Google Creates A "Computer Brain"

There's a certain grim inevitability to the fact that the YouTube company's creation began watching stills from cat videos

Google Creates 'Computer Brain' - And It Immediately Starts Watching Cat Videos On YouTube -- Daily Mail

* 16,000 processors create brain-style 'neural network'
* Network learns by itself to identify cat faces
* Works with pool of 10 million images from YouTube

Google has created an 'artificial brain' from 16,000 computer processors, and sat it down with an internet connection.

There's a certain grim inevitability to the fact that the YouTube company's creation began watching stills from cat videos.

The team, led by Google's Dr Jeff Dean, used the 16,000 processor array to create a brain-style 'neural network' with more than a billion connections.

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My Comment: I am not a "cat person".

Google Expected To Announce An In-House 'Nexus' Tablet

Tomorrow Google is expected to announce an in-house 'Nexus' tablet: To date, the best Android tablets have been models like the Samsung Galaxy Tab (pictured)

Google I/O Conference 2012 Predictions: Tech Giant To Present Its Vision For The Future Of Android And Search Tomorrow -- Daily Mail

Enthusiasts look forward to...

* Google Goggles: A pair of glasses with a built-in 'heads-up' display
* Google Nexus tablet: Google's first attempt at an in-house Android tablet
* Google Assistant: Google's take on Siri voice-controls
* Android@Home: Controlling your house appliances via Android
* Jellybean: The next version of Android's operating system

Google kicks off its annual developer's conference tomorrow - and we will get a glimpse of what Google sees in our future.

The three-day 'Input/Output Conference' is Google's way of keeping developers abreast of what is happening within the company, but it is a good chance for the public to find out what products and services to expect in the year or two ahead.

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My Comment: I wish them luck.

The Man Who Makes Sure That Facebook Remains Up And Running Each Day

Photo: Jay Parikh runs Facebook's infrastructure (Credit: Facebook)

The Man Who Keeps Facebook Humming (Q&A) -- CNet

Jay Parikh is a key person responsible for making sure Facebook remains up and running each day.

Jay Parikh is happy to never get a call from Mark Zuckerberg. Why? It means he's doing his job well. As the vice president of infrastructure engineering at Facebook, Parikh is charged with the enormous task of keeping the machines that run Facebook operating with as few hiccups as possible. As Facebook now approaches 1 billion users, and continues to roll out more features that connect people every which way, that challenge grows. Which is why Parikh, who this morning gave the keynote at the Velocity conference in Silicon Valley, has been hard at work building out Facebook's back-end technology and data centers.

I met up with Parikh at Facebook's headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., and discussed a range of topics. Here's an edited version:

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My Comment: I suspect that he has Mark Zuckerberg's direct cell phone number .... and vice versa.

The New Crime Wave

Automatic Bank Robbers Making A Killing -- Tech Eye

Don't even need a mask or a shooter just pray to Zeus

The days of masked robbers walking into a bank with a sawn off shotgun have gone the way of the Highwayman.

According to Reuters, a new wave of automated hacking of online bank accounts has lifted $78 million in the past year from customers in Europe, Latin America and the United States.

Insecurity experts working for McAfee and Guardian Analytics said that the weapon of choice is no longer a shooter but one of two families of existing malicious software, Zeus and SpyEye.

Previous versions of the software automate the transfer of funds to money mule accounts controlled by mates.

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My Comment: $78 million may not seem much .... but I suspect that this is just the beginning and that this crime will grow exponentially with time.

MI5 Chief Issues Warnings Of Cyber Attacks

MI5 boss Jonathan Evans has warned that companies in the UK are fending off an 'astonishing' level of cyberattacks. Image credit: Security Service

MI5 Fighting 'Astonishing' Level Of Cyber-Attacks -- BBC

MI5 is battling "astonishing" levels of cyber-attacks on UK industry, the intelligence agency's chief has said.

In his first public speech for two years, Jonathan Evans warned internet "vulnerabilities" were being exploited by criminals as well as states.

The attacks were a threat to the integrity of information, he added.

Mr Evans also warned the London 2012 Olympics was an "attractive target" for terrorist groups, but said security preparations were well under way.

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More News On The MI5 Chief's Report On Cyber Attacks In The U.K.

MI5 boss: Cyber spies, web-enabled crooks threaten UK economy -- The Register
MI5 chief: Massive cybercrime wave putting businesses at risk -- ZDNet
MI5’s cyber-attack warning -- The International News
MI5 chief: Cyber terror threat to UK companies is on an 'industrial scale', as he reveals one firm lost £800m -- This Is Money
MI5 chief: Cyber attack threat is "astonishing" -- Tech Eye
MI5 Chief Warns of 'Astonishing' Levels of Cyber Attacks -- International Business Times

Another Reason Why Coffee Is Good For You

New research shows a possible benefit from coffee consumption, but like with so many other things we consume, it really depends on how much coffee you drink, the researchers say. (Credit: © RTimages / Fotolia)

Moderate Coffee Consumption Offers Protection Against Heart Failure, Study Suggests -- Science Daily

ScienceDaily (June 26, 2012) — While current American Heart Association heart failure prevention guidelines warn against habitual coffee consumption, some studies propose a protective benefit, and still others find no association at all. Amidst this conflicting information, research from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center attempts to shift the conversation from a definitive yes or no, to a question of how much.

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My Comment: Two cups a day is what keeps me going.

Juliet Marine’s “Ghost” Ship

GHOST ship (image: Juliet Marine Systems)—Supercavitating ship from Portsmouth, NH-based Juliet Marine Systems

Juliet Marine’s “Ghost” Ship Emerges from Stealth Startup, Gears Up for War -- Xconomy

About an hour north of Boston, in a city by the sea, there’s a project underway to reinvent the marine industry. More specifically, the marine defense industry.

Imagine a boat that moves through the water differently from any other boat in existence. It uses “supercavitation”—the creation of a gaseous bubble layer around the hull to reduce friction underwater—to reach very high speeds at relatively low fuel cost. Its speed and shape means it can evade detection by sonar or ship radar. It can outrun torpedoes. Its fuel efficiency means it has greater range and can run longer missions than conventional boats and helicopters.

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My Comment: A fascinating story .... read it all.

H1N1 Death Toll May Be 15 Times Higher Than Previously Reported

An Algerian doctor prepares a vaccine dose against the H1N1 flu in 2009 in a hospital in Algiers. CNN

Swine Flu Outbreak 15 Times Deadlier Than Thought, Study Finds -- MSNBC/MyHealthNewsDaily

The number of people who died of swine flu during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic may be about 15 times higher than originally calculated, according to a new study.

Researchers now estimate that 284,500 people worldwide died of infection from the H1N1 virus, commonly called the swine flu, between April 2009 and August 2010. At the time, 18,500 deaths had been laboratory-confirmed as being due to swine flu, according to the study from researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It was expected that the original number would be revised upward, the researchers said.

In estimating the true number of deaths, the researchers gave a range of 151,700 to 575,400.

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More News On Reports That The Swine Flu Outbreak Was 15 Times Deadlier Than Thought

2009 swine flu outbreak was 15 times deadlier: study -- Reuters
Swine Flu Deaths May Have Been 15 Times Higher Than Reported -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Global H1N1 death toll may be 15 times higher than previously reported -- CNN
Swine flu likely claimed quarter of a million lives: study -- AFP
Swine flu pandemic killed 15 times more than thought -- New Scientist
H1N1 Swine Flu May Have Killed 15 Times More Than First Said -- ABC News
Swine flu death toll could be as high as 600,000, say experts -- Scotsman

The Most Amazing Tall Buildings Of The Year

Flickr/paul_bica

Architects And Engineers Say These Are The Most Amazing Tall Buildings Of The Year -- Business Insider

In 2011, 88 new towers over 200 meters (656 ft.) high were built in the world--a record number, compared to the 32 new towers built in 2005. There are another 96 new towers slated for completion this year, with China being the biggest builder.

But with so many new additions to skylines around the world, which buildings are the best?

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My Comment: Certainly different .... and certainly distinct.

Are The Sea Levels Rising?

California Sea Levels Flickr/Qfamily

Sea Level Rising Rapidly on Both Coasts, Could Even Flood San Francisco Airport in a Decade -- Popular Science

The Northeast U.S. has been taking the brunt of rising sea levels not just in the country but in the world, with waters rising three to four times faster than the global average, according to new data. But that doesn't spare the West Coast; in a decade, rising sea levels could flood the San Francisco International Airport.

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My Comment: In other-words .... do not buy waterfront property.

Original Recipe For Jack Daniel's Found

The history of Jack Daniel's is a mystery because the distillery's early records were destroyed in a courthouse fire Photo: AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

Original Recipe For Jack Daniel's Found In Welsh Book Of Herbal Remedies -- The Telegraph

The original recipe for legendary American whiskey Jack Daniel's has been discovered in a book of herbal remedies in Wales, it has been claimed.

Businessman Mark Evans, 54, was researching his family history when he discovered the recipe in a book of herbal remedies.

It was written in 1853 by his great-great grandmother who was called Daniels and was a local herbalist in Llanelli, South Wales.

Her brother-in-law left the Welsh town at about the same time to move to Lynchburg Tennessee where the Jack Daniel's distillery was opened three years later.

And the Jack Daniel's website states the founder of the distillery was from Wales.

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My Comment: Ice tea spiked with Jack Daniels .... a deadly combination.

A Cure For Balding Men?

Balding Men Offered Hope Of Waking Their 'Sleeping' Hair -- The Telegraph

Scientists have discovered that hair follicles in people who are balding are trapped in a "sleeping" state and are now developing a new treatment to combat baldness.

It sounds more like an explanation that would be used by nursery children than respected scientists, but researchers have found that rather than losing their hair altogether, people who are going bald are suffering from "sleeping" hair follicles.

Trichologists have discovered that hair follicles on the scalp can become trapped in a resting state where they do not grow new hair, leading to thinning.

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My Comment: Faster please.

The Ultimate Zombie Gun

The Perfect Piece For The Zombie Apocalypse: Shop Owners Create The Perfect Rifle (With NINE 30-Round Magazines) To Take On The Undead Hordes -- Daily Mail

The Zombie Apocolypse will hit us all one day. That's basically a fact.

But whether it comes today - or 28 Days Later - these two shop owners from Jonesboro, near Atlanta, will be ready to deal with any of the area's Resident Evil when the undead finally arrives.

They have created the ultimate zombie gun - mounted with nine 30-round magazines, four flashlights, three lasers to pinpoint out their lumbering targets, and three different sightings so they can pick off their targets from 100, 200 or 300 yards away.

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My Comment: Where do I put the bayonet?

Are U.S. Drones Vulnerable To Terrorist Hijacking?

EXCLUSIVE: Drones Vulnerable To Terrorist Hijacking, Researchers Say -- FOX News

A small surveillance drone flies over an Austin stadium, diligently following a series of GPS waypoints that have been programmed into its flight computer. By all appearances, the mission is routine.

Suddenly, the drone veers dramatically off course, careering eastward from its intended flight path. A few moments later, it is clear something is seriously wrong as the drone makes a hard right turn, streaking toward the south. Then, as if some phantom has given the drone a self-destruct order, it hurtles toward the ground. Just a few feet from certain catastrophe, a safety pilot with a radio control saves the drone from crashing into the field.

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My Comment: It looks like the Iranians figured out this trick when they brought down this top secret U.S. drone last year.

A Successor To The Concorde?

Artist's impression of the new supersonic commercial passenger aircraft which will fly at speeds of 2,500 mph

The Race To Build A Successor To Concorde: Boeing, Gulfstream and Nasa Join Forces To Create A Supersonic Jet Capable Of Flying From London To Sydney In FOUR HOURS -- Daily Mail

Aircraft enthusiasts are waiting with growing anticipation for the unveiling of plans for a supersonic jet that may be able to fly London to Sydney in just four hours.

U.S. builders - helped by the Nasa space agency - will reveal the prototype successors to Concorde at the Farnborough air show next month.

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My Comment: Being cooped up in an airplane for more than 4 hours has always been a pet peeve for me. Cutting that down to a quarter of the time will get no objections from me. But .... I suspect that the ticket prices will be expensive.

The Future Of Vehicles?

Unique features: No emissions, there is storage space in both the boot and the bonnet, and the Tesla can be fully charged up for the cost of £6.40

The Future Of Vehicles? PayPal Founder Unveils 'Tesla' Electric Car Which Accelerates Faster Than A BMW And Travels 300 Miles On A Top-Up Of £6.40 -- Daily Mail

Elon Musk, the creator of the Tesla Model S electric car, has already revolutionised the world twice.

He co-founded PayPal, one of the staple payment methods on the internet, then founded the Space X rocket project, which launched last month and made him the first commercial operator in space.

Now his electric car attempts a motor revolution - packing as it does an electric engine that can do 0-60 in a silent 4.4 seconds, two 'boots' as there is no engine in the bonnet, and 300miles between charges - which, when it comes, only costs £6,40.

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My Comment: With these cars at a price range between at $49,900 (£31,500) and $84,900 (£54,000) .... they are not going to be cheap.

Will Microsoft Build It`s Own Windows Phone 8?

Microsoft May Build Own Windows Phone 8 -- Information Week

Microsoft might rile its hardware partners again by developing and bringing to market its own Windows Phone 8 smartphone.

Microsoft has had a big week. On Monday, it revealed the Surface tablet, a Windows 8 device that the company will manufacture itself. On Wednesday, Microsoft showed off the core features of Windows Phone 8, a significant leap forward for the platform that should boost its appeal to consumers, businesses, and developers alike. Both announcements enjoyed a warm welcome and demonstrated that Microsoft clearly has a long-term strategy in play that will coalesce in the coming months.

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My Comment: Microsoft certainly has the resources and means to produce a smartphone .... but will they? My gut tells me yes.

Remembering Alan Turing, The Father Of The Computer

Remembering Alan Turing At 100 -- Endgadget

Alan Turing would have turned 100 this week, an event that would have, no doubt, been greeted with all manner of pomp -- the centennial of a man whose mid-century concepts would set the stage for modern computing. Turing, of course, never made it that far, found dead at age 41 from cyanide poisoning, possibly self-inflicted. His story is that of a brilliant mind cut down in its prime for sad and ultimately baffling reasons, a man who accomplished so much in a short time and almost certainly would have had far more to give, if not for a society that couldn't accept him for who he was.

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More News On Alan Turing

Alan Turing, the father of the computer, is finally getting his due -- Washington Post
Alan Turing 100: Visionary, war winner ... game maker? -- The Register
Alan Turing: the short, brilliant life and tragic death of an enigma -- The Guardian
Centenary of the birth of WWII code breaker Alan Turing -- BBC
Happy 100th birthday, Alan Turing -- MSNBC
The Enigma of Computing's Lost Genius -- Wall Street Journal
Alan Turing: The experiment that shaped artificial intelligence -- BBC
How to Pass the Turing Artificial Intelligence Test -- Wired Science
LEGO Turing Machine Is Simple, Yet Sublime -- Underwire
What was Alan Turing's greatest contribution? -- BBC
Alan Turing: Is he really the father of computing? -- BBC

The Move To Limit Freedom On The Web Picks Up

A global concern: Protesters from the Anonymous India group in Mumbai of hackers wear Guy Fawkes masks as they protest against laws they say gives the government control over internet usage

The Battle For Internet Freedom: Russia Tells U.N. During Secret Talks That It Wants To Be Able To censor The Web To Repress Political Opposition -- Daily Mail

* Russian President Vladimir Putin 'wants there to be centralised control of the internet'
* U.S. vows to block any proposals at U.N. Internet conference involving 170 countries
* Global web treaty will be first revision to rules in 20 years
* 'Leaks' website set up to make treaty negotiations transparent

Russia wants the ability to censor the internet - but the U.S. plans to stonewall the plans at a U.N. conference later this year.

Russia says it wants wants the right to block access where it is used for 'interfering in the internal affairs, or undermining the sovereignty, national security, territorial integrity and public safety of other states, or to divulge information of a sensitive nature'.

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My Comment: This is not surprising. The last thing that an authoritarian government wants is the free flow information .... and the internet is one massive flow of information.

How Camera Tech Is Revolutionizing Surveillance

A photograph of the Seattle skyline taken with the Aware-2 camera. (Duke University Imaging and Spectroscopy Program / June 20, 2012)

New Gigapixel Camera May Revolutionize Photography, Surveillance -- L.A. Times

Say cheese: Engineers have created a new camera with the capability of capturing over a gigapixel of data, a resolution that is significantly better than normal human vision.

Pixels represent individual points of data in an image, so the more pixels in a single image, the more details can be resolved within that image. The average retail camera currently captures only about 8 to 10 megapixels. The resolution of the gigapixel camera is at least 100 times better than that, and the researchers say their design may eventually be able to capture 50 gigapixels at once.

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My Comment: How times have changed. This tech would have been treated as Top Secret a few years ago .... today .... if you have the money .... anyone can get one.