Global policing body Interpol announced Tuesday a pioneering initiative to crack down on trade in fake goods, using an app developed with the help of search giant Google. Photo: AFP The Interpol Global Register (IGR), announced at a Google conference outside Los Angeles, aims to track illicit goods by verifying products through security features, using the scanning app. "Right now in special areas (like) pharmaceuticals, tobacco products and household goods, a consumer doesn't know what's fake and what's real," Interpol chief Ronald Noble told AFP. "We came up with this idea that will allow a consumer or a law enforcement or businesses to scan a code and determine whether or not it can be verified as authentic," he added. "It becomes green or red. Green means verified, red means not verified."Google designed the application for this concept for Android devices, but Interpol plans versions for other platforms including Apple, Blackberry and Microsoft. One of its first … [Read more...] about Interpol unveils fake goods scanning app with Google
Right track app
Top 25 touchscreen apps for Windows 8
The touch interface of Windows 8 is relatively new, and so developers are still discovering how to get the most from this next-generation software. For users, that means many familiar desktop applications do not have a touchscreen equivalent yet. Despite this, Windows 8 has more touchscreen apps than you might at first expect. In our top 25 we'll show you some of the best -- including some hidden gems -- available now on the Windows Store. Most have double-width live tiles that are twice the size of normal tiles, making them great for providing detailed notifications directly to your Start Screen. News & Reference 1. BBC News Mobile -- Free The unofficial BBC News Mobile application presents all of the content available on the BBC's news site. It has a double-width Live Tile showing you the most read stories, and its main screen allows you to set the news categories most relevant to your interests. 2. NextGen Reader -- £2.19 NextGen … [Read more...] about Top 25 touchscreen apps for Windows 8
No sex, please, we’re tracking sleep cycles
Those numbers are far too large for gadget-makers to ignore. As a result, a growing number of devices purport to track, coach and improve sleep performance, taking advantage of the computing power of mobile phones and personal computers. I've been trying out three of them: the Zeo Sleep Manager Mobile and Lark, both of which cost $99; and the $149 SleepTracker Elite. All use sensors that you wear to bed to measure how long and how well you sleep. They also feature silent alarms that wake you by vibrating, so you won't disturb someone else. The most elaborate is the Zeo, which measures brain waves and eye-muscle movements to calculate how much time you spend in deep, rapid-eye and light sleep cycles, as well as how often and for how long you're awake in the night. The data is transmitted wirelessly to a free Zeo app on your iPhone or Android phone. Romantic restriction You wear the Zeo device positioned over the middle of your forehead and held in place by an elastic headband, which … [Read more...] about No sex, please, we’re tracking sleep cycles
BUSINESS IN BRIEF 28/9
IPs near Hanoi looking popular Three South Korean investors recently put down the deposit to lease a 70,000-square metre space at Dong Van 4 Industrial Park (IP) in the northern province of Ha Nam. The IP developer is Viglacera, the largest state-owned construction materials producer who received the investment certificate to invest in Ha Nam province less than a month ago. It is significant to note that Viglacera will only commence construction of the IP later this month or early next month, meaning that the Korean investors' decision to lease the vast land area in the prospective IP shows great trust. "The three Korean investors leasing land to build production plants at the unfinished Dong Van 4 IP has surpassed our expectations. The investors' trust has inspired us to soon finalise the investment and construction to hand over cleared land to our investors," said Tran Ngoc Anh, director of Viglacera Land. The director also unveiled that two of the three Korean investors … [Read more...] about BUSINESS IN BRIEF 28/9
Open source software development companies still struggle to survive
Reviewing their operation over the last 10 years, open source software development companies in Vietnam believe that they are on the right track to follow the world's trend in the role of providing the tools that help reduce the reliance on exclusive technologies. However, the enterprises still have to struggle to find the right ways to go. The open source software enterprises all said that the development of online marketing and cloud computing technology both have helped them more easily access clients, while they have helped brought new business opportunities. They also said that if compared with 10 years ago, their business activities have been going more smoothly, because more and more institutions, agencies and enterprises have realized about the utilities that open source software can bring. Tran Van Tuan, Director of Nhan Media Company, said that the number of orders from the enterprises that have the demand for open source software products is relatively big, … [Read more...] about Open source software development companies still struggle to survive