Tech Gadget

Tens of thousands of cars are being stolen or broken into every year by thieves using electronic hacking equipment, a Sky News investigation has found. Last year half of all car thefts and vehicle break-ins in London alone were carried out without the use of force, according to the Metropolitan Police. Instead criminals are believed to have used hi-tech devices originally designed for locksmiths to gain access to vehicles. Commonly, the thieves use easily obtainable equipment that can intercept the signals from key fobs to get into cars or that plug into a car's on-board computers remotely.

 Modern cars contain about 50 low-powered computers which criminals have learnt to take advantage of to steal vehicles in as little as 10 seconds without causing any damage. Sky News has established that the devices can be bought cheaply online, from websites based mainly in Bulgaria. Video tutorials posted online can teach criminals how to gain access to popular models.

 Tens of thousands of cars are being stolen or broken into every year by thieves using electronic hacking equipment, a Sky News investigation has found. Last year half of all car thefts and vehicle break-ins in London alone were carried out without the use of force, according to the Metropolitan Police. Instead criminals are believed to have used hi-tech devices originally designed for locksmiths to gain access to vehicles. Commonly, the thieves use easily obtainable equipment that can intercept the signals from key fobs to get into cars or that plug into a car's on-board computers remotely. Modern cars contain about 50 low-powered computers which criminals have learnt to take advantage of to steal vehicles in as little as 10 seconds without causing any damage. Sky News has established that the devices can be bought cheaply online, from websites based mainly in Bulgaria. Video tutorials posted online can teach criminals how to gain access to popular models. The problem was first exposed several years ago in certain models. But now police are warning that all modern makes are potentially vulnerable. And for the first time, the Met has disclosed the growing nature of the threat. About 21,000 cars were stolen in the capital last year, according to the latest figures. A further 68,000 were broken into. "Recent analysis of crime data suggests that almost half the total number of vehicles stolen in London are taken using this method, which can affect all manufacturers," the force said in a statement to Sky News.

 "High-end vehicles are becoming more and more sophisticated. In turn so are criminals. " Some organised criminals have access to technology that avoids the need to (physically break in). Vehicles are becoming more technologically advanced and the criminals are becoming more savvy towards that technology and they will develop." The Met said it was working with manufacturers to protect drivers from having their cars stolen or broken into. Car crime has fallen in recent years as manufacturers create even more secure vehicles. But in countries closer to Bulgaria, like Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands, the crime rate has started to rise after years of decrease.We have every reason to believe that other European countries will be following suit this year and next," Mike Parris, head of the secure car division at SBD security, told Sky News. "It is getting worse," he added. "The tools are becoming much more readily available. The price of them is falling. And they're operating much more quickly - you can re-program a key in a matter of seconds. "All vehicle manufacturers are aware of the problem. It's fair to say some are doing more than others. "Car manufacturers are acutely aware of the need to constantly make their vehicles more secure because they know criminals will adapt and develop." The Met advises car owners to leave their cars in well-lit areas, to consider using steering, gear shift and pedal locks, as well as tracking devices. One website found to be selling the devices did not respond to a request to comment from Sky News. Its homepage says: "All devices are sold for official use only!!! If you use them for any illegal purposes, this is your own responsibility!!!" This week our inboxes filled up faster than a tummy at an all-you-can-eat crab leg buffet. The theme that emerged from this week’s plethora of product press releases was “everything old is new again.” From the stunning leather-and-canvas bike bag from the talented folks at Tanner Goods to the retro speaker from Veho, it seems our fascination with yesteryear and retro continues unabated. May your thoughts of relaxing in a cushy easy chair, whittling away with your new table knife while listening to Jack White’s new Ultra LP, helps you get through the weekend. tate police chief warns that carjackers use the ‘innovative’ device to start cars they intend to steal KUCHING: Be careful when you see an innocent-looking device comprising a piece of wire with one end clipped to two ‘modified’ spark plugs and the other holding a small ‘hanger’. The device looks harmless, but carjackers are using it to start engines in order to steal the vehicles! State police chief Datuk Wira Muhammad Sabtu Osman raised the alarm yesterday and urged car owners to take precautionary measures to protect their vehicles.

“We have confiscated the device and all district police chiefs have been alerted on this. They have been instructed to detain those found to have this device when they come across it,” he said after officiating at the Police Day Jogathon, which was held in conjunction with the 207th Police Day at Le’Park here. The confiscated device used by carjackers to steal vehicles. Sabtu said preliminary investigation indicated that only individuals, not syndicates, were using this device. He also advised car drivers not to leave their bags on the passenger seat unattended as it would attract the attention of thieves. “Since thieves nowadays are resorting to break the glass to steal valuables, I would like to recommend car owners to tint their car with approved protective film so that when the glass is hit it will not crumble easily.” On car thefts in the city, he said police had detained a few suspects and they would probably be charged in court after investigations are completed. “We received tip-offs from the public (from time to time) and they too assisted us in arresting the culprits. That is why the public are very important to us.” Overall, he said the crime rate in the city had shown a significant reduction of 22 per cent compared to the same period last year. “The motorcycle patrol unit has played a very effective role in helping to prevent crime. We will increase the presence of the unit.” http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/05/12/simple-gadget-used-to-steal-cars/#ixzz31UJbiemV Gadget Freak Review: Simple Tool Seals Wounds, Construction Set for Straws, Electronic Wall Outlet Safe Lauren Muskett BIO EMAIL THIS PRINT COMMENT Lauren Muskett, Assistant Managing Editor 2/7/2014 8 comments NO RATINGS LOGIN TO RATE inShare 1 This Gadget Freak review looks at a simple device that can seal gunshot wounds quickly, an open-source construction set that uses straws and cardboard to build shapes and objects, and an electronic safe that is built into a wall. We will also look at a vintage Gadget Freak that features a sonic telescope that uses a MEMS microphone, so you can hear what you are viewing. Quickly seal gunshot wounds (Source: RevMedx) (Source: RevMedx) "Uncontrolled hemorrhage is the leading cause of death on the battlefield and the second leading cause of death in civilian trauma," according to RevMedx. It developed its XStat hemostatic dressing to control severe bleeding from pelvis or shoulder wounds that cannot be helped with tourniquet application. The XStat dressing, which is currently under development, uses mini-sponges that will expand when they contact blood. This results in "a nearly immediate hemostatic effect without manual compression." The mini sponges are made of standard medical sponge material, coated with a hemostatic agent, and compressed. They are stored in a 30 mm or 12 mm lightweight applicator and contain a radiopaque marker for X-ray detection. RevMedx says on its site that it is "working closely with Special Operations Forces medics" to develop the dressing "capable of stopping high-flow arterial bleeding from non-compressible wounds." RevMedx is also incorporating the self-expanding sponge technology into dressings to treat other types of wounds. Building with straws (Source: Creatables) (Source: Creatables)

The Strawbees construction-based kit lets you connect straws to create shapes and objects. These trial-and-error construction sets act as a pivot point and a connector to join straws. To make large-scale mechanical models using cardboard, you can punch a hole in the cardboard to connect up to two layers. The toys, made of polypropylene plastic sheets, can be hacked so you can modify the connectors with a pair of scissors. They can be reused, and virtually anyone can use them -- from preschool to those in higher education. Creatables, the group behind this project, says on its Kickstarter page that it has conducted "test runs at five schools here in Sweden and more than five science centers around the world to make sure it works." The Kickstarter campaign has already reached triple its funding goal, and Creatables anticipates shipping the kits in April. Hidden electronic outlet safe (Source: ASCAS on Instructables) (Source: ASCAS on Instructables) Here is a place you can store your valuables with no one ever knowing -- a hidden wall outlet safe. Not only is it hidden, but it is also electronic and requires a digital key. An Instructables user, ASCAS, created the safe in a dummy wall outlet with an Arduino UNO with a USB cable and mini servo. To open the outlet, you plug a DIY three-pin cable from your vault to your Arduino and then connect your Arduino board to your PC via USB.

The only way the lock can be opened is by connecting the Arduino to the servo's pins -- located in the outlet. One of our own Gadget Freaks created a power lock with a secret code for his workbench. William Grill had a workbench covered with electronic gadgets and power tools, and he wanted to avoid the possibility of a curious grandkid messing with the enticing toys. His power lock requires a secret code to be entered before the power can go to the plug. Vintage Gadget Freak: MEMS mics up telescope One of the problems with wildlife video photography is that you can get close to the animal with a telescopic video lens, but what about the sound? It's still far, far away. Jerald Cogswell came up with a solution. He created a sonic telescope to grab sound and bring it as close to the user as the visual image. Biologists can also use this MEMS microphone to listen to insects and burrowing animals. The microphone can take the sound and match it to the proximity of the image. Do you have a Gadget Freak project you would like the world to see? Send a brief description of your gadget and a photo to Assistant Managing Editor Lauren Muskett. The editors of Design News have handpicked your favorite Gadget Freak cases from over the years, bringing them together in a dynamic digital edition, complete with videos, which you can view here.
http://www.designnews.com/author.asp?section_id=1362&doc_id=271467&piddl_msgid=1327405 This Gadget Freak review looks at a personal motion tracking device that uses Bluetooth to help you track down items you tag in a range of up to 150 feet.

You can uses these tags, PebbleBees, to keep tabs on anything from your keys to your dog. We also look at a DIY solar phone charger that is built in a mint tin and only costs $7 to build. Our vintage Gadget Freak is a dishwasher indicator that uses a flashing green LED to let people know when the dishes are clean. Personal Lost & Found (Source: PebbleBee) (Source: PebbleBee) The PebbleBee is a Bluetooth personal motion tracking device that coins itself as your "personal lost and found." These small, durable, and water resistant tags communicate with Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy in a range of up to 150 feet. You can tag virtually anything with the PebbleBee -- your keys, shopping bags, pet, child -- and set a range finder so you are alerted when they get out of their set range. So what if you lose something out of your range? That is what the PebbleBee cloud is for. You can access your PebbleBees from any compatible phone through the PebbleBee cloud, share your PebbleBees with other users, and set designated friends. Your privacy is kept secure as the PebbleBee cloud, with "security protocols to validate the user for permission to either see or use the PebbleBee." There is also an option to use your tag privately. Once you have your items tagged, you can keep track of them on their app or set the tag to buzz or light up (spark) when you want to locate them. Their free application is compatible with Android 4.3+ Bluetooth 4.0 equipped devices, iOS iPhone 4s or newer, and iPad 3 or iPad Mini. The iOS app is open-source, so you can customize your updates. Utilizing a 3-Axis gyroscope, 3-Axis Accelerometer, and 3-Axis Compass, the PebbleBee has a replaceable 285 mAh CR2430 button battery that can last up to three years. You can also run your tag in private mode to help preserve your battery life and increase wireless performance. The PebbleBee is currently an active Kickstarter campaign that has gone way beyond its goal of $20,000. Backers are scheduled to get their tags in May. DIY Solar Phone Charger (Source: User tech savy on Instructables) (Source: User tech savy on Instructables) User tech savy on Instructables created a solar phone charger from an old tin mint case. The charger is powered by both the sun and a battery and was created as a cheaper alternative to other solar chargers. For the total cost of $7, materials used included a 3V solar cell, 1.5V to 5V boost module, rectifier diode, rocker switch, battery holder, rechargeable battery, and 10 or 25V capacitor all stored in a mint tin.


 One it was assembled and tested with a voltmeter, an iPhone was plugged in to the smart tin and was able to charge 3% in five minutes. Creating gadgets in mint tins is something our Gadget Freaks should be familiar with -- Al Linke created a breathalyzer in an Altoids tin in Gadget Freak Case #207. Vintage Gadget Freak: Dishwasher Indicator Eases Unloading Most dishwashers come equipped with an indicator that lets people know when the dishes have gone through a complete washing cycle. Some people will open the dishwasher and get some clean dishes, but they won't unload it completely. The "clean" indicator will turn off, but people might not know whether the dishes are clean. This gadget uses a flashing green LED to let people know the dishes are clean. An infrared proximity sensor detects the presence of a person near the dishwasher and turns on the LED circuit. The LED state remains set until someone completely empties the dishwasher. Even after you open the door and take out only a few dishes, the green LED will flash when people approach the dishwasher, so they see a reminder to unload it completely. After the dishwasher is emptied, a red LED starts flashing, and people can start to load it with dirty dishes. Now no one will have any doubt about whether the dishwasher is full of dirty or clean dishes. The indicator tells it all. http://www.designnews.com/author.asp?section_id=1362&doc_id=272116&piddl_msgid=1327403#msg_1327403

Gross Gadget that ries flies

TV shows like Iron Chef and Chopped have gotten audiences used to the idea of bizarre ingredients, but Reykjavík-based design student Búi Bjarmar Aðalsteinsson wants to make black soldier flies standard fare. As a first step, he’s developed an abhorrent appliance called the Fly Factory that turns household pests into haute cuisine. The stainless steel Fly Factory is comprised of three chambers: an expansive breeding space for flies, a chamber for their larva to grow, and a fridge to store the pâtés and puddings that can be created with the ground-up grubs. Fly Factory is intended to be used in restaurant environments—the larva would eat the discarded food from patron’s plates, fattening themselves up before being cooked, all while turning leftovers into compost suitable for herb cultivation. Black soldier flies are the key ingredient.

They have predictable mating, eating, and development stages that map onto industrial production processes fairly easily. Also, their relatively cleanliness compared to other members of the arthropod phylum—they don’t have mouths—helps reduce the pucker factor. The recipe is simple: fly larvae are harvested, dried, and ground into a powder then mixed with wheat, milk, eggs, spiced to taste, then baked in an oven. And yes, mashed bugs taste like chicken. Or more accurately, nothing or anything. Think of them as tofu: They’re totally dependent on the preparation and spicing. After consulting with a leading Icelandic chef, Aðalsteinsson developed a collection of recipes to enhance the fly’s very mild natural flavor, including a crowd-pleasing chocolate-coconut cake.

 Convenience Is King Designing a bug farm is seemingly a rite of passage for design students these days, but the Fly Factory brings unique innovations to the table. Aðalsteinsson realized that even if humanity is reduced to mawing mouthfuls of ground up fly larva, we’ll still want the convenience of packaged foods. Instead of trying to get people over the mental hurdle of biting the head off a grasshopper, the bugs are puréed and baked into innocent-looking loaves. Instead of assuming bug farms will take a place to KitchenAid mixers on countertops, Aðalsteinsson envisioned a commercial look for his appliance. It’s an industrial tool that would slot into high-end kitchens. It’s also cleverly designed to limit its use of resources.

The excess heat from the refrigeration unit keeps the fly chamber at an appropriate level of warmth. While it might seem gross, eating bugs—or epicurean entomophagy for foodies—could become a real thing. Raising beef and chicken are resource-intensive practices with harmful environmental side effects. Livestock produces more greenhouse gasses than automobiles, making expansion perilous. The thought of chewing on creepy-crawlies might make your cringe, but at least they’ve got a low carbon footprint and they’re totally paleo

 There are 1,900 species of edible insects and 2 billion people already eat them on a regular basis. According to the UN report that inspired Aðalsteinsson, there are 19,00 species of edible insects and 2 billion people around the world already eat them on a regular basis. Fly Factory and its swarm of competitors might be responding to the market, but it’ll take a massive change in perception for this idea to spread in the developed world.

Even eco-conscious Starbucks customers flipped out when they found their strawberry Frappuccinos were being colored with cochineal, an ancient and ubiquitous dye made from crushed beetle shells. Still, with 9 billion people expected to be living on the planet by 2050 and food system that will need to double to support, changes to our cuisine are coming. Half of the Earth’s habitable landmass is already used for farming and livestock cultivation, and we’ll need new sources of protein. Bugs for breakfast may seem bizarre, but are positively mouthwatering compared to duck embryos, ox penises, or blood pancakes.http://www.wired.com/2014/05/a-gross-out-gadget-that-raises-flies-for-you-to-eat/