Digital Inspiration

Hack any skype account in 6 easy steps

2012-11-13T01:05:00.000-08:00

Major vulnerability of Skype's password reset sytem has went public today.
The only thing you need to obtain full access to any skype account is primary email of that account (the email which used when the skype account been registered).

For example, I know somebody's email - crackme33@yahoo.com , let's hack his skype!

1. Go to the skype website, register new disposable account. In email field, put target's email.

If the email, you typed into form, attached to some skype account, then it will say that "You already have a Skype account", that means you can hack it!

So, complete the form, provide some fake BOD, gender, country, answer to question "How do you intend to use Skype?" as personal, fill any skype name (REMEMBER IT), it will give you some suggestions of not taken ones, assign some password (REMEMBER IT), solve the captcha, proceed forward - push the continue button.

You will be redirected to you new account dashboard. Logout from it.

2. Run the Skype application with those new credentials.

3. Since we just logged in to a fresh account, at home screen of the Skype application, there will be advertisement "Find your friends and say hello", click somewhere to bring focus on that part of screen (I clicked where the red cross is drawn):

Then push F5 button on your keyboard, it will refresh the home screen. Do that 3-4 times until you see "Bring your Facebook friends into Skype" advertisement. Click "No thanks, blah-blah-blah".

You will get the home screen with some banner.

4. Go to Skype's password reset system.Put the target's email. In my case - crackme33@yahoo.com .

Click "Submit button", and after several seconds, you will see Skype's pop-up notification - "Password token".

5. Go to Skype application, on the home screen you will see Password token, click on "more info", go to "temporary code link":

6. Browser will open page, where you can select any skype account registered to target email, in my case there are two account - my disposable and target:

Choose target's account and click "Change password and sign me in":

You will be redirected to login form:

You are all set!

How to protect yourself / your family accounts

You already changed password for the target account, know the skype login, and able to use that target skype account. But somebody could take it from you, just as you did (owner for example).
To prevent that you need to change your primary email to some address, unknown by anyone.

To do that:
1. Sign in on skype website.
2. Go into the "profile" link (click to enlarge):

3. On account information, go down, to "Contact details", click "Add email address":

4. Add your email address, which unknown to anybody, but you:

Click save button at the bottom of the form. After page reload, refresh page again to prevent some strange glitches of the site (if you will not reload the page, after you do following steps, it will forget steps 4 and 5 and discard that little work).

5. Scroll to Contact details again. Click on "Add email address" again. Switch primary email to the new one:

Click "Save" button at the bottom of the form, again.

It will ask you for your password. You know it already.

After page reload, refresh page again to prevent some strange glitches of the site (described above).

6. Scroll to Contact details again. Click on "Add email address" again. Delete (with backspace and/or delete buttons) all emails but primary:

7. Click "Save" button at the bottom of the form. Make sure all your changes applied (it sometimes require two or more attempts, since the site is developed by curly-handed programmers).

At the time there is no other way to protect your skype account, except changing of primary email to some unknown address.

Disclamer: The information provided on in this blog is to be used for educational purposes only. The blog author is in no way responsible for any misuse of the information provided.

Best Seo Software 2012- IBP Review

2012-11-09T00:31:00.000-08:00

IBP is thebest Seo Software Tool for 2012. This is not a typical IBP reviewbut i am saying this after using it for more than six months.I have used other SEO Software & Tools like webceo, SEO Powersuite, Traffic Travis and many others, but I think this is easiest product to use. Seo Powersuite and Traffic Travis are also good seo software but if you are looking for an easy to use and economical SEO Software or Tool, then IBP has to be your choice.

IBP or Internet Business Promoter is a software tool to optimize your site for search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo etc. IBP provides comprehensive end to end solution for your search engine optimization needs. This is the product which has been in the industry for more than 10 years and still considered as one of the best seo software tool. It is used by professionals to optimize your site. It’s user interface is extremely user friendly thereby making it very easy to learn.In this IBP review, we will go through its features and see if you can also use it for optimizing your website. IBP is one software with six entirely different modules and they are;

Keywords– this particular module performs the keyword research activity like keyword suggestion for a particular term, its competition level and very important KEI level. It is a very good tool search keywords for which your site even without less links can rank well. You just have to enter the keyword of your choice, select the search engine which you want to search for this keyword and hit search. It will give you a complete list of related keywords. Then you can perform further research on those keywords like KEI, search levels etc. you will have to link your Google Adwords account for first time and then it will automatically do that in future.
Optimization– Optimization module is a hell of a good seo software tool in itself and it alone worth the cost of entire product. You can simply select the search engine from the list, enter keyword which you are targeting, enter the URL of your website and hit “Create Report”. It will run a thorough check up of your URL and give you a detailed report of your optimization level. The higher the percentage, the better chances you have to rank for that keyword. This tool will give you a very detailed report with suggestions to improve that. So you can not only see the issues but also can resolve them using this module. It is fantastic and if you can follow most of the tips it provides, you will definitely rank for that keyword.
Links –As anybody who is involved with search engine optimization knows that your website cannot be successful in the long run unless until it is having good number of links pointing towards it. This is the toughest and longest part in search engine optimization process. If you google backlinks, you will realize how expensive and time consuming it is to get links for your site. IBP’s Link SEO tool makes it very easy. It is a complete solution for link building. You can search the sites which can link to you. If it is a directory, then it will automatically fill data in the form and you will have to do least work to submit your site to them. You will have to enter this data only once at the starting. If it is a blog or some other site, then you can mail the webmaster directly using its user interface to send professional Link Request mails.You can also use it to create beautiful looking templates for your Link Partners and directly upload them to your website using FTP details which your host must have already provided you.
Submission-If you are concerned about submitting your site to numerous search engines, then this automated seo software module of IBP will help you like anything. You can simply select search engines and it will automatically submit your site to these search engines. You can also schedule periodic submission if you want; though submitting your site frequently is not recommended.
Rankings-monitoring your targeted keywords is extremely important for short to long term success and there are not many reliable seo tools for that. IBP’s Ranking module is a extremely good tool to monitor the rank of your targeted keywords.
Tools-Along with above mentioned tools, it has also got an additional module named Tools which contain variety of sub-tools to further help you in optimization of your website. These tools help you in validating your html, checking broken links and many other smaller but useful tools.

This IBP review is intended to give you a better picture of this awesome product. These are the features you should be looking for while shopping for seo software tool. So even if you want to buy other seo software, make sure your seo tool can perform these activities or else you will end up wasting your money on that. If you are already using IBP, then please share your IBP review with us or if you are using some other product, then why not share your review with us.

Apple will pay $ 368 million for patent violation with FaceTime

2012-11-09T00:16:00.002-08:00

Apple again in another legal battle over licensing and patents, in this case, a blow to the Cupertino following the decision of a U.S. court. It has excluded the use of the company and a judge has ruled that infringe four patents for its technology FaceTime , all owned by VirnetX. The district court in Texas ordered Apple to pay more than $ 368 million in damage to VirnetX .

The patents in question under the laws of the United States would be 6,502,135, 7,418,504, 7,921,211 and 7,490,151, all related to how to establish a secure communication link.

At Apple he is now the option to appeal the decision.Meanwhile, in the words of Kendall Larsen, VirnetX CEO and President:

We as a company are very pleased with the results of our demand to Apple. This win further establishes the importance of our patent portfolio.

According to the BBC, the final payment of damages is about half the amount originally requested VirnetX. In addition, the paper also points out that the company had reached an agreement with Microsoft for similar injuries by an amount of 200 million dollars.

VirnetX currently has a portfolio of 20 patents in the U.S. territory over 26 other international patents, this is the same company that has brought cases against Cisco, Siemens and Avaya for breaking or violating licensing its patents.

For Apple, one more to add to the long list of legal fronts has had in recent months, including Motorola Mobility (patent licensing), with the tablet Samsung Galaxy or even with the same Samsung and Patent Multitouch of Cupertino.

More than 1MM Facebook accounts exposed

2012-11-01T14:00:00.000-07:00

See Google

Not much to say. It seems incredible but clicking on any of these results in most cases accede directly to the account of such person or, if not, it shows the user's email which is serious anyway.

Just as important is your facebook security.

We reported the problem and I'm waiting for an answer.

Edit2: this is the answer to Facebook

My name is Matt Jones, and I work on the security team Facbook That Into This looked tonight. We only send URLs to the These email address of the account owner for Their ease of use and never make them publicly available. Even then we put protection in place to reduce the likelihood That Could anyone else click through to the account.

For a search engine to come across these links, the content of the emails would need to Have Been posted online (eg via email throwaway sites, as someone pointed out - Whose email addresses or people go to email lists with online archives).

Jpadvo As surmised, the nonces expire after a period of time. Also They only work for Certain users, and even then we run additional security checks to make sure it looks like the account owner who's logging in. Regardless, due to some of these links being Disclosed, we've turned the feature off Until We Can Ensure better security for its email users Whose contents are publicly visible. We are also securing the accounts of anyone who recently logged in. Through This flow.

In the future if you run into something that looks like a security problem with Facebook, feel free to disclose it responsibly through our whitehat program: https://www.facebook.com/whitehat . That way, in Addition to making some money, you can avoid a bunch of script kiddies exploiting whatever the issue is that you've found.

Facebook engineer wanted me to feel bad saying that I missed a few dollars by not having contacted directly.

I challenge you to find a contact form https://www.facebook.com/help/

Edit3: Post on The Next Web

Edit4: Google removed the results

Edit5: Post on BBC

LINK: Spam in google group

Link: Spam in various blog from Google search

Link: password reset in various blog

Since this is already out there as a known issue, and concerns Google too, check out:
here is the links

Here is the main Vulnerability in facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/n/?groups%[id here]%2Fpermalink%[id here]%2F&mid=[id here]&bcode=[id here]-mjoi&n_m=[email adress here]

When I clicked the url I got automatically logged into my friend's account.
So is definitely a Facebook security issue.

Then I tried some google searches to see if I could find some urls containing the parameters:

"bcode= &email= n_m= mid="

inurl:bcode=[*]+n_m=[*] site:facebook.com

Not a big deal, really, Google had remove all url of facebook vulnerability form search .

IPHONE 5 IS SELLING 10 TIMES FASTER THAN IPHONE 4S!

2012-09-27T08:57:00.000-07:00

When the iPhone 5 was unveiled almost two weeks ago, I predicted it would probably be breaking sales records that previous iPhone models have set.

--> iPhone 4S was a great success for Apple and SIRI did drive sales upwards. The new phone model was highly anticipated too, but according to CNET, the phone was matched 4S sales numbers for a whole month in the span of just 3 days.

That basically means iPhone 5 is selling 10 times faster than iPhone 4S.

Why is iPhone 5 such a big hit?

In my experience, most iPhone users I know ended up skipping iPhone 4S. Also in US markets, the contract is usually 24 months long when they purchase a iPhone. That meant potentially million of iPhone 4 users are waiting to get their hands on iPhone 5.
The total number of people buying smartphones is also rising through out the world. That will not just drive sales for iPhone but all its competitors. I guess RIM and Nokia will be feeling a lot of pain, considering how far behind they have fallen in the smartphone market.

Apple has introduced its own Maps app instead of Google Maps on iOS6. Even though the current Maps app by Apple is considered inferior, it might take a few weeks of data to see, if Apple own mapping service is causing issues with iPhone 5 sales.

Do drop in your view about iPhone 5? Will you be buying one?

APPLE RELEASES UPDATES FOR IOS AND OS X MOUNTAIN LION

2012-09-26T10:31:00.003-07:00

As said by Apple in the iPhone 5 event, iOS 6 and OS X 10.8.2 has been released yesterday. iOS 6 kicks out both YouTube as well as Google Maps from the default apps list, though you can download them from the Appstore as always (Google Maps should be available soon on iOS).

Both iOS 6 and OSX 10.8.2 have deep Facebook integration, just like the Twitter integration introduced in the last iteration of iOS. Apart from that, iOS 6 sports a better Siri, Facetime over 3G, Safari tab sync, Panaroma and lot more.

The update is available for iPhone 3GS, 4, 4S and iPod Touch 4G, also for iPad 2 and 3. Apparently, older models like iPhone 3GS doesn’t get all the features – Turn by turn navigation for example. But still it’s getting the update, which is a lot better than the situation of Android phones.

Coming to OS X, Apple finally seems to fix the battery life issue with 10.8.2. I personally saw a drop of 80 minutes of battery when I upgraded to Mountain Lion from Lion. There are also updates for Gamecenter, iMessage and support for Passbook has been added.

There is also another update for mid-2012 Macbooks which fixes a OS hanging issue. The update is just 4MB in size.

Have you updated your iPhones or Macs? Make sure you do, because it’s free.

WHO EXACTLY SHOULD BUY AN IPHONE 5?

2012-09-26T10:25:00.002-07:00

Now that the excitement over the new iPhone 5 has probably settled, it is time to wonder about the most important question. Should you get yourself an iPhone 5?

Smartphones often get a new incremental model every year, but not everyone buys a new phone every year. I personally average one every 2.5 years. I spoke to some iPhone fans and critics alike and came up with a short analysis on who should actually go ahead and buy one.

Who should Buy the iPhone 5:

Current iPhone owners

iPhone 5 has a bigger screen and a much faster processor. The specs are great but it is not exactly a path breaking update from its previous version iPhone 4S.

If you have an iPhone 4 or its previous versions, then upgrading to an iPhone 5 is a great idea. The phone will be a big improvement from your current phone model.
If you are a iPhone fanatic and never miss an upgrade, then you should go right ahead and get a iPhone 5. Chances are you have already pre-ordered it.

Non iPhone owners

This one is a bit tricky, as a lot of Android phones have really caught up with iPhones. Android’s Jelly Bean (4.1) OS version is often cited as more advanced that iOS 6 from Apple.

Though Android 4.1 is as good as iOS 6 if not better, there is a big issue with fragmentation. If you own a Android phone and are sick of waiting for the latest OS versions being made available for your phone(usually they are at least 4-6 months late), then opting for a iPhone 5 will be a great idea.
If you are a BlackBerry or Nokia user but want to move towards touch phone with a great app market. Then chances are you will like upgrading to iPhone 5.

Who should Not Buy the iPhone 5:

Current iPhone owners

If you have an iPhone 4S, then you might not exactly find upgrading to iPhone 5 very exciting. The new iOS6 version along with improvements to SIRI are already available for the 4S version.
The iPhone 5 is an expensive device. In India, it will should cost about INR 44,000. Most popular smartphones from other companies are usually atleast 10% to 15% cheaper.

Non iPhone Owners

Android users who are really into customizing things on their phones, using their phone as a temporary disk drive will be better advised to not get a iPhone 5 which runs on a very closed system.
If you are big fans of the Android, BlackBerry or Nokia ecosystem, then it is better to avoid the iPhone 5.

I personally thought that the magic is missing from iPhone 5, compared to it’s previous versions. I found iPhone 5 a great phone but not exactly a compelling device. So you will have to decide for yourself and see if you find the phone and its apps ecosystem very compelling. Buying a smartphone takes a lot of money, so make sure you buy something that you do not regret later.

FACEBOOK ALLOWS USERS TO PROMOTE THEIR PERSONAL POSTS

2012-09-26T10:22:00.004-07:00

Facebook has seen decent success with promoted posts or Ads. It was a great way for Facebook Page owners to get their brands better visibility and to reach a bigger audience.

Facebook now allows you to promote personal posts.

Quick Tips on Promoting personal posts

When you update your Facebook account with a post, an option to promote it shows up.
Just note that the promotion option is available only for 6 hours after the post was originally posted.
The payment options are Paypal, Credit Cards, Mobile phones, Western Union Quickpay.

A promoted post shows up as a “Sponsored Story” to friends. The way Facebook ensures it gets enough publicity is by bumping it up in your friend’s news feed.

The Pricing Model for promoted posts

The price set for promoted posts seems to vary between regions. As this post in Knowledge Hub suggests that the price might vary on the geographic location the user promoting the post is from.

That seems a markedly different approach from other advertising platforms which charge based on the geographic location and size of the targeted audience.

I am not sure how popular this service will be, as I think usually people do not like promoting their personal posts.

What are your views on promoting you personal posts on Facebook? Do drop in your comments.

HOW TO DEAL WITH YOUR FAKE/IMPOSTOR FACEBOOK PROFILE

2012-09-26T10:17:00.001-07:00

This post is for all those Facebook users who wants to report a fake or impostor profile. You can report any such Facebook profile that violates Facebook’s terms and conditions or Facebook’s statement of Rights and Responsibilities. There is a hair line difference between a fake and an impostor profile and here we need to understand that as the method for reporting both of them are slightly different.

We are using the term ‘Fake’ here for the profiles that are using Fake profile name and if that name is yours (or anyone you know) then that will be an impostor profile that is if someone has created an account to impersonate or imitate you or someone else.

When I can report?

You can report a fake profile to Facebook whenever anyone violates Facebook’s terms and conditions.That can be:

Profiles that impersonate you or someone else
Profiles that use your photos
Profiles that list a fake name
Profiles that do not represent a real person
Profiles that have been hacked

How to report a Fake/Impostor profile?

If someone is impersonating you or someone else, go to his/her profile page an click on “Report/Block this person” link on the left bottom of the page.

Then check the “Report this person” box and use “impersonating you or someone else”. Enter the Impersonated profile link in the box given there and add required comment which is mandatory too.Finally click submit.

However if someone is using fake profile name then just use “Using a fake name” option in the report type and add comments in “What makes it fake” box, click submit.

For any further information, drop a comment below

TWITTER RELEASES A RICH LOOK FOR PROFILE PAGES

2012-09-26T10:07:00.002-07:00

While Facebook’s Timeline interface got a lot of criticism, the cover photo feature was pretty cool and Google+ grabbed it with the new design. Now, after Google+, here comes Twitter mimicking the feature.

Twitter calls it as ‘header photo’, to get yourself one, go to the Design tab of Twitter settings, scroll down to header section and you’ll be allowed to upload an image with a maximum resolution of 1252 X 626 px.

Apparently, there’s some default styling added to the image to increase readability of text on it.

You’ll also notice a ‘Me’ tab in the navigation bar on Twitter web.

You can still add a custom background and header photos are visible everywhere even on official Twitter clients for Android/iOS.

Twitter for Android and iPhone/iPad got updated today with a bunch of features (along with support for header photos) – On Mobile, your Twitter photo stream will be shown below your tweets.

On a whole, this update for Twitter makes it for a richer experience, both on Mobile and desktop.

The updates must be rolling out for everyone soon.

Benefits to Using VPN Services

2012-09-24T23:02:00.002-07:00

When looking to sign-up to one of the more reliable virtual private network (VPN) services, the first thing that will be noticed is the large choice of providers in the marketplace. Due to the technical nature of this type of service, a person can sometimes get confused in relation to the varied performance reports, pricing options, and available features.

Many businesses use a variety of tools to assist in increasing their internal productivity, such as a company's intranet, networked peripherals, or similar in-house components. But while these systems are user-friendly when it comes to working in the office,
it can make it a lot more different to use a company's system if mobile. A way to solve this problem is to set-up a VPN, this lets a user connect to a secure or restricted network from a mobile location, just as if they were able to physically connect to a company's internal system in person.

A VPN is also great to put in place to protect against hackers. A hacker or group of hackers often targets a specific IP address. By hiding your identity behind a private network the host machine will be in the line of fire, leaving the user's machine entirely free and clear of trouble. Although, this might simply be passing the problem elsewhere, the fact is, a VPN service is more set-up to cope with these types of security issues, and able to take the required pre-cautions to avoid excessive damage.

Depending on the nature of a business or the work involved, a company might prefer to have complete anonymity when users have access to the internet. A Free VPN agent offers a perfect choice to surf the web while keeping an IP address or personal identity secret. Any site or resource used online will only be able to read the IP address of the private network, instead of the users IP address.

Having security at all times is also essential. It easy to come across a wireless hotspot in today's modern world, but these systems are not overly secure, as it is often possible for data, such as security numbers or passwords to be intercepted. So, restricting your internet connection to a secure VPN makes it that much safety to stop sensitive data falling in to the wrong hands.

Lastly, in relation to the cost, it is often more beneficial to set-up a VPN as the cost would be a lot cheaper than the alternative of coughing up for an expensive dedicated service. For instance, if a company has several branches in different neighborhoods, then going the route of a VPN is a great deal easier.

Megaupload Dotcom on again: "90% of the code is ready"

2012-09-24T07:57:00.001-07:00

It is likely that the entertainment industry is right now with the state of expectation that users of the old platform of Kim Dotcom. Messages from the founder of Megaupload indicating an imminent release, possibly by the end of the year. This weekend seems that all indications are that it will. Dotcom ensures that new service code is 90%, " be patient, is about to arrive . "

And is that several months have passed since the U.S. government destroyed Megaupload. Months in which the man behind the cyberlocker most famous has been building a similar platform with slight variations, all aimed at avoiding a second takedown attempt by the authorities.

Megaupload grew to 50 million visitors per day, one of the largest sites on the network traffic to a story in January, at which time the U.S. government toppled the platform after the arrest of Dotcom and several employees. A long expected judgment and in which still do not know what the future of man and the other detainees.

After a few months of his detention began advertising mogul through his Twitter account that he planned to return the service, a new Megaupload would come before the end of the year.

Dotcom's account has since become a public speaker of progress on what will be the return of cyberlocker .Updates that from this weekend seem to be about to end:

Quick update on the new Mega: 90% of the code done. Servers on the way. Lawyers, partners and investors ready. Be patient, is about to arrive.

From his words we understand well regarding the architecture of the new platform, the money to make it a reality is also prepared. Besides investors, Dotcom seems to be clear that the legal aspect should be key.

A few weeks ago offered more clues as to what will be the new Mega explaining that:

We are building a massive global network. All hosters Americans not able to connect their servers and bandwidth.

And it seems that the platform is an advanced version of the old , with more applications. While developers are being encouraged to participate in the new API, Dotcom also has called for involving people in all kinds of tools to be included.

Definitely sounds like a return to those who have sought revenge and accuse the man of violation of copyright.As these days it indicated:

They abused the wrong person. I'll flip the world. Power to the people. Goodbye Echelon. Hello Freedom.

Now I just need to know the date on which one of the most controversial figures in the world network launches its new platform.

Iran blocks access to Google as it prepares to launch its own network

2012-09-24T07:55:00.001-07:00

Google and Gmail will filter throughout the country until further notice

These were the words of Abdolsamad Khoramabadi, Iranian official in charge of censorship online and computer crime. The government is blocking access to Google and Gmail in reaction to the controversial film that rails against Muhammad and that has sparked protests worldwide.

A note in which the government has not given any indications on whether the filter would be temporary or permanent.Khoramabadi said the decision was taken after the Iranian authorities pressured to filter sites because of the links that existed on the film.

From The Young Journalists Club , a news agency affiliated to the government, says the move is a response to the refusal of Google and YouTube to remove Innocence of Muslims of their services.

Following the announcement a few hours ago, the newspaper The Guardian was in contact with people who claimed they could still access Google. Others, however, confirmed that they could not access their Gmail accounts as some vendors seemed to have blocked the service. A citizen who requested anonymity told the media that:

Just three hours ago was still able to access my Gmail account, but now I can not open it.

A story that coincides with the government's plans to launch the final phase of its own national Internet network , a proposal to replace the current World Wide Web by itself according to the guidelines of the authorities. Without going any further, Ali Hakim-Javadi, technology minister, said this weekend:

In recent days all government agency and its offices have been connected to the national grid.

A project that is feared to act as a filter and censor anything that the government not sharing. From Tehran however says that this network is designed to ensure the military information, banking and any sensitive data to the outside world.

According to the newspaper account, an IT expert close to the project said the idea came to fear a cyber attack like the Stuxnet worm. One way to protect sensitive data from the WWW.

Anyway, the recent filter Google and its services has already had a quick response from citizens through social networks. Both Twitter and Facebook have served in the past few hours as a platform to protest against the move.

And is that the country is currently one of the most censored countries in the world online . Iran currently ranks fourth in the list of countries that filter behind Eritrea, North Korea and Syria. Around 5 million websites where access from the country is impossible .

Disable Facebook facial recognition in Europe

2012-09-23T09:19:00.001-07:00

In late 2010, Facebook in the U.S. deployed a feature that, although a priori might seem comfortable, something that became quite annoyed users: facial recognition . This functionality allowed recognize the faces in the photos and tag our friends automatically, something that could save time but quite worried because besides amassing a wealth of information about users, Facebook could recognize them and point them in a photo . The situation was further complicated when in the summer of last year, Facebook deployed massively activating this functionality by default, a fact for which the European Union questioned the social network .

In Ireland, the body responsible for the protection of personal data of citizens initiated an investigation to determine if this feature violates European norms and following pressure (or recommendations) of the European Union has decided to disable Facebook facial recognition in Europe .

Ireland has played a key role in this case because, thanks to the research conducted by its data protection agency, Facebook has had to take a step back and nip functionality not liked to much of the users through the European operations of the social network Mark Zuckerberg are based this country (therefore subject to its laws).

Irish research ended with a series of recommendations to Facebook that, fearing a tightening of European legal framework on privacy and personal data, has agreed to abide without exhausting the 4-week period that has been given as margin (which carried a fine of 100,000 euros if not satisfied). In addition to disabling the service (which had been activated by default to all users without asking or even if you wanted to use), Facebook has agreed to remove, by 15 October, any pattern or data model is used as basis for recognize the faces of users and will have to pass a new audit to verify that, indeed, they are meeting the commitments.

That Facebook will disable this feature in Europe is a major victory in protecting the privacy of users and a guarantee that such abuses will not allow (even if Facebook is parapete legal under U.S. or alleged that is a feature designed to improve the user experience).

Google closes its music service in China

2012-09-23T09:15:00.002-07:00

As shown in a post by the company in China, Google has decided to shelve its music download service in the country from October, a move which it says the giant had been thoughtful during the past three years.

Now users have until October 19 to download their playlists stored on the service. How? From Google explains that users who access google.cn / music will be automatically redirected to the Data Export page.

Launched in 2009, Google Music Search was meant to be a competitor to download music on the network that would address Baidu . Already in 2010 began the first giant's dispute with the country. Google announced that it was willing to comply with Chinese laws and censoring its search system in the Chinese market.

The result was that the company ended up moving to Hong Kong since seeing how its market gradually decreased while Baidu strengthened came after an agreement with the major labels.

Google explains:

The impact of this product has not been as high as expected, so we decided to divert our resources to other products.

With Google out of orbit in the music market in the network in the country, the government reinforced its own power. And is that China operates under a closed ecosystem increasingly in the national company must comply with local laws, in other words, should censor everything that the government creates "sensitive."

Japan suffers 19 cyberattacks attributed to China

2012-09-20T10:29:00.001-07:00

Several weeks ago that diplomatic relations between China and Japan have been strained by a problem that really have dragged on for decades: the sovereignty dispute over the Senkaku Islands . This group of islands located in the western end of Japan is disputed between China, Taiwan and China. Tension between China and Japan has resulted in demonstrations at the Japanese embassy in China or in the presence of Chinese patrol boats near the archipelago (with subsequent Japanese naval response) but in addition to classroom activities, several institutions in Japan are being victims of a wave of DDoS attacks that authorities attribute to China.

As reported Japanese security forces, since Japan announced on 11 September, the nationalization of the Senkaku Islands, 19 entities of the country (including public entities, banks and universities) have suffered various DDoS attacks on their websites (leaving out service) or have suffered attacks that have changed the contents published. And what is the link between these events and the sovereignty dispute between China and Japan? According to police, the origin of these actions comes from China since many of these sites had been identified as targets in publications by crackers odd Chinese forum.

The victims of these attacks find the page of the statistical office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan (which came under a barrage of requests for about 7 hours on Saturday) or the Tokyo Institute of Technology (where the web Center for the Study of Civilization was the victim of an attack in which the data were exposed for 1,068 people registered to participate in this project and leaked personal data such as their names or phone numbers). Following an analysis of the petitions received on the website linked to the ministry, the police has found that 95% of the traffic comes from China, further proof that Japan has put forward to support the thesis that these attacks are linked to protests around the sovereignty of the Senkaku Islands.

Not the first time that China is attributed to such activities and, frankly, seeing how the environment not surprise me that Japan's thesis were true and really attacks come from this country but neither will be easy to show if the Chinese government has something to do with all that is happening or whether, by contrast, is an initiative framed within popular protests and is an isolated incident. Actually, I think it will be very difficult to ascertain the origin if, in the end, get more data.

how to clean computer screen

2012-09-18T08:49:00.000-07:00

The TFT or LCD screen is one of the most expensive component of your notebook or desktop computer and they're very sensitive to dust, fingerprints or even when you cough or sneeze without covering the mouth and nose.

Unlike the standard CRT monitors with Glass screens, you are not advised to clean an LCD Monitor by wiping it with a piece of dry lint-free cloth since the sensitive display is likely to get scratches from dust particles.

So how do you clean an LCD monitor screen without buying any of those expensive LCD Monitor Cleaner solutions or Monitor Wipes available in the market ? We look at some proper methods and precautions before you clean the monitor [should apply to HDTVs, projection TVs and Plasma TVs as well]

Think of LCD Displays just like the soft and delicate skin of your newborn baby - Be very gentle and never put even the slightest pressure on the computer screen with your hand.

Second, you need to find a piece of soft cloth - old cotton handkerchiefs lying in your mom's wardrobe should be fine but don't try tissue papers, toilet rolls or even shower towels as the fabric will scratch your screen permanently [like sandpaper or utensil scrubbers]

Either turn the monitor off or set the background to black and hide all the desktop icons and minimize the open windows. This will easily help you identify the dirty areas of the monitor.

To prepare the solution for cleaning LCD monitors, you will need deionized or distilled water and vinegar or iso-propyl alcohol - Don't use tap water or mineral water as they could leave white marks on the screen because of the dissolved salts.

Dilute the vinegar or IPA with distilled water [1:1] and spray this liquid on the cloth. Never ever spray liquid directly onto the LCD screen. Moisten the cloth with this home made LCD cleaner and gently move the wet cloth in just one direction - from top to bottom.

Word of Caution: Be sure that the LCD screen is dry before closing it or using the computer. Do not use any solutions that contain Acetone, ethyl alcohol, toluene, ethyl acid, ammonia, or methyl chloride. Never touch the LCD screen with your fingers as this can cause the pixels to burn out.

7 More Open Source Software Alternatives

2012-09-18T07:54:00.001-07:00

Having published a list of open source alternatives to popular software a few weeks ago, we couldn’t squeeze details of all the great software available into just one article. Here is the best of the rest: a list of open source software covering a range of activities we would usually pay a fair few bucks to complete using conventional programs.

Gnucash

Gnucash is accounting software for use by individuals and small businesses. It works on a number of operating systems and is based on professional accounting principals to ensure that the software provides you with accurate financial reports, charts, and graphs. Using Gnucash, you can track earnings and outgoings through multiple accounts, as well as keep track of stocks and shares.

Bitcoin

Bitcoin is an alternative currency that runs on a P2P network using open source software. Although it is still very experimental, the currency has gained some traction over the last three years, and you can use it to pay for items anonymously on selected websites.

Handbrake

Handbrake is video encoding software that works on machines running Mac, Windows and Linux. Using Handbrake, you can convert video files and edit clips to include subtitles, chapters and filters. The software doesn’t support the removal of copy protection, so you can only use it with videos that aren’t copy-protected.

TrueCrypt

TrueCrypt is open source encryption software for Windows, Mac and Linux. Using TrueCrypt, you can create encrypted files and disks on your hard drive, and on external devices like USB sticks. Encryption is real-time and happens as you create new data. The software also contains advanced encryption features, like hidden volumes and hidden operating systems, giving you plausible deniability.

Notepad ++

Notepad ++ is a Windows-based source code editor that enables to you write code in a specially designed environment. Some of the software’s features include syntax highlighting and folding, PCRE (Perl Compatible Regular Expression) find and replace, WYSIWYG, zoom, and auto-completion. Notepad supports supports coding in multiple (spoken) languages.

Calibre

Calibre is ebook management software that enables you to organize your files, convert files into different ebook-related formats, download information about the book, such as the title, author and cover art, and send books to a mobile device or reader. The software supports a wide variety of devices, including all the major readers, as well as the iPhone and iPad. You can read books managed in Calibre using the iBooks or Stanza apps for iOS. Some Android reader programs also directly support Calibre books.

Fwink

Fwink is free webcam software for Windows users. It isn’t compatible with live video calls, but it takes still images from your camera at timed intervals. You can add an array of effects to images, such as adding text, timestamps and superimposing images.

iAlertU

iAlertU is open-source security software that works with Apple MacBooks. The software uses Apple’s built-in motion sensor to trigger the camera, and iSight to take a picture of the intruder. As well as providing evidence of any thieving activity, iAlertU users can connect to the software remotely through their iPhone, iPad or iPodTouch.

Google buys Snapseed

2012-09-17T22:55:00.000-07:00

Awarded by Apple as app of 2011 and repeatedly selected as one of the best applications for iOS, Snapseed is undoubtedly one of the most comprehensive of the options available to the App Store in photo editing. Now, Google has announced that buys Snapseed in an amount yet to be determined. The goal certainly seems quite clear, pointing directly to Facebook and bombing Instagram buying dollars per billion .And is that everyone seems to enchant the filters and share the photos here and there with a retro air, a trend that has led to Instagram to be one of the most successful social networks for the past two years.

With Snapseed worth a couple of things though, first is much more focused on the ecosystem as Apple is only available for iPhone, iPad and OS X, secondly we must recognize the merit of being much more complete and deliver more advanced features that only apply a filter automatically improve a photo or put a frame.

So therefore the purchase of Google can bring two consequences, Snapseed the disappearance of the App Store and the Mac App Store and diversification across more platforms such as Android or Windows Phone.

Why Google may want an application like Snapseed? In the same way that Facebook plans to integrate (although we have not yet seen) Instagram with Facebook, in Mountain View want to do the same with Snapseed and Google+.

The main drawback, or rather the two main drawbacks is that neither reaches Snapseed Instagram levels of popularity, not even 1% of what the latter is, or Google+, however much they strive not Google share reaches use of Facebook, with two cutting tools rather minor. I did grieve me to see is how Snapseed disappearsjoining the shopping list of Google who recently starred in Sparrow mail client .

Firefox OS has a great opportunity

2012-09-15T22:47:00.001-07:00

A few days ago Mozilla and Telefónica showed the world his advances Firefox OS , operating system, mobile web, in a video, say, very casual. What can we do there? A standard mobile operating system running on a standard smartphone, which looks like the interface and user experience are generally sufficient. That is, it is a phone where my contacts, I can draw no more magic, maybe find something on the Internet, install apps from a store and play a game when I please. The video shows that Firefox OS, from the perspective of an average user, meets. But I think it's more than that.

Why is it important Firefox OS? Consider the general context: RIM is in obvious decline. Android manufacturers dominate and his army. Apple also. Nokia fight with some dignity with Lumia (sometimes). It seems that everything is fine, no phones for everyone. Let individuals:

The users : They're used to a market moving restlessly in terms of innovation and development, know that every so often, months, will have the new and improved version of its operating system and mobile phone.They know it and demand it mercilessly. The industry fed this monster. Surprises are hungry for each new iPhone, super specifications Samsung Galaxy ahead in the higher efficiency in their Nokia phones with Windows. Users are the engine of this machine obsolescence. All right. There are industry and progress for all.
The developers : They know they have several options for creating mobile applications. It's good, bad or too monstrous as you look. The truth is that art and business of creating apps is in its infancy, there is no science here, only experiences. Do not forget that the software industry still has trouble agreeing on best practices, more mobile industry complicates the equation with market demands and design. All in real time.All to speed new SDK, API, tools, languages, interfaces, trends, praxis ... Every few weeks. We have a fragmented mobile technologies carried insane level.

But there are other users. And other programmers. Those who see a more horizontal, those trained in web, software and free culture, they watch the network nature of our world is broken into closed platforms .The fragmentation caused by accelerated obsolescence equals industry creating islands technological isolated.

I've always liked the idea of an operating system based on the web browser with JavaScript engine and doing the CPU times. After all, we spend much of the time only in the browser, only using webapps, applications written once, organically adaptable, offering a more or less uniform across devices. This is the promise of Web technologies and open standards, so far with mediocre implementations as Chrome OS and the like that do not quite take flight.

Besides, the world is not pure. Personally I do not believe in the existence of only free software and proprietary software only, I think that coexistence is the natural choice, as the day and night. In this sense, I think Firefox OS could lead to horizontal and network connections to the world of mobile applications and devices owesusers and developers . I think that's just where OS Firefox has a great opportunity.

5 Top Cloud Back-Up Services

2012-09-13T08:46:00.003-07:00

A list of 5 top cloud back-up services that provide a safe and easy way to protect your data from disaster.

The cloud is a beautiful thing. Not only does it give us wireless updates and syncing, but it also provides a cheap and secure way to store hard drive data. Backing up using an external hard drive is generally safe, but it leaves your data vulnerable to malfunctions, theft and loss through damage to the hard drive itself. If you want to keep your data completely safe, cloud storage keeps your information secure without being vulnerable to the tragedies that can befall physical hard drives.

Backing up online also helps prevent data loss through accidental deletion. If you lose or permanently delete a file, having an online back-up will help you retrieve the data quickly and easily.

Here is a list of 5 top cloud back-up services that will protect your data in a pinch and give you peace of mind.

Carbonite

Carbonite offers two back-up products: one for personal or home use, and the other for business use. Once you set up the software, Carbonite automatically backs up your data in the background so you don’t have to run each back up manually. With a Carbonite account, you can access your data from your iPhone, iPad, Android or Blackberry too.

Carbonite costs $59 a year for one personal computer or $229 a year for a small business

Mozy

Mozy caters for a variety of back-up needs, from personal data to small businesses, to large corporations. With file encryption, you can be extra sure your data is secure. The service also offers iOS and Android apps so you can access your data while away from your computer. As well as setting up regular back-ups that run in the background, users also have access to Mozy Stash, which provides personal storage online similar to that offered by DropBox.

Mozy plans start at $5.99 a month for personal use, $17.50 for a small business and the company custom builds back-up facilities for larger organizations.

Backblaze

Backblaze offers unlimited data back-ups, and enables you to restore your data online, or using a USB stick or physical hard drive. The program backs up everything on your computer, except your operating systems, applications and temporary files. Instead of running regular scheduled back-ups, Backblaze backs up all the time, so every time you create or change a file, you can be sure that it’s protected.

Backblaze plans start at $3.96 per month.

Crashplan

Crashplan offers a range of on-site and off-site data back-up packages. Back-ups are scheduled and then run in the background automatically, however Crashplan doesn’t just back up to an online server – you can also set it to back up to other locations too at the same time. That way, if anything happens to one version of your back-up, you know you have at least one more that will save the day. With no restriction on file sizes, the service encrypts your data and uses multi-level password protection, keeping your data safe.

A basic package with Crashplan is free, and paid plans start at the equivalent of $1.50 per month.

ZipCloud

ZipCloud enables you to access your data at anytime and from anywhere. You can do so from a desktop or mobile and use your ZipCloud account to sync your files across multiple computers and devices in the background, share your files and folders with friends, and back up mobile files on the go.

ZipCloud is available rom $4.95 per month.

Iceland discussion block pornography and gambling online for security reasons

2012-09-13T07:49:00.001-07:00

It seems that the movement initiated by UK security to prevail over the rights of citizens could reach Iceland .And is that two of the largest suppliers in the country would be debating whether to block gambling and pornography on the Internet for security reasons.

And in the UK is running a bill by which providers must save all data and records of British users in the network (from emails to pages look) for at least twelve months. Time in which the government could request personal information of citizens in case of ongoing investigation. A movement which puts the safety to user privacy.

Now it seems to Iceland to join the initiative or at least discuss it. Vodafone and Siminn thinking would block access to sites related to gambling and betting with pornography. The reason, defend subscribers possible malware .

A service as Vodafone itself, would require ISPs and mobile operators have a service package where pornographic images were excluded. The company talks about a service that already has, Online Filtering Service , which henceforth would default and that should be disabled by users as.

Siminn Meanwhile, another major suppliers in the country, has since 2008 been offering its subscribers the ability to block pornography and "harmful content" through Net protector , a free tool where users choose to block.Although they claim that is not in their plans necessarily block access to this content, Siminn explains that:

For now just debating on the issue as it does in the UK. Our view is that all service providers should be involved in these discussions. In the future we will study new measures to protect children.
New measures to achieve blocking access executed by Internet companies and in cooperation with the authorities.

A debate on the removal of certain content on the network for security reasons.

Hack your medical report and distributes it to the open source community to find a cure

2012-09-13T07:41:00.000-07:00

May ultimately not "cure" as he says, but the history of this hacker with brain cancer has reached the top in the network, therefore, that since there are several open forums reddit with the story of the boy. A young hacker who has cracked the confidential medical report of his illness (brain cancer) on the community distributingopen source . The idea, invite everyone to participate in their "cure" in any form and has the word meanings.

The young Italian has issued the video that opened with a letter on its website explaining the reason for this curious movement. According to him, it is possible that alternative thinking may be the way to resolve cases like yours, a priori difficult to solve.

I leave you with the message Roberto Preatoni and link to your site where anyone can participate in this movement:

I have brain cancer.
Yesterday I went to get my medical records digital: I have to teach them to many doctors.Unfortunately, they were in a closed format, owner, and therefore could not open them with a computer or send them in this format to all the people who could save my life.
I have deciphered. The opened and the contents became open format so that I could share with everyone.
Today I could share data on my health (about my brain cancer) with 3 doctors. 2 of them have already responded.
I've been able to do because the data used were open and accessible formats: doctors have been able to open the files using their computers, their tablets. They have been able to respond from home, on Sunday.
Myself progressively publish all responses received, with use of open formats, so anyone with my same disease may benefit from the solutions found.
It is a cure. This is my Cure in Open Source.
This is an open invitation to participate.
CURA, which in different cultures means different things.
There is no cure for the body, for the spirit, even to communicate.
Get the information about my disease, if you want, and give me a cure: make a video, a work of art, a map, a text, a poem, a game, or try to find a solution to my health problem.
Artists, designers, hackers, scientists, doctors, photographers, video-makers, musicians, writers.Anyone can provide a cure.
Create your own cure with the content found in section DATI / DATA here on this site, and send it to info@artisopensource.red.
If you knew of a doctor willing to consider the case, please keep that in mind to send it ...
Thank you very much, Roberto "SyS64738" Preatoni
... Fingers crossed.

Historic ruling in P2P: a subscriber is not responsible for the misuse of any third party wifi

2012-09-13T07:39:00.000-07:00

So far, hundreds of lawsuits in the U.S. against the misnamed piracy and the use of P2P focused on the subscriber and wireless. No matter who was actually, if the BitTorrent tracking on downloading any copyrighted material led to an IP automatically the complaint was against the ISP subscriber. For a few hours a landmark ruling in the United States changes the way you see things. The logic is imposed and admits a subscriber to the network must ensure your wireless connection to prevent third parties use to infringe copyright.

Put another way, what the California judge Phyllis Hamilton has admitted is that users can not be responsible for any infringements of others through their connection.

And is that BitTorrent lawsuits in the United States have lengthened in time for more than two years with some indexes that indicate that at least 250,000 users have shared allegedly illegal files.

How? The modus operandi of the holders in the country is always the same. A equals IP evidence . From there, it asks the court to issue a warrant to find personal data of suspects so that providers offering just such data. A scheme in which the person paying for services becomes offender, whether or not true.

Over time there have been several judges who have finished determining that an IP is not equivalent to a person and therefore the argument is invalid. To counter this argument, rights holders have introduced the theory of "negligence" , an argument where Internet subscribers were responsible for the unlawful use made of its network. A motion allowing rights holders to continue the ongoing demands.

And here is where the figure of Judge Hamilton with a ruling that stands first in favor of the subscriber.

A case where the firm AF Holdings sued an account holder, Josh Hatfield, not to secure their wireless connection and default on its obligation to do so. As a result, the firm argued that Hatfield was responsible for offenses committed by others on your network.

Hatfield obviously disagreed with this statement and said the company could not prove that people were forced to secure their wireless networks to prevent hacking.

Finally the judge Hamilton finished dictating the following:

AF Holdings has not articulated any basis for Hatfield impose a legal duty to prevent the violation of protected works. Hatfield is accused of AF material giving rise to the obligation to protect the copyright of AF Holdings, nor is accused of having participated in any abuse of authority by which you create a risk of danger.

A landmark ruling where the judge specified and excludes that Internet subscribers have an obligation to / with rights holders in protecting their wireless connections. A decision that the same Electronic Frontier Foundation praises commenting that:

This decision sends a clear message that copyright holders can not use legal tricks to circumvent the protections of the law on access points to the Internet.

Certainly a setback for rights holders that may set a precedent in the future.

Harvard University developed a curious robot tentacle

2012-09-13T07:37:00.000-07:00

The robot is present in many areas of our daily lives and, little by little, we have seen has been introduced in the industrial sector (large production lines with mechanical arms, for example, can be assembled much of a car), in medicine (such as surgical instruments) or assistant people suffering from any kind of disease. One of the best known examples of robotics is that of robot arms , which have been materialized in more than one controller in production lines, medical or orthopedic prostheses, an application from Harvard University are proposing to a rather unique way .

Through a project for DARPA , which is quite common when it comes to robotics, a research team from the Department of Energy at Harvard University has long been working on a new type of robot arm not look anything like what we have seen previously. The arm, really, is a tentacle made of plastic and has the ability to adapt its shape to grab any object (in the same way that a constrictor snake twisting grab an animal body).

The arm is controlled by several air flows at different pressures, by its variation, serve to control the shape and thus will control the grip pressure on an object. Stated another way, rather than follow the conventional approach of a robot arm with fingers or tweezers to grip objects, the feeler is capable of coiling and adapted to grip anything adapting the pressure and the clamping force to the object to be sustain.

The result, in view of the photographs that have been published, is quite surprising since September controlling air tubes that circulate through the tentacle he is able to take the most diverse forms (in the three directions of space) and can holding a horseshoe-shaped piece (curling around it) or put a flower without breaking.

A practical application with great potential due to its adaptability and flexibility.