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"If I had my life to live over again, I would have made a rule to read some poetry and listen to some music at least once every week." Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin was not an atheist, and he started out studying medicine and theology before finally settling on natural history. Nearly everyone associates his name with "survival of the fittest", but the phrase actually came from Herbert Spencer, who was inspired after reading Chuck's bestseller On the Origin of Species. Although Darwin's masterpiece elegantly explained the long-debated process of evolution, he wrote near the end of his life that "the mystery of the beginning of all things is insoluble to us."
When Darwin was fiddling with finches in the Galapagos Islands, he surely had no idea that the theories he was hatching would someday form the basis for a "reality" TV show or an uncoveted namesake award, let alone a business plan. "Purposeful Darwinism" has been in the news recently, and it is not exactly what Charles Darwin had in mind.
Startups are famously demanding and stressful, but the insane pace is usually given a pass in light of the looming rewards of pride, fame and founder's stock. Throughout the ordeal, it is assumed that once the IPO is over and the dust settles, the culture will regress to the norm and "Work-Life Balance" will replace "If You're Reading This, You're Not Working Hard Enough!" on the break-room bulletin board.It might be hard to chart the exact path of this transition, but by the time you become the most valuable retailer in the country, it certainly seems that the Insanity Train should have left the station. Recent news out of Amazon appears to contradict this; new employees who have memorized the company's 14 leadership principles are presented with a virtual reward proclaiming "I'm Peculiar."
In fairness to Jeff Bezos, we are all victims of a perfect storm – a convergence of Darwin, Big Data and Frederick Taylor. Fred was a mechanical engineer whose 1911 epiphany, Scientific Management, proposed that people could be measured and optimized just like machines. The core principles are simple enough; analyze every worker movement, reorganize for speed and efficiency, use a stopwatch and discard the people who can't keep up. It marked the beginning of a cultural recognition that while everyone has something to contribute, that something may not be enough. All of this is a natural fit for Amazon, the king of Big Data, where such an apparent meritocracy is a theoretically wonderful idea.
Taking the microscope of customer data mining and aiming it back at your own workers is a logical evolution, except that unless your name is Usain Bolt, you probably don't like working under a stopwatch. One solution is to throw the non-believers off the island, leaving behind a culture of frenzied followers. In Jeff-speak, these disciples are affectionately known as Amabots. The tricky part is culling the herd without alienating those left behind by seeming too ruthless. Big Data provides a convenient smokescreen. To those who are tossed off the island, the survivors are non-affectionately known as Amholes.
Amazon is not an isolated case; employees of companies like SpaceX and Tesla report similar work environments, even though Darwin's name is not explicitly invoked. If employee floggings got you to where you are there is no good reason to stop, morale notwithstanding. All this and more, and yet we still burn calories worrying about Foxconn.
There are plenty of counter examples; companies like Google and Facebook motivate with gyms, meals and cash handouts for new parents "designed to take care of the whole you" (Google's slogan). Each individual sees the benefit situation differently, and there are those who would rather skip the free froyo and focus on better insurance and paternity leave. The fundamental question really has little to do with the actual perks, and much more with attitude toward human resources vis-à-vis the bottom line.
Change is unlikely to come any time soon. Amazon, for example, has a market valuation of $250B, and Jeff Bezos is the fifth wealthiest person on the planet. There are always people who equate the thrill of excellence with a punishing workplace, and many believe conflict begets innovation. Teamwork and compromise might be more cohesive for society at large, but could potentially lead to the wrong business decision. When told that working too hard will kill you, some will shudder and throttle back, while others will pledge to quit once they require supplemental oxygen.
There is no denying that technology is transforming the modern workplace into an agile, productive, efficient, harsh and unforgiving place. Perhaps we've taken the wrong lessons from Darwin and Taylor. Will "survival of the fittest" favor those who work the hardest, or those who take the best care of themselves? Instead of crunching numbers and looking for the next poor soul to kick off the island, we should be spending more time reading poetry and listening to music.
A little frozen yogurt would also be nice.
Author Profile - Paul W. Smith, a Founder and Director of Engineering with INVENtPM LLC, has more than 35 years of experience in research and advanced product development.
Prior to founding INVENtPM, Dr. Smith spent 10 years with Seagate Technology in Longmont, Colorado. At Seagate, he was primarily responsible for evaluating new data storage technologies under development throughout the company, and utilizing six-sigma processes to stage them for implementation in early engineering models. He is a former Adjunct Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines, and currently manages the website "Technology for the Journey".
Paul holds a doctorate in Applied Mechanics from the California Institute of Technology, as well as Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
The EU Parliament is working towards a Network and Information Security Directive (NIS) which is planned to be finalized soon and turned into a Law!
The NIS will be part of and an extension of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Both of these new directives have several sticking points but especially sticky is who will be affected and what will be mandated by these new directives/laws.
Recently we got a better definition of the Parliaments direction but no conclusion on who will be included in these new laws!-
Members of the European Parliament only wanted the NIS Directive to cover critical infrastructure, but the EU Commission thought the Directive should have a wider scope, cover relevant Internet services and breach information.
The year 2015 should be remembered as the year of Cyber laws as the U.S. Government is also passing more (weak) laws and mandating more governmental departmental coverage of breaches and more fines, not helping just fining more$. Plus almost every state in the U.S. is passing new laws trying to protect the individual citizen but I am afraid that 2015 may be in the history books as one of the worst years for breaches and the number of citizens information that was affected. At the rate we are going in 2015, soon the hackers and China/Russia will have all the data on every U.S. citizen, even on every military and governmental employee and every secret project! Know thy enemy is a real threat and we seem to be helpless in stopping all these very damaging attacks!
Recently reported from the current EU president Luxembourg shows that an agreement has been reached and "digital platforms will now fall under the law's remit". "A cloud computing provider or any other digital firm providing a service for an infrastructure operator would be subject to the same rules applying to that operator" and "also be subject to notification requirements in cases of security breaches". This new reporting law will include international firms like Cisco, Google…etc.
The Big question is will businesses have to report data breaches, numbers of personal data loss and will this include more fines towards businesses that do not take cyber security and data protection seriously?
Details on these directives and who they will apply to are still being finalized.There has been no date announced when the directives will be available but in September a meeting with the EU member states to discuss the demands and limits of these directives before they proceed to turn these directives into EU Law.
The area of Cyber Law has been problematic for the EU as well as for every other free government. Even the U.S., Canada..etc have had issues staying in the frameworks of citizen freedom's while fighting the seemingly ever growing world of Cyber Crime!
The U.S. looks to the companies and users to protect themselves while even most governments cannot even protect themselves. How do we stop the growing cyber-criminal world and maintain at the same time preserve some level of freedom. With every government agency looking at everything going on the Internet or in the air it would seem a bit easier to catch the bad guys but alas it is not happening. Reason – U.S. companies are attacked an average of ~20,000 times a year. The Defense arena is attacked many times over that every day! About 50% of Americans had their identity compromised in 2014 costing $18B in credit losses, but in 2015 with the number of breaches in Anthem, IRS, Census Bureau, Office of Personnel Management, U.S. Army, NATO, The State Dept. and even the Pentagon many more millions of Americans will face credit and monetary thief and some hacks have been associated with sucidies!
Where do you begin to recognize aberrant data behavior, or new IP addresses talking to your network from outside, outside commands..etc? Start at the beginning even back in the 1990's we taught network managers to do network baseline on a regular basis. Just like a doctor taking our physiological baseline to help recognize aberrancies in our physiology when we are sick! The reason security and network managers do not take baselines like they should is that most of their views to their network are through SPAN or Monitor ports from switching gear. A baseline must show everything from level 2 up and your monitoring points must be checked regularly. SPAN is a best effort and groomed data view and if a network is very busy, which usually happens when it is being attacked the SPAN bus will not get enough data to you for a real investigation or forensics view. Start with a real TAP as a TAP will show you everything all the network data – Good, Bad or even Ugly. A TAP cannot be hacked like your switch, router, firewall or other network active devices.
Start with a real view of your network at its critical points through a TAP. Than when aberrant data is being passed you wil be able to actually see the attack, gather real forensics and take informed steps to mitigate and be able to see if the attack has been really stopped. If you want data like the IP addresses toiuching a server and you can live with a few mistakes or down time in the collection than you can use a SPAN for that but always remember that a switch's main job is getting data to the correct user and that is its first and primary job, sending requested packets to the SPAN or MON port is secondary to its main job.
A TAP will not lie or distort the true data and will even show you bad frames, large frames, bad CRC frames and even the interframe gap along with all the data that passes through it. If you have a baseline you now have the ability to compare and recognize aberrant traffic, unusual IP addresses, TX and RX traffic comparison and many other stormy conditions.
Check out our sponsors as many focus in this Real Tap world and are the experts that will help you find the best solution for your network visibility needs. I call this access the Visibility Plane where the real truth lies about what is really going on in your network!
If you want to know more about REAL TAPs check out these and our sponosr links:
My Best to all - I wish everyone Great Success with less stress! The Oldcommguy®
For most Challenger Brands, ( What is a challenger brand) clearly identifying your target audience can be one of the most important and difficult tasks associated with building a brand. The more specific you are about understanding your prospect, the more focused your marketing efforts can be; which translates into a more efficiently planned and executed marketing budget. Age, Household Income, Education, Title, etc. all help in clarfying your target. However, if you spend all of your marketing resources targeting these prospects, you're missing two-thirds of your audience.
Big Versus Small
Picture Thanks to http://www.jokeroo.com/
Challenger Brands have three target audiences:
1. Acquisition Target – Your traditional prospect; people who don't know you.
2. Retention Target – Your current customers; people who know you.
3. Inward Target – Your internal team of employees, colleagues, partners, board members, etc.; people who know you intimately.
Most Challenger Brands focus on the Acquisition Strategy – how can we gain more customers? Certainly, a business will grow with the addition of fresh customers, but you may be surprised to know that, according to the The Chartered Institute of Marketing: "Statistically speaking, the cost of acquiring a new customer costs five-to-ten times more than retaining an existing one. Not only that, but repeat customers spend, on average, 67% more." In addition to an Acquisition Strategy, Challenger Brands need to build a Retention Strategy. Such a strategy involves a heaping helping of ongoing communications that remind your current customers of all your great products and services. These may include – regular eNewsletters, Social Media campaigns/promotions/contests, special offers for current customers only, client entertainment/recognition, among others.
Embrace your current client relationships, cultivate them and watch them grow. Now that you've built into your marketing plans an effort to communicate with your current customers as well as prospects, don't make the common mistake of neglecting your internal team.
JW Marriott once said, "If you take care of your employees they will take care of your customers and your business will take care of itself."
Challenger Brands must communicate with as much vigor and sincerity with their internal team as their prospects and customers. And, remember, your internal team is much more than your staff. This team includes your colleagues, partners, owners, investors, board of directors, suppliers, and for many companies, friends and families. Don't leave them out of the loop. Be sure to include a communications strategy aimed at the audience closest to you, your internal target. Your plan should be communications-rich and frequent! Regular internal eNewsletters, email blasts, flash contests, events, retreats, brainstorms, videos featuring teammates, etc. all add to the motivation, camaraderie and overall investment in your most valuable asset – your team.
Many Challenger Brands need to rethink their target audience to include both current customers and internal stakeholders. If you could use some help identifying your target audience and developing an approach that connects with all three of your targets, reach out to us at: email@example.com. Checlk out John youtube on Challanger Brands
Author - This article was written by John and Team - John Gumas is the Founder and President of Gumas Advertising, a San Francisco based full service branding, advertising and interactive marketing agency that specializes in Challenger Brand Marketing. John is considered one of the country's foremost authorities on Challenger Brand Marketing and is the author of the popular book on the subject entitled "Marketing Smart." Check out John's book at www.marketingsmartbook.com/
Healthy people suck their thumbs. It's a proven scientific fact. Thumb sucking benefits heart rhythm and breathing, while also regulating the muscles engaged in peristalsis of the digestive tract. Surprisingly, thumb suckers become emotionally independent at an earlier age. TS is definitely "nature" rather than "nurture"- many babies have been sucking for several months before even leaving the womb.
In spite of all the benefits, it's probably not a good idea to suck your thumb during a job interview or on a first date. While there is some debate among psychologists over the best age to quit, most would agree that at some point during toddler-hood, thumb sucking stops aiding the child, and starts benefitting the orthodontist.
Thumb sucking is the first addiction – the quintessential "if it feels good, do it" - an activity that eventually takes on a life of its own after serving its purpose. Once the thumb is out of the mouth for good, other addictions will follow, addictions involving a substance (Diet Pepsi, alcohol, cocaine…) or perhaps an activity (shopping, gambling, sex…). All start out beneficial and/or enjoyable and end up eroding quality of life.Consider something as seemingly benign as information. Google the term infoholic and you will discover two things: (1) that an infoholic is a person addicted to acquiring information, and (2) the sobering irony of what you just did.
Since the term sugarholic was derived from the infamous alcoholic in 1965, we have obsessed over labeling various addictions using the –aholic appendage. Whether your particular issue involves shopping, work, golf, chocolate or food there is a labelaholic somewhere ready to put a stamp on you. 'Aholism, aka addiction, is quite simple to recognize, unless of course the 'aholic is you. I chose the infoholic example because I happen to have a picture of someone who knows someone who is one.
The drive to keep up with the latest information is not necessarily bad; like thumb sucking it's a hard-wired survival instinct. It's essential to know which berries are poisonous, where the wild boars hunt, and how to protect your cave. It may seem like toddlers are always getting into everything just to annoy us, but they intuitively know that information about their world is of primal importance. For as long as information gathering was beneficial, this was not a problem. Then along came the smartphone.
Speaking of smartphones, where is yours right now? How does it make you feel when you are in the shower, and your phone signals a call or a message that you can't get to. How does your morning go if you arrive at work and realize that you left it at home? If reading that paragraph caused a rise in your blood pressure, we are in this thing together.
It's easy to forget that the very first iPhone came out a mere eight years ago, and now just over half of Americans have some sort of equivalent. 81% of us try to dodge those blood pressure swings by remaining within arm's reach of that phone during waking hours and 63% sleep with it nearby. Even when we're not talking, we spend three hours a day gazing at something on the screen. As often happens, the technology has evolved so quickly that we haven't thought about how it is sending our lives careening off into entirely unforeseen directions.
Ben Halpert - a man on a mission to keep kids safe online – summarized our predicament to the tune of Van Halen's Right Now. Of course you can find the video online. The essential truth is this; the flood of information coming at us through our smartphones keeps our brains on constant alert, robbing us of the calm, uninterrupted time to daydream and innovate. There really are WMD's after all, and their full name is Wireless Mobile Devices.
Meanwhile, technology is unrelenting. My new Apple Watch was supposed to free me from the drudgery of always checking my phone, but now it's even harder to ignore. An "intimate" tap on the wrist sounds wonderful, until it has reached the pace where it could be mistaken for my heartbeat. Smart clothing is coming next; when my boxers warn me I have important email, I am definitely moving to Walden Pond.
A cry for help may lead you to the NoPhone, a $12 hunk of plastic that looks like a smartphone but does nothing (batteries not included). If you are like me and grew up in the "Pet Rock" era, this will sound familiar. Those who used a "Binky" to wean their kid off the thumb already have the basic idea.
While technology has been busy shrinking the world, it has also spread the problems. The Chinese, for example, not only have the world's fastest supercomputers, they also appear to be ahead in awareness that Internet addiction is a serious societal problem. Chinese doctors have classified infoholism as a clinical disorder; the recent PBS documentary "Web Junkie," shows just how serious it has become. Rehab centers are springing up, designed to persuade Chinese youth that the Matrix is only a movie, the real world isn't fake, and there is more to life than a pocket-sized touchscreen.
Thumbing the little screen while at a job interview or on a first date is ill advised, and doing so while driving can be fatal. That sounds obvious, but when you are wired to gather information and your smartphone is pushing it to you, lighting up and dinging for attention, it's not so simple. Responding is both an easy task we love to check off, and an interesting distraction we crave.
Experts agree that the most effective way to end this addiction is to replace it with a new, less toxic one. While the "Binky" may be a short-term fix, supportive allies are a better answer.
The best solution of all is the simplest. Take your thumb out of your mouth, or off the keypad, and talk to someone.
Author Profile - Paul W. Smith, a Founder and Director of Engineering with INVENtPM LLC, has more than 35 years of experience in research and advanced product development.
Prior to founding INVENtPM, Dr. Smith spent 10 years with Seagate Technology in Longmont, Colorado. At Seagate, he was primarily responsible for evaluating new data storage technologies under development throughout the company, and utilizing six-sigma processes to stage them for implementation in early engineering models. He is a former Adjunct Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines, and currently manages the website "Technology for the Journey".
Paul holds a doctorate in Applied Mechanics from the California Institute of Technology, as well as Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Grim Statistics from many sources.
Some scary cyber security statistics – from many sources - see below for list
- In the last 12 months over 90%+ of corporations have had their web application compromised
- 75% of cyber attacks are against web applications
- 80+% of discovered vulnerabilities are in web based applications
- 82% of web applications have had critical vulnerabilities
- 94% of compromised records are due to hacking events
Fighting the fires of Cyber Security!!!- 55% of security professionals consider that software developers are too busy to address web security
- $6.75 million is the average cost of a data breach
- Some of the largest breaches have been caused by SQL injection and Cross-site Scripting attacks.
- Network Security Solutions do not have the ability to recognize acceptable Web user behavior – I.E. Field input size, allowable character sets..etc
- Most companies do not monitor application sessions nor have the equipment to do so –thus cookie poisoning, injection or replay attacks are usable against most web applications.
- Hackers use encoding and other web based evasion techniques nor can most systems cannot decrypt HTTPS traffic
- The average "fix" to a vulnerability can take months of work and exposure
- Most companies(~87%) do not do penetration testing on a regular basis
- Most companies do not use application emulation testing before release
- Most corporate boards do not understand Cyber Security nor the costs
- Most applications are exposed to the internet on port 80 for HTTP and port 443 for HTTPS
- 90+% of CVE's (common vulnerabilities and exposures) are still vulnerable today from as far back as 1999
- 95% of Web application attacks involve harvesting credentials from customer devices, then logging into web applications with them
- 90+% of breaches have been caused by Human Error!
The concern is that Web Applications are failing because of Human Error and lack of budgets or expertise.
Corporation are just deploying and praying but most attacks can exploit a known vulnerabilities in minutes.
Corporations need to start testing more before deploying.
Web Application Firewalls can help but only if deployed properly but most statistics say that many WAF's fail to protect because of failed deployment strategies, flawed configurations and lack of skilled maintenance. So like most breaches are caused by human error so can be the protection solution be effected by human error!
Pen Testing and emulation are the best way to see if a web application deployment is vulnerable!
One of the most chilling issues is that breaches take an average of near 200 days to recognize (170 to 250 days)! This I feel in part is due to the lack of a real network visibility/Visibility plane. We allow our visibility to be dimmed hackable and comprisable devices and by not building a real visibility plane using real TAPs.
I guess this is just one of the many factors affecting the ability to see malware, breaches and misuse in our corporate networks that lead to business killing breaches!
Soon companies will face larger fines and larger lawsuits for allowing breaches when with a small investment in Web Application Firewalls, training to get the most out of protection solutions and strategies plus building a real visibility plane so they can see events unfold and hopefully allow for rapid mitigation of security events. Corporate boards must step up and place the emphasis on security and put the focus on a successful strategy!
Editor notes – These statistics came from sources like Ponemon, Verizon, SANS, Gartner Research, WhiteHat, Imperva and others! As you know statistic figures can change with technology and time but we seem to still be behind the hackers in the ability to protect our data. The evidence is clear with the latest OPM breach compromising over 27 Million U.S. citizen's information and the many other reported breaches shown in the attached ITRC report for July 7. Download DataBreachReports_7_7_2015
Only a small portion of reported breaches( less than 20%) give the loss or compromised records numbers but still another 117M other records have been compromised so far in 2015!
I wish all Great Success with less stress! The Oldcommguy®
Around the age of one year, the average human will stand on two legs and start walking. For some reason, parents think this is a good thing, forgetting how convenient it was to strap them into a car-seat-carrier and have total control over their whereabouts. Of the three primary childhood milestones – walking, talking and potty training – the only one that offers an immediate benefit is potty training. Walking and talking are distant runner-ups. Still, parents continue to worry about all of The Big Three.
Fundamentally, we parents are ceaseless worriers. It's in our code base. Perhaps natural selection favors a dominant worrier gene, or maybe we see our progeny as little models of the self we are determined to get right on the second try. Suffice it to say that parents worry about every single developmental indicator along the road to adulthood. Becoming an adult is the consensus final objective, defined as the point at which a young person is financially independent.
After The Big Three are traversed, the ensuing milestones are not so well defined. Children will master their colors, shapes, numbers and alphabet to varying degrees at differing ages. Those who feel their child may be lagging a bit in some of these key areas will often point to Albert Einstein, the iconic and eternal example of genius, and claim that he too was slow to develop. This comparison is both pointless and incorrect.
Lately, many parents are particularly vigilant when it comes to any growth-related indicators that might be related to STEM. The simplest of these to gauge is mathematics, and the sooner junior can count or perform simple addition, the better. If your two year old switched the language on your iPhone to Chinese, you get bonus parent-points.
Eventually, little humans move from the rote learning of concrete concepts to the more abstract. The movie Toy Story is a litmus test. When Buzz Lightyear's call to action - "To infinity…and beyond!" - elicits a look of smug disgust, you can cross this one off the checklist.
How is this relevant to a discussion of technology? Although there may still be a few isolated techno-nerds out there who think that children are frustrating creatures to be avoided, some 94% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 40 either have children or say they want them. The reasons behind this belong in a psychology dissertation, but the journey of human development, from birth to adulthood, poses some interesting questions and challenges for technology.
In principle, we have everything we need to build an artificial human. We have motors and servos to mimic the muscles, and we have high-strength, lightweight materials to form the structure. Battery technology, while still somewhat crude, can nevertheless provide sufficient power for limited, autonomous operation. Most importantly, we have computers that can perform many of the rudimentary functions of the human brain, and sensors to provide input. Sprinkle in a little artificial intelligence, and all of us have every reason to worry ceaselessly.
Movies are partly to blame for the apprehension. Good science fiction takes stuff like robotics – which is feasible – and extends it just a little further. Rogue robots that turn on their creators, setting out to subdue or even destroy mankind, have been a movie mainstay for decades. As always, the devil is in the details. Many things that we humans take for granted are incredibly difficult for robots to duplicate.
Take body awareness for example. A typical neurological exam (or roadside sobriety test) might involve closing your eyes, extending your arms to the side horizontally, and then bringing them together to touch your fingertips. Robots require multiple sensors and a byte-load of code to accomplish this simple task. One rogue instruction can quickly lead to the robot equivalent of a DUI.
Another example is that walking thing. Bipedal robots struggle with this, a difficulty attributed by coders to the troublesome "divide by zero" problem which can send calculators and spreadsheets, as well as robots, into the software version of a grand mal seizure. While Buzz Lightyear may have no fear of the journey to infinity and beyond, two-legged robots just fall over, which is not good.
And as for the talking breakthrough, modern technology can put up a pretty good facade. Try asking Siri "What's zero divided by zero" and she will explain with Sesame-Street-like pedagoguery:
"Imagine that you have zero cookies and you split them evenly among zero friends. How many cookies does each person get? See? It doesn't make sense. And Cookie Monster is sad that there are no cookies, and you are sad that you have no friends."
When you don't know the answer, a pithy anecdote may be your only option.
How long before robots catch up with humans? A decade ago, the DARPA Grand Challenge tested the state of the art in self-driving cars. Fifteen entrants set out on a 142-mile course through the Mojave Desert. Two withdrew at the last minute, and one flipped over at the starting line. The most successful contestant traveled 7 miles before getting stuck on a rock. Today, Google and others are sending this technology out onto the public streets.
Google's success notwithstanding, this remains a hard problem. Robotic technology has had the benefit of more than two millennia of development, and in many respects it is only just beginning to show signs of catching up to a one year old.
Some things just don't compute.
Author Profile - Paul W. Smith, a Founder and Director of Engineering with INVENtPM LLC, has more than 35 years of experience in research and advanced product development.
Prior to founding INVENtPM, Dr. Smith spent 10 years with Seagate Technology in Longmont, Colorado. At Seagate, he was primarily responsible for evaluating new data storage technologies under development throughout the company, and utilizing six-sigma processes to stage them for implementation in early engineering models. He is a former Adjunct Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines, and currently manages the website "Technology for the Journey".
Paul holds a doctorate in Applied Mechanics from the California Institute of Technology, as well as Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Challenger Brands are companies of any size or industry that are either being outspent by larger competitors, are new to an industry, compete in large or cluttered markets or for any reason, find that their current marketing resources are not enough to generate the results they seek.
Every industry is loaded with Challenger Brands that are trying to compete directly against larger, financially stronger and more established brands. Many of these Challenger Brands have superior products, provide exceptional solutions and offer a more cost effective alternative than their larger competitors. But at the end of the day, if a Challenger Brand can't get their message in front of the right target audience in a way that is credible and believable, chances are they will fail.
Art from Gumas Marketing - Be the Gorilla in the market by marketing Smart!
Just because you are up against larger competitors, does not mean that you can't be extremely effective at marketing. The typical mistake most Challenger Brands make is that they develop traditional marketing strategies. Traditional marketing strategies are tried and true, but they only work if you have the marketing budgets to sustain these programs at a high level over a long period of time.
The key is to think and act like a Challenger Brand. By virtue of circumstances, Challenger Brands have to approach everything they do from a different perspective. They have to throw out the thinking that comes with traditional marketing strategies they have learned and start to think differently. Think of the classic story of David and Goliath. How did David defeat the powerful Goliath? Did he stand toe-to-toe with him? No, David discovered Goliath's weaknesses and understood his strengths, and then engaged Goliath on his own turf and on his own terms.
The following are five of the most basic mindsets that all Challenger Brands must embrace:
Author: John Gumas is the Founder and President of Gumas Advertising, a San Francisco based full service branding, advertising and interactive marketing agency that specializes in Challenger Brand Marketing. John is considered one of the country's foremost authorities on Challenger Brand Marketing and is the author of the popular book on the subject entitled "Marketing Smart." Check out John's book at www.marketingsmartbook.com/
Editors Comment - John Gumas is a long time friend and a proven expert in the field of High Tech Marketing. The issue is and always has been visibility for smaller companies that usually have the latest and most innovative solutions. The reason we started WWW.Lovemytool.com is to make sure that every company that has a solution can get visibility to the technical community. John's article will help small underbudgeted companies to begin to compete with the big guys.
John has helped several companies I have worked with and is an awesome advocate for the arena of High Tech Marketing - Do not just spend money for marketing, spend it smartly and effectively. John is an expert in this area.
Reach out to John and Team - http://www.gumas.com/


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Call Us: (877) 816-6500
To our Loyal NZYMES Customers:
When we began in business more than 17 years ago as Biopet Inc., our main focus was to provide the NZYMES® natural products for pets. Soon afterwards, many enthusiastic customers said, "Seeing how this has worked for my dog (or cat), I would like to try some for myself or other family member". Customers began requesting a pill version of the Antioxidants for themselves. Such requests resulted in the production of the Antioxidant Complex in caplet form (the pills), and this product was then offered approximately 1.5 years after we began operating. Other human-oriented products followed.
It is important to point out, that even though we offered these products for people, that offering has always been a secondary sideline to our primary interest, which was the PET products. We know how well the products work because we have used them ourselves on a daily basis. However, marketing today in the "human supplements" arena has become much more difficult and complex than we could have ever imagined, and it now becomes clear that, as a "small business" with minimum staff, our survival requires us to focus on our pet products.
Over recent years, many people may have seen articles in the news or witnessed news coverage discussing the growth of federal regulations on business being applied throughout our country. Just recently we have become informed about 200+ new pages of federal regulations that have been adapted for the dietary supplement industry over the last few years. We are adapting our business model to continue with our excellent line of pet products – to provide people a natural option for keeping their precious pets in optimum health. But, these highly impacting industry changes have simply made it unrealistic for us to continue offering the people product line. And we apologize to our cherished customers for having to come to this decision.
Please understand, that all companies marketing supplements must somehow adapt to new regulations, or face consequences that may affect the life of their businesses. We hope you can understand our reasoning for these decisions and we look forward a continuing our relationship to help you with your pets. We welcome your call if you have any questions regarding this matter.
BIOPET/NZYMES Staff

subset: commoncrawl


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Margaret Piper, 92, of Manhattan, former longtime resident of St. George, died Sunday at the Meadowlark Hills-Stolzer House in Manhattan. The family provided some of the following information. She was born on Nov. 12, 1920, in rural Manhattan. She was the daughter of Royal Carl and Grace Anna (
Carol May Moore, 66, of Manhattan, died at the Mercy Regional Health Center in Manhattan. The family provided some of the following information. She was born on May 4, 1947 in Manhattan. She was the daughter of Richard and Sybil (Robinson) Roberts. Carol worked at Kansas State University
William "Bill" Finney, 86, of Topeka, died at Midland Hospice House. William was born on March 23, 1927, to Chester L. and Mary (Malone) Finney in West Frankfort, Ill. At the age of 16, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served in World War II as a
Margaret I. Piper, 92, of St. George died Sunday at the Meadowlark Hills- Stolzer House. She was born on Nov. 12, 1920, in Manhattan and had been a lifetime area resident. Obituary information and service times will be announced later by the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home, 1616 Poyntz Ave.,
Eileen Jacobson, 89, of Waterville died on Saturday at Mercy Regional Health Center in Manhattan. Eileen was born July 23, 1924, south of Waterville at the home of her parents. She graduated from Waterville High School in 1942. On Dec. 27, 1945, she married Paul F. Jacobson at the
Nicholas James Garcia, 25, of Wamego, died Wednesday, October 23, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, as a result of an automobile accident. He had been a resident of the area since moving to Wamego in 1997 from Houston. He moved to Colorado Springs eight months ago. Nick was born
Ann Jankovich, 83, died Friday, October 25, 2013, at Mercy Regional Health Center in Manhattan. The family provided some of the following information: Ann was born May 13, 1930 in Gary, Ind. She was the daughter of Harry and Grace Geoghegan. She graduated from Lew Wallace High School in Gary
Ruby Flanders, 90, of St.George, died October 25, 2013, at the Wamego Health Center. The family provided some of the following information. She was born on Dec. 23, 1922, in Broughton, the daughter of Eli and Carrie (Motto) Oppenlander. Ruby worked as a clerk for Western Auto as her
Lois (Wheeler) Eudaley, 84, died Friday, October 25, at the Lone Tree Retirement Center in Meade. She was born Feb. 27, 1929, in rural Gridley, the daughter of Chester Arthur and Audrey Aileen (Wilson) Wheeler. As a young girl, she attended the Emporia school system, graduating from Emporia High
Arlene Smith, 79, of Wamego, died Friday, October 25, 2013, at Valley Vista Good Samaritan Society of Wamego. Services are pending with Stewart Funeral Home of Wamego. Complete obituary and service information will be announced later.
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text:
Pastor (And Die-Hard 49ers Fan) Blows Through Service in Under a Minute to Watch Playoff Game [VIDEO]
This pastor's dedication to his NFL team is even greater than his dedication to the lord.
This pastor's dedication to his NFL team is even greater than his dedication to the lord.
Peyton Manning is know for his unique play calling...and it was extremely noticeable in the recent game again the Chargers.
To put it into perspective, ask any teenager. They don't have any recollection of the Buffalo Bills in the NFL playoffs. I doubt any 18 or 19 year old would remember back to when they were a toddler when the Bills lost that famous game in Nashville on what became known as the "Music City Miracle".
Going to a sporting event can hurt your wallet more than getting tossed aside by a linebacker in pursuit of the quarterback.
But just how much will you pay when you see your favorite team play?
This dainty, little Alabama fan starts kicking a few OU fans while attending the 2014 Sugar Bowl. Despite being returned to her seat by other 'Bama fans, the little blonde crowd-surfs her way back into the confrontation and throws a few air-kicks before being wrangled by security...
Seventeen weeks of pro football later, our Pro Football Pick'em winner has been crowned!
The NFL playoffs start this weekend with four games over two days. Here are three things to watch out for in each game:
No one was supposed to be able to outscore Baylor's high-powered offense. But Central Florida apparently never got that memo.
Well, there's at least one Dallas Cowboys quarterback who we can all agree to love.
To be brutally honest, the Buffalo Bills stunk in all areas -- offense, defense and special teams -- in Sunday's 27-6 loss in Tampa.
Love him or hate him, Tom Brady is a star. So, when one man got the chance to get his picture taken with the New England Patriots quarterback, he went for it.
That decision cost him his job.
A photo floating around the internet shows a a restaurant bill from Saturday night where an Alabama fan decided to leave 'Roll Tide!' in place of a tip for the server, who was ironically named Forrest.


text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Nov 17, 1998
|Filing date
|Aug 20, 1997
|Priority date
|May 5, 1995
|Fee status
|Publication number
|Clint O'Connor, Erica Scholder
|Original Assignee
|Dell U.S.A., L.P.
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (8), Referenced by (166), Classifications (15), Legal Events (6)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This is a continuation of copending application Ser. No. 08/435,318 filed on May 5, 1995, now abandoned.
The present invention relates generally to security systems, and more particularly to a security device and method for use with a computer system.
Security problems have long been a concern with personal computers, not only for files stored on local hard drives, but also for access to networks through which personal computers or PCs are attached. Unauthorized access can lead to lost or modified files, compromised personal and corporate information, and introduction of viruses to PCs and networks.
Password protection is the first, and normally only defense against unauthorized intruders. Passwords are often defeated by the users themselves by the choice of easily guessed password names, by writing down the password and placing it in an easily accessible location, or by using a common word which can be found with a search program using a dictionary database.
More elaborate schemes are often not adopted because they require extensive and expensive additional security that may equal or exceed the cost of the cost of the personal computer. Less intrusive schemes, such as handwriting recognition, usually require nonstandard accessories which otherwise cost more and often serve no other purpose. Thus, there is a need for an apparatus and method to achieve high security protection of access to personal computers in an unobtrusive fashion which will not require additional desktop space or re-programming of standard applications for conventional use.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device for inputting information to a computer system by a user, wherein the computer system includes a main housing for housing computer processing circuitry. The device comprises a peripheral housing separate from the main housing, with the peripheral housing being arranged to contain at least one switching device for inputting information to the computer system. The device is further characterized by including fingerprint acquisition means selectively operable for providing a user fingerprint signal representative of the fingerprint of a user, and circuitry for transmitting the user fingerprint signal to the main housing of the computer system for processing by the computer processing circuitry.
In a more specific embodiment, there is provided memory circuitry and comparison circuitry within the computer processing circuitry, where the comparison circuitry is operable to compare the user fingerprint signal with authorized fingerprint signals in the memory circuit and providing an access enable signal when a user fingerprint signal meets predetermined criteria with one of the authorized fingerprint signals.
In another embodiment, the invention comprises a peripheral device for use within a computer system, the peripheral device being operable by a user for interfacing with the computer system. The peripheral device includes a peripheral housing means for housing electronic circuitry; fingerprint acquisition means selectively operable to provide a user fingerprint signal representative of the fingerprint of the user; memory means for storing at least one authorized fingerprint signal representative of an authorized user's fingerprint; and comparison circuitry coupled to the fingerprint acquisition means and said memory means, said comparison means being operable to effect a comparison of the user fingerprint signal with the authorized fingerprint signals and providing a comparison output signal representative of said comparison.
Another implementation of the present invention includes a method for obtaining security clearance prior to enabling a user to have access to a computer system, wherein the computer system has a main housing for housing memory circuitry and processing circuitry therein, and also a mouse peripheral device separate from said main housing for providing user input to the computer system. The method comprising the steps of sensing an impression of a user's fingerprint upon said mouse peripheral device; producing a user fingerprint signal representative of the sensed fingerprint; transmitting the user fingerprint signal to the main housing; comparing said user fingerprint signal with authorized user fingerprint signals stored in said memory circuitry; and providing a security clearance signal representative of the results of the comparison.
A better understanding of the present invention can be obtained when the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment is considered in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is an illustration of a mouse peripheral device utilizing one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a signal processing scheme which may be implemented in practicing the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a perspective schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary optical implementation that may be utilized in connection with the present invention;
FIG. 4 is an illustration of a typical computer system in which the present invention may be implemented;
FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing one embodiment of the present invention as implemented in a Basic Input Output System (BIOS) routine;
FIG. 6 is another flow diagram illustrating a validate user entry routine;
FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing an interrupt service routine;
FIG. 8 is a method flow illustrating a mouse driver routine; and
FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing an application security check routine.
FIG. 10 is an illustration of an alternate embodiment of a computer system in which the present invention may be implemented.
The exemplary embodiment shown in the drawings includes a peripheral mouse device, with a window, an integral Charge-Coupled Imaging Device (CCD), and a light source coupled with a data encoder, decoder and other exemplary processing circuitry. Charge-Coupled Imaging Devices are well known in the art and generally include an MOS capacitor with an electrode attached on top of silicon dioxide on a semiconductor substrate surface. When voltage is supplied between the electrode and the substrate, a depletion layer is formed at the silicon dioxide and the semiconductor interface, resulting in a potential well of low energy ranking for the minority carrier. If the signal charge generated by light radiation is injected into this potential well, the signals are temporarily stored and memorized as analog quantities.
In the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, the CCD elements are arranged in a matrix comprising a light sensitive CCD device 311 upon which an image of a fingerprint is projected as shown in FIG. 3. Each individual CCD element may correspond to an individual pixel of a fingerprint signature signal which will be analyzed and processed as hereinafter explained. The CCD array 311 operates as an analog shift register to obtain and transfer out pixels of information defining the fingerprint signature projected thereon. It is noted that many other sensing arrangements may be substituted for the CCD device shown herein to provide a fingerprint "signature" for comparison with approved fingerprints signatures, to generate a "Pass/Fail" output in accordance with the present invention, without departing from the spirit and teachings of the present invention.
The mouse and circuitry implemented herein is designed to allow normal operation of the peripheral mouse device for information input and control operations in connection with a computer, and, at the same time, provide a security function without the need for additional hardware or other devices not normally used with a computer or workstation system assembly. The invention is designed to be used as a replacement for a typical PC mouse and will function as a standard mouse in all respects under normal use. Moreover, it is also anticipated that, in addition to its use in new systems, the device of the present invention may also be designed to include the associated electronics within the mouse itself to enable users to directly swap out the present invention with the mouse they are currently using, and receive the added functionality and features of the present invention. The security feature may also be encoded into the Basic Input Output System (BIOS) so that the security function cannot be defeated by loading from a floppy disk when the computer is initiated or "booted".
Referring now to FIG. 1 in detail, there is shown a mouse peripheral input device 101, which includes a body portion 103. The mouse 101 may be one of any of those in general widespread use since all of such devices are capable of including the features disclosed herein in accordance with the present invention. The mouse 101 includes the actuation switches 107 and 109 shown on top of the mouse 101, which are or may be modified as hereinafter disclosed. As shown in the present example, the actuation switch 109 also includes a transparent or frosted section or window area 111 which is arranged to receive a finger, normally a pointer finger, to input manipulation and control selections from a user.
Also shown in FIG. 1 is another window area 113 on the side of the mouse 101. The second area 113 is located such that a user will naturally place a thumb on the area 113 when operating the mouse 101. Additional window areas may be designed into the other side of the mouse device 101 for additional fingerprint checks or to accommodate left-handed users. A control cable 105 provides an electrical interface to the computer system to which the mouse 101 is connected. As hereinafter explained, the connected computer system will have all of the standard circuitry and features including the Basic Input Output System which is operational to provide fundamental and primary support and control for the entire system.
In the present example, the switch areas 111 and 113 are implemented with Charge-Coupled Imaging Devices (CCDs), and the actuation switch 109 is fully operable to provide its normal switching and "hold-and-drag", and other functions as well as being operable to receive fingerprint impressions on the area 111 for further processing as hereinafter explained. It should also be noted that the area 113 on the side of the mouse 101 may be either a dedicated area for receiving fingerprint impressions or area 113 may also be a switch similar to switch 109 to combine a switching function with the security function. The switching function served by such a switch may be totally unrelated to the security feature or it may be an integral part of the security feature and have as at least one of its purposes, the initiation and/or termination of the security function itself.
In FIG. 2, a fingerprint image 203, representative of a fingerprint as may be applied to the areas 111 or 113, is shown impressed upon an area 201. Area 201 corresponds to either of the plates 111 and 113 of FIG. 1. The first step in the process illustrated in FIG. 2 includes taking a picture 205 of the fingerprint image 203. That function may be performed through various state-of-the-art devices including the CCD device previously discussed. After taking a picture 205 of the fingerprint 203, the information thereby obtained is translated into an electrical signal representative thereof. The fingerprint signal may be encoded and/or compressed if desired, by circuitry 207 and applied to additional or other circuitry, or system circuitry including BIOS, for further processing 209. As illustrated by the signal path 209, the fingerprint signature signal being processed for system authorization may be transmitted from the mouse peripheral unit 101 to a main housing 403 as shown in FIG. 4. If more of the processing circuitry is included in the mouse peripheral unit 101, the encode/compress 207 and decode/decompress 211 functions may not be required for system implementation. After the fingerprint signals have been processed 209 by the system as may be required by the designer of the particular security system, those signals may be applied to decode and/or decompress circuitry 211. The signals from the Decode/Decompress circuitry 211 are applied to an analysis circuit 213 which provides a processed fingerprint signature signal to a compare circuit 221.
A memory device 223, which contains electronic signals representative of various "approved" fingerprint signals, is arranged to provide authorized fingerprint signals to the compare circuit 221. The compare circuit 221 provides one of two output signals "P" and "F", on output lines 215 and 217, respectively, representative of whether or not the signals representative of the sample fingerprint "pass" or "fail" a comparison with one or more stored and authorized fingerprint sample signals provided by the memory device 223. If the initial analysis 213 of the acquired fingerprint signature signal fails, the security function may include several "RETRY" operations or cycles 219. Also, although not shown, the Retry cycle 219 may also be called one or more times if the compare function 221 does not yield a Pass signal "P".
It will be recognized that the signal processing scheme shown in FIG. 2 and described in detail above may be implemented by and within the mouse peripheral input device 101 (FIG. 1), the computer system (FIG. 4), or some combination of the two.
In FIG. 3, an impression area 301 includes an impression 303 of a finger. The area 301 is illuminated by a light source 305 and light rays 307 from the image of the impression 303 are collected by a focusing lens 309 and projected to a light sensitive CCD array 311. The Light sensitive CCD array 311 is implemented to transform the fingerprint image into corresponding electrical signals for processing as hereinbefore noted.
In FIG. 4, a typical computer system includes a display device 401 which is coupled to a CPU unit or main housing 403. A keyboard 405 is also coupled to the main housing 403 to provide one means of inputting information to the computer system. A mouse input device 103 is also shown connected to the main housing 403. The input provided by the mouse peripheral device 103 is shown connected to the main housing 403 by the cable 105 although input may also be transmitted to the main housing through an infrared system and still obtain the advantages of the present invention. The peripheral mouse 103 includes switches 107 and 109 as well as the fingerprint sensitive pads or plates as previously disclosed in connection with the FIG. 1 embodiment.
FIG. 5 illustrates the method of the present invention as implemented in a program running on the computer system shown in FIG. 4. The check fingerprint BIOS routine 501 determines if a designated memory contains any pre-approved signatures 503 and if not, then a "100% Valid" return is generated 505. If there are signatures in the memory, then a query message is sent to determine the mouse type 507. If the mouse type being used is not one compatible with the security system being implemented 509, the "wrong mouse" message 511 is sent from the system. If the mouse type is determined to be a security compatible mouse, then the "take fingerprint picture" message 513 is issued. The system then awaits the Mouse data 515 and cycles until the mouse data is received. When the mouse data is received, the system is operable to strip off the standard data, and preprocess fingerprint data into a comparison-ready signature 517. If the fingerprint data is not tested "good" 519, a picture error message is sent 521. If the fingerprint data is sufficient, it is compared 523 to one or more valid signatures stored in memory. If there is not a signature match, an invalid return signal is sent 527. If there is a signature match, then an X% valid return signal is sent, depending upon the design of the particular system.
In FIG. 6, a BIOS routine is shown to validate a user entry 601 to the system. Upon initiation, the BIOS is called and the check signature process 603 is run. If there is a wrong mouse return 605, the "Wrong Mouse" message is displayed 607 and the system loops back to the BIOS call 603. If the mouse is correct, a check is made to see if the system designer has designed in a 100% valid feature 609 and if so, a "no signatures on file" message may be displayed 611 and a "pass" message sent to allow entry to the system. If, however, a signature matching function is designed into the system, i.e. there is no "100% valid" access, then the input signature is matched against stored approved signatures on file and a "matching in progress" message 615 may be displayed to the user. If the signature signal compares within predetermined limits with stored characteristics of pre-approved signatures 617, then a "pass" message is sent 613 to allow entry into the system. If the input signature is not within limits, and a predetermined retry count has been exceeded 621, then a fail message 623 is sent and access to the system is denied. If, however, the signature is not within acceptable limits but the retry allowance has not been exceeded, then the "retry" message is displayed 625 and the user may be allowed again to access the system.
A Mouse Driver or Interrupt Service Routine 701 is illustrated in FIG. 7. When the mouse data is not presented 703, the system will exit 705 the Mouse Interrupt Service Routine (ISR). If, however, the mouse data is presented, then the system will read the standard mouse data into the return structure 707. If there is no extended fingerprint data present 709, then the system will exit the Mouse ISR. However, if there is extended mouse data present, then the system will pre-process the fingerprint data into a signature signal, set an appropriate flag, store the data for the next use 713, and exit the Mouse ISR 715. FIG. 8 shows the Check Fingerprint Mouse Driver routine 801. The mouse driver signature is obtained 803 and a Wrong Mouse Return 805 may be issued if appropriate. The signature is compared 807 to one or more approved signatures in memory and if there is a signature match 809, an X% return is issued depending on system design. The X% return, for example could include 100% return if no signatures exist in memory. If there is no signature match, then an "invalid return" 811 is issued.
In FIG. 9, an application security check routine 901 is illustrated, which may be called from various places in secure applications. Initially, the Check Fingerprint Mouse Driver is called 903. If there is a "wrong mouse" return 905 then a wrong mouse violation is displayed 907 and the application may be exited 909. If there is no "wrong mouse" return 905 but the elapsed time exceeds what is designated as "normal acquisition time" 911, then a mouse problem violation message may be displayed 913 and the application may be exited 915. If the normal acquisition time has not been exceeded and a signature is not available 919, then, the system may recycle from the "Call" 903. If, however, a signature is available 919 and the system is designed for 100% valid 921, a "Pass" message is sent. If there is not a 100% valid designation 921 but the signature matches one or more on file within acceptable limits 923, then a "Pass" message 925 is sent. If the signature is not within acceptable limits and a designated retry count has been exceeded 927, then a security check violation is displayed 929 and the system exits the application 931. If the retry count has not been exceeded 927 then the routine recycles from the beginning.
Referring again to FIG. 1, the window area 113 can be located at the side of the mouse 101 where the thumb is normally used to grasp the mouse 101 or it can be placed in one of the buttons in a manner such that the button or switch is still operational. The window area should optimally be clear with a frosted surface on the outside of the window 111. All of the light sources are contained within the mouse 101 and shine light at an oblique angle to the window areas 111 and 113. The CCD imaging device views the window and is focused on the outside surface of the window 111.
The frosted surface 111 or 113 will normally scatter the light in a diffuse, even pattern. When a finger or thumb is placed into contact with the window, the oiled ridges of the skin whorl patterns will penetrate and fill the frosted areas while the valleys within the patterns will not. Contrast control can be achieved by varying the intensity of the light source or the timing of the "Read" processing for the CCD imager.
When enabled by an enhanced mouse-aware program, the light source is triggered and a snapshot of the fingerprint is taken by the CCD imaging device. The CCD data is read out from the imaging device and is compressed 207 and transmitted 209 to the PC in the form of an extended data record appended to the normal mouse data. Alternatively, a microprocessor can be embedded in the mouse to partially process the fingerprint data and recognition processing to reduce the data traffic on the mouse cable. The BIOS programming analyzes the fingerprint data and decompresses 211 the data into an encoded "signature" which is compared 213 against authorized signature profiles which are stored in the system's memory. The security processing 213 can be rigorous or loose in adherence, returns a pass "P" or fail "F" signal to the caller and several passes or "Retry" cycles 219 may be required to positively match a fingerprint signature.
The device 101 is capable of transmitting normal mouse motion and button state information in the default power-up mode. In the preferred implementation, that information will be transmitted over, for example, a serial communications cable 105 which typically contains power, ground, clock and data signals. The mouse information may also be transmitted in a wireless arrangement in which such information may be sent, for example, using infrared technology. Such a wireless arrangement is shown in the computer system of FIG. 10. Because the system of FIG. 10 is similar to that of FIG. 4, identical components are given same reference numerals. Mouse data is transmitted to the PC using a serial protocol and encoding the mouse data into the serial stream at rates ranging from 1200 bits per second (BPS) to 9600 BPS or higher. Encoded into this stream, in one of several popular or proprietary industry formats, are the button or switch states and the "X" and "Y" position counter information. Additional information from the processing of the fingerprint signature is added to that byte stream.
Normal operation would include invoking the fingerprint recognition feature in the BIOS at computer initiation or at "boot" time before the floppy disk is checked. If the mouse is not present, the boot process fails or starts over. During the boot process, a modified mouse driver is loaded which provides enhanced mouse features, among which is a call to the BIOS security feature which can be invoked at critical times, such as before any floppy disk writes after an elapsed time-out period, or upon network login, etc. Failure to pass the fingerprint check results in aborting the application or preventing further use of the PC, depending upon the BIOS or application programming. The security processing may also be set-up to run automatically at regular intervals even interrupting otherwise normal PC operation and operating programs to perform additional and continuing verification of user authorization.
The apparatus of the present invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodiment as disclosed herein. Although an embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described in detail herein, along with certain variants thereof, many other varied embodiments that incorporate the teachings of the invention may be easily constructed by those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the specific form set forth herein, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as can be reasonably included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.
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|U.S. Classification
|345/163, 382/124, 345/156
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Aug 20, 1997
Owner name: DELL USA, L.P., TEXAS
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:O CONNOR, CLINT;SCHOLDER, ERICA;REEL/FRAME:008686/0001
Effective date: 19950504
|May 16, 2002
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4
|Jun 4, 2002
|Maintenance fee reminder mailed
|May 17, 2006
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 8
|May 17, 2010
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 12
|Jan 2, 2014
Owner name: BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS FI
Effective date: 20131029
Free format text: PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (NOTES);ASSIGNORS:APPASSURE SOFTWARE, INC.;ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.;BOOMI, INC.;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:031897/0348
Free format text: PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (ABL);ASSIGNORS:DELL INC.;APPASSURE SOFTWARE, INC.;ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS,INC.;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:031898/0001
Owner name: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, TE
Effective date: 20131029
Effective date: 20131029
Owner name: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT, NORTH
Free format text: PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (TERM LOAN);ASSIGNORS:DELL INC.;APPASSURE SOFTWARE, INC.;ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:031899/0261


text:
Pedicures in Acton, CA
Show prices for
Sort: Value
1 businesses found with an average price of $0 for a Pedicure
Nail Salon, Day Spa
Jeannette has such artistic talent with hair color! Whatever you want for a hair color this is definitely the salon to go to! My husband is so happy with...
1 to 1


text:
View all available promotions
Overall score
would recommend to a friend.
Reviewer score
Would recommend
Hotel was clean and comfortable. The room was quiet and the bed was comfortable.
The Casino is not paying. The slots are really tight and you never win anything.
Would not recommend
Only OK
Only stayed one night after a full week in South Lake Tahoe where we had an exceptional hotel experience. Room was as expected for Reno. Bed was quite comfortable. The big negative was finding used towels from prior guest still on the bathroom
floor, but kind of pushed behind the toilet, so not initially obvious as well as dirty coffee pot and old coffee grounds still in basket. The only response from the front desk was an I'm sorry, but no corrective action offered.
Circus hotel
Its def. geared both for Adults and Children (ages -18. I would of like to see a small section geared towards infants and toddlers. Maybe a play room.
Great Rates..
price was so good it is hard to complain...great location..free airport and ski shuttles..received upgraded room in Casino tower which was nice but a bit of a strange layout. No desk...bed was not the most comfortable and thin bath towels..but
overall a great value
great way to have a cheap ski trip...free ski shuttles available to Northstar and Squaw Valley
fantastic Fam Gataway
It was a wonderful experience. it's actually great if you are traveling with children, they can expirience the fun like the adults but their way in fun games and moore!!!!you dont even need to take them out far everything is inside the hotel.
Reno 2010
I was there for bowling tournament. Hotel provided free shuttle to bowling center and airport. Friendly drivers. Location was also short walk to bowling stadium for those wanting to walk.
Three casinos for dining, entertainment and gambling inter-connected.
Great for the night owl
The Valets were super nice and helpful. When we checked in the lady at the customer service desk was not friendly what so ever and just assumed we had been there before. The first night was ok, a little noisy but ok. The second night people
were so loud on our floor and smoking pot in the room next to us. when we called to the registration desk at 1 am to make complaint they said they didnt want to get involved. Room was clean , but will probably stay somewhere else next time because of the customer service.
outlet center and cabelas store are awesome and worth the drive
Not ALL fun in games.
Right off the bat I had lost my way, Luckily there was a Security Guard to point the way... About a city block away to the hotel elevators. Please don't think I'm being sarcastic, because I'm not(Indoors). I am happy to say there is a
Monorail/Tram to get you from where the action is to where your room is (Sky Tower) If you wanna wait 5-6 minutes for it. Then when you finally get to the hotel elevators it's another waiting game. But it's only busy when the sun is up.
All that waiting and/or walking made it that much better to finally get to the room to put your things down. Once I figured out the lights, the room was much to my satisfaction. I lost my pen under the end-table and came up with what looked like a piece garlic skin, other than that the windows and mirrors were clean, The bed was made, the bathroom was clean, (don't forget your Shampoo & Conditioner) the floor was clean and the "Reading Chain" was comfortable. As was the bed. The TV wasn't to big "19-"22 but I guess it did its job. The view was nice... from the 18th floor. I paid $20 for a 12" cheese pizza and then another $2 was stolen by the Vending Machine. Now for the reason most people stay at the Circus Circus, for the children to have in a funCircus like atmosphere called "Midway". DON'T PUT YOUR MONEY AWAY! It's a Dollar a toss for all Carnival/Booth games, and it adds up quick. If you wanna save money my tip is to use the ATM once , being sure to take enough cash out. I'm glad I had only one child because It can get costly real quick. I am glad to say my daughter had a BLAST, and loved watching the Circus actors perform some incredibly amazing tricks! If you go there with a budget BE CAREFUL. Also, please remember gambling is a form of entertainment. Have fun.
This hotel was decent for the price in a good location. We musta hit rush hour at check-in beacuse it took almost an hour. But it has a great buffet (at least in the morning) and with the free coupons you get when you check-in it was only ten
bucks for my husband & I. There was a ton of kids (I know, its supposed to be a circus, right?) which was a little overwhelming as a no child couple. Overall a good stay though.
Great Location to everything in Reno!
Came to bowl in Men's National Tournament and appreciated all the advertising for this event. The close location to the bowling center made it very easy to walk to our events.
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text:
School children hurt in Derry bus crash
Published 23/11/2012 | 10:11
A NUMBER of children needed treatment for minor injuries after a bus crash today.
The bus was in collision with two cars at Roshure Road, Desertmartin, Derry.The driver was treated at the scene.Police said a woman who was driving one of the cars received serious injuries and was taken to hospital.
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text:
A good place to stay. Front side rooms have a good view of Neelkant peak. Good property. Good Service. Food quality very good. Best part is, it is very close to the temple and close to the market place. The rooms were quite neat and clean
A good place to stay. Front side rooms have a good view of Neelkant peak. Good property. Good Service. Food quality very good. Best part is, it is very close to the temple and close to the market place. The rooms were quite neat and clean
Its Wonderfull Stay at DEVLOK Short walk Distance from the Temple. I like everything food,room , staff. Enjoy the tour. the food are very good , coprative staff member 24 hours hot water availabel car parking place also availabel spacias room & bathroom area
Location is so suitable for the darshan of the shrine only a short walk and that is important as one has just arrived from a tiring journey . Other things are the usual basic stuff only and that can be said for almost everything like the food , the rooms , the amenities , the staff . But i guess... More
through grace and unseasonably late rains in 2010 September our tour of 4 temples CharDham, only was able to make it to one of the temples that being Badrinath. Once we arrived due to road wash outs (where there were people who were working on repairs who perished in landslides), we were forced to stay 6 days and nights. Our... More
Dont get fooled by the pics of the rooms...they are nowhere near it!..its totally cramped, looks haggard. Bathrooms not very clean, no towels provided. Rats roaming around freely in the rooms. For breakfast, except Poori Bhaji, nothing else was available.
My family had a wonderful stay at Devlok, within a short walking distance from the temple. From our window, the view of Neelkanth peak was superb. The Saraswati river and the Gufas at Mana village were exhilerating. The staff are cheerful and helpful. One of them told me that the peaks are touched with gold at 5.30am and so I... More
there is not much choice considering you are there for pilgrimage . other than location everything is between average to poor but most of the people are going to be there for just one night . at that height and distance one should keep the expectations low . enjoy the ambience , the simple food and the peace .
All GMVN Hotels are very good for the money they ask for. One thing is very common in GMVN Hotels, and that is that they are very clean - wherever they are. And also, the food menu is so common and the preparations all taste the same. :) GMVN Devlok (Badrinath) is at a very peaceful and quite location. You... More
The last destination of our yatra in second week of June 12, family of four, stayed in the GMVN tourist rest house, the older one, later I found there is another one also more nearer to temple, . By staying in this rest house we realised that only GOD can save us, worst quilts and beds, rooms stinking, no hot... More
An excellent place to stay for one/two nights bang opposite the sacred Badrinath Temple in Uttrakhand. Just next to the snow laden peaks of mountains on all sides. Also the gateway to the China border
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text:
Adidas does Star Wars-themed trainers
Achingly cool, the adidas Consortium Superstar 1 Force Star Wars "Yoda" and "Darth Vader" trainers were released at the very end of 2007 in limited numbers of only 800 each.
That goes someway to explain the high price tag ($300) although we think it would be worth it to have small scale lightsabre battles with the green and red-tipped laces.
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