Using Wi-FI? Here are three things you need to know about the KRACK in the system

Using Wi-FI? Here are three things you need to know about the KRACK in the system

Billions of people use Wi-Fi – in fact, you’re probably using it right now. But be warned: according to the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team, there is a vulnerability in the Wi-Fi system known as KRACK or Key Reinstallation Attacks that could put your encrypted information at risk.

  1. What is KRACK?

The modern Wi-Fi system uses the Wi-Fi Protected Access II (WPA2) protocol to authenticate and protect the connection between access points and devices, such as computers and smartphones. Two researchers Mathy Vanhoef and Frank Piessens have found vulnerabilities in the WPA2 system which allow attackers to eavesdrop on Wi-Fi traffic between devices and access points. Because the vulnerability is at the protocol-level, attackers can access encrypted information previously assumed to be secured, ranging from passwords, emails, credit card numbers, photos, and so forth. In some cases, attackers may also manipulate information such as by injecting malware into websites.

  1. Who is vulnerable?

Most devices are vulnerable to attack, from Android, Linux, Apple, Windows, OpenBSD, to MediaTek Linksys operating systems. However, the severity of threat varies as companies respond to the vulnerability. Microsoft announced earlier today that it has provided a software update protecting customers against the KRACK vulnerability. Google has promised to address the vulnerability on its systems within the coming weeks, with Google Pixel as the first to receive an update. Currently, Linux and Android 6.0 or higher systems are the most susceptible to attack.

  1. What can I do?

While it is unknown whether hackers are already exploiting the KRACK vulnerability, researchers urge users to implement safety measures when possible. They recommend that users should avoid connecting to Wi-FI until patches have been developed and can be safely installed on Wi-Fi clients’ devices and access points. Microsoft users, as mentioned above, should be safe. However, when Wi-FI is the only option, people should use HTTPS, STARTTLS, Secure Shell, and other protocols to encrypt online traffic as it passes between computers and access points. Users could also use a virtual private network (VPN) as an added safety measure. Fortunately, network providers are already starting to deploy security patches.

Vanhoef and Piessens will present their paper Key Reinstallation Attacks: Forcing Nonce Reuse in WPA2 on November 1, 2017 at the Computer and Communications Security conference in Dallas.

Are you conducting R&D to develop cyber-security measures to defend against potential security threats like KRACK? You could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and receive up to 14% back on your expenses. To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE credits as well as CPE credits for CPA’s.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

Living on the edge: How R&D helped DFW-based entrepreneur to build the Single Edge Razor 2.0

single edge razor

After quitting his job selling fighter jets around the world, Patrick Coddou launched a new company based in Fort Worth called Supply and developed its signature product: the Single Edge Razor. Now, two years since the company’s inception, Coddou is back with the Single Edge Razor 2.0.

Coddou told D Magazine he came up with the idea for the Single Edge Razor because of his sensitive skin: “I used to hate shaving and using those five blade razors. So my search brought me to this old style of razor. I loved it so much that I thought, you know, I think I can make one of these and show more people what these are.”  With the Single Edge Razor 2.0’s release this summer, Supply offers a new razor that is more durable and comfortable than existing multi-blade razors on the market.

From extensive research, Supply found that multi-blade razors caused irritation when shaving because these are often built as a “one-size-fits-all” product and the blades cut below the skin’s surface and pull up the hair to cut which results in discomfort and ingrown hairs. The razors are also more difficult to wash thereby prompting bacterial buildup in the blade and the material is usually cheap plastic that does not last. Supply’s Single Edge Razor 2.0, in contrast, developed three blade designs to account for distinct skin types: mild, classic, and aggressive. Mild was built for sensitive skin and short beard growth, aggressive was made for long beard growth and wiry hair, and classic for everything in between.  The Single Edge Razor 2.0 is designed to shave just at the surface of the skin, ensuring a closer shave and comfort, and is cleaned easily to avoid bacterial buildup. As well, the blades are 100% stainless steel and twice as thick as the average multi-blade razor, guaranteeing it is rust-resistant and unbreakable.

Additionally, the Single Edge Razor 2.0 was designed at a closer distance and angle between the blade and the safety bar than its predecessors.  While single edge razors have existed for decades, they have often been difficult to use because the blade must be held at the same angle throughout the entire shaving process or else there is risk of cutting and nicks. With the Razor 2.0, the angle is built-in for the user to handle with ease.

Coddou’s company is still constantly finding ways to improve its product. Supply employed an entirely new manufacturing process for the Single Edge Razor 2.0 by adopting methods used in aerospace and medical device manufacturing.  In particular, the company used the Metal injection Moulding process which built products with extreme accuracy and ensures quality of the product. The company hopes to continue to invest in this type of manufacturing and to expand to create more razors and even an entire line of grooming products, from shaving cream after-shave to body wash. You can find the company’s product on Kickstarter.

Supply’s expenses incurred during the design stage of building a new razor and improving the manufacturing methods are all eligible for the R&D tax credit. If you are also engaging in R&D to develop new products or improve existing processes, you could be up to 14% back on your expenses. To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE credits as well as CPE credits for CPA’s.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

When Dallas researchers introduced Twistron, they may have sparked an energy revolution

Twistron

Scientists from The University of Texas (UoT) in Dallas, in collaboration with researchers from Hanyang University in South Korea, have developed a new fabric that generates energy: twistron. A lightweight yet resilient yarn made from carbon nanotubes woven together, twistron can produce electricity simply by stretching and without the need of a battery or other energy source.

Dr. Carter Haines, an associate research professor at UoT’s NanoTech Institute in Dallas, said, “The easiest way to think of twistron harvesters is, you have a piece of yarn, you stretch it, and out comes electricity.” Carbon nanutobes, from which twistron is constructed, are 10,000 times smaller in diameter than human hair and therefore offer a lightweight material. To harvest energy, twistron initially needed to be soaked in electrolytes, such as saltwater or even human sweat. However, through experimentation and research, the scientists were able to use a solid-state electrolyte to coat the yarn, without soaking the material. From testing, the scientists found stretching the yarn 30 times a second could 250 watts per kilogram. Dr. Na Li, another research scientist at the NanoTech Institute, further described the process, ‘Whenever a harvester yarn is twisted or stretched, the volume of the carbon nanotube yarn decreases, bringing the electric charges on the yarn closer together and increasing their energy. This increases the voltage associated with the charge stored in the yarn, enabling the harvesting of electricity.”

The scientists hope the twistron could be used in clothing and other commercial uses one day. They tested twistron by sewing it into clothing and found that even normal respiration stretched the fabric enough to power electricity. One of the scientists also tested twistron in ocean currents. Dr. Shi Hyeong Kim submerged 10 cm of twistron on the east coast of South Korea and the material successfully generated electricity. Dr. Kim hopes this is a breakthrough for harnessing the strength of the ocean.  From these small scale activities, the researchers are confident these activities could be scaled up in the future. The team has patented the technology and are continuing to test its capabilities. Perhaps they could even make batteries superfluous.

Are you also engaging in R&D experiments to develop new ways to generate energy? Did you know that If you conduct your R&D projects in universities, you could receive up to an additional 20% credit for your expenses? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE credits as well as CPE credits for CPA’s.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

20 years later, AOL Instant Messenger’s retirement is a testament to advancement in R&D

AOL messenger 1

In the not-so-distant past, before direct messaging, texting, and smartphones, before Snapchat, Instagram, WhatsApp, Skype, before the boom of Twitter and Facebook, only one online communication method reigned supreme: AOL Instant Messenger.  Known as “AIM” for short, the AOL messenger, along with its counterparts by Microsoft and Yahoo, changed the way people interacted with each other online.

AIM first appeared on the scene in 1997 and, by 2001, it had over 100 million users. While Yahoo and MSN messengers were widely used outside of the United State, AIM was the most popular instant messenger among Americans.  The messenger’s trademark “buddy list”, screen names, and immediate, simultaneous access to multiple friends changed communication during a time when most people talked to each other over the phone. Now twenty years since its launch, AIM will officially retire by December 15, 2017. Oath, the company behind AOL, announced the news last week. Michael Albers, Head of Communications, stated, “AIM tapped into new digital technologies and ignited a cultural shift, but the way in which we communicate with each other has profoundly changed.”

The messenger had sparked new user behaviours that are now common practice in contemporary social media. Before Facebook statuses, there were AIM’s “Away Messages” which allowed users to creatively update their friends of their whereabouts. Before adding “friends” on Facebook, there was asking for people’s screennames. AIM profile stalking was a precursor to Facebook profile stalking.

While no one has used the messenger in years, nostalgia has burst across the internet reminiscing how the now-obsolete technology was once transformative. Adam Lashinsky wrote in Fortune, “At the risk of oversharing, it is no understatement to say I began dating my wife on AIM. She worked at AOL when I joined TheStreet.com, and she was on AIM as much as I was. I remember early instant messaging chats far more than phone chats.” In The Guardian, Matthew Cantor recalled, “For me, as a 14-year-old, AIM was a revelation. Here was a way I could communicate with my peers – including those who were objectively cooler than me – without stammering or panicking…That’s because, behind the wall of the computer screen, we had the time and distance to craft much wittier banter.”

AIM’s retirement demonstrates how times have changed. The instant messaging era has since been replaced by smartphones and apps. Nevertheless, the technical innovation that sparked AIM and contributed to its decline will continue. Lashinsky poignantly stated, “Like many consumer technologies that went before it, AIM ushered in a revolution that quickly left it behind. I can’t say I’ll miss it. But I sure am glad it existed.”

The rise and fall of AOL demonstrates the advancement and innovation of R&D in the communication technology sector. If you are developing software and programs building on AOL Messenger’s legacy, your R&D activities may be eligible for the R&D tax credit and you could receive up to 14% on your research and development expenses. To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE credits as well as CPE credits for CPA’s.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

Ericsson chooses Austin as site of new design center for city’s “bustling tech and start up scene”

Ericsson

When deciding where to open its next 5G design center, the Swedish telecommunications juggernaut Ericsson knew that Austin was the right choice.

With its highly skilled talent and growing reputation as a leader in the start-up tech industry, Austin has attracted many processor manufacturing companies and now Ericsson is joining the neighborhood. Many of Ericsson’s partners and suppliers are also based to Austin, making the city an obvious choice instead of California’s Silicon Valley. In an interview with Fierce Wireless, Sinisa Krajnovic, Head of Development Unit Networks at Ericsson, said, “We did analysis across the whole world. We had considered several places seriously and our choice was Austin for this.” Similarly, “Austin is one of the fastest-growing cities in the US with a bustling tech and start-up scene,” Niklas Heuveldop, Head of Ericsson North America, told Business Insider. “We want to capture the great talent on-hand there, enabling us to increase digital ASIC capabilities even further and be close to some of our key global customers.”

Ericsson’s new design center in Austin will focus on testing and developing the Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a microelectronics processor. Intended for cell phones and mobile devices, these are 100 times faster and more cost and power efficient than the average personal computer processor. Located in Austin’s tech neighborhood, the new design center will collaborate with nearby silicon manufacturing plants to design solutions and prepare for the commercialization of the 5G network.  Joining the company’s teams in Sweden and China, the Austin design center is part of Ericsson’s global strategy to develop “faster, better, and greener 5G products to bring into the Ericsson portfolio by 2019,” said Krajnovic. The 5G design center in Austin is expected to be up and running by the end of this year. It is currently recruiting designers and developers.

Ericsson’s expenses from R&D experiments conducted in Austin are eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and the company could receive up to 14% in return. If you are also conducting R&D testing to develop and manufacture processors, you could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit. Contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE credits as well as CPE credits for CPA’s.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

 

 

Las Vegas exposed the limits of Google’s algorithms. But is there still hope?

Googlesearch

Google’s dominance in the diffusion of information is a nearly an undisputed fact. But what happens when Google’s algorithms fail to provide quality, reliable information when it’s most needed?

This was the case with the Las Vegas tragedy when Google’s Top Stories featured a 4chan forum post which wrongfully accused Geary Danley as the perpetrator of the shootings. Unfortunately, the post spread across the Internet and Danley’s good name was smeared. It is common knowledge that 4chan is not a reliable source: the forum is notorious for its “trolling” personality, racist views, and willful dissemination of inaccurate information. Yet, Google’s algorithms did not filter the 4chan post. After receiving widespread criticism for circulating the 4chan post, Google issued the following response:

Unfortunately…we were briefly surfacing an inaccurate 4chan website in our Search results for a small number of queries. Within hours, the 4chan story was algorithmically replaced by relevant results. This should not have appeared for any queries, and we’ll continue to make algorithmic improvements to prevent this from happening in the future.

In the past, Google was simply a resource of information and acted as a search engine.  Yet with the “Top Stories” feature which highlights trending stories, the company now also bears the responsibility of curating news. While useful in ordinary situations, Google’s algorithms have fallen short when it comes to filtering for reliable sources during breaking news like Las Vegas. In simple terms, Google’s Top Stories algorithm measures stories and posts by two variables: “freshness”, how new and trending a topic is, and “authoritativeness”, the credibility of the source. The algorithms allowed the 4chan post to surface into the mainstream because calculations weighed “freshness” over “authoritativeness”. In response to Las Vegas and other blunders, many critics have since denounced the algorithms, deploring them as “rogue” and a “failure”.

However, technically-speaking, the algorithms did not “fail”. They simply did what they were programmed to do. Perhaps there is hope to improve the algorithms. As Artificial Intelligence has shown, machines take time to learn, requiring many examples before they can perform effectively. What is needed, therefore, is an improved way for these algorithms to filter information and measure accuracy.

Are you a computer scientist or software engineer developing improved algorithms that would prevent further blunders like the Google 4chan debacle? You may be eligible for the R&D tax credit. If you would like to find out how your company could benefit from R&D Tax Credits, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE credits as well as CPE credits for CPA’s.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

The Dallas to Houston Bullet Train: Boosting Transportation and Economic Growth the Texan Way

bullettrain2

Imagine a bullet train so fast it could transport you from Dallas to Houston comfortably in 90 minutes instead of driving in traffic for six hours on congested highways. Texas Central Partners is making that dream a reality with construction for the bullet train slated to begin late 2018 and early 2019 and to be completed within five years.

The bullet train would be the first of its kind in the United States. At speeds up to 200 mph, the train would carry 400 passengers to three major stops: Houston, Dallas, and the Brazos Valley Region. Nearly 14 million people travel between Houston and Dallas each year by air or by road, and congestion has significantly increased on the highways since 2012. The Interstate 45 between the two major Texan cities is also known as the second deadliest highway in the country because of its vulnerability for accidents.

Texas Central Partners is building its prototype based on Japan’s N700-I bullet train and Shinkansen system. With its 52-year record of zero fatalities, the N700 technology is known as the safest in the world. Texas’ bullet train will be built on an elevated double-track rail to further ensure public security so as not to intersect with highways and roads. The company’s External Affairs Director Holly Reed explained the state is a test for the rest of the United States: “The project is in Texas, but it’s on a national stage. It’s the right project being done the right way at the right time.”

Aside from the transportation benefit, the bullet train’s construction is expected to increase economic activity in the North Texas area. 10,000 jobs would be created from the renovation efforts alone while another 1,000 jobs would be added to the newly growing American high-speed rail industry. Costs of the project are an estimated $15 billion. Texas Central was adamant from the outset that funding for the bullet train would not come from government grants or subsidies. Instead, it would be financed by private sources. According to Reed, “This is an example of Texas doing things its way. It’s an entrepreneurial-led project being driven by free-market principles.”

Reed added that it follows the spirit of Texas innovation, “It’s a big idea, not any different than the first semiconductor that was built at TI (Texas Instrument) or when NASA put a man on the moon. This is an example of a project that has the principles that made all of those companies great.”

If you are also developing ideas and projects to improve Texas’ transit systems like the proposed bullet train, you may be eligible for the R&D tax credit which could save you up to 14% on your expenses. To find out more on how you can save money, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE credits as well as CPE credits for CPA’s.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

Outdated Shopping Mall Proposed as Dallas Location for Amazon’s HQ2

Dallas Mall

Last Friday, cities in North Texas submitted their bids to become the home of Amazon’s second headquarters HQ2. To set it apart from the other 50 North American cities vying for the spot, Dallas’ proposals ranged from the practical – such as highlighting the upcoming bullet train project from Dallas to Houston – to the ironic, which suggested the online retail giant take over the location of the Valley View Mall, an outdated shopping mall.

Three Dallas developers, Hillword Urban, KDC, and Crescent Real Estate, had proposed the Valley View Mall location at LBJ Freeway and Preston Road as a potential site for HQ2. With the rise of online retail giants like Amazon, the Mall has struggled to adjust to fluctuating consumer trends in the 2000s and gradually, its major department stores closed one after the other: Bloomingdale’s in 1990, Macy’s and Dillard’s in 2008, JCPenney in 2013, and finally Sears in July 2017. The prospect of Amazon’s HQ2 replacing the Mall therefore adds a symbolic, ironic flare. The Mall is near three airports: Addison, Love Field, and DFW International, making it another appealing option since Amazon had included proximity to an airport as one of its requirements for HQ2. Dallas-based architects from Omniplan have already drafted a design for a 500,000 square foot building for HQ2. If successful, Amazon would move into HQ2 by 2019 and expand the space to 8 million square feet by 2027.

Texas is a prime prospect for HQ2. 20,000 Amazon employees already work in the Lone Star State, making it the third state with the most Amazon workers, aside from California and Washington State. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos had announced last month the company’s intention to expand to a second headquarters with a commitment to invest $5 billion to the new city and create 50,000 jobs in the area.  The Dallas Regional Chamber is in the process of preparing an executive summary of North Texas’ best proposals to send to Amazon for the company’s October 19 deadline.

Are you conducting R&D projects to build and improve existing buildings like Valley View Mall? You may be eligible for the R&D tax credit and can get up to 14% back on your expenses. If you would like to find out how your company could benefit from R&D Tax Credits, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE credits as well as CPE credits for CPA’s.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

From casino-inspired ventilation to facial recognition, Dallas Mavericks’ locker room is so high-tech, it must be from the future

basketball

The Dallas Mavericks are hosting the Milwaukee Bucks tonight for their first game of the pre-season. It’s also the first time the Mavericks get to use their new state-of-the-art locker room at the American Airlines Center. With facial recognition, customizable aromatic and lighting features, and a casino-inspired ventilation system, the Dallas team boasts a locker room unlike any other in the league.

The basketball team’s owner Mark Cuban unveiled the locker room on Saturday, September 30 to the media after three months of renovations.  He explained the facility’s design drew from scientific research and the latest technology to optimize the athletic experience. A facial recognition system at the entrance of the locker room acts as a security feature, preventing any unknown visitors from entering. It also allows each player to check into the room, notifying coach Rick Carlisle when a player has arrived. As an example, Cuban mentioned Carlisle often asked for the whereabouts of player Dirk Nowitzki. Now, Carlisle can just check the system to locate Nowitzki.

Collaborating with casino designers from architecture firm Gensler, the locker room is equipped with special de-humidification ventilation and light systems. Cuban told NBC how the environment at casinos motivated people to stay energized even past their usual bedtime: “We noticed that it keeps us up, otherwise we would have been in bed at 11, but there [were] things that they did that kept us awake to sit at those blackjack tables all night long.”  Adopting the same principles, the locker room uses oxygenating technology and a sophisticated light system that adjusts to different times, depending on whether it’s pre-game, game time, or regular practice.

In addition to helping players maintain energy and performance, the locker room includes luxurious amenities ensuring the athletes’ comfort. Players can request music on demand using Amazon’s voice activated Alexa sound system. Each individual locker also includes high tech USB ports, a refrigerator, TV screen, and even a shoe drawer with ventilation to air out odor-prone basketball shoes.

These features may appear “kind of crazy or off the wall,” Cuban said, “but we tried to take advantage of every bit of research that we could find that applied to improving athletic performance.”

If you are engaging in R&D to enhance the athletic experience like the Mavericks’ new locker room, you may be eligible for the R&D tax credit. To find out more on the R&D tax credit, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE credits as well as CPE credits for CPA’s.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

Faster, Bigger, Quieter: Dallas-based Southwest Airlines launches Boeing 737 Max 8 Aircraft to make history

airplane3 detection system

Yesterday, Dallas-based carrier Southwest Airlines launched nine Boeing 737 Max 8 jetliners, making it the first North American company to use the new Max 8 aircraft in commercial flights. The aircraft departed from six different airports, with the first taking off from Dallas Love Field for Houston and then San Antonio, a route reminiscent of Southwest’s “Texas Triangle” route in 1971. Southwest hopes to expand from nine to 14 of the Max 8 jetliners by the end of 2017.

The introduction of the Max 8 aircraft marks a new chapter in Southwest history. Earlier this weekend, Southwest retired 30 of their Boeing 737-300 jetliners, affectionately dubbed the “Classics”. Though a trailblazer when first introduced in 1984, the Classics have proven outdated in recent years due to their louder engines and lack of Wi-Fi connectivity. The Classics’ fuselage was also infamous for its safety hazards. In July 2009, a huge hole at the rear of the plane forced an emergency landing. In April 2011, two people were injured when a 5-foot-long gash opened in the fuselage mid-flight.

In contrast to the Classics and other Boeing models, the new Max 8 aircraft is safer and more fuel-efficient. With its nacelles that curb noise, v-shaped winglets, and powerful Leap-1B engine, the Max 8 is quieter, uses 14 percent less fuel, and travels 500 nautical miles farther than the Boeing 737-800. The Max 8 aircraft also has wider seat dimensions in economy class than any other plane on the North American market and can carry up to 175 passengers, 32 more than the Classic aircraft

The Max 8 was designed with the long-term future in mind. Unlike the Classic jetliner, the Max 8 aircraft is connected to satellite-based Wi-Fi. Southwest, notably, did not include television monitors to the Max 8 design. Instead, customers are encouraged to use their personal devices on board. This was a cost-effective measure since maintaining television monitors can be expensive and according to Mike Van de Ven, Southwest’s Chief Operating Officer, technology is constantly evolving and the television monitor may be outdated one day. After all, he noted how airplane seats once had telephones attached to them.

As Chairman & CEO Gary Kelly told Business Insider on Sunday, “Today, we begin a new chapter in Southwest’s history by introducing the Boeing 737 MAX 8 to our Customers and Employees. The MAX 8 is the future of the Southwest fleet, and we look forward to connecting Customers to the important moments in their lives through our legendary service delivered with this more fuel efficient aircraft designed to produce less noise in the communities we serve.” [sic]

Are you conducting R&D to improve aviation and the passenger experience like Southwest Airlines? You may be eligible for the R&D tax credit. If you would like to find out how your company could benefit from R&D Tax Credits, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE credits as well as CPE credits for CPA’s.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.