With processors getting speedier and password-hacking software freely available on the web, the 8-letter password may soon be obsolete. Georgia Tech researchers used graphics cards to crack 8-character passwords in two hours; divining 12-character passwords, by contrast, would have taken more than 17,000 years. The researchers say any password shorter than a dozen characters could soon be vulnerable.

launching on sat - aug 28 at le printemps is new york loves printemps, a collab pop-up store with new york-based cfda and entirely dedicated to the big apple. fifteen of the organization’s members have designed tees inspired by the new york-paris theme, and these are available in a limited-edition of only 80 each. additionally there’ll be a range of related paraphernalia on sale.

participating designers include marc jacobs, peter som, ashley + mary-kate olson, sigerson morisson and devi kroell. what’s more? for new york brand coach, paris-based creative collective 9ème will spice up le printemps‘ eleven shop windows with scratch paper and they’ll do a live in-store art performance on tue - aug 30. pop-up store location: 64 boulevard haussmann, level -1

celebrating its 50th anniversary, the 3m company [probably best known across the planet for its post-it adhesion memo], launches a pop-up concept store today [11am] at a top location on bustling omotesando dori. simply dubbed 3m store, it measures a sizeable 237 sqm. spread over two floors, and is set up to showcase both the company as a modern lifestyle brand and many of its innovative products.

Visitors at the Coca Cola Village Amusement Park in Israel got a taste of Facebook in the real world when they were handed RFID-enabled Facebook bracelets. These bracelets allowed people to login into their Facebook accounts and then “like” the various attractions and recreational activities in the amusement park that would show up on their Facebook profiles. And since “tagging” is a big feature in Facebook, all the visitors had to do was flash their bracelets when the resident photographer takes their photo which would auto-tag them in the uploaded image on Facebook.

There's an often said statistics that shoppers make 75% of their buying decisions in-store. Not so much according to McKinsey:

In China, the battle for the consumer is often won — and lost — not in factories or on television screens, but on store floors. As many as 45% of Chinese consumers make purchase decisions in real time, inside shops, according to surveys we have conducted, compared to just 24% in the US. Moreover, 56% of Chinese consumers told us that the information they get at retail outlets is essential to make up their minds while only 41% feel the same way about TV advertising.

Last night in NYC, Target staged a pretty impressive fashion event called The Kaleidoscopic Fashion Spectacular at the Standard Hotel. The retailer installed dynamic LED lights into each of the 155 rooms on the south facade. Over 60 dancers outfitted with items from Target’s new fall clothing line preformed to a synchronized music program. From the ground, the light show looked pretty insane and the Standard served as a perfect foundation for the show. Especially with the hotel’s history of exhibitionism.

Opening Ceremony—the beloved boutique with outposts in New York, Tokyo, and Los Angeles—will kick off Fashion’s Night Out in the highest of style at New York City’s Ace Hotel with a French flea market staged in the lobby. The pop-up market, modeled in part after the Les Puces de Saint Ouen in Paris, will boast booths full of exclusive items from Alexander Wang, Agnès B., Band of Outsiders, Joseph Altuzarra, Patrik Ervell, Proenza Schouler, Rodarte—and more. Inside tip: Don’t be surprised if you see the designers manning their own booths.

What do hipsters, dinosaurs, and Bill Murray have in common? They all play important roles in Jurassic Park Slope.

One of the latest fascinating side projects of transmedia experts Caitlin Burns and Steele Filipek, Jurassic Park Slope is “an interactive transmedia experience that combines an smart phone application portal with film, social media components, narrative blogs, location based unlockable material, and live events.”

Thus far, Jurassic Park Slope can be attributed with amusing tweets, shares, posts, offline meetings, and even the plastering of Williamsburg with fliers entreating Bill Murray to accept a role in the Jurassic Park Slope movie (not to mention a blog and phone line dedicated to the task). Confused? Don’t be. Caitlin Burns was kind enough to sit down with us and break it down:

The new Adidas Runbase effectively turns the whole city into a gym. Runners can drop into the ‘base’ before work, rent one of the 248 lockers provided, borrow cutting edge Adidas equipment shoes and clothing, and then hit the streets. Adidas Runbase also features 16 shower cubicles, so Tokyoites can freshen up after their run before heading to work or wherever their day may take them.

For six weeks, a group of people have been engaged in an unusual project in Bedford-Stuyvesant that they are calling the Brooklyn Free Store, where everything is available for the taking and nothing is for sale.

There's a Google Maps in the comments to see the journey.

Evolving from its original concept as a community lounge for sewing and socializing, Thread Den has become a destination for supporters of Australian-made clothing and vintage fashion.

Playfully blending a 1950s housewife vibe with modern DIY craft culture, the street-level retail front features a curated selection of over 50 local independent designers and vintage clothes while the upstairs studio is reserved for crafting classes and sewing machine hire.

Classes are a mix of basic skills, project classes and master classes with well-known vintage-inspired and bespoke designers. Thread Den also hosts a bimonthly apparel and accessories market where students and emerging labels can showcase their wares.