Camp is usually a rewarding experience, a nice break from the humdrum of school and work. And the companies attending IBM SmartCamp Israel (ibmsmartcamp.wordpress.com) may have a rewarding experience all their own – a prize package designed to bump up the startup that wins the contest, and a chance to compete in the worldwide SmartCamp competition that could bring a very bright future to the winning company.
It’s a long and exhausting process, picking the companies that are good enough to wear the IBM “winner’s medal.” When the call for participants in the contest first went out several months ago, over 70 Israeli companies answered and presented their ideas and projects to impress IBM Israel executives. At the end, only five remained – and those five will go head-to-head in the Israel finals of IBM SmartCamp this week.
The winner will receive all sorts of goodies – a mentoring and guidance package from IBM, help with patents and presentations, a free year’s membership in the High-Tech Industry Association – and a plane ticket to the finals of SmartCamp, to be held at the beginning of 2012 in the US (final venue still pending). If IBM is one of the top tech companies in the world, the company that wins SmartCamp could be considered one of the top startups in the world. Quite an honor!
Israel is one of nine hi-tech hot spots that IBM is trawling for the “next big thing.” Events have already been held in Bangalore, Austin, Barcelona, and New York City, and will also be held in Istanbul, China, Rio, and London. Each location supplies five finalists, with one selected by a panel of local IBM executives, as well as top managers. Companies need to be five years old or younger (early stage), with a maximum turnover of $1,000,000 in the last 12 months.
So what does it take to get into a contest like this – let alone win it?
“Obviously we want the best of the best startups,” says Ahuva Kamar, organizer of the Israel event. “We are looking for companies that will enhance IBM’s vision of a smarter planet. The startups we are looking for are more likely to be working in enterprise, as opposed to the consumer space, and they will answer to one of our ‘three I’s’ – with products or services that are more instrumented, intelligent, and/or interconnected. The five finalists certainly meet these criteria.”
Those three I’s says Kamar, will be driving the smarter computer systems of the future that IBM is developing. “Instrumented” means capturing or integrating data using devices like sensors, kiosk, meters, PDAs, appliances, cameras (still and video), smart phones, implanted medical devices, or the web – anything that captures reliable digital information and feeds into a system is eligible, as long as it uses an instrument to do so. “Interconnected” means integrating data in order to enhance the data’s value – like a better way to connect people using Web 2.0 technologies. And “intelligent” means just what it says – a better, smarter way to do things that makes life easier or better for users.
The five finalists certainly answer to these criteria. C-B4 Predictive Analytics, for example, developed a system for identifying and analyzing hidden data patterns in large scale data warehouses, something that can make things more efficient – and more profitable – for retailers and corporate sales managers.
Mintigo offers a solution that enables businesses in various industries to intelligently leverage internal and external data, turning it into customer insights and new sales opportunities, doubling sales conversion rates.
FST21, founded by former Military Intelligence head Aharon Zeevi Farkash, developed an access management system, called SafeRise, designed to enhance security levels at residential and office buildings. Seculert’s novel cybersecurity system enables early-detection and blocking of cyberborne threats targeted at the organization’s network. And Wave Guard Technologies offers an efficient and inexpensive solution for monitoring and controlling cellular radiation emanating from cell towers and antennas.
Last year’s Israel winner was Panoramic Power, which provides on-line monitoring of energy use and power flow, allowing managers to more easily figure out how to save energy – and money. The worldwide winner was a Silicon Valley company, Streetline, which uses sensors to determine where there are available parking spaces in a city, and a cellphone app that directs drivers to those spots.
Ultimately, SmartCamp, and IBM’s “smarter planet” strategy, is about using more computing power to use resources – environmental, business, government, security, etc. – more efficiently. In a “smart city,” you would have a system that would save drivers’ time and frustration, using the Internet to supply real-time information on where parking spots were available, instead of forcing them to endlessly drive around looking for a spot. And in a smart city, you would have an office building or mall where a computerized system would tell you where electricity is being wasted, as Panoramic Power’s solution does, so you could save energy – and of course, money.
Ditto for the other finalists, including last year’s and the ones chosen so far this year. There are lots of great ideas out there – so what are Israel’s chances?
2011年9月19日星期一
2011年8月28日星期日
High-tech tool helps Calgary drivers find parking
Drivers may now be able to save time finding a parking space downtown with the click of a mouse.
The Calgary Parking Authority has launched a system that keeps a realtime tally of available stalls in all seven of its parkades so drivers know before they head downtown what the chances of finding a spot are.
“It’s added convenience,” said general manager Troy McLeod.
“I think it might provide additional comfort for those coming downtown, especially those who don’t come downtown often.”
The CPA has a parking guidance system (PGS) to count available spots using devices at the entries and exits of parkades and sensors in the stalls.
The information is kept up to date in the operations control centre, and the CPA realized it could share the information with the public fairly easily and at essentially no extra cost, said McLeod.
Updates will be made approximately every 30 seconds, he said.
The service also allows Calgarians to receive automatic updates on computers or phones that are equipped with Internet Explorer 7 of higher.
They can subscribe to the feed with a Really Simply Syndication (RSS) reader, but with Alberta’s new distracted driving legislation to launch in a week, motorists are reminded not to check updates while they are driving.
The CPA has 5,327 stalls between its seven parkades, approximately 23% of which are open for hourly or daily parking.
Parkade availability updating is the first step in a larger plan to provide Calgarians’ access to parking information.
The CPA is working with a city agency to develop an iPhone application — expected to debut this fall — that would include the stall counts, but also other features including the ability to a make parking payments.
As well, historical parking data for on-street parking will be uploaded daily on the parking authority’s website starting this fall.
McLeod said the CPA does not have realtime information for its 2,300 on-street spots downtown, but can provide drivers with an idea of which areas tend to be busiest at which time of day.
The Calgary Parking Authority has launched a system that keeps a realtime tally of available stalls in all seven of its parkades so drivers know before they head downtown what the chances of finding a spot are.
“It’s added convenience,” said general manager Troy McLeod.
“I think it might provide additional comfort for those coming downtown, especially those who don’t come downtown often.”
The CPA has a parking guidance system (PGS) to count available spots using devices at the entries and exits of parkades and sensors in the stalls.
The information is kept up to date in the operations control centre, and the CPA realized it could share the information with the public fairly easily and at essentially no extra cost, said McLeod.
Updates will be made approximately every 30 seconds, he said.
The service also allows Calgarians to receive automatic updates on computers or phones that are equipped with Internet Explorer 7 of higher.
They can subscribe to the feed with a Really Simply Syndication (RSS) reader, but with Alberta’s new distracted driving legislation to launch in a week, motorists are reminded not to check updates while they are driving.
The CPA has 5,327 stalls between its seven parkades, approximately 23% of which are open for hourly or daily parking.
Parkade availability updating is the first step in a larger plan to provide Calgarians’ access to parking information.
The CPA is working with a city agency to develop an iPhone application — expected to debut this fall — that would include the stall counts, but also other features including the ability to a make parking payments.
As well, historical parking data for on-street parking will be uploaded daily on the parking authority’s website starting this fall.
McLeod said the CPA does not have realtime information for its 2,300 on-street spots downtown, but can provide drivers with an idea of which areas tend to be busiest at which time of day.
2011年6月12日星期日
IMF Targeted in Sophisticated Cyber Attack
The International Monetary Fund has become the latest victim of a cyber attack believed to be carried out by hackers connected to a foreign government. The scope of the breach in the lender of last resort’s computer system is still unknown and the IMF has so far refused to release any details. But the New York Times, the first to break the story, talked to several senior officials who described it as serious. The breach occurred “over the last several months,” before Dominique Strauss-Kahn quit after being charged with attempted rape. The IMF’s board was apparently told of the attack on Wednesday and now the FBI is helping to investigate.
Reuters talks to a security expert who says the attack “was clearly designed to infiltrate the IMF with the intention of gaining sensitive ‘insider privileged information.’” Another expert says the hackers tried to install software that would give a government a “digital insider presence” on the IMF network that could give it access to sensitive, potentially market-moving data. It seems the code used in the attack was specifically developed for the IMF system. There is lots of information within the IMF that could be of interest to hackers, from detailed data about European bailout programs to confidential reports on countries that could be in economic trouble and even records of negotiations with international leaders.
Experts are particularly concerned about the IMF incident because it is the latest in a string of sophisticated attacks against large organizations, amounting to a stark reminder of how vulnerable sensitive computer systems are to hackers. The Washington Post notes this is the third recent attack against a major financial institution and points to “a pattern of cyber-espionage against key economic policymaking institutions” in recent years that some experts believe involves China. “Canada’s Treasury Board and Finance Ministry were targeted in January, and France’s Finance Ministry was hacked in December,” points out the Post. Over the past three months, Google, Sony, Lockheed Martin and Citigroup have all reported being the victims of cyber attacks, notes Bloomberg.
Reuters talks to a security expert who says the attack “was clearly designed to infiltrate the IMF with the intention of gaining sensitive ‘insider privileged information.’” Another expert says the hackers tried to install software that would give a government a “digital insider presence” on the IMF network that could give it access to sensitive, potentially market-moving data. It seems the code used in the attack was specifically developed for the IMF system. There is lots of information within the IMF that could be of interest to hackers, from detailed data about European bailout programs to confidential reports on countries that could be in economic trouble and even records of negotiations with international leaders.
Experts are particularly concerned about the IMF incident because it is the latest in a string of sophisticated attacks against large organizations, amounting to a stark reminder of how vulnerable sensitive computer systems are to hackers. The Washington Post notes this is the third recent attack against a major financial institution and points to “a pattern of cyber-espionage against key economic policymaking institutions” in recent years that some experts believe involves China. “Canada’s Treasury Board and Finance Ministry were targeted in January, and France’s Finance Ministry was hacked in December,” points out the Post. Over the past three months, Google, Sony, Lockheed Martin and Citigroup have all reported being the victims of cyber attacks, notes Bloomberg.
2011年5月18日星期三
Dobbs Argues E-Verify Should Be Mandatory Because "It Works"
Dobbs: Obama Refuses To Make E-Verify Mandatory Because "It Works." Hosting Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) to talk immigration on his Fox Business show, Dobbs claimed that the E-Verify program is 99 percent effective. He then added: "[T]hat's precisely why your friends and colleagues in Congress and over at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue -- the president himself, and the previous president, in all fairness -- refused to make E-Verify mandatory for the very simple reason it works." From the segment:
DOBBS: I think that most Democrats would agree with most Republicans that you -- if you're going to control illegal immigration -- that is, end it -- you have to stop the illegal employer from employing illegally illegal immigrants. It's pretty straightforward, isn't it?
SMITH: Exactly. We have a wonderful program called E-Verify, and employers can check their employees. In fact, over 200,000 have signed up for this program. There are 1,300 more signing up every week, and we need to encourage employers, businesses to use this E-Verify program, and keep those jobs for American workers and legal immigrants as well.
DOBBS: Mr. Chairman, there are going to be a lot of people listening to you and saying, "What do you mean, we need to encourage? Isn't it the law?" And of course --
SMITH: It is not.
DOBBS: -- it's not the law.
SMITH: It is not mandatory, this E-Verify program. I think we need to expand it. We need to make it mandatory for a large number of individuals. But it works. It's 99 percent effective.
DOBBS: Ninety-nine percent effective, and that's precisely why your friends and colleagues in Congress and over at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue -- the president himself, and the previous president, in all fairness -- refused to make E-Verify mandatory for the very simple reason it works.
SMITH: It does work and it protects those jobs for American workers and legal immigrants. [Fox Business, Lou Dobbs Tonight, 5/11/11]
E-Verify Does Not Adequately Screen Unauthorized Workers
DHS Study Found That E-Verify Wrongly Cleared 54 Percent Of Unauthorized Workers. In a January 2010 report commissioned by the Department of Homeland Security, research firm Westat analyzed data from September 2007 to June 2008 and found that "primarily due to identity fraud, approximately half (54 percent with a plausible range of 37 to 64 percent) of unauthorized workers run through E-Verify receive an inaccurate finding of being work authorized." From the study:
Westat estimates that overall, E-Verify queries result in an accurate response 96 percent of the time and an inaccurate response 4.1 percent of the time. But only 6.2 percent of all E-Verify queries relate to unauthorized workers. Westat estimates that, primarily due to identity fraud, approximately half (54 percent with a plausible range of 37 to 64 percent) of unauthorized workers run through E-Verify receive an inaccurate finding of being work authorized. As a result, the 54 percent statistic relates only to the 6.2 percent figure ... means that of all E-Verify queries, only approximately 3.3 percent are for unauthorized workers that were incorrectly found work authorized. [U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, 1/28/10, emphasis added]
E-Verify Has Limited System In Place To Correct Errors, Leaving Workers With Significant Costs For Corrections
DHS Study: "20 To 40 Percent" Of Workers Who Are Flagged As Ineligible "Are Not Informed" Of The Error. According to Westat, "Sixty to 80 percent of authorized workers are informed by their employer of a TNC. (In other words, 20 to 40 percent are not informed of the TNC and receive FNCs.)" Westat further reported:
However, there is good reason to believe that employers underreport noncompliance with E-Verify notification procedures. Among the 82 employers with two or more workers receiving TNCs, 37 had one or more employees who reported that they did not receive an explanation. This may be an overestimate of noncompliance because workers may not recall having the notice explained.
Among the 108 onsite study employers for which the evaluation team reviewed employment verification files of workers receiving TNCs, over half were missing copies of TNC notices for a majority of the workers for whom cases had been submitted to E-Verify. In some of these cases, it is likely that the employer provided the worker with the notice but did not correctly file it, as specified in E-Verify procedures.
DOBBS: I think that most Democrats would agree with most Republicans that you -- if you're going to control illegal immigration -- that is, end it -- you have to stop the illegal employer from employing illegally illegal immigrants. It's pretty straightforward, isn't it?
SMITH: Exactly. We have a wonderful program called E-Verify, and employers can check their employees. In fact, over 200,000 have signed up for this program. There are 1,300 more signing up every week, and we need to encourage employers, businesses to use this E-Verify program, and keep those jobs for American workers and legal immigrants as well.
DOBBS: Mr. Chairman, there are going to be a lot of people listening to you and saying, "What do you mean, we need to encourage? Isn't it the law?" And of course --
SMITH: It is not.
DOBBS: -- it's not the law.
SMITH: It is not mandatory, this E-Verify program. I think we need to expand it. We need to make it mandatory for a large number of individuals. But it works. It's 99 percent effective.
DOBBS: Ninety-nine percent effective, and that's precisely why your friends and colleagues in Congress and over at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue -- the president himself, and the previous president, in all fairness -- refused to make E-Verify mandatory for the very simple reason it works.
SMITH: It does work and it protects those jobs for American workers and legal immigrants. [Fox Business, Lou Dobbs Tonight, 5/11/11]
E-Verify Does Not Adequately Screen Unauthorized Workers
DHS Study Found That E-Verify Wrongly Cleared 54 Percent Of Unauthorized Workers. In a January 2010 report commissioned by the Department of Homeland Security, research firm Westat analyzed data from September 2007 to June 2008 and found that "primarily due to identity fraud, approximately half (54 percent with a plausible range of 37 to 64 percent) of unauthorized workers run through E-Verify receive an inaccurate finding of being work authorized." From the study:
Westat estimates that overall, E-Verify queries result in an accurate response 96 percent of the time and an inaccurate response 4.1 percent of the time. But only 6.2 percent of all E-Verify queries relate to unauthorized workers. Westat estimates that, primarily due to identity fraud, approximately half (54 percent with a plausible range of 37 to 64 percent) of unauthorized workers run through E-Verify receive an inaccurate finding of being work authorized. As a result, the 54 percent statistic relates only to the 6.2 percent figure ... means that of all E-Verify queries, only approximately 3.3 percent are for unauthorized workers that were incorrectly found work authorized. [U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, 1/28/10, emphasis added]
E-Verify Has Limited System In Place To Correct Errors, Leaving Workers With Significant Costs For Corrections
DHS Study: "20 To 40 Percent" Of Workers Who Are Flagged As Ineligible "Are Not Informed" Of The Error. According to Westat, "Sixty to 80 percent of authorized workers are informed by their employer of a TNC. (In other words, 20 to 40 percent are not informed of the TNC and receive FNCs.)" Westat further reported:
However, there is good reason to believe that employers underreport noncompliance with E-Verify notification procedures. Among the 82 employers with two or more workers receiving TNCs, 37 had one or more employees who reported that they did not receive an explanation. This may be an overestimate of noncompliance because workers may not recall having the notice explained.
Among the 108 onsite study employers for which the evaluation team reviewed employment verification files of workers receiving TNCs, over half were missing copies of TNC notices for a majority of the workers for whom cases had been submitted to E-Verify. In some of these cases, it is likely that the employer provided the worker with the notice but did not correctly file it, as specified in E-Verify procedures.
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