Matt Cutts Talks 2013 Google Penguin Update
Google will unleash a new Penguin update in the coming weeks. Matt Cutts, the head of webspam at Google, released a video telling webmasters what to expect with the new Penguin release. Cutts says it is called Penguin 2.0 internally at Google. He says it will target Black Hat webspam and will have more of an impact than the 2012 Penguin. Cutts also says it will look for advertorials that improperly flowing PageRank.
Cutts also says Google is working on some more sophisticated link analysis tools. They are also busy working on hacked sites and improving these types of notifications to webmasters. Google is also working on ways to give authorities on specific subjects a little better ranking. Cutts also says Google wants to help quality sites that may have been impacted negatively by Google Panda. Take a look:
Microsoft Extends Revenue Guarantee With Yahoo
Reuters reports that Microsoft has extended its revenue gaurantee with Yahoo for one year, starting April 1. The extension is the first between Yahoo and Microsoft since Marissa Mayer took over as CEO. The two companies began a 10-year deal in 2010 for Microsoft's Bing to provide search results on Yahoo and Microsoft advertising.
A Wall Street Journalstory says Yahoo has been trying to get out of the deal. It says Yahoo has made less money under the Microsoft deal than it made when it used its own search technology and ads.
Yahoo did not comment on the rumors and issued the following statement through a spokeswoman: "Microsoft is an important partner, and we continue to work together to grow search share and improve monetization."
Search Engine Land explains why Yahoo is unable to break its Microsoft search partnership in the short term.
CERN to Recreate First Webpage
CERN is planning to recreate the first webpage and first URL. Sir Tim Berners-Lee helped developed the web and the first website while he worked at CERN. CERN have posted details about the project here.
For a start we would like to restore the first URL - put back the files that were there at their earliest possible iterations. Then we will look at the first web servers at CERN and see what assets from them we can preserve and share. We will also sift through documentation and try to restore machine names and IP addresses to their original state. Beyond this we want to make http://info.cern.ch - the first web address - a destination that reflects the story of the beginnings of the web for the benefit of future generations.
Dan Noyes, the web manager for CERN's communication group, told BBC News, "I want my children to be able to understand the significance of this point in time: the web is already so ubiquitous - so, well, normal - that one risks failing to see how fundamentally it has changed. We are in a unique moment where we can still switch on the first web server and experience it. We want to document and preserve that."
BBC News says CERN not only wants to preserve the first website and URL, but the hardware and software used to create it and view it. This includes a NeXT computer (pictured below) used by Berners-Lee and a browser created by Nicola Pellow. It is certainly an important piece of history that is worth of preservation.
BeagleBoard is offering a credit-card-sized open-sourced Linux computer for $45. The computer, called BeagleBone Black, includes credit-card-sized, Linux computer. It is based on the 1-GHz Sitara AM335x ARM Cortex A8 processor. BeagleBone Black also features 2GB of on-board storage to run pre-loaded Linux software, as well as a USB cable to power the board. It also has Ethernet and HDMI interfaces. You can find out more about the computer on Beagleboard.org.
O'Reilly already has a book, Getting Started with BeagleBone, by Matt Richardson, out for BeagleBone. Here is Richardson talking about BeagleBone Black. Take a look:
Google Closing Google Affiliate Network
Google has announced plans to end the Google Affiliate Network. The closure will be sad news for affiliate and merchants that have been using the network, but a plus for rivals like Commission Junction and Linkshare.
Our goal with Google Affiliate Network has been to help advertisers and publishers improve their performance across the affiliate ecosystem. Cost-per-action (CPA) marketing has rapidly evolved in the last few years, and we've invested significantly in CPA tools like Product Listing Ads, remarketing and Conversion Optimizer. We're constantly evaluating our products to ensure that we're focused on the services that will have the biggest impact for our advertisers and publishers.
To that end, we've made the difficult decision to retire Google Affiliate Network and focus on other products that are driving great results for clients.
Google will continue to support the network as it winds it down over the next few months. Relationships between publishers and advertisers will be disabled on July 31, 2013, a little over three months from now. Search Engine Roundtable says this is technically the second time Google has closed its affiliate network.
Imgur, an image hosting service, has announced a new service that lets you mail in your image. The service, which launches today, April 1st, is aimed at users who have trouble scanning photos and uploading images.
Imgur explains how it works:
This upload method requires minimal computer interaction or effort. For just the price of postage, you can upload your image for free! Simply mail your image to the Imgur PO Box. When we receive your image in the mail, we'll do all the work! Just sit back, relax, and wait for your unique image URL to be mailed back to you. Then use your landline or mobile phone to call your friends, coworkers and family to tell them to look at your image on the Internet. It's that simple!
Study Finds Using Grammar Undercuts Security of Long Passwords
Most computer savvy people know using words that can be found in the dictionary in your password is a bad idea. Password cracking programs use dictionary words when they try to break passwords. A new study from researchers at Carnegie Mellon University has found that grammar is also a bad idea in long computer passwords. The researchers say grammar (good or bad) can provide hints to a cracking program about what the password is.
The Carnigie Mellon research tem - team led by Ashwini Rao - developed a password-cracking algorithm that took into account grammar and tested it against 1,434 passwords containing 16 or more characters. The grammar-aware cracker surpassed other password crackers when passwords had grammatical structures.
Rao said in a release, "We should not blindly rely on the number of words or characters in a password as a measure of its security."
She also says that a password based on a phrase or short sentence makes it easier for a user to remember, but the grammatical structure also dramatically narrows the possible combinations and sequences of words. Grammar follows certain patterns and patterns are something algorithms can break down. She says grammar necessitates using different parts of speech - nouns, verbs, adjectives and pronouns.
Likewise, grammar, whether good or bad, necessitates using different parts of speech - nouns, verbs, adjectives, pronouns - that also can undermine security. That's because pronouns are far fewer in number than verbs, verbs fewer than adjectives and adjectives fewer than nouns. So a password composed of "pronoun-verb-adjective-noun," such as "Shehave3cats" is inherently easier to decode than "Andyhave3cats," which follows "noun-verb-adjective-noun." A password that incorporated more nouns would be even more secure.
There are some tech-savvy people that like to use phrases to make passwords. This research could pour cold water on the idea as it is only a matter of time before cracking program emerge that use grammar patterns to quickly solve passwords based on phrases or sentences.
Rao adds, "I've seen password policies that say, 'Use five words,' Well, if four of those words are pronouns, they don't add much security."
4th Grader Becomes Youngest Certified Microsoft Technician
Pranav Kalyan, a fourth grader in California, is the youngest certified Microsoft technician. Pranav studies the textbooks and looks up anything he doesn't get on Google. His parents are trying not to push him too hard because they want him to have a childhood. Pranav also loves soccer and watching Pokemon. Take a look:
Kim Dotcom revealed in a tweet that his new cloud storage service, Mega, will offer user 50GB of free storage for free. The Next Web reports that this offer dwarfs free storage offers from DRopbox, Google Drive and SkyDrive. Mega is also working with EFF to let Megaupload users access their files. Mega will be announced in a press release on January 20th.
Kim Dotcom has also shared screenshots of the upcoming service, which you can see here.
The USB Powered Squirming Tentacle's only purpose is to squirm in your USB port. The tentacle costs $24.99 and uses up power from your USB port as it squirms. It does not store data. ThinkGeek warns it also "may summon the Elder Gods from the depths." You can fill up your USB hub with them like in the photo above. Take a look:
Getac has launched the 7-inch Getac Z710. The rugged tablet was built with Getac's LumiBond technology, a glove-friendly technology. LumiBond integrates Gorilla Glass, a capacitive touch sensor and an LED panel. The tablet can withstand 6-foot drops and operate in temperatures from -20 dgrees Celcius to 50 degrees Celcius. You can find out more about the tablet here.
Peter Molyneux, President Getac Europe, said in a statement, "We have built the rugged tablet with the operator in mind, whether they work in utility, logistics, automotive, or other field service sectors that require communication and data capture functionality, operating in harsh environments."
Microsoft unveiled a new logo today. The logo includes the symbol from the software company's popular Windows products. You can see some of the Windows logos here. Because it incorporates the familiar Windows logo and colors some people may not even notice the new logo. This is the first new logo for the company in 25 years. Microsoft also released a very short teaser mentioning some of its biggest products: Windows, Office and Xbox. Take a look:
Point Grey Launches World’s Smallest 4K USB 3.0 Camera
Point Grey has launched its tiny Flea3 4K Camera. The icecube-sized camera is the world's smallest 4K USB 3.0 camera. The camera delivers 4,096 x 2,160 color images at 21 FPS. The camera uses Sony's IMX121 sensor with Exmor R back-illuminated CMOS architecture. The Flea3 FL3-U3-88S2C-C model costs $945.
This video shows Point Grey's Flea3 USB 3.0 cameras. Take a look:
DNS Changer Malware to Knock Tens of Thousands Offline Monday
A malware program, known as DNS Changer, is scheduled to knock tens of thousands off people offline on Monday. The FBI stopped the DNS Changer last year and has been providing servers to redirect the traffic of those infected. When the FBI shuts down the services on Monday (July 9th), computers that still have the virus will no longer be access the Internet.
The DCWG website provides a quick way to check and see if you have to malware without having to download anything. Take a look:
Larson Electronics Releases Explosion Proof LED Light
If you need an explosion proof LED light, then Larson Electronics has the light you need. Larson says the light, which produces 860 lumens, is Class 1 Division 1 and 2 approved. They also say it is suitable for wet locations and within industrial hazardous locations. The light is sold on Magnalight.com.
