mac, it hasn't released any development tools for iOS ("Xcode for iPad" is one of those mythical creatures that developers will tell you they want only after a couple rounds of drinks). This realization drew me to Codify, now named Codea, an iPad app that allows developers to write and even run XML code on the iPad. Unfortunately, the biggest drawback with Codea was that you couldn't run that code anywhere else. The best you could do was copy the code out and then put it into some other development environment. But that gap is being narrowed. The developers of Codea have released an App Store game called Cargo-Bot, which is a title fully developed inside the Codea app on the iPad. The app is free, and it's just a proof of concept at this point (but it does have some nice features, including 36 levels, and even a way to upload solutions to YouTube). But the devs also say they're planning to release the framework they used in Xcode on the Mac. Once that happens, other devs will be able to code on the iPad, download that code to the Mac, put it into Xcode, and then make full-fledged iOS apps written right there on Apple's tablet. [via TouchArcade]
Google gives Go 1 the green light, maintains 'experimental status'
Ready to get your Go on? Google Programming Language, or Go for short, just added a number 1 to its moniker, representing the first official release. Go 1 includes some bug fixes, but it's not a major redesign, though added support for the Windows opens the language up to a broader group of programmers -- you'll also find distributions for Linux, FreeBSD and OS X. Google gives you its word that Go 1 programs "will continue to compile and run without change... on a time scale of years," so you can rest assured that your efforts will not be in vain. There's also a new version of the Google App Engine SDK, which utilizes none other than Go. It's time to start coding! You'll find everything you need by clicking through to the source link below.
Mozilla releases BrowserQuest for HTML5 gamers and warriors (video)
Mozilla is flexing its HTML5 muscles today, with a new game called BrowserQuest. Designed specifically for browser-based gaming, BrowserQuest brands itself as a "tribute to classic video games with a multiplayer twist." The game's plot is relatively routine -- warriors, hidden treasure, etc. -- but what's most interesting is its underlying architecture. Its 2D tile graphics engine is powered by HTML5 Canvas, with browser-to-server communications handled by WebSockets. Sound effects, meanwhile, are powered by HTML5 audio APIs, and each player's progress is saved using localStorage. The game also supports lots of simultaneous players, thanks to a JavaScript-coded backend that runs on Node.js. You can keep track of the player load in real-time at the BrowserQuest Dashboard (linked below). For more details, check out the source link at the bottom of the page, or click past the break for a brief demo video.
Insert Coin: Alarm clock makes you enter a code to silence it, in another room (video)
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. We love the snooze button as much as everyone else. But we've all postponed exiting the comfort of our Tempur-Pedic one too many times. Enter the Ramos alarm clock, a rise-and-shine solution that integrates a Defuse Panel in order to silence your wake-up call. Don't expect to stay in bed to enter the code either, as the keypad can be wirelessly situated in another room to prevent further slumber. Two time keeping options, LED and Nixie models, await your minimum pledges of $160 and $350 before the April 1st deadline. The latter features a nixie tube display that will put any regular ol' alarm clock's digits to shame. You can spring for a long-range kit if you need to place your key panel more than 50 feet away from your nightstand. If you're feeling extra generous, a pledge of more than $800 will allow you to select the type of wood used for your Ramos. In need of a bit more convincing? Peep the video on the other side of the break for a closer look.
iOS 5.1 beta indicates Apple may be testing quad-core mobile CPUs
Lets get this out of the way up front -- this is not a confirmation that Apple is planning to put a quad-core A6 chip inside its next iPad or iPhone. What it does indicate is that Apple may be testing iOS support for quad-core CPUs. 9to5Mac has dug up images from the latest beta of iOS 5.1 that detail the supported number of cores. In this hidden panel, single-core A4s are referred to as "/cores/core.0" while dual-core A5s are "/cores/core.1." Now a new listing, "/cores/core.3," is popping up which, if you start counting with zero, indicates a CPU packing four cores. This doesn't mean that Apple even has this up and running on test hardware yet, though, merely that software support for quad-core chips is in the works. But, that should be enough to really kick the rumor mill into overdrive.
Brits, your government needs you to solve this puzzle
Spare a thought for the British intelligence services. Every time they come up with a clever recruitment drive, their efforts are hampered by yet another off-putting death scene in a certain long-running spy drama. But relax, this particular ciphered job advert is entirely safe. It's been put out by the UK's monitoring service, GCHQ, which is altogether more 9 to 5 than MI5. You simply need to figure out the keyword buried in that daunting grid of characters, submit it via the 'canyoucrackit' link below, and a happy career in headphones and Herman Miller could be yours. On the other hand, people who claim to have beaten the puzzle seem underwhelmed by the response: all it got them, they say, was a shot at a £25k per year position that was already being openly advertised on the web. But, who knows, maybe those guys only think they cracked it?
iOS code hints iChat functionality coming to mobile
Developer John Heaton found some code in the latest version of iOS that hints iChat functionality could finally be coming to the mobile operating system. The code mentions various chat services like Jabber and AIM, and while it doesn't specifically mention iChat, there's certainly some strings in there that aren't yet included in any of Apple's standard apps. We've heard rumors of something like this before -- the revamped iMessage in iOS 5 is essentially iChat for iOS, though it still doesn't directly connect to the IM services mentioned in this code. Apple may not bother calling it iChat, but it's clear that at some point, the company was at least testing more functionality on mobile. We'll have to see -- it would be nice to have the messaging app on the iPhone send messages out to a number of different services, but obviously Apple hasn't announced any of this just yet.
Google Programming Language is Go for 2012 launch
Compared to the gamut of conversational languages, the programming variety shifts at lighting-fast speed. And next year, a new language will get the official nod from Google, which first introduced Go in 2009. With its new language, Mountain View set out to create a programming environment that's easier and faster to use, without sacrificing efficiency. Programmers may need to wait until early 2012 for Go to launch out of experimental status, but you can buy that cute Gopher mascot (in furry plush form) over at the Google Store today.
Daily iPad App: Codify
I've been diving into some rudimentary (very rudimentary, trust me) iOS coding lately, and as soon as I picked up an iPad, one of the first thoughts that occurred to me was the idea of having a version of Xcode (the IDE that Mac and iOS developers use to make their apps) available for the platform. There are plenty of text editors available, and even some designed to actually write code on Apple's tablet. But I haven't seen a way to actually run that code -- until now, that is, with Codify. To be clear, Codify isn't a Cocoa development tool like Xcode, so you still can't write and run iOS apps right on the device (though I have to believe Apple is indeed working on some sort of Xcode for iPad, somewhere in the bowels of Cupertino, right?). But it is a development environment for Lua, a lightweight and simple object-oriented programming language used in all sorts of places. You can basically write and run Lua right inside Codify, which gives you a very powerful tool for creating your own small apps, prototypes and games right there on the iPad. There are a few advantages and drawbacks to this. The advantage here is that the iPad of course uses a touch interface, so Codify has really smartly invoked touch in a few different ways while you're coding. To see coordinates or colors, for example, you can just drag your finger around on the screen. And you can scroll right through your code, your objects, or Lua's documentation just like browsing through anything else on your iPad. While I'm not hugely familiar with Lua (yet), the whole experience seems really great, and should hopefully convince other app makers to start looking at using iPads in this way more. The biggest drawback, however, is that as far as I can tell, there's no real way to get your code out of the app, other than just cutting and pasting it off to email or somewhere else. There's also no (official) way to get other files like sprites and sounds into the app, though the FAQ says that's being worked on. These are more obviously issues with the iPad and iOS itself, of course, rather than the app, though it would be nice at least to see FTP or Dropbox integration. But I do like the idea of using my iPad for actually writing code. That bigger touchscreen just seems to encourage creativity, and while most code writing in the past has been the domain of the desktop, why shouldn't there be apps designed to bring code and app creation to more and more people with simpler and better tools? Codify is a great first step in that direction -- it's $7.99 on the App Store right now.
Get Jetpack Joyride for free from Apple via Facebook
I've never heard of a deal like this, but we'll take it anyway. Halfbrick's great game Jetpack Joyride (one of the best iOS games of the year, honestly), is being given away for free by none other than Apple. You have to be a Facebook member, but if you 'like' Apple's official App Store Facebook page, you can get a code that will nab you a free copy of the game from the App Store. The one catch is that you have to essentially allow Apple access to your information on Facebook, but all it's asking for is to have that information (which might be public on your profile anyway, depending on your settings). It's worth nothing that the company doesn't ask for the right to post things on your profile, though those concerned about that probably won't take the deal anyway. At any rate, as long as you're OK with seeing your name attached to Apple on Facebook (and this is an official Apple account), you can get a free Jetpack Joyride code! Enjoy.
Amazon's new e-book format brings HTML5 support to your Kindle library
"Great looking books." That's what Amazon is promising to deliver with Kindle Format 8 (KF8) -- a new, HTML5-based file format for Kindle books. According to the company, KF8 will allow publishers to produce picture books, comics and graphic novels with greater ease, thanks to the platform's rich formatting capabilities and design elements. In fact, this format brings more than 150 new formatting tools to the table, including fixed layouts, nested tables, sidebars and Scalable Vector Graphics, among others. It should be noted, however, that audio and video are not included on the list of supported HTML tags and CSS elements. At first, content creators will only be able to use KF8 for the Kindle Fire tablet, though Amazon says it'll gradually expand to its entire lineup of devices and apps "in the coming months." No word yet on when KF8 will become available as an update to Amazon's Kindle Publisher Tools suite, but you can find more details at the source link, below.
Microsoft reportedly preparing Silverlight-like app framework ahead of Xbox Live update
Earlier this month, Microsoft announced a new slate of Xbox Live partnerships with Verizon, Comcast, and a host of other content providers. Now, the company has unveiled new details about the code upon which these new apps will run. Sources close to the situation tell GigaOM that the new framework, code-named "Lakeview," will be based on Silverlight, but will also bring a few new features from Xbox Kinect, including voice recognition and gesture-based controls. More intriguing, perhaps, are insider claims that Microsoft's new content partners stream video using Apple's HTTP Live Streaming, rather than Redmond's Smooth Streaming. GigaOM's sources went on to say that Microsoft has been introducing major changes to the platform over the past few weeks, in the hopes of having it ready for third-party developers once the Xbox Live update rolls out. Spokespersons for Xbox and Silverlight said they have "nothing to announce" about the new framework, though GigaOM reports that Redmond is aiming to release the update on Black Friday.
The Game Archaeologist spins A Tale in the Desert: A talk with Teppy
I have to say, I have nothing but admiration for lone wolf-style developers who decide to pish-posh giant studio teams and massive budgets and jump into the game-making mosh pit anyway. Andrew "Teppy" Tepper is one of these visionaries who had an idea for a unique MMO and took it to fruition. I mean, most of us come up with "totally tubular" notions for online games, but how many of us make it happen? Outside of a couple of doodles on a Post-It, that is. In our second week covering the fascinating sandbox world of A Tale in the Desert, The Game Archaeologist had the pleasure of sitting down with Teppy to get his perspective on how one man bootstrapped his way into the MMO world. He also dishes on the team's next MMO project, which we'll be talking more about on Massively later this week. So what's it like to create the ultimate sandbox in Egypt of all places? Teppy, take it away!
Google set to introduce Dart, a new structured programming language
It's a bird, it's a plane -- it's Dart, Google's soon-to-be-released computer language for structured web programming. Having hoarded dart-related URLs for the past couple of months, Google's confirmed the (previously) secret project on the Goto International Software Development conference website. A couple of Mountain View's finest will make the announcement official in the keynote at the event on October 10th, when presumably we'll find out what it can do. Dart makes a nice addition to Go, JavaScript and Python in Google's coding bag-o-tricks, but there's room for one more -- we're looking at you, Spot.
