Ken Garen, CPA, Co-Founder and President, UBCC

Wave fingers, make faces: The future of computing at Intel The chip giant is working on "perceptual computing" technology that will sense your emotions and your body language. Here's an inside look. Shara Tibken by Shara Tibken  November 29, 2013 4:01 AM PST SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- If the next big wave in devices turns out to be gestures and eye tracking, Intel wants to be ready. Intel is the king of PCs, but it hasn't always been ahead of evolving innovations. Its processors power more than 80 percent of the world's computers and the vast majority of its servers, but Intel has made little headway in smartphones and tablets. To spur interest in PCs again, as well as persuade more mobile device makers to use its chips, Intel has devoted significant resources and efforts to something it calls "perceptual computing." Perceptual computing may sound like a jargony, marketing term, but it does just what it says -- it uses the senses to help

The 'spy camera' that takes 3D photos in almost COMPLETE darkness by measuring photon particles in the air   ·          MIT scientists developed a camera that works by reconstructing 3D images from photons reflected from barely visible objects ·          The technology could be used in next generation spy cameras or to treat eyes that are easily damaged by bright light ·            By   SARAH GRIFFITHS PUBLISHED:   11:35 EST, 29 November 2013   |   UPDATED:   11:47 EST, 29 November 2013 Spies operating under the cover of darkness might find that their job is about to get easier as U.S. scientists have developed a camera that can take photographs of objects and people that are only very dimly lit. The camera works by reconstructing 3D images from photons reflected from barely visible objects. The technology could be used in next generation spy cameras or to treat eyes that are easily damaged by bright light. The camera works by reconstructing 3D imag

Homeland Security's Latest Nuclear Defense System Could Be All of Us Location-aware tech is rapidly becoming a part of our lives, but it could also turn each of us into an early warning threat-detection system for a government that’s always watching. By Joshua Rivera Location-based services are great for things like discounts at nearby restaurants, or a heads-up for traffic, or tracking a morning jog. But what if your phone could take action on your behalf in the event you drove past (say) a rogue nuclear weapon? Last month on the U.S. government’s Federal Business Opportunities page, a Request for Information was posted for what’s being referred to as a Human Portable Tripwire system. The request serves as a sort of tentative inquiry--it’s not so much a positive indication that the federal government will move ahead with a project as it is an opportunity for private citizens to mentally prepare themselves to become de facto bomb sniffers. Theoretically, the Huma

Microsoft very sore after backdoor probe by NSA, will now encrypt networks Snooping on private messages 'breach of the 4th Amendment' By Iain Thomson, 27th November 2013  Microsoft is scrambling to encrypt its data centers' interlinks – after a fresh Snowden leak suggested the NSA and GCHQ tapped into the cables and intercepted sensitive network traffic. Documents obtained by the Washington Post from the whistleblower show that Microsoft's Hotmail, Windows Live Messenger services and Passport communications were scanned by software called Monkey Puzzle, which was developed at the British snooping nerve-center GCHQ. Reaching into the private unencrypted interlinks allows both intelligence agencies to effectively spy on Microsoft customers, and copy their messages and address books, it is claimed. "These allegations are very disturbing. If they are true these actions amount to hacking and seizure of private data and in our view are a breach of th

The internet mystery that has the world baffled For the past two years, a mysterious online organisation has been setting the world's finest code-breakers a series of seemingly unsolveable problems. But to what end? Welcome to the world of Cicada 3301 By Chris Bell 11:00AM GMT 25 Nov 2013 One evening in January last year, Joel Eriksson, a 34-year-old computer analyst from Uppsala in Sweden, was trawling the web, looking for distraction, when he came across a message on an internet forum. The message was in stark white type, against a black background. “Hello,” it said. “We are looking for highly intelligent individuals. To find them, we have devised a test. There is a message hidden in this image. Find it, and it will lead you on the road to finding us. We look forward to meeting the few that will make it all the way through. Good luck.” The message was signed: "3301”. A self-confessed IT security "freak” and a skilled cryptographer, Eriksson’

Pandora Switches Course In Its Royalty Fight With The Music Industry NOV 26, 2013 - 1 HOUR AGO   By Michelle Quinn MICHELLE QUINN Faced with a formidable new competitor in Apple’s iTunes Radio, Pandora, the Oakland online radio company, has switched course in its lengthy battle with the music industry over how much it pays in royalties. The company is giving up pursuing federal legislation, according to reports this week. The legislation, the Internet Radio Fairness Act, would reduce rates webcasters like Pandora pay to rights holders. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Jason Chaffetz, (R-Utah), hasn’t said what he will do now that the bill’s biggest booster has apparently abandoned the effort. Instead of going to Congress, Pandora is expected to focus on the next review by the Copyright Royalty Board,  which sets the rates webcasters pay, according to Billboard. The publication also quotes a Pandora representative saying that the firm may negotiate directly with labels. Apple d

Your phone is talking behind your back -- to your doctor Monday - 11/25/2013, 7:34am  ET KATE ANDRIES, Capital News Service COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Your phone knows everything about you -- how much you walk, talk and what level of Candy Crush you're stuck on -- but soon it could be spilling secrets to your doctor. More and more physicians are prescribing apps that help track their patients' illnesses through information collected by their smartphones. "[The trend] just seems to be exploding," said Seth S. Martin, a Pollin cardiovascular prevention fellow at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. "With the widespread use now of smartphones, it's a really exciting opportunity to help people live healthier lives." Apps like Ginger.io and those developed by the Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies (CBITs) at Northwestern University collect data through smartphones and web activity and relay that information to healthcare pro

Inside a Twitter Robot Factory Fake Activity, Often Bought for Publicity Purposes, Influences Trending Topics By JEFF ELDER Nov. 24, 2013 6:25 p.m. ET One day earlier this month, Jim Vidmar bought 1,000 fake Twitter accounts for $58 from an online vendor in Pakistan. He then programmed the accounts to "follow" the Twitter account of rapper Dave Murrell, who calls himself Fyrare and pays Mr. Vidmar to boost his standing on the social network. Mr. Vidmar's fake accounts also rebroadcast Mr. Murrell's tweets, amplifying his Twitter voice. Mr. Murrell says he sometimes buys Twitter ads to raise his profile, "but you'll get more with Jim." He says many Twitter users try to make their followings look bigger than they are. "If you're not padding your numbers, you're not doing it right," he says. "It's part of the game." Mr. Vidmar offers a window into the shadowy world of false accounts and computerized r

NSA infected 50,000 computer networks with malicious software by Floor Boon, Steven Derix and Huib Modderkolk NEWS The American intelligence service - NSA - infected more than 50,000 computer networks worldwide with malicious software designed to steal sensitive information. Documents provided by former NSA-employee Edward Snowden and seen by this newspaper, prove this. A management presentation dating from 2012 explains how the NSA collects information worldwide. In addition, the presentation shows that the intelligence service uses ‘Computer Network Exploitation’ (CNE) in more than 50,000 locations. CNE is the secret infiltration of computer systems achieved by installing malware, malicious software. One example of this type of hacking was discovered in September 2013 at the Belgium telecom provider Belgacom. For a number of years the British intelligence service - GCHQ – has been installing this malicious software in the Belgacom network in order to tap their custom

TAKE THAT SELFIE IN THE DARK! NIGHT VISION IS COMING TO SMARTPHONES By AJ Dellinger  —   November 20, 2013 Phone cameras have a mortal enemy: darkness. Selfie may be the word of the year, but there isn’t a phone on the market that can take a good one in the dark. That problem may be no more with Snooperscope, an iOS and Android compatible night vision attachment. Launching a crowdsource funding campaign starting tomorrow on HWTrek.com, Psy Corporation is aiming to raise $60,000 to help bring the Snooperscope to fruition. Does the company have any relation to Korean music sensation and temporary YouTube star Psy? Probably not, but we’re going to pretend it does. Regardless of his attachment to the project, if you were to ever hear someone humming “Gangnam Style” late at night, you could attach the Snooperscope to your mobile device of choice and quickly identify Psy searching through your trash to see if he left his cultural relevance there. The Snooperscope connects to y

NOVEMBER 22, 2013, 4:22 PM Twitter Toughening Its Security to Thwart Government Snoops By NICOLE PERLROTH and VINDU GOEL Jacob Hoffman-Andrews, right, a security engineer at Twitter, had been pushing the company to adopt forward secrecy for some time, but did not get much support for the project until the recent revelations about the National Security Agency's surveillance practices. Noah Berger for The New York Times A year ago, hardly anyone, save for cryptographers, had heard of Perfect Forward Secrecy. Now, some customers are demanding it, and technology companies are adding it, one by one, in large part to make government eavesdropping more difficult. On Friday, Twitter will announce that it has added Perfect Forward Secrecy, after similar announcements by Google, Mozilla and Facebook. The technology adds an extra layer of security to Web encryption to thwart eavesdropping, or at least make the National Security Agency’s job much, much harder. (Update: T

Google to create a fashionable, prescription lenses for Glass: Report Published: Friday, 22 Nov 2013 | 4:19 PM ET Google is in talks with at least one eyewear company about creating a fashionable, prescription lenses version of the company's long-awaited Google Glass device, The Wall Street Journal said Friday. According to the report, the company is exploring ideas with VSP Global, a national vision benefits provider, but the discussions are in early stages and so far, the companies have no formal agreement. Google's Internet-connected eyewear lets users receive search results, read email, scan maps for directions and engage in video chats without reaching for their smartphones, but many fear its current design is a bit too nerd friendly. "Down the road I think this technology is going to blow up," said Dr. Matt Alpert, an optometrist who is on the board of VSP Global and is an early tester of Google Glass. "As soon as apps are developed tha

Samsung to Pay Apple $290M Says Jury, for a Discounted Total of $929M By Michelle Maisto  |  Posted 2013-11-22  A jury tasked with recalculating damages Samsung owes Apple came up with a figure that lightens the original $1.05 billion to $929 million. Apple has been awarded $290 million in damages by the U.S. jury tasked with recalculating a disputed portion of the fine owned to the iPhone maker, after a jury this summer found Samsung guilty of infringing on Apple patents. The figure puts the total damages owed to Apple at around $929 million. During the third quarter of 2013, Samsung posted record-breaking profits, thanks in part to its successful smartphone portfolio, of $9.56 billion. The original jury awarded Apple $1.05 billion—an amount, it was later decided, that was based on inaccurate calculations. While the jury in August found Samsung to have "willfully" violated seven design and utility patents, including those for the iPhone and iPad, U.S. Di

NHTSA May Mandate That New Cars Broadcast Location, Direction and Speed November 19, 2013 - 4:10 PM By Terence P. Jeffrey (CNSNews.com) - Before the end of this year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will decide whether or not to begin the rulemaking process to mandate that newly manufactured cars include what is being called “vehicle-to-vehicle” (V2V) communications technology that constantly broadcasts via radio wave the car’s location, direction, speed and, possibly, even the number of passengers it is carrying. “NHTSA expects to make a decision on V2V technology by the end of the year,” a spokesman for the agency told CNSNews.com. That point was reaffirmed by NHTSA Administrator David Strickland in testimony in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee today, where he said the agency will “decide this year whether to further advance the technology through regulatory action, additional research, or a combination of both.” “We expect