Hasta La Gadget!

If you are one who cares about connectivity’s security, then this might pique your interest. Kaymera Technologies is a security services company based in Herzliya, Israel, and has recently created and launched an all-in-one, holistic mobile cyber defense solution.

According to Avi Rosen, Kaymera CEO and co-founder, its ‘designed to defend against all types of advanced mobile cyber-attacks, hostile takeovers and applications misuse, and served in a usable and seamless form factor to ensure the perfect balance between security and usability and enable end user’s standard smartphone experience with maximum functionality,”

Currently, Samsung Galaxy S5 or Nexus 5 are the two models of smartphones which could be ‘flashes’ by Kaymera to supersede its own version of Android. There are already plans in line that it would support the LG-G3 in the near future. The Kaymera 360, as the solution is named, comes with four layers of security: encryption, protection, prevention and detection.

“One part of our secret sauce is that we provide military-grade security, while providing an experience as simple as any commercial device,” COO, Oded Zehavi says.

It’s Kaymera intention to use existing branded phones rather than to commission a brand new device, knowing of course that the users usually want a brand they are more familiar with.

With voice encryption users of the solution can only talk securely to other Kaymera users. A program set in the solution also enables users to dial into a secure portal, which then carries an unencrypted voice call and can only be retrieved by the targeted receiver.

Voice calls work via 3G and require 5-10 KBs with a minimal bandwidth for the secure VoIP session. The software is adaptive with its CODEC which can also work in low bandwidth situation. The system will check the network bandwidth whenever you trigger a call, notifying the user if a secure call can be initiated. If not it will fall back to an unsecure mode over GSM. There is also integrated encrypted messaging: immediate messaging, secure attachment-sharing and time-limited, self-destructing messages. Unlike Blackphone, the VPN is always on.

The security uses a PKI cryptosystem stored in a hardware-protected keystore. The robust encryption framework leverages 2048-bit RSA and a cryptosystem with AES 256-bit symmetric session keys.

And if the bottom line is reach, like if the user is under physically threat, user can type in a distress PIN which will lock the phone and summon

If all else fails and the phone user is physically attacked, he or she can type in a distress PIN that will lock the phone and summon necessary help.

Kaymera Mobile Security Is Now Available For Samsung S5 and Nexus 5 , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

Last year, Korg set out to recreate the Arp Odyssey, a legendary synth that went out of production back in 1981. How does the result sound? Pretty darn good!

Read more…

Mitchell Cohen of the Century Foundation has a strong piece at the Boston Globe calling on Democrats not to participate in incumbent Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech to Congress on Tuesday. He quickly gets to the heart of the matter:

To attend would both legitimize Boehner and Netanyahu’s actions but also give an explicit boost to Netanyahu’s reelection effort, which, if successful, would likely lead to the creation of a right-wing Israeli government whose values are alien to the Democratic Party.
[…]
In Israel, the notion that domestic politics is Netanyahu’s primary motivation for coming to Washington is basically taken for granted. According to one January poll, 67 percent of Israelis think Netanyahu is using the speech “to influence the election results at home.”

This is what makes the decision facing congressional Democrats that much more consequential. If one concludes that Netanyahu’s speech is basically about Israeli domestic politics — and Congress is being used as a political prop — attending the joint session takes on a very different meaning: Simply sitting in the House chamber to hear Netanyahu would be the equivalent of cutting a campaign ad for his reelection.

The question of the hour is: which Congressional Democrats will decline to participate in cutting a campaign ad for Netanyahu’s reelection?

CNN reports that 33 Democrats have said that they will not attend.

David Price of North Carolina has said that he will not attend. At this writing he is not yet reflected in the CNN list.

Politico reported on Feb. 11 that Hank Johnson of Georgia was not going. He is not on the CNN list. Constituents of Johnson have reported to Just Foreign Policy that his office told them he was not attending.

Then, of course, there is Vice-President Biden. Why wouldn’t we count Biden? He’s the President of the Senate.

So, at this writing, 36 Democrats are “out of the closet” in saying that they will not participate in Netanyahu’s reelection ad.

You can urge your own Senators and Representative not to participate in Netanyahu’s reelection ad here.

It’s the buzz around town these days… branding.

And no, I’m not talking about a college tattoo fad or something that you might see on a herd of cattle, I’m talking about the same thing the top exec’s at Apple, Google, Red Bull, Zappos and, one of my local San Diego favorites, Rubios strategize about in their corporate boardrooms. (By the way, have you noticed Rubios now calls themselves Rubios Fresh Mexican Grill? That’s branding my friends.)

You may be saying, “Yeah, but branding has no effect on my life.” And to that I would say “Let’s reconsider.” Here’s why:

Branding is everywhere, it’s pervasive. It even works its way into your wardrobe, onto your bathroom sink, into your cupboards and into the hands & hearts of your kiddo’s. Take a quick glance into your bathroom vanity — behind the mirrored door — and notice the brands that fill the shelves. Did you see them on TV? Read an ad in a magazine about them? Hear about their fabulous results from a trusted friend? Or did just like the way the packaging looked at the store when you were trying to make a choice between a hundred different types of hair gel or body lotion? Now check your closet. See any logos? Names sewn into your polo shirts? (Oops there’s a brand right there!)

Okay, I’m being a bit silly, but the truth is, branding is serious strategic business. A good brand doesn’t just happen, it’s developed with careful focus, deep insightful thinking and lots of creative gusto.

The 10 Vital Things Branding Can Do for You (And Your Business)

1. Great brands build expectations.

Have you ever known someone that was connected to a particular kind of beer? Pizza? Sneaker? Golf club? Or tech device? It’s not just about the performance of the “thing” — it’s about the expectation of performance. When you buy (fill in the blank) golf clubs and spend $2000 more than another set, it’s because you truly believe you will have a competitive advantage (or at least look like you do. And face it my friends, appearance is 9/10th’s of the brain-game.)

Bottom Line: You pay more, because you expect to gain more, and the same goes for business. Who strives to be the low price, generic option?

2. Great Brands build relationships, and connect the people that invest in them.

Brands are connectors. People who love a certain sports team, will feel more inclined to high five someone cheering for the same team.. it’s human nature.

In business, brands build repeat business, an adoring audience, and raving fans.

People feel deeply connected to the brands they know, trust, and love. Many will drive to a special store that carries the special brand they are looking for, visit the hair salon that’s a longer drive from their home because of the smiling face that’s waiting for them when they arrive, or stay at the same hotel chain for business travel because it feels comfortable, and maybe they get loyalty points for staying there too (yes, that’s also brand building).

3. A strong brand creates a roadmap for organizational success.

A clear brand statement provides a roadmap with checkpoints along the way for refreshment. Think of this part of your brand as a long journey that’s been planned for months (or even years) in advance of jumping into the car. You have many of your hotel reservations made, some of the restaurant meals scheduled, and some sightseeing spots targeted along your route.

Of course there’s always room for spontaneous side-trips and stops at the world’s largest ball of twine exhibit, but you know your final destination, and you have a timeframe for arrival.

Key point: you must have a definitive time-based goal.

In business, this roadmap provides a checkpoint for the executive team to measure success, progress and points of improvement. It assures that each member of the team understands where they are heading, where they’ve been, and at what point they’ve reached their goal. It also helps employees feel deeply connected to why they come to work every day. Connecting with the “big picture” of where the company is headed — and why it’s going in the direction it is — will be the gas in the engine of the car!

4. Great brands are culture creators.

At one of the many networking events I go to, I overheard a company owner say that, “they needed a culture because they didn’t have one.” To this, I would say, he absolutely has a culture, but it is so devoid of life, passion, direction and clear vision (or roadmap) that not only is it not helping his company, it could actually be de-valuing his company each day.

Culture is not an ambiguous thing. It’s like a magnet — one side attracts and the other repels. If you think that your company doesn’t have a culture, then you could very well be sending the message that you are checked out as an owner or managing executive. In business, many times you will see a large shift in culture when there’s a “shake up” in the management or executive team. The new team wants to create a sense of connection, collaboration, teamwork, employee acknowledgement and overall purpose. A clear brand tells your staff how to succeed, how to participate in meeting the company’s goals and how to be a great ambassador of your company.

5. Resilient brands move with the times, but not too much.

Brand confusion is something you want to avoid. Too much testing, tweaking and revamping will confuse your audience of new & repeat customers. Stay true to the core of your brand message Remember my example of Rubio’s at the beginning of this article? Although they tweaked their name, their logo, font, color scheme and most of the favorite menu offerings remained the same. Rubio’s increased their brand value, and now attract a new generation of customers as opposed to losing their long-time fans.

6. People are brands too.. Yes, you are a brand whether you think so or not.

I could write a whole book about personal branding, but for the purpose of this article, we will stick with this one important concept: you are creating a personal brand each and every day.

First, second and hundredth impressions matter. People want to understand who you are, they want to feel that you are consistent, dependable and aligned with the brand of your company. Whether you wear purple from head to toe (because it’s the color of your logo), or you dress like an artistic gypsy. I have a friend who does this.. large flowers in her hair, amazing hand-made jewelry and long flowing skirts. Her business is creating gorgeous custom made pieces of art. For her brand, she is completely in alignment with what people would expect a creative genius to look like.

Bottom Line: You are a brand ambassador for yourself as well as your company.

7. Good brands are interesting, but fantastic brands are viral

It’s critical to stand apart from the crowd in today’s global market. Be bold with the personality of your brand. Be unique. Create your own “voice” for the company and make sure it is evident in everything from your employee manual to your product packaging. In business, this is where you can have a lot of fun with interior design and branding of your space. Go beyond logos and paint colors and embrace unique, creative and innovative items that speak visually for your brand. Hint: This is where a great interior design firm can really make a big impact!

8. Great brands build wealth.

A strong brand builds value far beyond your asset list. The Google and Amazon brands far exceed the value of their furniture, equipment, property and warehouses. The brands have created a lifeblood of their own, and far exceed any balance sheet value.

Consider this: as a business owner, wouldn’t you want to attract a top dollar investor, or purchaser of your business when you get ready to seek funding or sell the business? Looking like a succesful, up to date business who’s invested in it’s culture is key and your corporate design and branding will matter a great deal.

9. Great brands attract, retain & inspire the most talented staff.

There is a reason that the Business Journal has a feature award each year called ‘The Best Places to Work’. High value corporations strive to be named on this list because they know it will help to attract and retain the best and brightest staff, which in turn, will further the company’s goals of success.

Bottom line: People value feeling valued.. they like being treated like a company cares about who they are, what makes them comfortable and many dream about working for a company that actually makes their work environment an inspiring place to be for a large part of their lifetime.

10. Memorable brands generate referrals

People rave about great experiences. Listen to a group of ladies at lunch and you will overhear them chatting about their great experience at the hair salon, the vendor who saved the day buy fixing their garage door on a weekend, or the Real Estate agent who went above & beyond by recommending a home organizing service that transformed their cluttered garage full of boxes into a place of order and beauty. When you become a memorable brand, people will be happy to let their friends, social media connections, and Yelpers know what a great experience they’ve had.

At San Diego Office Design we relish in the challenge of creating and extending the power of great business brands into the spaces where people work, socialize, eat and perform their jobs each and every day. We believe it all starts where you and your employees spend 8, 10 or (god forbid) 12 hours a day working to make it happen in your office.

From my perspective, your team members and employees are your best ambassadors of your brand, great vehicles of your company’s vision, and when you really think about it, the soldiers guarding your investment into the company you’ve built. Do you really want to risk a “who care’s” attitude? I don’t.

This blogger graduated from Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses program. Goldman Sachs is a partner of the What Is Working: Small Businesses section.

Meryl Streep’s daughters just upped their awesome factor, which means a lot considering, well, their mom is Meryl Streep.

Mamie, Louisa and Grace Gummer are the stars of cool-girl brand & Other Stories’ Co-Lab collection campaign, which includes bags and accessories designed by Clare Vivier. These three are the definition of effortless beauty and look more like they are hanging out than posing for an ad (in the best way possible.)

This is the second collaboration between & Other Stories and Vivier. A release from the brand explains why it was a natural fit. “Her collection is sophisticated yet bold, bringing a piece of that elusive and charming California essence to our customers,” Creative Director Sara Hidén Bengtsson said.

That essence can also be attributed to the Gummer sisters, who Vivier calls in a release her “dream customers. Creative, hardworking, stylish, city girls.”

The collection debuts March 5th both in stores and online, so don’t be surprised when you see way more people walking around with fanny packs come spring.