A total of three key documents – checks for pizza, coffee and a pair of jeans – provided sufficient information in order to distinguish a transaction credit card belonging to a particular person from operations millions of others.

The results of research carried out at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and published in the journal Science, along with other works demonstrate that in the case of a careful analysis of the data sets, which seem at first glance anonymous, actually can not provide complete privacy. “If we talk about the metadata of credit cards, even a very small amount of information is sufficient to uniquely identify a person,” – said one of the study’s authors, Yves-Alexandre de Montjoie.

Together with his colleagues analyzed the transaction Montjoie credit card issued by one of the major banks. Within three months, 1.1 million bank customers made purchases of 10 thousand. Shops.

Researchers have tried to figure out how much data they need to select the transaction of any one particular person from the crowd. In this case, the data did not have any names, addresses, e-mail and other personal information.

In 90% of cases, the researchers were able to name the buyer, guided by information about the place of the commission of four purchases. Adding to them pricing information – such as sales receipts – allowed the identification of a person for only three transactions.

A placement in Instagram photos in which you drink coffee with friends, or tweet about just bought the phone provides identification of even one check.

“From a scientific point of view, the main task here is to analyze the behavior – said Montjoie. – Comparison of the actions of a single person with the behavior of other people end up unambiguously identify it. “

The researchers did not attempt to identify any particular person, and determined how much data is needed on average to narrow the range of transactions to a single buyer.

“We did not set a goal to find a particular person,” – said Montjoie.

Recent studies complement the work carried out Montjoie in 2013 and showed that the four sets of data, including information about the place and time, in 95% of cases it is sufficient to highlight the cell phone calls of a single person from the mass of other calls.

Studies have shown inconsistency rules of anonymity dictated by regulatory authorities today. It is believed that the removal of these personal data (such as names, addresses and e-mail) gives people protection of confidentiality, but in fact it is not.

“Our study shows that this is not enough to prevent identification,” – said Montjoie.

In another definition of the anonymity offered by the European Union, requires the impossibility of identifying the person under any circumstances.

“To ensure compliance with this condition is very difficult – admits Montjoie. – In addition, excessive data cleaning can prevent their useful, for example, to study the habits of consumers or estimates of inflation. People should be aware of the potential risk identification. I do not think that someday we will be able to protect yourself 100%, but this should strive. “

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In their latest products Hewlett-Packard has experimented with a lot of three-dimensional images and augmented reality, and now some of these technologies is planned to move to the plates and laptop computers.

According to the manufacturer the PC on its mobile devices can handle three-dimensional images with their subsequent withdrawal of the 3D-printer. This feature is already supported by monoblock Sprout, and in the near future HP will a number of relevant mobile products.

“Our laptops and tablets will support the functions that carry augmented reality technology in real-world applications, – the general manager of the PC and HP printers Ron Coughlin. – Immersive developments appear in different segments, on devices of different sizes and in different usage models.”

Futuristic computer HP Sprout helps to imagine how would look desktops in a few years. With the help of three-dimensional camera Intel 3D RealSense monoblock Sprout scans the item, then the image is processed in a special touch panel Touch Mat, and the resulting object is displayed on the 3D-printer. In early January at the Consumer Electronics Show CES in Las Vegas, HP unveiled a new monitor “virtual reality» Zvr with a diagonal of 23.6 inches, the screen displays the three-dimensional projection. Images can be moved, scaled and rotated with the stylus, without touching the screen.

Developing Sprout and monitor Zvr, HP came out on the next turn of the spiral development of three-dimensional technology and its new products are closely related to the growing direction of 3D-printing.

“With Sprout and immersive technologies you create a virtual three-dimensional objects, and then turn them into real, printing out the 3D-printer” – said Coughlin.

The transition from Sprout to the plates will be carried out using the software Workspace, which allows to obtain shared access to three-dimensional images and perform various manipulations on them. Workspace layer is implemented on top of Windows 8.1.

“We want to build immersive environments in a wide range of products belonging to different price ranges – said Coughlin. – The ability to capture and modification of three-dimensional objects on the PC will be one of the driving forces behind the further development of our business, 3D-printing. “

HP intends to actively promote innovative solutions and after separation on the company’s HP Inc., which will deal with PCs and printers, and Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, specializing in the supply of hardware and software for corporate clients.

TVs and displays to generate three-dimensional images have been around for many years, but the growth of their popularity prevents the need for special glasses. However, three-dimensional technology continues to improve. For example, the new tablet Dell Venue 8 7000, equipped with a 3D-camera Intel, able to measure the distance between objects. In Intel’s hope that in the future their 3D-camera can recognize objects and capture the mood of the people.

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Posts that Samsung offers for $ 7.5 billion. Buy the company BlackBerry possible only rumors, but such a deal would make sense for both parties.

About the alleged negotiations between top executives of the two companies reported agency Reuters, on that BlackBerry, and Samsung responded immediately refuted. But once mighty Canadian manufacturer of mobile devices, may indeed need the buyer, if he does not survive the current period of transition, and Samsung could draw a lot of benefits of BlackBerry security technology and its links to the corporate world.

“It’s easy to understand why the Samsung might find such a deal is very attractive,” – said Charles King, an analyst at Pund-It.

The main asset of this BlackBerry security and secure data centers in a number of countries. Trusting the reputation of high security devices BlackBerry, they are used by the US president and members of numerous government and military structures. In Samsung also paid tribute to the development BlackBerry, in November promising to allow the use of smartphones and tablets Galaxy platform BlackBerry Enterprise Server 12.

Association with Samsung would be consistent with the long-term strategy BlackBerry. Although the company is still selling smartphones in the future it plans to expand the business through software and services for businesses, said Avi Gringart, an analyst at Current Analysis. Most software BlackBerry products already support multiple platforms, including Android and iOS.

“Absolutely not be surprised if sooner or later completely stop selling BlackBerry smartphones,” – said Gringart. According to him, the development of the company in the field of mobile security, management and messaging could be a good addition to the Samsung smartphone platform and security Knox. In Samsung also could get Internet access is to a considerable number of large corporate clients that work with BlackBerry.

In addition, the BlackBerry is actively explore the market for Internet of Things, a high interest in that exhibit and Samsung. BlackBerry QNX operating system used in many cars, including infotainment platform, Ford Sync, as well as in industrial environments. As for Samsung, its development in the field of the Internet of Things is still mainly refers to the home technology.

But with the purchase of BlackBerry and associated risks. Has changed a lot in recent years, the company can not be of interest to customers with new software products and services with payment depending on the number of users, said Gringart.

According to King, the result of combining Samaung and BlackBerry may be more intense competition for mobile enterprise with the tandem of Apple and IBM. Under an agreement between the latest Apple mobile platforms used in conjunction with IBM applications and systems analysis of Big Data; for Apple objective of this partnership – the expansion of the number of corporate clients. This deal has already begun to bear fruit.

“Over time, I think, Apple and IBM will be able to start very effectively compete with BlackBerry», – the analyst added.

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Researchers at Harvard University have announced 3D-printer that can be used as consumables as thermoplastic and highly conductive silver ink that can be printed on it various electronic devices.

Printer sales company will Voxel8, which was founded by Jennifer Lewis, a professor of the Institute Wyss School of Biologically Inspired Engineering, founded at Harvard University.

The company employs Voxel8 mechanical engineers, software developers and experts in materials. All of them graduated from Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The basis of the management team are graduates of the Harvard Business School.

Voxel8 maintains partnerships with Autodesk and uses computer-aided design system for creating electronic circuits, which are then printed on 3D-printer.

Voxel8 – is not the first company that manufactures printed circuit boards for 3D-printer. Last year a group of graduate students at Stanford University designed a special prefix for 3D-printer by which the board placed against the die, which allows you to quickly create working electronic prototypes.

Head of 3D-printers, developed by Stanford University and dubbed Rabbit Proto, designed for different versions of printer RepRap.

3D-Voxel8 printer can print special inks which dry at room temperature, while maintaining electrical conductivity.

After applying a layer of thermoplastic material on which is disposed an electronic circuit, the machine stops printing processor for installation. After the resumption of the processor is integrated into the electronic circuit.

Pre-orders for the developer kit accepted starting January 6. The retail price of the printer will be 9 thousand. USD.

Printer to print electronic circuits equipped with two heads – Thermoplastic and electrically conductive ink. In Development Kit includes a desktop 3D-printer for printing electronic circuits, conductive ink cartridges, a filament of thermoplastic PLA, as well as software for modeling and support.

Ultimately, Voxel8 plan to bring to market a wide range of functional materials and advanced platform for print, allow you to customize the working components.

Voxel8 already received funding from two venture capital funds and won the technological competition MassChallenge, which brought her another 50 thousand. Dollars.

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