David Lidsky's Blog, page 4660

Malware Tracker Map Gives Live Worldwide Coverage of Infected Computers

Right now, there are 1.5 million computers in the U.S. that are suspected to be infected with malware, although that figure seems inordinately low, but we'll come to that in a bit. I know this because of Malware Tracker, a Google Maps creation by the Enigma Software Group that uses data from its SpyHunter software to work out just how many computers worldwide that have nasty worms and Trojan horses lurking inside them.

As it uses the Google Maps API, it's possible to zoom right into specific...

Facebook Buys ShareGrove, Inviting Group Chat Upgrade

Facebook, fresh from its partial privacy revamp, is straight back to business as usual--which means expansion. It's just bought a small startup called ShareGrove, a group chatting client. Is Facebook planning to break into the IM market?

ShareGrove made the announcement on its Facebook page, appropriately enough, and notes that it's shutting down operations on June 1st. This gives users who have data stored in its system time to make a backup--after June 1, all user data will be deleted...

Snoop on Your Neighbors' Energy Use With Microsoft Hohm Scores

Ever wished you could find out whether your eco-obsessed neighbor is really an energy hog? Enter Microsoft's Hohm Scores, an online tool that allows you to view energy efficiency data about a specific home address. There are already 60 million homes listed in the database, and results can be compared to averages of other homes in the neighborhood and across the U.S.

Hohm Scores gets its information from a mashup of public records, including information about a home's size, age, location, and...

World Cup: Adidas' Jabulani Ball Promises Higher Scores, Anguished Goalies

Other manufacturers may produce colorful balls for next month's FIFA World Cup, but there's only one official ball, and for the 11th year, Adidas earned the right to field its version of what a world-class ball should look like.

This tournament's ball, called "Jabulani," which means "to celebrate" in Bantu, represents advances in both design and innovation.

Rather than being made of leather, which is traditional, the Jabulani ball is constructed of synthetics. Instead of 14 panels, there are...

Most Creative People in Business 2010: #10 Qi Lu

It's hard to imagine software giant Microsoft in the role of David, but up against the search Goliath Google, the casting fits. Fortunately, the 48-year-old Bing chief knows how to overcome entrenched regimes.

Most Creative People in Business 2010: #9 James Cameron

Schadenfreude wasn't translated into the Na'vi language for Avatar, but no doubt it was present in the Kodak Theatre when James Cameron's ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow took the best picture and directing Oscars for The Hurt Locker. Still, that taste of disappointment shouldn't overshadow the 55-year-old's achievements.

Most Creative People in Business 2010: #8 Hannah Jones

"I didn't expect to go into business," concedes Hannah Jones, 42. A philosophy major who did a stint on pirate radio, she says she joined Nike's sustainability team to test whether it was "more effective to shout from the outside or work from the inside." Her conclusion: The creative combination of both is the most potent.

Most Creative People in Business 2010: #7 Chris Anderson

"At TED, every time we've listened to radical openness, we've been grateful," says Chris Anderson, 53. As chief curator of TED -- the Long Beach, California, conference of multidisciplinary luminaries turned viral-video phenomenon turned cultural juggernaut -- the Brit has guided it into a newly global, open-source phase this year.

Most Creative People in Business 2010: #6 Steve Burd

He isn't a doctor or a senator, but Steve Burd played a crucial role in the recent health-care debate. The ordinarily low-profile exec, 60, appeared repeatedly on Capitol Hill to describe the health and financial benefits of the grocery chain's unconventional wellness program, which includes lower insurance premiums for nonunion employees who maintain healthy blood-pressure and cholesterol levels and don't smoke.

Most Creative People in Business 2010: #5 Ryan Murphy

Ryan Murphy's parents knew early that their kid was atypical: In kindergarten, he asked for a Vogue subscription. His idiosyncratic vision has fueled his success in Hollywood, from Nip/Tuck to the forthcoming Julia Roberts movie Eat, Pray, Love.