Carlo Orlando

Italian researchers have uncovered a thriving underground market where people peddle fake Twitter accounts. The goal: to promote business ventures. According to Andrea Stroppa and Carlo De Micheli, two security personnel working on the study, ... illegitimate businesses and rogue individuals are selling dubious Twitter accounts to pad corporate and entertainment pages. The study concluded that there are more than two dozen services currently plying this trade. Together, these services are responsible for more than 20 million fake Twitter followers that re-tweet information and perform other ... (view more)

A team of researchers in Kyoto, Japan, claim to have developed software capable of reading dreams by analyzing brain activity. In a recent study, scientists from the ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories connected three test subjects to an EEG ... (electroencephalogram) and had them sleep inside an MRI machine to measure their brain waves during the first few minutes of sleep. Researchers Build Brain Wave-Image Correlation Database The participants were then awakened and asked to identify the images seen in their dreams. This practice was repeated 200 times, during which researchers built a ... (view more)

Apple is reportedly getting ready to release the iPhone 5S, the company's next iPhone offering. And while little is known about the features that will be offered, a recently discovered Apple patent application might have shed some light on the ... topic. The patent, which was first filed back in September 2011 (but had only surfaced earlier this week) outlines an Apple proposal for up to two AMOLED (Active Matrix OLED) screens for a new device. AMOLED screens are known to house faster pixel-switching capabilities, meaning that response times are even greater than standard OLED displays. Whole ... (view more)

Microsoft has hinted that smaller Surface tablet computers could be released in the near future. The hint comes in the form of new Windows 8 certification guidelines. According to these new guidelines, Microsoft will soon be able to support compact ... resolutions (and screen sizes), allowing manufacturers to create Surface tablet displays measuring between 7- and 8-inches in diameter. The document goes on to suggest that support will be offered for resolutions as low as 1024x768. Coincidently, this is one of the most popular resolutions for smaller tablet screens. In comparison, current ... (view more)

A secret Microsoft video shows us what we can expect from 'Windows Blue,' Microsoft's next major update to the Windows platform. The internal video was recorded at Microsoft's recent TechFest, an annual gathering of Microsoft researchers to discuss ... their latest developments. The video first appeared on the independent blog site 'MSFTKitchen'. Interactive Touch Comes to Windows 8 Among the most important improvements made to Windows 8: better touch capabilities. In the video, Microsoft's chief technical staff operator, Eric Rudder, says that his team is "really excited to work, now that the ... (view more)

Microsoft has shared its vision of what the future home might look like. In a recently released YouTube video, Microsoft revealed cutting-edge voice- and motion-enabled innovations. Microsoft chief executive officer Steve Ballmer has long been an ... advocate for touch screen displays and voice-recognition technology. The YouTube video appears to indicate that these concepts could realistically be put into practice, with some estimating that the technology could hit retailers in as little as three years' time. Microsoft's Fully Connected Home The video, titled "Microsoft's Future Vision: Live, ... (view more)

A new study has found that hackers have the ability to cause real-time traffic jams, even in areas many miles from their location. The threat could affect the millions of people who rely on global positioning systems. Among the most prolific systems ... targeted by hackers is Google Maps, a service that offers turn-by-turn navigation using information from a mobile phone to analyze real-time traffic data. All location information sent to the individual is secured by a TLS (Transport Layer Security) system to protect the integrity of the data and make it impossible for a hacker to orchestrate an ... (view more)

An innovative clothing line includes workout garments designed to help athletes correct their form and posture while exercising. The prototype shirt is called 'Move' and looks like any other article of clothing. Move features four sensors woven into ... the front, back, and sides of the garment. These sensors monitor the body position and movements of the wearer. Through feedback components built into the hips and shoulders, the shirt prompts users to correct their body positions. The shirt is able to notify the wearer, through vibrations, the second it detects that the body position of the ... (view more)

Microsoft is in the process of making technological breakthroughs with their Kinect hands-free technology. The company has now introduced simple, real-time hand gestures that replace mouse commands. Microsoft recently held its own 'TechFest' ... festival, an annual research and development showcase. At the show Microsoft unveiled a Kinect-based update to the pre-existing software development kit that will allow developers to add more hand-gesture features to their products. Mouse Movements, Hand-Controlled Gameplay A Reality And while Microsoft hopes that developers will introduce their own ideas ... (view more)

New, high-tech mobile services are being designed to help drivers in congested cities find parking spaces. It's hoped these services will help save time and reduce pollution throughout the United States. These innovations are made possible through ... communications between a host of mobile applications and sensors planted into parking meters and parking spaces. This new form of technology has even been given a name: "smart parking." Meter Time, Parking Space Info Available Among the more prolific services available is "Streetline," which embeds wireless sensors in parking spaces ... (view more)