Simulations

www.investopedia.com has a stock exchange simulator. It doesn't run a very complicated system as it takes all the data from the real stock market, using all the figures and values the market contains. This simulator can be used to start understanding and practicing in the stock exchange market as it treats with virtual money. Each user starts with $100.000 and can be invested in any way. It is very reliable as all the values are updated real time but the feel is not the same as the user is not earning or losing any real money.
Simulators can also be used for training methods, such as complex surgery where no mistake can me done so the doctor can see the reactions of the body. An other very common simulator is in the Formula 1 teams, where the drivers practice in a simulator to know better the track. It is much cheaper than practicing with the real car in the real circuit.
There may be some simulators that are not much real as the algorythms may not be very complex so the user will not find it useful but as time is passing by, simulators are getting much complex and the graphics are getting each time more real and at some point in the future they will be even better than real situations, so the users will find it very useful and reliable


RIGOU - SANCHEZ LOPEZ

Slave Hack

In Slavehack, we found different ways to hack remote computers, earn money, cover our tracks, prevent getting hacked or obtain information socially. These techniques actually exist in real life, and can be executed by running certain software or methods.

- Cracking passwords via Bruteforce: this can be done by using software like l0phtCrack, Dsniff or Hydra, which try multiple passwords to log into a

- DDOS attacks: A distributed denial-of-service attack. Is a way to make the attacked user’s PC’s resources unavailable. Tools to do this, tools such as DosHTTP 2.0 are available.

- Social Engineering: this method is actually developed without cracking techniques or software. It consists on tricking and manipulating people with social skills to gather confidential information, like IPs in the game. Methods like phishing, pretexting or baiting can be used

- Erasing of logs and records: This is used not to hack but to prevent being hacked. Methods to do this include, using Auditpool to disable logging, clearing log files with Winzapper, or Rootkits to hide hacker presence.

- Shoulder Surfing: this is a simple way to obtain information which consists only on standing behind the user and observe what they do.

-Firewall Bypasser/Proxy Server: This method is used to get through firewalls which prevent your IP from accessing certain pages or servers. Online tools such HideMyAss exist.

All tools are methods are possible to use, however some are harder than others.

Cracking passwords is probably the most unlikely of all: this is because most services such as web pages have limited amounts on password inputs. This gives the hacker a much smaller chance of actually getting the password and cracking the account. If this is not taken into account, hackers still need a very powerful computer to input the possible passwords very fast. The actual chance of getting the password is also incredibly small.

DDOS attacks are easier to execute than cracking passwords, but still difficult to run. Hacking knowledge is essential, although tutorials are widely available which include the tools. The attacks themselves are very feasible, as they do not require a powerful computer or luck. Social engineering is a not easy but yet simple method to obtain information. Important social skills are needed to manipulate people, especially when the importance of the classified information increases, like bank accounts or company secrets. The advantage is that no tools or software are needed. The cover of tracks is a very easy once the correct software is found, as the process is systematic. Shoulder surfing is highly improbable. Although the only specification required is to be standing or being behind the target, getting by unnoticed is really hard. Using a proxy server to bypass restriction such as MegaUpload is very easy, having to use only online pages. However, obtaining good proxy server software and different addresses to use is more difficult.

The risks and threats of hacking are various. When you are the hacker, there is a high chance of getting caught if the tracks aren’t covered, leading to legal issues and jail time. Being hacked consists on a bigger problem, as prevention is the only way to avoid it and you don’t know when to expect an attack. Important information like bank accounts, client databases, and confidential information can be exposed. An example of this is WikiLeaks, where the US government had to spend a lot of resources fixing systems and relations with other countries. 

Multimedia Search Engine

http://www.tipandtrick.net/2008/new-search-engine-with-visual-pattern-recognition-technology/
This is an article about a new technology incoming developed by Evolution Robotics using Visual Pattern Recognition. This technology is very interesting since it will allow you to find any information available by getting it emailed to you about an image you find if you want to know what it is, a new service that is currently inexistent.


http://www.technologyreview.com/communications/21384/?a=f
A face-recognition system from researchers at Carnegie Mellon. This is an interesting technology that innovates the previous works on this area by allowing for low resolution pictures as it can identify rough border and undefined edges. This 
engine can be specially useful to find criminals and identify other people.


http://www.tineye.com
TinEye is an innovation in the usual search engine technology, as it can found information about any image you upload or find on the internet and also similar others. This is very useful for when you need to know something else about a topic and you only have at your disposal an image and no relevant text.

Constructing queries

The first query we came up with was “life on other planets” because it was what the assignment told us to look for so our first instinct was to just look for those exact words in Google. The first result from this search was a Wikipedia article entitled “Extra-terrestrial life” leading us to decide on those words for our second query. On this second query one of the results contained the words “existence of aliens” which seems as a more to the point search query and more efficient for the assignment.  We then decided that searching for existence of aliens could be excluding any other possible form of life that isn’t necessarily an alien since the term can be considered in several different ways. The query we came up with then was “existence of life in another planets”.

The four final sources we decided to use consisted in being one from each query (“life on other planets”, “existence of aliens” and “existence of life on another planets”).  The sources consist of a Time article discussing the discovery of a very unusual organism on earth and the possibility of it being an extraterrestrial life form, a scientific blog on discussing the mathematical way in which we find the probability of finding life in other planets, an article compiling all the facts that support the idea of life actually existing on other planets and finally a Guardian article on a scientist’s claim of life existing on another planets. In comparison, query number 3 turned out as the most efficient due to the content of the source we found because of it (all the facts supporting the existence of life being true).  Even though as a source it may not seem reliable the information on it is known to be valid and really convinces the reader on the probability of life existing on other planets being high.

Sources

Query 4:http://www.science20.com/news_releases/the_mathematical_probability_of_life_on_other_earth_like_planets

Query 3: http://factoidz.com/best-evidence-for-existence-of-aliensufos/

Query 2: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/mar/06/nasa-scientist-evidence-extraterrestrial-life

Query 1: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2034601,00.html

Google Bombing

Google bombing is basically manipulating the search engine so the search appears in the first page and in the top of this one. Generally Google Bombs are a way to damage peoples reputation in a humorous way. 
Top 10 Google Bombings: Go to link
How to Google Bomb: Go to link

Terra 2050

The video states that by 2050 we will need 3 planets to live as today. That means that the total population of the 3 planets will be about 18 billion habitants. However www.overpopulation.com states that by that year we will be about 9 billion:

Under the UN’s medium variant scenario, world population will reach 9.1 billion in 2050. This represents a slight upward revision from more recent estimates that had worldpopulation reaching just 8.9 billion in 2050.

Another source, www.overpopulation.net/, states that:

 People that are somewhat aware of human population numbers are talking about the 8.9 billion in 2050.

Which supports the commentary above. Probably the video didn't mean that we will need 3 planets because of a lack of space. Maybe the video means that we will not have enough resources like fresh water or agricultiral products because scarcity will be present:

As a result, the amount of water available per person is expected to decline by 74 percent between 1950 and 2050

and that that agriculture will not increase:

 there is little hope for restoring growth in food output.

Other frase that the video states is that: 2/3 of the world's languages will disappear by 2050.  This quote is probably true as the source http://www.wholeearth.com/issue/2100/article/138/disappearing.languages states that

Many linguists predict that at least half of the world's 6,000 or so languages will be dead or dying by the year 2050

This statement given by the video is mostly true, because 6000 of the total languages (circa 7000) will be extinct, so more than 2/3 will extinct.
Other web site, www.bbc.co.uk says that

more than a third of the world's six thousand languages are (currently) in danger of extinction.

 So if 1/3 of the languages are currently being extinct, by the year 2050 that number will increase


With the Terra 2050 videos we can se that most of the the thoughts of the future are mainly part of one's imagination although there are a few facts that are true.


Although we are not too sure if these sources are reliable, we can still trust them because all of them agree and state almost the same facts