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How-To-Succeed-at-Local-Internet-Marketing
JP
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Future LEDs Could Transfer Data, Light Up Your Room
JP
Right now, we rely on radio wave to pass data wirelessly from one device to another, but that approach has inherent limitations. For one, there is only so much radio bandwidth to go around. That already limited space is crowded with TV signals, cell phone radios, Bluetooth headsets, and, most obviously, radio stations. Then, there is the fact that radio waves can pass through walls, which is great for networking a home, but also great for hackers who want to snatch your personal information out of the air.
Researchers believe they’ve found a solution to these problems in LEDs. Those tiny lights that are popping up in desk lamps and flashlights may represent the next generation of wireless networking. (They’ve got to be LEDs; fluorescent and incandescent bulbs won’t work.) By flickering the lights in a room, scientists were able to transfer data at up to 230 Mbps, about the same speed as high-end 802.11n routers. This was accomplished using commercially available bulbs and flickering them millions of times faster than the human eye could perceive. Researchers believe that doubling that rate should be a fairly simple task.
Continue reading Future LEDs Could Transfer Data, Light Up Your Room
Future LEDs Could Transfer Data, Light Up Your Room originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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'American Idol' for Hackers: The U.S. Government's Latest Recruitment Strategy
JP
Attention, amateur hackers: Uncle Sam wants you to help fight cyber-crime — and he’s getting pretty desperate, too. As cyber-attacks become more complex and virulent, the U.S. government has poured billions of dollars into securing our nation’s digital borders. Problem is, it’s facing a severe shortage of manpower. Out of the roughly 20,000 “elite” cyber-experts that the U.S. needs, there are only about 1,000 currently fighting the good fight. Faced with this dearth of expertise, and with a national training program that’s proven to be flawed, governmental agencies and private companies alike have broadened their recruitment wingspan in an effort to dig out whiz-kid diamonds in the rough.One of the people spearheading this revamped recruitment initiative is Alan Paller, co-founder and research director of the Sans Institute cyber-security school, and who, according to Newsweek, is “kind of a real-life version of Professor Charles Xavier.” Paller’s already devoted 20 years to training cyber-crime fighters at Sans, and has recently come up with a particularly unique way of finding talent. In 2009, he co-hosted the first Cyber Challenge, an ‘American Idol’-style contest in which 240 contestants had to hack into 12 servers, each one worth a specific amount of points. The winner (who subverted the system by ingeniously hacking the scoreboard) was eventually offered a scholarship at Sans, and the National Security Agency later hired eight other contestants for internships. Since then, the competition has started to gain steam as an effective recruiting tool, as both the FBI and Air Force have decided to offer internships and scholarships to future winners. Needless to say, the payoff can be handsome. The average cyber-security expert, according to Indeed.com, pulls in about $102,000 per year.
Continue reading ‘American Idol’ for Hackers: The U.S. Government’s Latest Recruitment Strategy
‘American Idol’ for Hackers: The U.S. Government’s Latest Recruitment Strategy originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Compose E-mails With Your Mind... For $12K
JP
Filed under: Computers
We’re sure plenty of you have drooled longingly as labs trot out brain-controlled computer interfaces, and thought to yourself, “When will I get me a piece of that?” Well, wonder no more, our poorly spoken friend, because that day is quickly approaching.
A company called G-Tec has announced the commercial availability of its brain-computer interface, dubbed Intendix. The Intendix comes with an EEG cap for measuring brain activity and special hardware to translate brain waves into usable commands. Right now, the technology is limited to text-based entry, which means it’s great for e-mail, texting, and perhaps other programs (if you’re a command line ninja), but not very useful for Web browsing.
Continue reading Compose E-mails With Your Mind… For $12K
Compose E-mails With Your Mind… For $12K originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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FCC Considering Free Wireless Broadband as Part of National Plan
JP
The FCC won’t unveil its long-awaited National Broadband Plan until next week, but it has already hinted at what would be one of its most intriguing items: free wireless access. As Reuters reports, the Commission was pretty mum on details, but did say in a statement that offering a “free or a very low cost wireless broadband service” to specific swaths of the population may significantly boost online accessibility. In the same statement, released at the Digital Inclusion Summit, the FCC said that it would also recommend that Congress create a volunteer Digital Literacy Corps, which could offer Internet training to targeted communities with low wireless coverage rates.
It’s important to keep in mind that these are only recommendations. The FCC will surely beef up the argument for providing free Internet, and will hopefully offer some sort of outline about how to go about implementing it. Ultimately, though, it’ll be up to members of Congress to pick and choose what parts of the FCC’s proposal it wants to put into action. Given the political gridlock that’s recently taken hold of Capitol Hill (and the sadly realistic possibility that “socialist Wi-Fi” could ignite another powder keg of Tea Party hysteria), we wouldn’t get our hopes up, even in a country where one-third of the population doesn’t have high-speed access. Providing free or subsidized broadband makes absolutely perfect sense — which is exactly why we’re not optimistic about seeing it come to fruition.
(Ed. note: The story’s title should have read “FCC Considering Free Wireless Broadband,” not “Free Wi-Fi.”) [From: Reuters, via: LifeHacker]
FCC Considering Free Wireless Broadband as Part of National Plan originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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U.K. to Muzzle Dangerous Dogs With Microchips and Pet Insurance
JP
Filed under: Computers
Dog owners in Britain might soon have extra incentive to keep their canines on a short leash. According to an Associated Press report posted on Huffington Post, government officials want a microchip installed in every dog in the U.K. In addition, the owners of the dogs would be required to purchase insurance on the animals.
The argument being that cheap microchips, costing between $15 and $52 to install, would make it easier for authorities to track the pet’s owner, since the rice-grain sized chip can be scanned for personal information in the event of an attack. Insurance, on the other hand, which could cost around $34 a month, would ensure that dog-attack victims are financially compensated.
Continue reading U.K. to Muzzle Dangerous Dogs With Microchips and Pet Insurance
U.K. to Muzzle Dangerous Dogs With Microchips and Pet Insurance originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Google Apps Marketplace Launches for Business Users
JP
One of the few communities in which cloud-based services have been slow to take root is that of business. Sure, the average Joe is fine trusting his e-mail and scheduling to Google or Yahoo!, but enterprises still rely heavily on expensive desktop and server-based programs that cooperate with products like Microsoft’s Exchange. Last night, though, Google fired yet another shot in the battle for the hearts and minds of business users when it launched the Google Apps Marketplace.
The premise is simple enough. Google Apps users with their own domains can search the marketplace for cloud-based applications that will integrate directly with their Google services. For example, domain managers could add the Aviary design suite or Inuit’s Online Payroll app to their Google apps dashboard. These apps can also directly communicate with apps like Google Calendar or Talk to pull in schedules or to allow in-app instant messaging.
Continue reading Google Apps Marketplace Launches for Business Users
Google Apps Marketplace Launches for Business Users originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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A Cat Mask Won't Save You: Chatroulette Map Exposes Your Location
JP
Filed under: Web, Social Networking
One of Chatroulette’s most enticing features is its anonymity. The user who would be otherwise reticent to appear on a webcam for a stranger — in any stage of dress — has been emboldened by the fact that he and his partner have no idea who the other is. This is also one of the main reasons that so many disembodied genitals tend to appear on any given Chatroulette session; with no names, e-mails, or other methods of contact, Chatroulette users are free to be whoever — and show whatever — they want.
Not so, anymore. An (ironically) anonymous developer has recently launched Chatroulette Map, which zeroes in on your broadcast location. Chatroulette directly connects users to one another, exposing their IP addresses. Chatroulette Map exploits this feature by grabbing your IP, an attached screenshot of your coordinates, and situating you on its Google map.
Continue reading A Cat Mask Won’t Save You: Chatroulette Map Exposes Your Location
A Cat Mask Won’t Save You: Chatroulette Map Exposes Your Location originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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'Tweet Your Location' From Twitter Next Move in Location-Based Blogging
JP
Filed under: Web, Social Networking
Like moths drawn to a flame, the titans of the social networking world have all begun implementing various location-based features into their platforms. Now, following the recent news of Facebook’s upcoming location-based status updates, Twitter has officially thrown its hat in the ring by allowing users to “Tweet With Your Location.”
While developers have long been able to tweet their locations with the Twitter API (Application Program Interface), it now seems that the option has been introduced to all members of the Twittersphere. As TheNextWeb reports, the feature allows your followers to pinpoint the precise location from which you tweet, with the help of Google Maps. Should you choose to enable it, a little pin will pop up underneath your tweets, as well as beneath those in your stream. When you click on the pin, a small Google Maps window will pop up alongside the text, mapping out exactly where the tweet was first posted. A few users actually spotted the tweet-mapping option on Tuesday before Twitter decided to suddenly take it down. Yesterday, though, the company appeared to have rolled it out officially — just in time, not coincidentally, for the SXSW festival, and all the location-based hype that’s been building up around it.
Continue reading ‘Tweet Your Location’ From Twitter Next Move in Location-Based Blogging
‘Tweet Your Location’ From Twitter Next Move in Location-Based Blogging originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Packed With Tweens and Bands, MySpace Not Dead, Just Slow
JP
Filed under: MySpace, Web, Social Networking
Admit it. You’d pretty much given up on MySpace. Struggling to keep pace with the two-headed monster of Facebook and Twitter, the once proud social network seems to have both feet in the grave. But don’t go signing that death certificate just yet; MySpace may be slow, but thanks to a new surge of younger users, it’s far from dead.
Despite enduring the resignations of two CEOs last year, MySpace, according to USAToday, has managed to carve out a social media niche for itself, and is even expected to haul in a handsome $350 million in revenue this year. By going back to its roots, MySpace has made a conscious effort to distinguish the site as a place for younger audiences to “discover and be discovered.” With a greater selection of games, and a more pointed emphasis on entertainment news for the ‘Twilight’ crowd, the site has amped up its campaign to draw in more of the 13-to-34 age demographic — which, by the way, comprises a whopping 84-percent of MySpace’s total user base.
Continue reading Packed With Tweens and Bands, MySpace Not Dead, Just Slow
Packed With Tweens and Bands, MySpace Not Dead, Just Slow originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments