dashboard

The 404 welcomes back infamous guest Stoopid Andy to the show, to explain that one can never have enough RAM installed on a desktop machine--even if that supercomputer you're running is only used for occasionally checking e-mail.

As the calm before the iPhone 5 announcement storm hits, we'll discuss some of the headlines that are guaranteed to be forgotten 24 hours from now. They include a gaping security flaw that affects HTC Android devices, the Xbox 360's new leaked dashboard interface, and how Google Chrome is taking a sizable bite out of the browser market.

Finally, we ask "do you still use the United States Postal Service?" A couple of USPS commercials hit the Web today and we're having a tough refraining from picking them apart. They suggest doing business through snail mail is not only hackproof, but safer. We, along with dumpster divers across the world, politely disagree as you'll see in today's episode.

Sometimes, when it comes to hidden cameras, good people can be watching.

That must surely be the view of a woman who was walking down a San Francisco street and had her cell phone snatched from her by a miscreant.

In shock, she paused for a few seconds before wondering what she should do. Before she had time to decide, a cab pulled up beside her. The driver explained that he'd not only seen the incident but also recorded it.

More precisely, his cab's 180-degree dashboard video camera had recorded it.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the … Read more

You just got your shiny Google Music beta invite and you are eager to use it, but you don't like the idea of having to have your browser (or an extra tab) open to stream music on your Mac? We can relate. We created a simple guide to show you how to turn Google Music into a Dashboard widget on your Mac, allowing you to close your browser and still enjoy your streaming music collection.

… Read more

Facebook is everywhere these days, we hear, but it really only exists inside your browser. If that browser happens to be Google Chrome, you're in luck: BuildAGadget's Facebook Dashboard Extension makes it easier than ever to access the world's largest and most popular social networking site. You can instantly check messages, update your status, and post likes and comments, even while you're doing other things.

After downloading and installing this extension, we were prompted to sign in to Facebook via the extension's Chrome page, with an option to stay signed in. When we'd logged … Read more

Smart-grid companies have introduced a parade of gadgets designed to help consumers manage their home energy use and boost efficiency. But it's still an open question as to how the transition from a monthly paper bill to richer energy information will happen.

This week's DistribuTech utility-industry conference brought still more home energy management systems into the market. In many cases, these are dedicated displays for a countertop or kitchen table that remind consumers how many kilowatts they are using or notify them when prices are moving into a more expensive peak-time bracket.

Schneider introduced its Wiser product set, … Read more

We got a peek into the future of dashboard technology with Visteon at CES 2011 and again with Denso at the 2011 Detroit auto show. But you don't have to check out concepts to see the dashboard of the future, because it's here today.

From MyFord Touch to the Nissan Leaf's video game-inspired instrument cluster, more and more vehicles are digitizing and reinventing the dashboards of today before our very eyes. We've rounded up a collection of the coolest dashboards that we've come across for your perusal. Enjoy!

DETROIT--Denso is a company that you may not have heard of, but chances are that you've heard of or even had your hands on its work. As the supplier of electronic components for a variety of automakers (such as Lexus' Remote Touch controller interface), we've learned that what you see Denso demoing today has a good chance to be on roads in the future. At this year's Detroit auto show, Denso showed off a concept dashboard that merged robotics, a smartphone app, and traffic infrastructure integration. OK, Denso. You've gotten our attention.

Let's start with … Read more

The Breffo Spiderpodium is a simple, yet effective way to hold your small gadgets in place during any of a variety of activities ranging from driving to biking to just watching a movie, but only if you have the imagination to make it work for you.

The Spiderpodium consists of eight flexible, rubber-coated wire arms protruding from a rubber center. These arms can be bent and posed in pretty much any direction, orientation, or shape and will hold their position. Breffo's plan is that you'll use the arms to wrap around your small electronic devices, holding them in the orientation of your choosing.

We were able to, for example, attach a smartphone to a vehicle's dashboard air vents for easy access to the screen for selecting music, answering calls, and viewing maps for turn-by-turn navigation. People who use their GPS navigator in multiple vehicles can leave the bulky suction cup cradle in one vehicle and use the Spiderpodium to hold their device in place in other cars.

We were even able to successfully suspend a GPS device and a smartphone from our vehicle's vents during testing. The Spiderpodium's stability during spirited driving will ultimately depend on your skill in positioning the spindly widget, and the anchor to which it is attached, but we experienced no catastrophic failures with a variety of devices.… Read more

Microsoft is using this November's release of the company's motion-sensing initiative to revamp the Xbox 360 dashboard. The new update, due out later this fall when Kinect hits stores, gives the dashboard a complete cosmetic upgrade, zippier navigation, and more features and functionality. We should note that Zune, ESPN, and Netflix features require an adult Gold membership on Xbox Live.

You'll notice the change right away, as the opening splash screen has a different look and welcoming sound byte. Mostly all of the current dashboard's sounds have been disregarded, save for the iconic "pop-up." Instead, the interface now carries with it more soothing sounds. Visually speaking, Microsoft has opted for a minimalistic and angular presentation, with more concentration on grays and whites.

Performance-wise, there have definitely been a few tweaks under the hood. The Xbox Guide is definitively faster--absent now is the lag the previous version suffered from when launching the Guide mid-game. Browsing through the Game Library seems quicker too, and items installed on the hard drive populate the screen with ease.

Among the updated features is a new version of Netflix. Most notably, the option to now search the entire Netflix library has been added, and items not available for instant streaming can now be added to your traditional queue with the click of a button.

ESPN makes its debut on the Xbox 360 with the fall update, but users with an ISP (Internet service provider) that has not signed a contract with Disney won't have access to ESPN3 HD content, which includes the streaming of out-of-market sports. We experienced this issue firsthand as Cablevision in Northern New Jersey has yet to agree to terms that allow for such services. There's better news for customers in New York City as Time Warner has come to an agreement with Disney, but there has yet to be anything signed. You can check to see if your ISP has a deal in place by heading over to ESPN3.com.

If you're among these unfortunate souls like we are, the ESPN on Xbox 360 experience is a bit watered-down, but does include plenty of streaming highlights and clips from ESPN's various networks and items appear to be frequently updated.… Read more