9/11's (and Google's) effect on technology

Marketplace had a great piece today on Alessandro Acquisti's work on his Face Matching Algorithms of Dooooom. As in, he takes a photo of the NPR interviewer with his iPhone, and it immediately pulls up everything about the guy.

From a technological perspective it's all fascinating, but from a privacy perspective it's downright terrifying. This is all reflects a lack of citizen and governmental understanding of data. You share some information with your grocery store, get a frequent shopper card, you don't realize how this data is being brokered, merged, sold, to countless numbers of people. Furthermore, a photo you post with some friends at a party, even if you don't tag it-- all you need is one identifiable photo (Driver's license registry?), and BOOM, there it is.

Add this to fraudulent SSL certificates running amok, and I really feel like we're up a creek.

This is a great time to become a security researcher. Grad students, forget all those other CS topics - do security. Or systems. Or both! There are plenty of important problems that need solving ASAP.

We're on QVC!

Last month we had a visit from the QVC team to come and shoot our very own Kit Heath in his natural habitat. Being a quintessential British summer day it was pouring, how delightful!

Kit running away from the sea

QVC assured us they can do great things with wizardry cinematography and were unconcerned about the grizzly day, so in true British tradition we donned our macs and ventured out into the changeable conditions! 

Kits holiday home

True to form, it didn't stop Kit from showing QVC what it was that has inspired him to become one of the UK's leading jewellery designers.

Kit in his garden

Is that Sun as well as surf?!

It was all shot in a few different locations, Kits back garden as well as the stunningly dramatic Saunton Sands, which was also the location for the Robbie Williams video for Angels...

Tune in on Tuesday 13th September at 9pm Freeview 16, Virgin TV 740 or Freesat 800 for an opportunity to meet our Creative Director Yasmin Moss live. Yasmin will be giving a further insights and will be showing a few special pieces of jewellery from our collection.