Thursday, February 27, 2014

Liverpool researchers create 'contagious' WiFi virus Researchers have created a computer virus that spreads like the common cold



WiFi virus
Researchers at the University of Liverpool have demonstrated that WiFi networks can be infected with a virus that can move through densely populated areas as efficiently as the common cold spreads between humans.
The team designed and simulated an attack by a virus, called Chameleon, and found that not only could it spread quickly between homes and businesses, but it was able to avoid detection and identify the points at which WiFi access is least protected by encryption and passwords.
Chameleon behaves like an airborne virus, travelling across the WiFi network via Access Points (APs) that connect households and businesses to WiFi networks. Areas that are more densely populated have more APs in closer proximity to each other, which meant that the virus propagated more quickly.
“When Chameleon attacked an AP it didn’t affect how it worked, but was able to collect and report the credentials of all other WiFi users who connected to it. The virus then sought out other WiFi APs that it could connect to and infect,” said Alan Marshall, Professor of Network Security at the University.
Chameleon was able to avoid detection as current virus detection systems look for viruses that are present on the internet or computers, but Chameleon is only ever present in the WiFi network.
While many APs are sufficiently encrypted and password protected, the virus simply moved on to find those which weren’t strongly protected including open access WiFi points common in locations such as coffee shops and airports.
“WiFi connections are increasingly a target for computer hackers because of well-documented security vulnerabilities, which make it difficult to detect and defend against a virus," said Professor Marshall.
“It was assumed, however, that it wasn’t possible to develop a virus that could attack WiFi networks but we demonstrated that this is possible and that it can spread quickly. We are now able to use the data generated from this study to develop a new technique to identify when an attack is likely.”
The team is now reportedly working on a product that could be installed in WiFi access points to prevent this kind of hijacking, without requiring the user to take responsibility.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

BlackBerry Tries to Bring Back That Lovin' Feelin'


BlackBerry Tries to Bring Back That Lovin' Feelin' 

Having let the parade pass it by, BlackBerry first tried to reinvent itself. That went over like a lead balloon. Now, with its customers and prospects dwindling, BlackBerry is backtracking, trying to restore the things people used to love about its products. Among them are a handful of physical buttons and a trackpad, which it's bringing back in the Q20, an upcoming BB 10 smartphone.




BlackBerry has announced new handsets and services aimed at moving the company forward as it tries to recover from a lackluster 2013.
At the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona, CEO John Chen debuted two new phones -- the Q20 and the low-cost Z3.
The Q20 offers the classic BlackBerry QWERTY keyboard and experience on BlackBerry 10. It features BlackBerry's physical Menu, Back, Send, and End buttons along with a trackpad. Last year's Q10 had the QWERTY keyboard, but neither the navigation buttons nor trackpad.
The company apparently received many complaints from customers who missed those elements of the BlackBerry experience.
"I want these customers to know that we heard them, and this new smartphone will be for them," said Chen.
The Q20 has a 3.5-inch touchscreen -- the largest display on a QWERTY BlackBerry smartphone -- a large battery, and a design including "premium materials" intended for reliability and durability.
It will be released in the second half of the year, with availability and pricing announced closer to launch.

Friday, February 14, 2014

Facebook Launches Ferry Service for Employees

Facebook has become the latest San Francisco Bay Area technology company to launch ferry service for its employees.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports (http://bit.ly/1iSDd1M) the social networking giant began chartering a 30-person water taxi Feb. 4 to take employees from San Francisco to Redwood City. The taxi is free and runs round-trip service on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Workers are then taken by bus to the company's campus a little farther south in Menlo Park.
The company told the Chronicle it is testing the ferry service for 90 days.
Google also tested ferry service for employees but abandoned the experiment last week after a month.
The ferry services come as technology companies have faced criticism for running private buses to pick up employees in San Francisco.

Here’s a List of 58 Gender Options for Facebook Users



AP facebook gender options jef 140213 16x9 608 Heres a List of 58 Gender Options for Facebook Users
Facebook introduced dozens of options for users to identify their gender today – and although the social media giant said it would not be releasing a comprehensive list, ABC News has found at least 58 so far.
Previously, users had to identify themselves as male or female. They were also given the option of not answering or keeping their gender private.
User’s can now select a “custom” gender option.
“There’s going to be a lot of people for whom this is going to mean nothing, but for the few it does impact, it means the world,” Facebook software engineer Brielle Harrison told the Associated Press. Harrison, who worked on the project, is in the process of gender transition, from male to female.
Facebook will also allow users to select between three pronouns: “him,” “her” or “their.”
The following are the 58 gender options identified by ABC News:

Facebook Users, Others React to Gender Options

Facebook announced Thursday that its 159 million U.S. users now have dozens of options for completing the gender question on their profiles. The social media giant has been working with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights groups to expand the choices beyond male and female. The result: a "custom" option that lets users pick from about 50 terms, including transsexual, androgynous and intersex.
The Associated Press asked Facebook users and others for their reactions:
Jay Brown, 35, of Maryland, changed his gender on Facebook to Trans Male on Thursday once the option became available.
"Looking at my Facebook profile, people see photos of my 3- and 5-year-olds, my love for running and that my wife had a birthday yesterday," Brown told the AP. "They saw a dad, a runner, a husband. The 'male' selection was right but it wasn't all there was to me. Today, Facebook is letting me bring more of my identity to the table."
Jeff Johnston, issues analyst for Focus on the Family, an influential national religious organization based in Colorado Springs, Colo., said just because people lobbying for the change say there are an infinite number of options, that's not true.
"Of course Facebook is entitled to manage its wildly popular site as it sees fit, but here is the bottom line: It's impossible to deny the biological reality that humanity is divided into two halves - male and female," Johnston told the AP.

Thursday, February 13, 2014

In new profile feature, Facebook offers choices for gender identity

A portrait of the Facebook logo in Ventura, California December 21, 2013. REUTERS/Eric Thayer
A portrait of the Facebook logo in Ventura, California December 21, 2013.

 For the first time, Facebook Inc is letting users of its online social network identify themselves as a gender other than male and female.
The basic user profile for members in the United States now includes a customizable category among the gender types that users must select, the world's No.1 Internet social network announced on Thursday, the day the feature became available for U.S. members using the site's English-language version.

Hackers used previously unknown Internet Explorer flaw in new attacks


A previously unknown flaw in a recent version of Microsoft Corp's Internet Explorer web browser is being used to attack Internet users, including some visitors to a major site for U.S. military veterans, researchers said Thursday.
Security firm FireEye Inc discovered the attacks against IE 10 this week, saying that hundreds or thousands of machines have been infected. It said the culprits broke into the website of U.S. Veterans of Foreign Wars and inserted a link that redirected visitors to a malicious web page that contained the infectious code in Adobe Systems Inc's Flash software.

Microsoft Windows 8 lags predecessor in first-year sales





A Microsoft Surface tablet is seen during the launch of Microsoft Windows 8 operating system in Hong Kong October 26, 2012. REUTERS/Bobby Yip
(Reuters) - Microsoft Corp's Windows 8 system has racked up more than 200 million license sales since its launch 15 months ago, according to Tami Reller, its head of marketing, lagging Windows 7 which sold 240 million within its first year.
The latest Windows 8 sales figure, announced by Reller at a Goldman Sachs technology conference on Thursday, is the first that Microsoft has made public for more than six months.
The relatively slow sales of Windows 8, and its latest incarnation Windows 8.1, reflect a steady two-year decline in personal computer sales, as smartphones and tablet sales explode. Sales of tablets are set to overtake PCs worldwide next year.

Is Microsoft rethinking its decision to build Office for iPad? Comments from the company's marketing chief suggest Microsoft may be having second thoughts

In appearances in September and October, Steve Ballmer said Microsoft would build native Office editions for iPads and Android tablets, but the company's marketing chief spoke with much less certainty when asked about this on Thursday.
At the Goldman Sachs Technology & Internet Conference, Marketing Executive Vice President Tami Reller was asked about Microsoft's willingness to "repurpose" Office for other platforms, even if this means hurting Windows' appeal.
[ InfoWorld reviews Office 2013, the best Office yet, and reveals the best office apps for your iPad. | Stay up on key Microsoft technologies in our Technology: Microsoft newsletter. ]
Microsoft must make sure its most important brands are differentiated in the market, and Windows is no exception, Reller said .
"With Windows, we're obviously spending a lot of time thinking about how do we continue to differentiate the full Windows experience," she said.
A big asset for Windows continues to be Office, she said, adding that Office is also a major franchise in its own right.
Without directly answering the specific question posed by the moderator, Reller said those types of decisions will be made on a business-by-business and product-by-product basis.
The answer is a far cry from the unequivocal comments former CEO Ballmer made several months ago, when he went so far as to say that the Office version for iPads and Android tablets would come after Microsoft delivered a touch-first version for Windows 8.
Reller's answer begs the question whether Microsoft is having second thoughts about its plan to port Office to those rival tablet devices and is back to hand-wringing mode over the dilemma of protecting Windows at the expense of liberating Office.
Many critics fault Microsoft for having taken so long to deliver a full version of Office for iPads, in particular.
Regarding Windows 8, Reller disclosed that the OS recently topped the 200 million license mark, a milestone she described as "stunning" while cautioning that Microsoft isn't relaxing its efforts and focus on the OS.
"With Windows 8 we're being very thoughtful about what's going well and with what's not going well, how do we change that?" she said.
The OS has "a lot of traction" but there is "yet a lot more work to do," she added.
Expectations for Windows 8 were sky high when it shipped in October 2012, because Microsoft designed it with a touch-optimized interface intended to improve the OS' anemic position in the tablet market.
However, that tile-based interface got very mixed reviews, especially from consumers and businesses that planned to use it primarily with keyboards and mice. Windows 8.1, an update released almost a year later, addressed many of those complaints but also came with a new set of bugs, some of them widespread and disruptive.
Right now, Microsoft is focused on making sure Windows offers an outstanding user experience across a broad variety of existing and future devices, from small tablets and smartphones all the way up to high-performance desktop PCs, Reller said.
Asked about the future of Windows RT -- the Windows 8 version for devices running on ARM chips -- Reller said Microsoft is happy with the way it's working in its Surface 2 tablets. She also said Microsoft aims to have "a world-class mobile OS."
There have been rumors in recent months that Microsoft plans to merge Windows RT and the Windows Phone OS, which today are separate products.

Wozniak to Apple: Consider building an Android phone Apple's co-founder laments BlackBerry's fall and has harsh words for Microsoft and the NSA


Wozniak to Apple: Consider building an Android phoneThough Apple sells its own wildly popular iPhone smartphone, the company might want to consider offering a phone based on the rival Google Android platform, too, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak suggested on Wednesday. "There's nothing to keep Apple out of the Android market as a secondary phone market," he said.An Android offering could supplement Apple's own iOS platform, Wozniak suggested while speaking at the Apps World conference in San Francisco. He acknowledged the rivalry between Android and iOS, even referring to Android as the "anti-iPhone" alternative to Apple. Wozniak made the suggestion of an Apple Android device when responding to a question about the fate of the faltering BlackBerry platform in which he said BlackBerry should have built an Android phone; he then said Apple could do so, too. "BlackBerry's very sad for me," Wozniak lamented. "I think it's probably too late now" for an Android-based BlackBerry phone.

The sorry state of Windows 8.1 Update 1

If you're hoping for some relief with Windows 8.1 Update 1, you're in for a not-very-pleasant surprise

How bad is Windows 8.1 Update 1? Look at it this way: Windows 8.1 Update 1 is so bad, even Paul Thurrott -- a longtime Windows 8 stalwart -- opines that "it's a mess."
To see how Microsoft's going down a blind alley with Update 1 and why defenders of the Windows faith are bailing out in unprecedented numbers, you need only to look at the latest leaked Windows 8.1 Update 1 (variously called "GDR 1" and the "2014 Update") builds to see that Microsoft's still stuck in the old Windows 8 rut, with nary a clue how to escape it -- at least, not on short notice.
I put the leaked Jan. 14 build of Update 1 under the microscope in last week's missive

Intel yearns to be the 'operating system' for big data

Intel is continuing to build out its array of software tools for the Hadoop open-source big data processing framework, with an emphasis on the security and reliability features demanded by large enterprises.
A Data Platform tools suite will become available in the next quarter as a free-of-charge but self-supported Enterprise Edition, as well as a subscription Premium Edition that provides features such as proactive security fixes, regular enhancements and live support.
Intel is competing with the companies like Hortonworks and Cloudera and others in the commercial Hadoop market. The rise of such vendors underscores the fact that Hadoop is "really at a crossroads," said Jason Fedder, general manager of channels, marketing and business operations for Intel's data center software division. Linux only took off once companies began investing in hardening its features and also "coalesced around keeping it open," he added. "The same thing's happening in the big data domain."

Monday, January 20, 2014

Dismissal of Ticket for Driving in Google glass

(CNN) -- It may have been the most anticipated traffic court date ever. Southern California resident Cecilia Abadie appeared in San Diego traffic court on Thursday for speeding and for wearing Google Glass while driving. It is considered the first time someone has been cited for wearing the face-mounted technology while driving. Commissioner John Blair threw out both charges, stating there wasn't enough evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the Google Glass was turned on at the time. It is only illegal to wear the device while driving if it is operational. Abadie was pulled over in October for speeding by the California Highway Patrol. The officer then cited her for wearing Google Glass under California vehicle code 27602, which prohibits operating a video-display in front of the driver's head rest where it can distract the driver. The law was originally drafted to keep people from watching TV while driving. Google Glass is Google's early version of a head-mounted computer display. A small square monitor sits above the right eye, just out of the normal line of vision. To view information on the display like a map or text message, the wearer must look up. Google Glass defenders claim Glass is safer to use while driving than a smartphone since it can be voice controlled and you only have to glance up to view the Glass display

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Buy Kindle Fire HD 7"

Microsoft CEO search twists and turns have cost Ballmer, Gates billions With Ford CEO Alan Mulally out of the picture, Microsoft's stock will continue to slide, predict Wall Street analysts

Computerworld - Current Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has watched $1.1 billion evaporate from the value of his company stock as the selection process for a successor has dragged on and investors have expressed disappointment in the firm's apparent turn toward an internal candidate.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Facebook Boss- Mark Zuckerberg



 Mark Zuckerberg      
  • Cofounder, Chairman and CEO, Facebook
  • Age: 29
  • Source of Wealth: Facebook, self-made
  • Residence: Palo Alto, CA
  • Country of Citizenship: United States
  • Education: Drop Out, Harvard University
  • Marital Status: Married

The 29-year old CEO and co-founder of the famous social media Facebook  has net worth of $19 B as of September , 2013- this clearly show that age does not determine impact in this world but determination and self discipline.

Hear what Powerful People(October 2013) had to say:

The hoodie-wearing CEO has over one billion "friends" but he's expanding his influence with lobbying group FWD.us, which advocates for immigration reform and technology education. Zuckerberg donated 18 million Facebook shares, worth $500 million at the time, to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation in December 2012 for education initiatives.

Also Forbes added as at September, 2013.

Mark Zuckerberg foiled doubters with a strong return to the Top 20 of The Forbes 400. Thanks to strong mobile ad growth, shares of Facebook have more than doubled in the past year, helping to erase the sting of the company's botched IPO in May 2012. The hoodie-wearing CEO expanded his influence beyond Silicon Valley with lobbying group FWD.us, which advocates for immigration reform and technology education. One of the more generous figures in tech, Zuckerberg donated 18 million Facebook shares, worth $500 million at the time, to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation in December 2012 for education initiatives.

Billonaires: March 2013 Reported:

Few CEOs of any age are under more media scrutiny than 28-year-old Mark Zuckerberg. Since taking Facebook public in May 2012, the hoodie-wearing founder has seen his net worth rise and fall with every fluctuation of the stock price, which fell under $20 in August 2012. The stock has since rebounded more than 30% as of February on confidence that Facebook may end up figuring out how to make money on mobile ads. Zuckerberg, a signatory of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett's Giving Pledge, showed his generosity during the holiday season, gifting 18 million Facebook shares to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation in December for education initiatives. Based on share prices at the time, that gift was worth nearly $500 million and was one of the largest gifts to education in 2012. Zuckerberg has also expressed his willingness to become more involved in the political sphere, hosting a re-election fundraiser with his wife Priscilla Chan for New Jersey Governor Chris Christie in February. His big early 2013 exploit was the launch of Facebook's Graph Search, which will allow users to comb their friend network based on shared interests and experiences. 

The war for mobile customers rages- AT&T offers T-Mobile customers $450 to switch





     vs      

It looks rather daunting but its true, AT&T who recently grew bigger than T-Mobile threw a mind-boggling $450 at T-Mobile's customers to switch over to AT&T .AT&T is already bigger than T-Mobile for crying out loud. But that isn't stopping Ma Bell from trying to lure T-Mobile subscribers to switch to AT&T.
CNN Money reports thus:

The war for mobile customers is heating up with AT&T making this pitch directly to T-Mobile customers: Switch to us and get $450.

It's not cash. AT&T (T, Fortune 500) is offering T-Mobile (TMUS) refugees a $200 credit per phone line, plus the chance to trade in their smartphones for up to $250.
It's the latest in the battle between AT&T and T-Mobile, the underdog that's been hounding its larger rival on every front.
With its very public "uncarrier" strategy, T-Mobile has set its sights on AT&T as well as Verizon (VZ, Fortune 500). First, T-Mobile eliminated contracts, opting instead for customers to pay lower monthly rates and buy their own phones. Then came the "Jump" program, which allows customers to upgrade phones twice a year. Then T-Mobile killed roaming fees and slashed per-minute and text charges.
AT&T is fighting back by appealing to T-Mobile customers' wallets. AT&T declined to say how long the $450 offer would last, citing competitive reasons. The company wouldn't say how many customers it expects to gain from the pitch -- or how much it would cost.
T-Mobile did not immediately respond to requests for comment. But CEO John Legere addressed rumors of the AT&T offer Thursday night on Twitter. "I guess we are making AT&T a bit nervous," he wrote.
T-Mobile is currently the fourth largest wireless company in the U.S. But it has always been viewed as a possible takeover target.
In fact, AT&T and T-Mobile agreed to a $39 billion merger in 2011 but AT&T wound up scrapping the deal once it became clear that regulators would block it. Now there is speculation that Sprint (S, Fortune 500), the nation's third largest carrier, may want to buy T-Mobile.
Shares of T-Mobile fell nearly 4% in early trading Friday. But the stock is up more than 20% in the past month due to the reports of a possible Sprint takeover. To top of page

So folks as we have seen this won't be the last we will hear of the war that rages between the two underdogs who so aggressively competes after each other.
I would you to comment on this issue and keep visiting for more updates- subscribe to my feed if need be.
thanks for visiting.

The Great African Hero- Nelson Mandela

Biography


Rolihlahla Mandela was born into the Madiba clan in Mvezo, Transkei, on July 18, 1918, to Nonqaphi Nosekeni and Nkosi Mphakanyiswa Gadla Mandela, principal counsellor to the Acting King of the Thembu people, Jongintaba Dalindyebo.
His father died when he was 12 years old (1930) and the young Rolihlahla became a ward of Jongintaba at the Great Place in Mqhekezweni. Hearing the elder’s stories of his ancestor’s valour during the wars of resistance, he dreamed also of making his own contribution to the freedom struggle of his people.
He attended primary school in Qunu where his teacher Miss Mdingane gave him the name Nelson, in accordance with the custom to give all school children “Christian” names.
He completed his Junior Certificate at Clarkebury Boarding Institute and went on to Healdtown, a Wesleyan secondary school of some repute, where he matriculated.
Nelson Mandela began his studies for a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University College of Fort Hare but did not complete the degree there as he was expelled for joining in a student protest.
He completed his BA through the University of South Africa and went back to Fort Hare for his graduation in 1943.

The Fame- Bill Gates



Bill Gates


Net Worth
$72 B As of September 2013
        • Co-Chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
        • Age: 58
        • Source of Wealth: Microsoft, self-made
        • Residence: Medina, WA
        • Country of Citizenship: United States
        • Education: Drop Out, Harvard University
        • Marital Status: Married
        • Children: 3
 Sir Bill Gates is the wealthiest man in the U.S. (and the world, for that matter) in fact as at September 2013(Just Last Year Folks!) he had a net worth of $ 72 B(that's 72 USSD folks! ).Despite past gifts of more than $28 billion to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He bolstered his foundation's efforts to eradicate polio in April, securing $335 million in pledges to the cause from six billionaire comrades, including $100 million each from Mexico's Carlos Slim and New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg. Shares of Microsoft jumped in late August on news that Steve Ballmer will step down as CEO; Gates will remain chairman of the software company. He and Warren Buffett have thus far convinced over 100 of the super rich to sign on to the Giving Pledge, a promise to donate at least half one's net worth to charity.

Below is a report by Forbes as at 2013 on Gates:

Bill Gates remains atop The Forbes 400, a perch he's held since 1994, despite giving away $28 billion, most of it to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He's also again the world's richest person, having reclaimed that title from Mexico's Carlos Slim earlier this year. Gates bolstered his foundation's efforts to eradicate polio in April, securing $335 million in pledges from six billionaire comrades, including $100 million each from Slim and Mike Bloomberg. Shares of Microsoft jumped in late August on news that Steve Ballmer will step down as CEO, but Gates will remain chairman of the software company he cofounded in 1975 with Paul Allen. His stake in Microsoft represents less than a fifth of his fortune. Gates' investment firm, Cascade, owns chunks of tractormaker Deere & Co., Canadian National Railway and Mexican Coke bottler Femsa.
Will this Monarch who is a force to be reckon with still make headlines in the year 2014 despite the various setbacks late last year? Keep visiting to find out



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