BitCoin? Whats that?...

So how many of you have actually heard of BitCoin? It's a cool up and coming digital currency striving to be independent of many regulations and other factors that affect currency trade and they buying/selling of goods. The coins are developed by a series of calculations by your cpu that get increasingly harder as more coins are developed. Its easy to send and receive and without regulatory fees. Learn more about it here, at BitCoin.org and after you get the client, you should go here to get your first free BitCoins. You should check this out, its awesome and I think it has potential to go somewhere!

If you like this blog please donate some BitCoin to: 12MD1Xp1577fZ4DeEicwEpZVZAhxkzJDD9

The Search for the Perfect Boss

Just as Google seems to be setting out to figure out everything else in the world, they have recently let known a project code-named Project Oxygen in which they have sought to compile the list of the perfect boss. Here are the eight points that they came up with:

1. Be a good coach
2. Empower your team and don't micro-manage
3. Express interest in employee's success and well-being
4. Be productive and results-oriented
5. Be a good communicator and listen to your team
6. Help your employee's with career development
7. Have a clear vision and strategy for the team
8. Have key technical skills so, you can help advise the team

Business Week's take on it.
The New York Time's take on it.

Fukushima and what radiation levels really mean...

Here is a chart the puts radiation levels into perspective curtice of our friends over at xkcd.com Check it out and gain some perspective.

The Coolest Toy Ever

Redbull sure has an aweful lot of fun. This seat is in the same position in reference to the wheel and pedals as that of the actual redbull formula 1 cars. I'm not sure if its compatible with any system or if its just designed to go with your PC, but with a price tag of $1300, the system might actually be the cheaper part of the deal. I thought my xbox 360 controller was a big step up from my keyboard arrows in playing F1 2010.

Crunch Gear's Article

Concept Car from Saab... with Android?

So you remember that car company called Saab? Yeah, they have been struggling and understandably so as many of their cars have been judged to be overpriced and under.. well, all around less than what you are paying for. Well, they are showing up again and with some pretty cool stuff this time. This concept packs a twin-turbo 4-cylinder BMW engine with 200hp with an additional rear wheel electric drive boost system. It sounds pretty cool, but even better is the new on-board entertainment and more system. It features an 8-in display powered by google's android. It has all your standard entertainment and navigation but all boasts over 500 sensory inputs (engine, speed, location, temperatures, etc.) that will be open to 3rd party developers to play with. This sounds awesome and like something with a great deal of potential. I'm excited to see how it finally looks once it hits the market.

Here is SAE's write up on the Concept

The Ultimate Online Hosting

I have always had a desire for crazy strong security and loved things with big doors, tons of concrete, and underground. This is a rad article that details some of the most secure hosting sites in the world. It makes my dreams of personal security and strength look like that ant you just stepped on. Check out how the internet as we know if could survive the nuclear war many fear would end life as we know it.

The Emergency Internet Bunkers

A Game Completely in the URL

Here is a random one I stumbled across today. Its a game that is played entirely in the URL bar of your browser. Its pretty simple and after a game or two you'll probably be over it, but its none the less impressive to see some new approaches and innovation on common applications. Check it out and see how many animals you can get.

The Game

Back-seat Drivers, but maybe from Someone else's back seat

Cars have historically been wolds behind consumer electronics in their level of technology. This is typically due to the heavy demands placed on components for the automotive industry. Processors that can handle 250 degrees, class 1 failure system, and other various requirements have held them back. But recently there has been huge growth in this area especially fueled by needs for hands-free mobile phone use and upgraded systems like GM's on-star. With these have come Bluetooth and cellular connectivity and thus a port to be able to connect wireless. And now, a way for hackers to gain access. This article shows the reports of UCSD and University of Washington on how they were able to wireless hack a car taking control of the engine, brakes, door locks, etc. Its an interesting thought especially while everything seems to be heading this way.

Full Article

How Anonymous are You?

If your are sending out a number of emails from an anonymous account or just posting comments on a site without leaving your name, you might not be as safe as you think you are. The first article talks about some researchers work to be able to discover the sender through writing type and other techniques. The second is a different case in which a court ordered the need of a website to release the names of those who had posted anonymously. This was in Indiana and will be interesting to see the effect it carries to other future ruling.

Article 1
Article 2

Our Reliance on GPS...

So I had never really thought about GPS as one of our crutches here in the US, particularly not as much as oil reliance or the national deficit, but these two articles have interesting points. GPS does a lot more than give you directions these days. It is the backbone of traffic flow in the air and in the harbors. It was just a few years ago that the US Navy announced they were no longer teaching how to use that funny compass looking device for navigation anymore, but were now going by computer. Apparently finances and other transactions are even stamped with the time signature in the GPS signal. I've heard a GPS blocker is not too expensive to buy (article 2 says $30) and that they aren't that hard to make. It can even kill the ability of cell phones to connect to the signal tower. Not to freak you out, but you should take a peak and maybe become far more aware than you previously were, like me.

Article 1
Article 2

Rad New Cars Make Their Way

Let's take a break from all the hacking talk and home improvement for a moment and just enjoy a moment of good old dreaming. Here are two cars made by some of the worlds best that inspire such dreaming. One is an example of superhuman performance and the other has a mix between the Iron Man helmet and the holodeck from Minority Report for a windshield. I hope you enjoy the ideas this brings as much as I did.

Ferrari FF:


BMW Connecteddrive

'Evil Empire' Theory

This is an interesting article going after the 'evil empire' that the Apple Corporation has become. Yes they are massive, yes they are brilliant, yes they make way too much money off of us, and yes, when you try to make it so you can run other than Apple approved on your idevice they like to turn that into a paperweight the next time you sync it. I don't think that any company that becomes such the sheer dominate force like Apple has, can avoid this 'evil' corporation title that follows, but that doesn't mean I excuse them of it either. Check out the article with a little more fact here:

Quantum Random Bit Generator Service

Here's a cool one. The Ruder Boskovic Institute has created this cool quantum random bit Generator Service. It puts for a lovely little equation like

and away you go. Its free for use with just a few restrictions on bandwidth and what not. It basically the ultimate CAPTCHA instead of those where you just repeat the letter and numbers from the image above. And gratefully, for those less quick on their feet like me we can find the brilliant help of WolframAlpha to help us make it through this problem.

Play with it, check it out, and let me know what you think.

Quantum Random Bit Generator Service

HBGary getting slammed again

So, as you have probably heard, when Anonymous hacked HBGary he posted a bunch of their private emails. Since this post those emails have examined and it has shown several things HBGary probably didn't want you to see. Some of these lovely treasures include rootkit development, selling rootkits to the private sector, several 0-day exploits in several OSes, along with other things. Now there is a push for a congressional investigation into the firm. Check it out: The Whole Story

HBGary Federal CEO Steps Down

After the huge embarrassment of HBGary Federal, the security firm that was rocked by the hacking group 'Anonymious', CEO Aaron Barr is stepping down. Barr's personal passwords and his mistake in making them the same for his email and the server were a significant step in the hacking of the company. He says this is a move to allow him and the company to both move forward. You can catch the rest of the story here:
The Article

A few excited posters on slashdot.com pointed to these articles as further justification for the actions of 'Anonymous'. I'm not sure where I stand yet although I think their ability to exicute is awesome. Check these out and see what you decide.

This is what rule of law has accomplished

This is what rule of law asked these scumbags do

And this is in the plans, not to mention DoJ recommended firms to BoA to do this.

iFixit and the MacBook Pro, a stripped screw here, extra paste here...

iFixit is at it again with the brand new MacBook Pro. They have some interesting comments about a stripped screw, incorrectly mounted infared receiver, and a whole lot of thermal paste. With a price tag of $1800 and that big apple on the lid, many have come to expect near perfection. Check it out yourself and see what you think.