Secretbook for coded messages in Facebook pictures!

A new app available in the Chrome Store called Secretbook, which helps you to encoding messages into pictures that you then upload to Facebook. This extension for Google Chrome browser protects secret messages to the public and governments, says the text description of the app. Its author is Owen Campbell-Moore, a computer science student at the University of Oxford and also intern at Google. To use the application is simple, just upload a photo JPEG format at least 960 × 720 px preferably (for best quality) and avoid putting pictures with large identical parts (sky background solid color). Then enter your message and set a password for your friends to read it. Once the image is created with Secretbook, you just put it in a Facebook album or on the wall of your friend. The art of steganography is not new, and indeed perhaps the word reminds you of the story of the 10 Russian spies arrested in the United States in 2010? There are already tools to hide coded messages in images on Facebook but they were more complicated. Owen Campbell-Moore had to reproduce the images recompression algorithm used by Facebook. The app mimics what the social network to the reprocessing of the image of that minimizes damage and deformation that cause the secret message.

LinkedIn buys Pulse $ 90 million

The professional social network LinkedIn, with its 200 million members internationally, has announced the acquisition of the start-up Pulse, originally founded in 2010 by two students at Stanford University. Pulse is a mobile application that makes reading news reports and blogs available on the web. This platform is used by over 30 million users on iOS and Android, from 190 different countries. The application is available in nine different languages, and more than 40% of its users are outside the United States. The acquisition brings the talent (human resources), technology and all products developed since the inception of the company. According to the press release, the transaction is closer to 90 million U.S. dollars and consists of 90% stocks and 10% cash. The transaction may be concluded with the authorities in the second quarter of 2013. Most of the technology giants tried to acquire the Pulse but it was possible only for LinkedIn. LinkedIn gets their hands on a little gem that will allow it to diversify its activities. The stock as LinkedIn continues to rise near its annual high of 179$ this morning, which is nearly 90 times the expected earnings per share for the next year. It is trading in a fluctuating between 88.00 and U.S. $ 184.15 in the past 52 weeks range.

Microsoft removes a patch that failed!

It is always embarrassing to see a patch that creates more problems than it is supposed to correct. Yet this is what happened again to Microsoft's Security Bulletin April. The patch MS13-036 / KB 2823324 has indeed caused many problems for some users who tried to install through the normal process of updating Windows. For Windows 7, this patch causes crash in some cases when you restart the machine (blue screen) or conflicts with the system if it is protected by the Kaspersky antivirus. In The bulletin issued on Friday, Microsoft said that the patch has failed. It has therefore been removed from the Patch Tuesday. A significant number of users have already done or tried to do the monthly update for them, the editor gives instructions to follow to uninstall the patch holes. And a new patch will be released eventually to correct the fault initially referred.

Fingerprint Technology iPhone 5S Delayed

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, speaks of technical challenges of iPhone 5S which causing much delay. Everyone is eagerly expecting the release of the most popular iPhone 5S with a fingerprint technology. But just here there are unexpected challenges that have to cope with Apple. The manufacturer must somehow try to cause the black or white material under the glassy home button so that the fingerprint readers are not seen. Since right now no material is found which result seventh generation iPhone to come to market little late. Instead of summer it will be until the late summer or autumn. The same applies for iOS 7th Apple needs more time to develop and test the software because the fingerprint technique is difficult to integrate. And last but not least, the iPad 2 is packed with mini technical challenges. The reason here is the expected retinal display, which leads to complications in the production, according to Kuo. The bottom line remains Kuo's conclusion that the innovations of Apple this year come in the third quarter. We will probably have to wait if Apple mastered the speculative hurdles.

Touchscreen Kiosks to Take Over New York Subways

In the middle of March, New York City’s famous subway system has been invaded. Admittedly, there are no aliens involved, but the technology does look decidedly futuristic – interactive, touch screen kiosks have landed.
They look like they could have been in Minority Report or Blade Runner, and have well and truly modernised the old system of dirty, rusty, static maps. Designed from the ground up, specifically for the subway system, these touch screens have brought the future to an aging traffic service.
A Vision of Futurism
The touch screen kiosks measure 47 inches on the diagonal, and are set to touch down in the busiest stations first, such as the world famous Grand Central Station, and Jackson Heights in Queens. Sure, they’re essentially just glorified subway maps, but we predict that they’re on course to change the way you travel forever.
Designed by the Big Apple’s very own Control Group, they will be installed at no cost to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, who are currently struggling with their revenue, and the bill will instead be footed by their designers. Don’t worry that Control Group are about to bankrupt themselves, however – they have done this in exchange for full creative control, which will include any profits that the machines might bring in.
They are currently on a pilot scheme, scheduled to run for about thirty months, after which it will be decided whether to expand upon the rollout or not. Of course, this means that the current kiosks are not working to their full capacity, but even in their present state, they’re nothing short of an information revolution.
Not Your Average Kiosk
Sure, current touch screen kiosks are nice, but this is a whole new ball game. Most screens use capacitive tech – these don’t. Oh no, these use a completely new kind of kiosk touch screen technology, one which uses what is known as “dispersive signal” receptors.
The touch layer, instead of being electrically conductive, has sensors in each corner, which measure the vibrations from your touching the screen and use them to calculate where exactly you prodded. This means that you’ll need to change how you press – instead of using your fingertip, it’s best to give it a bit of a flick with your nail.
If you’re a bit of a germophobe, here’s some good news – you don’t even have to touch the screens with your hand! Just use a pen or a coin; it’s fine! They’re said to be nigh on indestructible, so there’s no need to worry. And there’s no panic if they get dirty; they can just be hosed down!
So What Do They Do?
Well, for a start, they’re a vast improvement at telling users about any service disruptions – they can be updated in real time, giving you the very latest information at the touch of a button. And with their in-built notification system, you don’t have to go searching for info about delays; it’s already there.
And best of all, try going to Grand Central Station and tapping, say, Union Square. The map will give you the quickest route, and even tell you how long it should take. When you get there, the map can tell you interesting things to do in the area! The future is coming.