United States Patent: 6173267

United States Patent	6,173,267
Cairns	January 9, 2001

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Method for product promotion

Abstract

A method for providing fulfillment in a promotional contest includes providing a card in a product package marked with an internet address and a password. The purchaser of the product contacts the internet address and inputs personal information and the password to learn if the purchaser is a winner in the contest. If the purchaser is a winner, the card is sent to the company to verify the winning status before sending the prize to the purchaser.

TiVo Awarded Patent For Password You Can’t Hack

United States Patent	7,216,235
Platt	May 8, 2007

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Drive/host locking system

Abstract

An authentication system for securing information within a disk drive to be read and written to only by a specific host computer such that it is difficult or impossible to access the drive by any system other than a designated host is disclosed. While the invention is similar in intent to a password scheme, it significantly more secure. The invention thus provides a secure environment for important information stored within a disk drive. The information can only be accessed by a host if the host can respond to random challenges asked by the disk drive. The host’s responses are generated using a cryptography chip processing a specific algorithm. This technique allows the disk drive and the host to communicate using a coded security system where attempts to break the code and choose the correct password take longer to learn than the useful life of the disk drive itself.

Search Techniques: Find your Gmail by label short names

from Lifehacker

All Gmail’s “folders” – even the Inbox, Sent Mail and unread messages – are actually labels, and you can narrow your email searches to them using the label: operator (or l: for short). The Google Operating System weblog lists more shorthand that refers to these special labels:

^b chats
^f sent mail
^i inbox
^k trash
^r draft
^s spam
^t starred messages
^u unread mail

Using these along with the l: operator, you can search for, say, all the unread messages not in your Inbox using -l:^i l:^u. Not exactly readable, but certainly succinct. —Gina Trapani

Shortcuts for Special Gmail Labels [Google Operating System]

Ask Lifehacker: Set up a filtered response in Gmail?

from Lifehacker

Dear Lifehacker,

As you are one of the biggest Gmail fans around, I was wondering if you knew of any way to create a filter in Gmail such that emails from a specified sender (or from specified senders) could be given an automatic response. I know that Gmail has a “Vacation Responder” option, but that sends replies to everyone who sends an email, or at least sends a response to everyone in your Contacts, and that just won’t work. Any ideas, oh mighty Lifehacker?

Sincerely,
Filtered Frank

Dear Frank,

First of all, thanks so much for your excellent question! We live to come up with these little workarounds. Second: there is a workaround! However, you’re going to have to roll up your sleeves and possibly break Gmail’s Terms of Service and grab a second email account. Hit the jump for how.

The solution requires that you grab yourself a second Gmail account, which is considered a no-no apparently okay in Gmail’s ToS. However, last time I checked, everyone and their cute fluffy pups has at least two Gmail addresses, so this doesn’t seem like that daunting of a move. However, don’t say we didn’t warn you!

Got your second Gmail address? Good, let’s get started. From here on out, I’ll refer to you main Gmail account as Gmail 1 and your second as Gmail 2 (could it get more complicated?).

1. Set up a filter in Gmail 1 that forwards messages to Gmail 2 that you want to send the auto-response to.
2. Head over to Gmail 2 and go to the Accounts settings tab. You need to add your Gmail 1 address to your Gmail 2 account so that Gmail 2 can send messages as Gmail 1. Then set Gmail 1 as your default account in Gmail 2. This way all messages you send from Gmail 2 will still look like they’re coming from Gmail 1.
3. Set up a Vacation responder in Gmail 2. Done!

Now when you receive a message from the sender you want to always auto-respond to, Gmail 1 will forward the message to Gmail 2, which will automatically send out your pre-defined response as though it’s coming straight from Gmail 1. As an added layer of security, I’d add the original sender’s email address to your Gmail 2 contacts and check “Only send a response to people in my Contacts” in the vacation responder. Since Gmail 2 is only for automated responses, that means it should be the only email(s) in your Contacts, and you will never send off an auto-response accidentally.

A bit convoluted, yes, but it should do exactly what you’re looking for Frank.

Hack on!
Lifehacker — Adam Pash

Everything You See Is Fake

by Fresh Pics

A video demonstrating the power of video editing.

Orgoo – The Web Email/IM Replacement

from TechCrunch by Michael Arrington

Los Angeles-based Orgoo is a new webmail service that is going to be a popular application for some users. Not only does it emulate Outlook-style desktop mail applications extremely well, it also integrates instant messaging from all of the major IM providers directly into the interface. If you are looking for a service-independent webmail/IM service, you’ll want to check this out.

If you’ve been around long enough to remember Oddpost, which launched in 2002, you’ll see similarities with Orgoo. Like Oddpost, Orgoo is an Ajax webmail service that lets users access their favorite email accounts via POP or IMAP access. Evolution of the Oddpost service stopped, however, in 2004 when it was acquired by Yahoo. Much of the Oddpost engine has now been integrated into Yahoo mail.

The key difference between Orgoo and the major Internet webmail services (Gmail, Yahoo, Live Hotmail, AOL) is that it also integrates instant messaging from all major providers.

The Orgoo interface has both email and instant messaging on the main dashboard (click on image for large view). Sign into AIM, Live Messenger, Gtalk, ICQ, Yahoo) and chat with your contacts (similar to meebo/ebuddy). You can optionally archive all IM conversations and the drop them into the same folders you use for email – a very handy way of keeping information organized. Since IM archives are saved the same way as emails, users can also forward IM conversations as emails.

Both Gmail and Yahoo offer IM integration within their webmail applications, but neither allow users to log into other third party services. Gmail allows Gtalk only, and Yahoo allows Yahoo IM only. Orgoo is service-independent and so users who have email in one place and IM in another (or use multiple services for both) will find this to be a much more useful application.

One thing I really like about Orgoo is their attention to detail. There are a number of examples of this. Users can choose from a number of visual templates and can upload avatars for emails/IM. Any address in an email or IM turns into a link that shows the address in Google Maps via a popup. They allow users to create on the fly chat rooms. And they are allowing users to record quick audio or video files and send them via email. See screen shots below for the maps and video screen shots.

Orgoo will offer users 3 GB of storage for free. The service is currently in private alpha testing with a handful of USC students only but will be expanding in the coming weeks to a larger group.

The two founders, Sean Rad (20) and Shahzad Tiwana (34) are students at USC and brought in a seasoned veteran, Michael Kantor, as CEO. The company has raised a small round of angel financing and has just 11 employees (three in California, eight in Pakistan).

There are a number of competitors out there. In addition to the webmail services mentioned above, a number of services have great service-neutral webmail services (see our coverage of Goowy). Foldera, a public company, is also a direct competitor but is yet to launch (Disclosure: I am currently on the board of directors of Foldera).

Orgoo has created a lot with a very small team and next to no financing to date. Their biggest challenge going forward won’t be getting users, but proving that their service is scalable. One of the most common complaints about webmail is speed – even Gmail and Yahoo, with unlimited resources, have a hard time keeping their services humming. If Orgoo can keep the service flying, they could become very popular very fast.