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Post by Admin on Dec 5, 2013 12:56:47 GMT -9
This is for anyone wanting to know what the tech news of today is. We will be posting pertinent information about technical matters daily.
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Post by Admin on Dec 5, 2013 13:08:11 GMT -9
Hackers managed to steal 2 million user passwords through the use of keylogging software
A major hack resulted in the theft of millions of passwords from websites like Facebook, Gmail and Yahoo. According to a new report from CNN, hackers managed to steal 2 million user passwords through the use of keylogging software. The hack began October 21 of this year. Cybersecurity firm Trustwave said that hackers installed the keylogging software on an unknown number of computers around the globe. This software captures login credentials for websites and routes the information through a proxy server, making it impossible to know which computers have the virus.
Trustwave was able to track the server, which is located in the Netherlands. The firm found that 93,000 websites had their credentials compromised, with the top seven being Facebook (318,000 compromised credentials), Gmail/Google+/YouTube (70,000), Yahoo (60,000), Twitter (22,000), Odnoklassniki (9,000), ADP (8,000) and LinkedIn (8,000). Trustwave further found that some of the compromised data consisted of 41,000 credentials used to connect to File Transfer Protocol and 6,000 remote logins. Trustwave notified the companies of the hack, which resulted in ADP, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter notifying and resetting passwords for compromised users. Make sure to stay protected by updating your antivirus software and downloading the most recent patches for Internet browsers, Java and Adobe. Source: CNN
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Post by Admin on Dec 6, 2013 10:02:35 GMT -9
FTC finds popular flashlight app for Android illegally sharing data with advertisers By Chris Smith on Dec 6, 2013 at 11:20 AM
11:20 AM A popular flashlight Android app with an installed base of between 50 million and 100 million users has also been collecting personal data including location and device ID and sharing it with advertisers even for users who had opted out, the Federal Trade Commission found. GoldenShores Technologies, LLC, the developer behind the “Brightest Flashlight Free” app that currently enjoys a 4.8-star rating from over 1 million reviews, on Thursday settled a case with the FTC, Fast Company reports.
The FTC found that while the app’s privacy policy told users that personal data will be collected by the company, it did not say that data including location and device ID would also be shared with third-parties such as advertising networks. Furthermore, the app was found to collect and send data to advertisers immediately after installation, even before the user could either accept or refuse the End User License Agreement of the app.
“When consumers are given a real, informed choice, they can decide for themselves whether the benefit of a service is worth the information they must share to use it,” Jessica Rich, FTC’s Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection said. “But this flashlight app left them in the dark about how their information was going to be used.”
According to the settlement, the developer will have to fully inform users when, how and why their location data is collected, and to obtain the their “affirmative express consent” when it comes to sharing that data. GoldenShores will also have to delete any personal information collected from consumers via the Brightest Flashlight app.
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Post by Admin on Dec 11, 2013 11:29:45 GMT -9
www.zdnet.com/what-might-a-new-windows-start-menu-look-like-7000024193/What might a new Windows Start Menu look like? Summary: Microsoft is believed to be planning to reintroduce a 'mini' Start Menu with a coming Windows release. But what will it look like? Mary Jo Foley By Mary Jo Foley for All About Microsoft | December 11, 2013 -- 19:39 GMT (11:39 PST) If Microsoft does end up reintroducing a Start Menu to a future release of Windows, as sources are hinting, does it necessarily mean that menu will be identical to what exists now? And if it's not, does that defeat the purpose? win7startmenu Your best friend or worst nightmare? Looks like a new version of the Windows Start Menu may be making a comeback. Windows SuperSite's Paul Thurrott blogged earlier this week that his sources had indicated Microsoft might be planning to make two key user-interface changes to a coming version of Windows. One of these is the ability to "float" Metro-Style/Windows Store apps on the desktop. The other was to bring back the Start Menu, alongside the recently re-introduced Start Button. I've seen a number of commentors wondering why Microsoft might reintroduce the Start Menu, since the Windows 8.x Start screen (the tiled interface) was designed to be a new representation of the Start Menu. The short answer is to help existing Windows users -- specifically, the more casual, non-power-user types -- figure out how to navigate Windows 8 without tears or fears. Windows 8, even with the positive changes Microsoft made with the 8.1 release, still presents a usability hurdle for some who are familiar with older versions of Windows. Even if it can be mastered relatively quickly, Windows 8 works and looks different enough to keep some from considering the move away from their more familiar and productive Windows variants. And Microsoft wants Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 users to upgrade, not hold back or switch to a totally different platform because they are worried about Windows 8's learning curves and/or retraining costs. A number of third-party tools, including Stardock's Start8, Classic Shell and Pokki, have found success with Start Menu add-ons designed for Windows 8.x. Since Thurrott's initial December 10 report on the return of the Start Menu, I've heard from my own contacts that this is highly likely to happen. Microsoft is, indeed, highly likely to bring back Start Menu. Supposedly it's being called internally "mini-Start," (as it won't be a full-screen Start Menu like in Windows 8), one of my contacts said. Microsoft may opt to introduce this new Menu as part of the "Threshold" Windows wave in the spring of 2015 or possibly before that, via some kind of Windows 8.1 update. I've heard there is an "Update 1" coming for Windows 8.1 in the spring of 2014, but no word as to how many subsequent updates may be in the pipeline. Next-to-nothing, my contacts claim, has been determined by the team as to what this new Menu will look like. Will it include the same current category list (Documents, Pictures, Music, etc.) as Microsoft's current Start Menu on Windows 7? Will it be a menu of Metro-Style tiled apps? No tiles? Will it interact with the Start button that's on the Charms Bar in Windows 8 in some way? No word. I'd assume the Start Menu will be a Desktop thing, like the 8.1 Start Button is. Maybe it will simply provide users with a mini version of the list of all the apps installed on their Windows 8.x machines. I'd expect it to be designed to work decently with touch, even though from what both Thurrott and I have heard, the primary target audience for the new Start Menu will be those using Windows 8.x with keyboards and mice. I know haters are gonna keep hating on this idea. But assume it's happening: How do you think Microsoft should design the new Start Menu?
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Post by Admin on Dec 16, 2013 16:00:18 GMT -9
frenchtribune.com/teneur/1321137-oculus-raised-us75-million-market-virtual-reality-headsetsBlogsFrancePortugalUSChinaUKBelgiumGreeceJapanSpainAustraliaIsrael Russia Oculus Raised $US75 Million for Market of Virtual Reality Headsets Submitted by Bruce Totolos on Mon, 12/16/2013 - 08:24 Oculus Raised $US75 Million for Market of Virtual Reality Headsets According to a new report, the startup Oculus VR has raised an amount of $US75 million for the market of its virtual-reality headset for video games. The company has raised such big amount with a hope to attract those customers, who have been deprived of such products from past many years. The sum was raised by California based Oculus sum in a round led by Silicon Valley investor Mark Andreessen of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. The company plans to use its money to produce commercial version of its virtual reality glasses for videos games also known as Oculus Rift. The company has offered their users to mount such glasses on their heads with a strap. It has been reported that the company also hopes to raise their technology beyond gaming. Andreessen said: "We believe Oculus will not only alter the gaming landscape but will redefine fundamental human experiences in areas like film, education, architecture, and design". According to sources, it has been expected that Andreessen will join Oculus's board of directors. The company faces a challenging task of building a commercially viable virtual reality technology business. It has been a question of doubt from past many years that whether the 3D virtual reality devices have the potential to achieve widespread adoption and mainstream success.
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Post by Admin on Dec 26, 2013 13:30:02 GMT -9
Cyber security researchers at an Israeli university have discovered a potential flaw in Samsung's enterprise software for its Galaxy smartphones that could let hackers intercept personal data such as email and other communication, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Samsung's flagship Galaxy S4 phone and a few other devices use the company's own enterprise security software called Knox, which is supposed to be just as secure as the BlackBerry devices. In fact, the U.S. government is considering adopting Samsung's Knox-equipped Galaxy phones.
However, in a statement to the WSJ, Samsung played down the alleged security hole, saying enterprises that use Knox Galaxy phones would have extra software that would prevent such a hack. Still, Samsung is taking the report seriously and investigating.
Samsung is expected to make a big push in mobile devices for enterprise users and the government in 2014. With the fall of BlackBerry, many companies are looking for alternative devices that are just as secure and reliable. Earlier this year, the Pentagon approved Apple's iPhones and iPads for use in the Department of Defense. Samsung devices also have the same security clearance.
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Post by Admin on Dec 26, 2013 13:32:05 GMT -9
When the Kindle Fire HDX debuted in September, Amazon launched its new "Mayday" tech support system with the promise of a human employee at your service within 15 seconds. Well, Amazon celebrated a Christmas miracle on Wednesday as it clocked an average response time of 9 seconds. "We set a goal for ourselves to have a response time of 15 seconds or less when a customer tapped the Mayday button—we're proud to say that on Christmas Day we met this goal, with an average response time of just 9 seconds," Dave Limp, vice president of Amazon Kindle, said in a statement. The new Kindle Fire HDX 7-inch and 8.9-inch tablets come equipped with the new Mayday feature, which starts a video chat with an Amazon support rep, who can control your device, draw on your screen, and press virtual buttons. Any questions about how the Fire HDX works, its hidden talents, or just suggestions for a new game to play can be directed to your Mayday consultant, who comes free with all Kindle Fire HDX purchases. "We're excited that millions of customers opened a Kindle Fire tablet this holiday season, and we're glad so many customers tried out the Mayday button." Amazon has not revealed sales numbers for the holiday season, but did report that Cyber Monday was the "best ever" for Kindle Fire tablets and Kindle e-readers, as "millions of customers" unwrapped a new branded device this year. The company unveiled its two HDX models this fall, including the $229 7-inch tablet with a 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 1,920-by-1,200 IPS LCD display. The larger, more expensive 8.9-inch device comes with a $379 price tag, as well as the same processor and RAM, but a 2,560-by-1,600 screen. Both sport a 1-megapixel front camera, while the 8.9-inch device also has an 8-megapixel rear shooter. It was a banner Christmas for Amazon, which counted more than 1 million new Prime members in the third week of December, and a total of 36.8 million items ordered on Cyber Monday. "We are extremely grateful to our customers around the world and wish everyone the very best for the coming year," CEO Jeff Bezos said in a statement. For more, see PCMag's review of the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9-inch and the slideshow above. Also check out our Hands On: Amazon Mayday video below for a look at how the program works.
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Post by Admin on Dec 27, 2013 12:30:36 GMT -9
What happens inside a battery? New research could lead to better, longer-lasting rechargeable batteries. By John Platt Fri, Dec 27 2013 at 2:31 PM
Related Topics: Battery Technology, Energy, Research & Innovation batteries Photo: Tom Blois/Flickr Have you ever wondered what happens inside a battery? You're not alone; scientists are still searching for new clues to the processes that take place inside batteries as part of the ongoing quest to create better, more powerful, longer-lasting and cheaper energy-storage solutions. A team of researchers with the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and other institutions have just unlocked some of the secrets hidden within rechargeable batteries. The work, published last month in the journal Nano Letters, could eventually lead to better rechargeable batteries, something that would help to further enable electric vehicles and alternative energies such as wind and solar. Most research into batteries today focuses on studying "the hard-to-find solid electrolyte interphase layer, a coating that accumulates on the electrode's surface and dramatically influences battery performance," according to a recent news release from PNNL. Other research has been limited, however, because most high-powered microscope work is done under dry conditions. Most batteries, however, contain liquids, and until now, the liquids have slowed the ability to conduct microscopic research. The team has come up with a new method that bathes battery electrodes in wet electrolytes, allowing them to view the activity in those electrodes under a high-powered microscope. PNNL materials scientist Chongmin Wang said in the press release that this new technique "will help us find the solid electrolyte layer" and that it helped to provide new information about electrode behavior. Specifically, it allowed them to study how positively charged ions ebb and flow into electrodes — and in the process deform them. It's the latter part of the process that's the most important. As electrodes swell, they also break down. The more they break down, the less they will able to hold charges. The researchers created a special dry battery for their tests. The battery — which was far smaller than the size of a dime — contained one silicon electrode and one lithium metal electrode within a bath of electrolyte, which was enough to allow the flow of ions but still allow study under a high-powered microscope. That allowed the team to study the electrodes' behavior and show that the dry battery behaved the same way as a wet battery. "We have been studying battery materials with the dry, open cell for the last five years," Wang said in the press release. "We are glad to discover that the open cell provides accurate information with respect to how electrodes behave chemically. It is much easier to do, so we will continue to use them." The researchers say this could new study could be the next step in the ongoing quest to create longer-lasting rechargeable batteries.
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Post by Admin on Jan 3, 2014 11:32:31 GMT -9
Happy New Year Everyone,
Been alot of great tech news over the holidays, very interesting stuff, so keep tabs here.
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Post by Admin on Jan 3, 2014 11:34:50 GMT -9
LAS VEGAS, (January 3, 2014) Acer today launched the Acer TA272 HUL Android all-in-one (“AIO”) that combines an ultra-high resolution 27-inch display, powerful NVIDIA Tegra quad-core processor and premium chassis design. The Acer TA272 HUL brings stunning visuals to home entertainment. It is equipped with a WQHD display with a 2560 x 1440 resolution that is four times sharper than HD, providing users incredibly crisp visuals for all their discerning entertainment needs. In addition, it also offers wide-viewing angles without color difference and a high contrast ratio, ideal for sharing and collaborating with friends and family. Featuring a 10-point touchscreen, users are provided a convenient, intuitive experience for apps and widgets. The Acer TA272 HUL possesses the necessary performance for smooth multitasking, daily computing, gaming and applications. The system comes fitted with an NVIDIA Tegra quad-core processor, 16G internal memory and dual-band 802.11 abgn wireless. Running Android OS 4.2 Jellybean, users can take advantage of millions of free apps and enjoy the Android experience afforded by mobile devices on a big screen. The Acer TA272 HUL sports a premium design that incorporates a transparent base and asymmetric stand that makes the AIO appear it is floating and an edge-to-edge glass design for a seamless and minimalistic look. The stand allows the frame to be easily positioned from 30 to 80 degrees tilt, allowing users to set the most comfortable viewing angles. The Acer TA272 HUL is also outfitted with two front-facing Dolby surround sound speakers for superb audio and a 2MP webcam. Excellent connectivity is afforded including a USB 3.0 port for attaching game controllers and other peripherals. HDMI and DisplayPort permit the display to be used as an external monitor for other devices, and Windows 8 certification permits smooth touch control when theAcer TA272 HUL is used to project devices with Windows OS as well. Acer PCs can be seamlessly integrated for accessing data anytime, anywhere through Build Your Own Cloud (BYOC™) (1). It enables users to build their own cloud on their devices, such as music, photos and other types of clouds. These self-built clouds, based on an Acer Open Platform, are reliable, more secure, easy to use and provide users convenient access to their information and content anytime, anywhere. Pricing and availability The Acer TA272 HUL all-in-one is already shipping worldwide with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of US$1,099. For details about availability, product specifications and prices in specific markets, please contact your nearest Acer office or retailer or see www.acer.com.
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Post by Admin on Jan 3, 2014 11:37:03 GMT -9
Facebook made of Teflon when it comes to privacy, analysts say Social network sued for allegedly scanning users' private messages
By Sharon Gaudin January 3, 2014 02:25 PM ET Add a commentinShare1 Computerworld - Facebook is being sued for allegedly intercepting users' private messages, following links and sharing the information with advertisers and marketers.
But analysts are doubtful that such accusations will be enough to make users abandon the social networking site.
Facebook scans users' private messages, follows any links in the messages to third-party Web sites and uses the information to build user profiles that are then shared with third parties, according to the suit brought by Facebook users Matthew Campbell and Michael Hurley on Dec. 30 in federal court in San Jose. The suit also seeks to be certified as a class action on behalf of all Facebook users in the U.S. who have sent or received private Facebook messages that included a URL in the content of the message.
"The right of privacy is a personal and fundamental right in California and the United States," the complaint states. "An individual's privacy is directly implicated by the collection, use, and dissemination of personal information. Defendant Facebook, Inc. has systematically violated consumers' privacy by reading its users' personal, private Facebook messages without their consent."
The complaint further states that contrary to Facebook's claims of offering users the ability to send and receive private messages, those messages are intercepted to cull information about the users' communications, not to facilitate communications but to make money off users' messages.
Independent security researchers looked into Facebook's practices, according to the plaintiffs. The lawsuit seeks an injunction against Facebook's practices and either $100 a day for each day of alleged violation or $10,000, for each user affected.
"The complaint is without merit and we will defend ourselves vigorously," said a Facebook spokeswoman in an email to Computerworld.
Jeff Kagan, an independent industry analyst, noted that if the allegations are upheld in court, it will be another instance of Facebook disregarding users' privacy.
"This is yet another slap in the face to customers," said Kagan. "Previous slaps have not cost them anything. Will this? I don't think so. However at some point, some day, they will cross over the line and when they do, they will start losing customers quickly."
Today, though, is not likely to be that day, he added.
Privacy is dead, Kagan said, and it's largely because users don't read the multi-page and often confusing terms of use agreements before signing up to any site or service.
"Users leave themselves open to this kind of abuse," he said. "That's the problem. The marketplace complains, but doesn't go away. So with no real price to pay, Facebook keeps misbehaving. Who's fault is it? Theirs for doing it and ours for letting them get away with it."
Rob Enderle, an analyst with the Enderle Group, said users should be aware that free services aren't really free. If people aren't paying out of their pocket, they'll pay another way.
"Ad-funded companies need to generate revenue, and they do so by mining the content they have access to," Enderle said. "In exchange, you get access to the product for free. Once you know this is going on, you can either decide not to use the service or to moderate what you share with them. This hurts because most folks don't really understand what they signed up for and feel violated as a result. Sometimes you do need to read the fine print."
Consumers need to remember that with services like Facebook, the real customers are the advertisers, not the users, he said.
Enderle, like Kagan, said users aren't going to leave Facebook for this kind of infraction. They haven't in the past and it's unclear what privacy infraction would force users, who connect with family and friends on the world's largest social network, to ditch it for another site.
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Post by Admin on Jan 6, 2014 9:42:40 GMT -9
Forbes
Connie Guglielmo Connie Guglielmo, Forbes Staff I cover the people and technology driving Silicon Valley Follow (497) TECH | 1/06/2014 @ 4:39AM |1,572 views
Nvidia Kicks Off CES With New Mobile Graphics Chip That Inspired California Crop Circle
Nvidia NVDA +1.95% CEO Jen-Hsun Huang unveiled a powerful mobile graphics chip that aims to transform the look and feel of video games and to power photorealistic digital dashboards and promote self-driving cars in the not so distant future.
But the new Tegra K1, which boasts 192 cores, may be generate more attention in the short term for being the inspiration for a marketing stunt that saw the creation of a mysterious crop circle in a small town in Northern California before the new year.
“Tegra K1 is probably the most ambitious project we’ve ever worked on,” said Huang at a Sunday night press event that pretty much marked the opening of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. “It’s impossibly advanced.”
Nvidia, whose processors have primarily been used for PC gaming, supercomputing and workstation applications, is counting on the Tegra K1 to help expand its presence in the smartphone market, a point Huang drove home repeatedly by noting that the new chip “brings next generations graphic on a mobile device for the first time.” It’s built around a graphic processing unit that Nvidia says uses the power-efficient, high-performance Kepler architecture that drives the world’s most powerful supercomputers and PC gaming systems. And it’s the first chip, he said, to be shown running Google GOOG +0.39%’s Android operating system in 64-bit mode.
Nvidia Propels Mobile Computing With Whopping 192-Core Tegra K1 Jason EvangelhoJason Evangelho Contributor Morgan Stanley MS +0.32% analyst Joseph Moore called it an “intriguing product” but noted that Nvidia’s investment in Tegra chips is “very high and are likely to remain a significant headwind to earnings. Despite our estimate of 35 percent growth next year, we are still at about half of breakeven levels.”
Huang also said the Tegra K1 can be used to power camera-based, advanced driver assistance (ADAS) systems based on Android that offer features such as pedestrian detection, collision avoidance and blind spot monitoring. The company is working on an effort called Project Mercury to show automakers how the chip can be used with Nvidia’s Material Definition Language — which simulates how light reflects and refracts off of actual materials such as leather and aluminum — to allow for the creation of photo-realistic digital cockpits with gauges, controls and dials that have been customized by the driver. Nvidia says it already has partnerships with more than 20 carmakers, who have used its technology in more than 100 models.
“Audi and NVIDIA have a long, deep partnership, in which we’ve utilized three generations of Tegra to bring industry-leading capabilities to the instrument cluster, infotainment and rear seat entertainment systems,” said Ricky Hudi, chief executive engineer of electrics/electronics at Audi AG. “Tegra K1 opens a new chapter for Audi to deliver revolutionary supercomputing advances to the car, paving the way to piloted driving experiences.”
As for the crop circle, Huang said he told his publicity team to dream up a marketing campaign to promote the new chip without spending much money. The result was a crop circle, created with a team of crop circle experts, in a barley field about two hours south of San Francisco in the town of Chualar. The crop circle made a local splash after reporters deciphered the image and noted that it showed the number 192 – the number of cores in the new Tegra K1 — in Braille.
“People thought aliens had done it,” Huang said.
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Post by Admin on Jan 7, 2014 9:22:10 GMT -9
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) Intel is distancing itself from the name of its top security product, McAfee, after years of having its name dragged through the mud thanks to the misadventures of its founder, John McAfee. Intel (INTC, Fortune 500), which bought McAfee in 2010, will rebrand its subsidiary as Intel Security. But Intel will keep the logo we all know well -- that red shield that lives on many of our computers' toolbars.
The announcement was made Monday by Intel CEO Brian Krzanich at the Computer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. In 2012, the company told CNNMoney that it had no intention of changing the McAfee name because "customers understand the separation that takes place." But the turnaround was expected since last month, when McAfee Chief Marketing Officer Penny Baldwin told Adweek the company would "see massive change" in "packaging and names."
John McAfee started the antivirus firm in 1987 as McAfee Associates and left in 1994 with about $100 million in his pocket. He stayed in the headlines for years for his bored millionaire antics: flying in tiny open-cockpit kite-planes, escaping a wrongful death lawsuit by fleeing to Belize and even starting a bacteria-research lab in the jungles of Central America.
But in 2012, McAfee's neighbor in Belize was found dead, shot in the back of the head with a 9 millimeter bullet. McAfee went on the run -- and even gave secret press interviews and blogged about it. He was jailed in Guatemala, faked a heart attack and was later deported to Miami.
Then came a bizarre (and verbally graphic) video on YouTube in which McAfee -- now in Portland, Ore. -- trashes the McAfee antivirus software while surrounded by drugs, guns and scantily clad women. In her Adweek interview, Baldwin said the company had kept a close eye on the millionaire's erratic behavior and its effect on consumer perception of the brand.
But McAfee too has kept an eye on the brand name -- and he's come to hate his association to the software because of how much it's changed. On Tuesday, he told CNNMoney he's tired of receiving complaints about the McAfee security program for being "a complete CPU hog that ignores what the user wants to do." McAfee said he and Intel can finally both be happy.
"I really am elated beyond description," he said. "Everyone thinks I've written the worst software in the world. But I've had nothing to do with that company for 20 years."
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Post by Admin on Jan 14, 2014 13:30:39 GMT -9
UPDATE 3-U.S. appeals court strikes down FCC net neutrality rules
Wed Jan 15, 2014 2:29am IST
By Alina Selyukh and David Ingram
WASHINGTON, Jan 14 (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday rejected federal rules that required Internet providers to treat all web traffic equally, a decision that could allow mobile carriers and other broadband providers to charge content providers for faster access to websites and products. The Federal Communications Commission's open Internet rules, also known as net neutrality rules, required Internet service providers to give consumers equal access to all lawful content without restrictions or varying charges. But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit struck down the regulation, which was passed in late 2010 and challenged in court by Verizon Communications Inc. Two judges, with partial support from a third, said the FCC did have authority to regulate broadband access, but the agency failed to show that it had authority to impose the anti-discrimination rules on broadband providers. The ruling is a victory for Verizon and other broadband providers, who saw the FCC rules as government overreach into how they operate their networks. The largest providers on Tuesday pledged that they would not restrict how customers use the web, but consumer advocacy groups said they worried that providers may begin charging content companies such as Netflix, Facebook or ESPN for faster Internet speeds. The FCC had classified broadband providers as information service providers as opposed to telecommunications service providers, like telephone companies, and that distinction created a legal hurdle for the FCC's authority over them. This was the second time the court struck down the FCC's net neutrality rules. The FCC now could appeal the ruling to the full appeals court or to the U.S. Supreme Court, something FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said he is considering as he looked at "all available options" to ensure Internet networks remained free and open. The regulators could also try to reclassify broadband providers so they fall in the same category as traditional phone companies, a step that would give the FCC more oversight power. Public interest groups have urged the FCC to do so, but the move would face staunch opposition from Republicans and broadband providers. "Unless Congress acts, we should stay our hand and refrain from any further attempt to micromanage how broadband providers run their networks," Republican FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai said. Democratic leaders in Congress on Tuesday urged the FCC to take advantage of the oversight power the court did recognize over broadband and offered support in rewriting the rules. Republicans urged the FCC to stay hands-off. Wheeler recently has also suggested he could use existing FCC power to go after particular Internet service providers who violate the open Internet principles on a case-by-case basis. Former FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, who oversaw the adoption of the open Internet order in late 2010 and is now at investment firm Carlyle Group, declined comment on Tuesday. PLEDGE TO OPEN INTERNET Supporters of the FCC rules worry that now Internet providers such as Verizon or Comcast Corp would begin to charge content providers for faster access or slow down or even block access to particular sites. "That's just not the way the Internet has worked until now," Matt Wood, policy director at public interest group Free Press, told Reuters. But opponents say the rules inhibit investments and are not necessary to ensure open access to Internet content. "Today's decision will not change consumers' ability to access and use the Internet as they do now," Randal Milch, Verizon's general counsel and executive vice president for public policy, said in a statement. "Verizon has been and remains committed to the open Internet which provides consumers with competitive choices and unblocked access to lawful websites and content when, where, and how they want. This will not change in light of the court's decision," Milch said. In the case against the FCC, Verizon had argued the open Internet order violated the company's right to free speech and stripped control of what its networks transmit and how. Prominent Internet providers Comcast and Time Warner Cable Inc also issued reassurances of their commitment to open Internet principles on Tuesday, as did the Broadband for America coalition representing various Internet service providers and CTIA, the wireless industry association. But content providers remained uneasy. "Trust but verify," said Michael Beckerman, president and CEO of the Internet Association that represents content providers including Netflix Inc, Google Inc, Facebook Inc and Amazon.com Inc. "With the Internet and our member companies growing and changing and startups constantly popping up, protections do need to be placed for consumers."
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Post by Admin on Jan 15, 2014 8:52:44 GMT -9
N.S.A. Devises Radio Pathway Into Computers
By DAVID E. SANGER and THOM SHANKERJAN. 14, 2014
The headquarters of the National Security Agency at Fort Meade, Md. “We do not use foreign intelligence capabilities to steal the trade secrets of foreign companies,” an N.S.A. official said. Jim Lo Scalzo/European Pressphoto Agency
WASHINGTON — The National Security Agency has implanted software in nearly 100,000 computers around the world that allows the United States to conduct surveillance on those machines and can also create a digital highway for launching cyberattacks.
While most of the software is inserted by gaining access to computer networks, the N.S.A. has increasingly made use of a secret technology that enables it to enter and alter data in computers even if they are not connected to the Internet, according to N.S.A. documents, computer experts and American officials.
The technology, which the agency has used since at least 2008, relies on a covert channel of radio waves that can be transmitted from tiny circuit boards and USB cards inserted surreptitiously into the computers. In some cases, they are sent to a briefcase-size relay station that intelligence agencies can set up miles away from the target.
RELATED COVERAGE
President Obama spoke to reporters before a cabinet meeting at the White House on Tuesday morning. Mr. Obama’s speech on spying guidelines is scheduled for Friday.Obama to Place Some Restraints on SurveillanceJAN. 14, 2014 The radio frequency technology has helped solve one of the biggest problems facing American intelligence agencies for years: getting into computers that adversaries, and some American partners, have tried to make impervious to spying or cyberattack. In most cases, the radio frequency hardware must be physically inserted by a spy, a manufacturer or an unwitting user.
The N.S.A. calls its efforts more an act of “active defense” against foreign cyberattacks than a tool to go on the offensive. But when Chinese attackers place similar software on the computer systems of American companies or government agencies, American officials have protested, often at the presidential level.
Among the most frequent targets of the N.S.A. and its Pentagon partner, United States Cyber Command, have been units of the Chinese Army, which the United States has accused of launching regular digital probes and attacks on American industrial and military targets, usually to steal secrets or intellectual property. But the program, code-named Quantum, has also been successful in inserting software into Russian military networks and systems used by the Mexican police and drug cartels, trade institutions inside the European Union, and sometime partners against terrorism like Saudi Arabia, India and Pakistan, according to officials and an N.S.A. map that indicates sites of what the agency calls “computer network exploitation.”
“What’s new here is the scale and the sophistication of the intelligence agency’s ability to get into computers and networks to which no one has ever had access before,” said James Andrew Lewis, the cybersecurity expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. “Some of these capabilities have been around for a while, but the combination of learning how to penetrate systems to insert software and learning how to do that using radio frequencies has given the U.S. a window it’s never had before.”
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