e

TechXav: Top 20 Most Popular Internet Passwords

2010-02-09T19:21:00.000-08:00

This article from TechXav is hilarious and sad at the same time:

By Alexander Long

If you are busy maintaining your social life on Facebook, with no second thoughts on the password you have chosen, then it is time you ought to give it a change before hackers take the opportunity to break into your account.

According to Sydney-based data security firm Impreva, the most popular Internet password is “123456″, followed by “12345″ and then “123456789″. The study, which analyzes 32 million passwords recently exposed in the Rockyou.com breach, paints a grim picture of how vulnerable our online accounts are, especially those which contain simple credentials. It is quite depressing to see many people still turning a deaf ear despite a couple of hacks in the past few years.

The study also noted that people tend to use the same passwords on all or most of their online accounts, opening a big hole for hackers to easily access their targeted account. Some of the key findings include 30% of users chose passwords whose lengths is equal or below six characters (it is recommended to have a minimum of eight characters to be considered as a strong password), and almost 60% of users chose their passwords from a limited set of alpha-numeric characters, thus making them susceptible to basic forms of cyber attacks known as “brute force attacks.”

“Everyone needs to understand what the combination of poor passwords means in today’s world of automated cyber attacks. With only minimal effort, a hacker can gain access to one new account every second—or 1,000 accounts every 17 minutes,” said Imperva’s CTO Amichai Shulman.

For enterprises, password insecurity can have serious consequences. “Employees using the same passwords on Facebook that they use in the workplace bring the possibility of compromising enterprise systems with insecure passwords, especially if they are using easy to crack passwords like ‘123456’,” added Shulman.

“The problem has changed very little over the past 20 years”, he added, referring to a 1990 Unix study that showed a password selection pattern similar to what consumers select today. “It’s time for everyone to take password security seriously – it’s an important first step in data security.”

The main reason why people disregard security firms’ advice to select a strong for their online accounts is because today’s digital age requires humans to remember a lot of things. To some, it is an arduous task to keep track of many important data in our head — voice mail passwords, ATM PINs, Internet passwords, etc.

If you are one of those who have difficulty in squeezing a dozen of different passwords into your brain, then a possible solution would be to create a strong and long password for Internet bank accounts or any websites that involve money transactions or storage of personal data. For social networking or entertainment websites where stakes are much lower, you can select a password that is relatively easy to remember.

Source: http://techxav.com/2010/01/21/top-20-most-popular-internet-passwords/

The Google Super Bowl Ad Failed!

2010-02-09T15:29:00.000-08:00

The Google Super Bowl Ad Failed!
By Grant Ryan

My recent post regarding the Video Boss to the Google Super Bowl Commercial:

I really enjoyed the Google commercial, but I don’t think it is suitable for the Super Bowl audience. An individual’s eyes have to be fixated on the screen in order for the message to come across. In all the commotion of the party I attended I completely lost track of the storyline and it wasn’t until I followed the link to this page that I understood it. I commend Google on their unique and clever ad, but it wasn’t funny. I can’t speak for everyone, but I generally want to see humorous commercials during the Super Bowl, like the Doritos’ ad with the little boy who slaps his mom’s boyfriend. I have been a user and proponent of Google since before they were an IPO, so this is just constructive criticism.

Super Bowl Ad Idea:

I realize two weeks is a limited time frame to film, but I think they could have had Peyton Manning or Drew Brees conduct their scouting report using Google and YouTube.

What do you think?

Video Boss: http://www.thevideoboss.com/posts/google-ad
Google Super Bowl Ad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnsSUqgkDwU

VentureBeat: Displax forgot to tell us it doesn’t make plastic nanowire film

2010-02-08T15:01:00.000-08:00

VentureBeat has an excellent article about Displax and Visual Planet rather than distort the content, I pasted it below:

By Dean Takahashi

One of our most popular stories in recent days has been about Displax, a company in Portugal that plans to start selling a plastic film that turns any surface into a touchscreen.

By July, Displax said it is planning to begin commercial sales of its "multitouch skin" which can be thinner than paper. The ideal is to spread a nanowire-laced plastic film over any flat or curved surface — glass, plastic or wood — so that it becomes interactive.

The problem with our interview with Miguel Fonseca, chief business officer at Displax, was that he omitted a key detail. While Displax makes the controller that enables multitouch contact with the plastic film, it doesn't make that plastic film itself.

The film is actually a product created in 2004 by Visual Planet, a London-based company. Mike Cole, commercial director at Visual Planet, contacted us and let us know that the company's ViP Interactive Foil has been shipping for a while and Displax is one of its resellers.

"I think the core message is that what they are claiming about being the first to develop a flexible foil base touch sensor is incorrect and most of the press has focused on this fact," Cole wrote in an email. "They have developed a controller only. They tied in our technology in the release so they could promote theirs and make more of a splash."

Cole said that ViP would be happy to sell its foil to Displax to be part of its "multitouch skin" solution, but there is no agreement in place right now to do so. The two companies have been good partners for some time, but there is a point of contention. Displax is making its own controller to enable multitouch skins that use the plastic film. The controller is sort of the brains that takes the signals from the film and translates them into input signals for a system. It's not a trivial thing, but the plastic film seems like the more interesting invention.

Cole said that Visual Planet is planning on doing its own controller to go with the plastic film. Hence, these two companies are kind of on a collision course. After Cole brought this up to us, a spokesman for Displax emailed the following message in response.

"We would like to clarify Displax' relationship with Visual Planet and its development of the multitouch technology launched at ISE. Displax Multitouch Technology is a technology solution. Displax is the developer of the unique multitouch controller that enables the detection and processing of multiple simultaneous signals from the foil and has several patents pending for this product. Visual Planet supplied the foil on which Displax built its prototype (unveiled at ISE) and is currently one of the foil suppliers that Displax is in discussions with to commercialize its technology. Displax has been happy with its professional dealings with Visual Planet and would be pleased to continue to work with this partner as one of its foil suppliers moving forwards. However, the company is continuing its discussions with other providers of this foil technology too. Displax still expects to ship its multitouch products in late second quarter/early third quarter 2010."

There you have it. If these companies can cooperate, then I suppose we'll see a very interesting technology hit the market by mid-year. But the picture is a little murkier than was related to me for the first story.

Visual Planet: http://www.visualplanet.biz

Displax: http://www.displax.com/index.php

Original Source: http://venturebeat.com/2010/02/08/displax-forgot-to-tell-us-it-doesnt-make-plastic-nanowire-film/

Thumbtack

2010-02-01T13:38:00.000-08:00

As I was scouring the web for a website that had a revolutionary new concept, I came across an idea I had several years ago. In a two week span of time I developed a website similar to Thumbtack, a marketplace for local services, and as I neared completion, my computer crashed. I had to completely reformat my hard-drive and I lost all my work in the process. I was so frustrated that I just let it go and I have not worked on it since.

According to Thumbtack.com, "Thumbtack is a trusted online marketplace for local services, from handymen and cleaners to tutors and errand-runners. For service providers, Thumbtack offers a virtual home, verifiable reputation, transaction support, appointment management, and marketing tools. For consumers, Thumbtack provides a central marketplace to easily find, compare, and purchase local services."

See this video on Vator.tv »

I must admit that the site design that Thumbtack has developed is much better than I had intended. I had intended to develop a fully automated, low-maintenance site, because this type of website will take some time to gain traction.

Craigslist started in 1995 and did not start charging for posted material until 2004, in two of the largest cities in the United States. The original purpose of Craigslist was to email Craig Newmark’s friends and anyone that joined the mailing list about local events. Therefore, the primary motivation was not for profit and Craigslist could have charged for services long before 2004. A lot has changed over the past 15 years with regards to the internet, but an angel investor or venture capitalist isn't going to allow 9 years to make their money back.

According to Vator.tv, Thumbtack has between 6-15 employees and to coincide with their business model , I don’t think Thumbtack has the legs to carry itself because the resources that need to be allocated until it gains traction will cripple the company before it is successful.

Though my opinion appears to be negative, I wish the Thumbtack team the best of luck!

Form your own opinion by going to their website…

Website: http://www.thumbtack.com/

PowerBeam

2010-01-28T23:56:00.001-08:00

The future is finally here!

As a boy, I saw this invention as influential as the Benjamin Franklin's experiments with electricity or his invention of the light bulb. I could see its application throughout the world from the high altitudes of Mount Everest to the depths of the Grand Canyon, from the impoverished villages of the Africa continent to the King's Palace in Dubai.

This magnificent invention is...

wireless electricity!

Imagine a world with out electrical power lines, power cords, or cellphone chargers!

So I don't get carried away, I'll let you make your own judgment...

See this video on Vator.tv »

PowerBeam’s patented wireless electricity system uses Powmitters™ and Powceivers™ to deliver power without wires. The optical technology turns electricity into optical power. That power is then beamed across open space into a receiver. Similar to a solar cell, the receiver turns the optical power back into electricity. Whatever device is attached to the receiver is powered without any wires.

Control: is the essence of power. PowerBeam can control where, when and how much power is transmitted and to what it is transmitted too.

Adaptability: one Powceiver™ can be powered from multiple Powmitters™ or one Powmitter™ can power many Powceivers™. Powceivers™ can be integrated into just about any device.

Range: our technology provides the ability to power devices at any distance required. Distance is their biggest advantage.

Power: PowerBeam can provide anywhere from one watt to hundreds of watts depending on the product requirement. The physics of our technology does not limit the amount of power that can be transferred.

Security: the theft-protection mechanism ensures that only authenticated Powceivers can access power from a Powmitter™.

Website: www.powerbeaminc.com

Springwise

2010-01-27T15:10:00.000-08:00

As an entrepreneur, Springwise is one of my favorite sites! Everyday Springwise offers the latest and greatest business ideas from across the globe. Though this site is far from a start-up, started in 2002, and the technology is not revolutionary, their information is truly unique and worth my daily visit. Springwise obtains its information from 8,000 "Springspotters" in over 70 countries worldwide.

Pedestrian footsteps, by Pavegen Systems, was one of the most ingenious ideas that I was make aware of by Springwise. The pedestrian footsteps convert the downward pressure created by a human, kinetic energy, into usable electricity.

The pedestrian footsteps could eventually be used to power lamp posts or street lights, which would save money for every community across the world.

Original Article: www.springwise.com/eco_sustainability/pavegen
Website: www.pavegensystems.com

eReveal is Alive Again!

2010-01-26T14:56:00.000-08:00

Following a long hiatus from the world of blogging, I am back to reestablish myself in the internet community. I intend to write 3-4 times per week and give you the latest information in the tech world!

Since WebbAlert was shutdown in January of 2009, I will have to find a replacement show for my readers. Feel free to add any suggestions!

Your comments are always welcome and I hope you enjoy eReveal!

Socialmarker

2008-02-14T12:53:00.000-08:00

Another resource for all you bloggers out there, Socialmarker! As you all may know social bookmarking is a powerful tool in promoting a website, blog, video, product, service, or anything on the internet. But going through all of those social bookmarking sites is very time-consuming and downloading all tool bars is madness! That's where Socialmarker is essential for any serious blogger because it eliminates the everyday headaches of posting.

Scribd

2008-02-12T15:18:00.000-08:00

The other day I came across this truly amazing site called Scribd. Scribd is a Silicon Valley startup that makes it easy to share documents from .pdf's to .doc's online. Scribd is the resource that allows you to publish all your original content.

Scribd allows you to publish your documents to the world wide web, get feedback from community members, and even embed your documents to anywhere on the web. Scribd says the idea behind this is to have people put all their documents from their computer on the web, but obviously once your content reaches the web it is the at the world's moral duty to not duplicate the content.

Below is a simple video of tips:

SoonR

2008-02-11T16:04:00.000-08:00

As business becomes global, the workforce is becoming more dispersed, information is changing in real time, and the drive for higher productivity continues. Even when traveling, commuting or out of the office, we must continue to stay in touch with the information on our computers and the people we share this information with.
We often forget to synchronize our devices before we leave the office and we can't wait for others to send us our own information! With SoonR, any data enabled device (mobile phone, PDA, or computer) you can now access the information on PCs using the built-in communications facilities of the device. You define your view of information and are always kept up to date on changes. You can even collaborate and share with colleagues, business partners, and friends while on the go (You or them!).The SoonR team has received numerous industry accolades for their product efforts. With SoonR, the goal is to continue that tradition and give incredible functionality from the phone you have in your hand!

Expensr

2008-02-08T19:09:00.000-08:00

Expensr is a free online personal finance application that was founded by Reman Child and Shawn Gupta. As working professionals, they needed a fast and easy way to track their spending habits. After complaining to each other over lunch one day about not knowing where all their money went, they decided to do something about it. That's how expensr was born. The founders still have trouble putting money away, but at least now they know where it all goes.

TubeMogul

2008-02-05T12:37:00.000-08:00

For all you avid video viewers and bloggers, TubeMogul is the perfect site for you! TubeMogul allows users to deploy 150 videos per month on all the main pages. It even gives you cross-site analysis, submit to social networking sites, and plenty more all for FREE! TubeMogul also offers several upgraded programs with priceless features for any online video mogul.

Below is an instructional video:

American Venture TV

2008-02-04T10:01:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the New Year everyone! I have a great website for you today it's called, Americanventure.TV. American Venture TV captures the excitement of the venture capital world in an new interactive and portable fashion. Shot in High Definition, American Venture TV's web broadcasting offers a "Connect Now" feature which supplies related hyperlinks and other interactive options while you watch. American Venture TV is also portable. Each segment is formatted and available for download to any portable media device. Presented by journalist Brian Byrnes, each American Venture TV newscast will include intelligent and insightful editorial content, the latest funding moves ("Who Got Money"), news about industry staff changes and budding entrepreneurs ("Movers & Shakers") and information on important industry conferences ("Conferences"). I strongly recommend this site for any budding entrepreneur and anyone involved in business.

JumpCut.com

2008-02-01T16:29:00.000-08:00

If creating a video and publishing it to the web seems like a challenge, we think you'll find that Jumpcut makes it easy and fun. If you've been wondering what to do with the video you shoot with your snazzy new camera (or your phone), Jumpcut is the perfect place for you to be creative. If video isn't your thing just yet and you just want to make cool slideshows with your pictures, Jumpcut is still the best place.
Finally, a free online location where you can use all your media, create great looking movies and publish to anyone you choose. There's nothing else like it.

OVGuide.com

2008-01-29T18:20:00.000-08:00

OVGuide is the largest online video site directory and search portal on the web. This site has become an online guide for millions of users each month. They help connect people to the latest and greatest online video sites with new ones added daily. You can view us as the ultimate “cable TV network” for the the emerging online video market.

Mangolanguages.com

2008-01-27T16:11:00.000-08:00

Learning a new language is one of the best ways to stimulate the brain and get to know another culture. The hassle is that language courses are boring and expensive, until now. Mangolanguages.com is the first 'free enterprise language-learning course on the Internet.' There are eleven language courses offered and each one includes 100 lessons. The lessons are constructed with clear visuals, voice direction and verbal examples as well. The lesson slides are not cluttered and even as the skill level increases, the slides continue with clarity and do not become intimidating. For adults learning a new language, one of the key advantages is to hear the language, not just read it. For that reason, many students choose to have group classes in a language school. The problems that people run into, however, are either time constraints or issues with classroom conduct. Many students become self-conscious in a room full of others and this is the biggest impediment to language learning. With Mangolanguages.com, language learners can concentrate and practice in the privacy of their own home or office for free.

Mango Languages - Funny video clips are a click away

Vator.tv

2008-01-25T11:08:00.000-08:00

Vator.tv is a catalyst for innovation. It's the premier venue for innovators to showcase their ideas, discover, connect, collaborate and exchange knowledge to get their ideas to the next level. Vator.tv is a utility for anyone trying to build their idea. The company incorporated in Oct. 2006, and launched a beta site in June 2007.

eReveal

2008-01-23T22:10:00.000-08:00

Welcome to eReveal!
This blog is designed to explore the vast unknown of what we can the world wide web. We intend to do our best in filtering this network we call the world wide web and bring to you the best it has to offer.