Twenty-three year old Michael Calce aka ‘Mafiaboy,’ the famous internet hacker from Montreal, has just written his own memoir. Mafiaboy is known for his feat of temporarily shutting down some of the biggest sites on the web and leading the FBI and RCMP on a manhunt when he was fifteen years old.
The book is titled ‘Mafiaboy: How I cracked the Internet and Why It’s Still Broken.’ It is said to be a ‘cautionary tale’ about how the teen learned to hack from other online rebels. Michael also wants it to be used to help businesses and people protect themselves online.
Mafiaboy’s took down sites for several hours, including CNN, Yahoo, Amazon, eBay, E-trade Financial, and many others using his denial-of-service attacks. Calce ending up pleading guilty to over fifty charges.
Ironically, the book can be purchased at Amazon, for just over $20.
For those of you who purchase this book, I would not recommend following in his footsteps. I would also appreciate it if you do not experiment with his hacking methods on my site – as if you are successful I will no longer be able to provide you with all of this fantastic tech news.
I came across this product while surfing the web and did not believe it to be real. It turns out not only is it real, it’s on sale for 30 bucks. Computer nerds, let me present to you - the CrazyPC 5.25 inch bay toaster – yes I said toaster.
Apparently gamers love their toast; so much so that they can now satisfy this craving by installing a toaster into any 5.25 inch drive bay on their PC. Just slide in a slice of bread and you have toast in a matter of minutes. The drive even has a crumb tray for easy clean up.
Installation is claimed to only take minutes, and comes with Windows software for adjusting heat and time settings. The drive requires a USB port, 4 pin Molex power connector, and a free PCI slot. A Mac version has yet to be released.
Microsoft has scheduled an event for September 9, upon which a new product line is going to be revealed. One of the products in this line is going to be a mouse - a mouse that is neither optical nor laser. Microsoft also launched a video teaser for the new product, using the tag line ‘ Say Goodbye To Laser’. They did not release any other information.
After researching further, I came across another article on the topic. A new Microsoft mouse with ‘Blue Track Technology’ has been recently spotted on Amazon. Blue Track apparently utilizes a blue LED and a wide angled lens that is supposed to work on more surfaces than optical and laser. Microsoft seems to only be targeting portable computers (laptops), so I am sure we will continue to see laser mice for PC’s.
For all those who use Windows Vista, I am sure you are familiar with the constant alerts about needing permission to continue when installing software or changing settings. A few days ago I installed some programs on my sister’s new laptop and was introduced to this annoying alert rather quickly.
To deactivate this alert is very simple and will save you a lot of hassle. Click on Start, then proceed to the control panel, then to user accounts, and remove the check on the box next to ‘Use User Account Control (UAC) to help protect your computer.’
NOTE: Make sure your computers security software is up to date before you do this.
One’s ability to become invisible draws nearer; scientists may be a step closer to creating materials that redirect light around 3D objects (including humans) using metamaterials.
The materials are artificially engineered structures created at nano scale that contain optical properties not found in nature. Specifically, the materials are composed of various metals and circuit board materials, including ceramic and Teflon. They are used to bend visible light in a way ordinal materials are unable to, in order to eliminate shadows and reflections.
Our dream of becoming a real life Harry Potter draws nearer; all that is needed now is a wand and a flying broomstick.
Check out the video below to see this amazing stuff.
Intel is one fire these days, and it continues with the reveal of the UrbanMax notebook. Specs have not been released, however the combination of a sliding/tilting screen draws a lot of attention. The display is also touch sensitive, although beyond that the details are unknown. Take a look at some of the pictures below - try not to drool.
With the world’s ever-changing focus towards a greener environment, we have seen a variety of new products that help reduce consumption of oil and electricity. Thanks to the kinetic intelligence of the Dynamo Keyboard, computer users can now be greener when surfing the web or playing online games. You will no longer be consuming the nation’s power or burning down small forests because of your late night computer usage writing emails or chatting on MSN.
When you type using this Kinetic Keyboard, you power your computer with your fingers kinetic energy, giving you one of the smallest carbon fingerprints around. The more you type, the more you cut down on your monthly power bill. The keyboard is QWERTY, is made from sustainable plastic, and conforms to all safety standards. It can be purchased online for about $120 – who said saving the environment was cheap?
This product is most definitely an April fools joke or a marketing gimmick, however I must say the concept is neat - although you would probably have to type over a thousand words per minute just to power your CPU.
Do you get bored while at work or in class? If so, you need a USB Webcam Missile Launcher.
The device does exactly as the name suggests; fires foam missiles via your computers USB port. On screen directional arrows all you to control the direction of the Missile Launcher, and a click of the mouse button allows you to fire at will. Thanks to the on board Webcam, you will also have a live video feed that allows you to home in on your target. Sound effects have also been added, including a missile noise as well as a warning siren. You can even hook up the Missile Launcher to your MSN, allowing anyone on your MSN list to have the ability to both control and fire it. It can also be hooked up to your computer at home, so that you can log on to your MSN at school and barrage anyone who comes near it with foam ammunition.
The amount of fun you can have with this device is endless; all that is missing is a foam ammo belt.
Can you imagine playing your favorite FPS in a giant sphere that engrosses you in a 3D virtual reality world? The technology is now here, however with a price tag of $30,000 it’s going to cost a tad more than your Xbox 360 or PS3.
The VirtuSphere, as mentioned above, is an oversized ball that immerses the user in a 3D world. The sphere sits on rollers that allow it to rotate 360 degrees and move freely in any direction, while remaining in the same position.
Players wear a motion tracking headset to project the visuals, and are free to run, roll, crawl, or jump over unlimited distances while in the virtual world.
The VirtuSphere has been described as the ultimate computer game peripheral, but is said to also fit well as a unique treadmill or for simulation exercises.
VirtuSphere is currently being used by Russian tourism authorities to let people virtually walk through the Red Square and the Kremlin.
Lite-On has just released a concept design for a mouse that’s guaranteed to fit comfortably in any user’s hand. What’s the secret? A mouse made out of a special material so that the user can mold it into any form and while retaining its shape.
The Moldable Mouse is made of lightweight molding clay and covered with a nylon and polyurethane blend fabric. This allows the user to shape it any way they prefer, consequently coming up with a shape that is more comfortable than any other mouse on the market. Every mouse in stores today is made of hard plastic, causing discomfort among many computer users. Even a so called ‘ergonomically advanced’ mouse does not feel comfortable in everyone’s hand. This can end up leading to wrist injuries such as Carpal Tunnel. Lite-On significantly reduces this problem with the Moldable Mouse. Repeated motions with the same posture are reduced by allowing a wide variety of hand positions when holding the mouse.
The click buttons and touch-sensitive scroll pad of the mouse are stick on parts, which can be positioned any which way for maximum comfort. The nylon coating comes in many colours, and has a texture similar to that of silk. Patterns and graphics may also be printed on the nylon, increasing its visual appearance.
With the Moldable Mouse, Lite-On has found a way to make it possible for the mouse to contour to the user, rather than the other way around.
With the world’s ever-changing focus towards a greener environment, we have seen a variety of new products that help reduce consumption of oil and electricity. Thanks to the kinetic intelligence of the Dynamo Keyboard, computer users can now be greener when surfing the web or playing online games. You will no longer be consuming the nation’s power or burning down small forests because of your late night computer usage writing emails or chatting on MSN.
The device does exactly as the name suggests; fires foam missiles via your computers USB port. On screen directional arrows all you to control the direction of the Missile Launcher, and a click of the mouse button allows you to fire at will. Thanks to the on board Webcam, you will also have a live video feed that allows you to home in on your target. Sound effects have also been added, including a missile noise as well as a warning siren. You can even hook up the Missile Launcher to your MSN, allowing anyone on your MSN list to have the ability to both control and fire it. It can also be hooked up to your computer at home, so that you can log on to your MSN at school and barrage anyone who comes near it with foam ammunition.
users. Even a so called ‘ergonomically advanced’ mouse does not feel comfortable in everyone’s hand. This can end up leading to wrist injuries such as Carpal Tunnel. Lite-On significantly reduces this problem with the Moldable Mouse. Repeated motions with the same posture are reduced by allowing a wide variety of hand positions when holding the mouse.
