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Sharemind Spy Tech Keeps Satellites Safe

A new program funded by the United States Department of Defense allows nations and private companies to keep satellites safe in orbit, without bumping into each other with potential disastrous effects. The program is called Sharemind and uses the revolutionary concept of shared multi-party computation.

The project is developed by Estonian software company Cybernetica and funded by the DoD’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency with $700,000. The program is unique in that it will be able to prevent satellites from crashing into each other without having to reveal their location. Developers hope to avoid events such as the one in 2009, when the privately-owned U.S. satellite Iridium 33 collided with a Kosmos 2251 of the Russian military, destroying both satellites.

The computation system Sharemind is based on allows multiple users to look at secret satellite location data without having to decrypt it. The Estonian computer scientist behind the spy tech project, Dan Bogdanov, explained that Sharemind acts like a computer that does not actually see or understand the data it processes. Unlike current computer programs, the Sharemind project can work with encrypted data.

Shared multi-party computation is relatively new and has been used more for academic purposes than for actual applications, but Sharemind is likely to make the technique more popular. The concept could be used successfully for various applications, such as compiling and analyzing financial and investment information, and allowing retailers to learn more about customers and their needs without having to reveal their identity.

A researcher with the University of Virginia is trying to apply the concept to a project aimed at developing personalized medical treatments based on genomic date, without the patients having to share their information with their insurer or drug company.

In turn, Cybernetica is planning to make available Sharemind to several Estonian government agencies to share and analyze data about citizens’ education, income and the unemployment rate while keeping their personal information private, with an end goal of aiding access to social services.

[Image via Discovery News]

The post Sharemind Spy Tech Keeps Satellites Safe appeared first on TechBeat.

via TechBeat http://techbeat.com/2013/04/sharemind-spy-tech-keeps-satellites-safe/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sharemind-spy-tech-keeps-satellites-safe

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Happy birthday Campus London. You’ve grown up so fast.

Just over 12 months ago, Campus London opened its doors to the young, upcoming London tech startup community. I’d like to think we always knew it would succeed, but I don’t think any of us expected the level of engagement and enthusiasm we’ve seen in year one.

In just 365 days of operation, Campus now has more than 10,000 members, permanently houses more than 100 young companies and has hosted more than 850 events, attracting more than 60,000 guests through the door. From individual entrepreneurs looking to explore their back-of-a-napkin idea to global venture fund managers, there’s something for everyone in the London tech scene at Campus, and the vibe is electric.







We asked Campus members to provide their feedback and outlook on year one, and their response has been overwhelmingly positive. Campus-based companies are growing and creating jobs. One in four are already looking to find bigger office spaces to house their growing teams. We’ve also seen that the success of the London technology startup community as a whole has mirrored that of Campus.



Campus members are younger than the average Tech City entrepreneur, and with initiatives like Women@Campus, increasingly more female entrepreneurs are signing up. Campus is also truly international, with 22 nationalities working, interacting and attending the many mentoring sessions and classes we and our Google volunteers run every day.

Looking ahead to the next year and beyond, we’re offering even more: more globally-acclaimed speakers, a new Campus EDU education programme offering mentorship from Googlers, inspirational talks from thought leaders like Guy Kawasaki, Eric Schmidt and Jimmy Wales, and a curriculum of classes to develop the skills young startups need to build successful businesses.



Google started as a two-person startup in a garage in California. We’re looking to provide the best possible garage to our 10,000 members every day. And so far, all indicators show that Campus is one of the most exciting places in the world for technological innovation.



Posted by Eze Vidra, Head of Campus



via The Official Google Blog http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/happy-birthday-campus-london-youve.html

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