Splitsecnd is a crash detection and emergency response system. It works through a small piece of hardware that plugs into a car’s cigarette lighter. In the event of a collision, Splitsecnd automatically calls for help.

“The idea is to make it really easy to get the help you need in the event of an accident and reduce the amount of time it takes for emergency to get there,” said CEO and founder Chris Thompson in an interview with VentureBeat. “People want to make sure their grandparents, kids, and spouses have something that connects them immediately to help. An phone app is not a good solution. Built-in solutions are only available in luxury cars, and our closest competitor is OnStar, which requires professional installation. All you have to do with Splitsecnd is plug it in.”

If a serious accident occurs, a driver (or their passengers) may not be able to call for help themselves. Splitsecnd uploads the car’s location to a cellular data network and notifies a response center. Someone at the response center will assess the situation and deploy a local 911 team if necessary. The device also has a backup battery charger so it can function even if it’s expelled from the car. The team spent time doing crash tests at the University of Michigan, simulating the worst case scenario to see how Splitsecnd help up. Thompson said that the collisions made a lot of noise, but they could still hear the device making the call.

On-road safety is not only about collisions, however. During early market research for the product, Thompson discovered that most people wanted to buy Splitsecnd for someone else.

“We found that people want to buy this for people they care about,” Thompson said. “Husbands want to buy it for their wives, and wives want to buy it for their husbands. My grandparents are pretty good drivers, but they don’t really use cell phones. My grandfather had three heart attacks. If he had heart attack in the car, he can push the ‘help’ button and be connected. Splitscnd is able to take over when you may not be able to.”

The Family Finder feature monitors the safety of your loved ones in real time. This is useful for senior citizens, who may be prone to getting lost, but particularly for the parents of teenagers who want to know where their kids are.

Thompson said that shaving just a minute off response time could reduce morbidity and mortality of auto accidents by 6 percent. Furthermore, there is a wealth of possibilities in the realm of connected cars. The “Internet of Things,” and particularly of cars, are hot topics right now in the tech world. Startups and international corporations alike are taking interest in this area. Earlier this year, Cisco and NXP announced a strategic investment in Cohda Wireless, which builds hardware to make cars smarter. Intel Capital formed the Connected Car Fund a year ago, dedicating $100 million toward technology that connects cars to the web.

Splitsecnd, however, is not geared toward people who interested in hi-tech. The startup’s mission is to make heightened automobile safety accessible to people without smartphones or GPS systems, who aren’t driving luxury cars, and who may not be the most tech savvy. Thompson said the company will start with online sales only, but the plan is to grow into more traditional retail outlets, big box stores, and car dealerships. The device costs $199, with a $14.99 a month fee.

To fuel this growth, Nashville-based Splitsecnd raised $2.1 million from Tennessee Community Ventures, the INCITE co-investment fund, the Jumpstart Foundry, and a private investor.

For now, Splitsecnd is focuses on emergency response. However, the realm of machine-to-machine communication is wide and there are plenty of applications down-the-road.

Photo Credit: JasonParis/Flickr

Microsoft’s Internet Explorer can track your mouse movements anywhere on the screen, even when minimized. And Microsoft, which was informed of the massive potential security hole over two months ago, has no plans to fix it. Which means that as you explore the web, the web can explore you right back.

And this vulnerability is already being exploited by two advertising companies.

Spider.io, the ad analytics company that can tell if your site visitors are real or dream of electric sheep, found the vulnerability months ago — and notified Microsoft on October 1. The security vulnerability allows any display ad on any site to access your mouse movements — you do not have to install anything, agree to anything, or even be visiting some of the seedier alleyways of the web:

“An attacker can get access to your mouse movements simply by buying a display ad slot on any webpage you visit,” Spider.io’s Nick Johnson posted on Seclists.org, a security-related bug-tracking site. “This is not restricted to lowbrow porn and file-sharing sites. Through today’s ad exchanges, any site from YouTube to the New York Times is a possible attack vector.”

Source: Spider.io

IE security vulnerability demonstration

The vulnerability in IE versions 6-10 allows hackers to see what your mouse is doing on-screen … which could include typing personal information such as credit card numbers and passwords into virtual on-screen keyboards, a particularly timely security hole in the era of Windows 8 and its emphasis on touch and on-screen interactions.

“Indeed, the vulnerability is already being exploited by at least two display ad analytics companies across billions of webpage impressions each month,” Johnson added to the bug report. “As long as the page with the exploitative advertiser’s ad stays open—even if you push the page to a background tab or, indeed, even if you minimize Internet Explorer—your mouse cursor can be tracked across your entire display.”

If you’re using IE on a PC and want to test this, Spider.io created a live demonstration which you can use to observer the vulnerability in action. The company also created a game, “Steal from IE Users,” in which Spider.io is challenging more technically-oriented users to decipher mouse tracks to uncover 12 credit card numbers, telephone numbers, passwords, and email addresses.

One thing that is not yet clear is whether the vulnerability affects just the PC version of Internet Explorer or tablet versions — as in Surface — which would be even more likely to use virtual keyboards. I have talked to Spider.io, and will update this post as the company releases any more information.

VentureBeat has contacted Microsoft for a statement or comment and will update this story as the companyresponds.

photo credit: moiles via photopin cc

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

Halloween night is scary, and not just because the dead come back to haunt the living. People are out on the streets, drinking alcohol, wearing disguises, and the line between safe and unsafe is blurry. On this night, as on all other nights, it is important to arm yourself against dangerous situations. A startup called MyForce is offering you its protection.

MyForce is a personal security service you activate through your smartphone. After subscribing to MyForce, you fill out a profile with personal information, a physical description, and known safety issues, then download the app to your smartphone. You can activate MyForce whenever you are walking alone, encounter a potentially dangerous situation, or simply feel uncomfortable.

If something like an assault or a robbery occurs, you hit the alarm button to alert a monitoring team that you are in danger. Live agents then respond accordingly based on your profile information, GPS location, and an audio feed that relays the noise around you. In the event of an emergency situation, a police team can be dispatched to your aid immediately.

“We have all been in those situations where we are walking down the street and feel uncomfortable,” said founder Brad Zotti. “MyForce should be walking with you. People will call their parents, friends, or partners on their cell phones, but those are the situations where they should use this service. A lot of experts say talking on you mobile phone while in an unsafe environment is more dangerous because it makes you less aware of your surroundings. Also, what can that person do if something happens to you?”

Calling 911 is the obvious answer, but this approach can be insufficient. If they are being attacked, victims may not be able to communicate with the police about what is happening or their location. The benefit of a monitoring service is it already knows essential information that can mean assistance as quickly as possible.  

The inspiration for the service first came to Zotti on a college campus. He observed that a large number of female students were walking around alone at night with their phones in hand. It occurred to him that the Blue Light service, available on most college campuses, would be far more effective on mobile devices.

He began testing the product at universities but quickly saw that the demand extended further. Parents wanted to arm their children with the technology, and demand was high among women, particularly those living in cities. People whose jobs involve house calls also expressed a need, like nurses, real estate agents, technicians, and people with medical conditions.

Many early adopters of MyForce were victims of domestic violence. Zotti shared the story of a young woman with an abusive boyfriend. When they got in a heated argument one night, she opened the app on her phone and put it discreetly on the counter. A monitoring team was able to listen in on their conversation and knew that she lived with a violent partner based on her profile.

MyForce operated in beta for about 18 months and is now available for public use. Users can sign up for a 30-day free trial, after which the service costs $11.99 a month, or $9.99 a month with an annual subscription. While this price is higher than many other personal safety apps, like StaySafe, Guard My Angel, 5Star Urgent Response, LifeLine, bSafe, and StreetSafe, Zotti said the additional layer of security makes the extra money worth the investment.

“We have a professionally-trained staff around 24/7 that can handle calls that come in anytime, anywhere and make sure our users get help when they need it,” he said.

There are times when people accidentally send an alert, and for these occasions, MyForce has a cancel option. Users also set a safe word. Sometimes if the danger level of a situation is unclear, a MyForce team member will personally call your phone to check in. The safe words can be used to express need, or defuse the response.

MyForce was founded in 2010 and has raised $2 million. It is based in Denver, Colo.

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

Every two minutes, someone in the US is sexually assaulted. Globally, one in three women has been beaten or abused. And less than half of all domestic attacks are reported to the police.

If that’s the case, shouldn’t our mobile devices help make women safer?

That’s exactly what the Global Women’s Empowerment Network (GWEN) has done, launching an app for women (and men) who are victims of abuse. And last night, the organization received a Mobile Excellence Award at Digital Hollywood’s conference in Los Angeles.

The app, called GWEN Alert, lets you set up to five pre-programmed contacts — your “GWEN five” — that you can contact at a moment’s notice by pressing an emergency button. If you press the button, your contacts will be notified automatically by SMS and given your exact GPS location.

“GWEN Alert puts control back into victims’ hands, providing a real tool to those in abusive relationships,” GWEN co-founder Tess Cacciatore said in a statement. “This revolutionary new mobile app will save lives, as well as give peace of mind.”

Alternatively, the GWEN app can automatically dial a national hotline or local emergency number.

The app is free to download, and while it is currently available only for iPhone, an Android version is coming soon, a GWEN representative told me.

Hopefully, you and your loved ones will never need an app like GWEN Alert. But it’s better to have it and not need it than not have it and need it.

photo credit: Lin Pernille Photography via photopin cc

In either case, the French are developing a wallpaper for you.

By embedding silver ink and metallic fibers into the wallpaper, researchers have discovered a way to block Wi-Fi and mobile phone signals from both entering and leaving a room. As the French put it, somewhat excitedly “Si vous voulez isoler votre domicile des ondes GSM et Wi-Fi, il existe une solution !!”

Source: ShutterStock

Not exactly Metapaper …

Translated roughly, if my high-school French stands up: “if you want to insulate your home from GSM and Wi-Fi signals, there exists a solution!!”

The researchers suggest the technology, called “metapapier” or Metapaper, could be used to protect public spaces such as hospitals, restaurants, and theaters from outside interference, or even a child’s room. The wallpaper is specifically created to block GSM signals at 0.9, 1.8 and 2.1 gigahertz frequencies, which are used for mobile phones, and Wi-Fi signals at 2.45 and 5.5 gigahertz.

FM or TV signals, however, pass through unimpeded, thankfully, which means you can still watch Twilight Zone reruns.

The substance can also be embedded in other wall or floor coverings, such as gypsum board or drywall, which you would actually need to do if you were looking for a more complete security solution.

Researchers claim that Metapaper is cheaper than other solutions used for similar security and privacy purposes. I’m sure the CIA, NSA, FBI, and other three-letter agencies would be interested.

Personally, I allow anyone to use my Wi-Fi.

But, as the French say: À chacun son goût.

Image credits: NomadSoul/ShutterStock, sootra/ShutterStock

The problem is: LinkedIn isn’t telling you whether your password is at risk. The site’s news feature, LinkedIn Today, has the story (almost certainly as a result of an automated trending new algorithm), but the site itself has no warnings or means of checking.

That’s a little disappointing — not only because LinkedIn could be doing more to help its users — but also because many users (alas, I am among them) use the same password on multiple sites.

It’s stupid, it’s wrong, and it’s insecure, but we’re human. And, as VentureBeat’s own Sean Ludwig recently posted, when it comes to passwords we are all idiots.

So here’s how to check if your LinkedIn password was among the hacked accounts that are already being used to generate phishing attacks. Go to LastPass.com/linkedin:

Enter your password, and the website will tell you whether or not your password is now out in the wild. The obvious question: is it safe to give LastPass your password?

Here’s what the company says about their tool:

Only the hash of your password will be sent to LastPass.com’s servers, not your actual password. This hash will not be stored or logged at all. Please view source the page if you’re technically inclined. 

LastPass is an privately held company based in Fairfax, Virginia. Launched in 2008 by current CEO Joe Siegrist, it generally has a good reputation, and its software has been reviewed by CNet and others.

One caveat: because the search will look through all the passwords in the file, if you have a very common word or password, it will come up as compromised. For example, here’s what LastPass shows when the all-too-common password “password” is entered:

This does not mean your account is compromised, necessarily. It does mean your password is too common and should be changed. Ultimately, of course, we should all be smarter about passwords and use a tool like LastPass or 1Password to make sure we have complex and unique passwords for every single service and site we use.

Image credit: ShutterStock

Design is determining the winners in everything mobile. The most successful players are focusing on one thing: How to make products, services, and devices as compelling and delightful as possible – visually, and experientially. MobileBeat 2012, July 10-11 in San Francisco , is assembling the most elite minds to debate how UI/UX is transforming every aspect of the mobile economy, and where the opportunities lie. Register here.

Most parents don’t monitor their children’s social network activity, according to new studies from comScore and NDP.

According to the studies, about 69 percent of parents with children ages 10 to 17 are concerned with several different dangers associated with social network use. Some of those concerns include: contact from strangers, publicly displaying geo-location data, defamatory public messages and cyberbullying.

Yet, only 32 percent of those parents actually monitor their child’s social networking activities every day, while another 28 percent admitted they only occasionally, rarely or never monitor activity.

SocialShield, which will formally release the studies later today, provides an online monitoring service dedicated to helping parents keep their children safe on Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and other social networks.

“I don’t think most parents realize the difference between a social internet and the regular internet,” said SocialShield CEO George Garrick. “Facebook alone is dominating the way teens access the internet. They don’t use email, use of third-party client instant messaging applications is way down. Most parents don’t always know how to monitor this new activity (on Facebook).”

The studies were commissioned, Garrick said, because there isn’t a lot of data about the subject of parental monitoring of social networks. Due to the vast changes every major social network goes through, practices that were used for monitoring just two years ago could be insufficient or completely irrelevant by today’s standards.

Garrick said most parents believe adding their child as a friend on social networks like Facebook is a sufficient solution for monitoring their activity for harmful behavior. But since the average teenager has over 200 friends, such a task is nearly impossible.

Others take a far more relaxed approach. According to the studies, 62 percent of parents feel that occasionally looking over their child’s shoulder while on a computer in an open, family room is enough to monitor that child’s social media activity effectively. However, a large 71 percent admitted that their child also accesses the same social networks from other locations and on other devices.

Other findings from the studies include:

• 50% of parents admitted that “properly monitoring would take a lot of time and I’m sure there are things I’m not seeing.”
• 63% of parents say they frequently review who their child is adding as a friend on social networks to make sure it is only people who the child knows in real life.
• 54% of parents say they monitor their child’s social networking account by logging into the child’s account on occasion.
• Only 5% say they currently use a monitoring application that alerts them if there is something they should be aware of.

Medical-device startups are booming these days, as VCs throw money at everything from artificial spinal-disc fillers to implantable weight-control “neuromodulators” to vacuum devices that suck blood clots out of blocked vessels. (That appears to be in sharp contrast to biotech; see the most recent funding data here.) What relatively few people understand, however, is the degree to which the device industry benefits from looser regulations than those covering biotech — and how that might change if safety problems lead to changes at the FDA.

That’s exactly the sort of issue outlined in this story in today’s WSJ (subscription possibly required), which takes a close look at the faulty defibrillator leads recently recalled by their manufacturer, Medtronic. Those leads, formally known as the Sprint Fidelis 6949 (see photo above and to the left), are linked to five deaths over the past three years because the leads were likely to break and to deliver large, unexpected and sometimes fatal electric shocks to heart patients.

As it turns out, many — possibly even most — medical devices aren’t necessarily subjected to clinical trials, because they’re considered straightforward modifications of existing products. (Truly innovative devices are almost always run through such trials.) Similarly, the FDA doesn’t typically require manufacturers to conduct additional tests once devices are approved. Neither does the agency monitor reports of safety problems in a systematic way, instead relying on doctors and companies to file reports when issues crop up.

All of those factors converged in the Medtronic case to delay a final determination about safety problems with the Sprint Fidelity leads for more than six months. Although doctors at the Minneapolis Heart Institute suspected problems back in January, Medtronic didn’t recall the leads until earlier this month. The FDA played a largely passive role, relying mostly on Medtronics’ analysis of its own safety database even as other doctors raised alarms.

The remedy isn’t clear. The FDA, pushed by Congress, is starting to become somewhat more proactive about tracking and analyzing problems with devices and drugs, but its reforms are still in their infancy. Meanwhile, there’s concern — some of it legitimate — that forcing manufacturers to conduct additional clinical trials could slow the pace of innovation in the field. Should that happen, though, the device makers who have taken advantage of today’s lax rules may have no one but themselves to blame.

UPDATE: The WSJ health blog has a good summary of the WSJ story here.