Geek News

Sometimes, inspiration strikes in inconvenient places, and the best you can do to make sure the idea doesn't escape you is to write it down on scraps of paper or a napkin. The latest experimental project out of Microsoft's Garage program, which encourages employees to work on their innovative ideas , wants to make it easier to turn those "napkin sketches" into real products... for developers, at least. Called " Ink to Code ," the Windows application takes rough notes and drawings and turns them into real code for Universal Windows and Android apps' user interfaces. It can't magically turn your doodles into full-fledged working apps, but it can turn handwriting into text and transform boxes into buttons, text boxes and even image placeholders without you having to write code at all. According to Microsoft, the application uses Windows 10's Smart Ink to recognize objects and uses the tech titan's Visual Studio to digitize your sketches. It ...

One thing that might deter you from getting Amazon's 4K Fire TV is that it has to be connected to a power outlet, and that visible cable could ruin your sweet home theater setup. Mission, an accessory-maker, has taken things into its own hands and created a USB power cable for the streaming device, which it says works with all powered ports. Is it a good idea to use it? We don't know, but the option exists if you want it. Most TVs' USB ports don't have a strong enough output to run the 4K Fire TV, which needs 1200mA to run continuously, so you can't use an ordinary cable. Plugging the device directly into a TV's port leads to resets -- sometimes, it doesn't even work. Mission's has a small box with a lithium-ion battery that stores excess current, and it releases that extra power when the Fire TV needs more electricity than what the USB source can provide. The solution is now available on Amazon for $20, but it's currently on sale for $15 at Mi...