8 Secrets About Your iPhone Headphones That 95% Owners Don’t Know

The iPhone’s headphones have a set of three buttons that can be used in a variety of combinations to perform tasks that will allow users to keep their phones in their pockets. 95% of the iPhone users don’t know these secret tricks. Here are 8 tasks:

1. Activate Siri

If you have an iPhone 4S or later model, you can tap and hold the center button to activate Siri.

2. Answer and end calls

Tapping the center button once, attends an incoming call and tapping it once during a call hangs it up.

3. Ignore incoming calls

When you have an incoming call, press and hold the center button for a few seconds, then release it. Two beeps will be heard that indicate the call has been disconnected.

4. Switch between calls

If you’re in the middle of a call and have another incoming call, tap the center button once to switch calls. Pressing and holding the button for two seconds will end the new call.

5. Take a picture

When inside the default camera app, press the volume up button to take a picture. This does not work for Instagram or any other apps.

6. Play/pause song or video

Press the center button to pause. Press again to resume.

7. Fast forward or rewind through a song

Press the center button twice and hold down on the second tap to fast forward. Press it three times and hold down on the third tap to rewind.

8. Skip to the next song

Press the center button twice to skip to the next song. Triple tap to go to the previous track.

JAS 39E – The World’s Best Stealth Fighter Is Here And It Is Not American

The F-35 was labelled as a “fifth generation” fighter by manufacturer Lockheed Martin in 2005. The ironic part is that the term “fifth generation” was borrowed from Russia, used to describe the F-22. But contrary to what many people believe, the F-35 is not the greatest stealth fighter in the world.

The sixth generation stealth fighter has been created by Swedish company Saab (yes, the automaker). It is called the JAS 39E Gripen and it could very well be the future of air combat. In recent years, there have been many factors, which have limited the number of jet fighters produced and how many an army can afford.The Gripen has been designed with these issues in mind, which will make it worthy of the sixth-gen tag. The new hardware runs the latest version of the Mission System software, which was started with the earlier A and B models of the JAS 39. 

In terms of durability, a fighter plane has to last many missions for many years and will have to serve for decades. The Gripen was designed as a small plane that could carry a large payload. By porting software to the E model, the capabilities and weapons of the C and D models could easily be transferred to the latest model.Besides this, the manufacturers have installed state-of-the-art sensors as well as the first in-service electronic warfare system that uses gallium nitride technology.

This system will help the pilot differentiate between friendly and hostile aircraft. Such a system is very important in a confusing situation that involves different aircraft in the same airspace.The plane is built internationally with the company harvesting technology from all around the world instead of inventing it as local commercial product. 

The engine for the JAS 39E is from the U.S., the radar from Britain, the infra-red search and track system from Italy, while the majority of the airframe is built in Brazil.The JAS 39E is not the fastest, stealthiest or most agile fighter, and it is these very limitations that make it a sixth generation fighter. The plane’s requirements were deliberately constrained to make the plane more economical to develop, build and operate than its predecessor, the JAS 39C, while still being able to do everything better.

The project is very ambitious and it is the first time that Sweden has collaborated internationally on such a large scale. But if everything works out and the plane turns out the way the designers planned, the JAS 39E Gripen will surely be a capable fighter jet.

Hackers Use Drones To Hack Into Smartphones and Steal Private Data

Fears of widespread use of unmanned aircraft to infringe upon on our privacy have gotten worse since it was revealed that the drones can be used to hack all of our personal data from our smartphones. Hackers have managed to steal passwords, usernames, band details and even home addresses from the smartphones of unsuspecting victims.The exercise, which sounds like the ultimate cyber crime, was actually an experiment used to show how drone technology can be used to hack into a smartphone via WiFi and steal personal information.

This test was conducted in London and the findings will be shared by the group of hackers at the BlackHatAsia cybersecurity conference in Singapore next week.The drone used in the demostration is called Snoopy and it works by using a phone’s built-in technology to see which WiFi networks it has connected to in the past. Theoretically, this method can be used with any of the current drones in service. When a phone’s WiFi is on, it is constantly searching for a secure network to access. Snoopy takes advantage of this and provides the phone with a connection whereafter it has access to all the data sent and received by the victim’s smartphone.

 Websites visited, credit card information, location, usernames, passwords all become available to the hackers who demonstrated their experiment in London with CNN. The hackers hacked 150 phones in one hour.In the wrong hands, this technology can leave people with empty accounts and completely vulnerable in the virtual world. The key is to access the Media Access Control (MAC) address which is unique for every device that is connected to the Internet. Once they have that number, they have open access to the device.

The hackers say they are using this experiment to educate people on how vulnerable they are when their phones are left with the WiFi on and they are unaware that they are not connected to a known network.

The technology can be used for good also, as law enforcement officials can use it to track down criminals and access their metadata. Users need not to be terrified by this new development as they can simply turn their WiFi off when in public places and only use trusted networks and hotspots to access sensitive personal data.

Theory About Missing Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 Which Is Very Simple And Believable

It has been well over 2 week since Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 disappeared and everyday we see new theories that try to explain how the plane vanished without a trace and without any reported problems onboard.

Everything from terrorism, to hijacking to a collision with meteors has been speculated all over the news and the internet. But maybe what happened is a lot simpler than all of the drama portrayed over the media.Everyone is familiar with the story of MH370 by now. 

The Boeing 777 that disappeared with 239 people on board, heading from Kuala Lampur to Beijing, without so much as a peep from the pilots or crew. The plane disappeared somewhere in the gulf near Vietnam and the last time it was detected, was by a military radar that picked up the plane going southwest into the Strait of Malacca.This last piece of information may just be the key in finding out what happened to flight MH370.

All pilots are constantly aware of the nearest airport with respect to the plane’s location and they are all prepared beforehand if anything goes wrong. Any time spent thinking of what to do next is time wasted in the eyes of the pilot. The nearest airport in the direction toward the plane was last pointed towards a 13,000 foot airstrip in Palau Langkawi. The route to the airport had much friendlier terrain than the 8,000 foot ridges on the way back to Kuala Lampur.The pilot did all the right things by turning the plane towards the safest, nearest airport. As for what made the plane’s transponders and communications systems stop working, an electric fire is the most possible culprit. This possibility is backed by the fact that it was not reported instantly because of the pilot’s training which teaches them to aviate, navigate and lastly, communicate.

However, an electric fire is one of the possibilities that could have caused mayhem with a burning tire from the landing gear also a probable cause for chaos on board the plane. If the tires weren’t properly inflated, they could burst and catch fire during the take off with the high temperatures at the time. The tires could continue burning even when pulled up into the plane and the smoke could pollute the deck and cockpit, causing disorder and distress. Despite oxygen masks and smoke hoods, the pilots and crew could have been overcome by the smoke and the plane could have continued on the projected route on autopilot and eventually, ran out of fuel.The last voice transmission also did not reveal any danger on board the plane and pilots could signal for help in even the most subtle ways (for example, three simple short clicks over the radio). This reduces the chance for a hijacking to be the cause of the disappearance. Also, the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) had stopped operating some time before the plane disappeared completely. The ACARS are difficult to disable intentionally, but could have easily been damaged by an electric fire.

The reported variations in the plane’s altitude also favor the electric fire theory more and discredit the hijacking theory. With a fire on board the captain may have went to high altitudes in an attempt to extinguish the flames from low oxygen levels and then when that didn’t work he could have went into a dive to extinguish them by force. This is all an acceptable scenario in any pilot’s mind. Going to 45,000 feet in a hijack scenario does not make any sense, especially when fuel is limited.As for the flight time, the plane would most likely have enough fuel for an eight hour flight, at least. A quarter of this would be burned off during take-off and the climb to reach cruising altitude. This would mean that the plane would have six hours of fuel left which fits well with reports of the plane pinging to satellites for about the same time after its disappearance. 

This would further back the theory that the crew was incapacitated by the smoke caused by either an electric fire or the fire from the landing gear.So before any further attempts are made to blame the pilots or any other criminal organization, we should look towards the most reasonable explanation for the chain of events which led to the disappearance of flight MH370. Yes, an electric fire is not as sensational as a hijacking or murder/suicide theory, but it is more closer to the truth than anything out in the news right now. What are your comments on this theory? Let us know in comments!

Make Your Phone Charge Upto 50% Faster With These Simple Tricks

All of us own some sort of the smart technology; smartphones or tablets, yes? Then we all also know how it is of utmost importance to charge them as much as possible when you are supposed to leave in like 10 minutes. However, 

we all face the same damn problem; these gadgets won’t charge as quickly as we would want them to.

Why is it so? Well, let’s kick off with the basic reasons; Dude, have you seen the size of that screen? Yeah, that baby drains power like anything so if you are using your smartphone while using it, you are wasting your effort. Apart from that, there are a lot of background processes going on along with much other stuff (wifi and GPS etc). 

So how do you make most out of that little time which you have got while you have access to a charger?First off, open your applications and kill off the apps you are not using or plan to use while you are outside. If you don’t use Wifi/mobile-data outside of your workplace/home, we would suggest you force stop all the apps pertaining to data; Facebook, Skype, Messenger, Whatsapp and Viber. The next step is to turn your smartphone to airplane mode. 

Your tablet/smartphone will charge with an increased efficiency of 50%. Also, reduce the brightness and don’t use it while it is being charged.These tips will help you to get maximum charging efficiency in less time. 

Facebook To Provide Free Internet To Parts Of 

World Using Drones

This might come as a bit of a shock to you but there are still areas in the world where internet is not available. Like Metallica puts it; sad but true.We have already seen Google tinkering with balloons that would be providing internet in parts of New Zealand. However, Facebook has decided to join in with this effort as well and simply put, 

the idea is great and so are the goals associated with it. Facebook wants to enhance its public profile and needs more public support to increase business.  It has decided to do this by providing internet to those who are in need and ultimately, gaining more public that will be interacting via Facebook.According to reports, Facebook is currently working to acquire Titan Aerospace. 

This is a company which makes drones (or shall be making them) for the same purpose. The drones being created by Titan Aerospace are basically quite inexpensive when compared with other drones and rely on solar power to fly and carry out tasks. These drones are capable of flying up to near orbital heights. However, the best part about these drones is the fact that they are capable of staying aloft for a total of 5 years and that too continuously so once they are up there you need not worry about bringing them down or anything like that.
 Facebook is planning to get its hands on 11,000 units of this particular drone. The drones will make use of radio repeaters which will be transferring signals to a receiver located at base station.Each drone will come with its own battery pack and shall be launched in the morning. Once airborne, it will begin collecting solar power and increase the altitude as well. This energy shall also be used to power up the communications. This particular type of internet will not have an amazing speed but hey, something is better than nothing!All in all, we can’t deny that this is a great initiative by Facebook which might turn things around for those who are currently without internet. Good job Facebook!

Check out the video for more details on this:Facebook Drones Fight Google Balloons to Rule Web

Now A Robot Will Fill Your Car At The Gas 

Station, Here’s How It Works

We all are moving towards an era where we no longer would have to work; instead robots will do the work for us. For instance, today’s post is all about how gas pumps are about to become more advanced and won’t require any user input at all; autonomous gas pumps are the next big thing. The robot at the gas pump will be a single purpose robot that will only operate to fill your gas tank.The idea is to fill up the fuel tank of the customer in a more efficient way and without the input of user.  One of the companies, which has been working on this concept is Fuelmatics. Sten Corfitsen from Fuelmatics says; ‘People feel that refueling is a boring necessity’.

 Therefore, it will not come as a surprise if people opt for this system that allows them to take care of this boring necessity without doing much effort. A number of companies in Europe are currently working on this system with the basics of the systems being the same, more or less.So how does this system work anyway? It is quite simple; you take your vehicle to the gas pump and decide on which pump to use based on the information that where your fuel cap is located. Now you need to make the payment that can be made via a smartphone app or a touchscreen at the pump. Once the payment has been processed, the robot will get to work; it will open your fuel tank and spin the cap off. The next part is the hard part; fueling the tank. If you look at the Fuelmatics system; it employs the use of two cameras to ascertain the precise location of the fuel pipe. Corfitsen says; ‘In an early generation, we used a microwave transponder. It was too difficult for the motorist to get the transponder in the right position.’

The filling up of the tank stops either when the app on your phone says so or when the sensors detect that the tank is full. The spout’s withdrawal begins and once that’s done, you are good to go. Now if you look at the whole thing, the big question which comes to mind is; do we really need such an elaborate system? The answer is; customer convenience is important and if you can guarantee that, then yes, you do need this. Not to mention that if you make the process of fueling autonomous, you take out the human error from the process and this system would even make it possible for disabled persons to refuel.The system is being designed such that the machine will work with all types of car; old or the latest ones. The system guided by the cameras has made it possible for this system to work with all kinds of cars. According to Corfitsen; ‘The intention is that the early user of this will gain more customers by providing a nice refueling experience.’ The regulatory testing for Fuelmatics robot shall take place late during this year. Although this might result in job loss for pump operators, the system still seems quite feasible with new jobs emerging as technicians for the system.

Check out the video more details:Husky and Fuelmatics: Automatic Refueling System

10 Modern Robots That Will Shape Our Future

There was once a time when robots were limited to science-fiction movies and novels. The man-made beings that carried out tasks, which humans could not was something that people always dreamed to see in their lifetimes. With today’s developments in technology and the field of robotics, we have a wide variety of droids, drones and robots, all available for our service. They may not be the equivalent of RoboCop or the Terminator (yet), but these robots still have the potential to help mankind. Here is a look at 10 examples of where robotics has brought us today:

1. Valkyrie

NASA’s ‘superhero’ robot is 6 feet 2 inches tall and was originally designed for use on the International Space Station. Valkyrie is able to walk by itself, pick up objects and use tools. NASA hopes that one day, it can be used to help humans in danger zones and disaster-stricken areas. The robot is basically a she-bot since it was built with female characteristics. The droid has several built-in cameras, recording and sonar equipment.

2. Schaft

This robot, made by a Japanese company (which was later bought by Google), won the recent DARPA robotics competition. The 4 feet 11 inches tall robot uses a high-voltage liquid-cooled motor technology and a capacitor to power itself instead of a battery. This gives it greater movement and mobility since batteries limit how fast the robot can actually perform tasks. Schaft blew the competition away and will be competing in the final round of the 2014 Robo-Olympics.

3. Ian the Invincible

Ian is based on the Atlas robot created by Google-owned, Boston Dynamics. The 6 feet 2 inches tall robot has 28 hydraulically actuated joints and stereo vision which make it the most advanced robot ever created. What makes Ian unique is the software which allows him to drive a car. Ian came second at the Robo-Olympics, but the 330 pound giant still has quite a way to go.

4. CHIMP

CHIMP (Carnegie Mellon University Highly Intelligent Mobile Platform) moves like a tank by using tracks to move over rough terrain. The robot is still capable of standing up when necessary and can even use its claws for climbing. The robot is 5 feet 2 inches tall and can travel on two tracks only when the other limbs are needed for performing tasks. The arms of the robot have a span of 10 feet which give it its ape-like configuration and hence, its name.

5. Telebot

Still under development at Florida International University, Telebot will give injured and disabled police officers an opportunity to go back on patrol. The robot is 180 cm tall, travels on wheels and is remote controlled. Three HD cameras give the Telebot a 360 degree view and along with multiple sensors, these allow cops to monitor the streets or any dangerous situation from a safe distance. The emotive display on the robot’s face will allow to express simple emotions as well.

6. Throwbot

This small robot can be carried in a backpack and thrown into battle like a hand grenade. This tough little robot is water and dust resistant and is meant to be used by soldiers to monitor areas of the battlefield safely without any risk of being attacked by the enemy. The robot weighs 1.2 pounds and can be thrown 120 feet. Meant for tactical use, the Throwbot XT is equipped with HD camera and infrared sensors which allow it to see in the dark.

7. Alpha Dog

This robot can stand upright, walk continuously for 20 miles and is able to carry 400 pounds. The robot is also able to pick itself up if it falls over. The robot is designed to follow soldiers and carry their weapons through rough terrain and automatically go wherever they go, without having to stop. The Alpha Dog is currently being tested by the Marines.

8. Triton

This drone is unconventional because of its sheer size. The Triton has a wingspan equivalent to that of a Boeing 757 and has been successfully tested by the US Army. The megadrone will be able to fly at high altitudes while providing surveillance and intelligence data in real time. Triton has a wide variety of sensors which give it 360 degree vision and the ability to spot anything and everything within 2,300 miles. The drone is expected to be operational by 2017.

9. Small Drones By Parrot

While the Triton is a giant among drones, French company, Parrot, makes miniature drones for everyday use at home. The MiniDrone and Jumping Sumo are the two models made by the company and both have the ability to give video feedback to your smartphone or tablet. The app-controlled robots are great for use at home for both security and recreational purposes. The robots are said to be available at ‘affordable’ prices in markets within a few months.

10. Smart Tank

The Guardium, designed by two Israeli firms, is a smart tank that is capable of patrolling areas by itself. Onboard weapons can be deployed by operators once the enemy has been found and the vehicle has a wide array of sensors to help it perform drone duties on the ground. The all-terrain vehicle is able to perform in even the toughest areas and can be used in groups to monitor larger areas and locate a hiding enemy.