Experts have warned that hackers may have created a network of “zombie” cellphones, similar to a network of virus-infected personal computers, to send spam or carry out cyber attacks.
‘Botnets’ is the term that computer scientists use for such networks of computers.
While millons of machines worldwide are said to be secretly running botnet software, [...]
Posts Tagged ‘firm’
Cyber criminals may have created first â€zombie†cellphone network
July 18th, 2009 |
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Diane Francis: Goldman Sacks and Plunders
July 17th, 2009 |
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Goldman Sachs cannot argue that the proceeds it received from the AIG rescue did not constitute an indirect bailout any more than can auto parts makers who are saved by Detroit’s bailout.
Getting smarter
July 17th, 2009 |
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LJ Rich finds out how technology is becoming more sophisticated in being able to distinguish songs from another and analyse their relationships.
In 2002, Click visited mobile start up firm Shazam, who was already offering a music recognition service.
The idea was to use a mobile to send a snippet of music which would be matched to a million songs on the firm’s servers at the time.
The user would then receive a text message with the track’s name.
Andrew Fisher, Shazam’s chief executive, explained that the different sound waves make identification possible.
"Every vocal performance has a different sound wave," he explained, "so it’s being able to very quickly look at that pattern and compare it against the eight million songs we have on the database, make the match and bring the result back to the consumer in around about five to 10 seconds."
‘In tune’
For users without the original music to hand, tech firm Melodis has created a desktop and mobile application called Midomi that aims to work out a tune from the crudest of renditions.
When someone sings into a phone, for instance, the program works by listening to the basic melody going in; it does not matter whether a person is singing, humming or even playing an instrument.
Melodis chief executive Keyvan Mohajer said the key and tempo is also irrelevant.
"But you do have to be in tune, and provide us enough information, to be able to match the song," he explained.
For people near tone deaf, their singing attempts can also be matched to those of other vocally challenged people.
"If a song is not in our database, [you can] sing or hum that song and save your voice, then your voice becomes a fingerprint," said Mr Mohajer.
"Next time somebody searches for a song, you match their voice to your voice to find the song."
Musican DNA
But humans are still much better at musical matching than computers – for instance we can recognise a song even if it is played in a different way.
Computers are not so sophisticated yet, but there are projects aiming to break music down into their constituent building blocks or "musical DNA".
Pandora’s Music Genome Project has created a collection of music analysis by analysing the musical qualities of songs.
These have their musical DNA charted by humans who identify "musical chromosomes" such as twangy guitars or interesting horn arrangements.
Machines are then able to provide the user with recommendations based on the results, and hopefully to their musical taste.
Charting origins
In contrast, mHashup uses a purely automated approach to discover musical relationships among tracks, displayed in a visual interface.
Unlike Midomi, it also matches timbre, or sound-type, as well as other more subtle qualities.
This sometimes produces results which seem quirky, like fitting Schubert to a Shakespearean sonnet. The system matches African tribal songs against Eastern European yodelling because of their similar melody.
However, the system is useful tool for charting the origins of music around the globe.
Michela Magas, mHashup’s designer, said she was approached by some Hollywood composers who were keen to test their compositions against large libraries.
"When they compose and they come up with something which they find is very appropriate for the movie… they cannot tell whether it is something they heard when they were young or whether it’s truly original – and this is a big deal," she said.
Of course, most human ears do all of this without needing the kind of brute force analysis and crowd sourcing that these projects rely on.
But machines are ever closer to developing a musical ear of their own.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Allied Carpets in administration
July 17th, 2009 |
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More than 1,000 jobs at risk at 217-store chain
Allied Carpets has been placed into administration, putting about 1,100 jobs under threat.
Administrators for the firm said they had immediately sold 51 stores and Allied Carpets’ insurance inspection business, protecting about 400 jobs, but the remaining stores were in the hands of administrators BDO Stoy Hayward.
The stores were bought by new firm, Allied Carpets Retail Limited, set up by the Allied chief executive, Clive Hutchings.
BDO said selling the remaining stories to Allied Carpets Retail Limited was “subject to a satisfactory outcome being reached in ongoing negotiations with the firm’s existing landlords”.
Hutchings said: “Allied Carpets is a good business and, through this sale and additional funding, the retail and inspections businesses now have the opportunity to strengthen their respective market positions, build on the Allied brand and ensure an ongoing commitment to unrivalled customer service.”
Allied Carpets, which had a total of about 1,500 workers and 217 stores across the country, has been a victim of the housing market stagnation which has stalled spending on its products.
Its headquarters are in Orpington, Kent and it has a distribution centre in Lancashire.
Customer deposits are protected, the administrators said, and outstanding customer orders will be fulfilled.
Dermot Power, BDO Stoy Hayward business restructuring partner, said: “Allied Carpets is a well-established brand in the marketplace but, like many companies, has suffered because of the economic climate and difficult trading conditions. The stagnation of the housing market has meant that fewer people are buying carpets and flooring.
“We’re pleased to have safeguarded the future of 51 stores and more than 400 jobs.”
He said administrators were working to secure the sale of the remaining Allied Carpets stores as a going concern.
All staff wages will be paid on the normal payment dates and customers with any questions about purchases have been advised to contact their local store.
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Google sees quarterly profit up
July 16th, 2009 |
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Internet search engine Google has seen better-than-expected quarterly results even as revenue growth slowed following the economic downturn.
The firm saw net income reach $1.48bn (£900m) in the three months to 30 June, compared to $1.25bn a year before.
Revenue rose 3% for the period at $5.52bn and just over half – 53% – came from outside the US.
Analysts reacted broadly positively to the results, noting that the firm had performed well in containing costs.
The firm was upbeat about the results "especially given the continued macro-economic downturn".
Chief executive Eric Schmidt said: "These results highlight the enduring strength of our business model and our responsible efforts to manage expenses."
Google earned $5.36 a share, excluding certain items, better than the $5.08 per share forecast by analysts.
Sameet Sinha, an analyst with JMP Securities said: "The numbers are good. Revenue was in line with expectations, and strong operating efficiencies were brought about by the new chief executive."
"It definitely shows that Google is a best-of-breed company for online advertising, and it’s a must buy."
But Ross Sandler, an analyst at RBC Capital, described the results as mixed.
"Overall, the focus is on what’s going to happen in the second half."
Shares in the firm Google gained 1% to $442.60 on but later dropped 2.4% in after-hours trade.
Paid clicks – which include clicks related to ads served on Google sites and the sites of AdSense partners – were 15% higher year-on-year, but 2% less than in the first quarter.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
How to Be A Good Web Firm Consumer
July 16th, 2009 |
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So you’ve hired a web firm to design your new web site. Now what? Today I’m completing my Business Web Series and talking about what you can do to be a good consumer of web site developers and designers.
Just like most business owners have tales of woe from having their web sites designed, most web developers and designers have stories of their own. Educate yourself, hire the right experts to help you through this process, and hold up your end of the bargain and you may sail through without being the star of one of the web firm’s horror stories (or your own!).
1. Negotiate knowledgeably.
When you get a quote from a web firm, it just makes good sense to shop around. But when you shop around, compare apples to apples. Comparing a quote from an American firm, where you’ll most likely have an English-speaking team to work with, with a quote from a firm in a Third World country, where living expenses are a fraction of U.S. costs, just isn’t fair. You don’t want to approach your web firm with, “Why does it cost this much, when I can have a site built in India for $300?”
Also, if you’re working with that rare breed of web firm where you’ll get both web strategy advice and search engine optimization, you simply cannot compare the pricing with your standard web design firm. So make sure you’re comparing like quotes before you consider asking for a price match.
2. Hold up your end of the bargain.
One of the most frustrating things for a web developer is when the client doesn’t provide timely feedback. In many cases, when you hire a web firm, you pay for part of your web site upfront, then you have to pay the rest just before launch. If you’re not providing timely feedback, not only are you holding up the launch and jeopardizing your timeline, but you’re also keeping your team from getting paid. In this economy, that’s not good for anyone. So make sure you pay your bills on time and provide responsive, useful feedback quickly to keep things moving along.
In addition, if you haven’t hired the web firm to provide you with content or copywriting, make sure you provide them with your content in a timely manner. The last thing you want is for your web site to be held up because you haven’t delivered the materials, or worse, launch without content. Make sure you
3. Be smart and educate yourself.
I recently talked with a potential client who’d been spending hundreds of dollars each month for a firm to “do search engine optimization” on her web site. She had no idea what that meant, but kept paying them anyway. In the meantime, this firm hadn’t touched her code or her copy, two of the hallmarks of a pretty substantial scam in my book.
I’m not suggesting that every small business owner should know everything about what constitutes good or bad SEO. If you don’t have the time or the technical know-how to educate yourself in what your web site needs or to learn enough to know when you’re being scammed, then you need a trusted adviser who does know these things and can watch over your project and protect your interests.
4. Don’t be swayed by “pretty.”
This one isn’t so much about being a good web consumer for your developer’s benefit as being a good consumer for your business. Too many business owners today are persuaded that “pretty” is the most important part of their web design. It’s not.
An attractive web site certainly is important, but it’s not the most important thing. There are specific business elements and “screen real estate” issues
like what goes “above the fold” that you need to pay attention to as well. And these things may be even more important than “pretty.” Stay too focused on the appearance of your site and you’ll likely end up with a site that doesn’t meet your business needs and has poor usability. Instead, try to strike a balance between the appearance of the site and meeting your business goals. Again, if you don’t know how to do this, hire someone who does.
Having a web site designed can seem like a harrowing experience for many business owners. The investment in a strong web site can seem substantial for the micro-entrepreneur, especially considering the many potential pitfalls. That said, if you don’t have the time, inclination, or tech-savvy spirit to learn what you need to know to avoid those pitfalls and be a good consumer (for your own good, as well as the good of your design firm), hire an expert who can navigate the process for you and help you meet your business goals.
Susan Baroncini-Moe started her entrepreneurial adventures with a lemonade stand. Now, Susan is the CEO of Business in Blue Jeans, dedicated to helping you design a business you’ll love or transform your business into optimized profitability. Learn more at BusinessInBlueJeans.com.
Other links: Blue Jeans Web Sites and Susan’s No Suits Allowed! E-zine.
Biofuels from algae: Craig’s twist
July 15th, 2009 |
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Algae inch ahead in the race to produce the next generation of biofuels
WHEN BP branded itself as “Beyond Petroleum”, and the fashionable colour among oil companies was green, Exxon Mobil stood aloof from the rush to embrace alternative sources of energy. Indeed Rex Tillerson, the firm’s chief executive, once humorously referred to biofuels as “moonshine”. Now, when some of the enthusiasts are having second thoughts and scaling back on alternatives, Exxon seems to be going the opposite way yet again. On July 14th the oil giant said it would put $300m into what is probably the biggest effort so far to create a new generation of biofuels—with a further $300m to come if things go well.
The beneficiary of this largesse is Synthetic Genomics, a firm based in San Diego that is the commercial vehicle of Craig Venter (pictured above). Dr Venter may be familiar to readers as the former head of Celera Genomics, which ran a privately financed version of the human genome project during the late 1990s, and before that as the leader of the team which produced the first genetic sequence of a living organism (a bacterium called Haemophilus influenzae). In this case, though, the money will be thrown at neither people nor bacteria, but algae. …
Driving costs
July 15th, 2009 |
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Which cities charge most for parking?
PARKING rates are holding firm despite the economic downturn, according to Colliers International, a property company. European cities have some of the highest daily parking rates, with Amsterdam and London coming out on top. Tokyo is the most expensive place to leave your car outside Europe. Honolulu is second behind New York among America’s cities. Drivers in London fork out the most for a monthly unreserved space. The cheapest parking in the survey is in India, where a spot in Chennai costs 96 cents a day.
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Dan Solin: Why Don’t You Just Give Your Broker a Gun and Tell Him to Shoot You?
July 15th, 2009 |
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If you need investment advice, retain a Registered Investment Advisor.
Russian Firm Values Facebook Stock at $6.5B
July 13th, 2009 |
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Russia’s Digital Sky Technologies is willing to pay $14.77 per share for Facebook common stock, boosting its stake to as much as 3.5 percent and valuing the world’s largest online social network at about $6.5 billion.
– SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) Russia’s Digital Sky Technologies said it
will pay $14.77 a share for Facebook common stock, boosting its stake
to as much as 3.5 percent and valuing the world’s largest online social
network at about $6.5 billion.
While that is below the $10 billion valuation set by Digi…
Are we all smiling nicely? Japanese firm to check up on staff
July 11th, 2009 |
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A Japanese rail firm has introduced a system to check that staff are smiling enough at all times.
Computerised scanners around 15 Tokyo stations will measure the smile’s curvature to ensure it is broad enough.
Those failing to measure up – literally – will be advised to look less serious and more cheerful.
The system will also be introduced at a hospital in Osaka to check staff friendliness and at a truck stop to measure the tiredness of drivers.
The BBC’s Roland Buerk, in Tokyo, says that the Japanese highly value customer service.
It is standard practice, our correspondent explains, for smartly-dressed train conductors to bow as customers enter and leave train carriages.
The software has been developed by Japanese firm Omron.
They suggests that future applications may include shops – where they could be positioned to measure the reaction of customers to products on display. </p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.