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How Crypto Keys Can Be Stolen Across the Cloud
Source: http://gizmodo.com/5958778/how-crypto-keys-can-be-stolen-across-the-cloud
Most people are happy to give their neighbours a spare house key in case of emergencies, but you probably wouldn’t want to give them your digital passwords. Now security researchers have shown that you may not have a choice, at least when it comes to cloud computing.
Cloud servers let users run simulations of an ordinary computer, called virtual machines (VMs), on remote hardware. A VM performs exactly as an ordinary computer would, but because it is entirely software-based, many of them can run on a single hardware base. Yinqian Zhang of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and colleagues have discovered that it is possible for one VM to steal cryptographic keys – used to keep your data secure – from another running on the same physical hardware, potentially putting cloud-computing users at risk.
The attack exploits the fact that both VMs share the same hardware cache, a memory component that stores data for use by the computer’s processor. The attacking VM fills the cache in such a way that the target VM, which is processing a cryptographic key, is likely to overwrite some of the attacker’s data. By looking at which parts of the cache are changed, the attacking VM can learn something about the key in use.
Zhang and team did not test the attack in the cloud for real, but used hardware similar to that employed by Amazon’s cloud service to try stealing a decryption key. They were able to reconstruct a 4096-bit key in just a few hours, as reported in a paper presented at the Computer and Communications Security conference in Raleigh, North Carolina, last month.
This attack won’t apply in all situations, as an attacker would have to establish a VM on the same hardware as yours, which isn’t always possible. What’s more, an attack would not work on hardware running more than two VMs. Still, those looking to use cloud services for high-security applications may want to reconsider.
Image by David Malan/Getty
New Scientist reports, explores and interprets the results of human endeavour set in the context of society and culture, providing comprehensive coverage of science and technology news.
Source: http://gizmodo.com/5953015/webcam-timelapses-used-to-automatically-model-cities-in-3d
The ability to see maps in buildings and landscapes in 3D makes following along considerably easier than with just 2D. So researchers at the University of Washington have made generating 3D models of a given location dead simple using custom software and nothing more than a webcam timelapse video of the spot captured on a sunny day.
As the sun moves across the sky it creates ever-changing shadows on every surface—from a towering skyscraper’s silhouette on the ground, to subtle architectural details. And by analyzing timelapse footage filmed across an entire day, the software’s algorithm is able to extrapolate the shape and positions of every structure in frame.
To work its magic the program does need to know the exact position of the camera using GPS data so it can calculate how high the sun was in the sky, and the time of day for every single frame. But once a scene is processed it’s able to spit out a 3D model that could then be added to existing databases such as the one used by Google in its map app. So eventually anyone who knows how to point a camera and hit record can make a contribution for the area where they live. [Washington University via NewScientist]
Ad-Supported Internet Ecosystem Contributes 5.1% of US GDP
Source: http://www.marketingcharts.com/wp/interactive/ad-supported-internet-valued-at-5-1-of-us-gdp-23744/
The ad-supported internet ecosystem contributed roughly $742 billion to the US economy in 2011, equating to 5.1% of total GDP ($14.5 billion), finds the IAB in a new study [pdf] released in October, conducted by researchers at Harvard University. That $742 billion figure is up from $475 billion in 2007. To reach those dollar figures, [...]
Ad-Supported Internet Ecosystem Contributes 5.1% of US GDP
Source: http://www.marketingcharts.com/wp/interactive/ad-supported-internet-valued-at-5-1-of-us-gdp-23744/
The ad-supported internet ecosystem contributed roughly $742 billion to the US economy in 2011, equating to 5.1% of total GDP ($14.5 billion), finds the IAB in a new study [pdf] released in October, conducted by researchers at Harvard University. That $742 billion figure is up from $475 billion in 2007. To reach those dollar figures, [...]
Ad-Supported Internet Ecosystem Contributes 5.1% of US GDP
Source: http://www.marketingcharts.com/wp/interactive/ad-supported-internet-valued-at-5-1-of-us-gdp-23744/
The ad-supported internet ecosystem contributed roughly $742 billion to the US economy in 2011, equating to 5.1% of total GDP ($14.5 billion), finds the IAB in a new study [pdf] released in October, conducted by researchers at Harvard University. That $742 billion figure is up from $475 billion in 2007. To reach those dollar figures, [...]
Source: http://gizmodo.com/5940032/how-yelp-scores-make-or-break-restaurants
Smart diners rely on restaurant reviews to find good food. But a new study investigates for the first time the complex relationships between online ratings and real-world success—and reveals that losing just half a star can leave a restaurant in ruin.
The Guardian reports that a team of economists from the University of California, Berkeley, has investigated how 300 restaurants in San Francisco perform, and cross-referenced the results with star ratings from Yelp.com to understand how reviews affect success.
They found that an extra half-star caused a restaurant’s 7pm bookings to fill up 20 percent more often. Interestingly, they also managed to disentangle those changes in trade from price differences, food quality and service, suggesting that it was the reviews alone that brought in custom. Writing in the Economic Journal, the economists explain:
“The findings of this study demonstrate that – although social media sites and forums may not generate the financial returns for which investors yearn – they play an increasingly important role in how consumers judge the quality of goods and services.”
The research does, however, suggest that some restauranteurs shouldn’t be too happy with Yelp’s calculations. The researchers point out that when Yelp.com computes a star rating for a business, it it rounds off to the nearest half-star. That means that a restaurant with a 3.74 rating shows up as a 3.5-star venue, while an establishment with an almost-identical 3.76 score appears to have a 4-star rating.
Given the financial impact such ratings have, according to the economists, there’s never been more incentive for restaurants to rig reviews. In the meantime, though, the research also suggests that star ratings might not the best predictor of how great your plate of food turns out—so it might be best to take them with a pinch of salt. [The Economic Journal via The Guardian]
Image by Olly/Shutterstock
CMOs Prioritize Digital Presence
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August 24, 2012
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CMOs are seeing big sales growth in international markets, with revenue from Korea (75%), China (51.5%), and Brazil (49.7%) all increasing markedly over the past 12 months, according to [pdf] the latest CMO Survey from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, released in August 2012. A separate survey of CMOs from Limelight Networks finds 9 in 10 reporting moderate or significant improvement in site engagement, lead generation, or revenue after implementing websites with regional content.
Overall, CMOs responding to the Duke University survey said that sales revenue from the leading international markets had grown by an average of 23.7% over the past 12 months.
The 20 Most Popular TED Talks Of All Time
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-20-most-popular-ted-talks-of-all-time-2012-8
TED Talks have become a worldwide phenomenon.
It’s a platform where the brightest minds — scientists, designers, inventors — go to spread their ideas. Many of these leaders deliver their insights at TED conferences around the world, which are then uploaded onto TED.com.
To date, the talks have received over 800 million pageviews. TED has just released a list of the top 20 talks of all time, which we’ve compiled here.
#20 – Vijay Kumar demos robots that fly like birds
Views: 3,535,340
University of Pennsylvania professor Vijay Kumar spent countless hours in the General Robotics, Automation, Sensing and Perception (GRASP) Lab. The result: flying robots that can sense each other, move together in formation, and can even adjust their formation if one of the robots drops out.
With these robots, Kumar sees a lot of potential—“[Agile aerial] robots like this have many applications. You can send them inside buildings as first responders to look for intruders, maybe look for biochemical leaks … [or they] can be used for transporting cargo.”
#19 – Mary Roach reveals the most surprising facts about orgasm
The reason behind this video’s popularity isn’t just in the topic, it’s! also th e humor and wit of Mary Roach. Roach details her findings from hours of obscure research into the unknown and centuries-old topic of the orgasm. In the end, she gives viewers 10 bold and surprising claims about the sexual climax. (Viewer discretion is advised).
#18 – Keith Barry hacks the most complex thing in nature, the human brain
Views: 3,847,893
Keith Barry is well known in Europe for his mind-blowing (literally) stunts. Some call him a magician, others call him a brain hacker. Whatever the name, Barry entertains with “brain magic,” composing routines that exploit the human mind’s loopholes and bugs. The effect: a revealing look into the complex software between our ears.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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Dr. Augustine Fou is Digital Consigliere to marketing executives, advising them on digital strategy and Unified Marketing(tm). Dr Fou has over 17 years of in-the-trenches, hands-on experience, which enables him to provide objective, in-depth assessments of their current marketing programs and recommendations for improving business impact and ROI using digital insights. 
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