Blast Magazine» Sci/Tech News

Startup Leap Motion brings “Minority Report” motion controls to computers

Andy Breeding — Mon, 21 May 2012 17:51:13 +0000

We’ve all wanted it. The ability to use our computers with just hand gestures. Flip through our emails, photos or documents with a simple hand swipe motion. While Microsoft’s Kinect makes this possible, the precision is not quite there, anyone with a Kinect for their Xbox 360 will attest to that.

Startup company Leap Motion has announced their Leap motion control device. according to the company, they claim to offer controls 200 times more accurate than anything out on the market. How this device works is the usb thumbdrive sized device projects a 8 cubic feet of 3D interactive space that will recognize pretty much any motion. Scrolling with your index finger, zooming in on a photo with a pinch, even using a pen to draw or sign with the precision of doing the same action on a piece of paper.

Te fact that Leap can do all of this in such a small, portable package is amazing in its own right. To add the fact that the device is only $70 makes pretending to be Chief John Anderton a lot easier to do anywhere you go. At the very least, Leap will make it easier for people with arthritis or other ailments that prevent them from physically typing or clicking a mouse.

Leap Motion is taking pre-orders right now for Leap. They are limited, though, so if you really want one you better head over to their site and place your order before it is too late.

Google refines searching, adds a “human touch” to results

Andy Breeding — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:46:55 +0000

Google search has always relatively lead to the thing people look for on the first page results. After the announcement on Wednesday, Google would like to refine those results even more.

Knowledge Graph is said to help with this by understanding more about the relationships and deeper connections of search terms . For example, looking up “basketball” in Google sends back the traditional links to the generic term but now with Knowledge Graph, people, places or things that are closely associated with the search term will appear in a column on the right side. For basketball, we get back the people related to the term like Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, each with a little blurb about their bio.

In the blog posting, we also get info that Google’s Knowledge Graph pulls from sources such as Freebase, Wikipedia, the CIA World Factbook and hints at another source but doesn’t say much about it. The easy guess would be the numerous amounts of data collected over the years from everyday usage of searching on Google. Impressive numbers such as Knowledge Graph containing over 500 million objects and more than 3.5 billion facts about and relationships between those objects leads us to believe so.

Some U.S. English users should start seeing Knowledge Graph in action as early as today. More users and languages should be rolled out gradually although we don’t know how soon. It will also be available on smartphones and tablets.

Senators attack Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin for dodging taxes by renouncing US citizenship

Andy Breeding — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:55:51 +0000

You can now add “renounce my U.S. citizenship” to the list of ways to avoid paying taxes but maybe not for long.

Reuters is reporting that Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin has two US senators accusing him of dodging taxes on Facebook stock-market profits. With the plans that Facebook has to raise billions of dollars in an initial public offering on Friday, Saverin would have to pay a hefty sum estimated to be $67 million.

Saverin relocated to Singapore for “business reasons” (Singapore has no capital gains tax)

We’re sure once we hear Saverin’s side, through his spokesman of course, we will still find that he is avoiding taxes, plain and simple. Even if he is being truthful about all of this, everything points to Saverin wanting to avoid cutting a multi-million dollar check to the US government.

One could say that since he was given a college education here and that he would have never meet Mark Zuckerburg if it wasn’t for the government letting him become a citizen here, thus having the good life with his ~~millions~~ billions. One could also say that the government is too hard on its citizens and taxes are too high. Either way, Senator Bob Casey (D-Penn.) said Thursday, “We simply cannot allow the ultra-wealthy to write their own rules.”

Not to be outdone, Senator Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said, “It’s infuriating to see someone sell out the country that welcomed him and kept him safe, educated him and helped him become a billionaire.”

Of course that says nothing about the banks that took taxpayer bailouts so they could lay off workers and levy new fees against account holders. We’ll leave that one alone, right senator?

Pinterest gains $100 million in funding, bringing e-commerce with the help of Rakuten

Andy Breeding — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:03:48 +0000

I seem to know a lot of people that send me cute pictures of cats with a funny caption or some new recipe that I will end up ruining in the kitchen anyhow. All of these come from the site Pinterest.com. Apparently, numerous people love the cat pics so much that Rakuten, a company that has the largest e-commerce site in Japan and among the world’s largest by sales has raised $100 million in a funding round that had existing investors Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners, and FirstMark Capital and a number of other angel investors participating as well.

Over at AllthingsD, they’re reporting that Rakuten will invest upwards of $50 million and that this funding will bring Pinterest’s value to $1.5 billion.

That is a huge step up from $200 million the company was worth last October.

“Our goal is to help people discover things they love, by connecting people through their shared interests. Bringing Rakuten on board gives us an amazing opportunity to move a step closer to this goal.” co-founder and CEO of Pinterest, Ben Silbermann, said in a statement.

Having the backing of an e-commerce company as large as Rakuten, we will likely see monetization of most functions of Pinterest, which is good for me since I can finally purchase a frameable picture of the cat who loves his couch.

Easy Reader Contest — Verbatim’s New Store ‘n’ Go V3 USB 3.0 Drives

John M. Guilfoil — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:52:00 +0000

We have a handy giveaway for you this week — something that we know everyone wants, needs, and continually buys.

Verbatim, the global leader in data storage, is allowing Blast to give away two of its brand new 16GB New Store ‘n’ Go V3 USB 3.0 Drives.

The V3 drives are twice as fast as an older USB 2.0 solution, though they still work in any USB port.

All you have to do is comment on this story, follow @blastmagazine on Twitter, and Tweet a shout out to us in order to be entered. We’ll pick TWO winners on Friday morning, before we start #freegamefriday up all over again!

Product Features and Specifications

USB 3.0 Interface for faster data transfer on USB 3.0 equipped pc’s.
New retractable design, shields USB connector in transit
Compatible with all USB ports (including USB 2.0/1.1)
8GB -64GB Capacities
Available in 7 trendy colors

The Green Geek gives cyber security advice

Anonymous — Tue, 15 May 2012 06:08:15 +0000

In the spirit of The Avengers we have our own superhero — a superhero of computer and IT policy. This article is written — in true superhero fashion — anonymously, by The Green Geek, whose real name you may never know.

Join together with the Green Geek in the struggle against evil vector forces that willingly destroy your computer and information security. Vectors in cyber space are villains who would maim your digital dignity, steal your identity, invade your privacy, destroy your data, and ruin your gadgets. If you let them.

What threats put you at risk? What can you do about it? Defend yourself with this Five-Point Plan from The Green Geek:

5. Value your privacy.

If you think privacy is no big deal, think again. You disclose a birthday here, a school there, you friend your mother’s mother on Facebook, expose your address or phone. Here and there you leave puzzle pieces that let us assemble your whole story.

Villains can steal your identity - costing you much time and money. Stalkers can find you. Weirdos want to know you. Friends have Too Much Information. Employers can and will use what you say against you.
Be in control. You rule the computer not the other way around. Draw a line in the sand where you will not cross for sharing private information. Use factual security questions that only you know the answer to. Do you really need 1000 people to wish you happy birthday online? Tell us about your vacation when you get back, but don’t tell the world beforehand when your house is empty. If you use f-bombs, serial date, and drink, do we have to see you share that? Do you need to save all the web searches you ever made?

4. ”Don’t talk to strangers.” Vectors include viruses, malware, botnets, robots, scam artists, and worse. This is huge.

Look before you click. Only open messages and emails from senders you recognize. Someone is fishing for a sucker to bite their bait, in the form of fraudulent email. This is called “phishing“. Various sources estimate spam email takes up 90-94% of ALL email! Their purpose is to get you to look, buy, send money, accept a virus, or join a global botnet. Recognize fake and unwanted messages by their familiar but wrong sender address and weird titles. Report spam to help email vendors improve spam filtering.
Only click on links from a source you trust. Inspect hyperlinks before you click on a hyperlink, which displays one thing but underneath is the real link.
Don’t respond to emotional appeals or act on wishful thinking. What is real and hidden in the picture? Yeah, you’re lonely AND beautiful, you believe in love; or that car is a bargain! But if it is too good to be true, then it’s probably not. Some emails are written by robots. Some generic messages say nothing specific that can’t be said to everyone.
Never enter your password in response to links in an email.

3. Lock your doors, literally and figuratively.

Prevent the entry of illicit vectors into your space by limiting access. Consider security like an onion. At the center of the onion is treasure, payload, your precious stuff. How easy is it to peel off the layers of security, if any?

Physical access - How safe are your things, from smartphone to PC? Stuff should not be available for just anyone to touch. Keep these objects physically secure, not left laying around. Same as you would protect a wallet. Not left in public bathrooms, unlooked cars, or on the hood of your car.
Device access - How safe are your data files and screen displays? What if someone has access to your smartphone or PC? Require a screenlock. You should provide a uniquely personal password, finger-swipe, or biometric to see further. If you share the device or PC with other guests, then create a guest portal, so that your user session is separate from theirs.
Network security - How safe is your connection to a network for internet access? Beware of Wifi and untrusted networks, where your internet traffic travels on the information superhighway in full view, unencrypted for network admins or sniffers to capture. Be safe and sure, use your own encrypted 4G or 3G air card or USB modem. This is handy for reliable internet access anywhere anytime, and you not only don’t have to compete amongst an entire coffeehouse full of net surfers for bandwidth, but you also have the peace of mind that that your communications are safe.
Software reliability - Does your software scan for malicious vectors before you open or download objects? When you use the “cloud” – all the services are provided online via the internet on a web site or web server – make sure there is rigorous protection against vectors. Good cloud service providers will filter virus vectors from reaching your PC or device. so that you either don’t download or get your data ruined by vectors. You want to use email software that filters spam well, for example Google Mail (gmail.com).
Device defense is 1st and last - We’ve peeled the onion back. The above inevitably fail, because new vectors can sneak through until discovered. Keep your device up-to-date with the latest: operating system; web browser; anti-virus/anti-malware software; and storage encryption.
Microsoft Windows vulnerabilities created a multi-billion $$ spinoff industry just to create and administer the IT security. This gave Apple one leg up to bring to market OSX or iOS which were more closed and designed for better security. The Google browser Chrome is touted for its security. Samsung Galaxy Android and Apple iPad/iPhones are now offering the NIST FIPS 140-2 standard encryption for storage.
If you login to use software (such as email and banking), the appearance of the “padlock” icon in the browser means the network traffic is encrypted using SSL and therefore unreadable.

2. Trust NO ONE to store your credit card.

Online shopping is great. We save gas and time by browsing online, and the item is shipped faster than you can shake a green fist. Unfortunately some companies, to which we entrust our identity or financial credentials, are themselves negligently lax when it comes to IT security.

DO NOT STORE CREDIT CARDS in online accounts with any vendor. Rather [tediously, yes], enter the credit card information for a one-time purchase each time you make a purchase. This is not risk-proof either, but incrementally better than storing your credit card like a sitting duck waiting for a hunting season.
LIMIT CREDIT CARDS that you use online to a very short list. If something goes wrong you can more easily assess and contain the damage.
READ YOUR STATEMENTS. We are unaware until a breach goes public. Take for example, the intrusion to Global Payments servers in March 2012 that was not reported publicly for nearly one month. Global Payments coordinates the steps involved in authorizing the charge and submitting the transaction details for VISA and Mastercard. When you hear news about credit card theft, check your statements and activity ASAP.

1. Protect your passwords.

Some of the most famous security intrusions come from hacking passwords, but your defense in this regard is totally within your control.

Use strong passwords. A strong password is a character string generally not found in any dictionary for any language. Use a combination of Upper- and lower-case letters, mixed in with numbers and special characters. Create acronyms out of phrases.
Use different passwords for different accounts, and change the password every 60-90 days. Yes, with all your stuff in the cloud, we’re talking about a load of passwords.
Assess your risk, and firewall your passwords. Risk means the probability of something bad happening, and the impact if it did. It’s not kosher but the Green Geek does classify different accounts by degree of risk, and ramps up the security of passwords appropriately. For example, to comment on news or blogs, the Green Geek is known to reuse a password or two… For anything with private or banking information, the passwords are inscrutable. By “firewalling” passwords, there should be no crossover from an unimportant account to an important account.
Use Multi-Factor Authentication! DO IT! Multi- or two-factor/two-step authentication (“MFA” or “2FA”) adds an extra step when you enter your user password, to ensure you are who you are. When you enable MFA, you define a “token” such as a phone; and when you try to login with your username and password, you will receive a message with a code (voice or text) on your phone or token. You enter this code along with the password. If your software provider, bank, or credit card company offers this option then use it (e.g. offered by Google Mail)!

“Social engineering” in IT security refers to the ability to hack based on using known info about a person, in order to crack the security procedures for forgotten passwords, or to guess or reset their passwords. While very common, social engineering can be reduced with the above privacy practices and password discipline. MFA stops social engineering dead in its tracks. Here are three epic social engineering stories:

In 2008, when Sarah Palin was running for VP, someone hacked her Yahoo Mail and reset her password by correctly guessing Palin’s birthday and her security questions: “Where did you meet your spouse?” (Answer = Wasila High) Half the planet knows Palin’s bio; she compromised her own security when Palin chose that question.
In 2009, the corporate email, business plans, and files of Twitter.com were hacked, when someone first hacked the wife of Twitter’s founder, and used the same passwords to gain access to the Twitter company.
In 2011, the firm HBGary which specializes in corporate and government IT security got totally pwned and humiliated, when after bragging about exposing the hacker vigilante group, Anonymous, they were cyber attacked by Anonymous.

“I can explain it to you but I can’t understand it for you.” We can’t defend Stupid. But it’s not that hard. This Five-Point Plan breaks it down for you. The takeaway here is to learn from others’ mistakes, and get comfortable with security awareness.

Read more about internet crime at the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. If you are a victim of internet crime, file a complaint with the FBI. Crime or vulnerability that puts the nation at immediate risk should be reported to the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT).

What is your best tip for keeping all of your devices protected? Comment below and you’ll be entered to win a $400 Amazon gift card from Kaspersky Lab.

One way to protect all of your devices is with Kaspersky ONE Universal Security. Download your FREE trial today.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Kaspersky Lab. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.

Red Bull Launchpad — Ideas wanted

Blast Magazine Newsroom — Thu, 03 May 2012 14:02:18 +0000

Have you ever wanted to skydive from space, do a back flip on a jet ski, or snowboard down sand dunes? Well you’re in luck, my friend. Red Bull is ready to give your wildest idea wings with Launchpad, a head-to-head battle where voters pick the ideas they like best. Visit the Red Bull Launchpad here then record your video (30 seconds or less) summarizing your idea. Upload and share with your friends, then watch the world view and vote the craziest stunt into a reality.

This article is sponsored by Red Bull.

WordPress developer WooThemes hacked

Ivan Favelevic — Tue, 01 May 2012 19:12:40 +0000

South African startup WooThemes has acknowledged that it has been hacked. According to memeburn.com, the premium WordPress developer released a statement today where it confirmed that it was the victim of a “very malicious & severe hack, which has been the reason for WooThemes.com being offline for this time.”

Co-founder Adriaan “Adii” Pienaar assured users that despite possible user account data loss, any credit card information is safe. WooThemes has stated that any future product development has been stopped and all effort is concentrated on fixing any damaged caused by the intrusion.

The company was bringing is about $2 million in sales as of 2010 and had over 50,000 paying costumers. It’s biggest product was the WordPress plugin WooCommerce which let users turn their WordPress site into an e-commerce site, allowing users to customize a micro-economy in their site, with the ability to track sales modify shipping rates.

WooThemes will update customers via its blog over the coming days and weeks.

WooThemes powered the Bvents Blast Magazine events calendar. As a precaution, we have taken the calender site down and have decided to seek alternate software to power it in the future.

Cloud computing has a substantial footprint

E - The Environmental Magazine — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 18:31:20 +0000

Greenpeace wants companies like Apple, Amazon and Microsoft to make smarter, cleaner energy choices now that "cloud computing" services have ratcheted up power consumption considerably. (Media credit/Wichary via Flickr)

Leading tech companies like Google, Apple and Microsoft are now offering unprecedented amounts of data storage and access to “apps” on huge Internet-connected servers, saving consumers and businesses the hassle of installing and running programs and storing information on their own local computers.

This emerging trend, dubbed “cloud computing,” means that these providers have had to scale up their power consumption considerably, as they are increasingly responsible for providing more and more of the computing horsepower required by the world’s two billion Internet users. No doubt, sharing such resources on centralized servers is more efficient than every individual and business running their own versions separately. In fact, the research firm Verdantix estimates that companies off-loading data and services to cloud servers could save $12 billion off their energy bills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 million metric tons within the next decade. But for the greenhouse gas savings to be realized, the companies offering cloud computing services need to make the right energy choices.

Greenpeace has been tracking sustainability among tech companies for over a decade, and recently released a report, “How Green is Your Cloud?” assessing the green footprint of the move to cloud computing. According to the analysis, some of the major players (Google, Facebook and Yahoo) have gone to great lengths to ensure that significant amounts of the power they need come from clean, green sources like wind and solar. But Greenpeace chastises others (Apple, Amazon and Microsoft) for relying on so-called “dirtier” sources of power, such as coal and nuclear, to run their huge data centers.

“When people around the world share their music or photos on the cloud, they want to know that the cloud is powered by clean, safe energy,” says Gary Cook, a Senior Policy Analyst with Greenpeace. “Yet highly innovative and profitable companies like Apple, Amazon and Microsoft are building data centers powered by coal and acting like their customers won’t know or won’t care. They’re wrong.”

Greenpeace’s report evaluates 14 major tech firms and the electricity supply chains in use across more than 80 different data centers that power cloud-based services. Some of the largest data centers are in buildings so big they are visible from space and use as much power as 250,000 European homes. If the cloud were its own country, says Greenpeace, it would rank 5th in the world in electricity consumption.

“Companies like Google, Yahoo and Facebook are beginning to lead the sector down a clean energy pathway through innovations in energy efficiency, prioritizing renewable energy access when siting their data centers, and demanding better energy options from utilities and government decision-makers,” reports Greenpeace. But unfortunately the majority of the industry is not marching in step. As such, Greenpeace is calling on all tech companies with cloud services to develop siting policies based on access to clean energy sources, invest in or directly purchase renewable energy, be transparent about their energy usage, share innovative solutions so the sector as a whole can improve, and demand that governments and utilities increase the percentage of clean, green power available on the grid.

CONTACTS: Verdantix, www.verdantix.com; Greenpeace, www.greenpeace.org.

ODOC tries Kickstarter to create a sleek, portable iPhone dock

Ivan Favelevic — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 05:55:58 +0000

When it comes to iPhone docks, there is little to chose from outside of a large brick shaped set of speakers. In a way, you give up stylish design for powerful sound. Left Field Design is trying to to change all that with the new ODOC, a compact dock that will fit right in with your Apple products, but not break the bank like them.

The ODOC is built in a small cylindrical shape out of die cast aluminum built with glass and stainless steel hardware. To call it sleek would be an understatement, with perfect curves in a compact package, it is a looker. A small foot stand hold the dock in place while the 30-pin connector can be angled in 5 different positions allowing for easy gaming and Facetime. The dock also features a “one hand” removal, meaning no jiggling the with the phone and slowly deteriorating the connection. At three pounds, it is also durable and easy to carry. It can charge the iPhone with or without a case and can be plugged into any sound system for the complete dock experience.

The ODOC is still a project on Kickstarter, but with a donation of $79, early adopters can get their hands on it and give it a test ride.

With successful funding, the ODOC will be available in the ranges of $129-$149 later this year. Looking at the early models, it appears to be a sleek new attachment for any generation of iPhone. While the lack of speakers is to be noted, based on looks alone it is just asking to be let into the Apple elite line of iPhone accessories.

Google Drive — Cloud storage becomes habit-forming

Sandra Giger — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 18:56:32 +0000

Yesterday Google publicly launched Google Drive with an announcement on its Official Blog. Drive is a new service where you can store your files online in the cloud. Drive enters the market for cloud storage where competing options already exist — notably, Dropbox, SugarSync, Apple iCloud, Microsoft Skydrive, and Amazon Cloud Drive.

Google Drive offers more features than simply uploading and storing files to a directory in the cloud. You can store you stuff - video files, photos, Google Docs, PDFs, etc. You can also create, view, convert formats, make comments, index and search, collaborate on projects, and manage sharing with friends and family. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology allows word search of scanned documents. Accessibility options for sight-impaired Drive users enable the use of a screen reader. Google calls Drive a platform, making possible 3rd-party add-on apps for purposes such as faxing files or editing videos.

With feet firmly on the ground, access your Drive from anywhere – over the web, from your home or office, or using mobile devices. From Google Play, install Drive on your Mac or PC, or download the Drive app to your Android phone or tablet. (Not ready yet: Drive app for iOS devices.)

Current Google users will appreciate the Drive upgrade from the old Google Docs portal. Google users’ existing familiarity with Docs, and Drive’s integration with other Google Account services, make Drive a seamless transition and no-brainer choice for many Google users. The rollout of Drive for existing Gmail users and enterprise Google Apps customers will be automatic; but if you don’t have it enabled yet, you can request it.

Which way to the cloud? What does it cost? Which community cloud are you?

Google Drive is free for the first 5GB of storage. Upgrade to 25GB for $2.49/month, 100GB for $4.99/month or even 1TB for $49.99/month. When you upgrade to a paid account, your Gmail account storage will also expand to 25GB.

Dropbox is free for the first 2GB of storage. (If you refer new customers, you can get 500MB per each, up to 18GB free.) Or select a plan: 50GB for $9.99/month (or $99.99/year); 100GB for $19.99/month ($199.99/year); plus you get 1GB free storage per referral for up to 32 new customers. Team plans and terabyte storage also available. (Given the comparison to Google, can we expect a price drop? Else you need to refer more customers.)

SugarSync is free for the first 5GB of storage. Or select a plan: 30GB for $4.99/month (or $49.99/year), 60GB for $9.99/month ($99.99/year) or 100GB for $14.99/month ($149.99/year). (Given the comparison to Google, can we expect a price drop?)

Apple iCloud is free for the first 5GB of storage, for the Mac OS X Lion and every new iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch with iOS 5. Upgrade for an additional 10GB for $20/year, 20GB for $40/year, or 50GB for $100/year. iCloud also integrates seamlessly across the Apple platform. Remember the famous ads, ”Are you PC or Mac?” For mobility and the cloud market, the new question is ”Are you a Mac or Googler?”

Microsoft updated Skydrive this week too. You get 7 GB of free storage. Additional storage options are available with a Windows Live ID at $10, $25, or $50/year for 20GB, 50GB, or 100GB. Skydrive syncs files with Windows, Windows Phone, Mac OSX, and Apple iOS clients. (Note no Android app.) Developing target apps for OSX and iOS is now mandatory to stay competitive in the consumer market.

Last but not least, the Amazon Cloud is free for the first 5GB of storage, plus 1000 songs. Additional plans are available – including unlimited MP3 music storage for songs purchased at Amazon – per year for 20GB @ $20, 50GB @ $50, 100GB @ $100, 200GB @ $200, 500GB @ $500, or 1TB @ $1000. (Did you notice a pattern?)

A walk down Memory Lane

Gmail began in 2004, when the way to get an account was by invitation only. Back in the day, there was an open source hack/kluge, called “G-drive”. This version installed a virtual drive in your [Windows] file directory. You could drag and drop files onto G-drive, which sent email to your Gmail with the G-drive files as attachments. No longer do people need to email files to themselves. At last, in 2012, Google Drive is here.

The tale of the toothbrush and the cloud

On April 5, Larry Page published his letter to investors, “2012 Update from the CEO.” In it he reiterates and updates the Google vision. He describes the “toothbrush test” for Google products. Do we use Google products twice a day? Page’s metaphor intends to go beyond simply choosing Google as a favored brand to use twice a day. Page is describing how we create new habits and change our culture where no need previously existed. On February 27, National Public Radio aired a feature story [listen here] about the new book, “The Power of Habit: Why we do what we do in Life and Business”, by Charles Duhigg. The story goes, in early 1900s America, people didn’t brush their teeth daily until a Pepsodent toothpaste ad campaign compelled them to want to have the appeal of clean teeth. Upon enjoying Pepsodent toothpaste, and flattered by the Pepsodent advertising, the American public changed their habits and began to brush their teeth.

Internet access is all you need to use a cloud service provider, such as Google. You should avoid email service that is dependent on your local electric, cable-TV, phone or internet service provider, because what happens to your account if move or change ISPs? Or hardware dependent, for that matter. Back to 2005, watching the destruction in New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina, I decided to have a cloud strategy for me and my family. I changed my habits to safeguard my data. You might move to the cloud intentionally, or it might creep up on you little-by-little for convenience. Cloud storage will help you organize the clutter or confusion of your data, and multiple versions of it, in too many places. Maybe a cloud drive will replace your thumb drive. Maybe even make obsolete the desktop computer. Your habits will evolve. Resistance is futile.

What’s your iPad buyer’s IQ? Take the quiz

Sandra Giger — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 02:39:25 +0000

The new Apple iPad doesn’t fall far from the Apple tree, and the taste just keeps getting better. Apple is growing in both the stock market and the mobile market. One month ago, March 16, released the 3rd generation iPad (“iPad 3″) in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland and the UK. Within the first three days, three million were sold. Early this month, April 5, Apple’s stock closed at $633.68 per-share, exceeding Google stock which closed at $632.32 (before Google’s subsequent 2-for-1 stock split last week). With the pace of Apple next generation products, one is left wondering… Is Apple now competing with Apple, and are there other mobile products besides Apple?

Now Apple makes the iPad 3 available in an additional 21 countries. To name a few – On April 20 in South Korea, Malaysia, and Latin America; and on April 27 in India, Israel, South Africa and Thailand. As the 3rd generation iPads go global, should you be among those buying the new iPad?

The iPad 3 will dazzle you. Its showcase feature is the Retina Display, a 9.7″ screen with a 2048 x 1536 pixel, higher-resolution. An “A-Ha!” moment. A frontside FaceTime camera for video chat. A backside iSight camera for 5 megapixel photos and 1080 resolution videos. Ready for WIFI or 4G LTE wireless network communications. Um, “Take dictation, please,” with the dictation feature. Bundled richly with Apple Apps. Steve Jobs had in mind the iPad 3 when he envisioned our lives changing for the better.

For balance, here’s the down side. Your old (low-res) photos may look grainy or pixelated on the intended to be crisp Retina Display. The battery may tend to overheat. If you watch streaming movies in their brilliant hi-res glory, be sure to manage your 4G data communications plan so that you don’t get charged for using over your quota. Add in the comms cost; it’s not cheap.

It’s all good. But are you ready to buy? What’s your new iPad Buyers Interest Quotient (IQ)? What’s in it for you? To find out your new iPad Buyers IQ, take this quick six-question test. The purpose of the test is to help you see where your best interests lie. For all of the questions, except one that is marked, you may select all that apply. No wrong answers.

Question #1: What do you do in a typical day? (Check all that apply)
____ (1) Use PC desktop apps, such as Microsoft Office, Photoshop.
____ (2) Use Mac apps like iLife, iWork, iCloud, or other Mac apps.
____ (3) Search and surf. Read news and eBooks online.
____ (4) Watch online streaming videos (from Amazon, Hulu, YouTube, Netflix).
____ (5) Use the cloud to organize my life and go paperless for meetings, work, family and school.

Question #2: Presently, how do you connect with friends and family? (Check all that apply)

____ (1) Liking mobile apps like 4Square, Words with Friends, and/or Instagram.
____ (2) Into Twitter, Facebook, WordPress, Tumblr, blogging daily.
____ (3) Video chatting weekly.
____ (4) Use my cell phone for talking and texting daily.
____ (5) I typically email friends and family from a laptop or desktop computer daily.
____ (subtract 5) I’m all already about mobile apps, games, and video chat using Google Hangout, or Apple FaceTime.

Question #3: What’s your current setup? (Check all that apply)

____ (1) iPhone4S
____ (2) I have an iPad already but wanna give it away and buy a new one.
____ (3) Use Apple OSX Mountain Lion on a Mac
____ (4) Mac OSX Snow Leopard or earlier
____ (5) Android, Windows pc, and/or cellphone
____ (subtract 10) Got all of the above.

Question #4: What do you want to do in the near future? (Check all that apply)
____ (1) Twitter, Facebook, WordPress, Tumblr, blogging, and/or chat
____ (2) Video chat, such as Skype or Google Talk.
____ (3) Mobile social apps, suck as 4Square, Words with Friends, or Instagram.
____ (4) Music and mobile apps for tools, education, books, and games – from either Google Play or Apple Appstore.
____ (5) Apple iWork, iLife, iCloud and hi-res video chat using Google Hangout or Apple FaceTime.

Question #5: What is absolutely necessary in your mobile setup? (Pick TWO max)
____ (1) Typing on tactile keys.
____ (2) Fits in my pocket.
____ (3) Fits in my bag.
____ (4) Hi-res front and rear camera.
____ (5) Audio sound and screen resolution that makes the heart go THUMP.

Question #6: What communications do you currently have and/or plan to? Remember don’t drive while messaging! (Check all that apply)

____ (1) No 4G service in my area.
____ (2) Have internet at home, 3G for wireless, and a data plan for my smartphone.
____ (3) Access WIFI anywhere anytime.
____ (4) I live in a city with 4G LTE service, and can spring for a 5GB/month data plan costing $50/month.
____ (5) I need unlimited! I’ll get a 4G LTE data plan of 10GB/month costing $80/month.

Calculate your iPad Buyers IQ. Add up the numbers adjacent to the answers you check-marked. What’s your iPad 3 destiny? Should you buy or wait? Look up your result below:

55 Points or over: You are in a great position to get a iPad 3. What’s not to love? If you scored above 60, run don’t walk to buy the iPad 3, fully loaded with storage and 4G LTE. It costs $829 (US) for the iPad3, plus $50 (US) or $80/month for the communications. If you scored closer to 55, then get the iPad 3 4G LTE with a 5GB data plan at $50/month. You go!
40-55 Points: The iPad 3 is very cool, its charm is hard to resist. I’m just saying, consider other options: Wait for the next generation, or go with an Android tablet, Amazon Kindle Fire, and Google Chromebooks, which are great values. If you have reliable access to Wi-Fi then the iPad 3 for Wi-Fi only is your best value.
25-40 Points: You can find lower cost mobile alternatives to the iPad 3. You don’t have to be like everyone on the planet with an iPad afterall. Maybe you need a smartphone? Or maybe just enjoy what you have for now.
10-25 Points: Do you have some combo of iPad 2s or iPhone 4S or Droids or Macs? The Macs last “forever”, and Android laptop too. But the smartphones are only good for two years max… So enter the market later, when the next generation comes. Or maybe it’s a good time for you to upgrade your home computer?
under 10 Points: Don’t buy a thing! You’re fine as you are.

If you are still unsure, then pick the screen (size and resolution) and typing method (tactile keys or touch pad) that works best for how you intend to use it.

The iPad 3 Wi-Fi models will be available in black or white for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model and $699 (US) for the 64GB model. The iPad Wi-Fi + 4G models will be available for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model.

One regrettable footnote. A 17-year-old male high school student named Wang, from central China, sold his kidney for $3,500 for an organ transplant, in order for Wang to buy an iPhone and iPad (versions not identified). Reportedly he is now suffering from renal insufficiency. Oh why!? His IQ would be a fail.

If you are waiting, what are you waiting for? The new Apple iPhone 5 is expected in near October 2012. The rumored 7.85″ screen Apple Mini tablet is pegged for summer. Keep an eye out for a new Kindle Fire model in 2012, and the rapid roll-out of more Android tablets (Samsung Galaxy Tab 2), including Google tablets.

Is your iPad Buyers IQ where you want it to be? I hope this helps sort out the choices. Consumers will be on the receiving end of some great choices, while Apple, Androids and Amazon (the “Triple-A”) are competing like mad dogs. If you can bear to sit out the iPad 3 hype, get into position for Christmas 2012, or early 2013, to make your Triple-A move. However, if not the iPad, some Apple will likely be the right IQ for you.

Reports: Next iPhone coming in October, will be 4G and made of “Liquidmetal”

John M. Guilfoil — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 19:48:32 +0000

Let’s just ignore all the obvious “Terminator 2″ references, K?

The next iteration of Apple’s hugely popular iPhone will be available in October with some amazing new aspects, according to reports.

According to Bloomberg, the iPhone 5 will feature a new body design and work on 4G/LTE networks, citing according to Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray.

Munster had originally predicted an August release date for the iPhone 5. The push comes after chipmaker Qualcomm Inc. announced supply problems — it is not meeting demand for the types of chips that would enable the iPhone to run on faster networks.

The phone’s new body design will feature a technology called LiquidMetal. Two years ago, Apple paid Liquidmetal Technologies, of Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., $30 million for the rights to use the tech.

Liquidmetal features an amorphous atomic structure, delivering “no discernable patterns exist in the atomic structure of the unique Liquidmetal alloys,” according to the company’s website. The company claims the process results in stronger, harder metal with superior strength-to-weigh ratio, high elastic limits, corrosion and wear resistance, better acoustical properties, and low metal shrinkage rate. It’s a futuristic supermaterial.

Mashable rumored that Apple would use Liquidmetal in a new iPhone early last year.

Apple finally delved into 4G speeds with its New iPad, but the iPhone is, by far, Apple’s best selling product, accounting for 53 percent of its sales in Q4 2011.

Update: About 6 million Gmail users lost service Tuesday for about an hour

John M. Guilfoil — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 17:23:52 +0000

Update — 4 p.m.

Google says it has fixed an error which put about 6 million Gmail users in the dark Tuesday afternoon for about an hour.

According to the computer conglomerate, the outage affected less than 2 percent of users, though there was no discernible geographic pattern.

Gmail has more than 350 million active users.

Original story

According to multiple reports, scattered outages of Gmail, Google’s email service, are going on.

CNET reports that Google is investigating the outage, but has not determined a cause.

“We’re investigating reports of an issue with Google Mail. We will provide more information shortly,” Google said in a statement today.

The Google Apps Status Dashboard confirms a “service disruption” of the email service.

Many users are getting the following message when they try to log-on:

We’re sorry, but your Gmail account is temporarily unavailable. We apologize for the inconvenience and suggest trying again in a few minutes.

Apps like Google Docs and Google+ are also down for the users who are unable to access Gmail.

The issue does not appear to be Geographic, as scattered users in the Boston area report outages, while others say they have no issues at all.

We will bring you more as this story develops.

Are there health or environmental concerns with LED lights?

E - The Environmental Magazine — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 21:13:29 +0000

LED bulbs appear poised to displace compact fluorescents (CFLs) as the king-of-the-hill of green bulbs, but a study published in late 2010 in the journal Environmental Science and Technology found that LEDs contain lead, arsenic and a dozen other potentially dangerous substances. (Thinkstock)

LED (light emitting diode) lighting seems to be the wave of the future right now, given the mercury content and light quality issues with the current king-of-the-hill of green bulbs, the compact fluorescent (CFL). LEDs use significantly less energy than even CFLs, and do not contain mercury. And they are becoming economically competitive with CFLs at the point of purchase while yielding superior quality lighting and energy bill savings down the line.

But LEDs do have a dark side. A study published in late 2010 in the journal Environmental Science and Technology found that LEDs contain lead, arsenic and a dozen other potentially dangerous substances. LEDs are touted as the next generation of lighting,” says Oladele Ogunseitan, one of the researchers behind the study and chair of the University of California (UC)-Irvine’s Department of Population Health & Disease Prevention. “But as we try to find better products that do not deplete energy resources or contribute to global warming, we have to be vigilant [about] toxicity hazards….”

Ogunseitan and other UC-Irvine researchers tested several types of LEDs, including those used as Christmas lights, traffic lights, car headlights and brake lights. What did they find? Some of the worst offenders were low-intensity red LEDs, which were found to contain up to eight times the amount of lead, a known neurotoxin, allowed by California state law and which, according to researchers, “exhibit significant cancer and noncancer potentials due to the high content of arsenic and lead.” Meanwhile, white LEDs contain the least lead, but still harbor large amounts of nickel, another heavy metal that causes allergic reactions in as many as one in five of us upon exposure. And the copper found in some LEDs can pose an environmental threat if it accumulates in rivers and lakes where it can poison aquatic life.

Ogunseitan adds that while breaking open a single LED and breathing in its fumes wouldn’t likely cause cancer, our bodies hardly need more toxic substances floating around, as the combined effects could be a disease trigger. If any LEDs break at home, Ogunseitan recommends sweeping them up while wearing gloves and a mask, and disposing of the debris — and even the broom — as hazardous waste. Furthermore, crews dispatched to clean up car crashes or broken traffic lights (LEDs are used extensively for automotive and traffic lighting) should wear protective clothing and handle material as hazardous waste. LEDs are currently not considered toxic by law and can be disposed of in regular landfills.

According to Ogunseitan, LED makers could easily reduce the concentrations of heavy metals in their products or even redesign them with truly safer materials, especially if state or federal regulators required them to do so. “Every day we don’t have a law that says you cannot replace an unsafe product with another unsafe product, we’re putting people’s lives at risk,” he concludes. “And it’s a preventable risk.”

Of course, we all need some kind of lighting in our lives and, despite their flaws, LEDs may still be the best choice regarding light quality, energy use and environmental footprint. That said, researchers are busy at work on even newer lighting technologies that could render even today’s green choices obsolete.

CONTACT: UC-Irvine study, www.pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es101052q?prevSearch=irvine%2Bled.

Scientists demonstrate “information synchronicity” with quantum networks

Sandra Giger — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 19:57:39 +0000

Bloch sphere diagram of a quibit (WIkimedia)

Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics in Germany announced yesterday, in the journal Nature, they created an elementary quantum network to transmit data via photons.

The Max Planck quantum network was comprised of two nodes in two laboratories 21 meters apart that were connected by an optical fiber. To create the quantum effect, each node placed a rubidium atom in an ”optical cavity” between a pair of reflective mirrors half a millimeter apart. After stimulating the atoms by laser, the atoms emitted a polarized photon with matching filtering controls. One photon was translated as quantum information, and transmitted by optical fiber to the recipient atom, which accepted the photon as itself.

In classical networks, i.e. our information superhighway or today’s internet, we use binary bits to transmit data. Bits are set to 0 or 1. Bits are bundled, transmitted, or encrypted using mathematically-based methods and algorithms. Our classical networks are increasingly complex, in order to provide secure solutions.

I’m coining the term “information synchronicity” to help explain in household terms the physical phenomena that occurs in quantum networks. The “information superhighway” is no longer the right analogy to describe the quantum world. In quantum computing, a “qubit” is the unit of quantum information. The value of a qubit may be 0, 1, or a superposition expression of its state. See the “Bloch spere” diagram, which depicts a qubit. When two photons across a distance are filtered to be identically polarized, a strong correlation results, and the atoms are able to recognize or “feel” each other. This is known as “quantum entanglement”. The beauty and simplicity of a quantum network is that transmission between sender and recipient is securely dedicated to their message exchange. Synchronicity enables secure data transmission because no entity may “hack” or intercept the message because they cannot adopt that same photon identity.

To get my head wrapped around all this and what it implies, I contacted Sachiko Graber, a senior Physics major and Teaching Assistant at Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa. Ms. Graber explains, “Quantum networks are a really cool new way to implement ideas of quantum physics in the ‘real world.’” Ever since the famous EPR paper and thought experiment, physicists have been researching the possibilities of quantum teleportation. (The EPR Paradox paper, written in 1936 by Einstein, Podolsky, and Rosen, challenged quantum mechanics that it is impossible to know both the position and the momentum of a quantum particle at the same moment.) Ms. Graber says, “The high speed secure network is one possible application of the quantum networking idea. Quantum networks go one step beyond quantum cryptography, which uses quantum keys to keep data secure. A secure high speed network deploying quantum entanglement will be the next step. However, this is a very, very basic prototype. It will still be a long time before we get there.”

Quantum cryptology applications already exist in the “real world”. Since 2005, Department of Defense’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has supported a Raytheon/BBN and QinetiQ partnership for quantum cryptology on a network in the Boston-Cambridge, Massachusetts area. Voters in Geneva during the October 2007 Swiss parliamentary elections cast their votes securely using the process, by Id Quantique, which used secure encryption encoded by a key generated using photons.

I’m liking the term “Information Synchronicity”. Albert Einstein didn’t like the term “entanglement”. Instead he sardonically referred to entanglement as “spooky action at a distance.” In 1951, Carl Jung wrote and lectured on Synchronicity, regarding the nature of relationships and consciousness. Jung described synchronicity as an “acausal connecting principle” and drew parallels to quantum physics, and discussed it with Albert Einstein. In quantum networks, the awareness is atomic.

A quantum network is an exciting development, indeed! Future expectations are to extend applications to transmissions across space and long distance, to ships, airplanes, and satellites.

Cyberspace is a buzz about this. Nerd humor is all the rage in blog comments, such as on Engadget. Imagine, what is the next killer mobile quantum ap? What do you think? Share your comments.

When déjà vu is Flashback on a Mac, you’ve got trouble

Sandra Giger — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:50:03 +0000

Mac users have had it easy. We enjoy fun stuff without worrying about the endless toil and trouble of virus scanning, security patching, and the added expense, which we see our Windows cousins engage in.

But, do you recall updating your Mac for Adobe Flash? It’s a vague nauseous feeling of been there done that. Be aware, this likely was malware.

It’s called Flashback. It simulates an update for your Adobe Flash. We all do this. Most of us are probably generally aware that Apple and Flash are like apples and oranges, or rather oil and water. It seems as if Adobe updates are as frequent as iTunes updates. After a while we get lazy and drop our guard. Therefore, when we see another [annoying] update for Flash come across the screen, it’s no surprise…

You clicked install?! If it was Flashback, then it is a Trojan horse. Malware. We know now that this fake Flash module, which was first written about back in September 2011, lurks on your Mac, takes screenshots of your password screens, and ships them off to evil locations unknown…

Don’t let that happen to you… and don’t panic. Follow the method defined by the security experts to test for the virus, and if you find it remove it.

How to test if you are affected?

Find “terminal.app” in your Mac’s Applications/Utilities folder.
Click on Terminal to open.
You next type in or copy and paste the diagnostic commands.
Type these three lines:
- defaults read ~/.MacOSX/environment DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES
- defaults read /Applications/Safari.app/Contents/Info LSEnvironment
- defaults read /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/Info LSEnvironment
If each time you got the response “does not exist”, then congratulations, you dodged this bullet.

For those unlucky people with the Flashback Déjà vu:

I’m guessing you didn’t win Mega Millions. No worries, no one reading or writing this did either. Doctor Web and Kaspersky Lab, antivirus companies, estimated that by the end of last week, over 600,000 Mac computers were infected with some strain of the Flashback Trojan horse.

If you’ve got Flashback, please follow the advice of experts to get rid of it. Flashback exploited a vulnerability with a version of Java. You will need to update your Java, but you don’t want to toast your Mac further with more trial and error.

You have choices for help. Kaspersky Lab launched a website to help you diagnose and fix the issue.

Credit Juan Leon for creating an automated app to fix the problem. Or if you want the devil’s details, see Arstechnica.com’s diagnostic help plus “How to get rid of Flashback“, which they copied from F-Secure which first distributed a free fix and instructions.

Two more steps:

Even if you don’t have Flashback, prevent it from happening. If you haven’t yet today, go next to System Preferences or your Apple menu, and run a “Software Update…” You want your OSX and Safari up to date.

While you are housekeeping, why not delete your Flash cache, because your Flash cache is never cleared when you clean your browser cache and cookies(back to the Apple and oranges thing)? Repeat this occasionally because over time it’s a drag on performance for some Macs.

Go to System Preferences / Other, open Flash Player, and “Delete All” Browser Data and Settings.

Are you a Mac?

Hope this helps. Stay healthy! Whoever said Macs are zero-maintenance? Still pretty good by comparison. (Hey for zero-maintenance, how ’bout those Chromebooks, for those in the cloud? But I digress.)

For more information about the Flashback Trojan malware, read the blog from The Next Web Conference.

Apple may release smaller iPad

Erin Farnsworth — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:38:26 +0000

Rumor has it that Apple has been testing a smaller, 7.85 inch model of the iPad. This size change would be contrary to the late Steve Jobs’ opposition.

Apple blogger, John Gruber, said that the company is “kind of noodling” with the smaller iPad, and that the reduced size might appeal to markets overseas, especially Asian countries. The smaller tablets would be more convenient for commuters, though they would not necessarily have the same retina-quality display that the recently new iPad and iPhone have.

Facebook buys Instagram for $1 Billion

Bill Peloquin — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 20:55:28 +0000

Today was a historic day for Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook, as it marked the first time that the social site has acquired another hugely-popular (and possibly one day competitive) website or program. Through a statement posted to Facebook today, Zuckerberg announced that the popular mobile photo-sharing app Instagram will soon become an integrated part of Facebook. Instagram is a popular smart phone app that allows users to instantly edit and share photos that they take with their cell phones. From Zuckerberg’s statement:

“I’m excited to share the news that we’ve agreed to acquire Instagram and that their talented team will be joining Facebook. For years, we’ve focused on building the best experience for sharing photos with your friends and family. Now, we’ll be able to work even more closely with the Instagram team to also offer the best experiences for sharing beautiful mobile photos with people based on your interests.”

Before Instagram fans everywhere get upset about it, both Zuckerberg and Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom have assured users that much of the program will remain the same and that it will still be possible to use and enjoy the app without any relation to Facebook. In fact, Zuckerberg has promised to maintain Instagram’s ability to post to social networks other than Facebook, such as Twitter. Writes Zuckerberg:

“We think the fact that Instagram is connected to other services beyond Facebook is an important part of the experience. We plan on keeping features like the ability to post to other social networks, the ability to not share your Instagrams on Facebook if you want, and the ability to have followers and follow people separately from your friends on Facebook.”

So any anti-Facebook Instagram users out there can breathe a sigh of relief. Still, this important acquisition by Facebook begs the question: if the company can spend $1 billion (in cash and stock) to buy Instagram, what up-and-coming program or website can’t the company buy? Could this be the beginning of a spending spree, in which Facebook ends up snatching up every promising social-media style website that pops up? Zuckerberg tried to put the kibosh on that sentiment as well:

“This is an important milestone for Facebook because it’s the first time we’ve ever acquired a product and company with so many users. We don’t plan on doing many more of these, if any at all.”

Each day it seems more and more that the end goal for Facebook is to allow users to do everything on the internet without ever leaving the social networking site. Recently, the site made it possible to stream some movies straight from Facebook.

Gamer, YouTube sensation Athene launches Facebook-based fundraiser to end hunger

Anthony Geehan — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:57:54 +0000

2012 is beginning to make its mark as the year of online activism, from the multisite blackout in protest of S.O.P.A. and P.I.P.A. to the use of Twitter in organizing the Occupy Movement. Now, famous M.M.O.R.P.G. player and foul-mouthed YouTube sensation Athene has launched ShareCraft 2012, a competitive, customizable Facebook-based fundraising campaign. The goal of the campaign is to raise $1 million in 100 days to help alleviate the famine plaguing the Horn of Africa.

Athene’s YouTube video to launch the project originated as a reaction to the Kony 2012 success and subsequent fallout. In the video, Athene narrates, “Not long after (Kony 2012), the backlash started. The people that were supporting it were starting to get criticized for not doing their homework.”

Regardless of the debate, he continues, “The phenomenon of the film’s virality shows that the common perception of being powerless against injustice in the world and the idea that people tend to be indifferent is obviously inaccurate. The Internet has come to such a point that the only thing we need to overcome this widepsread belief is to collectively reach out for what we believe is right.”

With 9o days to go as of press time–the fundraiser ends July 4–ShareCraft 2012 has raised $137,500 from 2,078 donors. Donations can be made directly to the fund at opsharecraft.com, but the project’s hook is that contributors can start their own sub-fundraisers, using Facebook, Twitter and email to spread the word. Specialty gaming items from Razer will be given as prizes to the sub-fundraisers that raise the most money. The funds will ultimately be given to the Save the Children Foundation, an independent charity working to support the famine-stricken population of such countries as Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.

Google’s Project Glass introduces new, wearable HUD

Joe Sinicki — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 01:03:53 +0000

You’re running late. You need directions and your boss is calling you. You fumble through your pockets and pull out your phone, waiting for it load
everything you have to do. It’s really a hassle when you think about it. It’s also a hassle that Google is looking to make a thing of the past.

Today, the internet giant announced Project Glass, a revolutionary new eye-wear system that looks to blend your world, with the social and online experiences you already use like chat, maps and social media. Confused? Check out the announcement video:

Looks pretty cool right? Don’t get too excited, Google warns that the system is nowhere near ready for release, and is still in a very early development stage, noting that the video is just conceptual. “A group of us from Google[x] started Project Glass to build this kind of technology, one that helps you explore and share your world, putting you back in the moment,” the official Google Labs page stated. “We’re sharing this information now because we want to start a conversation and learn from your valuable input. So we took a few design photos to show what this technology could look like and created a video to demonstrate what it might enable you to do.”

Nick Bilton of the New York Times reported that even the actual hardware is still in development, and there are several versions of Project Glass currently being tested at Google HQ.

Want to help shape the future of Project Glass? Google is looking for feedback here

The television set-top box will die in 2012

William H. Thompson — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 18:41:17 +0000

About one trillion devices will be connected to the Internet by 2015, and that’s not just smartphones and mobile devices. Now even everyday items like thermostats and scales have embedded connectivity. Just think of your living room. I bet you need at least two hands to count the number of devices you have connected to your WiFi network: desktop and laptop computers, connected TVs and media players, phones, tablets and video game consoles, all competing for bandwidth and creating a huge amount of strain on your network. Now add Internet movie and music services like Netflix and Pandora to the mix, and it’s no wonder that the dreaded “buffering” symbol is making a comeback.

The old fix of scattering WiFi signal repeaters around your place won’t adequately solve the problems of buffering video and dead zones. But the solution may already exist, hidden behind your walls. The same coax cables that you use to receive cable or satellite TV can also deliver high speed Internet to your connected devices, eliminating buffering so that you can watch a movie on Netflix or game on Playstation without the inconvenience of 10 minutes loading time.

Right now each TV in your place is probably connected to a set-top box that receives its signal from coaxial cable. And if you have a smart TV or media players from companies like Roku, Apple and Western Digital, you run Ethernet cables out of modems and routers to each device, or connect all of them to WiFi. The result is a mess of wires and plugs, and devices that suffer from spotty Internet access. Not exactly the sleek home theater you dreamed about when you dropped four grand on a 60-inch wall-mountable flat screen.

The good news is that most cable and satellite service providers don’t want to rely on the set-top box anymore and are moving towards using existing coax wiring to deliver both television and Internet content to connected TVs…Meaning one less box littering your home theater set up. Look out for new service offers from your cable company that minimize the number of set-top boxes, and you’ll be on your way to eliminating these eyesores from your home. For example, DIRECTV has partnered with RVU to upgrade to its Whole Home service, which lets subscribers access one HD DVR on all TVs without set-top boxes. While Verizon has also announced its plans to eliminate the set-top box altogether.

Wired connections provide the strongest Internet connection but WiFi is a great option if you’re looking to eliminate wires and declutter your home entertainment area. IPTV devices like Roku, Boxee and Apple TV let you access Internet-only content through Netflix, Hulu Plus, YouTube and Pandora, but performance suffers if the devices are placed too far away from your router or single WiFi access point. Performance also decreases as the number of devices connected to the access point increases.

Using coaxial cable to create a network of multiple WiFi access points throughout your home dramatically improves signal strength and accessibility. This standard of technology, which uses coax to deliver multimedia content, is called MoCA (no, not the type you pick up at your local coffee shop). The technology is used in new networking solutions like WiPNET, which creates a wired backbone for your WiFi network to eliminate buffering from the home entertainment experience. This solution will be available in retailers nationwide in May.

The Catch-22 with WiFi is that as the signal grows faster, the range grows smaller. The new 802.11ac specs are incredibly fast, but one access point won’t have the reach of one currently transmitting 802.11g/n. Turning your existing network of coax cables into an Internet network with multiple Ethernet ports and WiFi access points will enable you to enjoy buffer-free television programming and IPTV content on your televisions, computers, tablets, videogame consoles and other connected devices anywhere in your house. So free yourself from being chained to your modem and set-top box…And stop wandering around your house, looking for a stronger Wi-Fi signal.

NetZero: Obviously using their own dial-up

Benjamin Nadeau — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 01:58:51 +0000

In attempt to once more become relevant, NetZero has added a new product: the
mobile hotspot. More popularly known for their dial-up services, NetZero has
developed hotspot locations in many places that Sprint and Verizon do not carry.

The most basic data plans from NetZero will be free, however, those services appear
to be slow and inefficient. In comparison to most smart phones, NetZero’s data plans
aren’t worth the wait or convenience.

NetZero has six data plans to chose from, ranging from free (200mb) to $50
dollars for 4gb a month. Available in hotspot form and USB, NetZero’s product has
contracts—something that most companies cannot offer.

Gas prices rise for 10th straight day

Benjamin Nadeau — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 01:43:41 +0000

Gas prices, such as in this gas station in Chicago, have been on a steady increase over the past ten days.

Around the country, people continue suffering at the pump as gas prices rise for the
tenth straight day. The nationwide average for a tank of gas was $3.54 a gallon just
last month; however, today’s prices stand at $3.842. Prices are quickly approaching
July 2008’s all-time high of $4.114.

Prices for oil itself have gone up 5% over the past month due to scares involving
Iran and possible complications in the near future. According to CNN, “Gasoline
averages more than $4 a gallon in seven states: Alaska, California, Connecticut,
Hawaii, Illinois, New York and Washington.” The lowest gas prices come from
Wyoming, but $3.43 a gallon isn’t low either.

Gas prices are up 17% this year and with the skyrocketing stock market, the prices
per gallon will most likely continue to go up.

Rumors of a new Google may be old news

Brittney McNamara — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 02:56:26 +0000

Google may be overhauling its search engine technology in a big way, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The popular search tool might begin to rely on something called “semantic search,” which finds that actual meaning of words. Keyword searches, which it uses now, won’t be abandoned in the overhaul but will be used in unison with the new technology. Google will also provide more answers and facts on its own, rather than linking to other sites, the Journal reports.

However, Search Engine Land refuted the rumors, claiming that Google already uses this technology, and it would not be new.

Google did not respond to questions from PCMag, or the Journal, and the source of the rumors is unknown so far. The news is believed to have stemmed from a Journal interview with Google executive Amit Singhal, in which he said the future of Google searches will “better match search queries with a database containing hundreds of millions of entities’ – people, places, and things – which the company has quietly amassed in the past two years.” He claimed the searches will be more intune with how people think.

Google being investigated by the FTC over privacy policy violation

Ivan Favelevic — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 02:22:49 +0000

Google may soon find itself in the ugly side of a legal investigation. An international group of government agencies is inquiring reports by Apple that the search engine giant used cookies as a method of tracking people’s activities on their computers. Apple’s web browser, Safari, has a privacy agreement which bans that type of tracking software.

The software was used as a method of targeting advertising to individual user. It not only affected computers, but iPads and iPhones were targeted as well.

“We will of course cooperate with any officials who have questions,” a Google spokeswoman said. “But it’s important to remember that we didn’t anticipate this would happen, and we have been removing these advertising cookies from Safari browsers.”

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is looking into Google’s practices and whether they are in violation of last year’s legal settlement where Google stated that they would not “misrepresent” its privacy practice with consumers, reports the Wall Street Journal.

According to the FTC, the fine for violating the agreement it $16,000 per violation, per day. Considering the millions of users using Apple’s browser, the bill can really add up.

Across the Atlantic Ocean, Europe’s investigation is being led by the French Commission Nationale de l’Informatique et des Libertés, or CNIL, which fined Google last year for collecting passwords when Google vehicles were gathering information for the Street View feature in Google maps.

The majority of Google’s revenue comes from ad sales, a practice that the company has made a premium for several advertisers by targeting ads to specific users.

Google’s recent jump into social networking came with Google Plus, a service that the company has pushed into all corners of the organization, said former Google executive James Whittaker. The company publicly stated that it had bypassed some of Apple’s privacy setting when implementing Google Plus’ “1+” button into the Safari browser.

Original source:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304692804577283821586827892.html

Google outbids Facebook to acquire Milk

Ivan Favelevic — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 19:22:04 +0000

The bidding war between two internet giants has come to a close as Google just acquired mobile app developer Milk, out bidding Facebook in the process.

The San Fransisco-based developer is helmed by Digg co-founder Kevin Rose.

TechCrunch reports that the acquisition cost around $30 million, making each of the employees in the small studio a millionaire.

Milk recently shut down its app Oink, a Yelp type app that allowed users to rate and suggest items within a store.

Apple’s shares climb to $600 in anticipation of iPad “3″

Ivan Favelevic — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 22:19:21 +0000

With the new iPad set to release this Friday, Apple’s stocks reached a record high of $600 per share. This 1.8 percent increase occurred for a brief time this moment before they settled back to $585. Nonetheless, this jump comes just one month after Apple’s shares broke the $500 mark.

Several analysts, including Gene Munster from Piper Jaffray who predicts’ the shares to rise above $700, have foreseen the stock domination by the company, especially after Apple reported its largest quarter ever in sales, earning $46.33 billion and profiting $13.06 billion.

As a company, Apple is now worth more than 84 percent of the world’s countries, including Argentina, Greece, Denmark and Austria.

Apple faces lawsuit over Siri functionality

Ivan Favelevic — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 03:39:51 +0000

A lawsuit has landed on Apple’s desks. A Brooklyn man is suing the Cupertino, California company over Siri, claiming it can’t understand directions, locate nearby stores and often produces incorrect answers.

Frank M. Fazio, claims that Apple is partaking in false advertising, with their ad campaign showing people using Siri to help them learn music, find a place to eat and schedule appointments.

“The iPhone 4S’s Siri feature does not perform as advertised,” the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court of Northern California reads. “…Siri is, at best, a work in progress.”

Apple holds the same view on Siri, calling it a beta product, yet fails to mention this in many advertisements.

While the personal assistant implemented on the iPhone 4S was received positively by consumers initially, Fazio is not the only one complaining. The biggest gripes with the service come from its need to always be connected to the internet, even for basic things such as voice dialing and texting. Last November, Siri had a day long outage as Apple suffered with its servers.

Apple co-founder Steve Wozmiak claims that Siri is actually performing worse than it did when it first launched, probably due to high demand as the service expands overseas. This expansion has come with a slew of new complaints relating to the phone not being able to understand non-English commands.

Nonetheless, sales for the iPhone continues to rise and implementation of Siri has already been announced for the new iPad.

Yahoo sues Facebook over patent infringement

Ivan Favelevic — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 20:10:14 +0000

Yahoo has been preparing to take “formal action” against Facebook over and unresolved patent claim. The homepage giant is claiming Facebook has violated its social networking and online advertising patents. Today, Yahoo has sued Facebook and released the following statement:

Yahoo! has invested substantial resources in research and development through the years, which has resulted in numerous patented inventions of technology that other companies have licensed. These technologies are the foundation of our business that engages over 700 million monthly unique visitors and represent the spirit of innovation upon which Yahoo! is built. Unfortunately, the matter with Facebook remains unresolved and we are compelled to seek redress in federal court. We are confident that we will prevail.

Talks with both companies had been in the works for the past couple of months, but an agreement could not be found. Facebook released the following statement.

We’re disappointed that Yahoo, a longtime business partner of Facebook and a company that has substantially benefitted from its association with Facebook, has decided to resort to litigation. Once again, we learned of Yahoo’s decision simultaneously with the media. We will defend ourselves vigorously against these puzzling actions.

All Things Digital’s Kara Swisher reports that Yahoo’s new chief executive Scott Thompson was behind the lawsuit against the social networking giant.

With Thompson’s takeover in January, the company has been restructured, with co-founder Jerry Yang and Chairman Roy Bostock leaving the company.

The lawsuit comes at a dangerous time for Facebook as the company prepares for its IPO. Yahoo used a similar tactic against Google when they were filing for IPO and managed to walk away with some pre-IPO shares.

The 10 patents Yahoo is using to sue Facebook can be found here

New iPad could face slowed down network and overage charges

Ivan Favelevic — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 19:28:35 +0000

It seems that the new iPad cannot catch a break. With news flowing around that preorders have been sold out, Signals Research reports that the new tablet may clog up 4G networks.

With the 4G networks of today being used very lightly, CEO of Signals Research, Michael Thelander says “The iPad is definitely going to be a challenge, and it will put a strain on the networks.” The new Retina display’s ability to output 1080p video will likely run up most people’s data limits and place a heavy load on the young network. At their present state, the 4G LTE networks are simply not ready for the massive bandwidth usage expected from the likely record breaking sales of the new iPad. The rise of 4G smartphones has been a gradual one, allowing for carriers such as AT&T and Verizon to prepare their networks. However, the high adoption rate for iPads will likely slow down the network, says Thelander.

AT&T’s network was torn apart by the introduction of the 3G iPhone a couple of years back. The network has since learned from that experience, yet the new 4G network is still not used to the traffic likely to be generated by the tablet.

Amit Malhotra, a vice president of Metrico Wireless, which helps test mobile device and network performance for carriers and manufacturers, says that “Most people are going to be limited by their data plans. One of the selling points of the iPad is the display; people are going to watch HD content, and that means larger files.” To add to the problem, Apple is now allowing 50 megabyte mobile apps to be installed on the App Store.

AT&T offers 3 GB of data for $30 dollars while Verizon offers 2GB for the same price. At those rates, one HD movie download will likely run up the monthly data usage for an average consumer. Verizon also offers 10GB for $80, but few people have adopted the plan. The new iPad will not be available on any other networks.

“What will likely happen is they will get very efficient at switching to Wi-Fi whenever there’s an opportunity,” says Malhotra.

Government gets swamped with requests under FOIA, attempts to be more “transparent”

Ivan Favelevic — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 00:50:03 +0000

The majority of denials for information has been done by the Central Intelligence Agency

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was made as a way for citizens to gain access to government files which they would never otherwise see. However, a new report by the Associated Press claims that the Obama administration cannot keep pace with the overwhelming demand for government documents.

The legality of the act claims that any citizen or foreigner can request to see copies of federal records so long as disclosure of said document won’t hurt national security, violate personal privacy or expose confidential decision making in certain areas.

More than 576,000 requests were filed by the government in 2011, a 5 percent increase from the year before. The report also states that government agencies responded to requests much faster than last year, with the average response being one month on “simple” requests and 3 months on more complex ones. One third of all requests were rejected due to the agency not being able to find a record, a person refused to pay for copies or the request was not allowed under the FOIA law. The White House itself claimed that it released part or entire records for 93 percent of requests.

According to the Associated Press, the government is becoming more transparent and, as White House spokesperson Eric Shultz said they are “making a strong effort to keep up with that demand by devoting more resources to it.”

The tumultuous year for U.S. operations abroad, with Osama bin Laden, trouble in Libya and the constant battle against the Taliban, makes it impressive that such an effort has been placed in sharing information with the public. Nonetheless, 4,244 times, the United States government denied a file due to national security reasons, with the majority of those denials coming from the CIA and Director of National Intelligence.

Original Source

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g39RKdGUH559I67_ntyAg956K7YA?docId=8a9fc9cef5974d7784baca41ac8ff450

“No iPad for you!” – Apple claims iPad pre-orders have been exhausted

Ivan Favelevic — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 22:01:28 +0000

iPad's pre-order stock has sold out.

If you were planning on getting an iPad on the March 16 launch date, you may have to wait a little bit longer. According on appleinsider.com, Apple has officially announced that the stock set aside for pre-orders has run out.

“Customer response to the new iPad has been off the charts and the quantity available for pre-order has been purchased,” a company spokesperson said. “Customers can continue to order online and receive an estimated delivery date.”

With the iPad 2 launch last year, Apple faced similar problems in their battle for retail dominance. The launch of the new iPad later this week is likely to break just as many sales records as its predecessor.

Original source:

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/12/03/11/apple_says_new_ipad_response_is_off_the_charts_preorders_sold_out.html

Facebook blacks out in Europe

Erin Farnsworth — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 14:01:08 +0000

Due to some technical difficulties, Facebook service was unavailable in some European countries on Wednesday.

The site was reportedly down for about two hours, and led frustrated users to turn to Twitter as a social networking backup.

A Facebook rep said “Today we experienced technical difficulties causing the site to be unavailable for a number of users in Europe. The issue has been resolved and everyone should now have access to Facebook. We apologize for any inconvenience.”

PC sales reported to increase 4.4 percent in 2012

Ivan Favelevic — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 21:00:56 +0000

Ultrabooks such as the Asus x21 are said to boost PC sales this year as competition grows in the tablet market.

According to Gartner Inc., PC shipments are expected to grow 4.4 percent over last year. That would total the number of units sold worldwide to 368 million.

The rise of ultrabooks in 2012 is said to be the main drive in sales as the year proceeds.

Consumers are more likely to pick up the super-light, super thin notebooks with the new promises of higher performance.

“PC shipments will remain weak in 2012,” said Ranjit Atwal, a research director at Gartner, in a prepared statement. “The real question is whether Windows 8 and ultrabooks will create the compelling offering that gets the earlier adopter of devices excited about PC again.”

Windows 8 is set to launch later this year. The new OS by Microsoft will feature a style reminiscent of tablets rather than traditional PC’s, prompting the company to unify its mobile phone services with its PC users.

However, these same tablets are said to be bringing the majority of the competition to the PC market. Atwal said that the PC market will need to play “catch up in bringing a new level of innovation that consumers want to see in the devices they purchase.”

Forbes reports that Apple Inc. remains the fastest growing PC vendor in the US while Lenovo is the fastest growing vendor in the world. Nonetheless, the top stop in both US and worldwide is held by Hewlett-Packard Co.

Sales of PC’s are said to reach more than 400 million by the end of 2013.

Retina display shortage may lead to delays on new iPad

Ivan Favelevic — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 20:04:56 +0000

NPD Display Search reports that the new Retina display for Apple’s “iPad 3” may suffer from shortages in the coming months. Manufactured by Sharp, Samsung and LG, the display is built to produce the ridiculous 2048×1536 resolution of the new tablet. However, Sharp’s decision to use IGZO TFT’s, rather than the standard a-Si TFT’s, has caused significant delays.

The IGZO model used by Sharp allows for smaller TFT’s, which in turn allow for more light to come through the back of the display, according to slashgear.com. This can keep costs down for the already high priced tablet. Production of the IGZO panels aren’t where Apple and Sharp want them to be, with some saying that Sharp has switched to the a-Si TFT’s used by LG and Samsung. However, this can be a problem for the Apple, seeing how the new iPad is said to have twice as many LED’s as its predecessor, requiring a low cost, high resolution display, in order to keep the battery consumption manageable.

The new iPad will likely see delays of two to three weeks and new orders, according to slashgear.com.

Original source:

http://www.slashgear.com/new-ipad-could-face-retina-display-shortage-09217699/

New iPad announced at Apple press conference

Ivan Favelevic — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 20:19:49 +0000

Apple CEO Tim Cook unveils the new iPad at an event in San Francisco

Every time Apple hosts a press conference, the eyes of the media are on them. Last year, we were expecting to see a new iPhone. What we got was an upgrade. This year we expected a new iPad, but in the end the upgrade is what we got.

Releasing March 16 the 3^rd generation iPad will feature a 2048 x 1536 Retina display, a quad core A5X processor and according to Apple have “1 million pixels more than an HDTV.”

The camera has seen a new update as well with a 5 megapixel iSight camera similar to that on the iPhone 4S. It will have autofocus and white balance as well as 1080p video recording.

Apple’s personal waitress, Siri, also comes included in the package as well as a voice dictation feature.

The new graphics processor and increased resolution makes for some amazing gaming, something that was heavily showcased at the conference.

A new app, iPhoto, will not let you edit your pictures right on the iPad and provide a more intuitive way to look at pictures.

The biggest feature by far is the inclusion of 4G LTE support with Verizon and AT&T carriers. Download speeds have been increased now, boasting a 21 Mbps HSPA+.72 Mbps LTE. Despite this, battery life will remain the same at 10 hours, 9 on 4G.

It will weigh 1.4 pounds and be 9.4mm thin.

Finally, it will retail for $499 for the 16GB wi-fi version, $599 for the 32GB, and $699 for the 64GB ($629, $729 and $829 for the 4G versions respectively).

To summarize, the New iPad features:

4G LTE with AT&T and Verizon
March 16th release date.
Siri included
iPhoto
2048 x 1536 Retina display
New camera with 1080p recording
$499 for the 16GB wi-fi version, $599 for the 32GB, and $699 for the 64GB ($629, $729 and $829 for the 4G versions respectively).

Law enforcement cracks down on “Anonymous”

Nicolette Orlemans — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 20:14:40 +0000

A flag for the Anonymous hackers group.

Cyber security is under constant threat as hackers are increasingly bold, organized, and sophisticated in their attacks.

Most recently, the loose confederation known as “Anonymous” has made waves for defacing and hacking websites ranging from the Boston Police Department to Paypal.

To track down hackers across the U.S. and globally, law enforcement efforts focused on one informant who would help catch the group of “politically inspired hacktivists,” the New York Times reported.

The informant’s aid helped charge four men in Britain and Ireland with computer crimes yesterday. In Chicago on Monday, the FBI arrested 27-year-old Jeremy Hammond in relation to a breach of Stratfor, a global intelligence provider. He hacked into Stratfor, allegedly stole credit card information, and accumulated $700,000 worth in charges, the New York Times said.

Two others, Darren Martyn, 25, also known as “Pwnsauce,” and Donncha O’Cearrbhail, 19, known as “Palladium” were also charged in New York, according to the New York Times.

Law enforcement members have reason to suspect a possible association of the prosecuted hackers with the Anonymous movement. Interpol recently announced 25 arrests of people suspected for being Anonymous members, the New York Times reported.

Serving as the informant, 28-year-old New Yorker Hector Xavier Monsegur – -known for his Twitter alias “The Real Sabu” — is a former hacker who pleaded guilty to counts of conspiracy in attacking computers last August.

Since his court appearance, Monsegur continued to spur on followers — and potential hackers — to instigate computer attacks on companies and government agencies, the New York Times reported. He also suggested his followers attack Interpol’s websites following the arrests of the potential Anonymous members.

One of his tweets suggested the federal government consists of “cowards,” and he urged his followers, “Don’t give into these people. Fight back. Stay Strong.”

According to the New York Times, the informant’s ability to hack and simultaneously “deceive fellow hackers” could “sow even more distrust in the ranks of Anonymous.”

“It is going to be very difficult for Anonymous to recover from such a breach of trust,’’ said Mikko Hypponen, a security researcher at F-Secure Labs in Helsinki, in an interview with the New York Times. “You can see the Anonymous people now looking left and right and realizing, if they couldn’t trust Sabu, who can they trust?’’

Anonymous has been known for its methods that aim to “slow or shut down sites,” or to “break into computer systems and expose embarrassing communications,” the New York Times noted. Other Anonymous hacking victims have been Fox News, Sony, and the FBI.

LulzSec founder turned informant in hacker group criminal probe

Sachin Seth — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 18:45:10 +0000

Hector Monsegur, also known as "Sabu"

Just six months ago, the leader of one of the most infamous hacking collectives in the world was defending his independence.

The 28-year-old father of two had disappeared for a few months, and it was rumored he was working with the feds. He vehemently denied the accusation to Gawker’s Adrian Chen, who managed to get him on the phone in September. Sabu simply said, “that’s bullshit”. A very concise defense.

But the FBI revealed Tuesday that this leader, known as Sabu, had been working with them for “several months”. Information he had provided to the authorities led to the arrests of five members of his own hacking collective, LulzSec, a group that has claimed responsibility for attacking the likes of, among others, Sony, Fox, IBM, the Brazilian government, the CIA and the FBI.

Now, Sabu, otherwise known as Hector Monsegur, is facing a backlash from the community he once represented. Gawker posted photos of him, branded with the word “traitor” in all capitals. Hacking collective Anonymous, a group from which many LulzSec members came, hacked into Panda Security, an anti-virus firm, and posted the following open letter on their website:

“Yeah yeah, we know, Sabu snitched on us. As usually happens FBI menaced him to take his sons away. We understand, but we were your family too. (Remember what you liked to say?)… It’s sad and we can’t imagine how it feels having to look at the mirror each morning and see there the guy who shopped their friends to police.”

The threat of going to jail for several years on a plethora of charges and leaving his two kids behind was apparently too much for Hector/Sabu to bear.

Many have supported the efforts of LulzSec and Anonymous, as many see their efforts as humorous campaigns that expose the vulnerabilities of various companies and governments. More recently, the hacks have been often been of a political nature, working to expose corruption and express opposition to the War on Drugs, as well as to back whistleblower site WikiLeaks.

The hacks however have reportedly caused billions of dollars in damage to governments, banks and companies, though this figure has never really been explained. Of course it costs money and manpower to restore sites and fix system vulnerabilities, and pushing these governments and companies to do this is something for which many security professionals have applauded LulzSec.

It seems though, with the recent hack on Panda Security, that despite the arrest and detainment of five prominent LulzSec hackers and Sabu, the hacks won’t stop. One would suspect that the hacks might become more widespread or increase in severity, as a symbol of the collective’s continued strength.

The arrest of Sabu and the LulzSec hackers won’t make companies, governments and firms less vulnerable to attacks. If anything, for the next little while, Anonymous will look to prove its strength and independence from the “traitor” by hacking again. And again. And again.

And others will likely follow. Especially at a time where anti-government sentiment, in every corner of the world, is at an astonishing high.

Bradley Manning, KimDotcom, now Sabu. The authorities are getting who they want, but the all out spree is going to inspire others to pick up where these men left off. These emulators will likely work harder to make sure they cover their tracks, just to stick it to the feds.

UPDATE: Looks like I was right. Anonymous claiming responsibility for shutting down the Vatican’s website, CNN reports.

A simple, straightforward, cheap guide to buying cables and wires

John M. Guilfoil — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:46:58 +0000

Here’s the one thing you need to know about computer and audio/video cables: They’re cheap.

“NO!” you exclaim, perturbed by my obvious and odious lie and my use of purple prose in this paragraph.

“YES!” I retort. Cheap indeed and not expensive, either!

“But I spent $75 at Best Buy on an HDMI cable, and…”

Yeah, you’re an idiot. Though it’s not your fault. You, like many before you, have been duped by the markup gods and the big box retail game.

The truth is, depending on your technological needs, you can get away with paying little to nothing for cables and wires. Here’s what I mean:

Case #1: I have a new HD flatscreen television with a cable box. I do not have surround sound or an A/V receiver to hook up

You need: One HDMI cable. It will handle audio and video.

You could get away with: One component video cable (Red/Green/Blue plugs) and a Red/White RCA audio cable.

You should spend: $0. Comcast will give you either cable for free. Ask for the HDMI cable. It’s one wire that does everything instead of five wires. HDMI also supports 1080p, whereas component video only goes to 720.

What the stores have tried to sell me: An $89 — yes $89 — Monster HDMI cable. Again, you should spend ZERO dollars for the same quality.

Case #1a: I also have a Blu-ray player.

You need: To buy an HDMI cable, because it most likely did not come with your $30 Blu-ray player.

You could get away with: Asking your cable company nicely for a second HDMI cable. They literally have piles of these things.

You should spend: No more than $5. Don’t believe me? Click here.

The stores have tried to sell me: The $89 — yes $89 — Monster HDMI cable and a $35 optical audio cable. You don’t need an optical audio cable when you’re using HDMI. Ever.

Case 2: I have a flat-screen television, a brand new A/V surround sound receiver, a cable box, and a Blu-ray player.

You need: Speaker wire, a subwoofer cable, possibly a subwoofer Y-adapter, and three HDMI cables. You run one HDMI cable from the television to the receiver and one each from the receiver to the cable box and Blu-ray player. Same with a PlayStation 3. No audio cables needed. You run speaker wire from each speaker to its corresponding port on the receiver. DO NOT buy banana plugs or any other kind of accessory for the speaker wire. It’s simply another point of potential failure. Just use the bare wire.

You can get away with: Do not use component video cables. You’ll have to buy a separate coaxial or optical audio cable for surround sound (Dolby Digital/DTS) audio. Just use HDMI.

You should spend: $5 or less per HDMI cable and no more than about $15 for the speaker wire.

The stores have tried to sell me: The $89 — yes $89 — Monster HDMI cables, $35 optical audio cables, $40 Monster speaker cable and $10 speaker cable attachments.

Case 3: I have several home networking devices, including a NAS device, home theater PC, video game consoles, and a network printer

You need: Cat 6 cables and a gigabit router with Wireless N. You can use Wi-Fi for things like Wii, room monitors/security cameras, a smart thermostat, etc. For an Xbox 360/PS3, a computer, a NAS, and anything that is storing photos, videos, or music, you should make sure it is plugged into the network directly. Just my advice. Some will say Wi-Fi is there, but I say plug it in.

You can get away with: Cat 5e cables and a gigabit router with Wireless N.

You should spend: About $100 on the router (see this story) and $2-20 on each network wire.

The stores have tried to sell me: Extremely marked up routers and $20-40 cables. Think twice.