Did you ever think that you would ever have a girlfriend, and not have to deal with her in real life? Of course, to some this is a dream come true, but to others it is quite unusual. Some mothers tell you that you would never find a girlfriend with your head in the clouds or even by sitting in front of a computer. But now, things have changed. The upcoming application, Cloud Girlfriend, says that they can create the perfect girlfriend for you, one that you will never have to deal with in real life. The benefits of this is that they will post adoring messages to your Facebook or Tweet at you ALL the time. This can occur because your Cloud Girlfriend is only a virtual presence stored in a virtual cloud, with a virtual personality matching what you can ask for. Your Cloud Girlfriend's profile would be run by a human, however. Cloud Girlfriend's co-founder insists that it be a female human being.
Co-founder, David Fuhriman, claims that this is not a sex chat or pornography service. The girlfriend is operated by a real girl and can be like having a real long-distance girlfriend but without all of the extra hassles. Cloud Girlfriend has not launched yet, due to raising concerns with Facebook and Twitter's Terms of Service. Although it has issues coming its way with the social networking sites, the Cloud Girlfriend has gained a lot of media attention because of its unusual premise and appeal to the tech savy, busy, modern young man.
Cloud Girlfriend finds ways to defend its ways and its role in society. It claims that it is therapeutic because it ultimately fulfills a man's emotional, psychological needs, and builds his self confidence. They also claim that it can help them to successfully navigate real-life situations, which would lead them to make wise decisions throughout their life.
Cloud Girlfriend seems to be just another excuse for why men and women cannot hold a true relationship. It's a way around having a real relationship with another human being, which could only lead to the individual having other psychological problems. Facebook and Twitter should be concerned more because accounts are being created for such a low purpose, which only takes up the space on their network, that could be used by people who really want to use the social networking sites for what they were created for. The Cloud Girlfriend should also raise questions such as, what if the person wants to "break up" with the girl? Or, if you were to "break it off", would you be able to get away from them posting unnecessary messages onto your Facebook or Twitter? Why can't people just meet a significant other the way that everyone else does and has done it for hundreds and hundreds of years?
Article Name: 'Cloud Girlfriend' Offers Dream Virtual Girlfriends
by Sara Yin
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2382740,00.asp#
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Captchas' Real Purpose!
"Back in the day", in order to attend an event, you would have to make phone calls, write, or wait to go to the destination and hope for tickets at the box office. Now, it is as easy as making a few clicks and entering your credit card information on the Internet. But before these ticket distributors take your money, they might first present the user with two sets of distorted, wavy letters and ask for a transcription. These are called Captchas, and only humans can read them. They are meant so that robots cannot hack or access secure Web sites. What the readers do not know though, is that they have been enlisted in a project to transform an old book, magazine, newspaper into an accurate, easily sortable, and searchable computer text file.
One of these wavy, distorted words probably came from a digitalized image from an old text, and while the original page has already been scanned into an online database, the scanning programs made a lot of mistakes. So basically, the users and readers who are entering their copy of these letters are correcting them. So in other words, buy a ticket to a such event, and help preserve history! The set of software tools that that accomplishes this is called reCaptcha. Its original project was to clean up the digitized archive of the New York Times, but now it is the main method used by Google to authenticate text in Google Books, its vast project to digitized rare and out of print texts on the Internet.
Digitization is usually a three-stage process: create a photographic image of the text (a bitmap), encode the text in a compact, searchable form using character recognition software (O.C.R.), and correct the mistakes. Normally, the first two steps are easier to complete and more straightforward. The third step is sometimes more difficult because a lot of the time, O.C.R. programs mess up a large portion of the words, so that only humans can fix these issues. In order to get around this obstacle, Captchas were developed. It was estimated that humans around the world could decode about 200 million Captchas a day, at 10 seconds per Captcha. So now, reCaptcha is being used by 70 to 90 percent of Web sites such as Ticketmaster, banks and Facebook. Although this has been extremely helpful, reCaptcha has run into numerous errors such as it not being able to easily read cursive writing. Besides these points, reCaptcha achieves an accuracy rate of about 99 percent.
Usually turning to the public would be a bad idea when trying to accomplish major goals such as this. But in this instance, it was a great idea. It's amazing how well the results have turned out and how accurate they are as well. I would think that a program such as reCaptcha would have more issues when turning to the public, but it seems to be more successful than anything. I have used and had to translate these Captchas before, and I never knew that that was what they were for, to correct words for a greater reason.
Article Name: Deciphering Old Texts, One Woozy, Curvy Word At A Time
by Guy Gugliotta
Monday, March 21, 2011
Microsoft Urges Users to Block Flash Player Attacks
Microsoft is now urging its users of older Office suites to install and run a complicated tool to protect themselves against ongoing attacks exploiting an unpatched bug in Adobe's Flash Player. Andrew Roths and Chengyun Chu, a manager and security engineer with the Microsoft Security Response Center, say that the Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit (EMET) would help for users of Office prior to 2010. Turning on the EMET will enable a number of security protections called, security mitigations. It is a tool that is designed, usually, for advanced users (such as IT pros) that manually enables address space layout randomization (ASLR) and data execution prevention (DEP), and they are both anti-exploit technologies included with Windows
Adobe has confirmed that attackers were exploiting an unpatched bug in Flash player by sending victims malicious Microsoft Excel documents. Office suites prior to 2010 are only being attacked because the version of Excel that came with Office 2010 has DEP enabled and is not susceptible to attacks. The current attacks do not bypass DEP. Excel 2010 also protects the users by isolating these infected files inside Office 2010's "Protected View". This is a "sandbox" that prevents attacking code from getting out of the application and infecting other areas. Those who use Office 2003 and 2007 are not protected by Protected View or DEP. Microsoft has recommended EMET before. EMET 2.0 can be downloaded for free from Microsoft's site, and after downloading this, users can manually configure the tool to add protection to Office's applications.
Most people think that most attacks and issues usually occur in applications from the Internet, or that you manually download and install onto your computer, that may sometimes not always be trusted. Usually, you can trust the products, especially from Microsoft, in that your computer would not get attacked in such a way. Atleast Microsoft has provided a free download to help prevent these problems from happening again. Adoble plans on fixing Flash Player's vulnerability sometime soon, though.
Article Name: Microsoft Urges Office Users to Block Flash Player Attacks
by: Gregg Keizer
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9214795/Microsoft_urges_Office_users_to_block_Flash_Player_attacks?taxonomyId=17
Adobe has confirmed that attackers were exploiting an unpatched bug in Flash player by sending victims malicious Microsoft Excel documents. Office suites prior to 2010 are only being attacked because the version of Excel that came with Office 2010 has DEP enabled and is not susceptible to attacks. The current attacks do not bypass DEP. Excel 2010 also protects the users by isolating these infected files inside Office 2010's "Protected View". This is a "sandbox" that prevents attacking code from getting out of the application and infecting other areas. Those who use Office 2003 and 2007 are not protected by Protected View or DEP. Microsoft has recommended EMET before. EMET 2.0 can be downloaded for free from Microsoft's site, and after downloading this, users can manually configure the tool to add protection to Office's applications.
Most people think that most attacks and issues usually occur in applications from the Internet, or that you manually download and install onto your computer, that may sometimes not always be trusted. Usually, you can trust the products, especially from Microsoft, in that your computer would not get attacked in such a way. Atleast Microsoft has provided a free download to help prevent these problems from happening again. Adoble plans on fixing Flash Player's vulnerability sometime soon, though.
Article Name: Microsoft Urges Office Users to Block Flash Player Attacks
by: Gregg Keizer
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9214795/Microsoft_urges_Office_users_to_block_Flash_Player_attacks?taxonomyId=17
Google Accuses Chinese Government of Blocking Their Services
The Chinese government has been accused by Google of blocking its Gmail service, making it difficult for local users to access the site. Google has claimed that there is not any issues with their main page or Gmail service in China, which leads them to believe that it is definitely a government blockage. It has been designed to make it seem like there is an issue with Gmail, but Google has done extensive checks to be sure that this is not the case. Analysts who track track Web developments say that the Chinese government is intentionally disrupting and blocking access to Google as a part of a campaign to tighten Internet controls and censor material.
Beijing has had some of the world's strictest Internet controls, but after pro-democracy demonstrations broke out in the Middle East in the beginning of this year, the Chinese government have become more strict in the effort to censor Web content and to disrupt Web searches related to calls for similar protests in China. After numerous attacks on its Web site by Chinese hackers, Google removed its Chinese language Internet search engine from China and relocated it to Hong Kong, where Beijing has fewer controls. After these attacks, the hackers had access to the private Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights advocates because the hackers had stolen some of the Google source code.
Although Google is trying to protect its services, it is being said that Google has violated its written promise that was made when entering the Chinese market by stopping filtering its searching service and blaming in insinuation for alleged hacker attacks. Currently, Google's search engines are still accessible in China, but the government has the ability to block them whenever they feel like it.
Although Google made promises with China, it is obvious that it is causing issues having pacts with them. The service was already hacked and source code was stolen, which causes many more problems along the way. It is almost impossible to completely cut China off, but it seems to be necessary to take some sort of more direct action in protecting Google's services from being attacked once again.
Article Name: Google Accuses Chinese of Blocking Gmail Service
by: David Barboza and Claire Cain Miller
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/21/technology/21google.html?ref=technology
Beijing has had some of the world's strictest Internet controls, but after pro-democracy demonstrations broke out in the Middle East in the beginning of this year, the Chinese government have become more strict in the effort to censor Web content and to disrupt Web searches related to calls for similar protests in China. After numerous attacks on its Web site by Chinese hackers, Google removed its Chinese language Internet search engine from China and relocated it to Hong Kong, where Beijing has fewer controls. After these attacks, the hackers had access to the private Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights advocates because the hackers had stolen some of the Google source code.
Although Google is trying to protect its services, it is being said that Google has violated its written promise that was made when entering the Chinese market by stopping filtering its searching service and blaming in insinuation for alleged hacker attacks. Currently, Google's search engines are still accessible in China, but the government has the ability to block them whenever they feel like it.
Although Google made promises with China, it is obvious that it is causing issues having pacts with them. The service was already hacked and source code was stolen, which causes many more problems along the way. It is almost impossible to completely cut China off, but it seems to be necessary to take some sort of more direct action in protecting Google's services from being attacked once again.
Article Name: Google Accuses Chinese of Blocking Gmail Service
by: David Barboza and Claire Cain Miller
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/21/technology/21google.html?ref=technology
Monday, March 14, 2011
Google: Social Network? Or is it all a hoax?
There have been rumors going around that Google will soon be coming out with their own social networking site, and with all of the confusion being caused by this rumor, Google has yet to do anything to clear any of it up. For months, there has been online chatter that Google is secretly working on releasing their own social networking site that would focus maybe on gaming, movies or music. But nothing has been definitely stated by Google or anyone that has any legitimate say in what is actually going to happen. Whether it will be called Google Circle or Google Me, it has been called the Facebook killer more than one time.
There was a lot of talk about this happening and that it was going to be called Google Circle at SXSW, the film, interactive and music festival that is now under way in Austin, Texas. But right after, a tweet from @googlesxsw bashed those rumors saying that they weren't launching any such products, but they were doing plenty else. After this, Google's Chris Messina stated that they were not launching its own social network. You would think that this would have been the end of it, but it kept going when Tim O'Reilly, technology pundit, tweeted something that inferred otherwise. He said that it wasn't necessarily a social network or a product, but more of a "research-y thing" that would help you manage social data.
It is being said that whether Google is creating a social network or not, they need to respond to the surge on Facebook and the power inherent in the Facebook business model. Even though it seems as though two companies don't compete directly, they really do. They compete for the users attention and their time.
I think it would be a good idea for Google to launch a social network, but it will be very difficult to compete with Facebook because it is now, probably the leading social networking site available for no charge. They may receive much attention and users mainly based off of their increased reputation for other things, but it still will be hard to compete with other social networking sites. This isn't saying that they won't become successful, though.
Article Name: Have you heard the one about Google going social?
by: Sharon Gaudin
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9214539/Have_you_heard_the_one_about_Google_going_social_?taxonomyId=11
There was a lot of talk about this happening and that it was going to be called Google Circle at SXSW, the film, interactive and music festival that is now under way in Austin, Texas. But right after, a tweet from @googlesxsw bashed those rumors saying that they weren't launching any such products, but they were doing plenty else. After this, Google's Chris Messina stated that they were not launching its own social network. You would think that this would have been the end of it, but it kept going when Tim O'Reilly, technology pundit, tweeted something that inferred otherwise. He said that it wasn't necessarily a social network or a product, but more of a "research-y thing" that would help you manage social data.
It is being said that whether Google is creating a social network or not, they need to respond to the surge on Facebook and the power inherent in the Facebook business model. Even though it seems as though two companies don't compete directly, they really do. They compete for the users attention and their time.
I think it would be a good idea for Google to launch a social network, but it will be very difficult to compete with Facebook because it is now, probably the leading social networking site available for no charge. They may receive much attention and users mainly based off of their increased reputation for other things, but it still will be hard to compete with other social networking sites. This isn't saying that they won't become successful, though.
Article Name: Have you heard the one about Google going social?
by: Sharon Gaudin
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9214539/Have_you_heard_the_one_about_Google_going_social_?taxonomyId=11
Internet Poker: Who/What Are You Playing Against?
Bryan Taylor, 36, began playing poker professionally in 2008. Taylor became extremely suspicious of his most frequent opponents when they began to play so similar, that it made him believe that he was competing against computers (or robots). To his surprise, this held to be true. These "bots" were programmed to play poker, and essentially beat the odds. A frequently visited site of Mr. Taylor's, PokerStars, had determined that some of their opponents were computers, playing as if they were people, and they were shut down. Any other incidents in the past that involved this issue were usually not that big of a problem because until recently, the poker bots were not that good. Now, they are programmed to win so much, that they could win up to tens of thousands of dollars.
Companies, such as PokerStars are cracking down on catching these bots. When a player is identified as being a bot, PokerStars removes them from the games and confiscates all of their winnings that they may have accumulated. This issue is becoming more and more common because the availability of buying your own personal poker bot is becoming more easy. Full Tilt, another large poker site, has banned more than 400 customers and has seized more than $50,000 of the customers' money because of this.
Unlike Watson, the I.B.M. computer that won on "Jeopardy!", poker bots are not stellar players. But they are getting better due to the advances in the way that computer scientists program software to play games. It is said that more than 90% of these bots aren't so good, and they are losing more money than they are gaining. These could be a couple reasons for why gambling sites aren't really cracking down as much as others in catching these bots.
Most of the poker bots made today and that are sold on the Internet were created by programmers as a hobby. Buyers can than program the bots that they purchase to make different strategic decisions in various circumstances. This allows them to observe which are successful, and which are not. They can then apply these successful strategies in the real world. While some buyers use it to this advantage, others think they can just use the bots they buy off the Internet to make money.
Is this just another step to advance into a world where humans encounter more robots each day? It becomes more frustrating, when you are playing online poker or things of that nature, and you are up against a bot, yet you don't know it. As the bots become better, your odds lessen and you're out of more money. Sure, it's your decision, but most people don't think of these things when playing on the Internet. It's going to become more and more popular, and everyone will eventually purchase a bot just to be able to beat the odds. It's going to be a battle against the bots, eventually, and not so much about humans intellectual and strategic decisions. It's going to be more about power.
Article Name: Poker Bots Invade Online Gambling
by: Gabriel Dance
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/14/science/14poker.html?ref=technology
Companies, such as PokerStars are cracking down on catching these bots. When a player is identified as being a bot, PokerStars removes them from the games and confiscates all of their winnings that they may have accumulated. This issue is becoming more and more common because the availability of buying your own personal poker bot is becoming more easy. Full Tilt, another large poker site, has banned more than 400 customers and has seized more than $50,000 of the customers' money because of this.
Unlike Watson, the I.B.M. computer that won on "Jeopardy!", poker bots are not stellar players. But they are getting better due to the advances in the way that computer scientists program software to play games. It is said that more than 90% of these bots aren't so good, and they are losing more money than they are gaining. These could be a couple reasons for why gambling sites aren't really cracking down as much as others in catching these bots.
Most of the poker bots made today and that are sold on the Internet were created by programmers as a hobby. Buyers can than program the bots that they purchase to make different strategic decisions in various circumstances. This allows them to observe which are successful, and which are not. They can then apply these successful strategies in the real world. While some buyers use it to this advantage, others think they can just use the bots they buy off the Internet to make money.
Is this just another step to advance into a world where humans encounter more robots each day? It becomes more frustrating, when you are playing online poker or things of that nature, and you are up against a bot, yet you don't know it. As the bots become better, your odds lessen and you're out of more money. Sure, it's your decision, but most people don't think of these things when playing on the Internet. It's going to become more and more popular, and everyone will eventually purchase a bot just to be able to beat the odds. It's going to be a battle against the bots, eventually, and not so much about humans intellectual and strategic decisions. It's going to be more about power.
Article Name: Poker Bots Invade Online Gambling
by: Gabriel Dance
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/14/science/14poker.html?ref=technology
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)