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U.K. scientists demo graphic passwords

Think it's tough coming up with memorable yet secure letter/number combo passwords? Wait until you have to think of something to draw.

A system devised by computer scientists at Newcastle University in the U.K. uses human-scribbled doodles in lieu of traditional passwords.

Don't worry. One need not be the next Picasso for the graphic passcode system to work.

The Background Draw-a-Secret (BDAS) system, developed by Jeff Yan, a computer science lecturer at the School of Computing Science at Newcastle University, and graduate student Paul Dunphy, lets people choose from a selection of base images.

The image … Read more

Hold on, I need to reboot my sous chef

Is it just me, or does it seem like technology is taking over as master of the house?

Technological advances like the ones you see on this blog are making cooking, eating, and entertaining easier and more convenient, but in the case of some inventions, like the KitchenAttendant, we're no longer faced with the responsibility of thinking about what we should eat.

Remember the Intelliscanner Kitchen Companion remote, a handheld scanner that keeps track of your pantry and helps you print out grocery lists? Meet a device that puts the runt remote to shame. The KitchenAttendant is a countertop … Read more

Power Downloader makes screenshots Jing-le

One of the most effective computer crime-fighting tools in Power Downloader's arsenal is the screen capture. When Power D grabs a cap and uploads it to the Web for the world to see, he knows he's presenting advice to computer users in a very unimpeachable way. Effective screen-capping used to be a tedious multistep process, but the Jing Project streamlines it all for both Windows and Mac users.

From the team behind the screen-recording utility Camtasia, Jing is able to capture still images as well as videos. Once you've downloaded and installed the program, click the Capture … Read more

Pantech's love connection phone

Who needs sweet nothings uttered on the phone when you can send across your love through touch? Korean company Pantech is tapping into the gold mine of youths on hormonal overdrive with too much money to spend.

Its Touch-Screen Phone Love Canvas (IM-R300), the company's first touch-screen outing, not only lets one party draw little hearts and send them over to his or her significant other's Love Canvas, but they can also express their emotional status with various emoticons and vibrations by touching the panel.

The Sky-branded phone is being tested through SK Telecom, according to Telecoms Korea. (… Read more

Even roulette tables may get touch screens

If Microsoft's "Surface" becomes a casino fixture next to the slot machines, the touch-screen table computer will find plenty of company. Not only are digital poker tables being developed--complete with "peel up" card corners so players can read their hands discreetly--but even touch-sensitive roulette games are on the way.

The "MultiPlay Roulette" system is the latest from Sweden's TouchTable, featuring a 56-inch touch LCD with 3,840 ? 2,160 resolution. The table can accommodate up to seven players and, thanks to the company's proprietary technology, it can identify each person's … Read more

Touch-screen fever spreads to speakers

Taiwan-based Genius has come up with some pretty odd creations, ranging from a combo camera-speaker set to a mouse with a mini-game controller. But it seems to have settled on at least one recurring function that may help separate it from the novelty-gadget crowd: touch screens.

It started late last year with some interesting Bluetooth headphones that featured a built-in touch-sensitive panel. And now the company has integrated another touch screen into a new set of 30-watt speakers designed for laptops.

Still, navigation panels can go only so far; as far as quality goes, the compact SP-T1200 will have to … Read more

Use Windows' built-in accessibility tools to improve your productivity

Most of us rarely need to stray from the standard Windows interface. But there are times when it would help to get a close-up view of a graphic or some other file we're working on, or to listen to a long document or Web page rather than having to read it. Those are the times when Windows' built-in accessibility tools come in handy.

The screen reader, magnifier, and on-screen keyboard are designed primarily for people who have difficulty interacting with their computer using a typical display, keyboard, and mouse. Of course, anyone could benefit from time to time by … Read more

A fix for the Glyde's touch screen?

PhoneArena has stumbled across a possible fix for the Samsung Glyde's troublesome touch screen. The site is reporting that if you tape the battery into the phone, it will strengthen the electrical connectivity between the battery and the handset, thus providing (as theory goes) a more responsive screen. PhoneArena tried the fix and said it appeared to work well in a couple of areas. Apparently, it was easier to scroll through lists and make menu selections. Yet, a few issues weren't fixed. The PhoneArena team said problems remained with dialing a phone number, scrolling through a Web page, … Read more

Screencast.com springs into version 1

YouTube isn't the only way to share video, and it's certainly not the way to store and share professional screencasts with hiked-up bitrates. After 18 months as a beta mewling, on Wednesday, TechSmith's Screencast.com graduated to a full-fledged release.

Version 1 of Screencast.com continues to receive screen recordings produced in the freeware Jing Project (for Windows and Mac) and premium Camtasia Studio, though it's available to anyone willing to register and pay for storage. It has come some distance from the site covered by Webware.com as part of a July 2007 review of … Read more