Make a private monitor from an old LCD monitor

You can finally do something with my old LCD monitor that you have lying around in the garage. Turn it into a spy monitor! For everyone else it will look like just a white screen, but not for you, because you will have a special "magic" points. All you need - a pair of old glasses, paper cutter and paint thinner. That's what I used: Of course it's LCD monitor disposable 3D glasses from the cinema (old sunglasses are fine) solvent (or equivalents) paper knife screwdriver paper towels Superglue Step 1. Take the monitor. Find your old monitor, which you are willing to sacrifice. Remove...

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Dissed by Logitech, Google TV Soldiers On

Logitech introduced its Revue Google TV box in 2010, which promptly flopped with consumers. After serious launch missteps and all signs pointing to poor consumer adoption, Google TV has a tough road ahead — and now hardware partner Logitech isn’t making things any easier for Google’s smart TV software platform. Logitech CEO Guerrino De Luca threw Google under the bus in a conference call with analysts and investors on Thursday, first reported by The Verge. De Luca cited the failed launch of Google TV as the primary reason why Logitech had disappointing Q1 financials; the company reported nearly $30 million in losses for the quarter....

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Microsoft’s Kinect development kit now supports Windows 8

Summary: Microsoft has rolled out Beta 2 of its Kinect for Windows development kit and has added support for Windows 8 with the refresh. Earlier this week, Microsoft officials said the company planned to release a version of its Kinect sensor software development kit (SDK) for Windows for commercial usage in early 2012.  On November 4, Microsoft updated the other version of the Kinect for Windows SDK — the one that is licensed for enthusiasts/hobbyists, which the company introduced in beta form earlier this summer. This SDK is available under a custom Microsoft academic license. The Kinect for Windows SDK Beta...

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Hands-on with the Samsung Focus S Windows Phone

We stopped by Samsung’s offices in New York City recently to check out its brand new high-end Focus S Windows Phone. It is powered by Windows Phone 7.5 Mango, the latest iteration of the operating system, and packs a number of features that put the phone on a par with the Galaxy S II. It offers a stellar 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus screen, a 1.4GHz processor, support for AT&T’s HSPA+ network, an 8-megapixel camera and a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera or video chat. We loved how thin the device was at just 8.5-millimeters and, thanks to its plastic body, it looks a bit like the Galaxy S II from afar. AT&T will launch the Focus S sometime...

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HTC Rezound hands-on

We just spent a couple minutes with HTC’s latest and greatest, the HTC Rezound for Verizon Wireless complete with Beats audio, and it’s surely positioned as an iconic media device. It’s reasonably thin, packs 4G LTE, a super high resolution 720p display which looks amazing, and that’s not mentioning the 8-megapixel camera with improved optics and low-light performance. And then, of course, there’s Beats audio processing that will work with the included Beats headphones or ones you might already own. All in all, Verizon’s lineup for the holidays is incredible, and the HTC Rezound will surely be music to a media-centric person’s ears. Check...

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Do Yourself a Favor: Set Up These Custom Typing Shortcuts on Your iPhone Right Now

It seems Apple added text expansion to iOS 5 and decided not to mention it. This is a great, highly-desired feature that can save you tons of time typing frequent phrases and long words. Here's how to set it up and the phrases you'll want to add right away. Set Up Text Expansion (Shortcuts) First things first, let's get text expansion (or Shortcuts, as Apple calls it) set up. To get it set up, either watch the video up top or follow these steps: Open up the Settings app on your iPhone's home screen. Tap the General section. Tap the Keyboard section. Swipe down to the bottom and tap the button labeled "Add New Shortcut..." Under "Phrase" type the phrase you want the shortcut to expand to, and under "Shortcut" type the shortcut you want to type instead. For example, if you wanted...

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How to Get a Siri-Like Personal Assistant on Your Android Phone for Free

 If you watched last week's iPhone 4S announcement with your Android phone and went a little green with envy when Siri, iOS's new voice-recognizing personal assistant, was announced and demoed on stage, buck up. You've got a lot of great voice recognition apps to choose from on Android that can help you keep up with friends, look up the weather, find local businesses, and more. Here are a look at your options. If you haven't looked into voice recognition apps on Android before, you may be surprised at how many applications get the job done. None of the apps currently available for Android are quite as well integrated with the OS as...

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