Minority Report Is Closer Than You Think
Technology is getting ahead of us. We can no longer assume the things we see in films like Minority Report or even Blade Runner are merely science fiction. Still it is a bit of a surprise to discover the future is closer than we think.
I sure hope the future doesn’t turn out as bleak as it was painted in the 2002 film but if it does at least we’ll have some idea of what to expect (and how to prepare). So keep your mind alert, pay attention, and be prepare to fight for your rights.
Here are 5 proofs that we’re on our way to a Minority Report society…
Robot Spiders: In the wake of the catastrophic aftermath of Japan’s earthquake and tsunami earlier this year including the nuclear power plant radiation leaks, robotic spiders have become a well received exploratory tool for dangerous situations. Helpful, agile, and kinda creepy, these robots can sense gas leaks and venture into radiation prone areas to help solve problems. Some models even jump! Sounds like a brilliant idea – but still… creepy!
Retinal Scanning: This has been happening for a while at airports. Digital thumb print and retinal scanning is becoming more common (especially when entering certain countries). Who’s to say this won’t become a more common security measure in the future, outside the airport? And if it does will criminals go to the lengths they went to in Minority Report? Having eye transplants, stealing eyeballs? I sure hope not.
Personalised Shopping: Customised advertising is already happening. Just take a troll through Gmail or Facebook. But when you combine this with retinal scanning, and kinect, the ideas are endlessly expanding.
Jet Packs Are Here: In Horsham, UK, Eric Scott aka Rocketman is now teaching people how to fly a jetpack in his own training school. Yes, I’m serious. Watch the video!
No-Touch Computing: Remember those scenes with Tom Cruise standing in front of a see-through computer in his office and waving his arms around to access files? That’s coming. It’s started with the Kinect. The great thing about this is the possible uses of Kinect technology are expanding not just through Microsoft but due to hackers and curious creatives from inside their own home. Microsoft once shunned these hackers but now embraces the ideas coming from users. The possibilities are endless!
Guest Post: K Newey is a copywriter who enjoys sci-fi films and speculating about the future. She recommends cross cultural training, because greater cross cultural communication is likely to be needed as we progress through time.
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New Features of Internet Explorer 9 and Its Uses
When you open up Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 9, the first thing you may notice is that it looks and feels more like Chrome or Firefox. Microsoft is keeping IE9 up-to-date with plenty of useful, user-friendly new tricks. Read on for 7 of the best new features.
New Feature: Quicker speed, better performance.
For more intensive webapps, IE9 now uses hardware acceleration, using your GPU to help keep things running smoothly. It also has plenty of HTML5 support. This means that many pages should load better and faster.
How to Use It: Well, you’ll be using these features when you surf, but you can test them out on Microsoft’s Internet Explorer Test Drive Page. You can play simple games and demos, like Texas Hold‘em, to see for yourself how much the browsing experience has improved.
New Feature: Download manager.
IE9 lets you view and manage your downloads from a handy window.
How to Use It: In IE9, click the Tools button Picture of the Tools button, then click View downloads. IE9 will show you the name of the file you downloaded, its size, and other basic information.
New Feature: Performance advising.
The Add-On Performance Advisor checks out the add-ons you installed and tells you which ones are slowing IE9 down the most.
How to Use It: After you install an add-on, keep an eye out for an IE9 notification. It will only come up if IE9 notices a significant lag. Use the information to decide which add-ons to remove.
New Feature: Panel notifications.
IE9 has replaced jarring popup notifications with quiet panels that slide up from the bottom of the browser.
How to Use It: When you see a small panel appear on the bottom of the browser, take note of it, and click on it when you have the time. It will wait for you to act without hassling you.
New Feature: Tab tearing.
Now you can change tabs into new windows without having to reload the page you were on.
How to Use It: Click the tab you’d like to turn into a new window and drag it away from the tab bar. It will pop into a new window right away.
New Feature: App shortcuts.
IE9 can dock bookmarks straight to the taskbar when working with popular web services like Twitter, Facebook, and Pandora.
How to Use It: Go to the site you’d like to dock, such as Twitter, and drag the URL down to the Taskbar. This will create a shortcut with a jumplist that lets you go to certain parts of the site right away. Clicking on it will open the site in its own window.
New Feature: Address bar that offers search suggestions.
Internet Explorer 9 now combines the search bar, address bar, tabs, and options buttons on the top toolbar. The address bar also gives you search suggestions using your browser history and Bing, even including pictures to prompt you.
How to Use It: Type what you’re searching for straight into the address bar. IE9 will help you figure out what you want. Then, just go ahead and start searching.
These features will make your browsing experience faster and easier. IE9 is free from Microsoft, so give it a try today.
Raychel Davis contributed this article. After you’ve installed Internet Explorer 9, make sure you visit her blog at CreditDonkey where you can find the 10 best credit cards for rewards.
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Robot Journalists?
Can a computer be programmed to write newspaper articles? Or even fiction? Novels? Poetry?
We may be at that threshold in the development of artificial intelligence. A company in Evanston, Illinois called Narrative Science has created software that can generate short articles when provided with basic data. For example, given sports statistics or a company’s financial spreadsheet data, the software can generate an end-of-game report or a quarterly financial report that reads as if it has been written by a person, not a machine.
Computer-written articles already on the market
Narrative Science is already selling its services to news outlets and publications. The Big Ten Network, for example, a joint venture between Fox News and the Big Ten Conference, has relied on Narrative Science for short recapitulations of college baseball and softball games since the spring of 2010. Not only was the software able to generate these reports, but it could also incorporate the suggestions of the service’s editors to improve the quality of its writing over time.
The software can even vary the tone of its writing based on the history of its subject matter, as well as the immediate data. It makes decisions similar to what a living writer would, regarding the appropriateness of a particular adjective or modifier (e.g. whether an election result should be described as a “landslide” or a “squeaker”), and remembers earlier efforts in order to modify future ones.
So far, the technology is only being used for small filler pieces such as game recaps, but having passed that hurdle there is no reason inherent in the technology’s limits that it could not be expanded to more challenging and lengthy journalism as well. Nor is Narrative Science likely to remain the only company marketing software-generated writing indefinitely. This is almost certainly a growing field.
But what about real creativity?
Of course, writing a short nonfiction article is a fairly straightforward, logical task that can be broken down into parts understandable by a computer program. What about something really challenging, something few human beings can do well, such as writing a novel, a screenplay, or a poem?
To date, the software created by Narrative Science has not been used for such tasks. But should we assume that there is any reason concealed in the limitations of computer science that it could not be adapted for the purpose? What is the creation of a believable and interesting character except putting together a story from data, whether real or fictional? There are rules to the creation of a plot just as there are to the writing of a short article.
The researchers who created Narrative Science speak of a computer program winning a Pulitzer Prize within the next five years. And they are determined that the program to do it will be one of theirs.
A.I. will never be the same as human work. If thinking of hiring a new employee, use background check services first.
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What is Apple’s New Thunderbolt Technology?
Thunderbolt was originally an interface technology designed by Intel under the code name “Light Peak”.
The first commercial implementation of Thunderbolt was in the Macbook Pro series that was introduced in February 2011. In this case, Thunderbolt was using the Mini DisplayPort connector.
Initially, the technology was intended to use optical fibre as the physical medium but instead tjos was abandoned in favour of using cheaper copper wiring. It was found that the copper medium was capable of handling to 10Gbit/s requirement for bandwidth.
It is planned that Thunderbolt will move to optical fibre technology in the future, which will be based on a flexible fibre technology developed by Intel.
The other reason that Thunderbolt moved from optical fibre to copper is the ability to deliver 10W of power to devices.
Whats so good about it
Thunderbolt is capable of supporting up to 6 daisy-chained devices on each Thunderbolt port. Apple specified the displays should be at the end of the chain.
Thunderbolt is about 20 times faster than USB 2.0 and each channel is twice as fast as USB 3.0.
There are already a number of devices on the market with Thunderbolt ports, but this number should grow over time. The main things on the market are Displays, Video Capture devices and Storage.
Thunderbolt can be converted via a number of other devices to communicate with more convential devices such as DVI and HDMI screens, network devices and USB.
The Macbook Air also uses Thunderbolt which alleviates problems conceived with a lack of ports, and unlike other laptops of its size is very functional in a clamshell position compared to other ultra light laptops.
Who else is using it
Sony have used the Light Peak technology in their Z-series of ultra lightweight notebook computers. A Thunderbolt controller is used to ensure very fast communication with the external docking station that the notebook attaches to.
Future Use
Thunderbolt is capable of functioning at speeds of over 100Gbit/s which will happen over the next several years.
Backwards Compatibility
Thunderbolt is essentially a combination of PCI express and Displayport data in such a way they can be transferred simultaneously. This means that Thunderbolt is backward compatible with many Displayport devices. It is also very easy to make compatible with other video standards such as DVI, HDMI, VGA and Dual-Link DVI.
Conclusion
Thunderbolt shows promise to be a handy interface which should see good use over the next decade. How much penetration this product has in the non-Apple PC market is yet to be seen, but the technology seems to have all the required ingredients to be a powerful player on the market.
This feature on technology innovation comes to you from HirePulse, a site that links Australian businesses, contractors, consultant services, freelancers and professional services. Made with the assistance of Living Online.
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Intel Processors – The Changing Phases of Computing
Intel Corporation is one of the largest American multinational companies that was established in the year 1968. The most visible sign on computers with the caption of ‘Intel Inside’ is a sign of their supremacy with Intel processors for computers. This is the largest manufacturing company in the world when it comes to a series of microprocessors among a wide range of other computing products. Through the years of the 1990s the most advanced range of processors in the world that was used in all makes of computers and laptops was the Pentium range. Following the new onset of the new millennium there were the dual Core processors that ruled the market with its prowess of performance. The latest that has come to be offers from the company is the i3, the i5 and the i7 range of processors that is taking the world of computers by storm. It has given a new dimension to the performance of some of the latest range of laptops offered by companies.
The second generation Intel core processor range has three products within it – the i3, the i5 and the i7 range. Among these the i3 offers a four way multitasking with some of the latest inbuilt visuals with it. There is a larger cache that comes with it so that you can always engage in all kinds of multitasking on your computer or laptop. It gives you better guarantee of performance which is unhindered and uninterrupted. Another interesting aspect is the affordable pricing that comes even with this latest processor in laptops. Manufacturing companies like Sony Vaio, Dell and Toshiba are offering some of the latest and innovative features at prices that are easily affordable and cost-effective if considered with the features.
Next in line to be offered as part of the second generation Intel processors is the i5 range. There are several variants available in this range that will be available as part of computers and laptops depending on their range of functionalities and prices as well. This is a highly powerful range that has a processor frequency ranging from 2.30 GHz to 3.30 GHz. Most of them come with Intel High definition graphics. You will also find while checking that there are two speed rates of the graphic frequency that is provided. This is an indication of the Dynamic Frequency Feature that is available with this range. There is an operation possible at both these speed levels to which the processor will automatically adjust itself dynamically switch itself based on the graphic workload that is experienced.
One of the finest products from Intel processors till date will surely have to be its i7 range of the components; this is available for some of the high end computing devices that are available today. It gives one of the best of sharp and high clarity computing experience. Its presence brings you the computer on television feature; there are some of the best high definition visuals in store for you in addition multitasking benefits.
It is also compatible with some of your gaming and multimedia tasking through your devices.
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Emerging Cyber Threats Report 2012
The Georgia Tech Information Security Centre (GTISC) and the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) recently published the 2012 Emerging Cyber Threats Report examining Mobile Threats, Botnets, Controlling Information Online and Advanced Persistent Threats. Worth the read!
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Norton 360 5.0 Review & Test Vs. 20+ Pieces of Malware
Norton 360 Version 5.0 Video Review #1
Norton 360 Version 5.0 Video Review #2
Malware detection score: 100%
In two tests against over 20 pieces of malware, Norton 360 Version 5 detected everything as checked by a range of additional programs including heavy hitters Malware Bytes and Hitman Pro. I am impressed! Along with a high virus detection rate, Norton have added a new feature: Facebook wall scanning. Facebook wall scanning inspects the Facebook applications installed on a given profile for any malicious code, an excellent component for parents of young children who frequently use the popular social networking site.
Links
Norton 360 V5. Download
| Product | PCs Protected | Length | Price | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Norton Internet Security 5.0 | 3 | 12 months | 99.99 AUD | Visit Symantec |
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avast! Internet Security 6.0 Video Review
Welcome to another review, this time covering avast! Internet Security 6.0 and presented byClam AV
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Kaspersky 2012 Internet Security (Beta) Review & Video
The Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 beta has been recently released, on track for launch in the next three to four months.
The first thing you will notice about Kaspersky 2012 is a redesigned user interface, refreshed for a cleaner look and feel. I like it!
Other differences from Kaspersky 2011 include:
Pros:
- Safe Run for websites is easier to use when enabled. Safe Run mode ensures confidential data entered into the browser is not saved and that browsing history is cleansed – kind of like an enhanced ‘incognito’ mode.
- Reports feature new statistic views and a cleaner interface for identifying blocked files and malicious URLs
- Automatic backups of quarantined files, in the event that a false positive occurs and the user needs to restore a file, expanded below
Cons:
- Still crashes sometimes, but can be excused as is still in beta
In a malware test, Kaspersky 2012 continues in the traditional Kaspersky style of non-interruptive, background protection. When malware files are requested via an internet browser, Kaspersky 2012 will display a friendly message to the user notifying them of its protective activity, a feature useful to those who perhaps have family members new to computing or young children who may not understand why a particular site is not loading.
In the event that Kaspersky finds what it thinks is a malicious program, it will automatically quarantine the file in the same way as it did in the 2011 edition. However, Kaspersky 2012 brings a new feature: to prevent the deletion of a misdiagnosed file (which can happen with any antivirus program) Kaspersky now creates a backup automatically and stores it in ‘quarantine’. This could be extremely useful in the event that an important file had been wrongly classified as dangerous and needed to be restored, and allows Kaspersky 2012 to safely increase detection with less risk to the user.
All in all, looks like a really promising product!
Links:
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Norton Internet Security (2011) vs. Kaspersky Internet Security (2011)
Two of 2011′s most popular internet security applications are run against each other in a test against multiple pieces of malware.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Winner
- Norton
with a score of 100%. More information about Norton Internet Security 2011
Insights
- Norton made one critical detection earlier than Kaspersky, stopping the offending malware from downloading more viruses. Kaspersky allowed the file to run which meant that it was constantly battling newly downloaded viruses throughout the test. In an everyday situation, the Kaspersky user would have performed a full scan earlier instead of continuing to barrage the system with malware – however, in a testing environment, this could not be allowed. As a result, in this case, Norton performed better.
- Both programs are similar on memory usage
- Norton Cloud protection is extremely useful, sharing community information among computer users worldwide
- Kaspersky seems to allow the PC user get a little further than Norton (not quite as strict), allowing files to be run in a quarantined environment. However, the quarantined environment, in the end, was not enough to fully protect the computer. In everyday computing, this could have been a different scenario.
Norton Internet Security performance
- CMD: blocked
- Fake Antivirus package: blocked
- WS.Reputation.1: blocked
- Trojan.Win32.VB: Norton recommended that because nobody is using the file, to not use the file until more is known. The user is then prompted to remove
- WS.Reputation.1: blocked
- Packed.Generic.308: blocked
- WS.Reputation.1 Trojan (alternate version): blocked
- Heuristic Trojan Win32: Norton cautions the user but doesn’t identify, prompts to remove from system
- Ws.Reputation Trojan (alternate version): blocked
- Trojan.FakeAV!gen31 (fake antivirus): blocked
- Installer_m_104 (fake antivirus): blocked
- Trojan.Gen: blocked
- WS.Reputation.1 (alternate version): blocked
- Downloader: blocked
- Kill Trojan: blocked
- Malware pack of 3 files: blocked
- Malware pack of 8+ files: blocked
Score: 100%, confirmed with Malware Bytes and Hitman Pro scans
Kaspersky Internet Security performance
- CMD: allowed
- Fake Antivirus package: blocked
- WS.Reputation.1: allowed initially, but then quarantined. As the virus ran, it continued to download more malware causing the system to become extremely slow.
- Trojan.Win32.VB: blocked
- WS.Reputation.1: allowed
- Packed.Generic.308: blocked
- WS.Reputation.1 Trojan (alternate version): blocked
- Heuristic Trojan Win32: blocked
- Ws.Reputation Trojan (alternate version): blocked
- Trojan.FakeAV!gen31 (fake antivirus): blocked
- Installer_m_104 (fake antivirus): blocked
- Trojan.Gen: blocked
- WS.Reputation.1 (alternate version): blocked
- Downloader: blocked
- Kill Trojan: blocked
- Malware pack of 3 files: blocked
- Malware pack of 8+ files: blocked
Score: could not finish in full. In an everyday environment, this would have likely been a different scenario as the user would have performed a full scan earlier in the process instead of bombarding the machine with more malware.
Test date: October 16, 2010
Tester: Geraner – many thanks for producing some excellent videos and for risking your PC’s for us!
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