1984 - Steve Jobs Introduces The Mac

The video recording says it all.

Wireless data from every light bulb

What if every light bulb in the world could also transmit data? At TEDGlobal, Harald Haas demonstrates, for the first time, a device that could do exactly that. By flickering the light from a single LED, a change too quick for the human eye to detect, he can transmit far more data than a cellular tower - and do it in a way that's more efficient, secure and widespread.

Sweden’s iZettle turns phone handsets into a card payment terminal

Similar to “Square”, Sweden’s start-up, called iZettle, has been officially launched in that country.

Following closed beta testing, the iZettle application for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch has now gone live on the Swedish App Store.

The system lets users accept low value payments by simply entering the amount and customer's card number in the app.

For bigger payments, merchants attach a plastic card reader to their device which automatically opens the app. They then enter the payment amount and the customer signs on the device's screen, adding an e-mail address if they want a receipt.

The firm charges 2.75% of the sale plus SEK 1.50 for each transaction.

IZettle says it has received the approval of EMV and says it adheres to PCI-DSS data handling requirements.

Although it works with chip, not magstripe, cards, the system is similar to that offered by US operation Square, which has proved a big hit in that country.

Watch iZettle at work.

Measures for Managing Operational Resilience

“Measures for Managing Operational Resilience”; this is the title of a new report published recently by Carnegie Mellon University's Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT).

How resilient is your organization? Have your processes made you more resilient? Members of the CERT Resilient Enterprise Management (REM) team are conducting research to address these and other related questions. The team’s first report, Measuring Operational Resilience Using the CERT Resilience Management Model, defined high-level objectives for managing an operational resilience management (ORM) system, demonstrated how to derive meaningful measures from those objectives, and presented a template for defining resilience measures, along with example measures.

In this report, REM team members suggest a set of top ten strategic measures for managing operational resilience. These measures derive from high-level objectives of the ORM system defined in the CERT Resilience Management Model, Version 1.1 (CERT-RMM). The report also provides measures for each of the 26 process areas of CERT-RMM, as well as a set of global measures that apply to all process areas. This report thus serves as an addendum to CERT-RMM Version 1.1.

Since CERT-RMM practices map to bodies of knowledge and codes of practice such as ITIL, COBIT, ISO2700x, BS25999, and PCI DSS, the measures may be useful for measuring security, business continuity, and IT operations management processes, either as part of adoption of CERT-RMM or independent of it.

You can access the report at http://www.cert.org/archive/pdf/11tr019.pdf

Website and phone support services for riot-hit English businesses

The UK Home Office has opened a new website and phone support services for businesses impacted by the recent riots and looting.

Businesses whose property or premises were damaged by rioters, or whose stock was stolen or damaged, could be eligible to claim under the Riot (Damages) Act - even if they do not have insurance and the new services aim to help organizations through the claims process.

Last week the Prime Minister announced that the deadline for applications under the Act would be extended from 14 to 42 days to allow more people to claim.

The advice being offered to riot hit companies/bisinesses is:

• If you have insurance, you should check your policy to see if it covers riot damage. If it does, you should contact your insurer directly,
• If you do not have insurance or it does not cover riot damage, you might be eligible to claim compensation from you local police authority, and,
• Claims under the Riot (Damages) Act are limited to damage to or loss of buildings or their contents. The Act does not cover vehicles, personal injury or loss of trade.

These web-based resources can be found at www.direct.gov.uk/riotadvice

Tips to Avoid Check Fraud

In the age of online hackers and ID theft, a low-tech scam thrives: check fraud. Fake-check scammers have honed schemes to be age-appropriate, preying on youngsters seeking jobs and seniors in need of cash. Stacey Delo and Andrea Coombes discuss on MarketWatch.

Gold Prices May Be Poised for `Parabolic' Rise

Mark O'Byrne, executive director of brokerage GoldCore Ltd., discusses the outlook for gold. He talks from Dublin with Mark Barton on Bloomberg Television's "Countdown." (Source: Bloomberg)

The pensions burden

People are living longer so they need to retire later and save more. An easy videographic explains what is happening.

SEC launches new Whistleblower Program

With its new whistleblower program that officially became effective on August 12, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has also launched a new webpage for people to report a violation of the federal securities laws and apply for a financial award.

The Dodd-Frank “Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act” has provided the SEC with the authority to pay financial rewards to whistleblowers who provide new and timely information about any securities law violation. Among other things, to be eligible, the whistleblower's information must lead to a successful SEC enforcement action with more than $1 million in monetary sanctions.

The SEC's new webpage is located at www.sec.gov/whistleblower and includes information on eligibility requirements, directions on how to submit a tip or complaint, instructions on how to apply for an award, and answers to frequently asked questions.

"Early and quick law enforcement action is the key to preventing securities fraud and avoiding investor losses, and the whistleblower program gives us the tools to help achieve that goal," said Robert Khuzami, Director of the SEC's Division of Enforcement.

Sean McKessy, Chief of the SEC's Office of the Whistleblower, added, "Securities fraud is not a victimless crime. That's why why it is so important for people to step forward when they witness an ongoing securities fraud or learn about one that has taken place or is about to occur. Our new whistleblower award program makes it easier for people to take that step."

The SEC's new whistleblower program strengthens the SEC's ability to protect investors in several ways including;

• Better Tips: Over the past several months, the SEC has seen an increase in the quality of tips that it has been receiving from individuals since Congress created the program. 
• Timely Tips: Potential whistleblowers are incentivized to come forward sooner rather than later with "timely" information not yet known to the SEC. 
• Maximizes Outside Resources: With fewer than 4,000 employees to regulate more than 35,000 entities, the SEC cannot be everywhere at all times. With a robust whistleblower program, the SEC is more likely to find and deter wrongdoing at firms it may not have otherwise uncovered 
• New Protections Against Retaliation: Employees who come forward are provided with new tools to protect themselves against employers who retaliate.
• Bolsters Internal Compliance: The new rules provide significant incentives for employees to report any wrongdoing to their company's internal compliance department before coming to the SEC. Therefore, companies that would prefer their employees report internally first are incentivized to a have credible, effective compliance program in place.