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Friday, May 23, 2014

drag2share: The Tech World Can Learn From Nature To Stop Viruses From Spreading

source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/~3/41Td87oDRw0/computer-security-divided-we-stand-2014-5

virus CDC About 1.3 billion people use one or other version of Microsoft's Windows operating systems, and well over a billion have downloaded Mozilla's Firefox web browser. Minor variations aside, every copy of these products--like all other mass-market software--has exactly the same bits in it.

This makes such software a honeypot for hackers, who can write attack code that will cause precisely the same damage to, say, every copy of Windows 7 it infects. Worse, the bad guys can hone their attacks by practising on their own machines, confident that what they see will be what their victims get.

This computing monoculture--which also extends to the widespread use of particular pieces of hardware, such as microprocessors from Intel and ARM--has long been the bane of technologists. In the face of a near constant onslaught from hackers, antivirus software is frequently several steps behind the foe.

Symantec, one of the commercial pioneers of online security, estimates that antivirus software now stops only 45% of attacks. The firm recently declared that this approach was "dead" and a new one was needed.

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drag2share: YouTube will soon let you crowdfund projects directly on the site

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/23/youtube-crowdfunding/

Plenty of users weren't happy when YouTube ditched its commenting system in favor of Google+, and following that backlash the video-sharing service has been working hard to prove it's listening. Its latest effort is a "Creator Preview" video teasing upcoming features inspired by the feedback of channel owners. These include a standalone mobile app with more useful tools and a new crowd-funding option that lets you contribute money directly through YouTube.

The ability to donate to projects without having to hit up Kickstarter or Indiegogo is probably the most interesting tidbit, but a new app tailor-made for creators is also pretty interesting -- especially for those who want to manage their accounts on the go. Finally, captions and subtitles will soon be crowd-sourced for 60-plus languages, as YouTube says more than 80 percent of its traffic comes from outside the US. No word on when these new features will show up, but for now you can check out the video below.

Filed under: Internet

Source: YouTube Creator Blog

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drag2share: Martha Stewart Loves Flying Her Fancy Drone All Over Her Farm

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/martha-stewart-has-a-drone-2014-5

Martha Stewart has a drone, and she absolutely loves it.

In Vanity Fair, Stewart delights in talking about her drone — a fancy "AR 2.0" model by a French company called Parrot — which she only flies around outside (it would just "bang into stuff" indoors, she says.)

This is the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 Power Edition:

Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 Power Edition

Stewart tells Vanity Fair,

“It has a little camera. You connect it to your iPhone, and you can control it with your iPhone, and it flies all over my farm and takes pictures. It takes wonderful aerial photographs … I keep it up pretty high. And you can control the altitude, you can control the speed, you can control where it’s going. It’s easy to use, actually. You can really control it, it’s gentle. It’s lightweight, too; it’s very beautiful.”

She says she likes getting photos of her farm animals.

This is the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 Power Edition in action (not Stewart's personal drone, but the model she has):

Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 Power Edition

Join the conversation about this story »

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drag2share: Make Popsicles Melt More Slowly with Gelatin

Source: http://lifehacker.com/make-popsicles-melt-more-slowly-with-gelatin-1580133617

Make Popsicles Melt More Slowly with Gelatin

Popsicle season usually means popsicle drips and messes. An easy way to slow the ice pop melt is to add a bit of gelatin to your homemade popsicles.

Amber Lou on The Paisley Cake shares this tip: Add a package of Jell-O to the juice you're using for the popsicle and freeze as usually. Gelatin is the ingredient used in "slow-melt" ice pops you find in the grocery.

Besides reducing the chances of stains, the added gelatin should also improve the texture and consistency of the popsicle. (For a vegetarian option, Popsicaholic notes you can use agar or carrageenan instead.)

No more dixie cup, coffee filter, or cupcake liner hacks necessary to catch drips.

Almost Un-meltable Popsicles | The Paisley Cake

Photo by ChristophLacroix.

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drag2share: Pixelmator 3.2 Adds New Repair Tool, Lock Layer Support, and More

Source: http://lifehacker.com/pixelmator-3-2-adds-new-repair-tool-lock-layer-support-1580100558

Pixelmator 3.2 Adds New Repair Tool, Lock Layer Support, and More

Mac: Pixelmator, our pick for the best image editing software for Mac, got updated today with a few handy new features. Included in the update is a new repair tool, support for locked layers, and more.

The big improvement here is the new repair tool. It's been completely redone and now includes a few new options. The quick repair option makes it easy to remove small objects from images, the standard repair option does the same with larger objects, and the advanced tool does the same with giant objects on complex backgrounds (see above). Also included in this update is support for locking layers. It's a standard feature in image editors and it's nice to get it in Pixelmator. You'll also get new 16-bit per channel support, some interface improvements, and the ability to convert selections into shapes.

Pixelmator ($29.99) | Mac App Store

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drag2share: Google is working with Ruckus Wireless to build a Wi-Fi network in the cloud

source: http://gigaom.com/2014/05/22/google-is-working-with-ruckus-wireless-to-build-a-wi-fi-network-in-the-cloud/

Google is working with Wi-Fi equipment maker Ruckus Wireless to build a large-scale Wi-Fi network in the cloud off of which any business could hang its wireless routers, according to a source familiar with the project who asked not to be named.

Google's plans to supply Wi-Fi services to small and medium-sized businesses was first reported by The Information on Wednesday. But I have gotten more details on what its network would look like and how it would be rolled out. Google has been working closely with Ruckus, trialing a new software-based wireless controller that virtualizes the management functions of the Wi-Fi network in the cloud, according to my source. The end result would be a nationwide — or even global — network that any business could join and any Google customer could access.

Both Google and Ruckus declined to comment.

Photo: Flickr / Affiliate

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drag2share: This enormous fog bank looks like a cotton wool tsunami

Source: http://sploid.gizmodo.com/this-enormous-fog-bank-looks-like-a-cotton-wool-tsunami-1580031216/+caseychan

This enormous fog bank looks like a cotton wool tsunami

This enormous fog bank—which embraced Lake Michigan—looks like a beautiful cotton wool tsunami moving slowly across the water. Fog banks are usually caused by fast changing temperatures and are amazing to witness, as long as you don't have to navigate through them.

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drag2share: The motion capture in Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes is simply stunning

Source: http://sploid.gizmodo.com/the-motion-capture-in-dawn-of-the-planet-of-the-apes-is-1580043101/+caseychan

The motion capture in Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes is simply stunning

I knew the apes in Dawn of the planet of the Apes are entirely made with CGI using the actors' facial expressions and body motion. Still, watching this side-by-side comparison between the motion capture work and the final VFX is still pretty amazing.

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drag2share: The 10 Algorithms That Dominate Our World

Source: http://io9.com/the-10-algorithms-that-dominate-our-world-1580110464/+ericlimer

The 10 Algorithms That Dominate Our World

The importance of algorithms in our lives today cannot be overstated. They are used virtually everywhere, from financial institutions to dating sites. But some algorithms shape and control our world more than others — and these ten are the most significant.

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drag2share: A Battery-Free, Pocket-Sized CPR Coach Ensures You're Really Helping

Source: http://gizmodo.com/a-battery-free-pocket-sized-cpr-coach-ensures-youre-re-1580146411

A Battery-Free, Pocket-Sized CPR Coach Ensures You're Really Helping

It might look easy, but properly performing CPR to save someone's life—and not injure them in the process—does require a specific technique. Since not everyone's taken a first-aid course, the Cardio First Angel serves as an impromptu CPR instructor that ensures you're doing it right, no matter how limited your medical know-how might be.

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drag2share: This Vacuum Brewer Infuses Your Tea (or Booze) With Almost Anything

Source: http://gizmodo.com/this-vacuum-brewer-infuses-your-tea-or-booze-with-alm-1578676256

This Vacuum Brewer Infuses Your Tea (or Booze) With Almost Anything

With mixology and DIY designer beverages on the rise, it's no wonder that users want more control. Enter BKON's new Craft Brewer, an impressive piece of machinery that infuses liquids in a perfect vacuum. Gizmodo recently got a hands-on demo at the iconic Counter Culture in Soho—and this thing can brew.

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drag2share: BlackBerry's ultra-secure chat gives each message its own security key

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/22/bbm-protected/

BBM Channels on BlackBerry 10 and Android

Chat systems like BBM and iMessage are typically very secure, since they're encrypted end-to-end. However, they still have a glaring flaw: if intruders do crack the code, they can see everything you've said. That's where BlackBerry's soon-to-launch BBM Protected comes in. As the company showed at its BlackBerry Experience Washington event (CrackBerry's video is below), the new service makes it extremely difficult to spy on an entire conversation. Each message has its own random encryption key; even a very clever data thief would only get one tidbit at a time, so it could take ages to piece together a full chat.

BBM Protected will only be available for corporate-controlled BlackBerry devices when it launches as part of an enterprise suite in June, although that will include anything running the now-ancient BlackBerry OS 6 or higher. The chat client won't be available for personal phones running BlackBerry Balance until early fall, while Android and iOS users will have to wait until late fall or early winter. All the same, it might be worth holding out if you're really, truly worried that someone is watching your private discussions.

Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile, Blackberry

Via: BGR

Source: CrackBerry

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drag2share: Drone equipped with Google's 3D-sensing phone won't be deterred

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/22/project-tango-equipped-drone-wont-be-deterred/

Google wants to put its Project Tango handsets in orbit, but researchers from the GRASP Lab at UPenn are keeping things on the down-low with one of their already-clever quadrotors. If you'll recall, Tango has a depth sensor, motion tracking camera and two Movidius vision processors to create an internal 3D map of its surroundings. That should, in theory, keep the drone aligned with pinpoint accuracy and no GPS signal. Judging by the video below, it worked perfectly -- the quadrotor stuck to a fixed point and pre-programmed flight path despite some healthy shoves. That should help future autonomous drones react better to their environment if we decide to send them out for, say, delivery duty.

Filed under: Cellphones, Transportation, Alt, Google

Via: IEEE Spectrum

Source: Vijay Kumar (YouTube)

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drag2share: Go Inside The Futuristic NYC Hotel Where Practically Everything Is Controlled By Tablet [PHOTOS]

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/citizenm-times-square-hotel-tour-2014-5

citizenm times square CitizenM, a new hotel in New York City's Times Square, is a beautiful combination of high tech and high design.

Guests check in using a station of touchscreen computers, and each room can be customized using a sleek Samsung Galaxy tablet. Artwork by Andy Warhol and David LaChapelle line the walls.

CitizenM operates branches in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, London, Glasgow, and Paris. In April, the boutique hotel chain opened the new location in Times Square, its first in the United States.

The brand's emphasis is on affordable luxury. Each of the 230 rooms has the same layout, and rates start at $199 a night.

The hotel is both artistic and futuristic, with some stunning design details and impressive technology.

Welcome to citizenM Times Square.

Even before you enter the hotel, you'll see a wall full of art and knickknacks.

There's no reception desk at this hotel. Instead, guests use this kiosk of touchscreen computers to check in, though hotel 'ambassadors' in red shirts stand close by if you need help.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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Thursday, May 22, 2014

drag2share: Researchers Figured Out How To Make Robots That Can Assemble Themselves Into Any Type Of Furniture

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/roombots-2014-5

May 22, 2014 09:40

Above is an animation of how small robots might recombine themselves to form a chair! Here's what they look like in real life:

May 22, 2014 08:05

Researchers at the EPFL — that's École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne — have built awesome modular robots called "Roombots" that can join together to make mobile structures, even furniture.

Each ball-shaped robot is capable of rotating in two diagonal halves, so this makes some curious movement possible. Check out how they can form a figure that waddles across the floor:

May 22, 2014 08:12

The balls can connect to each other (each has several green-tinted "joints"), but they can also pair with passive, non-robotic "plates" to introduce surfaces to the equation. Here's an animation of how they might come together to form a table:

May 22, 2014 08:15

The real value here is in mobile furniture that can accommodate the elderly or disabled. Watch how this table, outfitted with Roombots, can adjust its height and move into position for someone with limited mobility.

May 22, 2014 08:10

Auke Ijspeert, head of the EFPL's Biorobotics Laboratory, said, "Eventually, all you'll need to do is program the layout of a bedroom or a conference room, then let the modules do the work."

A full video demo appears below:

Join the conversation about this story »

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