INTERNET PROTEST

GROUPS Will Fight Back FEBRUARY 11TH 2014

   

INTERNET PROTEST GROUPS, news websites and user webpages are clubbing together to fight mass surveillance next week on 11 February.

The protestors are uniting under the "Day We Fight Back" banner, and include the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Demand Progress, Mozilla, Reddit, environmental activist group Greenpeace and websites like Boingboing.

The groups are uniting to protest after seven odd months of US National Security Agency (NSA) revelations on the anniversary of persecuted internet activist Aaron Schwartz's passing. The campaign launched in January and now, in the final preparation stages, the protestors are asking more people to participate.

"Today the greatest threat to a free internet, and broader free society, is the National Security Agency's mass spying regime," said David Segal, executive director of Demand Progress. "If Aaron were alive he'd be on the front lines, fighting back against these practices that undermine our ability to engage with each other as genuinely free human beings."

Not participating is Wikileaks, a website that has some common ground with the protestors. However, according to a blog post on the Fight Back website, discussions with Wikipedia have failed to meet on that common ground, and it appears that the organisation will not be participating.

The Day We Fight Back group has posted an open letter to Wikipedia trying to change its mind.

"We believe Wikipedia should take part because the project and its crucial mission are threatened by the mass surveillance we now face, and because Wikipedia's participation can have a meaningful impact," it said.

"Wikipedia provides access to material that might be considered subversive, that challenges authority structures, that cuts against what one can learn from government propaganda or mainstream media sources. It is precisely the people who engage in the editing and reading of this sort of material who are the most likely to be chilled - and the most likely to be noticed by the surveillance regime. In other words, the people that Wikipedia most needs to reach are the ones whose freedom is being most threatened."

On the day of action the websites and their users will put out messages and questions about the NSA and surveillance. Internet users are asked to take part by using supportive avatars and sharing memes and tools and passion. 

Beware! Malicious

 major website ads lead to ransomware

Malicious advertisements on domains belonging to Disney, Facebook, The Guardian newspaper and others are leading people to malware that encrypts a computer's files until a ransom is paid, Cisco Systems has found.

The finding comes shortly after technology companies and U.S. law enforcement banded together in a large operation to shut down a botnet that distributed online banking malware and so-called "ransomware," a highly profitable scam that has surged over the last year.

Cisco's investigation unraveled a technically complex and highly effective way for infecting large number of computers with ransomware, which it described in detail on its blog.

"It really is insidious," said Levi Gundert, a former Secret Service agent and now a technical lead for threat research and analysis at Cisco, in a phone interview Friday.

Cisco has a product called Cloud Web Security (CWS) which monitors its customers web surfing and reports if they are browsing to suspected malicious domains. CWS monitors billions of web page requests a day, Gundert said.

The company noticed that it was blocking requests to 90 domains, many of those WordPress sites, for more than 17 percent of its CWS customers, he said.

Further investigation showed that many of the CWS users were ending up on those domains after viewing advertisements on high-traffic domains such as "apps.facebook.com," "awkwardfamilyphotos.com," "theguardian.co.uk" and "go.com," a Disney property, among many others.

Certain advertisements that appeared on those domains, however, had been tampered with. If clicked, they redirected victims to one of the 90 domains.

The style of attack, known as "malvertising," has long been a problem. Advertising networks have taken steps to try and detect malicious advertisements placed on their network, but the security checks aren't foolproof.

Occasionally, bad advertisements slip in, which are shown on a vast array of websites that have signed up with the network or its affiliates. The websites where the ads appear are often unaware they're being abused.

"It goes to show that malvertising is a real problem," Gundert said. "People expect when they go to a Tier 1 website that it is a trustworthy place to visit, but because there are so many third-party external links, that's not really true."

The 90 domains the malicious advertisements pushed traffic to had also been hacked, Gundert said. In the case of the WordPress sites, it appears the attackers used brute-force attacks -- which involves guessing login credentials -- to access the site's control panels. Then, an exploit kit called Rig was inserted, which attacked the victim's computer, Gundert said.

The Rig exploit kit, first spotted in April by Kahu Security, checks if users are running an unpatched version of Flash, Java or the Silverlight multimedia program. If someone's computer isn't patched, "you're instantly exploited," Gundert said.

In the next stage of the attack, a ransomware program called "Cryptowall," a relative of the infamous Cryptolocker malware, is installed. It encrypts the user's files, demanding a ransom. In another sign of the operation's sophistication, the website where users can pay the ransom is a hidden website that uses The Onion Router, or the TOR network.

To navigate to a TOR hidden website, a user must have TOR installed, which Cryptowall helpfully provides instructions for how to install. Those who delay paying the ransom find it increases as time passes.

Because of the use of TOR and the technically complex attack chain, Cisco hasn't yet been able to identify a group behind the attacks.

Gundert said it is likely that several groups or people with different skills -- such as malvertising, traffic redirection, exploit writing and ransomware campaigns -- are working together.

"You could have a threat actor putting together all of these pieces on their own, but there are so many different specialties involved in this attack chain," he said.

Google Plans Low-Cost, High Quality Wi-Fi Networks For Small- And Medium-Sized Businesses, Report Says

Google is apparently planning to offers subsidized, commercial-grade Wi-Fi hardware to small and medium-sized businesses, The Information reports, alongside software to help greatly improve the quality of the Wi-Fi experience at places like doctors’ offices, restaurants, gyms and more. The hardware would be the only cost involved, as it would use the businesses’ existing Internet connections, unlike the Google-provided Wi-Fi networks running at Starbucks businesses across the U.S.

The plan is to get better Wi-Fi in the hands of these businesses in order to get more users working on Google apps and services, which ultimately means more customers spending more time engaging with Google’s money-making products, even when they’re away from their usual home and work Wi-Fi networks. This is the same team behind Google Fiber, the search giant’s high-speed net and TV service, which is being trialled in select markets across the U.S., The Information reports.

A key feature of said network would be that it could remember a user based on their Google account login, and set them up on any other Google-controlled Wi-Fi network anywhere in the world automatically. This so-called Hotspot 2.0 feature would help in terms of clearing up the onerous task of signing in to new networks every single time. And for Google, it means getting users more friction-free access to their Google accounts and services, which has obvious benefits in terms of its ad recommendation engines and products.

Google ultimately wants to blanket the world in connectivity, because that’s the best way for it to grow its user base and get its products in front of as many people as possible. The company announced its acquisition of Titan Aerospace last month, which helps with its ambitious Project Loon – bringing Internet connections to remote corners of the globe. This SMB Wi-Fi project isn’t quite as fantastic in scale, but if real, it has the same aim: make it so as many people as possible can use Google products as much as possible, as often as possible, as easily as possible.

Finally, Someone Is Disrupting The Towel

Showering is great, I’m a big fan. But drying off? Laaaaammmmmeeee. All that towelling, it’s enough to make you need another shower, am I right? New York-based startup The Body Dryer realizes this, and they’ve created a device to help you skip the towel and get dry a better way.

The Body Dryer dries you from the ground up, using a device that resembles a bathroom scale but that shoots air up to rid your body of all that excess water. The whole point of the thing is supposed to be to get rid of bacteria that can accumulate and grow on towels, which are apparently a breeding ground for that kind of thing (who knew).

The Body Dryer uses forced “ionized air” which can be set to blow either hot or cold, and the company wants to make them not only for home use, but also for commercial installations in gyms and other high traffic shower zones. At retail, this thing is supposedly going to sell for $250, but backers can secure a pre-order for just $125 while the Indiegogo campaign is going on. Already $30,000 of the $50,000 the company needs to hit production has been raised.

I didn’t include the video up top like I normally do for these projects because it includes the shameless use of scantily-clad women, which is completely unnecessary and frankly a bit stupid, but I still really do want to stop using towels and lighten my laundry load, despite any questionable marketing choices the company may have made.

As for drying time, the project’s creators claim around 30 seconds from start to finish, though this will vary slightly depending on your height – shorter people will dry faster, as they’re closer to the source of the outgoing air. Shipping on the devices is expected to take place in September, and so long as Dyson doesn’t come up with a competitor in the meantime, color me interested.

You can now 3D print your own Sesame Street toys thanks to MakerBot

We first learned of MakerBot's Digital Shop plans back at CES, and now the 3D printing outfit has announced its first licensing agreement: Sesame Street. That's right folks, starting today, you can download the requisite files needed to print your own Mr. Snuffleupagus, with more characters making their debuts in the months to come. This particular option prints in just under three hours and only deducts $1.29 from your bank account. The downside? Snuffy's source files are only compatible with the Replicator 2 and fifth-generation Replicator -- according to the online shop's specs. It shouldn't be a surprise that characters from Sesame Street are the first available here as MakerBot CEO Bre Pettis used to work for Jim Henson's Creature Shop. "3D printing is like having an engineering education in a box, but with Sesame Street, it has a playful and familiar twist," Pettis said.

Wikileaks: US government recording every call from Afghanistan

When The Intercept revealed mass NSA "full-take" call recording in the Bahamas and other nations, it declined to name another, sensitive country, citing US concerns about violence. Now Wikileaks has claimed that the nation in question is Afghanistan and said the NSA is bluffing about any possible danger to folks there. In the Wikileaks blog, Julian Assange said that the US has made such statements before and it has never seen any evidence of increased violence following leaks. On the other hand, it's easy to see why the US government wouldn't want such information public, given its war against terrorists in Afghanistan. But Assange countered that the press has no obligation to protect a country like the US if it engages in "ongoing crimes" against an entire nation. He added that's especially true when such calls are sometimes used to target drone strikes, which often kill innocent civilians. The US government has yet to comment on the matter.

Paralyzed teen to kick World Cup's first ball with mind-controlled exoskeleton

This year's World Cup could be host to something more exciting than a bicycle kick scoring the winning goal. Thanks to an international collaboration between universities such as Colorado State University, The Technical University of Munich and Duke University, a paralyzed teen is set to open the sporting event by kicking a football while wearing a motorized exoskeleton controlled by his or her brain. Colorado State University in particular recently published a video of its portion of the Walk Again Project, describing just how the mind-control helmet was 3D-printed layer-by-layer in order to fit the wearer's head and connect the electrodes. Take a peek after the break to see the video in question, which also offers a fascinating look into how advances in robotics and 3D printing can improve people's lives. Which is a hell of a lot more entertaining than watching Nigel de Jong roughing up Xabi Alonso again.

 

​Marbel's electric skateboard doesn't look like an electric skateboard

 

 

Big wheels, heavy motors and enormous batteries: electric skateboards certainly have a type. It doesn't have to be that way -- the latest motorized deck to hit Kickstarter almostlooks like a normal longboard. The Marbel Board claims to be the world's lightest electric skateboard, weighing in at 9.9 pounds. That's lighter than the Boosted Board or ZBoard for sure, but its weight loss cuts into the vehicle's battery life: Marbel slows down after 10 miles of city travel, about half the range of its nearest competitors.

It may not take you as far on a charge, but the board promises to shine in other ways: it's capable of exceeding 20 mph, and its top speed can be customized (via a companion app) to a level the rider is comfortable with. It's made of strong stuff, too -- the deck is a unibody construction built from carbon fiber and Kevlar layers; it's waterproof. A new ride will set you back $1,199, unless you score an early bird model. Check out the board's Kickstarter page for more details.

Human 'suspended animation' trials to start this month

The researchers behind it don't want to call it suspended animation, but it's the most conventional way to explain it. The world's first humans trials will start at the UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh, with 10 patients whose injuries would otherwise be fatal to operate on. A team of surgeons will remove the patient's blood, replacing it with a chilled saline solution that would cool the body, slowing down bodily functions and delaying death from blood loss. According to Dr. Samuel Tisherman, talking to New Scientist: "We are suspending life, but we don't like to call it suspended animation because it sounds like science fiction... we call it emergency preservation and resuscitation."

Successful tests on pigs were achieved in 2000. After inducing fatal cuts, scientists were able to drop the body temperatures by around 10 degrees celsius. All the control pigs died, while those 'preserved" had a 90 percent survival rate - after some heart restarts. Like these trials, the technique is currently only useful for emergency procedures after severe injuries, situations with a survival rate of only seven percent. Funding for part of the project has come from the US Army, and the idea apparently came from the Vietnam War, wheremilitary surgeons noted that the leading cause of death was blood loss in the first 5 to 20 minutes after injury, even though roughly a third of the soldiers had wounds that would have been survivable in a typical emergency room. Science fiction-like suspended animation is still a way off: this preservation state can apparently only be prolonged for around four hours. Not nearly enough for an intergalactic journey, but possibly enough to save lives.

                   Smart Kitchen TV

smart kitchen TV is a concept design thet merges LG Electronics smart TV and projector technology.it brings home the smart media technology that transforms a typical dead zone to a digital information and media hub.

• smart kitchen TV provides a large TV screen with a minimal installation area.
• it uses a small pico projector module.
• its functional controls work with a motion sensing camera and voice recognition technology .
• the darker area beneath wall-hung kitchen cabinets in an ideal spot for projecting the screen.
• the projector can rotate by 180 degrees, allowing the 'screen' to appear on various surfaces.

A New Form of SLR

This new body design by manuel Prada takes inspiration from ancient telescopic instruments,a commentary on searching for the right picture-that perfect frame.All the mechanics fit inside a barrel optimizing it for one-handed operated.Thismakes it easier to hold steady removing the need for optical stabilization and even tripods.

 Now take issue,i'm an amateur photographer and based on thisdesign i can alresdy point out a few flaws.The best optical quality comes from the least amount of moving parts and this one looks like it has a boatload with all those rings.part of being an SLR is being able to adapt or create your environment by the use of interchangeable lenses-but having a flash that close to thr iris only serves to distort the image .


its a interesting design thet could be fruitful provided the right technologies come along to overcome its shortcomings but until then,SLR's aren't going to chenge in form for a long time.

Benefits of a waterproof mobile device exposed in a Sony infographic

As part of marketing activities for its waterproof mobile devices, Sony released an infographic to highlight the usefulness of this capability.

According to the numbers they got, every year more than 250,000 people search Google for information about water damaged phones. So, this is obviously a serious problem and Sony hopes you’ll choose one of their phones or tablets to make sure your phone will keep working even if its accidentally damaged by water.

As a reminder, both the Xperia Z2 and Xperia Z2 Tablet are waterproof and dust-resistant… Here’s that infographic; and if you need a bigger version, you can download it from here.

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Exercise guide apps and progress trackers

Mobile fitness apps are great for one who benefits from keeping track exercise routines. These apps usually have a set of exercises lined up for a workout or training route that you can follow.

Some apps come with video demonstrations whilst others only include diagrams and instructions. Progress trackers are suited to those who engage in one type of sport such as running or cycling and want to track some exercise parameters such as distance and time spent for each and the total time of their exercise regime so far.

Seven offers you a 7-minute high intensity exercise routine which is meant to be done on a daily basis. The iOS app has a reminder function so that you slot 7 minutes of exercise into your day.

As a free app, it’s good for those who are experiencing commitment issues with exercise. However, it only offers one routine to start and unlocks another routine after 2 months. There is also an (also free) Android equivalent here.

Daily free workouts offer a variety of ab, arm, cardio, bum and leg exercises that are mixed together to form a workout the length of your choice. There is also a full version of the app which is ad free and offers more exercises.

Map My Fitness is an activity tracker which can track a variety of activities (including walking and running) and a variety of exercise components such as calories, distance, time, route, pace, etc.

The only caveat is that you have to create a free account onwww.mapmyfitness.com. A paid version of the app will disable ads and enable more sophisticated tracking parameters such as heart rate data (when you have a compatible heart rate monitor), customized audio coaching and live location sharing and tracking.

However, feel free to browse your app store’s Health and Fitness category as there are still a lot of free and paid exercise apps out there.

Digital tools to help whip your body into shape

Technology has crept into almost every single aspect of our lives these days and fitness is no exception. With summer season coming up in a couple of weeks, here are some digital tools to help whip your body into shape.

Online classes (live and on demand)

Online classes are basically live or pre-recorded video classes which you can access from home. These are great exercise options if travel is inconvenient, one is on holiday or has to stay at home for an extended amount of time

This option also suits corporate busy bees and start up workaholics who can never seem to find the time to go and work out as online classes have 10 to 15 minute workouts on demand. All you would need is a laptop or tablet, a mat, and related exercise equipment (e.g. chair, dumbbells, etc.)

For some live classes, your device would need to have a camera and Internet connection so that the instructor can see you, and it has to be positioned where it shows your full body.

Gymcube offers on-demand and live gym classes with a timetable similar to that of a gym. The site boast a variety of workouts for men and women from weight training, yoga, cardio to latin aerobics.

However, the live classes are only one-way, so you would see the instructor but they won’t see you. The service offers a free 10-day trial and a monthly membership option.

Fitness Blender offers free full length workouts similar to those you can find in the gym. The workouts are of varying lengths and styles with the aim to tone and lose fat.

Workouts include yoga/stretch, pilates, barre, cardio, strength training, etc. The site also offers an 8-week exercise and meal plan for fat loss and toning, profits which go directly into funding more free videos for viewers.

Sleek technique offers ballet inspired exercise routines with both live and on demand options. Its on demand classes range from 10 to 30 minutes and focus on different areas of the body and cater to differing skill levels.

The live classes have 30, 45 and 55-minute options with different levels of ability. Live classes are also only limited to a certain number of students per class so that the instructor can see the form of all students on the screen and give corrections accordingly – and yes, you can do this via an iPad!

Note that all classes are held in UK time although international students are welcome to join. Upon registration, you’re treated to a free 15-minute on demand barre workout and classed as a pay as you go member. Monthly membership options are also available.

Barre3 provides online on demand workouts which have 10, 30, 40 and 60-minute options. Barre3 workouts include a signature 3-step sequence which delivers a balanced, total-body workout that one can do anytime, anywhere. All movements are low-impact and designed to burn fat, build muscle and break through plateaus.

There are also workouts especially tailored for pre-natal or postnatal women. Barre3 features a 28-day workout challenge and a 7-day body blast challenge if you want to follow a workout routine. Barre3 also has a mobile app which features various 10 minute routines for on the go consumption and physical studios in various parts of the US.

There are one or two free videos on the site but a subscription is the way to go.

How long ’til nightfall? Let SunSet Timer for Android tell you.

If  you’re a stickler for sunsets, you might like SunSet Timer for Android.

Using GPS to access your location, thus bypassing the need for an internet connection, SunSet Timer does exactly what it says on the box. Walkers, bikers, runners or, indeed, anyone who needs to be home before it gets dark can use this app to ensure they don’t get caught out.

    

You can also set a reminder alarm in advance to ensure you’re home before dark, or perhaps find a great vantage point to take some photos. It’s just a shame there isn’t a widget here to pin the timer to your homescreen.

SunSet Timer costs $1 or your local currency equivalent.

Google Drive for iOS gets a 4-digit passcode lock, but loses support for document editing

Google today updated Google Drive for iOS with an optional passcode lock. The feature means you can now protect your documents with a 4-digit code. You can download the new version now directly from Apple’s App Store.

Unfortunately, the update also strips out support for document editing. When you tap the pencil icon, you’re presented with a “Trying to edit?” splash screen that prompts you to download the new dedicated Google Docs and Sheets apps for iOS, which arrived yesterday. If you have the apps, you’ll be redirected to the correct one, but it looks like Google Drive itself is now just a viewing app once again.

It’s odd the Google Drive app for Android hasn’t received the same update. We assume it’s coming soon – if it shows up, you’ll be able to get it directly fromGoogle Play.

See also – Google Drive gets an activity stream for tracking every action taken on shared files and folders and Google Drive for iOS gets multiple account support, single sign-in, printing via Google Cloud Print and AirPrint

Samsung’s Galaxy K Zoom smartphone packs a 20 megapixel camera and 10x zoom lens

The tablet market is still growing, but at a much slower rate. Q1 2014 saw 50.4 million units ship worldwide, up from 48.6 million the same quarter last year. Apple’s iPad once again took first place, although it dropped to 32.5 percent market share, while Samsung maintained second place by growing its share to 22.3 percent. Asus held steady in third place at 5 percent share, followed by Lenovo seeing big gains to 4.1 percent and Amazon falling to 1.9 percent.

The latest estimates come from IDC, which says the tablet market grew just 3.9 percent year-over-year. In short, the iPad’s loss was more or less equivalent to the gain for Android tablets (IDC briefly mentioned Windows tablets to say their share remains small but they are gaining traction):

Apple’s share losses are due to continued success from competitors both large and small, causing it to “only” ship 16.4 million tablets in the quarter. The company does far better with tablets during the holiday quarter, the last one being its most successful on record.

On the Android side, Samsung once again secured silver with shipments of about 11.2 million units, growing by more than 5 percentage points. Asus shipped 2.5 million units during the quarter, Lenovo shipped 2.1 million units, and Amazon rounded out the top five with 1 million units.

While these figures are based on preliminary data, it’s worth noting that the slowing growth we saw at the end of 2013 continues into this year. In other words, it looks like the tablet market is starting to mature.

“The rise of large-screen phones and consumers who are holding on to their existing tablets for ever longer periods of time were both contributing factors to a weaker-than-anticipated quarter for tablets and 2-in-1s,” IDC Research Director Tom Mainelli said in a statement. “In addition, commercial growth has not been robust enough to offset the slowing of consumer shipments.”

Companies will have to get even more vicious to win over consumers this year. As we’ve noted before, the push for cheaper and cheaper devices with more and more features will likely push some players out of the game.

Samsung’s Galaxy K Zoom smartphone packs a 20 megapixel camera and 10x zoom lens

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Samsung made the leap into high-end camera smartphones when it launched the Galaxy S4 Zoom last year, and now it is adding to that range after it announced the Galaxy K Zoom, a smartphone that sports a 10x optical zoom and 20.7 megapixel BSI CMOS sensor.

The K Zoom (Samsung says K stands for for ‘Kamera’) is much like a Galaxy S5 in many ways. It has the same look — phone on one side, camera on the other — and includes a 4.8 inch HD Super AMOLED display and Android KitKat, but it packs significantly boosted photo features.

Aside from the two aforementioned headline features, the handset includes an Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS) that helps with low-light conditions and stabilizing scenes with movement, and a Xenon Flash which Samsung says provides a more natural light for shooting imagery than an LED alternative.

New features in the K Zoom include Auto Focus/Auto Expsure (AF/AE) separation which helps balance light and clarity, a ‘pro suggest mode’ which serves up filters, and a ‘Selfie Alarm’ which is basically a timer for taking your photo using the front-facing camera.

There’s no word on price or launch date for the device as yet. When it does become available, you’ll be able to get hold of it in white, charcoal black and electric blue.

Snapchat adds IM and video calls, but messages will disappear when you leave a conversation

snapchat has been somewhat out of the limelight of late, but now the company that rejected a $3 billion offer from Facebook has introduced two new features for its users: private messaging and video calls.

“Until today, we felt that Snapchat was missing an important part of conversation: presence. There’s nothing like knowing you have the full attention of your friend while you’re chatting. We could not be more thrilled to announce Chat,” the company writes in a blog post.

To chat with a friend you simply swipe right on their name in your inbox and a chat window is pulled up. Messages are kept ephemeral, however, since they are deleted when the chat screen is closed. That said, either party can either tap to save or take a screenshot to keep information, such as addresses or to-list items, permanently.

The update hasn’t arrived in the App Store or Google Play yet, but when it does it will give the company’s estimated 40 million users a new way to connect that is much like other messaging apps, but with a Snapchat (ephemeral) twist.

Snapchat is by no means the first, or last, ap to add messaging. Instagram introduced its own private chat feature last December, while fellow video app Vine followed suit last month. Twitter’s Direct Message feature was almost hidden away from users as the company focused on monetizing timelines, but it last year it added photo support and made DMs prominent inside its mobile app and Web service.

Facebook, on the other hand, has taken a different approach. It is removing private messaging from its main app, putting the focus on its standalone Facebook Messenger service instead — not to mention that it also acquired WhatsApp in a deal that could be worth as much as $19 billion.

➤ Snapchat for iOS | Android