Gotcha, CAPTCHA!

A CAPTCHA, which stands for Completely Automated Public Turing Test To Tell Computers and Humans Apart, is a program that can generate and grade tests that humans can pass but current computer programs cannot.

Computing has become so pervasive and computerized tasks and services so commonplace, that the need for increased levels of security has led to the development of CAPTCHA for computers to ensure that they are dealing with humans in situations where human interaction is essential to security. Activities such as online commerce transactions, search engine submissions, Web polls, Web registrations, free e-mail service registration and other automated services are subject to software programs that mimic the behavior of humans in order to skew the results of the automated task or perform malicious activities, such as gathering e-mail addresses for spamming or ordering hundreds of tickets to a concert.

In order to validate the digital transaction, with the CAPTCHA system, the user is presented with a distorted word typically placed on top of a distorted background. The user must type the word into a field in order to complete the process. Computers have a difficult time decoding the distorted words while humans can easily decipher the text.

Or so you thought..

Vicarious, a startup developing artificial intelligence software, announced October 27, 2013 that its algorithms can now reliably solve modern CAPTCHAs. A CAPTCHA scheme is considered broken if an algorithm is able to reach a precision of at least 1%. By leveraging core insights from machine learning and neuroscience, the Vicarious AI achieves success rates up to 90% on modern CAPTCHAs from Google, Yahoo, PayPal, Captcha.com, and others. This advancement renders text-based CAPTCHAs no longer effective as a Turing test.

Vicarious is an artificial intelligence company that uses the computational principles of the brain to build software that can think and learn like a human. The company believes understanding how the brain creates intelligence is the ultimate scientific challenge. Vicarious has a long term strategy for developing human level artificial intelligence, and it starts with building a brain-like vision system. Modern CAPTCHAs provide a snapshot of the challenges of visual perception, and solving those in a general way required us to understand how the brain does it.

Solving CAPTCHA is the first public demonstration of the capabilities of Vicarious’ Recursive Cortical Network (RCN) technology. Although still many years away, the commercial applications of RCN will have broad implications for robotics, medical image analysis, image and video search, and many other fields.

by: Jessica Wiggins

For more info visit:

• ·         http://www.gizmag.com/captcha-beating-ai/29559/
• ·         http://vicarious.com/

Augmented Reality

We've all been to 3D movies, may have seen 3D TV's, and possibly even have experienced a new virtual environment of some kind. But 3D mobile applications? For some of us, the buzzword "Augmented Reality" may be completely new. If you have iOS take a few minutes to download the new app String™ Augmented Reality Showcase from the Apple Store to get the full experience of this blog post. It is a free, quick download only available to Apple devices (as of right now) that will change the way we interact with applications as we know them.

String is one of the first well constructed augmented reality applications. Wikipedia explains, "Augmented reality (AR) is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented (or supplemented) by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data." So what does this mean to us? The app String has the capability to recognize images and see where they are in 3D space.You can actually see certain graphics in 3D through your own camera in real time as if it was in the real world. To see how this all works, open your newly downloaded String App and focus on the following image:

If you hold your camera steady enough you should be able to see a dragon coming out of the center of your screen like illustrated in the photo to the left. The dragon will come out of the image focused on as shown above and fly around you.

If you check out poweredbystring you can test out other images that have the same enchanting capabilities as above. String can also be purchased as a Software Developer Kit (SDK)  for developers using iOS devices who want to create augmented reality apps. Augmented apps and games are quickly becoming a huge source of revenue in the gaming industry and for social media marketers. According to Layar, the market for Augmented Reality Applications will grow quickly, and,"generate nearly $300 million in revenues and reach $5.2 billion in 2017." The way we use applications will be changing; the possibilities only continue to grow with this new software. As the future generation of IT, we have to accept and adapt to what the future will hold for technology, and the way it may be programmed or used differently than before. There will be a lot of money to be made in this industry if the predictions hold true, and we can either choose to open our eyes to the new opportunities, or ignore it. Or, as a last result we can just use String for our own pure entertainment and let little green monsters crawl all over us. Download it now!

-Bailey Anderson

"Hands Free" Payment

With Bluetooth, Siri, and talk-to-text, there's no question that hands free is a big thing now. Are you tired of the time it takes to go to a coffee shop, order your drink, find your wallet, pay for your drink, put your wallet away, and wait for your drink? Well, there's an app for that! If you haven't heard of Square, they are mostly known for their product that makes it easier for smaller businesses to accept credit card payments using your phone or tablet (sell with Square).                                                                                                 What I want to talk about is their newest "product" called Square Wallet. The Square Wallet is a app you can download on your phone and use it to pay instead of getting out your credit card or going through the steps of finding payment information on your phone. Using the Square Wallet, the merchant behind the counter will be able to look up your name and confirm it is you by looking at the picture associated with your name without even getting your phone out. You're basically "paying with your name." 

The only problem I see with this is that there may not be very many stores or restaurants that accept this type of payment, but other than that, I feel that this might be the "next big thing."

By: Amber Klostermann

For more information visit:

• http://www.cooper.com/journal/2012/08/the-best-interface-is-no-interface
• https://squareup.com/wallet
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzr-WezXH8w

pump, Pump, PUMP it UP!!

Mipwr is a company focused on sustainable technology. Their mission is centered on emergency, lifesaving devices, to make innovative products that people cannot live without and affordable for everyone to own. They have taken the principal of electromagnetic induction and applied it to powering cellular devices as a hybrid power source used for emergencies.

Witnessing the aftermath of power outages from recent natural disasters, the team at Mipwr thought about taking existing technology and making it small enough to fit inside a cell phone case, creating an alternative energy source that could power a mobile device to allow users to send out a message or phone call when they need it the most.

With the help of a prototyping company and trial and error, a prototype was created that fit the vision. These devices are created for various lifestyles and occurrences such as natural disasters, boaters, teens, active business persons and in emergency kits.

A triple threat, the Mipwr Dynamo is a protective case, back-up battery and hybrid charger in one. It contains a 400 mA battery and a concealed push lever. A switch on the side of the case releases the small lever where it can be gripped comfortably. Electricity is generated to charge the internal battery when the lever is activated by pushing. When charging is done, the lever can be locked back into place. For every minute of “pumping” the push lever, 30 seconds of talk or text time is produced. This allows users to make a distress call or simply let someone know that they are alright!

The Mipwr Dynamo design team says inspiration to build their phone charger came from seeing reports of people struggling to find power following Hurricane Katrina. The Mipwr Dynamo is intended mainly for situations in which electricity is scare; for instance during a camping trip or a natural disaster. The device also includes a port for a micro-USB connection that can recharge your phone and the Mipwr simultaneously that when fully charged provides power for two hours of talking or texting.

The developers have working prototypes for the iPhone 4/4S. They have launched a campaign on KickStarter, a company that allows users of their site to pledge funds to support creative projects to raise funds, to finalize a model for the iPhone 5/5S and begin mass production. The company’s plans are to ship the first batch of phone chargers in Feb. 2014.

by: Jessica Wiggins

For more info visit:

• ·         http://www.gizmag.com/mipwr-dynamo-iphone-charging-case/29235/
• ·         http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1979044355/mipwr-instantly-charge-your-iphone-4-4s-with-your