Sending Information by Photons and Storing it on Atoms - Sci Fi or Reality?

Sending Information by Photons and Storing it on Atoms - Sci Fi or Reality?
By L. Winslow

Scientists are rapidly increasing mans ability to make nano-computers and Moore's Law is being shattered as we speak. For instance a University Research team was able to store an image on a photon and now IBM has store data on an Atom.

How you ask, well using binary code and measuring magnetic anisotropy (magnetic field that allows it to hold a direction) they can assign either a one or a zero. This means that a sand speck might would be the processor size. We have to give IBM research a hand for their most incredible achievements. And how soon can you have your nano-computer? Well believe it or not, within a decade.

Interestingly enough, the Robotic Future of man merging with machine will most likely be passed by allowing the atoms in your body to process all its own information and all the worlds information if it was so desired. It makes the current human body and biosystem appear rather inefficient if you ask me.

Our future processors will not be made out of silicon, more like carbon nano-tubes or smaller and they will require such little amounts of energy, that they will most likely run off human vibrational energy or background noise and never need batteries. Molecular level computers that you cannot even see, will put out more information processing abilities than your 10-amp laptop. It will soon be considered a Dinosaur or Dog, compared to the next generation of computing.

A computer processing scheme that uses perhaps two hydrogen atoms in a molecule as a switching a system and the question I am asking is will we get a discount on our new computers since they will be using the same materials in the most simple of elements on the periodic table. Sincerely, Lance.

L. Winslow is an Economic Advisor to the Online Think Tank, a Futurist and retired entrepreneur http://www.worldthinktank.net . Currently he is planning a bicycle ride across the US to raise money for charity and is sponsored by http://www.Calling-Plans.com and all the proceeds will go to various charities who sign up.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=L._Winslow

Unsecured Wi-Fi Access - Browse At Your Own Risk

Unsecured Wi-Fi Access - Browse At Your Own Risk
By A Westling

During the Black Hat 2007 Conference, a quick display of hacker technology demonstrated just how secure -or not- Wi-Fi hotspots are. In the middle of a conference presentation, session identifiers and cookies were captured from the internet browser of a random user accessing an unsecured wireless signal. The result? The helpless audience member could only look on as his Gmail inbox was suddenly presented for all to see.

Though this was eye-opening for many, it shouldn't be. Wireless networks have been unsecure for years; in 2006 the University of Cambridge surveyed 2,500 access points of Wi-Fi networks around the University and found 46% were unencrypted (1). An overall estimate puts that number even higher - around 95% (2).

The reason behind the high rate of unsecured hot spots is simple: "People just really don't care about Wi-Fi security" (1). The general public doesn't view unsecure networks as a problem. People commonly offer to share their connection with friends and neighbors, and log on to public hotspots. Despite the past apathy regarding unsecured hotspots, there is clearly a reason to be concerned. Connecting to an unsecured network is an invitation for hackers to easily snoop through people's inbox and cookies, putting an unsuspecting user at risk for data and identity theft.

Convenience of public Wi-Fi hotspots mistakenly puts security on the back burner. Few are willing to sacrifice checking their email in the library or a coffee shop due to the potential threat of a hacker. But increasingly, hackers are creating fake access points that appear to be real, easily deceiving wireless internet users.

"If you're connecting to a hacker's fake Access Point and everything you send and receive is transmitted in clear text with no encryption...Anyone who doubts that this is a problem should ask themselves if they would post their email account passwords ... at the bottom of this blog or go in to an airport and yell out their user account names and passwords as loud as they can. If the answer is no then they should be concerned with Hotspot security" (3).

Projected Use
Current Wi-Fi stats state that wireless internet use will only increase. Wireless users are expected to grow by over 970 million users in the next three years, bringing the number of Americans with wireless subscriptions up to 87% (4). By 2010 wireless internet use will double that of cell phone use (5).

These astounding figures should create some unease. The high number of unsecure connections increases the potential for data and identity theft, as well as the loss of control of sensitive information.

Though the new attitude towards Wi-Fi has recently shifted towards concern, the low use of encryption is still a problem. Many wireless network products have included built-in security features that offer added protection or encryption, but customers struggle with the setup, and the features go unused.

Setting up your own network
When setting up Wi-Fi at home, follow these guidelines to increase the security of the network:

• Change the default name of your access point (that it does not read Linksys, or Netgear, for example) that does not disclose your name, company, or location
• Make sure your Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) is enabled or turned on, and check often for security upgrades
• Change the default router password
• Disable remote access via the router
Use MAC authentication to validate only a specific list of users allowed to access your network

Browse at your own risk
If you connect to a public access point, there are fewer options. Simply put, unsecured Wi-Fi use is a major threat. By connecting to an unsecured wireless network, you are a sitting target for any interested hacker. Information passed through unsecured web pages is accessible. Is it worth sacrificing all the information within your inbox just to check your email?

Although there are problems created by unsecured wireless networks, options are available to protect emailed documents. It's possible to create secure, encrypted documents that are invulnerable to hackers, when accessed over a wireless network. If you plan to work on an unsecured access point, using extra security on sensitive files will assist in guarding against the vulnerabilities created by using a hotspot.

End Notes:

1). Espiner, Tom. "Does Wi-Fi security matter?" CNET News. June 27, 2007. http://news.com.com/2100-1029_3-6088741.html

2). Acohido, Byron. "Public Wi-Fi use raises hacking risk." USA Today. August 10, 2007.

3). Ou, George. "A secure Wireless LAN hotspot for anonymous users." Real World IT. July 18 2007. http://blogs.zdnet.com/Ou/?p=587

4). IT Facts.

5). "Statistics: E-Business Trends."

Ashley is part of the marketing team at Essential Security Software (ESS), provider of the email encryption software, Essential Taceo®. Taceo locks down email and gives the sender complete control over their recipient copying, printing, or forwarding of the email. Lockdown your email with Essential Taceo.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=A_Westling

How to Delete Google Services/Yahoo Services

How to Delete Google Services/Yahoo Services?
By Rishikesh Sinha

Often, there are times come in our life when the Google products that we voyeuristically created have to be deleted. We don’t want to have the window that connects us from the other world, of friends, peers, relatives, and what not. We just don’t need the products.

Here is the one process that goes through the Gmail account.

Note: If you want to search in Google to delete its Gmail id, you won’t find the result. Nevertheless, Google has Help Pages for every service it provides.

If your id is a gmail one…

Steps:

Log in to your email id.

After it has completely opened, Click on the Settings located at the extreme right side of the page.

Than go to Accounts - - Google Account settings (that reads: Visit your Google Account settings to reset your password, change your security question, or learn about access to other Google services)

In the new window, click on the Edit of the My Services.

Options appear - Close Account -- click on the Close account and delete all services and info associated with it.

You are in the Delete Page.

Check the box - Yes, I want to delete my account. Check the box - Yes, I acknowledge that I am still responsible for any charges incurred due to any pending financial transactions.

Click Delete Google Account.

Note: This procedure will delete all your services that you were availing.

Note: There are options you can delete a particular services like Google Mail, Orkut, Google Alerts, Blogger, Google Groups, Web History, iGoogle, Google Talk, Google in Your Language and Google Docs & Spreadsheets.

For Yahoo products

Log in to yahoo mail.

Click My Settings.

A new page pops up. Enter your username and password.

Partner Accounts: Click - Manage Account Links

In the Account Sign-in Settings (that reads:You are currently linked to these services:)

Click on the Deactivate button.

You are in the Confirm Deactivation page

Click – Yes, Disable Automatic Sign-in

So, next time if you want to delete the Google and Yahoo account. It would definitely be a easy ride.

He is an expertise of mobile, web, entertainment. For more stories. Click http://pxylem.blogspot.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rishikesh_Sinha

MySpace takes steps to help parents and kids

I was originally going to write about this topic of MySpace.com a while back. However, since it was already being done I chose to kind of put it on the back burner.

Mostly because after some consideration I sort of felt that MySpace.com was getting a bad rap due to its success. While I still think this is true, I do feel that MySpace.com is also partly responsible for the welfare of the minors who post on their website.

Apparently though, after I read this Cnet.com article I see that MySpace.com also feels the same way. For this I think that the company deserves to get a large share of the credit. As well as some Kudos for taking the appropriate steps to thwart the problem.

Now, some of you may be asking yourselves, why do they deserve any credit at all?

Well, I will tell you…MySpace.com has taken the initiative and has apparently done so in grand style to inform not just minors posting on their site, but parents as well. They have teamed up with other important entities that already exist to help protect children and they are in the process of hiring key people to help cope with the problems and issues surrounding this.

While some people know this is not a new problem, but a recurring one. Many seem to believe this is a new problem that begins and ends with MySpace.com, this is the main reason why I chose not to write about it several months ago.

This is a recurring theme that has been happening since the birth of the internet. Especially since the home pages, free website spaces, and instant messages became so popular.

Granted most of the publicity has been over young kids posting personal information about themselves for others to readily see on the internet that would allow someone to track them down and possibly do them harm. But, I also think that there are other issues involved as well. For instance, you can go on just about any site on the internet that allows users the freedom to post what they want and find materials that parents would find objectionable for their own kids to see, never mind be placing on the internet for the world to see.

Nothing will ever replace knowledgeable parents who monitor their children’s online activity. While some parents may be against this, I think if most parents could see or view what their own kids or even their kids friends are putting on the internet they would be shocked.

So again, I would like to give a big Kudos out there to MySpace.com for taking the right steps in order to help keep parents in the know and to help protect our kids.

* I do not currently have a MySpace.com account, nor do I intend to get one anytime soon. LOL sorry to all my friends who keep asking me to sign up.

Jerry Taylor VS CentOS...What was this guy thinking?

I read, and reread over the course of the weekend the interesting Tuttle and CentOS articles and emails.

Yeah, Yeah I know. But seriously I had nothing to do this weekend anyway other than catch up on my reading.

When I first read about this story I felt bad for Jerry A. Taylor. However, I do have an issue with the way he handled the problem. This is a man who obviously had no clue as to where to turn or as to what was wrong with his web servers. Especially since he states he allegedly contacted the hosting company responsible for the site he was unable to access and according to them they do not use CentOS nor have they even heard of it.

Well if this part of the story is true, then I would have to say that the hosting company should take some of the responsibility. Not all, but some. Of course there is no way to verify if this part of the story is true; but I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt on this.

While Jerry Taylor may well have 22 years under his belt as a project manager for Raytheon, specifically with E-Systems, this as we all know does not mean he has first hand knowledge about technology. Then again he does hold a BSEE. Which probably places him in the category of being one of those dangerous people with a little bit of knowledge. Clearly, most of his professional career is the management of people and projects, not the technology itself. Personally I think this is a bad mix, but this is not the issue here.

Here is the real issue, someone in a position of power that has obviously no clue as to what they are doing with certain technologies making threats to someone who is trying to help rectify the problem. Jerry Taylor states in one of the emails that he is “computer literate” and has “22 years in computer systems engineering and operation” I mean common. The only thing this has done is make this guy look like a complete idiot.

I mean this guy probably has not even read an article on current technologies, never mind the fact that he probably hasn’t touched a computer in a technical capacity since he graduated after getting his BSEE. Anyone on the planet can see this just by reading what Jerry Taylor has allegedly said of all this.

I fully understand the position he takes currently on this issue as well and I think he is correct. This apparently is not the most pressing issue the City of Tuttle has. I am glade to see that it is not. I do think that it was Wrong of Jerry Taylor to make this statement however. The statement is taken from The Tuttle Times online.

“This is just a bunch of freaks out there that don’t have anything better to do,” he said. “When I came in to work Monday morning, I had about 500 e-mails, plus anonymous phone calls from all the geeks out there. [CentOS is] a free operating system that this guy gives away, which tells you how much time he’s got on his hands.”

Quite frankly I do not think this was appropriate and not very friendly for such a supposedly friendly place. Such is life and life goes on however.

I would like to reach out and say Kudos to Johnny Hughes of CentOS however. I think he did a fine job in handling the situation and helped to resolve the issue.

I do think though that regardless of how Jerry Taylor has acted we should all remain professionals. The next time someone misunderstands the technical issues at hand, let’s just do our best to resolve it. Although it is hard when you are trying to do that and the other person is not cooperating, but let us all just do our best. The results will speak for themselves.

BTW...Congrats to the Tuttle football team.