Find your Windows Product Key

Remember when you would have to use 3rd party tools to snag the Windows Product key off a computer? We do.

Lucky for us it now is as simple as a Command Prompt.

Go to the Windows search bar and type in Command Prompt:

Once it pops up, right click it and select “Run as Administrator”. Click ‘Yes’ when prompted.

When the Command Prompt window opens, type in this command: wmic path SoftwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKey 

It is case-sensitive, type or copy it exactly as it is written or it will not work. After you’ve typed/pasted it into the Command Prompt window, hit ‘Enter’.

The product key should populate underneath the command you typed in. Be sure to write it down and place it somewhere safe. It might come in handy one day.

Google Store to Open in NYC

Google announced that it will open a retail store this summer in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City. The  "Google Store" will feature Google hardware - Pixel phones, Nest devices, Fitbits, and everything else the company makes, along with repairs, workshops, and tech support.

via: Google Blog

10 Breakthrough Technologies

MIT Technology Review presents these 10 breakthrough technologies. They will affect the economy and our politics, improve medicine, or influence our culture. Some are unfolding now; others will take a decade or more to develop.

One of those technologies is PAYING WITH YOUR FACE, which you can do now. Face-detecting systems in China now authorize payments, provide access to facilities, and track down criminals. Will other countries follow?

Handle is a Humanoid Robot on Wheels

Boston Dynamics officially unveiled its newest creation, Handle.

Handle can do things using a wheel-leg hybrid system, making it one of the most advanced humanoids in existence.

via IEEE Spectrum

DuoSkin | Temporary Tattoo to Control Connected Interfaces

Microsoft Research and MIT Media Lab recently introduced a new product called DuoSkin. DuoSkin is basically a temporary tattoo that will allow you to control connected interfaces. For example, you can use it to control a game or even your smartphone. Additionally, you can use DuoSkin as an NFC tag, which you can easily use with your smartphone.

For more information: DuoSkin

Support Group for Bots: Coping with Humans

IBM Watson is a cognitive system that''s ushering in the new era of cognitive business. Recently, a group of battered science fiction bots spoke about their yen to take over the world and their dislike for working with humans. Unlike them, Watson works with humans to out-think competitors, challenges, limits.

Robots in our Brains

Google's Director of Engineering, Ray Kurzweil, predicts that humans will be hybrid robots by 2030.

That is when nanobots will be implanted into our brains so we can expand our intelligence by directly tapping into the Internet.

Hybrid robots, we understand that.

Two-Factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security by asking you to provide two forms of identification before you can access your personal information. The first is your usual user ID and password. The second is typically a unique code that is sent to your phone or some other physical device, that you then enter during the second stage of the login process.

Because the second identifier is sent to something that you physically carry with you, it makes it harder for hackers to access your information.

Apple: Apple sends a four-digit code via SMS or Find My iPhone to register your machine as a trusted device. Anytime you try to access your iCloud or iTunes account from a new device, you’ll be required to enter a new four-digit passcode. Instructions on how to enable two-step verification for your Apple ID are here.

Google: Google can send verification codes in several different ways: SMS, voice call, or through its Google Authenticator app. During initial sign-in, you can tell Google to remember your device for 30 days. But a new code is required anytime someone tries to log in from a new machine.

Yahoo Mail: Once two-step authentication is activated, Yahoo will send a passcode via text or voice call. The verification process will only occur whenever you’re logging in from a new computer or mobile device, or if you’ve cleared your browser’s cache.

Facebook: Facebook offers login approvals, which require you to enter a passcode anytime you try to log in from an unrecognized computer or mobile phone. Codes are sent via text message.

Twitter: Twitter will send a verification code via text or as a push notification on iOS and Android devices. The company also provides a backup code, so that in the event that you lose your phone, you can enter the backup code to log in to your account. This isn’t saved anywhere, so be sure to write it down someplace.

Dropbox: Like the others, you’ll receive a code anytime you try to access Dropbox from a new machine. They can be sent via text, or you can use an app like Google Authenticator or Duo Mobile. The company also provides a 16-digit backup code in case you lose your phone or for some reason can’t receive a PIN using the aforementioned methods. Again, write it down somewhere safe.

OneDrive: You can receive codes from Microsoft via text, email or authenticator app. A PIN is only required when you sign in from an untrusted device. Instructions on how to enable two-step verification are available here.

DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals

NASA's quadrupedal RoboSimian

The DRC is a competition of robot systems and software teams vying to develop robots capable of assisting humans in responding to natural and man-made disasters. It was designed to be extremely difficult. Participating teams, represent some of the most advanced robotics research and development organizations in the world, 

To qualify for the DRC Finals, the teams had to submit videos showing successful completion of five sample tasks: engage an emergency shut-off  switch, get up from a prone position, loco-mote ten meters without falling, pass over a barrier, and rotate a circular valve 360 degrees.

25 teams will compete during the two-day event, to be held June 5-6, 2015, at Fairplex in Pomona, California.

DARPA Robotics Challenge

Windows 7 | Software Recovery

Microsoft has recently launched a new website that enables you to recover and install Microsoft Windows 7 purchased through a retailer.

This site will help you accomplish the following:

• Create a Windows 7 DVD for installation on a new hard drive
• Create a backup Windows 7 DVD
• Create a bootable USB drive with a copy of Windows 7

Make sure you have a reliable internet connection and sufficient data storage available. You also need a valid Windows 7 product key to start the process.

Head on over to Microsoft Software Recovery if you need to recover your Windows 7 product or create a backup for later.