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Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Slope by Dekke is the most magical iPad stand you'll ever own

Slope by Dekke is a new stand for iPad, actually tablets in general, that is unique in its own right. As you can see above, it looks much like the base of an iMac stand and pairs beautifully with an attached iPad. The most amazing part, however, is that it uses a series of tiny air pockets to secure your iPad into place and secure itself to most surfaces. It really is like magic.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Erik Kittlaus recently, the creator of Slope. If the name sounds familiar, that's probably because Erik's brother, Dag Kittlaus, is one of Siri's co-founders. I met both of them last Spring when Dag spoke at an economic development event event in our hometown of Michigan City. And I've kept in contact with Erik ever since.

When Erik first told me about Slope about a year ago, it was a Kickstarter project looking for some funding. I was intrigued with the idea and have to say, seeing it in person was still quite amazing. The first thing you notice is how light it really is. I was a bit skeptical as to how well it'd actually be able to hold an iPad in place that was about three times it's weight. But it does, and it does it well.

There are two black areas on Slope on both the top and the bottom. These areas look like pads but are really tiny air pockets that are so small, we can't see them with our naked eye. (You can read more on this via the site link at the bottom.) They're quite spongy to the touch. When you stick your iPad, or whatever other tablet you own to Slope, it works like a suction cup. The bottom does the same for whatever surface you place it on.

I've tested Slope out on a variety of different surfaces and found only one surface it didn't particularly like, and that was the night table next to my bed. I'm assuming it may be due to the type of wood grain. It definitely adhered and I felt comfortable that it wouldn't fall over, the bottom would just pull up before the iPad would pull off. Basically, I just had to use two hands. On other surfaces, I had no problem pulling the iPad right off with a firm grip and the Slope staying attached to whatever surface it was mounted to.

Slope comes in two different sizes, the standard slope for up to 10" tablets and the Slope mini for 7" tablets. I have been using the standard sized Slope stand with both an iPad Air and an iPad mini and it works exceptionally well with both devices. If you only own a mini, that's where you'd want to buy just the Slope mini.

The good

Using suction means no residue on your iPad, and it won't wear over time
The stainless steel design is beautiful, and looks like it belongs next to your iMac
Extremely lightweight which makes it ultra portable
Works with pretty much any tablet, regardless whether it's made with plastic or aluminum

The bad

Some surfaces may not play nice with Slope, I only came across one though
It can collect dust and lint rather easily, but a cloth to clean it is included with your purchase

The bottom line

Slope is hands down one of the most elegant and versatile docks I've ever seen. From using it in the kitchen when reading recipes to transferring it to the coffee table to share videos with family, I've found it's a dock that moves wherever you go. And for most people, that's going to be what matters.

- Slope, $59.99 - Buy Now

- Slope mini, $54.99 - Buy Now

Spike in traffic with TCP source port zero has some researchers worried

A significant increase this weekend in TCP traffic with source port zero detected could be part of reconnaissance efforts in preparation for more serious attacks, according to security researchers from Cisco Systems.

There's usually no service on a system that listens on port 0 (zero), because according to the Transport Protocol port assignments by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), port zero is a "reserved port" and should not be used. Therefore receiving TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) traffic with a source port of zero is unusual.

[ Master your security with InfoWorld's interactive Security iGuide. | Stay up to date on the latest security developments with InfoWorld's Security Central newsletter. ]

"Generally speaking port zero traffic can be indicative of a possible reconnaissance attack, and may be a precursor to more serious penetration attempts," Craig Williams, technical lead in the threat research team at Cisco, said Monday in a blog post.

Attackers can use such abnormal traffic to fingerprint operating systems and network security devices, because different OSes and network equipment can respond differently to port zero traffic, the researcher said. "This can enable the attacker to make a more precise attempt to compromise a network."

Cisco saw a large spike in TCP port zero traffic Saturday, with an increase in both the traffic volume and the number of sensors that detected such activity. The magnitude observed by the sensors was five times higher than usual, Williams said.

The highest volume of traffic came from eight IP (Internet Protocol) addresses assigned to Ecatel, a Dutch provider of dedicated server hosting and content delivery services, Williams said.

"We do not know the intent of these packets," the researcher said. "This could be a simple research project to map portions of the Internet by operating system and service pack or it could be an attacker preparing to do something nefarious."

As a general rule, users who see port zero activity on their networks should treat it suspicious and should investigate the source, Williams said, adding that this port should be blocked in firewalls because it doesn't serve a legitimate purpose.

It's hard to speculate what the goal of the traffic might be since Cisco only revealed the source port for it and not the destination ports, HD Moore, the chief research officer at security firm Rapid7, said Tuesday via email. The scans performed as part of Project Sonar, a community effort supported by Rapid7 that involves scanning Internet-facing systems to collect data and improve security, use non-zero source ports, he said.

According to Moore, many intrusion detection systems and firewalls already drop port zero traffic so there isn't much benefit to using this source port. "If I had to guess, I would say the traffic is the result of a broken embedded device (SIP phone, etc.) or a new piece of malware with a bug in its scanning code," he said.

Even if the traffic picked up by Cisco's sensors is part of a reconnaissance effort by attackers, the scanned systems might not be attacked in the immediate future. According to the Cisco researchers, reconnaissance may take place months before an actual attack begins.

Source: http://www.infoworld.com/d/security/spike-in-traffic-tcp-source-port-zero-has-some-researchers-worried-230257
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DR Congo's M23 rebels surrender after UN-backed offensive

Bunagana (DR Congo) (AFP) - Rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo's powder-keg east surrendered Tuesday after a crushing UN-backed offensive ended their 18-month insurgency in a region that has seen some of Africa's deadliest conflicts.

Kinshasa, emboldened by its biggest military victory in half a century, said its forces would keep up the momentum to go after Rwandan Hutu militia also active in the region.

A statement by the M23 that it would "end its rebellion" and instead pursue its goals "through purely political means" came after 200 or so holdout rebels were routed from their hilltop positions overnight.

"It's a total victory for the DRC," said government spokesman Lambert Mende, adding that the routed rebels had fled to neighbouring Rwanda. A local official said the M23's top commander Sultani Makenga was among them.

"The M23 no longer have the capabilities to return, ever. They have burnt their own weapons," said one army officer.

The army launched a major offensive on October 25, steadily claiming the main rebel-held towns until diehard M23 fighters were forced to hole up on three hills about 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of the regional capital Goma and near the Rwandan border.

The insurgents -- who at their strongest occupied Goma for 10 days a year ago -- called for a truce on Sunday, but the army pressed on with its assault.

The UN special force in the region -- which had so far been assisting with aerial reconnaissance, intelligence and planning -- joined direct combat late Monday after getting the green light to bombard the hilltops.

In Bunagana, which had been the M23's base, an officer said the rebels "burnt 42 vehicles and their ammunitions depots", and "fled in every direction" when they faced the overnight advances of Kinshasa troops,

Aline, a clothes seller in Bunagana who had just returned from across the border in Uganda said she was happy. "The rebels have gone for good. They'll never come back."

One resident returning to Goma was more restrained, warning the rebels could return "because we don't know where they've gone".

But while Kinshasa celebrated a rare victory in a densely forested region where it has chronically failed to deliver a knock-out punch to rebel groups, Rwanda remained mum.

UN experts and Kinshasa have repeatedly described the M23 as a Rwandan puppet, accusing Kigali of arming the group and even of sending some of its own troops to the battlefield.

The rebels' crushing defeat after 10 days of fighting appeared to signal that Kigali had finally yielded to intense diplomatic pressure and chosen to forsake its one-time proxy.

On Tuesday, government spokesman Mende said the M23 had been "top of the list" of multiple armed groups targeted for eradication in the east, and that the Rwandan Hutus were next.

"There is no more place in our country for any irregular group," Mende said.

Now the army will "get on with disarming" the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a Kivu-based Rwandan group that includes the remnants of Hutu militia who carried out the 1994 genocide, he said.

Kigali, which refrained from responding to alleged shelling by Congolese forces during the latest fighting, has demanded that Kinshasa and the United Nations hunt down the FDLR.

Kivu region is key to Rwandan economy

The demise of the M23, made up of ethnic Tutsis, leaves minority Tutsi-led Kigali without a military ally across the border for the first time in years.

The Kivu region, rich in sought-after minerals such as the coltan used in mobile phones, is key to Rwanda's fast-growing economy.

Analysts say better preparation by the Congolese troops and the unprecedented offensive mandate granted to the special UN brigade tipped the military balance.

The heavily armed 3,000-strong UN intervention brigade joined 17,000 peacekeepers already deployed with a mission to stamp out rebel groups accused of human rights abuses including rape, murder and recruiting child soldiers.

The M23 was launched in April 2012 by ex-rebels who had been integrated into the regular army after an earlier peace deal but mutinied again, claiming that Kinshasa was failing to keep its side of the bargain.

The UN refugee agency said Tuesday that the recent fighting had forced 10,000 civilians to flee across the border to Uganda, Rwanda's neighbour to the north.

The area of North and South Kivu has a bloody history. It saw the birth of the 1996 Rwandan-backed rebellion that toppled Mobutu Sese Seko and installed Laurent-Desire Kabila, the father of the current president.

The region was also the detonator of the 1998-2003 conflict known as the Great African War, which involved nine countries and is described as the continent's deadliest war of the modern era.

The disbanding of the M23 marks the clearest and most significant military victory for the Congolese government since the 1963 crushing of a separatist rebellion in the southern province of Katanga.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/dr-congo-insurgents-declare-end-rebellion-084659744.html
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A 40-Year-Old Tape, a Talking Squirrel, and a Mystery

Nate isn’t happy about moving to 395 Neptune Avenue—a new town, a new life, and he’s got no input into any of it. But when he finds an old reel-to-reel tape underneath the floorboards of his new room, he’s tossed into a mystery that spans 40 years and who knows how many worlds, complete with talking squirrels, creepy dolls, and a tree monster out of a lumberjack’s nightmares. A middle-grade adventure with supernatural overtones but real-world emotions, The Lost Boy gets bigger, funnier, and more exciting as it goes along. It’s reminiscent of Kaz Kibuishi’s Amulet, but has a mood and spirit all its own.

That’s thanks in no small part to writer/cartoonist Greg Ruth’s beautiful art. His evocative penwork ranges from Rockwellesque small-town scenes to whimsical fantasy to deep, dark horror, and it’s rare to see a graphic novel with such control over line and tone. In a year that’s seen any number of excellent comics for kids, The Lost Boy stands out as an exceptional example of graphic storytelling, and the fact that it seems clearly to be the first in a series will get young readers even more excited. We’re very pleased to have Greg Ruth illustrating this month’s issue of the Slate Book Review.

Source: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/books/2013/11/greg_ruth_s_young_readers_comic_the_lost_boy_reviewed.html
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41 Hours Of Retail: Kmart's Black Friday Plan Is Criticized

Kmart's plan to be open for 41 straight hours beginning at 6 a.m. Thanksgiving morning is drawing criticism. At this Kmart store in Connecticut, shoppers wait in line to take advantage of sales on Thanksgiving Day.

Douglas Healey/AP

It's only been hours since Kmart announced its Black Friday plan — to remain open for 41 hours in a row beginning early on Thanksgiving Day. But online critics are throwing a red light on the plan, with some calling the company a Grinch for its aggressive approach to the start of the Christmas shopping season.

"Everybody thinks your executives are horrible people," a man named Christopher Sweet wrote on Kmart's Facebook page. Another critic, Ted Talevski, appealed to the workers: "This is a message to all Kmart employees! Do not go to work on Thanksgiving Day!"

Responding to the negative feedback, Kmart says that it will try to staff its stores with seasonal workers to accommodate employees who want to be with friends and relatives.

Amber Camp, who says she works at Kmart, said via Facebook that her bosses "are planning on all the employees to have some time so we can actually spend time with our families on Thanksgiving."

The criticisms began flowing soon after Sears, Kmart's parent company, announced that the stores that long promoted "blue light specials" will be open from 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning to 11 p.m. Friday night.

Sears stores will work a less aggressive schedule, opening from 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving night to 10 p.m. Friday.

"Kmart has opened at 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving for the past three years," reports CNN Money, where we spotted the story about the backlash. "Last year, however, stores closed for a few hours at 4 p.m. to let shoppers and employees get to their Thanksgiving dinners."

The company's social media team repeatedly issued responses to the criticisms on Facebook, saying, "We understand many associates want to spend time with their families during the holiday. With this in mind Kmart stores do their very best to staff with seasonal associates and those who are needed to work holidays."

One person offered their own response to a similar statement on Twitter, saying, "yes, that's what the companies I worked for told us too, however we had no choice in the matter and I doubt your associates do either."

But some defended the move, saying that many retail employees would be happy to earn overtime. And others say they aren't bothered by the plan.

"Nobody is physically forcing employees to work at Kmart if they don't like the scheduling," one Facebook comment read.

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/11/05/243297782/41-hours-of-retail-kmarts-black-friday-plan-is-criticized?ft=1&f=1001
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A 40-Year-Old Tape, a Talking Squirrel, and a Mystery

Source: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/books/2013/11/greg_ruth_s_young_readers_comic_the_lost_boy_reviewed.html
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Digg just launched Digg Video, a clearing house for the funny/weird/interesting/actually educational

Digg just launched Digg Video, a clearing house for the funny/weird/interesting/actually educational videos the internet bubbles up. Digg says a mobile version is coming soon, too, so you'll never be without distraction ever again. [Digg Blog]