Cutting Edge Technology in the news

[calikid]

Cybercriminals or 21st century Robin Hoods?
Anonymous in disarray after major crackdown snares leaders
By David Goldman

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- In the U.S. government's biggest crackdown to date on a hacktivist group calling itself "Anonymous," four leaders and one other activist were arrested Tuesday and charged with a computer hacking conspiracy.

The U.S. Department of Justice also revealed Tuesday that it had snared the prime leader of an Anonymous offshoot group called LulzSec, which conducted a high-profile, two-month hacking rampage last summer against corporate and government targets.

The raids and arrests put the loosely connected hacking movement into disarray.

Several members who affiliate themselves with Anonymous claimed on Twitter to have been raided by federal authorities. A popular Anonymous Twitter account, @YourAnonNews, was continuously tweeting in response that the movement "doesn't have a leader," and is instead "an idea" that will "keep growing, adapting and evolving, no matter what."

What particularly set the movement on edge was the conviction and apparent turning of the LulzSec leader Hector Xavier Monsegur, known by his hacker alias Sabu.

The DOJ revealed Tuesday that federal authorities investigated the hacker suspects with help from a leader within the organization who had been secretly working with government officials. Fox News reported that Monsegur -- whom the DOJ said was arrested and convicted in August 2011 -- was that mole.

"We are done talking about Sabu," tweeted @YourAnonNews. "He is a person who is too scared for revolution. We will continue to fight and show that Sabu was no one."

Still, the group urged its followers to block Monsegur's Twitter account. That account abruptly stopped tweeting Tuesday morning with a final message: "Die Revolution sagt ich bin, ich war, ich werde sein," which is German for, "The revolution says I am, I was, I will be."

The four ringleaders arrested Tuesday were all close associates of Monsegur -- "close" being a relative term for alleged Internet criminals. Monsegur was from New York, two of the other leaders were from the United Kingdom, and two were from Ireland. The fifth, more loosely connected arrestee was from Chicago.

The hackers are facing a combined seven counts and a maximum of 105 years of jail time, according to an indictment unsealed by a federal court.

Monsegur pled guilty to twelve counts in August, including computer hacking conspiracy, fraud and aggravated identity theft. The DOJ says he faces up to 124 years in prison, but that will likely be reduced due to his cooperation with authorities.

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[CasperParks]

In an era of privacy concerns, it is refreshing to see proposed legislation addressing the issue.
Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights
@CNNMoneyTech

The White House proposed "Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights," a voluntary act that it called a "comprehensive blueprint" for future legislation.

"Voluntary act"... Keywording there, "future" means it may never pass.

Employers and colleges are requesting social networking site passwords for employees and students. It is sure, somewhere in the fine print of an application employees/students are willing giving up their right to privacy.

[calikid]

Yes, your smartphone is the new target of Hackers. Take steps to defend your valuable passwords and data.
Five ways to protect yourself from Wi-Fi honeypots
by Declan McCullagh
If you come into range of the WiFi Pineapple Mark IV, every Web page on the Internet may be replaced by the Nyan Cat kitten, or, in the hands of someone malicious, something far worse. Here's how to protect yourself.

AUSTIN, Texas--Darren Kitchen spent this weekend walking around the SXSW festival with an unobtrusive but relatively evil red box attached to his backpack: it impersonated Wi-Fi networks in hopes of convincing laptops, phones, and other wireless devices to connect to it.

Kitchen's hot-spot honeypot worked. During just a few minutes in the lobby of the Omni Hotel here, he disrupted dozens of Wi-Fi connections and rerouted them to his own "network" that replaced all Internet pages with a video of the Nyan Cat kitten flying through space. Someone with malicious intent could have done far worse.

Kitchen, founder of Hak5, says the WiFi Pineapple Mark IV box highlights the security flaws of the way Wi-Fi has been implemented. There's also a privacy flaw. Currently, Wi-Fi devices broadcast the list of open Wi-Fi networks to which they previously connected--meaning an astute observer may be able to tell where the owner works and socializes.

His five tips for how to prevent your Internet connection from being hijacked by someone with the WiFi Pineapple Mark IV (available for purchase for $89.99):

1. Turn off Wi-Fi

If Wi-Fi isn't enabled, there's no privacy or security risk. Use a 3G or 4G USB stick instead. Or, on a laptop with a wired Ethernet connection, use that.

2. Avoid open Wi-Fi networks

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[calikid]

In these belt tightening times, it is good to see a Free antiVirus among the top choices.
Editors' Choice awards for 2012 security suites
by Seth Rosenblatt

After long deliberation, CNET has awarded the top two 2012 security suites Editors' Choice awards.

In the paid suite category, we decided on Bitdefender Total Security 2012 (download) for its top-rated security, its low impact on your computer's performance, and its excellent range of features. Bitdefender started strong out of the gate, and although some came close, notably Norton and F-Secure, Bitdefender posted an impressive set of benchmarks that kept it ahead.

Choosing a top free suite for the 2012 release cycle was even more challenging. After a few years of lackluster updates, popular Avira returned to the fold, not to mention tougher antivirus competition from big names like Microsoft and security stalwarts like AVG and Ad-Aware. In the end though, and admittedly with some hesitation, we have awarded Avast Free Antivirus 2012

Avast Free's feature set is by far the best out there in a free suite. Tools like using reputation to evaluate downloaded file safety; a lightweight browser add-on that doesn't interfere with your preferred search and provides on-the-fly site reputation; system-level rootkit prevention; and its AutoSandbox help hold its own against many paid suites. It lays a light hand on your computer's performance, and the interface is clean and goes easy on the jargon.

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[U.N.C.L.E.]

I think this is some pretty incredible cutting edge tech:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=YzoXPav7uzs

[calikid]

I think this is some pretty incredible cutting edge tech:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=YzoXPav7uzs

A nice advance in stellar cartography.

[calikid]

It must be tough watching the iPad you bought just a few months ago become obsolete.
The newest iPad will be released today, check it out at your local Walmart.
Everything you need to know about the new iPad
by Kent German

It's just two days before Apple's next iPad arrives in stores. For many gadget geeks, it will be the first time that they'll be able to see the new tablet's higher-resolution display and 4G LTE action in person. And even if you're not an Apple fan, its arrival just makes the tablet wars that much more exciting.

Whether you've already ordered your device, you're still deciding whether to buy, or you're just curious to see how the next iPad will fare, CNET can be your guide to understanding the new iPad, what it promises, and what it eventually delivers. We'll add to this list as we keep exploring so be sure to check back over the next few days.

This link to multiple reviews and instructional videos

[calikid]

From the land of terrible ideas.
Microsoft seeks patent for TV-viewing tolls
The software company filed for a patent on technology that would let content owners charge people if they skip over commercials or replay on-screen action.
By Greg Sandoval

Microsoft has filed for a new patent called "control-based content pricing" that will enable content owners to charge users for skipping over ads or watching a replay.

On its face, the description of the technology doesn't sound like a great consumer proposition, to say the least.

"If a user initiates a navigation control input to advance past (e.g., skip over) an advertisement, the cost of a requested on-demand movie may be increased," Microsoft said in the application.

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[CasperParks]

From the land of terrible ideas.
Microsoft seeks patent for TV-viewing tolls
The software company filed for a patent on technology that would let content owners charge people if they skip over commercials or replay on-screen action.
By Greg Sandoval

Microsoft has filed for a new patent called "control-based content pricing" that will enable content owners to charge users for skipping over ads or watching a replay.

On its face, the description of the technology doesn't sound like a great consumer proposition, to say the least.

"If a user initiates a navigation control input to advance past (e.g., skip over) an advertisement, the cost of a requested on-demand movie may be increased," Microsoft said in the application.

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I wonder if calling them "Trolls" fits...

[calikid]

I wonder if calling them "Trolls" fits...

Stop and pay at the Troll booth.