Geek News

Newest Smartphone Threat QR Code Malware

noreply@blogger.com (Richard M.) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:22:00 +0000

Security vendor AVG has issued a warning for smartphone users that like to scan Quick Response codes that some of these codes may contain text and URLs with hidden malware.

In its latest report, entitled AVG Community Powered Threat Q4 2011, the company warned that hackers are putting their own malicious stickers over the top of legitimate QR codes. These codes lead unsuspecting users to malicious sites or offer up downloads in the form of malicious malware. Some of the codes install malware which sends costly SMS messages to premium numbers and also redirects to a URL which downloads a malicious file.

In most cases the user does not know what lurks behind the QR code until the malware is already installed and running.

"Putting a malicious QR code sticker onto existing marketing material or replacing a website's bona fide QR code with a malicious one could be enough to trick many unsuspecting people. In Q4 we clearly saw the convergence between computers and mobile phones applies to malware too. As phones become more like computers, so do the risks,” said Yuval Ben-Itzhak, Chief Technology Officer, AVG Technologies. “Many sophisticated tricks of the trade from computers are now being repurposed for phones. However, as phones are often tied into billing systems the gains can be far greater.”

Full Q4 Threat Report: AVG_Community_Powered_Threat_Report_Q4_2011

Internet Blackout Works As Congress Shelves SOPA And PIPA Vote

noreply@blogger.com (Richard M.) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 01:17:00 +0000

The politicians behind the anti-piracy bills, SOPA And PIPA, have responded to the recent internet blackouts in protest to their legislation by indefinitely shelving their respective proposed votes.

In a brief statement, Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said "in light of recent events" that he would postpone the SOPA vote that had been scheduled for January 24. Shortly after Reid's statement Lamar Smith, the Republican chairman of the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, followed suit, saying his panel would delay action on the similar PIPA legislation until there is wider agreement on the issue at this time neither have offered details on a potential new date for the vote

"I have heard from the critics and I take seriously their concerns regarding proposed legislation to address the problem of online piracy. It is clear that we need to revisit the approach on how best to address the problem of foreign thieves that steal and sell American inventions and products," Smith said in his statement.

Does this mean SOPA and PIPA are dead? Not hardly!!

Despite his decision to postpone the current action, Reid left the door open to bringing the bill back or introducing further similar legislation. In his statement he said, "There is no reason that the legitimate issues raised by many about this bill cannot be resolved."

Clearly the fight is not over.

Major Sites Plan Blackouts In Protests Against SOPA

noreply@blogger.com (Richard M.) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:39:00 +0000

Update: You may have already noticed several major sites including Wikipedia and Craigslist have already put up their blackout pages. Many sites are choosing to add a 3-4sec splash screen type delay. Just note that doesn't mean the sites were hacked. This is a planned organized protest.

Starting at 5AM PST (8AM EST) you may notice some of your favorite websites are offline. Don't be alarmed! This is in protest to the recently proposed Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA). The protest is set to begin Jan 18th at 8AM EST and end at 8PM EST.

Several major websites including Google, Reddit, Wikipedia, BoingBoing, Imgur and Tucows, are planning a partial, if not total, blackout Wednesday to protest the controversial anti-piracy legislation being considered by Congress. According to Fight for the Future and SOPAStike, two of the groups organizing the protests, nearly 12,000 websites have said they will join the blackout. That number is still growing.

If you need to use some of your favorite sites like Wikipedia for any urgent research, make sure you do it today – come tomorrow, you’ll be clean out of luck.

So what is SOPA Anyway?

SOPA and PIPA are actually two independent pieces of legislation. SOAPA is currently being considered in the House and PIPA in the Senate. Both are designed to tackle the problem of foreign-based websites that sell pirated movies, music and other products.

The goal is to give Intellectual Property (IP) owners more tools to go after foreign sites they claim are infringing upon their IP and contributing to the theft and sale of U.S. goods, music, video and other material.

Opponents argue that the bills will give content and IP owners too much power to go after websites they decide are infringing on their rights. The argument is that while the bills are targeted only at foreign websites, there are still sections that provide for very sweepings powers that could be used against legitimate U.S. websites. Inevitably forcing then to undertake costly and impractical monitoring of their sites to ensure compliance with SOPA and PIPA.

The main issue is with DNS blacklisting. This very sticky provision would have required ISPs to prevent Americans from visiting blacklisted sites by altering the DNS service that translates site names like Google.com into IP addresses such as 174.35.23.56. Instead, for the blacklisted sites, ISPs would have to return a negative result so their customer's browsers would show that the site doesn’t exist. You could still reach the site via it's direct IP address just not by the domain name.

According to MPAA tech policy chief Paul Brigner the Motion Picture Associaton of America has conceded that DNS filtering will not be included in the anti-piracy bills now making their way through Congress. His remarks came during a debate on SOPA at the State of the Net conference in Washington DC. The event was sponsored by the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee.

Brigner's comments were echoed by Steve Tepp of the US Chamber of Congress, another major SOPA supporter. He said the DNS provisions of SOPA and PIPA have "essentially been taken off the table," as the sponsors of both bills—Rep Lamar Smith (R-TX) and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), respectively—have pledged to remove those provisions from the bill.

Many contend that while this provision was a major sticking point many of the provisions still in the bills will enable a sort of Internet censorship and prior restraint on free speech.

You can view the entire bill here (download PDF).

Related Articles:

Google Launches Android Design Site

noreply@blogger.com (Richard M.) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 23:11:00 +0000

Android developers looking for a little help will now have a new tool thanks to Google. Today the company has introduced Android Design: A site Google explains as the place to learn about principles, building blocks, and patterns for creating world-class Android user interfaces.

The site features a ton of information including advice for buildings apps with details on suggested iconography, patterns, colors, typography, and writing styles. While these are all just suggestions Google hopes that by following some of these guidelines there will be less fragmentation across the user experience and that apps that follow them will look like they belong on an Android device.

Android Developers Blog: Introducing the Android Design site

iPhone 4S Uses Twice As Much Data As Previous iPhone

noreply@blogger.com (Richard M.) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:57:00 +0000

Recent studies suggest that Apple's latest iPhone consumes nearly double the data as the previous iPhone model and even more than previous generation of the smartphone and the iPad tablets due to the increasing use of online services like Siri.

IPhone 4S users transfer on average three times more data than users of the older iPhone 3G model which was used as the benchmark in a study by telecom network technology firm Arieso. Data usage of the previous model, the iPhone 4, was only 1.6 times higher than the iPhone 3G, while iPad2 tablets consumed 2.5 times more data than the iPhone 3G, the study showed.

According to Arieso CTO Michael Flanagan the top reasons behind the growing data volume include the addition of Siri and iCloud as well as other online services.

Apple users certainly aren't alone in their higher than average data usage, but they were in the top tier of Arieso’s research. Other heavy data users include owners of Samsung's Galaxy S and S II, as well as the Nexus One and HTC Desire S. According to the reports the study showed that users of the latest RIM BlackBerry smartphones, the Curve and the Bold Touch, were amongst the lowest downloading about five times less data than iPhone 4S subscribers.

To me the numbers really aren't surprising. As you add more services and features you should expect higher than normal data usage. More and more people are using their phones to record high-definition video and images adding to higher upload volumes. While more and more of us are using our phones to browse the Internet and play music and videos adding to higher download numbers. The downside is the burden on carrier demand as well as the need for higher capacity data plans. User that use to get by with a basic limited plan may now exceed those limits or face the need for a much higher priced plan.

Update: Here is the full report

Facebook Scammers Exploit Users Wanting Their Old Facebook Back

noreply@blogger.com (Richard M.) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 03:45:00 +0000

Facebook users beware a new scam has cropped up over your dislike of the new Facebook Timeline feature and your desire to revert to the old look.

Facebook has recently given users the opportunity to update to the new Timeline feature, which by all accounts hasn't been as big a hit as they had hoped. Scammers it appears have began cashing in on the fact that many of the new users of the feature don't care for the new changes and have found a way to take advantage of this attitude.

Inside Facebook reports that "a number of scammers" are creating Facebook Pages filled with deceptive instructions which promise users the ability to go through a few steps to roll back to the old style. Unsuspecting users are seemingly unaware that the switch to Facebook's Timeline is permanent.

Among the instructions scammers are giving users are clicking various "Like" buttons, inviting friends to "like" a page, watching YouTube videos, downloading files, and so on. While some of these actions may not have terrible outcomes, many could lead to the installation and spread of malicious software and the theft of personal information.

Again users should be aware that the switch to Facebook's Timeline is permanent once you decide to try it you are stuck with it and there is no going back!

Facebook Announces 2012 Hacker Cup

noreply@blogger.com (Richard M.) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 02:40:00 +0000

Facebook is inviting programmers worldwide to try their hand at the company's annual Hacker Cup a worldwide programming competition that challenges contestants to solve increasingly difficult algorithmic problems.

"Whether we’re building a prototype for a major product like Timeline at a Hackathon, creating a smarter search algorithm, or tearing down walls at our new headquarters, we’re always hacking to find better ways to solve problems." wrote Facebook mobile engineer David Alves in a blog post announcing the contest.

The competition commences with a 72-hour Qualification Round on January 20, 2012 at 4:00 PM PT and ends on January 23, 2012 at 4:00 PM PT. All registered competitors will be presented with three problems. Every competitor who correctly solves at least one problem will advance to Online Round 1.

Online Round 1 will last 24 hours from January 28, 2012 at 10:00 AM PT and ends on January 29, 2012 at 10:00 AM PT. To advance to Online Round 2, participants must solve at least one problem correctly. If more than 500 people solve at least one problem correctly, then the top 500 participants will advance, as well as everyone else who answered the same number of questions correctly as the 500th-place contestant.

Online Round 2 will last three hours from February 4, 2012 at 1:00 PM PT and end February 4, 2012 at 4:00 PM PT. The competitors will have three hours to solve the presented problem sets. The top-scoring 100 participants from Online Round 2 will receive an official Hacker Cup t-shirt. The top-scoring 100 competitors from Online Round 2 will be notified via email that they have advanced to Online Round 3.

Online Round 3 will last three hours from February 11, 2012 at 1:00 PM PT and end February 11, 2012 at 4:00 PM PT. The 100 competitors will have three hours to solve the presented problem sets. The top-scoring 25 competitors from Online Round 3 will be notified via email that they have advanced to the final round at Facebook.

Facebook will fly the top-scoring 25 competitors to Menlo Park, California, for the final round of competition on March 17, 2012, where they'll receive some great cash prizes and other awesome goodies. Out of these 25 finalists, one champion will emerge and be immortalized on the Hacker Cup trophy. Finalists will be responsible for obtaining their own entry visa before arrival in the USA; however, Facebook will reimburse the finalist for any visa application fee and up to $100 USD in travel expenses incurred in obtaining the visa. Facebook will not reimburse any fees or expenses related to obtaining a passport.

For a look at what is in-store for the competition checkout last year's challenges.

New Scareware Targets Mobile Phone Users

noreply@blogger.com (Richard M.) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 22:45:00 +0000

A new fake antivirus suite has popped up this time targeting users of mobile operating systems like Android rather than traditional PC based OS's.

Late last week Kaspersky Lab researcher Denis Maslennikov posted details of the new threat on the Kapersky labs Securelist blog. As with traditional variants the new "scareware" or "ransomware" utilizes a replica of legitimate anti malware software to trick users into installing malicious programs that then steal private user information or encrypts hard drives and extorts money from the owner to decrypt the data.

Maslennikov says that cybercriminals are using black SEO for redirecting users to web pages which emulate AV scanning. All a user has to do is a basic Web search for some of the more popular mobile applications, such as the mobile version of the opera Web browser. The users are the redirected to scam Web sites offering "free" virus scans of mobile devices, including Android.

The website then proceeds with a fake scan of the device returning a false "positive" result. In turn encouraging the mobile device user to "activate" security protections on their device by clicking on a link in the scan results. Clicking that link downloads and installs a malicious application that Kaspersky detects as Trojan-SMS.AndroidOS.Scavir for Android. In the case of a non-Android device the user will be asked to download ‘VirusScanner.jar’: a file which is detected by us as Trojan-SMS.J2ME.Agent.ij.

When the application executes , the user is asked to press the ‘Continue’ button if he wants to launch VirusScanner with some options like ‘Turn on multi-level protection’, ‘Disable remote control of a device’ or ‘Turn on web site scanning’. But in fact after pressing ‘Continue’ this app will send SMS messages to expensive premium rate numbers.

Verizon Adding $2 Convenience Fee For One Time Online Payments

noreply@blogger.com (Richard M.) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 22:20:00 +0000

Update: Shortly after we posted this and the news hit the internet Verizon posted the following press release, announcing that customer feedback had led to a change in plans.

“At Verizon, we take great care to listen to our customers. Based on their input, we believe the best path forward is to encourage customers to take advantage of the best and most efficient options, eliminating the need to institute the fee at this time,” said Dan Mead, president and chief executive officer of Verizon Wireless in a statement.

In an age when convenience is key and online payments dominate Verizon has decided to cash in and add an extra $2 per month fee to users who pay their monthly bills online or by telephone. The fee is applicable to any users opting to make a single one time payment via the company's website or when talking with a Verizon rep, but will be waived if a customer enrolls in automatic bill pay or uses an electronic check.

Image courtesy Droid Life

The reports come via Droid Life and have not been confirmed via Verizon or any other sources at this time.

According to the report Verizon is claiming that the new "convenience fee" covers its ability to "continue to support these bill payment options". Off course they are the ones that are pushing these options because they said it was more costly to continue to provide regular mailed payments or payments through reps. So which is it Verizon, is it now more costly for you guys to process electronic payments than it is to process the old fashioned handwritten paper checks or to staff stores with more personnel to handle payments?

Hopefully Verizon changes its mind before the change goes into effect, purportedly on January 15th.

Google Music Offering Millions Of Songs For $0.49 Each

noreply@blogger.com (Richard M.) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 22:05:00 +0000

Google Music is currently running a blowout sale offering up “millions” of songs for $0.49 per track or $4.99 per album and no these aren't your mommas favorites. They are offering a ton of newer stuff as well as some good old favorites. Just from the main list I see some of today's top tracks from Eminem, Lady GaGa, Toby Keith, Coldplay, J-Lo and NIN. There are also some oldies but goodies like Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder and the Rolling Stones.

The music is all DRM-free and can be used on any device including Apple devices (iPod, iPad, etc). To download the music, you can either do a browser download (limited to 2 times) or use Google Music Manager. The nice thing is that it appears the music will always be available in your Google Music Library and you can stream it anytime and/or download it to your device.

Google says this is a limited time offer but there is no word on when it will end. For more details checkout the Google Music section of the Android Market.

The Next 5 Years In Tech According To IBM

noreply@blogger.com (Richard M.) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:15:00 +0000

Today IBM released the company's sixth annual “IBM Five in Five" (#ibm5in5) – a list of predictions of tech based products or enhancements that are going to change our lives in the next five years.

This year's list includes renewable energy for the homes user, the end of passwords through the proliferation of biometric identification to authenticate your identity, effective mind control over machines, the elimination of the digital divide and the end of spam.

The next Five in Five is based on market and societal trends as well as emerging technologies from IBM’s labs around the world that can make these transformations possible.

The efficient capture of renewable energy

IBM predicts: People power will come to life.
"Advances in renewable energy technology will allow individuals to collect this kinetic energy, which now goes to waste, and use it to help power our homes, workplaces and cities."

No more passwords

IBM predicts: You will never need a password again.
"Each person has a unique biological identity and behind all that is data. Biometric data – facial definitions, retinol scans and voice files – will be composited through software to build your DNA unique online password."

Much of this is already starting to become more mainstay. Everything from smartphone to tablets to Windows based PC are seeing more and more integration of facial recognition software.

Control machines with your mind

IBM predicts: Mind reading is no longer science fiction.
"IBM scientists are researching how to link your brain to your devices, such as a computer or a smartphone. If you just need to think about calling someone, it happens. Or you can control the cursor on a computer screen just by thinking about where you want to move it."

Researchers have been working on these devices for year and already found ways for us to control things like artificial limbs, pointer devices and some do some basic functions. Headsets exist that can monitor brain activity and map the areas associated with basic tasks. The technology is still in its infancy but they have made great strides over the past few years. Its not unreasonable to think we'll see even greater strides in the short term future.

An end to the digital divide

IBM predicts: The digital divide will cease to exist.
In our global society, growth and wealth of economies are increasingly decided by the level of access to information. And in five years, the gap between information haves and have-nots will narrow considerably due to advances in mobile technology.

Low-income, rural and some minority groups continue to lag significantly behind other U.S. groups in broadband adoption, according to a new report from the U.S. National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). In other areas of the world large groups of people are cut off from access to our ever increasingly digital world. IBM predicts that as the prices of mobile devices comes down we will see less and less of a divide between those that are connected and those that aren't.

The end of SPAM

IBM predicts: Junk mail will become priority mail.
In five years, unsolicited advertisements may feel so personalized and relevant it may seem spam is dead. At the same time, spam filters will be so precise you’ll never be bothered by unwanted sales pitches again.

IBM is not specifically predicting that we will no longer see spam mail. Rather they feel as though that mail will now be more targeted. This seem really counter intuitive to me.

Steam Holiday Sale Now Live

noreply@blogger.com (Richard M.) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 21:11:00 +0000

Valve has officially kicked off their holiday season launching the Steam Holiday Sale. Not only are there some great sales prices but gamers will get their chance to complete tasks to earn free games and other free rewards.

The sale will feature different “highlights” every day with different games going on sale. Today’s big things are Portal 2 for ~$7, Metro 2033 for $4.99 and Fable III for $12.49, among other stuff.

In addition to the highlighted games, which feature the best discounts, almost every other game Steam offers has been added to the sale with at least a minor discounted price. Here is a complete list of titles. that Steam has made available. There are also a bunch of game packs featuring all the titles from select publishers. If that doesn't get the gaming juices flowing Steam is also giving away free games.

Those free games are earned by completing a series of in-game objectives which cycle everyday until January 1st. Completing each objective either gets you a freebie off the "Great Gift Pile" or a lump of coal, seven of which can also be traded in for an actual gift. Alternatively, you could save your lumps up -- each counts as an entry into a Steam sweepstakes, the grand prize for which is every game on Steam ever. Seriously, the prize is every game listed on Steam since it went public.

Now for the bad new. Due to heavy traffic the site has been very slow all day. So be prepared for some issue with browsing and checking out!

Skype Offering Free WiFi Calling In 60 Airports December 21- 27th

noreply@blogger.com (Richard M.) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:21:00 +0000

We all know the pains of being stuck in the airport over the holiday season. All you want to do is get home to see your family but the weather has other plans. Well the team over at Skype is making it a bit easier to stay connected with your loved ones this year.

Skype is offering a free hour of Internet access to third party wireless hotspots as well as free video or voice calling over WiFi in select airports across the U.S. from December 21st thru December 27th. You can use Skype Credit as payment so there is no need to buy a day-pass from another service provider. If you've downloaded Skype on your computer or iOS device Skype WiFi is easy to use:

Sign in to Skype.
Go to Tools > Options... > Skype WiFi Access.
Tick Enable Skype WiFi Access.
Connect to a WiFi public hotspot.
In the Skype menu bar, click Tools > Skype WiFi Access.
Follow the instructions on the screen to select and join a compatible public WiFi network.

From December 21st thru December 27th free Skype WiFi will be available in the following airports:

ALB - Albany International Airport
ASE - Aspen-Pitkin County Airport
ATL - Atlanta International Airport
AUS - Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
AZO - Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport
BIL - Billings Logan International Airport
BHM - Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport
BNA - Nashville International Airport
BOS - Boston International Airport
BUF - Buffalo Niagara International Airport
BUR - Bob Hope Airport Burbank
BWI - Baltimore/Washington International Airport
CWA - Central Wisconsin Airport
DCA - Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
DEN - Denver Int'l Airport - Concourse B Mezzanine
DRO - Durango La Plata County Airport
DSM - Des Moines International Airport
DTW - Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
ELP - El Paso International Airport
EWR - Newark Liberty International Airport
GEG - Spokane Airport
GRR - Gerald R. Ford International Airport
GSO - Piedmont Triad International Airport
HOU - Houston William P Hobby Airport
IAD - Dulles International Airport
IAH - George Bush Intercontinental/Houston Airport
IND - Indianapolis International Airport
JAC - Jackson Hole Airport
JFK - John F. Kennedy International Airport
JNU - Juneau International Airport
LGA - LaGuardia International Airport - Central Terminal
MBS - MBS International Airport Terminal 1
MDW - Chicago Midway Airport
MEM - Memphis International Airport
MIA - Miami International Airport
MKE - General Mitchell International Airport (Milwaukee)
MRY - Monterey Peninsula Airport
MSP - Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport - Lindbergh Terminal
OKC - Oklahoma City Will Rogers World Airport
OMA - Eppley Airfield Omaha Int'l Airport
ORD - Chicago O'Hare International Airport
ORF - Norfolk International Airport
PHF - Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport
PVD - T F Green International Airport
PWM - Portland International Airport
SBN - South Bend Regional Airport
SCF - Scottsdale Airport
SDF - Louisville International Airport
SFO - San Francisco International Airport
SMF - Sacramento International Airport
STL - Lambert St. Louis International Airport
SWF - Stewart International Airport
TOL - Toledo Express Airport
TVC - Traverse City/Cherry Capital Airport

*Note: The offer is good from Dec. 21-27, and it lets you make voice and video calls to computers for free and to landlines and mobile phones using Skype credit. It works on PCs, Macs, and iOS devices. You must have the latest version of Skype to take advantage of the freebie.

For more information on free Skype WiFi, please visit http://blogs.skype.com/en/2011/12/skypeholidaywifi.html.

Boosting the app-eal of car insurance

noreply@blogger.com (Richard M.) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:00:00 +0000

The leading price comparison site in the UK, Moneysupermarket.com, has released the first ever iPhone app to be centered on car insurance. The Moneysupermarket car insurance app gives customers the chance to compare and even purchase car insurance premiums on their smartphone.

Car insurance comparison sites like Moneysupermarket are always looking for ways to improve their service for their customers and this app is set to do just that. Drivers can save an average of £375 on their car insurance in the palm of their hand in a matter of minutes.

All that is required of drivers is a couple of minutes to enter details about their current circumstances and, if necessary, their current insurance policy. The app will then scour the internet for the best deals available at that time and deliver them straight to the handset so the driver can pick and choose which one is best for them.

Julie Fisher, car insurance expert at MoneySupermarket.com, commented: “The cost of running a car has been increasing markedly over the last few years, with petrol prices on the up and car insurance a yearly necessity for all drivers. People are naturally keen to take action, and shop around to switch to the best possible car insurance deal.

“The launch of the MoneySupermarket Car Insurance App has made it even easier for people to find the right car cover for the best possible price – allowing people to compare a huge range of quotes quickly and easily – anytime, anywhere. It’s another example of how MoneySupermarket is helping people to make the most of their money.”

Review: Linksys E4200v2 Wireless Dual Band N900 Router

noreply@blogger.com (Richard M.) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:30:00 +0000

We’ve previously reviewed several Linksys routers including the predecessor to the E4200v2 the Linksys E4200. If you've read that review you'll know we love the updated looks and styling of the Linksys line. You'll also notice that we loved the performance numbers the first generation E4200 reached. So obviously we were excited to get our hands on the new E4200v2.

Just to be clear I am only providing a basic review on the features. I do not have the tools available at this time to provide info about testing real-life performance of the router or to test the maximum theoretical speeds!

Linksys E4200v2 Specifications:

Wireless-N Compatible with Wireless-A (802.11a) Wireless-B (802.11b) and Wireless-G (802.11g) standards, IEEE 802.3/3u/3ab
Simultaneous 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz
Antennas: 6 Internal 3 x 3 on 2.4 and 5 GHz (Up to 450 + 450 Mbps)
4 x Gigabit Ethernet Ports
All Ports support Gigabit speed and Auto-Crossover (MDI/MDI-X) - no need for crossover cables
USB Shared Storage Port, Virtual USB, Built-In UPnP AV Media and Printer Server
IPv6 Enabled

So whats new?

On the outside nothing really changes. You get the same sleek design we saw in the first E4200. They continue with many of the features we liked like the internal antenna design and optional lights. Yes I mention the lighting again only because I love having the ability to get rid of those annoying flashes! Sitting side by side the two routers look almost identical. One thing most users will notice that is new is the absence of the big bulky power pack that most users disliked. After several complaints Cisco opted to change to more traditional power adapter in both the newer E4200 and the E4200v2.

It's really the new chips and what we find on the inside that counts!

According to the information I've found the Linksys E4200 uses Broadcom SoC BCM4718 chips that supported 2 streams @ 300 mbits/s on the 2.4ghz frequency. The new E4200v2 uses a new Marvell chipset that supports 3 streams @ 450 mbit/s on the 2.4ghz frequency. The new chips offer faster overall speeds, support for IPV6, WAN L2TP, and PPTP protocols.

Cisco also updated the virtual USB feature making it easier to add printers, storage and other USB devices to the network which with the added 1.2 GHz processor allows users to experience faster download speeds from their USB connected storage device.

Included in all Linksys E-Series routers is Cisco Connect software, which provides for simple setup and network management for Macs and PCs. For smartphone users you can also use the new Cisco Connect Express mobile App. The app allows quick access to common Cisco Connect features and your network information.

Speed and Performance?

Currently there are a few 450Mbps wireless routers on the market, all boasting to be the fastest. The truth is most users won't be able to take advantage of those speeds, making the argument a pretty moot point.

Why you ask do we say that? Well the answer is simple:

Wireless users need a 450Mbps client adapter in order to realize the promised 450Mbps throughput speeds. The problem is most computers with integrated wireless are only rated at 150Mbps and most adapters available on the market are only rated at 300Mbps.

Sadly this means that when connecting to a 450Mbps router, a users computer's connection speed will be bottlenecked at the fastest theoretical rate their adapter provides. In layman's terms you are only going to get as much out of this router as your computer can support. If your wireless adapter is only capable of 150Mbps you aren't going to get anywhere near the fastest possible speed. Unfortunately we did not have a high speed 450Mbps adapter available during our review to see if the Linksys E4200v2 actually achieved those speeds.

Conclusion - is it worth the upgrade?

You might be asking yourself if it will actually be worth upgrading or not. Well it would be hard to give you an honest answer one way or the other. If you are currently running an older router or something slower then yes it may be. If you are already running the E4200 or another similar high performance router then probably not. If, like many, you just want the latest, greatest, best performing router on the market. Then by all means this might just be it!

In my personal opinion the changes Cisco made are nice and I did see some improvement. I didn't however see anything that would warrant an upgrade from anything I'm using now. The lack of availability of 450Mbps adapters really stifles the desire to spend the extra cash.Hopefully with the influx of faster routers well soon see more high speed adapters hitting the market. Once that happens the E4200v2 will definitely be a contender and likely make most people's wish list.

For those of you wanting to get your hands on the Linksys E4200v2 it has an MSRP of $199 and can be bought at Newegg.com, MacMall or Amazon.com.

New Site Tracks Illegal Downloads

noreply@blogger.com (Richard M.) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:15:00 +0000

There is a new website on the web garnering tons of attention from the Torrent community. The site, dubbed Youhavedownloaded.com, keeps track of everything you download from file-sharing sites. When a user visits the site, it scans your IP address and then provides a bit of feedback to exactly what you've downloaded.

How it works:

Youhavedownloaded.com, keeps a huge database of millions of media files that have been downloaded to tens of millions of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses from file-sharing websites and services such as BitTorrent. When you visit the site, it automatically scans your public IP address, compares it to their database and then lists a results of any files that have been downloaded by that IP address.

Now this isn't fool-proof, as IP address are recycled by ISPs. However, Suren Ter-Saakov, one of the sites founders has confirmed the site does have access to time stamps and the distributed hash table (DHT) information associated with the torrent files. Meaning they could track the downloads back to specific users if need be.

To date, Youhavedownloaded has a database of more 53,000,000 users and 115,000 torrents made up of 1,992,000 individual files. A glance at the homepage shows a small sample of what people have downloaded, including the film "Spy Kids 4," the AMC show "The Walking Dead" and season four of FX's "Sons of Anarchy."

TorrentFreak got in touch with Suren Ter to find out why they decided to create the site and apparently out people as torrent users. His response, “We just want to remind people that the Internet is not a place to expect privacy. Nowadays many people use it without understanding what information they leave behind. Also, even those who understand choose to ignore it quite often.”

Despite its limitations and innocent nature, Youhavedownloaded.com still has the capability to scare — or shame — people into thinking before they blindly download pirated material.

The FTC Begins Reimbursing Rogue Antivirus Victims

noreply@blogger.com (Richard M.) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 03:05:00 +0000

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has begun sending out reimbursement checks to more than 300,000 people scammed by a rogue antivirus software (also know as scareware) which held a victims computer hostage demanding payment for bogus security software to alleviate the symptoms.

The payments come as the result of lawsuits and a subsequent $8 million settlement reached between the agency and several vendors of the malicious software.

Several companies agreed to surrender the more than $8 million total in ill-gotten gains to settle FTC charges that they used deceptive ads to trick consumers into thinking their computers were infected with viruses or spyware, and then sold them software programs such as Winfixer, Drive Cleaner, and XP Antivirus to "fix" their non-existent problem.

Will the software often charged users more than $100 the average amount of the checks will be $20, however the FTC has said the exact amounts will be based on the amount of individual loss.

Approximately 320,000 checks will be mailed by the FTC's settlement administrator, Epiq Systems. Consumers who believe they are entitled to a refund or have questions may call the settlement administrator toll free at 1-877-853-3541 or visit www.FTC.gov/refunds for more information.

HP Opens Up webOS Gives The Code To The Open Source Community

noreply@blogger.com (Richard M.) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 21:40:00 +0000

HP has announced that webOS will live one as the company plans to "contribute" its fledgling operating system to the open source community. Which means the software, along with the companion ENYO application framework, will be available under an open source license to anyone who wants to use and further develop the mobile OS.

What does it mean to make webOS “open source”?
In short the term “open source” refers to a form of software licensing where the source code is available for use and improvement by anyone choosing to download and develop it. Developers can essentially modify the original software as they see fit and distribute it as their own. Developers typically share their enhancements with the rest of the community resulting in a product refined through community collaboration.

An example of popular open source software is the Firefox web browser, Linux, Open Office and the popular image editor Gimp.

What does this mean for the Touchpad?
This is really good news for you Touchpad owners. It means that users of webOS devices will not only continue to receive software improvements and updates from HP but it also means that developers might work on major improvements to the software themselves. It also means that we may see the software support more devices in the future.

HP said that it expects that making webOS open source will accelerate the development of the webOS platform and application ecosystem, which will benefit current and future users. The companyplans to remain active in the development and support of webOS.

Will wee see HP making webOS devices again or will we see more webOS supported devices?
Hp has not formally announced any plans to manufacture more devices or revamp the Touchpad project. However, HP's new CEO Meg Whitman was asked by The Verge about new webOS-based hardware. Her answer: "The answer to that is yes but what I can't tell you is whether that will be in 2012 or not. But we will use webOS in new hardware, but it's just going to take us a little longer to reorganize the team in a quite different direction than we've been taking it in the past."

HP's talked about putting webOS in laptops and printers, but so far we've only really seen the OS shine in tablets and smartphones. HP's answer continued, "In the near term what I would imagine - and this could change, in full disclosure - is I would think tablets, I do not believe we will be in the smartphone business again."

The company says that it believes that as webOS gains traction as an open source alternative you could see webOS on several different types of devices by any number of vendors.

My Thoughts:
Personally I think this is great news. I thought HP had a major player with webOS and thought some of the functions and features built into the operating system were great. This is also a big plus to all the consumers out there that jumped on the Touchpad fire sale. Open sourcing the project means that we could see developers supporting the software and hopefully adding in some extra feature support like the Android Market.

This makes me a bit more excited about the reports that HP will be selling more Touchpads over the weekend. According to TechCrunch HP has sent out an internal email stating they will offer more of the tablets starting Sunday, December 11 at 6:00 p.m. Central time. At that time 16GB and 32GB Touchpads will be available via HP’s ebay store (under 'laptops'). However, there is one catch: They're not brand new devices. Instead, HP is selling refurbs to those willing to shell out either $99 or $149 for the tablet.

What Is Carrier IQ? And Why It Might Not Be A Big Deal

noreply@blogger.com (Richard M.) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 01:15:00 +0000

Lately there has been a lot of buzz about the Carrier IQ smartphone application calling it everything from a rootkit to a keylogger or spyware and even an app capable of tracking a phones every movement. Today new technical details about Carrier IQ have emerged from a few security researchers that refute the claims which were originally brought by analysis Trevor Eckhart.

Eckhart published his work several weeks ago in his blog and a 17-minute YouTube video. His conclusions, which purport to show that the Carrier IQ code is a rootkit and keylogger, triggered a firestorm of accusations, a least one class actions lawsuit (the complaint pdf) and numerous calls by U.S. senators and congressmen for investigations.

Following his reports Carrier IQ, as well as several smartphone manufactures and carriers went on the defensive vehemently denying the claims that the application was malicious in nature. This prompted many security researchers to spring to action to get to the bottom of things.

Security consultant Dan Rosenberg, who this week published the details of his analysis and Rebecca Bace, a long-time security researcher, and CEO of Infidel have both had the chance to review the inner workings of the applications sources and both have reached the same conclusion.

The Carrier IQ software "cannot" record SMS text messages, Web page contents or email contents; and it "cannot" record text keystrokes (though it does record which buttons are pressed in the dialer app when making a phone call).

"I am using the word 'cannot' literally, as in 'is not capable of, in the present tense, without being altered by modifying its code and installing a new version on the phone,'" Rosenberg writes. "It seems obvious to me that CarrierIQ could be modified in the future to perform nefarious actions: so could any application on your phone."

"I'm accustomed to being a professional skeptic, but so far everything I've seen is consistent with the assertions made by the [CIQ] engineering and development team -- they provide only that status information pursuant to diagnosing issues with the cellphone, and furthermore take pains to limit access to that information to the carriers controlling the solution," Bace says.

So what exactly is Carrier IQ?

The carriers have insisted that the software is being used only for network diagnostics purposes while the handset makers have claimed that they integrated Carrier IQ in their devices only because the carriers specifically asked them to. The analysis from the security researchers seems to back those claims.

Apparently the Carrier IQ program can receive limited information from the OS such as specific measurements and changes in state on the device, and in some cases location data. Running a carrier-specific "profile" that identifies the subset of metrics the carrier wants, Carrier IQ then sends those metrics, as encoded data over SSL, to the server for analysis.

"On receiving a submitted metric, CIQ evaluates whether that metric is 'interesting' based on the current profile installed on the device," Rosenberg writes. "Profiles dictate whether or not a piece of information is relevant for assessing a particular aspect of phone service, such as reception or battery usage.

"Note that the CarrierIQ application simply receives these metrics, collects them, and eventually uploads them to be analyzed by carriers [using the CIQ server application]," Roseberg notes. "All of the code responsible for determining which metrics are submitted to CIQ for processing is integrated into the phone's application stack by the handset manufacturers themselves."

In his blogpost Rosenberg detailed his findings with a list showing the metric ID, the metric itself, the data sent, and the "situation" that triggers the metric:

browser page render event
location event, which can use GPS or other location data
HTTP request sent, or response received (the URL, request type, content length, and so on but not page contents)
network state changes, sending an "internal identifier"
a range of telephony and radio events (such as a dropped call, service issues, and so on)
hardware event, sending data such as voltage, temperature, battery level
key presses, but only in the phone dialer application
miscellaneous GUI state changes, such as battery state
starting or receiving a call or a failed call, which sends CallerID, state, and phone number
application events such as a stopped app, or a new app, sending the application name
questionnaire event, used when Carrier IQ is configured to present the user with a service questionnaire
SMS message received or sent, which includes message length, phone, number, status, but no text from the body of the message.

So what does this all mean to me and my privacy?

To be totally honest at this time know one really knows for sure. Unfortunately, Carrier IQ and its clients aren't providing any explicit information for full disclosure about the information it tracks, the use of the data, how its stored or any real details. Until these questions are answered there remains a very real concern for individual privacy. As of present time, nobody is handling this quite well.

If the researchers are correct and the app only collected limited data then its really not as big a deal as it is being made out to be. If however, they aren't then it could be a real concern. For those of you that are staunch privacy buffs and absolutely want it gone there is hope. There are several applications out there for Android phones that will remove the application in its entirety.

Voodoo Carrier IQ detector. Created by software developer Francois Simond (aka supercurio), this app from the Android Market
Carrier IQ Detector. Built by mobile security software vendor Lookout Labs, this app--also available on the Android Market
Bitdefender Carrier IQ Finder. Also available from the Android Market, this app runs on Android 2.1 and later

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Review: Zippy BT-500 Bluetooth Keyboard

noreply@blogger.com (Richard M.) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000

As tablets have gained more and more popularity and users are wanting more functionality out of their devices manufactures have been adding more accessories than ever. One of the more popular add-ons is a Bluetooth enabled keyboard that allows for a more traditional typing experience.

Earlier this year the Azend Group released one such device. The new AVS GEAR ZIPPY BT-500 Bluetooth Compact Wireless Keyboard. Over the past couple of weeks we've had one of these little guys in the office putting it through the normal paces.

Initial thoughts

This keyboard is super compact and very portable. Measuring just 0.93- by 8.86- by 3.9-inches it is physically smaller than most tablets out there. Design wise it looks sleek with just the minimal keys. The overall construction feels quite durable, you don't get that cheap feel you might expect from something this small and portable. Right off the bat it feels like it would make a nice companion to some of the smaller tablets and smartphones out there.

Zippy BT-500 Specifications

Interface Bluetooth 2.0 (compliant with Bluetooth 1.0)
Dimensions 8.86 x 3.90 x 0.93 inch
Weight 0.66 lbs
Color Black
Accessories Battery AAA x2pcs,User Manual
Standard Keys 82 Keys (US) 83 Keys (JP)
Operation distance 10 Meters
Multi-device fast switch wireless technology.(up to 6 devices)
PC System Requirement Windows ME/ 2000/ XP/ XP 64-bit/ Vista
Supports Apple iPad, iPad2, iPhones (works with most devices enabled with bluetooth techtooth technology)

Zippy BT-500 Functionality

I was only able to test it with a Bluetooth dongle connected to my pain PC. I tried syncing it to my HTC Freestyle and while it would show the keyboard I could never get the pin codes to sync. Before buying (if for the purpose of using it with your smartphone), I would check to make sure your device supports the HID profile that the BT-500 uses.

Since the keyboard connects wirelessly via Bluetooth 2.0, users should be able to sync with a wide array of devices. With the option of setting up multiple devices you be to pair a single keyboard to things like the iPad, iPhone, some Android based smartphones and tablets as well as gaming consoles like the PlayStation 3 and Bluetooth-enabled PC and Mac computers.

Connectivity seemed to be fairly reasonable. As mentioned I couldn't sync with my phone but setting the keyboard up via my computer went well. I was limited in my testing range, but lets face it unless you are using this for an HTPC range won't be an issue.

The tactile response of the keys was superb as well the key rate. I was a bit disappointed that there were no lights to indicate when Caps or Num Lock was enabled. I was however happy to see the addition of keyboard feet to adjust the typing profile. Not a big deal for most but having a better typing angle helped me.

Conclusion

Having used several compact keyboards I'll say this has to be one of the smallest I've ever used and with that one of the most difficult to get use to. Users of netbooks and tablets might get the feel of it a bit quicker than I did but for most it will take some time. After a few days of use, and a bit of getting use to, this little guy won me over. I can definitely say it will be welcome addition to my backpack for those times when I need the full functionality of a keyboard. If like most geeks out there you own multiple devices and are looking for a quick easy all-in-one keyboard solution its my opinion the Zippy BT-500 is something you should be looking at.

The ZIPPY BT-500 is available now at Newegg.com and Amazon.com with an MSRP of $49.99.

Android Market Reaches 10 Billion Download Mark, Offers 10-Cent Apps

noreply@blogger.com (Richard M.) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 21:18:00 +0000

Update: Google has offered "A Closer Look at 10 Billion Downloads " with an overall look at downloads by country and categories.

Over the past weekend Google's Android Market reached the major milestone of 10 billion, yes billion with a "b", app downloads. To celebrate, Google has announced they will partner with several Android developers to offer 10-cent apps over the next 10 days.

Starting today Google will sell 10 apps for the 10-cent price. The initial offer includes: Asphalt 6 HD, Color & Draw for Kids, Endomondo Sports Tracker Pro, Fieldrunners HD, Great Little War Game, Minecraft, Paper Camera, Sketchbook Mobile, Soundhound Infinity and SwiftKey X.

Android downloads have grown from 1 billion total in July 2010 to 10 billion seventeen months later.

"One billion is a pretty big number by any measurement," Eric Chu, director of the Android Ecosystem, said in a blog post. "However, when it's describing the speed at which something is growing, it's simply amazing. This past weekend, thanks to Android users around the world, Android Market exceeded 10 billion app downloads—with a growth rate of one billion app downloads per month. We can't wait to see where this accelerating growth takes us in 2012."

The offer fails a bit in comparison to that of Apple's, when it reached the same milestone. The company awarded a $10,000 iTunes gift card to England's Gail Davis for downloading the 10 billionth app. However, its a nice gesture, for both consumers and developers alike.

Google Maps For Android Now Offers Indoor Maps Of Malls, Airports, and Retail Stores

noreply@blogger.com (Richard M.) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:05:00 +0000

We've all been there, visit the local mall and can't seem to find the nearest bathroom. Or traveling out of town and just happen to be in an unknown airport location and need to find your way around but can't seem to find a map. Well Google has come up with a solution.

Today Google introduced Google Maps 6.0 for Android which features indoor maps for establishments like malls, airports, and retail stores. Now, air travelers don't have to bother with information booths and freestanding maps: Via your Android based phone Google Maps can provide directions to your gate, the nearest coffee shop or bathroom.

Detailed floor plans automatically appear when you’re viewing the map and zoomed in on a building where indoor map data is available. User will see the familiar 'blue dot' icon indicating your location within several feet, and when you move up or down a level in a building with multiple floors, the interface will automatically update to display which floor you’re on.

Google has partnered with some of the largest retailers, airports and transit stations in the U.S. and Japan, including:

Mall of America, IKEA, The Home Depot, select Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, Daimaru, Taskashimaya and Mitsukoshi locations and more. Watch an IKEA demo here.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Chicago O’Hare (ORD), San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Narita International (NRT), among others.
JR and Tokyu Corporation

For a detailed list of participating locations, please visit the Google help center. To start using Google Maps 6.0 for Android, download the update from Android Market. This update works for Android OS 2.1+ devices everywhere Google Maps is currently available.

How To Add Siri Dictation To Your iPhone 4, 3GS And iPod Touch 4G

noreply@blogger.com (Richard M.) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:45:00 +0000

The Siri voice command assistant is undoubtedly one of the most popular features of iOS 5 and the new iPhone 4S. Unfortunately for previous generation iPhone users Apple made it an iPhone 4S exclusive. Thanks to the hard work of the iPhone hacking community there is now a way to add some of the features and functionality of Siri to your older generation iPhone and iPod Touches.

A jailbreak-friendly program dubbed Siri0us add some of Siri's voice dictation to the iPhone 4 the iPod Touch 4G and the iPhone 3GS. Siri0us does not at present offer all of the functionality to set alarms, check weather forecasts, set reminders, or check for nearby businesses etc; but the writer says the dictation feature is very much comparable with the actual Siri.

Since this is not an official release from Apple in order to use the application iPhone users will first need to jailbreak their devices. Then they will need to visit the Cydia App store and then search for Siri0us. At this time it looks like the free app is ad-supported and you'll need to add 'http://apt.if0rce.com' as a source within Cydia.

The developer has noted a bug that some may run into when trying to install. If your iDevice keeps respringing, do not restore! Use a SSH tool to remove the /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/AssistantServices.framework file.

Intel Answers 6 Commonly Asked SSD Questions

noreply@blogger.com (Richard M.) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 22:13:00 +0000

As a tech blogger and member of various forums often times I find myself facing some rather common questions from readers that aren't totally up on technology. Some of the more popular questions asked lately relate to solid state drives (SSD), what they are, what the benefits are and if you need them.

Here is a post courtesy of the Intel free press blog which might help the average user more clearly understand what SSDs are and their key benefits.

1. What is an SSD?
Forget file cabinets, photo albums and record collections -- increasingly, our personal computers are where we store life's important documents and memories. For years, the classic PC hard drive was the data-storage device of choice -- but now SSDs are rising fast in popularity.

SSDs use the same type of memory -- NAND flash -- found in USB "jump drives" and SD camera cards. But they're faster and have much higher capacities -- from 40 gigabytes up to 600 gigabytes.

2. Why are they so popular?
SSDs' biggest advantage is that they don't have any moving parts. Regular hard drives store data on magnetized platters spun by an electric motor at thousands of revolutions per minute. SSDs access and store memory in ways more similar to a microprocessor than a hard drive. And because they have no moving parts to break down or to misalign, SSDs are up to 10x as reliable as hard drives.

They're rugged: The lack of moving parts makes SSDs much more rugged than regular hard drives. You can drop an SSD onto a concrete floor, watch it bounce and then plug it back into your computer with no problem. Don't even think of trying that with a regular hard-disk drive.
They're fast: Because SSDs don't have to search for data over the entire surface of a spinning disk, they can access data much faster than hard drives. In fact, SSDs can access and transfer data twice as fast as even the fastest hard drives.

3. How do they improve your computing experience?
In many ways. Here are a few examples:

Faster boot-up times: In one test (which can be seen on this YouTube video) two identical computers, one with an SSD and the other with a modern hard drive, are turned on at the same time. The SSD-equipped computer has Windows opened and running in 21 seconds. The hard drive-equipped computer takes 101 seconds to boot up -- five times longer!
Faster responsiveness to apps: Opening up a number of programs at once? SSDs can access and open programs up to 66 percent faster than conventional hard drives.
No noise: As hard drives get older, their moving parts tend to wear and they can get noisy. That's not a problem with SSDs -- because they have no moving parts, they make absolutely no sound to distract the computer user from his or her task or entertainment.
Better battery life: SSDs are at least 20 percent more energy efficient than typical hard drives, thanks again to their lack of moving parts and efficient circuit design, meaning users' computer batteries should last longer between charges.
Lower laptop temperatures: Notebooks with SSDs run about 12 degrees cooler than hard drive-equipped laptops. Because they can access data more quickly, SSDs help the CPU and chipset do their job faster and go back to a "sleep" state, keeping the computer cooler.

4. What makes them so fast?
A modern, 7,200-rpm hard drive can access data at a rate of about 150 MB/second. SSDs that use advanced multi-level cell technology, which crams more bits of information onto each transistor, can retrieve data at 500MB/second.

5. Why are SSDs so expensive?
In a nutshell, they cost more to make. SSDs are basically chips made with cutting-edge semiconductor process technology. Right now they're being made with the 25nm process by Intel and will soon transition to an even smaller, 20nm process.

6. When will the price come down?
All that performance does not come cheap. 120GB SSDs are available online starting around $150. For about the same amount, you can get a 3-terabyte hard drive -- 25 times more storage for less money.

While SSD prices are falling by about 50 percent per year, it will be quite some time -- if ever -- before SSDs are as cheap as hard drives, which store data on inexpensive magnetized platters.

But SSDs' sales growth shows that many computer users find the increased performance, energy savings and reliability worth the price premium.

6 SSD Questions, Answered