The Insider News

Wired[^]:

NASA is calling on coders to help in the hunt for potentially dangerous asteroids. Over the next six months, the agency will be offering a total of $35,000 in prizes in a contest series that aims to improve the way telescopes detect, track, and analyze incoming space rocks.

BGR[^]:

Google has definitely benefited from the rise of the mobile web, especially since its Android platform is now by far the most widely used mobile operating system in the world. However, the mobile web has also shown itself to be disruptive to Google’s traditional search business mostly because it’s having trouble collecting data on what users are doing when they’re looking at mobile applications.

SD Times[^]:

Kinoma Create is a JavaScript-powered Internet of Things construction kit designed to help software developers become “makers” who are able to easily design prototype products faster, according to the company. The platform allows users to create personal projects, consumer electronics and Internet of Things prototypes with no prior hardware experience.

Engadget[^]:

Speaking to a packed exhibit hall, Edward Snowden said the keys to protecting the public from government surveillance is encryption and civilian oversight. The world's most famous whistleblower has said it before, but reiterated it for the SXSW crowd, that end-to-end encryption would go a long way towards protecting user data from both spying and attackers.

Techcrunch[^]:

It looks like the rise of the “as a service” model, where people can buy software, platform access, security and more from a cloud-based provider for a fixed term, may have spawned its Damien: cybercrime as a service.

Computerworld[^]:

Labor data shows says that Feb. was a strong month for IT hiring, though it's still not at early 2013 levels

Infoworld[^]:

Fraunhofer Institute researchers are demonstrating three tools for securing mobile apps from development through to deployment

BBC[^]:

There was a time when computer games didn't have graphics. Or at least they couldn't have graphics and sound at the same time. They certainly couldn't have graphics, sound and enough content to keep even a human being amused for more than a few minutes. So they had text.

The Next Web[^]:

Google today launched the Google Apps Referral Program in the US and Canada. The referral program lets you share Google Apps with other businesses, and pocket a $15 bonus for each new user that signs up.

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By the way, they're charging money for this API!

What mistakes does this API make, then?
1. Passwords are stored in plain text.
2. The app can see all users it has registered, without any clear reason.
3. The key is sent over the network.
4. The API can return plain text passwords, for no clear reason.
5. The data is all sent in plain text.
6. There is no concept of auth/deauth for the app - it always has access to users it registered.