Author Archives: talgolan

Tal Golan – Patent Application Portfolio

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I’ve spent the better part of my adult live engaged as an entrepreneur in what most people would consider very “hi-tech” pursuits. There is no question that I am extremely proud of the depth and breadth of what I’ve accomplished thus far, however, I am particularly proud of the technologies I’ve invented. The following are the patent applications I’ve written, each of which is currently working it’s way through the USPTO. 

GLOBAL EMAIL ADDRESS REPUTATION SYSTEM
(http://x.nd.io/gears-patent)
United States Patent Application 20100082758
Inventor: Golan, Tal (Irvine, CA, US)

Abstract

Systems and methods of filtering received messages to discard unsolicited messages using Silverlist filters and combinations of Silverlist filters and other types of filters are disclosed. In many embodiments, an appliance remote from a mail server is used to filter messages using at least a Silverlist filter prior to forwarding messages to the mail server. In a number of embodiments, a mail server applies a filtering process that includes a Silverlist filter and a challenge response filter. One embodiment of the invention includes a plurality of mail servers configured to maintain user mail accounts from which electronic mail messages can be exchanged via a network, a plurality of mail processing units connected to the network, where each mail processing unit acts as a gateway for at least one of the mail servers that filters incoming electronic mail messages, a global address reputation server connected to a global address reputation database and configured to communicate with the mail processing units via the network. In addition, at least one of the mail processing units is configured to track events associated with the filtering of electronic mail messages and forward tracked event information to the global address reputation server, the global address reputation server is configured to store event information received from the mail processing units in the global address reputation database, the global address reputation server is configured to develop sender reputation information concerning message senders from the event information stored in the global address reputation database, the global address reputation server is configured to provide sender reputation information concerning message senders to mail processing units, and at least one of the mail processing units that receives sender reputation information from the global address reputation server is configured to utilize the sender reputation information when filtering messages based upon the message sender.

ELECTRONIC MAIL PROCESSING UNIT INCLUDING SILVERLIST FILTERING
(http://x.nd.io/silverlist-patent)
United States Patent Application 20090307320
Inventor: Golan, Tal (Irvine, CA, US) & Cameron Brown

Abstract

Systems and methods of filtering received messages to discard unsolicited messages using silverlist filters and combinations of silverlist filters and other types of filters are disclosed. In many embodiments, an appliance remote from a mail server is used to filter messages using at least a silverlist filter prior to forwarding messages to the mail server. In a number of embodiments, a mail server applies a filtering process that includes a silverlist filter and a challenge response filter. One embodiment of the method of the invention includes receiving a message envelope sent from a sender IP address, where the message envelope includes a sender address and at least one recipient address, determining the reputation of the sender IP address, allowing the message when the sender has a reputable sender IP address, irrespective of the sender and recipient addresses, and performing a test when the sender IP address has unknown reputation. In addition, the test includes issuing a temporary failure to the sender, detecting as a retry a message envelope received within a predetermined time period, where the sender and recipient addresses of the original message envelope and the received message envelope correspond, and allowing the retry message.

ELECTRONIC MAIL PROCESSING SYSTEM
(http://x.nd.io/sav-patent)
United States Patent Application 20080104181
Inventor: Golan, Tal (Irvine, CA, US)

Abstract

Systems and methods for processing electronic messages are described. One embodiment of the invention includes a message processing system connected to a network and the message processing system includes a mail processing unit connected to the network and a mail server connected to the mail processing unit. In addition, the mail processing unit is configured to apply a challenge response process to messages addressed to the at least one user and the mail server is configured to transfer electronic messages from one user to another user. In other embodiments, processes for reformatting, storing, forwarding, and encrypting electronic messages are performed.

Google Voice + Gizmo5 + Fring + iPhone/Android

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I am sure I’m not alone in my never ending quest to find the perfect telecommunications balance between convenience, cost, and functionality. It seems clear to me that we are very close to a point where simple phone calls are essentially free. Now, before I get into the details to explain the title of this post, please keep in mind that I am 100% on-board with the fact that Internet access, be it at your office, your house, or on your mobile device, costs money. This is why I wrote “essentially free.” 😉

To make this work, you are going to need to have a Google Voice account, a Gizmo5 account (recently purchased by Google), and a Fring account. (You are also going to need an iPhone or an Android capable device.) 

Step 1: Login to Google Voice and add your Gizmo5 number. It is critical that you choose “Gizmo” when you set-up your number with Google Voice. On your Gizmo5 account, make sure you DO NOT have any forwarding set-up. This caused me endless headache.

Step 2: Verify your Gizmo5 number.

Step 3: Go to Fring and install their software for your mobile device. I’ve got this working on my iPhone. While I cannot confirm, I’m sure it will also work on your Android device.

Step 4: Fire-up the Fring application on your mobile device and click the “More…” option.

Step 5: Go to “Add-ons” and choose SIP

Step 6: You will need your Gizmo5 username/password. I used my actual username, but I think your full 10-digit SIP number will work as well. In the “Proxy” field, enter proxy01.sippphone.com.

Now, make sure you keep the application running on your mobile device and try initiating a call through Google Voice, targeting your “Gizmo” number. If all goes well the Fring application will ask you to answer and, like magic, you are making a call, on your mobile device, using NO cell minutes!

I’d love it if someone with an Android device would give this a try and let me know if it works as easily as it did on my iPhone.

“Privacy” (capital ‘P’) is an ideal, very much like “Democracy” (capital ‘D’)

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Let me begin by qualifying that I am simply a Facebook user. I have no vested interest in Facebook whatsoever.

This posting is in response to all the “Facebook is evil” rhetoric I’ve been reading lately with respect to their latest changes to their “privacy policies.”

I don’t think people have their facts straight regarding how Facebook handled the change to their new privacy policy with respect to existing users. When I logged in the other day I was presented with a screen that let me know there was a new privacy policy and that I needed to review my settings. While I was given the option to “open up” everything, all of the radio “buttons” defaulted to “keep my settings as they are/were.” Needless to say, I like keeping my Facebook information limited, for the most part, to my friends, so I reviewed my settings and left everything as it was. I’m sure when someone creates a new account on Facebook the default privacy settings will be to open everything to the search engines (can you really blame them), but I’m sure even new users will be able to enforce the same restrictions I have on my account.

On the topic of privacy in general…

What really “grinds my gears” is why people get pissed off about privacy with respect to Facebook or any other on-line social network. I like using Facebook; it provides me a service that I have come to see as valuable. However, I know there are risks; not just with Facebook, but with almost any on-line social network. It seems to me that Facebook’s only responsibility is to tell me what they are doing with my information and give me the capacity to “opt-out” if I so desire. Ultimately, the responsibility to protect my privacy is my responsibility. I learned, long ago, that one should not put anything on-line, in any form, that one would not want shared with the universe. Anyone who really thinks Facebook has become evil should not only stop posting to Facebook, they should close/cancel their account entirely. After all, voyeurism would be disingenuous. I would applaud anyone who, for the sake of principle, stops using Facebook entirely. Anyone who does so should let me know. My bet… This will be a VERY SMALL list.

Perhaps I am a fool, but I’m no more worried using Facebook that I am using GMail, my iPhone, or Microsoft Exchange.

For me, “Privacy” (capital ‘P’) is an ideal, very much like “Democracy” (capital ‘D’). Conceptually, I think we all believe we would really like Privacy and Democracy. Unfortunately, neither is actually achievable in reality, and it is our individual responsibility to work to protect both; first for ourselves, then for everyone else.