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This Tiny iPhone Charger Has 128GB of Extra Storage Built Right In
// Gizmodo
Leaving home without your smartphone's charging cable is as disastrous as forgetting the device itself. That's why ultra-compact charging cables are suddenly so popular, and with 128GB of extra storage onboard, PhotoFast's new MemoriesCable might be the only one iPhone users will want to consider.
The iPhone and iPad are notorious for their lack of expandable storage; there's no microSD card slot, and no support for USB OTG allowing you to natively access media from a connected flash drive. But recent versions of iOS do allow third party apps to read and write media to portable drives connected to either device's Lightning port, which is how PhotoFast's new MemoriesCable can give your iPad or iPhone an extra 128GB of capacity.
The one big catch is that you have to rely on the aforementioned third party app to watch movies, listen to music, or backup photos. And while PhotoFast offers that requisite app as a free download, it might not be quite as polished as the rest of iOS. But if you can live with a few UI quirks, the occasional random crash, and listening to music outside of iTunes, the MemoriesCable seems like a great choice because it also doubles as an emergency charging and sync cable.
You can use the MemoriesCable just like the USB cable that came with your iPhone or iPad, except that it's only five inches long, which might mean a few limitations of where you can plug in. But when your phone is down to five percent battery, any source of power, no matter how inconvenient, is a lifesaver. Pricing details haven't been revealed just yet, but the PhotoFast MemoriesCable will also be available in a cheaper 64GB version, in addition to the 128GB option.
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How to Protect Your Android Phone Before You Lend It Out
// Gizmodo
Your nephew wants to play Boom Beach, or your best friend needs to use Facebook, or a stranger in the street needs to make a phone call. How do you make sure your Android handset is going to come back in one piece?
Android Lollipop includes a couple of useful features to keep your device protected, and here's how to use them.
Guest mode
First up is guest mode, which works exactly as you might expect if you've ever used a similar feature on your desktop software of choice. It essentially creates a new user account for your friend or relative, kept separate from the apps you've installed and the settings you've customized on your own account.
Drag down from the top of the screen with two fingers, tap your avatar (top right), then choose Guest (or Add guest if you haven't yet set it up). Guest mode shows Lollipop in its factory fresh state, from apps to keyboard tones, and internet access is available if required. Apps like Gmail and the Play Store can be used, if your guest enters his or her Google credentials.
The SMS app is blocked and you can block calls too (via Settings, Users in your own account). What's more, there's no access to the Backup & reset menu. Guest mode is great for people you largely trust who want to browse the web, play games, check social media and so on, without interfering with any of the accounts or preferences you've set up on your phone.
Screen Pinning
Screen pinning keeps your friend, relative or random stranger stuck inside one app—there's no way to escape it without the PIN code. So if your niece wants to play a game or your pal wants to check something on the web it's the perfect solution, and quicker to set up than guest mode.
First, make sure you do have a PIN or pattern protecting your device on the Security page of Settings (screen pinning isn't much use without it). From the same menu tap Screen pinning, then toggle the switch to on and enable Ask for PIN before unpinning is enabled.
Launch the app to pin, then head to the overview screen (via the square soft key). Drag the front app up to the middle of the screen, tap the pin icon in the lower right corner, and that's it—your app is pinned. To quit it, press the Back and Overview keys together, then enter your PIN. The person with your phone can turn it off, but again they'll be met with the PIN prompt.
It means some extra inconvenience before you pass your device over, but it's worth it for the extra peace of mind you get as a result.
Top image: Chutima Chaochaiya/Shutterstock
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Ford's New Headlights Spot and Turn to Illuminate Hazards at Night
// Gizmodo
Self-driving smart cars might still be years away, but the technology that makes them so smart is already benefitting drivers. Ford is currently perfecting a headlight system that uses infra-red cameras to illuminate unexpected curves and hazards on the road ahead that might be invisible to drivers otherwise.
Developed at the company's Research and Innovation Centre in Aachen, Germany, Ford's Camera-Based Advanced Front Lighting System actually uses a handful of clever tricks to illuminate the road ahead exactly where it's most needed for a driver. When GPS and mapping data are available, the system will ensure that the headlights—which include an extra pair of spotlights that can be pivoted left and right—are pointed in the direction of an oncoming bend in the road, or used to better illuminate dips that might otherwise go unseen until the vehicle hits them.
But when GPS data isn't available, the new headlight system also features an infra-red camera that serves as an extra pair of night vision eyes. Not only can the cameras spot hazards like pedestrians on the side of the road and automatically turn the spotlights to illuminate them, they can also recognize lane markings and signage that indicate when the road ahead is about to curve left or right.
Do the new lighting improvements, which Ford promises will be "...available for customers in the near term" mean that drivers won't have to pay attention to the road as much? Not at all, in fact, it's just the opposite. The improved headlights will give drivers even more things to be aware of when driving at night, which in turn will hopefully make them even safer motorists.
[Ford via Car and Driver]
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Watch The USS Little Rock Take The Plunge Of Her Life
// Gizmodo
Lockheed Martin officially launched the Navy's 9th Littoral Combat Ship, the USS Little Rock (LCS-9). The almost violent side-launching affair took place yesterday at Marinette Marine's ship-building facility along the Menominee River in Wisconsin. The occasion included all the typical ship launching fanfare, including broken bottles of champagne and politician's speeches.http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/pentagon-decid...
The name USS Little Rock is fairly well known in naval circles. Its predecessor, the USS Little Rock (CL-92), was a valiant ship with multiple lives. It was born a light cruiser towards the end of WWII and then decommissioned in 1949. It was later brought back into service and converted into a guided missile cruiser in 1960, after which the Little Rock served till 1976, often times as the Sixth Fleet Flagship. Today, that USS Little Rock is a museum ship in Buffalo. You can bet that there is a meeting of the Little Rocks of old and of new in the works.
The LCS-9 still has the better part of a year's work left to be done and testing to complete before she becomes an active player for the U.S. Navy, at which time she will be deployed for long periods to Singapore. Eventually, four Littoral Combat Ships will be continuously deployed there as part of the Department of Defense's "pivot toward the Pacific" and to monitor and attempt to counter balance China's growing claims on the South China Sea.http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/look-how-quick...
Contact the author at Tyler@jalopnik.com.
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Boost Your Phone's Storage With SanDisk Wireless Flash Drive
// PCMag.com Breaking News
The SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick could come in handy if you have limited storage on your phone.
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