Thekstategeek is new and improved. TECHTOIT.COM
WE HAVE MOVED. Due to our unexpected success, we have changed domains and moved to a “big boy” server. If you reach this page via a search, or reference or anything really, then click the link below to take you to our new site – TECHTOIT.COM. New logo, new slogan, new look, new feel… it’s the real deal.
WOW THAT SOUNDS AWESOME! TAKE ME TO TECHTOIT.COM RIGHT NOW!
"Two is better than one," featuring the HTC HD2
All Taylor Swift and Apple references aside, some fellas over at XDA have discovered a way to dual-boot your HTC HD2 with Android and Windows Phone 7. According to gencaslan, a developer at the XDA forums, the following few steps will allow you to enjoy the beautiful dual functionality on your device in no time. (Video below.)
To prepare for the process, gather the following:
- 16GB microSD card (this will be your everyday card)
- 8GB microSD card (this will be used to create a second partition on the larger card)
- USB SD card reader
- Command-line tool dd
- EASEUS ALL-IN-ONE Partition Manager Software
- A Windows XP or Windows 7 computer
The tutorial can be found amongst the XDA forums here.
As with all hacking activities, there is the possibility that you will completely fry your device. So play at your own risk. However, the results usually outweigh the scary process.
[Source: XDA, WPCentral]
“Two is better than one,” featuring the HTC HD2
All Taylor Swift and Apple references aside, some fellas over at XDA have discovered a way to dual-boot your HTC HD2 with Android and Windows Phone 7. According to gencaslan, a developer at the XDA forums, the following few steps will allow you to enjoy the beautiful dual functionality on your device in no time. (Video below.)
To prepare for the process, gather the following:
- 16GB microSD card (this will be your everyday card)
- 8GB microSD card (this will be used to create a second partition on the larger card)
- USB SD card reader
- Command-line tool dd
- EASEUS ALL-IN-ONE Partition Manager Software
- A Windows XP or Windows 7 computer
The tutorial can be found amongst the XDA forums here.
As with all hacking activities, there is the possibility that you will completely fry your device. So play at your own risk. However, the results usually outweigh the scary process.
[Source: XDA, WPCentral]
Sony Ericsson invites for MWC 2011 ask you to "Meet the new members of the Xperia family"
The Mobile World Congress is taking place next month in Barcelona, Spain. A lot of companies use this as a time to showcase their next wave of devices to come out in the following year, much like CES (except it’s global). Sony’s mobile department, Sony Ericsson, will be making an appearance and as the invite above states, showing you “the new members of the Xperia family.” The Xperia family already includes the Xperia X10, X10 Mini, Mini Pro X10 and the X8. It is predicted that the new children will include the famously mysterious Xperia Play/Zeus Z1/Playstation Phone as well as a slew of probable WP7 handhelds.
For more on the Xperia Play, take a peak at the following articles:
Playstation Phone gets in-depth leak from Chinese websiteĀ IT168 Zeus Z1 + PSPhone + Xperia Play = The PlaystationĀ Phone ——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————Sony Ericsson invites for MWC 2011 ask you to “Meet the new members of the Xperia family”
The Mobile World Congress is taking place next month in Barcelona, Spain. A lot of companies use this as a time to showcase their next wave of devices to come out in the following year, much like CES (except it’s global). Sony’s mobile department, Sony Ericsson, will be making an appearance and as the invite above states, showing you “the new members of the Xperia family.” The Xperia family already includes the Xperia X10, X10 Mini, Mini Pro X10 and the X8. It is predicted that the new children will include the famously mysterious Xperia Play/Zeus Z1/Playstation Phone as well as a slew of probable WP7 handhelds.
For more on the Xperia Play, take a peak at the following articles:
Playstation Phone gets in-depth leak from Chinese websiteĀ IT168 Zeus Z1 + PSPhone + Xperia Play = The PlaystationĀ Phone ——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————NFC powered mobile payments may be the future, and Apple is taking the lead
Google and Samsung partnered up to release the world’s first NFC-enabled handset running the Android OS, the Nexus S. But, as anticipated, Apple has started to prepare their defenses. Bloomberg reports that NFC, or Near Field Communications will be embedded in Appple’s 5th generation of iPhone and their soon-to-be-announced iPad 2. This will allow these devices to be used as mobile payment terminals when they come within a certain distance of an NFC-powered register. Richard Doherty, director of consulting firm Envisioneering Group spoke with Bloomberg and told them that
The services are based on āNear-Field Communication,ā a technology that can beam and receive information at a distance of up to 4 inches, due to be embedded in the next iteration of the iPhone for AT&T Inc. and the iPad 2, Doherty said. Both products are likely to be introduced this year, he said, citing engineers who are working on hardware for the Apple project.
The payment system would tie into your iTunes account, accessing your credit card information within the program’s database. Although at first this seems a bit scary, it’s a convenient method that a lot of consumers use on a regular basis. PayPal, eBay, Amazon, iTunes and other online-based shopping experiences tap into your bank account directly based on the information you input when signing up for accounts. However, who is to say that this technology could not be used in a negative manner. What if hackers stumble upon a method of using NFC to transfer funds from your mobile device tapped to your checking/savings account into an account of their own? Anyone passing by you in a busy place could sap money with a few seconds without you, or the thief ever making any awkward/obvious movements. Next-gen pick pockets could have a field day.
As for other uses of NFC technology, earlier rumors via TUAW and MacDailyNews, suggested that Apple has been working on NFC-enabled Mac computers as well. Apple would essentially morph your phone into “a passcode-protected electronic wallet or security passkey (like a SecureID fob)
that would communicate via the short-range wireless technology to other compatible devices.” Your iPhone would transfer the personality of your home or work Mac to the NFC-compatible terminal. If hotel rooms and other public places adopted the use of this technology, no one would need to carry a MacBook around. Simply swipe your iPhone 5 in front of the supplied public-access Mac and poof. You now have your computer in front of you.Ā Once you walk away from the remote Mac, it reverts back to its initial personality, with all of your information disappearing from the Mac but securely stored on your iPhone, notes TUAW.
NFC technology was introduced to the public as a gamble on Google’s part, but may change the way we interact with objects on a daily basis in the coming years due to Apple. Come on Steve, we know Bill stole your thunder way back when, but is vengeance projected onto Google really necessary? I personally don’t mind. As I said in the iOS 4.3 article, I love this kind of competition. Let the games begin.
[Sources: TUAW, MobileMarketingWatch, MacDailyNews, Bloomberg]
Kinecthacks.net up for sale
kristofferR of KinectHacks.net is putting his site up for sale due to personal reasons. The content on the site has been written by him and a lead writer, who is interested in maintaining a steady stream of content. The site is currently up for sale on Flippa.com, the full auction can be found here. The bidding is currently at $5,050 with 1 day and 19 hours left to go. Nothing is wrong with the site, in fact, it’s quite the contrary. Today KinectHacks celebrated their 1 millionth view in a little over 2 months.
This is only a sample of their success, they also have a massive following on the following social networking platforms:
- Facebook Page with over 2157 fans (http://facebook.com/KinectHacking)
- Twitter account with over 2027 followers (http://twitter.com/KinectHacks)
- YouTube account with over 1064 subscribers (http://www.youtube.com/user/KinectHacks)
The writing itself is kind of lacking, most posts have a little bit of a description, a link and an embedded YouTube video, but the content itself is especially fascinating. I myself, being a Kinect enthusiast/owner have visited the site on a few occasions to see how well they are doing being the first site unique to hacking Microsoft’s Kinect. This alone has propelled them to success in such a short amount of time. The auction contains everything associated with the site, from the kinecthacks@gmail email account to a list of the best sources for creating new content and 30 days guidance and support to make the transition as smooth as possible.
A particular section of the auction lists the monetary potential of the site:
The site hasn’t been monetized properly yet.
It could probably earn at least $500-1000 a month just from the advertising space alone. There are already companies developing commercial computer applications for the Kinect and advertising space on the most popular blog for Kinect hacking would surely be interesting for them. Affiliate marketing for Kinect’s is also an option (we’ve earned $239 from Amazon so far).
The real goldmine, however, lies in selling an ebook/information product about hacking the Kinect on the site. Over 8 million Kinects have already been sold (in less than three months). A lot of those are hungry for an easy to understand information product/guide about how to hack the Kinect. It’s a hungry marked just waiting to be filled and the KinectHacks site would be the optimal way to promote such a product.
We haven’t even got to the future yet. How many Kinect will be sold during 2011? 10 million? 20 million? Just imagine what you could make then.
I would have no problem at all taking the reins of an operation like that š As for the “goldmine” that kristofferR mentioned, it doesn’t exist yet, so don’t get too terribly excited. There are plenty of links to sites that have instructions for the gamer/hacker well-versed in code and things of that nature, but they have yet to create the guide that will help ease the rest of us into the procedures.
If interested in the auction, visit the link above to bid on it yourself.
Android App of the Week. Week 1
As it is Monday, and Monday means the start of a new week in my book (start of the school week). I figured Monday would be the perfect day to start a new weekly section of the blog. So lets begin!
This week’s Android App is: SwipePad Beta.
SwipePad Beta is the newest and fastest way to multitask on your android device. The app allows you to simply swipe your finger from one side of the screen to the center, and opens up all of your recent applications, customized shortcuts, and even contacts. Instead of the 6-8 recently used applications that you would get from using the traditional Android multitasking tool, SwipePad allows you to use up to 12 slots for whatever you choose.
The traditional method of multitasking on your Android device requires you to click-and-hold on the home screen until the App Box opens up over your current screen. While this method is usable, SwipePad makes a swift and easy way for you to seamlessly change between apps.
To download SwipePad Beta, go to the Android Market and use the search tool, or simply open up your Barcode Scanner App, on an Android device, and scan the following QR Code.
YouTube Spotlight: freddiew/freddiew2
This is the first feature in our new Videos section that includes videos of all kinds. No video is segregated against. Not the beer-shagging dog, not the Justin Bieber lookalike, nor the little girl who reads a book about cats. Actually yes, we do in fact segregate. The Videos section on The Kstate Geek is in fact very biased. We find the best of the best. This may be jaw-dropping badass, pee-your-pants hilarious or a preview of the newest tech toys, but you can guarantee one thing… it will be worth your time.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
Enter Freddie Wong.
Sure Freddie looks innocent enough, but some of the most intense viral videos known to man have been created at the hands of this young man. Freddie currently attends the USC School of Cinema-Television and recently has begun to pump out a YouTube video per week. As it stands, Mr. Wong has 77 videos, 39 of which have over one million views. Many of them have 2,000,000+ views. Freddie’s claim to fame is his “real” version of the hit franchise Call of Duty dubbed Future First Person Shooter.
Future First Person Shooter is a fantastic example of Freddie’s creations. His use of the helmet cam in this video provides all the excitement of an in-your-face FPS title, when partnered with copious amounts of well placed special effects, not to mention the addition of the COD-themed loading screen, match start countdown, game map in the top left corner, K/D menu and score markers with each kill.
FFPS is a fine example of his ability, but Wong truly shines when it comes to his movie-like productions. The next two videos included below are the first and second parts to a 16 minute short film inspired, once again, by Call of Duty.Wong utilizes light as well as slow-motion action sequences in a very professional manner. His muzzle flashes, gun sound effects, tracer visuals and CGI are all stunning. I’m very jealous, but after all, he uses his YouTube channel as a means to earn money.
In addition to showing prowess with creating the actual films/videos, Freddie has quite the presence on the internet, having two YouTube channels (one with all of his actual creations and one with all of the behind-the-scenes and tutorials) as well as two websites and a partnership with Corridor Digital. His two websites are Freddie’s Awesome Webpage and Facerocker.com. Oh yea, and he was at one point a professional Guitar Hero/Rockband gamer.
Modern Warfare: Frozen Crossing
Part 1
Part 2
Since 2006, freddiew has amassed the following accolades:
#28 – Most Subscribed (All Time)
#8 – Most Subscribed (All Time) – Directors
#26 – Most Subscribed (All Time) – Partners
#12 – Most Viewed (This Week)
#7 – Most Viewed (This Week) – Directors
#9 – Most Viewed (This Week) – Partners
#9 – Most Viewed (This Month)
#6 – Most Viewed (This Month) – Directors
#9 – Most Viewed (This Month) – Partners
And freddiew2 (his tutorial account which was created in March, 2010) has received:
#27 – Most Subscribed (All Time) – Gurus
#86 – Most Viewed (This Week)
#10 – Most Viewed (This Week) – Gurus
#27 – Most Subscribed (All Time) – Gurus
#86 – Most Viewed (This Week)
#10 – Most Viewed (This Week) – Gurus
#54 – Most Viewed (This Week) – Partners
#69 – Most Viewed (This Month)
#7 – Most Viewed (This Month) – Gurus
#54 – Most Viewed (This Month) – Partners
If you liked what you saw, which I’m sure you did, then you can follow Freddie with the following social networking services –
And if you are a registered user of YouTube, you can subscribe to Freddie’s channels here:
Motorola Atrix 4G
2011 looks to be a promising year for technology. Just about every major phone company is releasing an Android Tablet, 3-D technology is starting to get more and more advanced, and cell phones this year will push the boundaries of mobile computing like they never have before.
So whatĀ boundaries are we talking about ?
- How about putting DDR2 RAM into a phone? Done!
- What about a Dual-Core processor in a phone? Done
So what phone has done this? The Motorola Atrix 4G!
Here are the specs:
- 4inch qHD screen(540 x 960 pixels)
- Dual-Core Tegra 2 Processor(1GHz)
- 1GB DDR2 Ram
- 5megapixel camera(720p video recording)
- 1930 mAh Battery
- 16GB Internal(expandable up to 32GB)
- GPS
- HDMI Output(1.3)
Basically, looking at the specs, the Atrix is not a phone to mess with. Motorola really went to town with this phone, putting a Tegra-2 Dual Core Processor and 1GB of DDR2 RAM into such a small device makes this phone, one of the most powerful phones of the market.
Processor:Ā The Motorola Atrix is one of the first mobile devices we have seen with a Dual-Core processor. The Tegra-2 Dual Core processor means that you get twice the processing power than anything else on the market. Basically its the same as sticking two 1GHz processors into your phone and running them at the same time.
Screen: The Atrix features a 4inch qHD screen. Pixel count comes in at 540 x 960 pixels which is the same pixel count as the iPhone 4, but because the screen on the Atrix is larger than an iPhone 4, the PPI(Pixels per Inch) is slightly reduced.
Memory: With the powerful processor of the Tegra-2 you need a lot of RAM to get the device moving, which is why the Atrix comes with 1GB of DDR2 RAM. To give you an idea of how much memory that is: in 2005 the average laptop came stock with 1GB of DDR2 RAM. So what we are talking about here is a hand-held computer.
Speaking of hand-help computers, this is where the Atrix really sets itself apart from anything else out there. The docking abilities of the phone are simply amazing. The phone has the ability to dock into a computer skin-like device (seen below). It was said at CES2011 that the laptop port is a dead device and is almost entirely run by the phone itself. It connects through the HDMI and Micro-USB ports on the side of the phone. Since it has an HDMI port, the phone will also be able to connect to TV’s and produce 1080p quality video over HDMI while acting as a remote.
Overview: Over all the Motorola Atrix 4G looks likeĀ a great phone, and definitely something to look for in the year to come. With its high powered processor and large amount of RAM this phone is going to be a powerhouse. Although it is a great phone, something that would be nice to see on the device would be a more personalized Android theme, instead of an almost Android Vanilla look. We will be looking forward for this device to be released sometime first quarter of 2011 on the AT&T network.
The Kstate Geek 