What outlets did graphic design creativity go before the internet, aside from magazines and fliers stapled on telephone poles? OK that’s an exaggeration, but I do love the richness of the graphics to be found everywhere the net, and here’s just another great example: Crispian Jago put …

While it's possible to go it alone and be a single-person founder of a startup, many people need - and prefer - to have a co-founder. As Graphic.ly CEO Micah Baldwin describes it, you want "a hacker and a hustler."

But finding someone who has the right skills, the right personality, the right work style, the right vision isn't easy. In fact, judging from the number of times you see people posting "looking for co-founder" on Hacker News, it's quite a challenge.

Sponsor

On Monday, the Cofounder Network launched, aiming to help solve this problem by matching entrepreneurs from around the world. "By connecting superior entrepreneurs to start up new ventures," reads the blog post announcing the network, "we will boost the startup ecosystem and help solve world problems along the way."

The Cofounder Network is an initiative of techVenture, which already works to bring together entrepreneurs and investors. The Cofounder Network will function in a similar way, addressing both the screening and the matching of applicants.

You can either apply directly to the network or be referred by a partner. Currently, these partners include Startup School, Indiegogo, Linden Ventures, Palomar5, and others.

The application asks for entrepreneurs to describe "your personal mission in life," to give links to your digital identity, and to describe past experiences and achievements. Applicants are also asked to describe what they're looking for in an ideal co-founder.

The first step will be to look for a match locally, and if one can't be found to then look globally. The Cofounder Network has partners worldwide, and argues that "matching cofounders coming from different cultural hemispheres can bring another significant advantage."

Meeting people at local networking events, conferences, and (the most common place, perhaps) college may be the most well-known routes to finding a co-founder. But clearly that's not always an option, and so the Cofounder Network hopes to be another avenue for folks to explore.

Discuss

On September 14, 2009 New York Times readers were automatically redirected to a site hosting malmare thanks to an ad containing malicious code. On July 15 2010, TweetMeme was the victim of a similar attack and began sending its users to a "scareware" site. These are just two examples of "malverstiing," one of the fastest growing security threats on the web. It's particularly scary because potentially any site with advertising could be a target, and users don't even have to click the ads to trigger malware. Use a Mac? You could still fall victim to phishing scams perpetuated by malvertisers. Scary stuff. So what do you need to know?

Sponsor

Malware Isn't Just on "Sketchy" Sites Anymore

In the past, users who didn't frequent adult, gambling or other "sketchy" sites were relatively safe from harm. Now any site that contains third party content - even your own company's web site - is at risk. Earlier this year, Dasient released a report identifying the top three security vulnerabilities enterprise web sites contain: advertising was one of the three, along with other third party content.

According to ClickFacts CEO Michael Caruso, malware scammers are increasingly moving away from e-mail and buying advertising instead. An ad on a popular site can reach millions, and automated ad purchasing makes it easy to criminals to buy ads. According to Caruso, malvertisers will sometimes walk into offices impersonating legitimate buyers when automated systems aren't available, and often pay for ads with fake or stolen credit cards.

Malicous advertisements in Google Adwords and even organic search results is an increasing problem as well. Here's an example of a sponsored search result found on Google by StopMalvertising.com:

Users who click the above ad are taken to a fake Adobe Flash web site where they are encouraged to download a malicious app.

Curaso also notes that it's become extremely easy for criminals with little technical proficiency to conduct malware campaigns as exploit kits are sold on the open market from servers in places like eastern Europe and China.

Users Don't Even Have to Click the Ads to Get Infected

According to Chris Larsen, head of Blue Coat's research lab, you don't even need to actually click on the ads. Blue Coat documented one way this is done: a site can use JavaScript to call hidden iFrames which load PDFs containing code that exploits Adobe Reader vulnerabilities.

Non-Windows Users Can Also be Affected

Non-Widows users can also be targeted by malvertising via phishing scams, though they will generally have to click on the ads served. Caruso told us about an instance of malvertising in which scammers bought ads that appeared to be from a major bank. Once users clicked through to the landing page, they collected bank account information from victims.

Malware has Graduated from Nuisance to Serious Threat

Larsen says that in the past there were two type of IT threats. First, mass non-targeted attacks that force or trick users into downloading malware. These have traditionally been mere nuisances for IT to deal with, as the symptoms (fake AV notifications, pop-ups, etc.) become rapidly apparent. Second, highly targeted attacks which perpetrators may spend months researching. These are more dangerous because the perpetrators are looking for specific, valuable company information.

The emergence of botnets has made malware into a serious threat. Compromised machines may not show any signs of infection, leaving backdoors wide open for exploitation. Larsen says it's been suggested that since botnet operators sell their services on the black market, those attempting to target a specific company could approach botnets with a list of IP ranges and offer to purchase control of specific machines in order to get a foothold in a specific network.

Patching will Protect You

Here's the good news: according to Larsen, most malvertising targets well known exploits. Keeping your operating systems and software patched is the best way to prevent damage from attacks.

Patch management is a notoriously labor intensive and thankless process, but as NSS Labs recently noted in a report it's one of the most important steps IT can take to protect its users.

Who's Trying to Help?

ClickFacts and Dasient both offer services to scan ad networks for malicious advertising. Dasient recently landed the ad network AdOn as a client, and ClickFacts counts News Corp as a customer. Last year, Google launched anti-malvertising.com (not to be confused with StopMalvertising.com) to help ad networks identify malvertisers.

One stumbling block security companies face, according to Larsen, is that ad networks tend to be secretive about how they serve ads in order to circumvent ad blockers. When ad networks aren't forth coming, it can be difficult to determine how malware is being served up and how to block it.

Caruso points out that companies shouldn't be placing blame - instead ad networks, publishers and security companies need to work together to solve the problem.

Discuss

I'm generally not much of a kit-buyer, but it seems like each one Windell and Lenore release is better than the last. They almost had me with the Bulbdial clock; I will probably not be able to resist the new Egg-Bot kit. They're taking preorders now, and the first kits are supposed to ship at the end of this month. Looks like new orders are already backed up into October.

More:

• EMSL's interactive Conway's Game of Life exhibit
• Bare-bones evil from EMSL
• Deluxe LED Menorah Kit from EMSL

Read the Full Story » | More on MAKE » | Comments » | Read more articles in Kits | Digg this!

Gadgetank writes "Researchers out of the Australian National University have created a device, working in conjunction with other necessary devices, that can literally move small particles with light. And only light. The way it works is by shining a hollow laser beam around some tiny glass particles. The researchers heat the air around the particles, and therefore cause the dark center of the beam to remain cool."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Christian Science Monitor
T-Mobile G2 Plus HSPA+ Network Could Be a Fast Combo
PC World
T-Mobile has been crowing for quite some time now about the data speeds it is getting with its HSPA+ network, which is now in 55 US cities. Today it announces the first phone--the T-Mobile G2 (HTC)--that can actually take advantage of those speeds. ...
T-Mobile G2 Android phone first to use evolved HSPA serviceChristian Science Monitor
T-Mobile Announces G2, First HSPA+ Cell Phone in USPC Magazine
T-Mobile unveils its G2, the successor to first Android phoneComputerworld
eWeek -Digitaltrends.com -ChannelWeb
all 133 news articles »

We've already heard a few rumors about Olympus's supposed E-3 successor, the E-5, and the folks at 4/3 Rumors have now turned up another pair of leaks ahead of the DSLR's expected launch later this month. That includes a teaser that seemingly confirms that the camera will be announced on September 15th (just a day off the earlier rumor), and what appears to be the first image of the camera itself -- or a tiny corner of it, anyway. Those both suggest that the camera will sport a strikingly similar design to the E-3 it's replacing (something backed up by 4/3 Rumors' "trusted sources"), and the camera's specs also seem to be in line with what we've heard before -- including a bump from ten to twelve megapixels, and new 720p/30fps recording mode.

Continue reading Olympus E-5 leaks point to September 15th launch, familiar design

Olympus E-5 leaks point to September 15th launch, familiar design originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 17:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  4/3 Rumors (1), (2)  | Email this | Comments

Moneycontrol.com
Opera support for Google Instant: 'shortly'
CNET
On Wednesday, when the world's dominant search company launched the Google Instant search-as-you-type service, a technically savvy section of Web users were left out: those who prefer the Opera browser. But they won't be for long, ...
Google Instant Search Demo: A First Look at Speedier SearcheWeek
Google Instant Demands New Approach To AdvertisingInformationWeek
In an Instant, Google pulls further ahead of Microsoft, YahooComputerworld
PC Magazine -USA Today -PC World
all 1,589 news articles »

Across the board, all major browser developers are currently working very hard to speed up their software's performance. While a lot of the focus has currently shifted to hardware acceleration, there are still some speed gains to be made by optimizing most browsers' JavaScript engines. Earlier this year, the Mozilla JavaScript team launched the J�germonkey project in order to speed up the JavaScript performance of Firefox and today, the team launched the first preview version of Firefox 4 with J�gerMonkey.

Sponsor

Faster than TraceMonkey - Not as Fast as Chrome

In our own (unscientific) tests with the help of the SunSpider  and V8 benchmarks, the J�gerMonkey version of Firefox 4 easily outperformed the most recent beta of Firefox 4 (around 370ms vs. 450ms in SunSpider and 2200 points vs. 1200 points in V8). At the same time, though, Google's Chrome is still significantly faster (260ms for the SunSpider benchmark and 6631 points in V8 for the current developer version). These benchmark results show that the J�gerMonkey team clearly managed to speed up the browser's performance, but with regards to pure JavaScript performance Firefox is still far behind Chrome.

That said, though, benchmark performance is not always a good indicator for how fast a browser feels in actual usage and there can be little doubt that the J�gerMonkey-enabled build feels faster than the current Firefox 4 betas and the difference with Chrome is barely noticeable.

You can download a copy of Firefox with the J�gerMonkey engine here.

According to Mozilla developer David Mandelin, the team spent the last 8 months "studying the classic research, reverse engineering the competition, measuring, experimenting, designing, prototyping, analyzing performance, scrutinizing assembly code, redesigning, coding, and lots and lots of debugging." The result of this project is a completely revamped JavaScript engine for Firefox that makes demos like this far more enjoyable. Mandelin also notes that the final version should be "a little bit faster yet by the time Firefox 4 is release."

Given the combination of hardware acceleration, better JavaScript performance, a revamped interface and many other small changes, Firefox 4 is shaping up to be a very interesting release for Mozilla. The final version of Firefox 4 is currently scheduled for the Fall.

Discuss

Reuters
Apple's iPhone App Policy Revisions: The Good and The Bad
PC World
Apple's iPhone App Store acceptance process has been like dealing with the great and powerful Wizard of Oz. But today, Apple is opening the curtain, at least a little. Apple's iPhone App Store acceptance process–at its worst, anyhow–has always reminded ...
Apple Answers Questions About App Rejections, Raises OthersWired News
Apple blinks on dev tool restrictionsComputerworld
Steve Jobs lectures devs, dodges antitrust actionRegister
Gamasutra -InformationWeek -TechNewsWorld
all 1,036 news articles »

One of my favorite things to do with Adobe Flex is build applications that  show real-time data. In this blog post, I will share what I’ve learned in the past few months about using ColdFusion as a source of real-time data and Flex combined with Google Maps API for Flash as a means of visualizing [...]

I'm Not There (1956) writes "Broadcom, the world's largest manufacturer of Wi-Fi transceivers, open sources its Linux device drivers. This is a big win for Linux users, as there are a lot of users that face Wi-Fi problems when they use Linux on their laptops. With these device drivers now open source, distributions can ship them out-of-the-box, and that means no Linux Wi-Fi problems for new devices and upcoming distributions at all."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Daily Mail
Game Center for the iPhone: An early hands-on
CNET
Apple's iOS 4.1 update brought a few tweaks, but none higher-profile than the long-awaited Game Center. Touted as a feature of iOS 4.0, Apple's attempt at creating a hub for iOS gaming could be seen as a way to take on Sony and Nintendo, ...
Field Test for iPhone Signal Strength Returns in iOS 4.1The Mac Observer
Apple iOS 4.1 Jailbreak Reportedly DiscoveredeWeek
Apple Game Center launches — the battle for bragging rights beginsmsnbc.com
PC World -InformationWeek -Apple Insider
all 1,243 news articles »

Are you ready for a wave of HDR to crash over the consumer electronics industry, leaving nothing but oversaturated photos and full-to-the-brim Flickr groups in its wake? We've got a sneaky suspicion that Apple's inclusion of HDR in the iPhone is one of those telling warning signs that you ignore at your own risk, and now we've got HDR video to cower from behind our fast-aging current gen devices. As you might expect, HDR video looks just like HDR stills (an underexposed and an overexposed image combined into one), except in motion. The effect has been accomplished by Soviet Montage Productions, who used two Canon EOS 5D Mark II DSLRs and a beam splitter, which allows each camera to look at the exact same subject, to accomplish the effect. They're short on details on the post-processing end, but we're sure there will be "an app for that" before too long. Sample is after the break.

[Thanks, Mike]

Continue reading HDR video accomplished using dual 5D Mark IIs, is exactly what it sounds like

HDR video accomplished using dual 5D Mark IIs, is exactly what it sounds like originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 17:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Soviet Montage  | Email this | Comments

Creating Embedded Controls for WonderWare InTouch and WinCC

Groklaw: "So. A crusade to destroy Google. By folks who count Microsoft as an important client, with new clients, at least one of them directly referred to the "crusaders" by Microsoft and the rest now under their umbrella. My stars, gentlemen. Where is your subtlety?"

For smartphone owners, asking people on the street for directions is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Why bother trying to remember a series of turns and landmarks when your phone can do that and more? Who needs confusing descriptions when you have satellite and Street View imagery? Android users certainly don't.

Google has added "Walking Navigation", a marriage of walking directions, turn-by-turn GPS navigation and satellite imagery, to the newest version of Google Maps for Android.

Sponsor

The latest addition comes as a part of Google Maps for mobile 4.5 for Android. It takes walking directions, which takes advantage of pedestrian pathways, overpasses and other such things, and pairs them with turn-by-turn GPS directions and satellite imagery.

Simply enter the address of where you're trying to go and chose the "Walking" option from the navigation icon and the app will guide you, following along and vibrating when you reach the next turn. The map even rotates as you turn the phone, orienting the map to the direction you're facing. As Google engineers Andrey Ulanov and Kevin Law note in their blog post, you can "use it like a virtual compass with satellite imagery to look ahead or help pick out landmarks along the way."

If the satellite view doesn't offer enough in the way of contextual clues, the new and improved Street View navigation for Google Maps on Android should help. The feature brings street view straight to your phone and adds "smart navigation", wherein you can simply drag the "Pegman" around to move your vantage point. Take a look:

We often joke with friends about how the smartphone is like the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but it's features like this that make that notion more and more a reality. It wasn't long ago that GPS navigation in a car seemed like a modern day luxury and now we have access to turn-by-turn directions and imagery in our pockets. The integration with satellite imagery is just a step away from Street View integration and we can't imagine that an augmented reality addition is far off. While we often feel silly holding our phones up to the horizon to look for the nearest pizza joint, having this data on-screen as we navigate about our lives may prove even more handy.

What do you think - what's next for mobile personal navigation? That is, aside from getting similar functionality for the iPhone.

Discuss

Simplot Australia initially used VMware virtualization software and Intel hardare to create a test and development environment.

The wholly owned subsidiary of the J R Simplot Company saw the immediate benefits and has not looked back since.

Today, more than 60% of the IT infrastructure at Simplot Australia's corporate office has been virtualized.

Sponsor

Download White Paper PDF

Simplot Australia Takes Virtualization Beyond Test and Development

Discuss

Looking to take a break from tinkering on your latest project this weekend? Here are some fine maker events to check out, from The Maker Events Calendar. Wish your event was on the list? Add it to the calendar!

Coming up this week:
Open Lab Hack Night @757 Labs
Hampton Roads, VA
Friday, Sep 10, 2010, 8pm +

TCP Hack Foo: NetCat and Nmap Too @Hackpittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA
Friday, Sep 10, 2010, 7pm - 9pm

Pirate Party @Pumping Station: One
Chicago, IL
Saturday, Sep 11, 2010, 9pm +

GET LAMP screening @i3 Detroit
Ferndale, MI
Saturday, Sep 11, 2010, 3pm - 7pm

Baltimore/DC Area RepRap Users Group Meetup @Baltimore Node
Baltimore, MD
Sunday, Sep 12, 2010, 2pm - 4pm

Electronics & Hardware Hacking @Arch Reactor
St Louis, MO
Sunday, Sep 12, 2010, 6pm - 9pm

Simon Kit Build Night @Crash Space
Culver City, CA
Wednesday, Sep 15, 2010, 8pm+

Make:SLC
Salt Lake City, UT
Wednesday, Sep 15, 2010, 7pm - 9pm

Start planning for:

FIRST Lego League Poker Night @Heatsync Labs
Chandler, AZ
Thursday, Sep 16, 2010

Grand Opening @QC Co-Lab
Davenport, IA
Friday, Sep 17, 2010 - Sunday, Sep 19 (all day)

Turn Your Arduino into a Web Server! @NYC Resistor
Brooklyn, NY
Saturday, Sep 18, 2010, 1pm - 3pm

Electronica Fest
Linthicum, MD
Saturday, Sep 18, 2010, 10am - 8:45pm

World Maker Faire
Queens, NY
Saturday, Sep 25, 2010 - Sunday, Sep 26, 2010, 10am - 7pm

Read the Full Story » | More on MAKE » | Comments » | Read more articles in Events | Digg this!

Today's Wall Street Journal has a few key words from Intel CEO Paul Otellini, with a few comparing his company's Google TV approach to the refreshed (and now Intel-free) Apple TV. The biggest revelation is a mention that Google TV will start shipping this month (more specific than Google's own fall prediction of a few days ago) with no word whether that includes products from Sony, Logitech or both. According to Otellini, Intel's success will mean using "the right chip for the right job," and that includes getting its hands dirty on the software side, where he claims his company is responsible for 50% of the code in Google TV. When asked about Apple's simplified approach to the living room he referenced them as two different approaches that may appeal to different audiences, pointing out Apple TV as something his mother might enjoy while his son could make use of Facebook on the Google TV.

Oh, and the $7.68 billion Intel dropped on McAfee last month? He considers it a "valuable asset" and says the best security relies on a combination of hardware and software. The theme of the day is how Intel can compete beyond the PC, but whether it's tethered to the TV or in tablets, the head guy is confident Intel's industry partners won't let Apple run away with either.

Intel CEO reveals Google TV launch is this month, explains McAfee purchase originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 16:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Electronista  |  Wall Street Journal  | Email this | Comments