Event Industry News: Google, you’ve been hacked.

July 22, 2013

Google, you’ve been hacked: Google Glass can be utilized in myriad ways, especially for event planners. Feeding event information and up-to-the-minute updates and reminders via Glass could be both effective and budget-friendly. Event planners could easily keep tabs on their entire event. Guests can capture photos, stream live tweets, Instagram and Vine videos and even scan promotions into their devices… or could they? 

An article from Forbes reports: “Researchers at the security firm Lookout Mobile say they developed an attack last spring that could compromise Google’s device when the user merely took a photo that captured a malicious QR code, the square graphic labels often used to link smartphone users to websites and by Google Glass to set up the headset’s Wifi connections.”

Prior to the hack discovery, Google Glass automatically scanned QR codes whenever a person’s device was facing one. When Glass scanned a malicious QR code, it crashed their entire device or relinquished data without the user’s knowledge. The issue has been fixed (QR codes will no longer be automatically scanned) and Google is working to prevent other forms of hacking. Other flukes will inevitability arise but considering that Google tackled and conquered the QR bug within two weeks of the discovery, it shouldn’t be a dire problem.

Cooking in the air: Airplane food is nothing to drool over… yet. In an effort to enhance fine dining for their passengers, Delta Airlines, along with Food & Wine Magazine, is hosting The Cabin Pressure Cook-Off contest. Four renowned chefs will compete against one another for a spot on Delta’s culinary team.  The contest will be filmed over the course of four episodes and will be aired on both Delta and Food & Wine Magazine’s websites and social media channels, and during Delta flights.

Social medium: The Video Music Awards (VMAs) is an event targeted to every (aspiring or otherwise) hip, young music enthusiast in the nation. As such, the show announced the nominees via Vine and Instagram, skipping over the traditional media outlets.

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