Wikepedia Vulnerable to Malware, According to McAfee

"Organized Crime and the Internet," McAfee Virtual Criminology Report, http://www.mcafee.com/us/local_content/white_papers/threat_center/wp_virtual_criminology_report_2007.pdf


"Just like with social networking sites like My Space, the very openness of Wikepedia that allows its users to freely add or edit available content has made it an attractive target for virus authors to plant malicious code in articles. In October 2006, a piece on the German edition of Wikepedia was rewritten to contain false information about a supposedly new version of the infamous Blaster worm, along with the link to a supposed fix. In reality, the link pointed to a malware designed to infect Windows PCs.

An e-mail was also mass spammed to German computer users requiring them to download a security fix. The e-mail was crafted to supposedly appear from Wikepedia, complete with an official with an official Wikepedia logo."

Web Site Lets Bloggers Make Their Own Ads for Big Company Products

"Nescafé Brews Buzz Via Blogs," WSJ, P. B3 11/23/07

[a French website]

"BlogBang [BlogBang.com, a website with 2,000 bloggers as participants] also has tried to draw bloggers into the creative process. Companies looking for new ways to pitch their products can post requests for bloggers to develop their own campaigns. BlogBang's members can then put their homemade ads on the site. The one that gets the most clicks is spread around the bloggers' Web sites, and the author of the winning ad earns a fee. Garnier, a division of cosmetics group L'Oréal, advertised its Fructis hair gel this way. Garnier couldn't be reached for comment."



http://insights20.com/2007/07/09/blogbang-a-network-for-consumer-generated-advertising/


"Blogbang: a network for consumer-generated advertising
Published July 9th, 2007 in blogging.

"My friend Julien Braun just launched in France a new ad network called BlogBang . BlogBang is a marketplace for advertisers, “creatives” and publishers (bloggers).

"An advertiser submits a creative brief, “creatives” (consumers, agencies, etc) generate their own commercial (mostly video), which show on the publisher’s blog. Example here or here. Publishers/bloggers can pick ads that might work well based on their editorial content. An optimization system (I am not sure how it works, but I think something like advertising.com) determines over time which ads work better for each blog.

"The interesting part is that creatives and publishers split the revenues (with the ad agency of course). And anyone can be a creative and try to compete with the professional agencies to create the most efficient ads. As opposed to traditional creative contests, which are judged on their creative qualities, the best ads here are those that perform better. So, consumers who understand how to create ads that would perform well with a particular audience, on a particular blog, etc, can get a share of the action and help publishers make more money with ads that perform better.

"Julien’s philosophy is that each media has its own advertising format (30 seconds for TV etc) but that social media has not found yet a format that works well. By letting users create their own ads, advertising becomes social and, while serving the advertiser’s brief, has a human voice."

Breakthrough Idea: How to Prototype Software

Been thinking about this one for a while, and I got it.

Consider a software group writing a program for in-house use. The biggest problem is communication between the software group and the users. Creation of a dumb prototype is a well-known attempt to solve the problem. However, as I envision the creation of the prototype, I can see many problems potentially developing.

Essentially, time must be invested, people from two different departments must communicate, tensions may arise, and ultimately, the task of prototyping may be abandoned rather too easily at any time. The software group would like to abandon the task because it's not the sort of thing they like to do: they want to get on with writing the program. The users would like to abandon the task because they do not enjoy interacting with the software group.

In addition, the users have been assured by the software group that the writing of this software is really quite a simple and easy task that does not require the burdensome process of writing a prototype---imposed by the rather stupid types in management, at any rate. Naïvely, viewing the whole situation as a "simple, straightforward technical problem", the user group alludes with the software group in prematurely terminating the task of prototype-building, which in any case seems to be inordinately difficult for reasons that no one can quite understand. Happily, once the prototype task is abandoned, the software group can get down to the real business of writing the program and the user group can get down to their real job whatever it happens to be.

Unfortunately, the reason the prototype was difficult to write was because the task of the users that the software is designed to integrate with---a task which seems so simple to the software engineers that only a moron could be doing it for a job---is, in fact, complicated in a variety of subtle ways. Not to worry, all of the subtleties will turn up---later, after the software is written and tremendous work and effort has been put into doing so.

Okay, that's the problem. I know what you are thinking, "What a brilliant formulation of the problem!" However, let me modestly point out that the formulation of the problem is fairly obvious and well known.

Okay, here's the solution: we create super simple, super user-friendly prototype building software designed explicitly for non-programmers (i.e. "users") to use. Included with the product would be a "manual." (see, "Software; Ancient History in your encyclopedia for an explanation of this term.) However, instead of a nice, bound booklet with high-quality color illustrations, this manual would be online, that is to say it would be a living document.

Different versions of the manual would be written for people in different professions, the point of view of the manual being the process of getting some particular task done such as lawyering, being an accountant, or more specifically, deciding who gets to take out a loan to buy a house, helping someone write up a tax return, designing a of building out of steel, designing interior components like door handles for a car, etc.

Instead of a carefully crafted document designed to last for the ages, I envision a series of down- and-dirty versions of the manual. Scratch that, what I mean is there would be a core manual describing operations and then a variety of intros aimed at different professions. The idea being to not only tell people how to use it but to convince them that it's important to use it. There would also be a general intro for everyone, describing the perils of writing software without an effective prototype.

I Predict Google Cell Phone Network

This information (aside from my clearly stated opinions) is from an article onpage B1, Wall Street Journal today (11/16/07)

Google has set up---with approval from the FCC---a small private cell phone network on its campus. The Wall Street Journal describes it as a "advanced high-speed wireless network." They are preparing to bid for a chunk of the wireless spectrum, though they have not officially confirmed their intentions to make the bid. (Yet it is obvious that they will bid.) Apparently it will be bidding $4.6 billion. It also appears that they will be bidding without a partner, in part to give them more flexibility in their bidding strategy -- which is being crafted by specialists in game theory. It is also said they are afraid that if they partnered with some people it would offend the people that they did not partner with. In addition, Wall Street seems eager to lend them money so that makes that part easy.

Part of what they're going after is 700 MHz, a type of signal that can travel very far between towers and therefore needs less towers.

A few days ago, the story came out about Google's new open platform for cell phones, called Android, I think. They have a Taiwan manufacturer preparing to make the cell phones, and I guess a few of them were made because they are already using them on their campus.

So far, the WSJ implies that it is unknown as to whether Google will make its own network but it seems like a certainty to me. Interestingly, Google applied a fair amount of pressure to the U. S. Government before this auction and succeeded certain conditions being placed on it. The idea is, that anyone who wins spectrum in this auction has to make their network open to other companies. I don't really know what that means but it is interesting. Now some people say Google may feel that they should be in the auction, having pressured the government and gotten their way on this.

Others say they will be afraid to alienate their telecommunications partners, but this seems pretty ridiculous to me. In addition, many people think Google will not be smart enough to put together a network, also highly unlikely. In addition, there are fears of dispersion of management focus. Usually, as I have repeatedly mentioned on this blog (Wal-Mart and others) -- I support the concept of maintaining management focus and oppose efforts that seem to dissipate it. However, in this case, I have a feeling that Google will be able to succeed in this venture without dropping the ball on search engines and advertising on the Internet.

It is Google's time; they are seizing the moment.

For Stratego Lovers Only

just came up with a great idea for a new version of Stratego -- this would only be played on a computer. The idea arose from thinking about the Spy piece and wondering what would be like if it could actually spy so the first step would be to change the name of the current Spy piece to the Assassin to eliminate confusion.

Here's how spying would work. Whenever one of your pieces moves into a position adjacent to one of the pieces of the enemy---doesn't matter if it's to the right left in front of or in back of -- both you and the enemy would have the opportunity to subvert the other person's piece and turn it into a spy.

However, you would only have the opportunity to do this twice per game. If you make the choice to do this, the enemy piece will then secretly become your spy. However, the enemy will not know about this. Once the piece is your spy, it means that every time that piece becomes adjacent to another of your opponent's pieces, you get to find out the identity of that other opponent's piece. In addition, you get to find out the identity of each piece directly adjacent to the piece you are spying on.

That means in any one move, you can find out about a maximum of four different enemy pieces. In addition, at any point in the game, you could decide to "take over" active control of this piece. At this point, the piece would lose its spy powers and revert to its ordinary powers depending on its rank. It would be just like one of your regular pieces. The enemy would find out when one of his pieces suddenly moved without him moving it, and then changed color.

One of the keys is, if you move next to an enemy piece, you have three seconds to "subvert it" into a spy. After those three seconds, the enemy can, if he chooses, subvert your piece into a spy. However, if you subvert an enemy piece into a spy and he subsequently tries to subvert your same piece into a spy---within the same move---then not only will his piece become your spy, but your piece will become a double agent. What this means is, that you will gain control of the flow of information going to the enemy about what your pieces supposedly are. You can send him any type of misinformation you want to.

Software Released for Programming the Cell (PS3)

I can't figure out why this press release doesn't mention the PS3. I suppose game programmers may need different types of software suites to help them program that Cell Processor than other types of programmers.

http://www.mc.com/mediacenter/pressrelease.aspx?id=2062

"MultiCore Plus SDK empowers users with programming ease and maximizes application performance for Cell BE processor-based solutions from Mercury and IBM

"CHELMSFORD, Mass., Sept. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Mercury Computer Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRCY) announced the release of its software suite for programming the Cell Broadband Engine ^TM (BE) processor.

"The Mercury MultiCore Plus ^TM SDK 1.0 (Software Development Kit) provides a complete, intuitive programming environment for products based on the Cell BE and other multicore processors. Combining a powerful set of software tools and libraries into a seamless package, the MultiCore Plus SDK enables users to maximize resources and application performance by taking full advantage of the multicore processor's computation model. The Beta version of this software has been in use at customers across industries since late 2005 including aerospace & defense, seismic, semiconductor, life sciences, digital media, and national labs."

Intel Using New Material for Chips---In Addition to Silicon Dioxide

As reported on page B7 of the Wall Street Journal today, a historic shift is occurring as Intel starts utilizing a key new substance in its IC chips, added to the ubiquitous silicon dioxide. The material being utilized by Intel in their new chip called the Core 2 Extreme QX9650 is called hafnium dioxide.

"Hafnium [all general info on hafnium and hafnium dioxide to follow quoted from Wikepedia] is a chemical element that has the symbol Hf and atomic number 72. A lustrous, silvery gray tetravalent transition metal, hafnium resembles zirconium chemically and it is found in zirconium minerals.

"Hafnium dioxide is quite inert. It reacts with strong acids such as concentrated sulfuric acid and with strong bases. It dissolves slowly in hydrofluoric acid to give fluorohafnate anions. At elevated temperatures, it reacts with chlorine in the presence of graphite or carbon tetrachloride to give hafnium tetrachloride. It is used in optical coatings, and as a high-k dielectric in DRAM capacitors.

"The term high-k dielectric refers to a material with a high dielectric constant (k) (as compared to silicon dioxide) used in semiconductor manufacturing processes which replaces the silicon dioxide gate dielectric. The implementation of high-k gate dielectrics is one of several strategies developed to allow further miniaturization of microelectronic components, colloquially referred to as extending Moore's Law." [end Wikepedia]

from http://www.genus.com/glossary.html:

High k dielectric: An insulator which will not conduct electricity but which, when sandwiched between metal plates, will easily allow these plates to talk to each other via electric fields (this is called a capacitor structure). These can be used as memories, and one structure that is being considered for very high density DRAMs (dynamic random access memories) is a layer of barium strontium titanate (BST -- a high k dielectric) between platinum electrodes. While high k dielectrics are good for capacitors, the opposite is true of the insulators used to separate metal lines, for which low k dielectrics are desirable (see low k dielectric).

Next Material from:"Hafnium oxide helps make chips smaller and faster," Chemistry World, March 2007, http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/Issues/2007/March/HafniumOxideHelpsMakeChipsSmallerFaster.asp


"'Researchers have learnt to deposit very thin films of hafnium oxide and mix it with silica or silicon nitride at the molecular scale to tailor their insulating and charge storage properties,' explained Paul McIntyre from the Stanford University Engineering and Science Institute, California...

"But depositing conducting silicon gate materials on top of the insulating hafnium oxide is problematic. Though hafnium oxide is tough stuff, the high temperatures needed to lay down the silicon gate damage the insulator's surface, drastically reducing the transistor's clock speed compared to typical silicon gate/silica insulator devices. Enter Intel and IBM's secret new gate materials, which can be stuck to the dielectric at less extreme conditions.

'Research groups worldwide have demonstrated hafnium oxide-containing transistors with a variety of gate metal materials,' said McIntyre. 'These include titanium and hafnium nitrides, tungsten, ruthenium and ruthenium oxide and certain metal silicides,' he said. 'But mass producing reliable chips is a whole different ball game from single-device manufacture in the lab,' McIntyre told Chemistry World. 'Until we can buy the new chips and cut them open, we can't really know what gate metals Intel have chosen'...

"According to Gordon Moore, 'the implementation of high k and metal materials marks the biggest change in transistor technology since the introduction of polysilicon gate MOS transistors in the late 1960s.'"

These "new chips" are now on the market. Incredibly cool stuff and unfortunately I am buried with work and cannot pursue this. Here is some paraphrased material from the Chemistry World web site.

As they have been making the gates of transistors and IC chips smaller and smaller, they have now gotten down to gates that are only a few atoms wide. So, the electrons are utilizing quantum tunneling to go right through the gate, causing leakage of current and messing up the circuit. (Digital means everything is on or off---you don't want and off transistor leaking current. Quantum tunneling is a super cool phenomenon whereby electrons on one side of an impenetrable barrier sometimes appear on the other side of the barrier---without ever having actually passed through it---All in the parentheses are my own, possibly incorrect contributions.)

It has been known for a while that adding hafnium dioxide to the gate can rectify this problem. Unfortunately, silicon dioxide must be added on top of the HfO2, in this requires temperatures so high that the HfO2 is destroyed. So essentially, Intel and IBM came up with the "secret sauce" that solves this problem. Now that the chips are on the market, the techies can cut them open and figure out what this material is.

Source of Optimistic Thoughts Located in Brain

Wall Street Journal, November 9, page B1

"'These rosy thoughts triggered one key brain region most strongly. Called the rostral anterior cingulate cortex, this neural nub is active whenever we think of hopes and aspirations. "This region of the cortex may actually be taking information and transforming it in a way that creates this optimism bias," Dr. Phelps said."'