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Exploit discovered in Siri servers, promises cross-platform access to the foolhardy
A few clever folk have had some fun with Siri lately, first by making it do the time warp with the Fat Mac and then by shoehorning it into an iPhone 3GS. Neither development is quite so intriguing, however, as a purported exploit that enables any device to access to Siri's remote server. While this certainly holds great potential for Siri apps on numerous platforms, the mystical floodgates to the masses are unlikely to open any time soon. You see, the hackers have since learned that for seamless communication to take place, a unique identifier from an iPhone 4S must be provided to the mothership in Cupertino. While it's certainly feasible to spoof these bits from an existing device, it's also likely that Apple would simply blacklist any "unique" identifiers submitted en masse. In other words, unless you have a very trusting friend who's willing to risk her handset join the naughty list, your best bet is to purchase an iPhone 4S -- simply for the identifier alone. At any rate, it seems like a steep price to find a locksmith.
Panorama mode for camera found buried within iOS 5 code
Numerous third-party camera apps already exist on the App Store which allow users to stitch together multiple photos into a panoramic image. 360 Panorama is the best example I can think of, and it does a really good job of creating panoramas from multiple images. It seems Apple considered including photographic panorama functions in iOS 5 but hasn't made them available to end users -- at least not without tweaks. Developer Conrad Kramer found the code for panorama functions buried within iOS 5 and posted a series of screenshots on Twitter in addition to the finished panorama above. According to Kramer, iOS developers can enable panorama functions in iOS 5 by setting "Enable FireBreak" to "Yes" in com.apple.mobileslideshow.plist. Non-developers with jailbroken phones can instead download chpwn's "Firebreak" from Cydia when it becomes available. It's not 100 percent clear why Apple didn't include this panorama function in iOS 5's public release. It's difficult to judge how well Apple's own solution works from a single panoramic photograph, but it certainly doesn't look as impressive as the panoramas that 360 Panorama generates. [via MacStories]
Siri talks to Mac 512k, plays telephone with intermediary computers
Possibly fueled by the same geeky instinct that pushes our kind to build SD card readers for ancient game consoles and port Doom to just about everything, YouTube user Napabar recently bridged the 27 year gap between the Macintosh 512k and the iPhone 4S. That's right, Siri and the Fat Mac are talking. Sort of. Most of the heavy lifting is being done by a pair of intermediary machines, an iMac that's been configured to run an AppleScript upon receipt of a Siri dictated email, and a bridge computer that passes on the resulting text file to the Mac 512K's floppy drive. Result? Dictate an email to Siri, get a text file with its contents on the Mac 512k. Old and new technology, talking like old pen-pals. And to think, all it took was two middlemen.
Google+ laser hack, Hangout shoots first (video)
We've all been in those boring meetings where you just want to let rip on marketing with a laser blaster. And now you can... kinda. Best of all, you don't even need to leave your La-Z-Boy. House4Hack, a Johannesburg based hackerspace knocked up a dual-servo, Arduino-controlled webcam for its entry into the 2011 Google+ hackathon. Deciding that this wasn't nearly awesome enough, they made the logical improvement of adding a splendiferous laser attachment for the perfect Google+ Hangout accessory. Now, colleagues can 'show-up' remotely when they can't be present in person, and register their disapproval in the way nature intended -- radiation amplified light. To see it in action, tap the video after the jump.
Valve's Steam forum security compromised
Valve is the latest gaming company to suffer a security breach during the hackathon that is the year 2011. What's that got to do with MMOs, you say? Well, the company's Steam digital download service offers access to a ton of our favorite virtual worlds, and it has thus far seemed relatively secure. Kotaku reports that the Steam forums were hacked last night, with the paper trail leading to a cracker website known as Fknowned.com. The gentlemen in question are of course denying all responsibility for the mischief, and thus far Valve has offered no comment on the situation. It's worth noting that the Steam forum account info is separate from the actual Steam service account info, but it's also likely that some users employ identical sets of credentials. We'll keep you posted as we learn more.
Siri port now talking to Apple servers, avoiding Cydia
A little cajoling from a clever developer got Siri talking to the iPhone 4 and the iPad, but Apple's tight-lipped servers kept the conversation effectively one-sided. The last-gen port was still missing something, and developer Steven Troughton-Smith knew where to find it: a jailbroken iPhone 4S. In an interview with 9to5Mac, Troughton-Smith said that getting Siri to talk to Cupertino's data servers only took ten minutes after he had all of the pieces in place. Ready for your personal assistant port? Hold the phone, the process is a bit dodgy -- our hacking hero said that getting Siri on the older device is a 20-step process, and it requires files from the iPhone 4S that he says aren't his to distribute. When asked about distributing the hack over Cydia, Troughton-Smith said it was something he couldn't be a part of. On Twitter he suggested that a release would "anger the hive," but promised to post detailed notes on the hack after a iPhone 4S jailbreak drops.
Siri hacked to work on jailbroken iPhone 4 and iPod touch
iPhone experts Steven Troughton-Smith and chpwn seem to have just gotten the iPhone 4S-only Siri working on jailbroken iPhone 4 and current-gen iPod touch units this evening. This bypasses earlier authentication issues. They tweeted their success and posted a screen shot showing Siri working via Wi-Fi (the Airplane Mode icon just means that 3G is turned off, but it is possible to turn Wi-Fi back on even in AM; that's what they did.) Their success comes just weeks after the iPhone 4S debuted. Since Apple's back-end systems are checking for iPhone 4S devices before processing Siri queries, they managed to work around this limitation. The hack is based on moving compiled code components from a 4S to the older units. In an interview with 9to5Mac, Troughton-Smith recounts that the Siri transplant was about a 20-step process, and that it does require access to a jailbroken iPhone 4S to work. He has no intention of releasing the mod to the public; this is a proof-of-concept only.
Siri shows up on an iPod Touch, no longer plays favorites in the iOS family
That Siri gal is certainly making the rounds these days. When she's not answering your questions on a 4S, she's showing up on iPads and elder iPhones. Not one to play favorites, Siri's now lending her considerable talents to an iPod touch. Two enterprising young hackers, euwars and rud0lf77, are the ones who put Siri on the iPod, and you can see the results of their labor in the video after the break. Of course, Apple's servers still aren't as friendly as the virtual voice assistant, so Siri's latest cameo remains a silent one -- but some Siri's better than none, right?
Arduino-powered glove brings real sound effects to your make believe gun show (video)
The days of air-punching invisible Daleks and making your own sound effects are over: a team from Carnegie Mellon's Human-Computer Interaction course have built a glove that does it all for you. The Augmented Hyper-Reality Glove can identify upper-cuts and karate chops using flex and tilt sensors and play the accompanying sound effect using an Arduino-powered Adafruit wave shield. We can see some potential downsides -- flirtatious finger-gun fusillades accompanied by the sound of cannon fire might just ruin your date. If you're undaunted by such social faux pas, see the toy your inner-child always wanted in action after the break.
Siri ported to iPad, still getting silent treatment from Apple servers
Developers wasted no time bringing Siri to the iPhone 4, and nine days later, it's been brought to the iPad as well. This version, running on a first-generation jailbroken Apple tablet, suffers from a similar problem as past non-iPhone 4S ports: it's still not talking to Apple's data servers. This means that until devs manage to get voice commands recognized and initiated, the iPad's unofficial virtual assistant will remain effectively gagged.
Siri ported to an iPhone 4, old phone learns a new trick (Update: Better performance!)
Apple's iPhone 4 may not have the fancy dual core CPU of its successor, but thanks to the efforts of developer Steven Troughton-Smith and the folks at 9to5 Mac, it may soon have Siri. The port of the sultry voice assistant was accomplished by using the 4S Siri and Springboard files, and some serious elbow grease, no doubt. As you can see in the video below, it's far from perfect, but it can recognize spoken commands without issue. Currently, the hack is missing an iPhone 4 GPU driver that keeps things running buttery smooth on the elder phone, and Cupertino won't authenticate Siri's commands coming from it either. So, it isn't quite ready for primetime, but it should only be a matter of time before all you iPhone 4 owners can tell Siri what to do, too. Update: And in the space of just a few hours, Mr. Troughton-Smith has already managed to improve performance of the app on the iPhone 4 significantly, although Apple's servers are still unreachable. Check out a newer YouTube video showing off some seriously smooth scrolling action after the break. [Thanks, Ramzi]
CyanogenMod for TouchPad alpha released, is surprisingly functional (video)
Tired of seeing TouchPad Android demos that you can't quite get your hands on? Buck up buttercup, CyanogenMod 7.1.0's unique flavor of Gingerbread has finally made its way to HP's disowned slate; but beware -- they're calling this one the "lower your expectations" edition for a reason. A new video and forum update belabors the point that the alpha is an early, buggy build that is not intended for the general public. However, if you're brave enough to install CyanogenMod anyway, you'll wind up with a neat assortment of usable features, including multiboot support, ten-point multitouch, functional WiFi, camera support for video chat, limited GPU acceleration and a ton of other features that are either working now, or are near completion. The team says there are too many nonfunctional features to properly list at the moment, but advise brave testers to expect app incompatibility and poorly optimized power consumption. Ready to throw caution to the wind? Hit the source link below, as it's chock full of cautionary tales, installation instructions, and download links. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
IRL: AirPort Express, Jabra Freeway and rooting the Nook Color
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. Now that we've gotten all the dirty details on the new iPhone, we Engadget editors have a few precious days to kick back, unwind and futz around on our aging gadgets before Google and Samsung team up to announce a certain something something next week. Until then, Darren's traveling from Japan to San Francisco and back -- most likely with his AirPort Express in tow, Joseph is rooting the snot out of his Nook Color and Brad's just trying to keep up on podcasts while driving the kiddies around.
Android on HP TouchPad: yes, there's an app for that (video)
TouchPad firesale hysteria may have finally died down, but those of you with newly acquired HP slates should pay attention. A poster by the name of Chomper has uploaded a walkthrough of Android running atop webOS. Yes, you may have seen that particular feat before, but this time 'round the appropriated Google OS gets the emulated treatment. The mobile platform, installed via an .ipk, is accessible as an app and appears to run somewhat smoothly, although certain tics become noticeable when switching between homescreens or attempting to playback YouTube video. Audio and multi-touch have both yet to be successfully implemented in this rogue use of Android, and there's also a pesky power off issue that requires a hard reset of the system. Still, it's good to see the dev community doing what it does best, and inching us ever closer to a Rubin afterlife on HP's deceased tab. Skip past the break for a silent video tour.
Arduino-powered modder recreates 'first PC'
Before the Altair 8800, before the SCElBI, there was the Kenbak-1 -- considered to be the first personal computer by the Computer History Museum. Designed in 1970, it used Transistor-Transistor logic instead of a microprocessor -- which is one of the reasons only 40 of the units were ever sold, of which 14 are known to still exist today. That's what prompted modder funnypolynomial to produce his own using an Arduino. It may look a little more functional than the gloriously retro hexagonal design of the original, but it wouldn't take much to copy that look, too. What are you waiting for? Get ordering your blinkenlights!
TeamWin demos TWRP 2.0 recovery manager for Android, scoffs at your volume rocker (video)
It's pronounced "twerp," but don't mistake TeamWin's Recovery Project for a run-of-the-mill chump. The software is intended as a touchscreen replacement for ROM managers such as TWRP 1.0 and ClockworkMod Recovery. In addition to the all-important backup, restore and install functions, the utility now provides a full GUI for touch input that's fully customizable with XML themes. As a particular boon, developers will have the option to design custom installation processes unique to their particular ROMs, which is a lovely (though very metaphorical) cherry on top. As you'd expect, the software supports both phones and tabs, and if you're interested to see more, just check the full demo video after the break. According to the developer, the utility still needs some work before it's ready for prime time, but it's rather nice to see the group stay productive as it matures. [Thanks, Ian]
Custom video content available in EVE's captain's quarters
Chances are you haven't really fantasized about kicking back in your captain's quarters and watching a movie or three. After all, EVE Online is about blowing people up -- or preferably, scamming them and then blowing them up, amirite? Similarly, hanging out in the game's Incarna interiors is for imaginative carebears and inept internet spaceship pilots, according to some. Nevertheless, CCP has released a new dev blog detailing how you can go about customizing the infinite video loop that currently runs on your CQ's widescreen television. It involves converting your videos to the .BIK format and sticking them into the appropriate folder, and CCP Optimal outlines the technical details at the official EVE Online website.
Install Windows 8 onto your HTC Shift today, give it a reason to wake up in the morning (video)
If you've got an HTC Shift sitting around that's collecting dust and not doing much else, it could find a new lease on life with the revelation of its (very unofficial) support for Windows 8. Like they did for Mac OS X previously, the folks at xda-developers have shoehorned Microsoft's latest Developer Preview OS onto the dejected UMPC, and so long as you've got a bit of spare time, the right equipment and are good at following instructions, you can too. All the basic driver support appears to be in order, including support for video acceleration, the touchscreen and WiFi. Granted, you should keep in mind you'll be installing pre-release software on unsupported hardware, but isn't that half the fun? There's a video after the break (heads-up: it's in French), and if you're looking to get started right away, you'll find a full list of instructions in the source below. [Thanks, M.]
IRL: WildBlue satellite internet, international charging, a flashing habit and failing to get work done on an iPad
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. It's been a whirlwind two weeks of sitting inside concept cars, soaking up details about the PlayStation Vita and getting acquainted with Windows 8, and now that it's all wound down, we're getting back to the business of griping about gadgets we already own. This week, Darren dresses down the satellite service we used to hit posts in the wilderness, Tim takes a breather after a year of jet-setting, Joseph carries on his flashing streak and as for Joe, well, let's just say his honeymoon with the iPad has come to a sudden, unproductive end.
Epic 4G Touch gets 'experimental' Windows-only root, overclockers and undervolters dance for joy
Since you can't upgrade the GPU or add more RAM to your smartphone, there's really only one way to improve upon an already impressive handset like the Epic 4G Touch -- root it. It hasn't been on the market for very long, but the crafty hackers over at XDA forums have already figured out how to open up the phone to your every whim. The crack is "experimental" at this point, so proceed with caution. You'll also need to have both Kies and Odin 3 up and running, which makes this a Windows-only treatment at the moment. Head on after the break for a pair of videos and hit up the source link for full instructions. Oh, and happy modding.
