A Hacker proved that he could activate the camera of a MacBook without warning the user

Once again the Apple MacBook is the source of a privacy problem. A man named Jared Abrahams managed to hack the MacBook camera of a classmate without her being aware. The hacker was able to take naked pictures that he subsequently sent to her. The victim quickly realized that she had been photographed without her knowledge for a considerable time.
To do so, Abrahams has managed to disable the green LED that illuminates normally when the camera is activated. So she couldn't know when it is active. It is normally impossible to take such an action, except for the hacker who has found a solution.  

The FBI found on his computer a special software that can remotely control the camera and the green LED. This practice is indeed already used by the FBI and other similar agencies to spy on some suspicious users. This manipulation is of course not available to everyone.
The vulnerability has been explained by two students from Johns Hopkins University in the United States . According to them, it is necessary to change the OS X kernel to successfully disable the LED of the camera. In fact, the vulnerability is not present on the Mac available since 2008. Nevertheless, it is quite possible that a similar method exists on the latest models to date.
 
Source: The Washington Post

Spying on a computer keystrokes with an iPhone

Researches have shown that sensors found in our smartphones can sometimes be misused: as an example some researchers used the built-in iPhone 4 accelerometer to build an app that capture keystrokes.
  

The idea is simple: a smartphone is placed next to the keyboard and the accelerometer is capable of recording the vibrations each time you hit a key.  The app is then able to determine the position of each button according to the vibration.  

The program is not really able to detect every keystroke, it simply divides the keyboard into several areas: the accelerometer can actually detect roughly if the pressed key is on the top left, top right, bottom left or bottom right of the keyboard. Next, an analysis is performed in overlapping areas with a dictionary to try to reconstruct words.

When the keyboard type is known (QWERTY, AZERTY, etc..) and the language used is identified, the recognition rate of the text is quite high, with a success rate between 70 and 80% . Obviously there are some problems with recognition, especially when a one letter word is used, but the results are interesting.
 

The type of the used smartphone has also an influence: an iPhone 3GS, which uses a conventional accelerometer is unusable, while an iPhone 4 which couples the accelerometer to a gyroscope is effective. Overall, any modern smartphone used in an environment free from excessive vibration should succeed to do the same work.

Although this might sound innovative and fun, but the goals of the study were to show that the monitoring method are not always obvious to detect, and to raise awareness about using technology in a responsible and ethical way, while appreciating and embracing your privacy and respecting the others'.

Does IOS7 make your Iphone waterproof?

iOS7, available since September 18, does not make your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch waterproof. This is the kind message that Apple is making us broadcast to a handful of users.  

Many believed a false advertising that made the rounds on the Internet recently. It showed "Update to iOS 7 and become waterproof." Obviously, this story is not true. It has not prevented some users from falling into the trap so far. They tested their iPhone to dive into the water and there was the drama.
 
The ad below has quickly made ​​the rounds on social networks. It comes straight from 4Chan.
 

 
It is true that the advertising is rather well done. All evidence suggest that Apple is behind it, I think that their intention was to test how well their marketing strategy since 2001 is going and I think it is safe to say that they succeeded to prove how gullible and stupid their users are! (I personally don't mind a chat with an Apple sheep...)

Do not believe everything you read. Ask yourself the simplest question before you start conducting experiences: How a simple software update can render a device resistant to water?

Meanwhile, several users have reported their anger on Twitter
"Anyone who said that iOS7 was waterproof, fuck you!"
"Now my phone has water damage."

Source: iphoneaddict

Paul Miller: One year without internet.

Last year, Paul Miller (a journalist at The Verge, a news and high-tech Web site) announced to experiment to live a year without internet. 

The 26 year old man (at the time) had to learn to work without using internet. The experience forced him to call people to meet, to consult library books to learn, not to have all the information he needed in a  moment.  
"I give up one of the five most important technological innovations of all time for a bit of peace and quiet." 

The experience was tracked on The Verge and allowed to follow its progress. Yesterday, May 1, 2013, the end of this year offline, was an opportunity for Miller to make an assessment. Surprisingly, it is negative. According to him, the experience left on a false premise: life without internet just was not his "real life" because internet took an important part in his "real life". Seeking to experience something different in another world, was impossible because his life and the internet were already bound.
 

He does not deny, however, some positive aspects as being able to focus on a text for a while, return to books... even his family said that he has become closer to others.
The big problem was that he was alone in this experience and the world around him continued to live connected. 

 "Internet is not an individual activity, it is something we do with each other. Internet is where the people are" 

"For this experience to an impact, it would probably take everyone participate, not a single man in a disconnected world" 

The only real conclusion is that internet isn't causing social distancing, but the use of it, as shown by the history of P.Miller. If you want to read the full story of the journalist is here.

Read the full article on The Verge.

Another fracture in Google's Glasses!

Sorry, but when you have your Google Glasses on, you will not be able to, to enter to a local cinema or to your favorite strip club.

Already tested by some lucky picked users, the Google Glasses are not  welcome in cinemas or in striptease clubs. A spokesman for the Sapphire Gentlemen's Club in Las Vegas has made ​​it clear that due to the confidential nature of the activities taking place in his club and such clubs in general, and the hunt for  photos and videos leaked by smartphones for many years, Google Glasses will be banned.
  
And in case customers refuse to take off their glasses, "They will be escorted to their hotel in a limousine," he adds.

And concerning the ban from cinemas, I don't think that it needs much explanation. It is only rational, no?

But Google Glasses could lead to other security issues, privacy related issues. Not to mention the abusive use that may be made by sexual predators. Moreover, in this regard, Drew Donofrio, a private detective working since 12 years for the Bergen County, confessed to worry about this problem on NBC News.


Source: NBC news.

HTC One Crash Test

Once a smartphone is released, there is always someone on the internet testing its resistance using a drop test or stress test. Torture Day for HTC One has come and the executor is Android Authority.

This drop test is violent, trying to simulate real life situations to check the strength of the HTC phone. It is compared to the iPhone 5 in the drop test, simply because both products have an aluminum unibodies. 
Three tests are performed, a fall in from the pocket lever, another from shoulder height and finally,  head height. Three falls that could actually happen in life everyday.

At first glance, the HTC One fared better than its competitor, which is more likely to fall on the screen. But HTC One would suffer the same damage if it falls on its face. Both products are of equiv-fragile according to Android Authority.

Galaxy series are far from being the most secure smartphones!

This is not really new: the security of Samsung smartphones based on Android is not good. And it is clearly not about to be fixed!

Security vulnerabilities seem to multiply on Samsung smartphones based on Android. Evidenced by the testimony of Roberto Paleari, an Italian computer scientist, who explains that the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Tab GT-P1000, just to name a few, are far from being models of their kind.

Thus, to take a single example, Paleari says that taking remote control of Samsung devices is not a complicated exercise.
"All these faults were caused by specific software or customizations made ​​by Samsung in [Android].
Already at the beginning of the month, we saw hatch on the web videos on how to bypass the lock screen Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note II. Since then, Samsung does not seem to have lifted a finger."

Whatsapp and Skype to be blocked in KSA?

Online communications services such as Skype and WhatsApp may be blocked in Saudi Arabia if they do not provide the means to monitor their content, declared today, sources in the telecommunications industry.

"Telecommunications companies were asked by the authorities to come up with the operators of these platforms applications to an agreement to monitor the content," said a source regulator in the Saudi Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC).

 


"The CITC has been given a one-week period, which ends on Saturday, to the telecommunications companies to get a response regarding content monitoring" an official of the Saudi Telecommunication Co . (STC), one of the three operators of the country, stated.

After this time, the CITC may block the popular WhatsApp and Skype applications for smartphones and internet telephony, he continued.

In addition to STC, Saudi Arabia has two other operators, Mobily and Zain and according to an industry source, these are companies that have asked the CITC to take action against these online communication services under the claim of unfair competing.

We have to mention that in the United Arab Emirates,most applications like Skype are blocked by the regulator of the country, apparently to protect the commercial interests of the two local operators Etisalat and Du.

Galaxy S4 vs. HTC One

Two great Android smartphones were presented recently this year, the HTC One and the Galaxy S4 which was featured on this blog by a full review.
 
Waiting for their release , we can already engage in a face to face comparison. Technology, material, design and features, what are their strengths, their weaknesses and which stands out most competition?
Galaxy S4 or HTC One.

2013 technique looks like a turning point in the world of mobile telephony. Galaxy S4 was highly anticipated and proved technically on the same level as its competitors. While each of the smartphones we compare today is one of the best, none is really more powerful than his competitor. There are a few small differences, but it is mainly at the level of functionality or technology that the differences become significant.

Design 

It's no secret that the first thing to attract you to a phone was and still is its look and design. Even before turning on a phone to discover its features or even his screen, it always starts with look and a touch. And HTC has showed that they made a real effort to appeal to users.
 
The HTC One presents an all-aluminum design with a slight bend on its back. You can feel an impression of quality with its pleasant finishes and its well studied grip. On the other hand, they might be regretting that this design has condemned battery access as well as a possible port of memory card. Two black dots for the HTC that could seriously handicap them if they did not give a good internal memory (up to 64 GB).

S4 Galaxy don't have such problem. Its look has not evolved since the previous model which was not recognized as the most beautiful of the smartphones. But then, it is the lightest, the finest, and most compact, but it is also the most "cheap". Its polycarbonate shell is not as strong as Samsung wanted us to believe. Fortunately, its slab glass Gorilla Glass 3 catches a little things by ensuring a good degree of robustness.

Ranking

Galaxy S4 before the HTC One under GeekBench 2 

 
 

Galaxy S4 behind the HTC One under AnTuTu 

So as we have seen, Geekbench 2 benchmark puts the S4 Galaxy in first position before the HTC One (3163 points against 2687), whereas AnTuTu showed the opposite. So yes, the HTC One earned a short head only (22446 points against 22678), but still in the first position. Briefly, it's difficult to disentangle the two smartphones, although it would seem logical that with a higher frequency for a same processor, the S4 Galaxy takes the first place. 
But let's keep away from any hasty conclusions, and wait until both smartphones are in action.
 
  

Picture and new technologies?

2013 will be the year of picture resolution, manufacturers are clear about it. Nokia with its technology Pure View and HTC with its Ultra Pixel are perfect examples.

Comparison of the size of the Ultra Pixel sensor and its competitors
 
Well Yes, it is here that HTC defeat the competitors. With a larger sensor and a lower pixel density, it captures more light and can therefore be more effective in the Dark environments. By most, thanks to its opening to f/2.0 (50% larger than that of the iPhone 5, 90% higher than the Galaxy S3, resulting in 300% brighter than the majority of smartphones) it is sensitive enough to overcome digital noise that taints many devices as soon as the light comes out. Finally and this is the icing on the cake, it has ultra responsive optical stabilizer which allows it to avoid blurred pictures in many situations. Indicatively there are stabilizers optical on the NPA and some Bridges.

For the photo part, HTC One takes thus advantage, through its Zoe application and its Ultra Pixel technology. We keep in mind that in terms of image definition remains less efficient than the S4 Galaxy.

 

Screens, precision and high definition

War of the screens has been a turf war between TV manufacturers for many years. It is therefore quickly spread to related devices such as smartphones and tablets. Thus, the 2013 trend was 5 inches and more slabs and the increase of pixel density. 
This round also goes to  HTC that tops the S4 Galaxy with a pixel density greater than that of the S4 Galaxy .
 
However, these feature is not enough to say that a screen is better than another. It should also consider the energy consumption, the display quality, contrast ratio and brightness. The victory is therefore not yet acquired.

At the moment, pending for the release both mobiles, I can only base my comparison on a general observation, the S4 Galaxy AMOled screens are known for their intensity of black but are less efficient in terms of brightness. Finally, coming to color level' s fidelity, it is known that Samsung has regular problems and Galaxy S4 is no exception. As we have seen recently, many critics have already prompted the manufacturer to correct this defect via a calibration free. It is possible that competitors take advantage of this point. But still the S4 is the only smartphone with AMOLED display for customizable calibration.

Battery life

at the time, it is impossible to answer the question of the autonomy of the HTC One and the S4 Galaxy. Galaxy S4 is the device with the larger battery (2600 mAh against approximately 2300 mAh for the other phone) and it has the same OS as the HTC One, only a bit faster. 
Difficult to say more, but  HTC One should worry a lot more than the S4 Galaxy  when it comes to battery life and performance.

In general nowadays, a smartphone's battery should last for 14 hours, a trend against which Google seeks to fight and which could distinguish it from others in the future Motorola XPhone.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is clear to you that designating a winner is not really possible because both smartphones have their strengths and its weaknesses. 
  
HTC One suffers from some hardware deficiencies such as lack of memory card and a non-removable battery, but makes up for it on the features with some surprising picture.

Equally, the Galaxy S4 is also very dense in terms of functionality and won also the neck through his many innovations such as Smart Pause, Gesture or even S Voice Air. However it is blamed for its aging and cheap design that suggest a limited robustness.

So it is a bit hard to say which is going to be more popular. Please, share with me your opinion and let me know which one you would choose?

Fine of 561 million euros for Microsoft!

The European Commissioner for competition will be fined € 561 million to Microsoft. This is based again on anti-competitive practices and non-compliance of the giant on its Internet Explorer browser.
 

The story goes back to July 2012. The European Union opens an investigation because they suspect Redmond not to let the 28 million users of Windows 7 SP1 choose their web browser. The giant then admits a technical problem prevents BrowserChoice.eu to display, that allows you to select the browser. 
However, this "technical problem" is contrary to the Commission's requests.

So, again, this giant is mind-numbingly trying to outsmart anyone who stands in their anti-competitive practices.

When does Gmail block your account?

One of the possibility why you can’t log in to your Gmail account is because of it having been locked by Google. This happens automatically when “abnormal usage” indicates that an account has been compromised. According to Google, it may take up to 24 hours before account access is reinstated.  Reasons for locked accounts include:

• Receiving, deleting, or downloading large amounts of mail in a short period of time. If you're getting the error message, 'Lockdown in Sector 4,' you should be able to access Gmail again after waiting 24 hours.
• Sending a large number of undeliverable messages (messages that bounce back).
• Using file-sharing or file-storage software, browser3 extensions, or third party software that automatically logs in to your account.
• Running multiple instances of Gmail.
• Browser-related issues. Please note that if you find your browser continually reloading while attempting to access your Inbox, it's probably a browser issue, and it may be necessary to clear your browser's cache4 and cookies.

Another possibilities of why you can't log in to your account are:

1. Login problems.
2. Forgotten username or password.
3. Hacked accounts.

How to break linux?

20 ways to break Linux 

Linux is a robust OS but there are still lots of ways you can trash it.

Linux has a reputation for robustness but there are still plenty of ways to damage a perfectly working system.
Here we share some of the ways you can trash Linux so you don't make the same mistakes we did.
Read the Complete article on techradar.com

I just came across this article, and I did some "Googling" and I found it to be discussed on many blogs and forums so I just wanted to write some notes about it.

First I'm gonna start by enumerating the 20 ways and you can always go back to the original article to find out more: