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iPhone-Controlled Kitchen Island Slides Up With A Slickness

Posted: 17 Mar 2011 07:00 PM PDT


This is really cool. I’m sure those of us with stationary kitchen islands wish we could scoot it out of the way now and then, but even then, where would we put it? This guy, using an iPhone app I don’t recognize, is controlling a lift in a utility room downstairs that lifts that kitchen island right up.

He appears to have some Flor units covering it up, but I bet you could rig up a system that doesn’t… you know, fall away like that. The best thing? No need to scrape crumbs off the surface. Just lower the table and sweep the room. Or, since you’re obviously living in the future, activate your swiffer robot.

[via NotCot]

PSA: RSA’s SecurID Anti-Hacking Dongle Hacked By Hackers Unknown

Posted: 17 Mar 2011 06:56 PM PDT


Do you have one of these things? We got them with our free AOL CDs when that whole acquisition thing happened. The constantly changing code (and yes, it has changed since I took the picture) is used as a baffle for hackers who might otherwise acquire your username and password. Well, now they seem to have figured out the dongles as well.

The extent of the hacking isn’t really known, but the tone of RSA’s open letter is one of caution. So IT guys and security heads, just take note and do what you feel is necessary.

A Closer Look At Playstation Home’s Future

Posted: 17 Mar 2011 06:30 PM PDT

In the US, Playstation Home is rather mundane. Other than additions like voice chat and in-network game launching, it has been the same since its 2008 launch. That’s about to change according to statements made at this year’s GDC by Masami Kando, head of the Home project at Sony.

Playstation Home version 1.5 is looking to get away from its image as a time-killing app and get more serious about gaming. ”Version 1.50 makes possible the sort of real gameplay that people would be willing to pay for, I think,” Kando said. “I’d like to see publishers think of PS Home not just as a promotional platform, but one they can conduct their business more directly on as well — we’re thinking about ways we can support this. They could distribute demo versions of games for free, for example, then charge for the full version or for extra items. If you released it on PS Home worldwide, that allows you more opportunity for business. I want to build a new business model that isn’t just about selling clothing and furniture.”

The first game to take advantage of the new version of Home will be the free-to-play racing game Sodium Two, due out this summer.

On Nuclear Power: Regulating Our Reaction

Posted: 17 Mar 2011 05:45 PM PDT


As a result of the ongoing tragedy in Japan, in particular the threat of meltdown or catastrophic radiation release from the Fukushima nuclear power plants, there has been a renewal of the discussion of nuclear power and its risks. As a tech site that occasionally covers scientific research in this area, and has a whole section dedicated to “green” technology, I thought we should at least touch on the subject, though of course to delve more deeply requires expertise we obviously lack. That said, I just want to put down a few words regarding the safety and development of nuclear power.

I feel we must be careful to maintain in this area the most powerful weapon we have in the rest of the tech world: a strong disinclination to cleave to common wisdom. We’re a community of early adopters, entrepreneurs, and creatives — let’s not fall into the traps of fusty prejudice and common misconceptions. We don’t do it when we talk about the internet, so why should we when we talk about something as serious as the future of our power infrastructure?

The Fukushima reactors were designed in the 1960s, and the six units located there were activated throughout the 70s. This was, of course, prior to most of the highly-publicized nuclear events at non-experimental facilities like Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. And for the record, the facilities at Fukushima are already some distance outside their tolerance levels and as of this writing have not melted down, though that risk is far from over and the unparalleled courage of the Fukushima 50 and others is a powerful bulwark against it.

These so-called “Generation II” facilities are about as closely related to current reactor technology, as Nathan Myrhvold put it, as a Ford Model T is to a Volvo S80 or similarly modern car. They both have four wheels and an engine, but the comparison really dries up there. The dozen or so truly serious nuclear accidents in history have produced a tremendous amount of data, and in addition to the plain advancement of the technology that accompanies years of research, we have added the wisdom that only results from failure.

40 years of research have completely obsoleted the reactors used in Japan and elsewhere in the world (the great majority of reactors were built between 20 and 40 years ago on similar principles). Like in other industries (such as the rapidly-evolving mobile industry, where new and powerful technologies frequently vie with entrenched legacy systems), the old guard can only cling to power for so long, and sometimes it takes a disaster to prompt that advance.

The question is, how will we respond to this disaster? If our country’s internet or cellular communication structure broke down, we wouldn’t all be demonstrating for a return to snail mail, or investment in telegraph companies. We’d look at why it broke and demand they build a better version, because the alternatives aren’t really alternatives.

It’s the same with nuclear power. I’m not saying we should all have nuclear plants in our back yards, but the Generation IV reactors being researched right now, and likely to begin construction over the next 15 years, require not misplaced skepticism based on the failures of a primitive implementation of technology, but hearty and creative support. Senators are already investigating the state of our own reactors, but hopefully our long-term plan doesn’t start only now, in the wake of a sudden disaster.

The objections to nuclear are simple and undeniable: first, that nuclear fuel contains immense amount of potential energy, and the process of extracting that energy is a complex and delicate one. Second, that spent nuclear fuel is extremely dangerous and no one can seem to agree on a storage technique.

The argument for nuclear (objections notwithstanding) is also simple and undeniable: the world’s consumption of energy is increasing exponentially, and nuclear is the only ready-to-deploy technology that can meet that demand for anything near a reasonable cost.

It’s a substitution of one set of problems for another, but that’s generally how things work. And you make the substitution when one set will wait longer than the other.

We should be embracing change in nuclear the way we embrace change in the industries of power and technology as a whole. We have a whole GreenTech section of this site, and while that’s generally reserved for advances in truly alternative energy sources like solar, thermal, and wind, there is a very, very important role for the advancement of existing and maturing technologies like nuclear power. The total displacement of the old generation of fossil fuel-based power won’t happen without them.

Mainly, it’s just a matter of making sure your opinion is an informed opinion, as with anything else. It’s our role as rational individuals to dismiss FUD when we hear it, and to gauge necessities like worldwide precautions against global warming as disinterestedly as we gauge the performance of a new smartphone or the metrics of a web service. We should be looking at this aging infrastructure as a world ready to accept and employ new ideas and solutions. And we should be (not to say you aren’t, dear reader) evangelizing these new solutions the way we evangelize the next generation of technologies closer to home like Twitter, Facebook, and Foursquare. Personally, I find it hard to get excited about the valuation of something so trivial and transient as Groupon when there are people toiling in relative obscurity and poverty trying to save the world as we know it. I know that’s a scale fallacy, but I can’t help it.

Take a look at the IAEA’s reactor page, read up on nuclear events and research, stay curious, and encourage other people to do so as well. The BBC is maintaining a live feed of developments including Fukushima, which we’ve found invaluable.

Lastly: just a reminder that donations are still appreciated by your favorite charity; HuffPo has actually put together a solid list here if you’re looking for something more specific or Japan-local than Red Cross or the like.

[header image: Reuters/Digital Globe]

Temption CGK205 Watch From Germany

Posted: 17 Mar 2011 05:19 PM PDT

Temption is one of my favorite boutique German watch brands, and will release this new version of their CGK collection soon. The CGK205 is the follow up to the CGK204 (based on the CGK203 - which I reviewed here). The collection houses a decorated Swiss ETA Valjoux 7751 automatic movement (a 7750 with an annual calendar, moon phase, and synced 24 hour hand), and lays out the dial info really nicely. For the CGK205 Temption refines the design a bit and ads a new metal bracelet option. I think it looks stellar.


Video: Q&A With Red Laser’s Rob Veres and PayPal’s Laura Chambers

Posted: 17 Mar 2011 05:17 PM PDT

Here in Austin, Texas the Interactive portion of SXSW, with the exception of the trade show, has come to an end. The conference rages on though as the music portion is really just getting underway. I can hear the music pumping outside my hotel room as I write this. But before the interactive side completed yesterday, I attended a fairly interesting panel called “What’s In Your Virtual Wallet” that featured Red Laser’s Rob Veres and PayPal’s Laura Chambers. We spoke shortly afterward about how the two companies are using their apps and services in new ways for marketing, mobile payments and remote commerce. Video below.

First Impressions Of The Nintendo 3DS: 3D Done Right

Posted: 17 Mar 2011 04:50 PM PDT

I’ll be the first to admit that I thought the 3DS would be a gimmicky also-ran. I followed the handheld console from E3 to a hands-on at CES and now with the device in my hands I can report that Nintendo will have a hit on their hands.

The 3DS is the DSi grown up. The UI is highly polished and there are a number of interesting features including a “suspend mode” for games that allows you to drop into Nintendo’s communication and photo interface to take pictures and send notes. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say Nintendo was trying to create a lifestyle device a la the iPod Touch, a path they’ve hinted at in the past with the DSi.

The biggest question on everyone’s minds is obviously the quality and value of 3D play. The 3D play is immersive and exciting. It is, in short, revolutionary. To be able to “feel” you are in an environment – or at least that your little plane or Jedi is in an environment – makes my jaded old reviewer’s heart tremble. I played Pilotwings and Lego Star Wars III and both titles were improved using 3D.

Pilotwings, for example, really shone simply because you felt as if the little plane was “there” in 3D space. I’m reminded of Willam Gibson’s Dogfight as the closest fictional analog, about a man who beats the reigning champion at a game of holographic bi-plane fighting :

He could see a crowd of the local kickers clustered around a pool table.
Aimless, his boredom following him like a cloud, he stuck his head in. And saw a biplane, wings no longer than his thumb, blossom bright orange flame. Corkscrewing, trailing smoke, it vanished the instant it struck the green-felt field of the table.

Other features include a pedometer as well as a unique StreetPass system that lets the 3DS interact with other consoles as you walk by them in the street. That’s right: the 3DS plays with other 3DSes. It also takes 3D photos thanks to the dual front cameras.

My concern is that 3D may be too much for little eyes. My son turned the 3D all the way down immediately and played the games in 2D mode and I also worry about eye-strain related with the odd need to focus “inside” the game console. When I lift my head away from the 3DS I actually feel a bit of an blurring after effect when focusing on distant objects, something that may alarm optometrists down the road.

I’m not one to make pronouncements of glorious fanboyery. However, given my experience over the past few days and barring some concerns about 3D for younger children, I think Nintendo has changed the landscape when it comes to handheld gaming. I rarely heap encomiums on any device but this one deserves all the praise we can muster for breaking the stale paradigms thus far foisted upon us by handheld console manufacturers.

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Drill-Powered Motor-Tricyle Is Underpowered, Yet Terrifying

Posted: 17 Mar 2011 04:00 PM PDT


Power drills always seem overpowered to me, but in this case they seem to lack oomph. I mean, it’s one thing to put a hole in a plank — it’s another to propel a vehicle. These guys have made two 15-watt drills into an electric engine, and by god, they’re going almost 20MPH in this contraption.

It’s a pretty simple setup, really, a few gears to make sure everything is in sync, and hand controls to control power going to each half of the power plant. In order to steer you have to “use your whole body to tilt and bend the vehicle,” which I don’t look forward to, considering its spindly nature.

Safety and such aside, it’s a sweet little project. Lots more details at the project page.

[via The Presurfer and Neatorama]

Samsung Launches 3D VOD In Korea, US And Europe Next

Posted: 17 Mar 2011 03:30 PM PDT

Today in Korea, Samsung’s 3D streaming service we heard about last month got the go ahead for primetime. The 3D on-demand service will stream 3D music videos, TV shows and movie trailers to Samsung 3DTVs through Samsung’s Smart TV app platform. Unfortunately for you 3D lovers in the US, it’s only supported in Korea at the moment, but the service will come to the US and Europe soon. They really are moving ahead with this 3D thing quickly.

[via highdef digest]

WiFi-Only Motorola Xoom Now Up For Pre-Order

Posted: 17 Mar 2011 02:38 PM PDT

Yesterday, Motorola announced the WiFi-only Xoom would be hitting stores March 27th; but they never mentioned anything about pre-orders. Well a few retailers have answered the question of many  and put up pre-orders..right now. Head to Amazon, Costco or Staples to jump on the pre-order, no need to hurry though, they won’t be running out any time soon.

The 32GB WiFi model will be $599. Staples is planning to ship on the 25th so that customers get it on launch day, while Costco is saying they will ship April 1.

[via engadget]

The Engineer Guy Breaks Down An LCD Monitor, Informatively

Posted: 17 Mar 2011 02:30 PM PDT


We all know basically how an LCD works — there’s a backlight, there are pixels, sub-pixels, and so on. But I was unaware of the polarizing crystals and the reasoning behind top-down refreshes. Bill Hammack from the U of Illinois (and one of my favorite video bloggers right now) shows us what’s what in this great video.

One thing that was not made clear: what about the difference between IPS and lower-grade monitors, offset sub-pixel layouts, or superior methods of backlighting? Guess we’ll have to find out on our own.

Sony NEX-7 Rumored To Look Like Old Konica Minolta

Posted: 17 Mar 2011 02:00 PM PDT

It’s rumored that Sony is at work developing a high end version of the NEX camera, which also happens to look like one of Konica Minolta’s old Dimage cameras. According to the source, the NEX-7 would be even better then the NEX-5 and recently discontinued (in Japan) NEX-3.

The source describes the camera as:

When you look in front of the new Sony NEX 7 with the 24mm Zeiss mounted, the new camera looks like a twin of the Minolta Dimage A2 – a really small nice pro body.

The NEX line has been pretty well received by consumers but has been criticized for being too amateur. Perhaps the NEX-7 will address these issues. There is no timeframe for the next NEX, but seeing how the NEX-3 was just phased out in Japan, it shouldn’t be too long.

[via electronista]

Nintendo 3DS: Pre-Ordered & Pre-Ordered & Pre-Ordered

Posted: 17 Mar 2011 01:30 PM PDT

The Nintendo 3DS is now the single most pre-ordered video game console ever. Well, according to Amazon.co.uk, and you’d have to assume that most, if not all, of those pre-orders are going to UK residents.

The site notes that the 3DS has surpassed the previous record-holder, the PS3, by some 20 percent.

It also surpassed the Wii, which just so happens to be the previous most pre-sold Nintendo console, by 56 percent.

The previous most pre-ordered DS, the DSi, has been bested by 255 percent.

All of this to state the obvious: the 3DS will be quite popular. This probably won’t come as a surprise to you, no.

Old Polaroids Recycled Into Lamps

Posted: 17 Mar 2011 01:00 PM PDT


I’m a vintage camera lover, but I’ll be the first to admit that there are a lot of pieces out there that are going to take hundreds or thousands of dollars in parts and reconstruction to get back to picture-takin’ shape. Yet you can pick them up at camera stores and estate sales for a song. They can be plain decoration, sure, but you could also do what this guy has done, and make lamps out of them.

Yes, these old Polaroids (and presumably any with a suitable bellows element) have been repurposed by Etsy artisan Dan Riordan into sweet lamps by… as far as I can tell, just sticking an LED in there. Of course you probably have to baffle the LED so it illuminates evenly, and work out the wiring in the back, but that’s pretty much it. He’s selling them for $150 or so.

If you have a camera lying around that may serve this purpose, it could make for a nice Sunday afternoon project. That’s pretty much your only choice since Riordan’s C.E. Cork Lighting Co. store on Etsy is totally out of stock. So either lurk at the store (more lamps coming later) or make your own. I’m good either way, mine are probably going to just stay on the shelves and get dusty.

[via KEH Blog, PetaPixel, and Gizmodo]

Zoomin Watch Zooms In

Posted: 17 Mar 2011 12:30 PM PDT

This clever watch concept by Gennady Martynov & Emre Cetinkoprulu uses a pair of cyclops magnifiers to bring the current time into clear focus. It’s not actually, you know, available but it’s clever nonetheless. My only concern? The big fat hands will make it hard to see the numbers.

No availability or price, but maybe they’ll kickstart it.
via Yanko


Video: Installing Every Single Version Of Microsoft Internet Explorer

Posted: 17 Mar 2011 12:00 PM PDT

Microsoft officially released Internet Explorer 9 the other day, and I think it’s fair to say it was reasonably well received. The problem is that so many of the "tech guys" online have such a low opinion of the browser, partially owing to its tortured history, that the reviews all end with something like, "It’s not bad, but it’s IE, so there’s that."

In any event, "We Are IE – Comparing every version of Internet Explorer" shows the installation and use of every single version of IE, from 1 to 9. It’s a long journey through Internet history that, if nothing else, will eat up nine minutes of your day.

The HEX iPod Nano Slim Watch Band Is For The Ladies

Posted: 17 Mar 2011 11:30 AM PDT


It’s an iPod nano watch band for women. Pink, purple, black and white for $29.95. Moving on.

In Efforts To Be Green, Ford Receives Patents For SmartGauge With EcoGuide

Posted: 17 Mar 2011 11:03 AM PDT

In order to squeeze out that last mile from a gallon of gas, Ford has come up with the SmartGauge with EcoGuide. It’s essentially a visual meter that lets drivers know when their foot is overly plumbum, coaching them to back off and slow acceleration. Ford was recently granted the two patents that makes their gauge unique from others.

The first patent, granted a few month ago, covers Ford’s unique EcoGuide and how it displays leaves and vines reacting to short-term driving style changes. The second patent, just awarded March 1st, covers the power threshold gauge which measures and displays power demand at any moment, again to help drivers keep the most efficient balance between gas and electric in both the Ford Fusion hybrid and Lincoln MKZ hybrid.

Our own Matt Burns shows the SmartGauge with EcoGuide

Press Release

Ford SmartGauge with EcoGuide Receives Two Patents for Helping Drivers Maximize Their Fuel Economy

DEARBORN, Mich., March 15, 2011 – Ford Motor Company has received two patents related to SmartGauge with EcoGuide, an innovative instrument cluster for hybrid owners. The technology provides real-time information to help change driving behaviors and help maximize fuel efficiency.

The first patent was awarded earlier this year and covers EcoGuide, the display of leaves and vines that "reacts" to short-term driving habits and coaches drivers in a way that helps them achieve the best fuel economy. The second patent – awarded March 1 – covers the power threshold gauge that measures and displays power demand at any given moment.

"Increasing gas prices have people paying more attention to the fuel economy a vehicle offers, but rarely do they look at their own driving habits to help boost miles per gallon," said David Watson, research engineer and part inventor of SmartGauge with EcoGuide. "These patents are a symbol of Ford's commitment to finding ways to positively change driving behaviors to help maximize fuel efficiency."

SmartGauge with EcoGuide features two 4.3-inch full-color liquid crystal display (LCD) screens on either side of the analog speedometer that can be configured to show different levels of information, including fuel and battery power levels, and average and instant miles per gallon.

The power threshold gauge is important, Watson explained, because it shows how close a vehicle is to switching from electric-only mode to blended mode. With that information, the driver may adjust driving behavior to try and keep the vehicle in electric-only mode.

Taking a design cue from the Ford hybrid leaf logo, Ford graphic designers developed an animation of growing leaves and vines that track and reward a driver's efficiency.

Called EcoGuide, the function also displays how many miles per gallon a vehicle is getting at any given moment and estimates how many more miles a vehicle has until it runs out of fuel.

"These two parts contribute to the overall purpose of SmartGauge with EcoGuide, which is to help drivers instantaneously achieve maximum fuel economy," said Gil Portalatin, hybrid applications manager.

SmartGauge with EcoGuide is available on Ford Fusion Hybrid and Lincoln MKZ Hybrid.

The feature allows drivers to choose one of four data screens including:

  • Inform: This is the basic level of information such as fuel level and battery charge status
  • Enlighten: The default display mode, this screen displays what mode the vehicle is operating in and instantaneous fuel economy; it includes a tachometer
  • Engage: This screen includes a gauge that shows gasoline and electric power use
  • Empower: This level gives a full range of hybrid information that allows drivers to monitor the level of their driving efficiency

All levels show engine coolant temperature and the gear the vehicle is in. Also, they are customizable to show instant fuel economy; fuel economy history; odometer and trip data, including trip fuel economy; long-term fuel economy and miles to empty. And while most competitive vehicles have some of this information in the center stack, Ford has made it user-friendly, conveniently located right in front of the driver on the instrument panel.

Ford researchers, designers and engineers collaborated with IDEO and Smart Design, two world leaders in helping consumers connect with technology, as well as automotive electronics technology supplier Johnson Controls to design and develop the unique instrument cluster.

Watson said these are just the first two patents that SmartGauge with EcoGuide has earned, and that he expects the technology will earn more.

Ford is committed to providing fuel-efficient vehicles for drivers around the globe. Record investment in new engines, six-speed transmissions and new fuel-saving technologies such as EcoBoost™, twin independent variable camshaft timing and electric power-assisted steering has raised the fleet average fuel economy performance for Ford vehicles faster and at a greater percentage than any major automaker, according to a report from the EPA.

In total, Ford has 12 vehicles including cars, utilities and crossovers in the U.S. that lead their sales segments in fuel economy – a number no other automaker matches. Ford also offers four vehicles with 40 mpg or better in city driving.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 164,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visitwww.ford.com.

New Infiniti M Hybrid To Offer 360 Horsepower And 32 MPG, Gets TBWA\Chiat\Day To Advertise

Posted: 17 Mar 2011 10:30 AM PDT

We drove the 2011 Infiniti M37S a few months back; we liked the car for the most part, but couldn’t seem to get over how much gas it sucked down — even for the V6 we tested. Now, Infiniti has put a hybrid system into the M sedan, improving both power and fuel economy over the V6 in a move Infiniti considers “A challenged notion of what a hybrid should be.”

The 2012 Infiniti M hybrid is set to launch this spring with a few new innovative features for Infiniti. The M hybrid will take advantage of Infiniti’s own (surely with help from daddy Nissan) Infiniti Direct Response Hybrid system which consists of a one-motor, two-clutch parallel hybrid system. The system allows Infiniti to make the claim that the M hybrid is the only car in America with 360 hp and 32 mpg (since european-only diesels can do this now).

Infiniti has advertising powerhouse as Apple, TBWA\Chiat\Day, to help them with the M hybrid. They will begin to run spots starting today for the NCAA’s March Madness tournament. This is Infiniti’s second year with a large brand presence at the tournament. If only the Crimson Tide were to make it in this year.

Press Release

03.17.2011 , FRANKLIN, Tenn.

INFINITI CHALLENGES THE NOTION OF WHAT A HYBRID SHOULD BE WITH THE LAUNCH OF THE INFINITI M HYBRID

– New Advertising Campaign Focuses on the 2012 Infiniti M Hybrid, the Only Vehicle to Offer 360 Horsepower and 32 MPG –

Infiniti announces its first high performance hybrid in bold style. In a new ad campaign that challenges the conventional notion of what a hybrid can be, Infiniti takes viewers on a journey through the history of hybrids, starting over 100 years ago with the invention of the first hybrid car in 1888, to the hybrid patent in 1909, through the hybrids of the '70s and on to hybrids today – directly challenging the notion that you can't have great performance and great fuel economy.

With a fully integrated campaign, Infiniti is boldly challenging consumer perception that hybrids are boring. To drive this point home, Henry Rollins, former frontman for the band Black Flag, is the voice of the campaign.

The 2012 Infiniti M hybrid is set to launch nationwide in spring 2011. The groundbreaking new vehicle features the all-new Infiniti Direct Response Hybrid™ system – a one-motor, two-clutch parallel hybrid system. The Infiniti M Hybrid is the only car in America that delivers 360 horsepower and 32 miles-per-gallon.

"The new Infiniti M Hybrid provides the same level of luxury and performance as the rest of our lineup and builds on the strengths Infiniti has always been known for," said Infiniti Vice President Ben Poore. "Style, luxury and performance will always be the cornerstone of everything Infiniti does."

The spots begin airing on March 17th during NCAA® March Madness®. Infiniti is a corporate partner of the NCAA, and specifically of NCAA Men's Division I Basketball. This is the second year Infiniti will have a large brand presence in the tournament.

Infiniti will have over 100 spots across all four networks, including the Men's Final Four®. In addition, Infiniti will also have custom vignettes and digital and social elements all surrounding March Madness.

The Infiniti M hybrid campaign was created by TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles and includes a total of four TV commercials, print and digital work.

About Infiniti
Infiniti offers a full-line of luxury performance automobiles, including the G Coupe, Sedan and Convertible, M sedan, EX and FX crossovers, and the QX full-size SUV. More information about Infiniti and its Total Ownership Experience® can be found at www.InfinitiUSA.com.

U.S. Military Program Creates Online Sock Puppets To Counter ‘Enemy Propaganda’

Posted: 17 Mar 2011 10:00 AM PDT

The United States government is now in the business of professional trolling. The Guardian has discovered a program referred to as "Online Persona Management," the goal of which appears to be to manipulate online conversations so that they’re seen as being more "pro-American." The Pentagon says the program doesn’t have an English language component, and that it merely exists to combat misrepresentations found on Arabic, Farsi, Pashto, and Urdu language Web sites.

The program’s contract, which set back the U.S. taxpayer a cool $2.76m, is part of the larger, $200m Operation Earnest Voice program. (Operation Earnest Voice was described [PDF] by the inspector general as "an operation to influence regional and international audiences to achieve U.S. Central Command strategic objectives.")The contract was awarded to a California company by the name of Ntrepid Corporation.

Ntrepid’s Web site has a solitary e-mail contact. There’s no whois information either, as the site is registered to Domains By Proxy, Inc., whose slogan is: "Remember, your identity is nobody’s business but ours."

Yup, the U.S. taxpayer is funding this program, but it’s none of our business to have so much as a telephone number to call to ask a question or two. Fairly suspicious, yes.

LinkedIn does have an Ntrepid Corporation listing.

Anyhow, Centcom, the people who awarded the contract in the first place, told the Guardian: "The technology supports classified blogging activities on foreign-language websites to enable Centcom to counter violent extremist and enemy propaganda outside the US."

The program would accomplish this goal by having a team of users setup and maintain a variety of online profiles. The trick is that it enables one person to control up to 10 separate online profiles, or identities.

Imagine a scenario where, say, a negative-toward-the-U.S. article appeared on an Arabic language Web site. One person working for Ntrepid would then be able to create 10 accounts to try to "correct" or "add balance" to the story. Person 1 says: this story is a bunch of lies! Person 2 says: this story is false! Person 3 says: I agree with Person 1 and Person 2! All the way through to Person 10, all of which are the same person. And that’s just one Ntrepid employee. Remember: this is a $2.76m contract we’re talking about. Presumably that can pay for more than a few such employees, who are then allowed to create these 10 profiles. Please RT!

In other words, Ntrepid is being paid $2.76m to run a bunch of sock puppets. Neat.

Each sock puppet, of course, would have a plausible backstory, so that, unlike the case of BioWare the other day, they’re not easily found to be manipulating the system. The idea is to create "excellent cover and powerful deniability" for these sock puppets.

Dance puppet dance, in other words.

The whole operation smells fishy. I’m also not sure what it says about the values of the government to be handing out multi-million dollar contracts so that a couple of people in an office park in California can troll people online, but what are you gonna do? Accept that this is merely a case of high-tech espionage (if you can call trolling "high-tech"), or something altogether more sinister?


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