Man develops iPhone case that shoots pepper spray

Potentially a useful way to stop an attacker from hurting someone, a new iPhone case includes a blast of pepper spray for personal protection.

Designed as a personal protection device, an Arizona man has created a case for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S that includes a built-in pepper spray canister. Located in Scottsdale, Spraytect founder Scott McPherson thought up the idea when he was concerned about this daughter’s safety after she left for college. On the back of the Spraytect iPhone case, a user slides the custom pepper spray canister canister along a rail positioned horizontally when looking at the phone in a vertical position. Since the pepper spray canister significantly protrudes from the case, it may be difficult to store in a pocket. However, the canister does act as a “kickstand” when the phone is positioned vertically or horizontally and can help the iPhone user view the screen.

After the canister has been installed and locked into place, the user must pull a safety clip off the canister to start the activation process. The safety clip is designed to keep the canister locked and unable to fire. After the clip is removed, the user rotates the actuator knob into the down position.

When the bright yellow color is completely visible, the canister is ready to be fired. If the user needs to spray an assailant, they rotate the case horizontally and spray the attacker as if they were taking their picture with the iPhone camera.

Spraytect recommends using short bursts lasting approximately half a second and spraying from ear to ear across the face. Similar to other types of pepper spray, Spraytect also recommends moving in the opposite direction after releasing the spray. The spray takes a few seconds to kick in and disable an attacker.

In order to help the user feel more comfortable with using pepper spray, Spraytect includes a test cartridge without any active pepper spray to practice installing, activating and firing the spray from the canister. According to Spraytect, the pepper spray mixture includes habanero pepper. Usually the hottest pepper at your local grocery store, habaneros typically rate between 200,000 and 300,000 Scoville units. The blend is similar to what’s used by police officers, members of the U.S. military, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security.  

Since the canister is detachable, the user can choose the right time to utilize the protection. For instance, a college student likely wouldn’t need it during class, but it could be useful when going out with friends at night.

Users also have the option of rotating the actuator knob back into the locked position once they feel safe. The canister would have to be removed before passing through airport security, but the TSA does allow one 4-ounce container of mace or pepper spray included in checked baggage. 

Split into two pieces, the simple iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S case doesn’t obstruct the smartphone’s built-in, rear camera. The case comes in four different colors including black, white, aqua blue and pink. McPherson is currently selling the pepper spray iPhone case for a price of approximately $40 on the Spraytect site. Besides the case, the Spraytect case owner will also get one pepper spray cartridge and one test cartridge. Replacement pepper spray cartridges cost approximately $18 each and they can be color matched to the case.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

$100,000 worth of iPhone 5 units stolen in Japan just before launch

Wait in line for the iPhone 5, exposed to the elements? Wait 3-4 weeks for your pre-order to go through? Nah, someone is Japan decided to go Gone in 60 seconds. Three stores that were going to sell Apple’s latest smartphone in the same night were hit and all but two of their handsets went missing.

The total damage is estimated at 7.45 million yen, nearly $100,000. That sounds like a lot, but it’s only 191 iPhone 5 units that are gone. Here’s what happened.

The first store was a KDDI au store which was hit at 2:30 AM and robbed of 42 iPhone 5s with only two left behind. Later, around 3 AM another au store was was wiped clean of its 33 iPhone 5s. Police was called around this time, with info that three men were acting suspiciously.

Finally, at 4:24 AM three men hit a Softbank store and took off with 116 iPhone 5 units, as seen on security camera footage. The police is still to announce if these three men are the same as the ones from the second KDDI store.

Source : blog[dot]gsmarena[dot]com

TaskRabbit offers people to stand in line for you on iPhone 5 release day

For early adopters that absolutely despise having to stand in line for new gadgets, there's an easy way to pay someone to do it for you.

Detailed in a TaskRabbit blog post, the service networking company launched a new task today in conjunction with Apple’s iPhone 5 announcement. For a price of $55, anyone can pay a TaskRabbit representative to stand in line in front of an Apple store on the release date of the new iPhone 5. Easy to identify in a TaskRabbit shirt, the representative will stand in the line for up to four hours on the morning of Friday, September 21. TaskRabbit has setup an iPhone 5 hub page for people around San Francisco and New York City, but anyone can setup a similar TaskRabbit task at Apple stores around the United States. 

After someone interested in purchasing the new iPhone 5 schedules the task through the site, an assigned TaskRabbit representative will contact the user within the next 48 hours. The user can specify timing in addition to model information like the iPhone 5 color as well as the size of the internal storage drive. Model information is required since Apple store employees typically walk through the line to assign inventory in order to cut the line at a specific point. 

At this point, the representative will show up at a specific time to stand in line. Hypothetically, someone that’s been standing in line since midnight for a spot much closer to the Apple store could schedule a TaskRabbit representative to come relieve them for a few hours. After the task has been completed on September 21, the user will be charged the $55 fee for the TaskRabbit service. TaskRabbit is also offering the opportunity for two people to win a new iPhone 5 if they schedule a TaskRabbit representative prior to September 20. 

In order to become a TaskRabbit representative, an interested party has to fill out an application in addition to submitting to a criminal background check through a company called Acxiom. Beyond the application, a video interview is also required to be hired.

Approval is based on the location of the applicant, skill set and needs for different services within the community. When an applicant is approved to become a TaskRabbit representative, they have the ability to dictate their schedule in addition to setting their own rate. According to the TaskRabbit FAQ, some representatives make upwards of $5,000 per month through the site.

When the iPhone 4S was launched on October 14, 2011, an eight-block line formed outside an Apple store in Tokyo and some people attempted to sell spots in line on Craigslist. Lines around the United States started forming within six to twelve hours prior to the opening of each Apple store. Stores in Paris and London also saw a significant number of people standing in line many hours before stores opened. At the Apple store in Los Gatos, Steve Wozniak landed the first spot in line and happily took photographs with many Apple fans as well as reminisce about the late Steve Jobs. In order to snag the first spot in line at that Apple store, he arrived a little more than eighteen hours before the store opened the day that the iPhone 4S officially went on sale.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

How To Improve Your iPod Battery Life

Learning how to improve your iPod battery life gives you more opportunity to maximize the use of your iPod. It is a hassle for someone listening to music or podcast when all of a sudden, the battery dies. Here are some tips that you can do to extend the battery life of your iPod, and prevent it from dying quickly:

1. Minimize the Backlight Timer

The backlight consumes almost 30% of the battery. It is one of the biggest causes of battery drain, so better minimize the time in consumes. You can go to Settings then choose Backlight Timer to adjust the time.

2. Use minimum brightness

The brighter the iPod screen is, the more energy it consumes. You can use the minimum possible brightness that you can see, to extend the battery life. Adjust this setting by going to Settings then Brightness.

3. Turn off the clicker confirmation audible feedback

When using the click wheel or touch screen interface, turn off the audible feedback to minimize power consumption. Just go to Settings then Clicker then choose Off.

4. Use hold switch

By using the hold switch, you can let the iPod ignore the accidental input.

5. Pause if you are not listening

Do not let the iPod play when not used. Pause whenever you are not listening for a bit.

6. Avoid changing tracks

Avoid skipping tracks forward or backward. Utilize the playlist efficiently.

7. Turn off the Equalizer

When the Equalizer is calculating and modifying the music, it significantly drains the battery life. Turn off the Sound Check and EQ by going to Settings then EQ then choose Off.

8. Use mp3 compression

It is better to play sounds in mp3 format since they can save battery life. Moreover, they are smaller in file size so they occupy lesser space in the hard drive.

9. Do not expose the iPod in the hot temperature

Heat can degrade the performance of the battery so keep your iPod away from a hot car or sun.

10. Update the software often

Software developers often fix bugs and improve the iPod software. New updates minimize the use of the battery so always update your iPod whenever there is a new version.

What To Do When iPod Battery Dies

There are few options that you can do when the battery of your iPod dies. You can go ahead and buy a new one if you want, but there might be more affordable options. Apple has a battery replacement program but it is somewhat expensive. For cheaper options, look for other retailers that sell battery replacements. Alternately, you can check out cheaper external backup batteries.

By following simple tips, you can extend the battery life of your iPod. However, if your iPod battery dies, look for cheaper ways to find a replacement.

Author Bio: Vince Cinelli has owned every generation of the iPod, as well as each iPhone and iPad model.  He specializes in writing tips about Apple products, such as iPhone repair and switching from a PC.

Tags: iPod, iPod Battery

Source : techtalkafrica[dot]com

‘Invisible Obama’ turns up on Twitter following Clint Eastwood’s bizarre RNC speech

It didn't take long for someone to sign up on Twitter as 'Invisible Obama' following Clint Eastwood's bizarre speech at the RNC on Thursday night. The account has already gathered over 30,000 followers – that's pretty good going considering it only went live a couple of hours ago.

It was all a bit bizarre, a bit confusing, a bit, well, odd. At the Republican National Convention on Thursday night, movie legend Clint Eastwood was brought out to entertain the audience prior to Mitt Romney’s big speech.

The 82-year-old actor proceeded to have a conversation – kind of – with an empty chair that he said seated President Obama. Over the next ten minutes or so, the movie actor asked the Invisible Obama a range of questions, but his rambling manner made the routine something of an awkward watch.

Of course, it didn’t take long for one wit to sign up to Twitter as Invisible Obama. The account – with the bio ‘Stage left of Clint Eastwood’ – has already gathered over 30,000 followers in the space of just a couple of hours.

Invisible Obama has been posting tweets steadily throughout the evening. Here’s a few of them:

– “When Mitt Romney says “Mr. Chairman”, do you think he’s referring to me?”

– “I’m behind Mitt. No seriously. I’m right behind him.”

– “Clint Eastwood’s performance opposite an invisible man was the best since Daryl Hannah’s. I should know. I had a front seat”

As you might expect, the Twitter hashtags #clinteastwood and #invisibleobama are also on fire just now. And tonight’s speech has given birth to a new meme: Eastwooding – take a look here to see pictures of people talking to empty chairs.

Obama’s campaign team has even made a reference to Eastwood’s speech, posting a picture of Obama in a chair on its Twitter account with the comment, “This seat’s taken.”

A spokesman for the Romney presidential campaign team told The Wrap that Eastwood was making it up as he went along, which certainly appeared to be the case. “His ad-libbing was a break from the political speech-making, and the crowd enjoyed it,” the spokesman said.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Dropbox ups security with two-step login, coming soon to all accounts

Dropbox is en route to bring a new, optional, two-step login verification to its desktop service.

The verification will be invoked if you or someone else tries to access your Dropbox account from an unrecognized account.

The verification itself will be done with a password of some sort which will either be sent to you by sms or through a verification app (perhaps Android, iOS, etc.)

You could install the new, experimental, build of Dropbox to enable the two step verification feature – you can do so here. You can also wait a “few days” to get the option through a stable build.

Source : blog[dot]gsmarena[dot]com

Dating website My Lovely Parent lets kids choose dates for parents

A new dating website allows kids to choose dates for their single parents.

When you hit a certain age, it becomes more difficult to meet someone. It’s difficult enough to meet someone when you’re young; so when you’re older, that’s amplified. You’re faced with a myriad of potential significant others who all have their own emotional baggage – and probably a lot of it. With more than 50 percent of marriages end in divorce, that leaves a lot of heart-broken people out there looking to start anew with someone else.

Those people surely have problems finding people who are ready for a relationship. That’s why online dating sites are so popular. If you sign up for one, you’re ready for something real (maybe not, but that’s the premise, anyway). Ideally, you’re only finding people who want a relationship just as much as you do.

But not every parent wants to use eHarmony or Match, and anecdotally, we’ve seen some the ones that do end up with some doozies. For those who are still living with a single parent or just concerned about their parent’s dating life, there is a way to influence who they date. A new dating site called My Lovely Parent allows the kids to do the picking when it comes to who their parent falls in love with. My Lovely Parent allows you to create a profile and search through eligible matches, much like Match and eHarmony does, but on someone else’s behalf. This should be particularly helpful for those who know their parent would benefit from a dating site, but the parent is hesitant to open an account. 

My Lovely Parents ventures away from the typical dating site by allowing the kids to gather a list of people they like and email it to their parent. There isn’t another dating site like this, as My Lovely Parent is solely dedicated to parents.

While you never really know if someone is creepy or not until you meet them, this site seems like it would have more quality people on it compared to any other dating site. At least we can hope.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com