Glass has gotten a bad rep over the past few months, particularly in bars where other patrons think mistakenly think Explorers are recording their every move (or they actually are ). To help improve that image, Google is encouraging owners to go out on the town this Saturday night wearing their high-tech glasses. To some, a bar full of Glass wearers might sound like the Worst Saturday Night Ever, but the hope is the cyborg masses will be able to educate the public a little better than when they’re flying solo . The #GlassNightOut also offers the opportunity to mix and mingle with other Explorers — a rare experience if you’re living somewhere outside of San Francisco, and probably a lot more fun than going on Field Trip by your lonesome . If you’re interested in checking out one of the Meetups this weekend, hit the source link for a full list of participating cities and locations. Not a people person? Well, Google Glass might be the wingman you’ve been looking for. Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Filed under: Wearables , Mobile , Google Comments Source: Google+

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Google Glass community goes on charm offensive, plans a #glassnightout

It’s hard for magnetic data tapes to stand out from the crowd in an era when it’s easy to load up on legions of hard drives . However, Sony might have managed that rare feat with nano-sized tape tech that stores much more than off-the-shelf hardware. By optimizing how it sputters argon ions on to film to create magnetic material, the company has produced “nano-grained” tape that’s 74 times denser than what you see today; at 185TB per cartridge, it makes even a 5TB hard disk seem quaint. Sony’s breakthrough won’t come to your home PC, but it could prove a big help to supercomputers and your favorite internet services — many of them need high-capacity tape storage just to keep up with demand. [Image credit: Theilr, Flickr ] Filed under: Storage , Sony Comments Via: ITWorld Source: Sony

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Sony’s 185TB data tape puts your hard drive to shame

When it launched almost seven years ago , BioShock was quite the looker thanks to its stylized aesthetic and the custom version of Unreal Engine 2 under its hood. The game has held up pretty well in terms of visuals (all that water!), but it’s certainly starting to show its age. Don’t get us wrong, we love the original. It’s just that we wouldn’t turn down a new version of the game running with all the bells and whistles that Epic’s next-gen development tools offers, either. Well, as Kotaku has spotted, an enterprising indie dev has kindly done something along those lines. What you see in the fan-made video below is the result of YouTuber noodlespagoodle taking assets from the 2007 release and dropping them into Unreal Engine 4 . In doing so, Andrew Ryan’s failed paradise somehow feels even more moody and claustrophobic than before, the iconic Big Daddies all the more menacing. Sadly, the clip is pretty short and has us jonesing for a shiny new Eve hypo. With the fate of BioShock up in the air, however, it’s anybody’s guess if something like this could actually happen. Filed under: Gaming , Home Entertainment , HD Comments Via: Kotaku Source: noodlespagoodle (YouTube)

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BioShock gets an HD remake, sort of

Ever since sites like Silk Road showed the dark side of anonymous Bitcoin transactions, governments have been trying to regulate the crypto-currency. But a group of coders — headed by 3D-printed gun creator Cody Wilson (above) — want to keep that genie out of the bottle with a new app called Dark Wallet . It was first launched on Indiegogo , where it met its $50, 000 funding goal, thanks in part to Bitcoin donations. The software could make it nearly impossible to trace the currency’s flow, thanks to a one-two punch of encryption and “CoinJoin” technology. In brief, the latter code registers multiple transactions as a single movement of funds, masking transfers. Though such software is questionably legal , the group flat-out admitted that the app’s main purpose is for illicit transactions, like those on the now-defunct Silk Road . But according to Wired , authorities like the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network are “well aware” of the software, and plan to be “vigilant” about activities around it. As for whether the app could be used in murder-for-hire or other abhorrent crimes? “Liberty is a dangerous thing, ” Wilson said. Whether you agree with that or not, the app is set to arrive tomorrow. Filed under: Misc , Internet Comments Source: Wired

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Hackers set to release Bitcoin-laundering app ‘Dark Wallet’

When I was an aspiring musician a few years back, I’d always forget new guitar licks that would arise from just messing around at rehearsals. Well, Gibson is looking to remedy that, and has partnered up with Tascam to do so. The result is the Memory Cable: a 1/4-inch instrument cable for guitar, bass, synths, drum machines and keyboards with a built-in audio recorder. Capable of capturing up to 13 hours of tunes, the accessory tracks to a micro SD card in CD-quality 44.1kHz/16-bit resolution which can be easily uploaded to recording software — should the need arise. Uncrate reports that the add-on will be priced at $100 when it arrives in the US on May 15th. This rate includes the 16-foot cable with a 4GB micro SD card, but we’re not seeing any official word from Gibson just yet. Of course, you’ll be able to record your entire gig to see just how bad you messed up. So there’s that. Filed under: Misc , Peripherals Comments Via: Uncrate Source: Gibson

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Gibson has crammed a digital recorder inside a guitar cable

If you’re arrested for overdue speeding tickets, is it acceptable for the police to search the phone on your person? How about if you’re arrested for drug trafficking? In the eyes of the law, there is no difference: If you’re arrested, you’re arrested, whatever the crime. Isn’t that an invasion of privacy? That depends on your interpretation of the US Constitution’s Fourth Amendment, which states: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” That’s why two cases being heard at the United States Supreme Court today are of such importance. Both cases hinge on whether police are legally allowed to search the contents of mobile phones confiscated from arrestees, and the decisions leveled by the Supreme Court will impact every citizen in the United States. WHAT IS IT? Across two hours this morning, the Supreme Court will hear the cases of David Riley and Brima Wurie. In the case of Riley (Riley v. California), a smartphone is at the heart of the battle. Wurie’s case, United States v. Brima Wurie, involves a flip phone (or “dumb” phone, if you’d prefer). Currently, police are able to search the person of an arrested individual: pockets, socks, etc. The frisking you’ve see on TV? Yeah, those. It’s called the “search incident to lawful arrest” doctrine. “The area into which he might reach, ” is the specific phrase used to allow this warrantless search, with the intention of preventing suspects from either reaching a weapon or destroying/hiding evidence. Pretty simple! “Make sure the arrested person doesn’t have a secret weapon and/or doesn’t destroy the evidence” is a solid argument for police to enact said search. In today’s hearings, information obtained from the cellphones of arrested individuals is at the heart of the matter. To search a cellphone, the law states that authorities must first obtain a search warrant. In both of today’s cases, the US government is arguing in favor of authorities being allowed to search arrestees phones without a warrant. The rulings of the two cases — however they’re decided — will be comprehensive in the context of available phone technology. The rulings will not cover wearables, watches, or any other form of personal electronics that’s used for communication. WHY SHOULD I CARE? You’ve probably put it together already, but you should care because modern phones are more than just phones. They contain banking and medical information, location tracking, access to email, and tons of other info otherwise physically incapable of being kept on your person. In so many words: we’ve got little computers in our pockets and most of us allow those computers access to a mess of personal information. If authorities want to access your computer, it requires a warrant. Should the US government’s stance be upheld in these cases, the computer in your pocket could be searched without such a warrant. WHAT’S AT STAKE? There are big picture questions of personal freedoms at play here, as well as the rights of the arrested: Are smart phones considered phones or computers by the US legal system? Aren’t they both ? If you’re arrested and your phone is password-locked, are you obligated to release the password? Doesn’t the fourth amendment specifically protect the kind of information that US citizens keep on smart phones? WHAT’S THE ARGUMENT? In Riley’s case, he was convicted in California — based on evidence obtained from his smart phone — and the decision was upheld based on the aforementioned “search incident to lawful arrest” doctrine. In Wurie’s case, his case was overturned by the US First District Court of Appeals, which argued police aren’t legally allowed to search an arrestee’s phone without a warrant. That disparity in interpretation is the focal point of today’s two cases. WANT EVEN MORE? We sure hope you do, because this one’s dense and there’s plenty of legal minutia to dig through (if you’re into that kinda thing). First up, the SCOTUS Blog has a great, lengthy recap of both trials and an argument preview right here . The New York Times also has a piece breaking down more of the case, such as the impact of signal-blocking Faraday bags on the technical arguments. Should the police be able to search a person’s phone without a warrant? Filed under: Cellphones , Software , Mobile Comments Source: United Stats v Wurie , Riley v California

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What you need to know to keep the Feds out of your phone

Microsoft isn’t just supporting White House’s ConnectED education program by lowering the cost of Windows — it’s also giving schools the cash they’ll need to buy Windows PCs. The company is donating $1 billion to make sure that students have the tech they’ll need for both getting online and learning technology skills. The funding comes alongside a new device pricing program that should make the PCs more affordable — to start with, it’s offering sub-$300 systems from Acer, ASUS, Dell, Fujitsu, HP, Lenovo, Panasonic and Toshiba. The company isn’t shy about having a commercial incentive behind its generosity; its Education CTO, Cameron Evans, tells CNET that there’s a hope that kids will become loyal Windows fans down the road. However, he adds that any eventual sales are secondary to the more immediate focus on improving education. The influx of cash should reduce the technology gap for less fortunate students, many of whom could miss out on digital learning without a little help. [Image credit: Getty Images] Filed under: Microsoft , ASUS , Dell , Acer , Lenovo Comments Source: CNET , Microsoft

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Microsoft donates $1 billion to help US schools buy PCs

To date, FreedomPop’s no-cost phone service has been attached to older Android phones . That’s fine for many, but not exactly diverse. Your choices are a little better now that carrier has added iPhone support to its lineup, though. You can get 200 voice minutes, 500 messages and 500MB of data per month on Apple’s handset without paying a dime; it costs the equivalent of $5 per month if you need unlimited calls and texting. It sounds great, so what’s the catch? As you might suspect, device selection is the big gotcha. Much like Ting , FreedomPop isn’t carrying the latest Apple technology. You’ll have to be happy with either buying a refurbished iPhone 5 for $349 or bringing over a Sprint-ready iPhone 4, 4S or 5 you already own. This isn’t the choice for those who want to live on the bleeding edge , then. Still, it does give you free LTE phone data — a major advantage when the only alternative on FreedomPop with similar speeds is a hotspot . Filed under: Cellphones , Wireless , Mobile , Sprint Comments Via: Recode Source: FreedomPop

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You can now use the iPhone for free, as long as you don’t mind old gear

Now that T-Mobile has upped its game , Sprint is left as the only major US carrier still struggling with financial losses. That didn’t get much better this quarter , as the company lost 364, 000 pre-paid and 231, 000 valuable postpaid customers. It says the losses were anticipated, and were largely due to “service disruption” caused by the ongoing overhaul of its network infrastructure. Whatever the reason, the end result was the same old story: It finished with a net loss of $151 million for the quarter. The good news, however, is that Sprint’s losses seem to be getting smaller as time ticks on — it actually lost four times as much money in the same period last year . Filed under: Cellphones , Wireless , Sprint Comments

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Sprint loses hundreds of thousands of customers due to ‘service disruption’

Earlier today, AOL posted an update on last week’s spoofing incident with its email service. In case you hadn’t heard, AOL Mail was hacked a few days ago and accounts were spoofed, sending out spam messages to the affected users’ contact list. In a blog post , the company says that the breach only hit “roughly 2 percent” of its 20+ million accounts . The bad news? AOL says that the unauthorized access allowed the hackers to peek at mailing addresses, contact lists, encrypted passwords, encrypted answers to security questions and “certain employee information.” While that’s pretty awful, the outfit claims that “there is no indication” that the encryption had been broken or that any financial info was nabbed. As you might expect, AOL recomments all users and employed reset their passwords and security queries for any of its services while it continues the investigation. Disclosure: Engadget is owned by AOL. [Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images] Filed under: Internet Comments Source: AOL

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AOL Mail breach includes mailing addresses, employee info and more