Do you use a jailbroken iPhone/iPad or a rooted Android device? The manufacturers claim that rooting or jailbreaking devices violates Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). In 2010 the US Copyright office issued a temporary 2 year exemption to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DCMA) that granted users the right to root or jailbreak their phone and devices. This exemption is about to expire. If this exemption does not get renewed then it will be illegal to root your device. Read more

Google just release a new security feature that will allow you to login your Google accounts at any computer without typing your password with the help of your Android phone or Iphone. If you ever use public computers such as ones at school, in a coffee shop or library where you are not sure the system is free of keylogger software then this will be a useful feature for you.

First you will need to go to accounts.google.com/sesame. This page will display a QR code as seen here. Next use your Iphone or Android phone to scan the QR code. This will signal Google that you are located at the terminal displaying the QR code. Once the code has been scanned the web page will refresh and you will be logged into your Google account. Give it a try, it works great.

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Samsung released SwipeIt as a direct competitor to Apple’s Airplay system. The Samsung smart TV app started being pushed to internet connected TV around the 1st so it should already be on your system. The Android app is already in the app market. With this new service you can view pictures and video directly from your Android phone to your Samsung TV over WiFi, just swipe and view.
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It seems the Barnes & Noble Nook is becoming the ‘Little Tablet that could’. We found another project that uses the original Nook Color that has been rooted and is running a full version of Android. In this project the tablet has been mounted in a Jeep Wrangler and even has a docking port so you can remove the unit without having to deal with all the individual plugs. This opens up many possibilities – Navigation, email, engine monitoring, OBD II code reading and much more. Read more

Now that you have your new faster Nook Android tablet what do you do with your older unit.  How about a touch screen kitchen PC with internet connectivity that mounts on your refrigerator door for easy access.  Recipes at your fingertips, news, weather, music even movies and videos.  Just think of the possibilities.   Read more

We have had great comments about the Torque OBDII reader App article we did earlier so here is another free useful Android app that is automobile oriented – Trapster. If you live in or travel to areas that use red light cameras or speeding cameras then you should check this app out. With over 11 million downloads and 4.5 million traps in the database Trapster is well established. In addition to the camera information Trapster can also warn of construction zones, road hazards and school zones. Read more