Matt's Favorites: Nice Prizes In Liquid Web Treasure Hunt, China Behind Most Cyber Espionage, And They Lead In Clean Energy Too, Hackers Take Over AP Twitter And Much More
So what's the latest and greatest after an ever so slightly shorter day chasing down tech news? Glad you asked. Here we go!
* The fine folks at Lansing's Liquid Web Inc. now have posted a Google 360 Street View tour of its new data center, DC3. The tour features an interactive scavenger hunt by hiding items and QR codes in it that will allow people to win $500 as well as free hosting. Check it out at http://bit.ly/dc3hunt, and happy hunting!
* A new study from Verizon shows that our great and good friend China is behind 96 percent of all cyber-espionage data breaches. Somewhere Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Brighton) is muttering "told ya so."
* Speaking of the Chinese, a new study from the Pew Charitable Trusts shows China was the world leader in clean energy investment in 2012. The U.S., meanwhile, saw its grip loosen on many of the clean energy technologies it developed.
* A social media editor who has worked for two of America's largest news-gathering organizations has pleaded not guilty to charges that he conspired with hackers to deface the website of the Los Angeles Times. Matthew Keys made his first appearance in federal court Tuesday since he was charged last month, but made no comments.
* Hackers compromised Twitter accounts of The Associated Press on Tuesday, sending out an erroneous tweet about an attack at the White House. The AP confirmed that its Twitter account had been suspended following a hack and said it was working to correct the issue. The fake news caused a brief stock market plunge.
* Yet more automation replacing workers. This time, it's noodle makers in Chinese restaurants.
* NASA and Bigelow Aerospace are in the initial planning phases for a moon base. In January of this year NASA announced that they will be using a Bigelow inflatable module on the International Space Station. With that partnership, it opened up the doors for Bigelow to propose an even more ambitious plan to build a moon base with their inflatable module technology. http://spaceindustrynews.com/nasa-and-bigelow-aerospace-make-plans-for-moon-base/3338/
* The coolest spaceship going -- SpaceX's prototype Grasshopper -- triples its record altitude for hovering in its latest test, creating a real "ring of fire." Can't wait to land in a spaceship like Buck Rogers, with or without the Johnny Cash soundtrack.
* The Australian Federal Police has reportedly arrested a man who describes himself as the "leader" of the LulzSec hacking group. The 24-year-old man was arrested on hacking charges Tuesday in the coastal town of Point Clare, according to ABC News Australia, which first reported the arrest. The report did not reveal that man's identity.
* Aereo, the television-over-the-Internet service that is threatening the broadcast and cable TV industries, is expanding to Boston on May 15. Aereo will offer 28 broadcast channels, plus the cable channel Bloomberg TV, for about $8 a month. Service will be available in Boston and surrounding areas in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont.
* Keeping up with the newest technologies can be a challenge for even the most tech-savvy business owners and entrepreneurs. However, that challenge got a bit easier, thanks to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Technology Review, which Tuesday released the 10 technologies they expect to change the world this year.
* Cloud computing software maker VMware Inc forecast current-quarter revenue that fell short of analysts' estimates, sending its shares down 7 percent in extended trading. VMware, controlled by data storage equipment maker EMC Corp, said it expects revenue in the range of $1.21 billion to $1.24 billion for the second quarter.
* On the heels of announcing its second-quarter earnings, Apple CEO Tim Cook admitted this afternoon that Apple's market "growth rate has slowed," but stressed that he and the company are excited about what lies ahead. "Our teams are hard at work on some amazing new hardware, software and services we can't wait to introduce this fall and throughout 2014," Cook said on the company's earnings call. He also mentioned that the team was working on "exciting new product categories."
* Avoid the concrete jungle: A new study finds that people who live in cities with more green space feel better than those surrounded by stone and steel. In fact, the well-being boost associated with green space is equivalent to one-third the jump in well-being people get from being married and to one-tenth of the extra life satisfaction derived from being employed versus jobless, according to a study to be published in a forthcoming issue of the journal Psychological Science.
* A United Nations officials says the cleanup at Fukushima may take longer than the earlier estimated 40 years.
* For months, a debate has raged in the media and on Capitol Hill about whether or not society (and the law) should allow 3D printed guns. But listen to Cody Wilson speak for a few minutes, and you can't help but come away feeling that the national discussion is moot: 3D printed firearms are inevitable. Deal with it.
* Human Rights Watch seems very serious about a new campaign it has launched against what it calls "killer robots." "Urgent action is needed to preemptively ban lethal robot weapons that would be able to select and attack targets without any human intervention," the international non-governmental organization said in a release promoting its Campaign to Stop Killer Robots.
