Smart CCTV uses Facebook-esque 'tagging', follows people

 Source BY:techeye.net


Eerie surveillance equipment developed by scientists that can ‘tag’ and track people over CCTV has beaten big name tech firms to a security prize.
London's Kingston University has landed an award as 'CCTV system of the year' for the surveillance software which is able to pinpoint suspicious people and monitor them over a whole network of cameras.

As soon as operators notice something they consider suspicious, they can ‘tag’ an individual by clicking on their image, like in Facebook, allowing the computer to search through its systems to find out past movements, and even predict what the individual will do next.
So far, so ‘Big Brother’, then.  But the lead computer scientist on the project, one Dr James Orwell, believes it could really help policing.
With the automated tracking, named Tag and Track, police could drastically improve efficiency in poring over CCTV footage, making it even easier to keep tabs on the populace.

The surveillance software developed with Orwell’s team managed to fight off competition from Samsung and Panasonic at the annual International Fire and Security Exhibition and Conference (IFSEC) to take the top prize.

Tag and Track could be useful in finding missing kids, locating flight passengers who check in bags but don’t show up at the gate, or even predicting bottlenecks at queuing points before they even happen.

Whether this list will also include the monitoring of a futuristic dystopian society in order to break the will of those who oppose it was not noted by the university.

Read more: http://news.techeye.net/security/smart-cctv-uses-facebook-esque-tagging-follows-people#ixzz1ynCVx85q

Ex-Facebook developers come up with something useful

Source BY:techeye.net


Two ex-developers from the social notworking site Facebook developers have built a new database which they claim goes like the clappers compared to MySQL.
According to TechCrunch, Eric Frenkiel and Nikita Shamgunov, have developed MemSQL and claim it is thirty times faster than normal disk-based databases.
The pair used techniques they had used at Facebook. This involved translating the code into C++, so avoiding the need to use a slow SQL interpreter. Data is kept in memory, with disk read/writes taking place in the background.
Shamgunov worked for Microsoft SQL Server for six years and has several patents to his name so is quite well known in the wonderful world of storage.
He has put together a video showing MySQL versus MemSQL carrying out a sequence of queries, in which MySQL performs at around 3,500 queries per second, while MemSQL achieves around 80,000 queries per second.
So far the outfit has yet to show the database running Transaction Processing Performance Council tests. MemSQL gets most of its speed from being memory based, but that has problems when it comes to size limits and potential data loss.
MemSQL writes back to disk/SSD as soon as the transaction is acknowledged in memory. It is that, and a combination of write-ahead logging and snapshotting ensures your data is secure.
The company claims that MemSQL handles terabyte-scale workloads by connecting MemSQL and MySQL nodes together, conferring real-time access for your most valuable data as well as long-term historical lookback.
It runs on 64 bit Linux, and is described as ideally suited for machines with multi-core processors and at least 8GB of RAM. 

Read more: http://news.techeye.net/software/ex-facebook-developers-come-up-with-something-useful#ixzz1yn2qwOZK

FACEBOOK WILL END ON JULY 15th, 2012!

By J.B. Smitts on May 17, 2012
Source By:Weekly world news


PALO ALTO, CA –Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook will be shut down in July of 2012. Managing the site has become too stressful.
“Facebook has gotten out of control,” reportedly said Zuckerberg in a press conference outside his Palo Alto office, “and the stress of managing this company has ruined my life. I need to put an end to all the madness.”

Zuckerberg reportedly went on to explain that starting July 15th, users will no longer be able to access their Facebook accounts.  That gives users (and Facebook addicts) a year to adjust to life without Facebook.
“After July 15th, 2012 the whole website shuts down,” said Avrat Humarthi, Vice President of Technical Affairs at Facebook. “So if you ever want to see your pictures again, I recommend you take them off the internet. You won’t be able to get them back after Facebook goes out of business.”
Zuckerberg said the decision to shut down Facebook was difficult, but that he does not think people will be upset.
“I personally don’t think it’s a big deal,” he said in a private phone interview to a source close to a friend. “And to be honest, I think it’s for the better. Without Facebook, people will have to go outside and make real friends. That’s always a good thing.”


Some Facebook users were furious upon hearing the shocking news.
“What am I going to do without Facebook?” said Denise Bradshaw, a high school student from Indiana. “My life revolves around it. I’m on Facebook at least 10 hours a day. Now what am I going to do with all that free time?”

However, parents across the country have been experiencing a long anticipated sense of relief.
“I’m glad the Facebook nightmare is over,” said Jon Guttari, a single parent from Detroit. “Now my teenager’s face won’t be glued to a computer screen all day. Maybe I can even have a conversation with her.”

SIGN THE “SAVE FACEBOOK” PETITION HERE

Those in the financial industry are criticizing Zuckerberg for walking away from a multibillion dollar franchise. Facebook is currently ranked as one of the wealthiest businesses in the world, with economists estimating its value at around 17.9 billion.
But Zuckerberg remains unruffled by these accusations. He said he will stand by his decision to give Facebook the axe.
“I don’t care about the money,” said Zuckerberg. “I just want my old life back.”

The Facebook Corporation suggests that users remove all of their personal information from the website before July 15th, 2012. After that date, all photos, notes, links, and videos will be permanently erased.

!!!!CHECK OUT THE LATEST UPDATE ON THIS BREAKING STORY!!!!

[Note: comments on this article close out at 25,000.  After that, please go to the update article to post your thoughts. Thank you. WWN.]

Facebook allows fix for mistakes

For those embarrassing mistakes people make in their Facebook posts, there is finally some relief.
The giant social network said Friday it started allowing users to edit their comments, avoiding a more cumbersome deletion.
"For instance, if I join a thread and write a long comment but make a typo, I'll now be able to go edit it instead of having to delete it and repost," spokeswoman Johanna Peace said.
"We'll also be showing the editing history for a comment so that subsequent commenters or likers have the full context of the conversation. It's rolling out now and should be live to everyone in the next couple days."

Facebook’s Latest Deal is for Face.com

By WSJ Staff

Facebook announced its latest acquisition target today, Face.com, the company behind the social-network’s automated photo-tagging software.
Face.com makes facial-recognition software and shows again Facebook’s desire to keep operating and put aside the distraction of its initial public offering. The company has been particularly acquisitive and determined to strengthen its photo operations, which CEO Mark Zuckerberg has called a key reason Facebook took off.
Deal Journal’s David Benoit joins Paul Vigna on The News Hub to discuss the Face.com deal.

The social network has agreed to purchase Face.com, a photo recognition technology company that already has partnered with Facebook. The acquisition would be the latest in a string of additive technology and staff acquisitions made by Facebook as it looks to keep beefing up its offerings.
Face.com’s technology helps Facebook users tag and identify others in their photos, a key aspect for Facebook’s success. Facebook earlier this year doubled down on its photo abilities with its $1 billion planned purchase of Instagram, a photo-sharing site many saw as competitive to Facebook’s own photo dominance on social networking sites.
In a blog post on its own site, Face.com said: “We love building products, and like our friends at Facebook, we think that mobile is a critical part of people’s lives as they both create and consume content, and share contentwith their social graph. By working with Facebook directly, and joining their team, we’ll have more opportunities to build amazing products that will be employed by consumers – that’s all we’ve ever wanted to do.”
Face.com ended that sentence with a smiley face.
Facebook said in a short statement that “Face.com’s technology has helped to provide the best photo experience. This transaction simply brings a world-class team and a long-time technology vendor in house.”
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Facebook shares were up another 7% Monday, continuing a sharp rally on Friday and throughout last week. The stock is now at $31.98 gaining back much of the fall from its lows.

Facebook and Yahoo! in patent fight truce talks

SAN FRANCISCO - Facebook and Yahoo! are in patent war truce talks that could end a legal battle between the companies, according to court documents available online Wednesday.
"The parties are currently engaged in settlement negotiations to resolve this dispute," attorney Kevin Smith of the Yahoo! legal team said in a filing asking a federal court to allow the companies more time to negotiate.
"The parties believe that a further extension will facilitate settlement."
In March, Yahoo! filed suit against Facebook in US District Court in San Francisco, accusing the social networking giant of infringing on 10 patents.
The Yahoo! suit accused Facebook of infringing on patents in areas including advertising, privacy and messaging and contended that Facebook's growth "has been based in large part on Facebook's use of Yahoo!'s patented technology."
Yahoo! asked the court to order Facebook to halt its alleged patent-infringing activities and to assess unspecified damages.
Facebook, which is based in the northern California city of Menlo Park, denied violating any valid Yahoo! patents.
Facebook went on to accuse Yahoo! of infringing on its patented technology in a broad array of products including online venues for news, games, cars, travel and photo-sharing service Flickr.
The fight between Yahoo! and Facebook heated up in April with the floundering Internet pioneer accusing the social network star of buying patents just to retaliate in court.
Yahoo! also added a few more patents to the list of intellectual property it claims Facebook is abusing.
"We remain perplexed by Yahoo's erratic actions," a Facebook spokesman told AFP at the time.
"We disagree with these latest claims and we will continue to defend ourselves vigorously."
Patent suits are a frequent occurrence among smartphone and tablet computer makers, and the world's best known brands are ensnared in a complex web of legal claims, but such suits are relatively rare among social media companies.

Facebook technology chief Bret Taylor to step down

                                       Mr Taylor said he was sad to be leaving but excited by his new venture

Facebook's chief technology officer Bret Taylor has announced he is leaving the social network site in the coming weeks to start up a new company.

Last month, Facebook floated part of the company on the Nasdaq stock exchange, making many of its employees millionaires overnight.
Observers speculated at the time that some would move on to other things.
Facebook shares have fallen sharply since the flotation to $30, 21% down on the launch price of $38.
The company is also being sued by disgruntled shareholders, who allege that Facebook's revised growth figures were not disclosed to all investors prior to the flotation.
Morgan Stanley, the lead underwriter on the share sale, said it had fully complied with the rules.
'Grateful' Mr Taylor said he was "sad to be leaving, but I'm excited to be starting a [new] company".
"While a transition like this is never easy, I'm extremely confident in the teams and leadership we have in place."
He said he was proud of the site's recent developments, including its Facebook Camera and integration with Apple products.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said he had enjoyed working with Mr Taylor and was "grateful for all he has done for Facebook and proud of what he and his teams have built."

Forthcoming Facebook Motion Said to Discuss Nasdaq’s Role in I.P.O.

Facebook is preparing for battle.

One month after its botched initial public offering, the social network is set to file a motion to consolidate all the shareholder lawsuits against the company, according to a person with knowledge of the matter, who requested anonymity because the document was still private. The lead underwriters, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase, are expected to join the motion, which could be filed in the Federal District Court for the Southern District of New York as early as Friday.
The motion will represent the first time Facebook has publicly addressed the lawsuits and the performance of its highly anticipated, but ultimately lackluster, I.P.O. on May 18.
While the document is expected to be relatively thin on detail, it will provide some perspective on Nasdaq’s role on listing day and the effect its actions had on the stock’s trading activity, the person briefed on the matter said. Facebook is expected to place some blame on Nasdaq, the person added.
The exchange has recently agreed to set aside $40 million to cover broker losses after its system failed to properly process orders on listing day. Nasdaq’s chief, Robert Greifeld, has described his company as “humbly embarrassed,” but the firm has also tried to downplay its role in the stock’s fall.
Nasdaq was not immediately available for comment.
Since Facebook’s I.P.O, the blame game has been popular in Silicon Valley. While many have pointed fingers at Nasdaq, others have taken aim at Facebook and its underwriters for pursuing a large offering at a high price.
Facebook’s stock has tumbled in the public markets since its debut, disappointing shareholders. More than 30 cases have been filed against Facebook, mostly in New York and California. While shares of Facebook rose more than 3 percent to $28.29 on Thursday, the stock remains more than 25 percent below its offering price of $38 per share.

SEC spooked by Facebook's pre-IPO mobile numbers

Source By CNET News:
 The Securities and Exchange Commission in February asked Facebook to clarify how the mobile market could impact its revenue, among other issues.

The Securities and Exchange Commission's pre-IPO correspondence with Facebook makes it clear that the regulatory body seemed quite concerned with the impact mobile growth could have on its operation.
"Assuming that the trend towards mobile continues and your mobile monetization efforts are unsuccessful, ensure that your disclosure fully addresses the potential consequences to your revenue and financial results rather than just stating that they 'may be negatively affected,'" the SEC wrote to Facebook back in February after a review of the company's S1 Registration statement filed with the government body.

Facebook's mobile efforts have been a growing concern for investors. Prior to its IPO, the company acknowledged that it has no easy way to monetize its mobile users, and an increasing number of people are accessing its service from smartphones and tablets. In response to the SEC's concerns about fully disclosing that problem to investors, Facebook updated its filings to fully illustrate the impact the trend could have on its business:

We believe this increased usage of Facebook on mobile devices has contributed to the recent trend of our daily active users (DAUs) increasing more rapidly than the increase in the number of ads delivered. If users increasingly access Facebook mobile products as a substitute for access through personal computers, and if we are unable to successfully implement monetization strategies for our mobile users, or if we incur excessive expenses in this effort, our financial performance and ability to grow revenue would be negatively affected.

The SEC's correspondence with Facebook is by no means unique. Upon filing registration statements with the governing body, companies will often receive letters from the SEC asking for clarification or more details on a particular topic. In addition to mobile, the SEC asked Facebook for clarification on everything from its partnership with Zynga to conversions related to Class A and Class B common stock. The social network addressed each question or concern in subsequent S1 filings.
Facebook's IPO has become a lightning rod of controversy. After a Nasdaq mishap, the company's shares have plummeted from their opening price of $38. As of this writing, Facebook is trading at $28.72.
Facebook has declined CNET's request for comment.
This story has been updated throughout the morning.

Bangladesh turns back refugees amid sectarian violence in Myanmar

From Farid Ahmed, For CNN

June 14, 2012 -- Updated 0419 GMT (1219 HKT)

Dhaka, Bangladesh (CNN) -- Hundreds of Muslims fleeing sectarian violence in Myanmar tried to enter Bangladesh on Wednesday, but many were turned away by the authorities.

Bangladesh has reinforced its border with Myanmar, amassing border guards and coast guards who were keeping watch on the River Naf, where rickety fishing boats were filled with Rohingyas, ethnic Muslims from Myanmar's Rakhine State.

Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Dipu Moni on Wednesday said her country was not willing to give shelter to Rohingya refugees, despite international calls for opening the border to people fleeing the clashes between Muslims and Buddhists in western Myanmar.

"We're already burdened with thousands of Rohingya refugees staying in Bangladesh and we don't want anymore," she said.

Aung San Suu Kyi arrives in Europe to accept Nobel

Myanmar: Open for business and tourism

The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and human rights groups have urged Dhaka to open the border.

Myanmar embraces spiritual tourists

The police and witnesses said dozens of fishing boats carrying mostly women and children were crossing the Naf. They said many people were severely injured and many had not eaten for days while drifting on the river waiting for opportunities to try to get into Bangladesh.

Fighting threatens Myanmar's displaced

Maj. Shafiqur Rahman, a deputy commanding officer of the Bangladesh Border Guard in Teknaf, said his guards detained at least 110 people from Myanmar on Wednesday.

Aung San Suu Kyi takes oath of office

During the latest unrest in Rakhine, which began last week, more than 21 people have been killed, according to Myanmar state media.

The government has imposed a state of emergency in the embattled areas to try to bring the situation under control.

The unrest began after the police in Rakhine detained three Muslim men in relation to the rape and killing of a Buddhist woman late last month. That was followed by an attack on a bus in early June in which 10 Muslim people were killed.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Watch has urged the Myanmar authorities to take all necessary steps to protect communities at risk in Rakhine.

"The government has taken inadequate steps to stop sectarian violence between Arakan Buddhists and ethnic Rohingya Muslims, or to bring those responsible to justice," Human Rights Watch said in a statement this week.

The violence in Rakhine "is spiraling out of control under the government's watch," said Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

The Bangladesh border guards said they had sent back more than 1,000 Rohingya Muslims in the past several days.

Bangladesh has put troops on high alert along the 200-kilometer border with Myanmar, said Shamsul Haque, Bangladesh's state minister for home affairs.

Bangladeshi officials estimate 300,000 Rohingya Muslims live in the country, with about a tenth of them in two official refugee camps in the southern district of Cox's Bazaar.

The Rohingya, who have long sought refuge in other countries, say they have been persecuted by the Myanmar military over the years.

Facebook co-founder Saverin: I don't resent Zuckerberg

(CNN) -- Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin, known to many people more as an aggrieved movie character or perceived tax dodger than as an actual person, has finally spoken out.

In an interview with a magazine in his family's native Brazil, Saverin -- a newly minted billionaire after Facebook's public stock offering -- talked about his taxes, his relationship with co-founder Mark Zuckerberg and life after "The Social Network."

Many observers believe Saverin, who, according to the Facebook origin story was slighted by Zuckerberg as the site grew, was a primary source for the book "The Accidental Billionaires," on which "Social Network" is based.

Surprise: The Internet hates rich people

But the end result was "fantasy," he said. And, no, he never angrily threw a laptop at Zuckerberg as his Hollywood counterpart, Andrew Garfield, did in the film. It's a statement Fabio Altman, of magazine Veja, writes is instantly believable given Saverin's reserved nature.

Schumer to Saverin: Leave, but pay taxes

Facebook fiasco: What went wrong?

Why is Facebook being sued?

"That's Hollywood, not a documentary," the 30-year-old Saverin says in the interview conducted in his multimillion-dollar residence in Singapore.

Saverin filed a lawsuit against Facebook over his reduced stake in the company, and the legal dispute was settled out of court. But despite well-documented friction over the years, Saverin says he bears no ill will toward Zuckerberg.

"I can only speak well of Mark; I don't resent him," Saverin said. "His focus from Day One until today is admirable. He was a visionary and always knew Facebook would only grow if it remained true to its central idea of people presenting themselves truthfully and without pseudonyms.

"That is the great power of Facebook that allowed it to transform into an instrument of protest, as in Egypt, but also as an instrument of business and, beyond that, a natural way to have contact with friends."

Saverin has had little to do with Facebook in recent years. But he re-entered the public consciousness recently when, days before Facebook stock was due to hit Wall Street, he renounced his U.S. citizenship in favor of Singapore, where he has lived since 2009.

Many saw it as a dodge -- a way to avoid paying U.S. taxes on his share of the company, valued somewhere around $2 billion. He says that's not the case and noted that, as has been reported, he's paying his taxes.

"The decision was strictly based on my interest of living and working in Singapore," he said. "I am obligated and I will pay hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes to the American government. I already paid and I will keep paying whatever taxes I owe based on my time as a U.S. citizen."

Saverin's father, Roberto, echoed those thoughts in the article.

"It was hard for me, because of the life I built in the U.S., hearing from Eduardo that he had to give up on his citizenship," he said. "But he did this not because he wanted to, but because he had no other choice as a foreigner living in Singapore, where financial transactions are more restricted and bureaucratic for those who hold a U.S. passport. There was no other way."

Roberto and his family emigrated to the United States from Brazil amid political turmoil, and Saverin's registered place of birth is Miami.

Saverin continues to work as an investor and partner in Internet startups from his Singapore apartment, where an office contains three, 27-inch Mac monitors on which he constantly monitors everything from stock prices to the weather, Altman writes.

As for Facebook itself? Saverin still has his own profile, with more than 1 million people subscribed to it. But he uses it almost exclusively for news about his new startups, keeping the personal details to himself.

"I don't like showing my private life online," he said.

Flexible screens

Personally, I just can't wait for flexible screens: These awesome new bendable interfaces will let you zoom in, zoom out and scroll around a page simply by twisting your phone or tablet.

Nokia and Samsung have both hinted they may release phones with bendable displays in 2012. The really exciting stuff, however -- like paper-thin devices that roll up to fit in your pocket -- is still years away.