Steam Hands Developers the Power to Ban Cheaters

Cheating in Multiplayer Games Isn't Big or Clever but, People still Think they Can Successfully Get Away with it. That's a Problem for the Folks at VALVe, Who are Constantly Trying to Ensure that, Steam is a Nice Place to Play. It's One of the Reasons that, the Company has Now Revealed that, it'll Hand the Power to Police Users Straight to the Developers Behind Each Game on the Service. Now, Rather than VALVe Staff Racing to Deal with Each Incident, the Teams that Made the Title Can Rule on, What they Consider to be Fair and Unfair Practices.


The Process of Banning, itself, will Remain in the Hands of VALVe Staffers but Now, All a Developer has to do is, Say the Word and it'll be Done. Of Course, a Cursory Glance at the Responses to the Announcement on Twitter has Revealed that, Plenty of Gamers are Worried that Developers will Abuse this Power. For those Who Play within the Rules, there are Some Perks, as VALVe has also Revealed that, it's Widening the Number of People Who Can Join in the Testing on Steam Guard for Mobile. Another 1,000 People will be Asked to Authenticate their Steam Devices Using their Smartphone and the App Sign Up Process has been Updated as well.




Info Sources:

http://www.vg247.com/2015/04/30/steam-game-ban-system-lets-developers-determine-who-to-block

http://steamcommunity.com/actions/WhatIsGameBan

http://steamcommunity.com/groups/MobileAuthBeta/announcements/detail/134323604266246564

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Play Classic MS-DOS Games Without Leaving Twitter

Although they Went Live at the Very Start of the Year, it was Like All of our Christmases had Come at Once When Archive.org Added 2,400 Playable MS-DOS Games to its Website. Retro Titles like Maniac Mansion, Oregon Trail and DOOM are All Available, with the Only Downside Being that, you Have to Visit Each Specific Game's Page to Play them. However, the Eagle-Eyed Folk at Wired, Noticed these Have Recently Started Working on Twitter, Meaning, you Can Get All of your Social Networking Done while Simultaneously Saving Sandy Pantz from the Evil Dr Fred. Thanks to Twitter's Cards Platform, All you Have to do is, Tweet the URL of the Game you Want to Play and it'll Take Care of the Rest.




Info Sources:

http://www.wired.com/2015/04/embed-games-into-tweets

https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos_games

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VIDEO: "AVERT" (Autonomous Multi-Robot System for Vehicle Extraction and Transportation) - Tiny Robots Can Autonomously Move a Car

A Swarm of Small Robots Developed by a Team of European Scientists, Can Carefully Extract and Transport Vehicles Up to 2 Tons in Weight. These Tiny Machines and their Larger Deployment Unit are Collectively Called, Avert, Short for "Autonomous Multi-Robot System for Vehicle Extraction and Transportation". As the Name Implies, the System Needs Very Little Human Input: it Can Scan the Area and Look for Potential Obstacles to Plan its Safest Route. The Deployment Unit will then Release the Small Robots, which Attach Themselves to the Vehicle that Needs Extraction. As Much as we'd Love for Avert to Rescue us from Bad Parking Situations, though, it was Specifically Developed for Use by Law Enforcement.


According to its Website, Avert Can Help the Police Extract Suspicious Vehicles from within Buildings and Other Tight Places, or Transport Cars they Suspect are Rigged with Explosives to a Safer Location. The Team has been Developing the System since 2012 and Believes Production Can Start as Soon as 2016. For Now, its Members are Busy Showcasing the System in Various Conferences, including the upcoming International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA2015) on May 26 to 30 in Seattle. You Can Watch Avert in Action below but, Folks Who Don't Mind Parsing Scientific Lingo, Can Know More by Reading its Paper.




Info Sources:

http://robotics.pme.duth.gr/docs/ICRA2015_Amanatiadis.pdf

http://new.avertproject.eu

http://robotics.pme.duth.gr/amanatiadis

https://youtu.be/QXSJ7dprzf4

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Twitter Has Over 300 Million Users but, is Still Losing Money

In the Fast-Moving World of Social Media, Twitter Can be Considered Something of an Old-Timer; After All, it just Turned 9 YearsOold this Past March. Yet, in Many Ways, it's still Struggling to Find itself. Twitter has just Reported its 1st Quarter Earnings Report -- which was Incidentally Published Early Due to an Unintentional Leak -- and while it Shows Respectable User Growth Numbers, the Company is still Very Much under Water. The Social Media Firm Now Boasts 302 Million Users, which is Up 18% from this Time Last Year and is a Good 14 Million Increase from the Previous Quarter. Revenue for Q1 was $436 Million, which is a Decent 74% Increase Year-over-Year but, is still below the $440 Million Forecast. And Yes, the Company is still Not Profitable, Recording a Net Loss of $162 Million for the 1st 3 Months of 2015.


Twitter has been especially Busy of Late Trying to Broaden its Appeal. For One Thing, it's Constantly Attempting to Improve its Core Product, with New Features like Twitter Highlights, a New Homepage and More Ways to Send Direct Messages. It's also Investing Heavily in Video, with Products like Vine, Periscopeand its Own 30-Second Offering. At the Same Time, it's Unfortunately still Figuring Out How to Handle Abusive Users, which Remains a Sore Spot for the Company. But, More than just Making its Users Happy, it also Now has Shareholders to Answer to, which Means it Needs to Bring in More Cash. That's Why Twitter is Doubling Down on Advertising with 2 Key Announcements. First, it's Acquired, TellApart, a Marketing Tech Company that Previously Worked with Facebook's Ad Department. Second, it Now has a Partnership with Google's DoubleClick Platform that'll Offer Up More Refined Ad Performance Metrics to Marketers. Ads are Definitely Not Going Away Anytime Soon. As for Video, Twitter CEO, Dick Costolo, Offered a Bit More Insight into the Company's Investment in Periscope during Today's Earnings Call.


In Particular, he Said that, the Livestreaming Service Gained over a Million Users in its 1st 10 Days, with Even More Tuning into a Broadcast over the Web. This is a Pretty Impressive Number Considering the App Isn't Even Available on Android Yet, though One is Reportedly Coming Soon. Costolo Said that Part of the Reason for the Reach is that, Periscope Broadcasters Can Easily Share their Streams on Twitter to Get a Larger Audience. "They can share, watch and be an active participant in immersive live video experience directly from their phones", he Said. "It's transporting you into people's lives." With Periscope, Vine and Twitter, Costolo Said that, Twitter's New Suite of Mobile Apps is "Well Positioned" in Today's Market, as More People "turn to video as a way to express themselves". "It's a way to connect with others and view content they enjoy", he Said. "You can build an audience and reach more people."




Info Source:

https://investor.twitterinc.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=909177

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Microsoft Shows Off "Windows Holographic", Running Windows 10 Apps

When Microsoft Debuted its "Windows Holographic" Software and HoloLens Headset a Few Months Back, Windows 10 Apps were Mentioned as a Possibility. Well, at BUILD 2015 Today, the Folks in Redmond Offered a Look at Windows 10 Universal Apps in Holographic Action. During the On-Stage Demo, Apps could be Placed on Walls or Floated in Space and Resized Based on the User's Needs -- Something we'd Only Seen in Videos Up to this Point. Of Course, this Means that, Users in Different Locations Can Collaborate on 3D Models without Having to be in the Same Room. Any Windows 10 App Can be Used as a Hologram with the Headset so, Getting Work Done at a Place Other than your Desk, will Soon be a Possibility. With those Apps in Play, you Can Overlay a Hologram on Top of a Physical Object and Make Tweaks without Heading Back to the Keyboard.


Just like the Real and Virtual Robots we Saw on Stage, you Wrangle Simple Changes, like the Color of an LED, with Gestures and the Projected UI. Microsoft Partnered with Case Western Reserve University to Develop Medical Solutions for the Platform and those were Shown Off, too. Up Close Examinations of the Nervous and Skeletal Systems, are Now Possible without the Use of Cadavers and Each of the Body's Systems, Can be Displayed as a Separate Model in Seconds. For Architects, "Windows Holographic" Brings the Ability to Walk through Buildings without Leaving the Office, or through those Projects that are still just Blueprints. Of Course, we'll Have to Wait and See What the Final Version Looks like but, Microsoft's Vision for How we'll Work in the Near Future, is Pretty Enticing.

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Cybercrime Gets Smarter and More Complex

There are 85,000 New Malicious IPs Launched Every Day and the Top Phishing Targets are Technology Companies and Financial Institutions. These are Among the Findings of a New Report from Threat Intelligence and Security Company, Webroot. The Webroot 2015 Threat Brief, Provides the Latest Cyber Threat Trends Collected from 10s of Millions of Users and over 30 Security Technology Partners. The Report Finds that, the United States Accounts for 31% of Malicious IP Addresses, Followed by China with 23% and Russia with 10%. Overall, Half of Malicious IP Addresses are Based in Asia. It Shows a 30% Chance of Internet Users Falling for a 0-Day Phishing Attack in the Course of a Year and Indicate a More than 50% Increase in Phishing Activity in December 2014, Most likely Due to the Holiday Season. On Average, there are Nearly 900 Phishing Attempts Detected per Financial Institution but, over 9,000 Attempts Detected per Technology Company. The Top 5 Technology Companies Impersonated by Phishing Websites are: Google, Apple, Yahoo, Facebook and Dropbox. Looked at by Country, the US is by Far the Largest Host of Phishing Websites, with over 75% being within its Borders. Looking at Mobile Systems, the Report Finds that, on Average, Only 28% of Apps on the Android Platform were Trustworthy or Benign, a Drop from 52% in 2013.


Almost Half were Rated Moderate or Suspicious and over 22% were Unwanted or Malicious. Trojans Make Up the Vast Majority of Malicious Threats, Averaging 77% for 2014. "Webroot has seen a continued rise in the number of malicious URLs, IP addresses, malware and mobile applications used to enable cybercriminals to steal data, disrupt services, or cause other harm", Says Hal Lonas, Chief Technology Officer at Webroot. "With more breaches at major retailers, financial institutions and technology companies in the headlines and scores of other, smaller breaches in 2014, the trend shows no signs of slowing down. The Webroot 2015 Threat Brief highlights the need for highly accurate and timely threat intelligence to help organizations assess the risk of incoming data, reduce the volume of security incidents, and accelerate response to successful attacks". 2014 has also Seen More Sophisticated Techniques being Used to Attack PCs. These include the Poweliks Registry Exploit which Doesn't Require Extra Components to Deliver Infections like Ransomware. Webroot also Discovered 5 New Families of Potentially Unwanted Applications, Each Demonstrating New Social Engineering Techniques and Complexity.




The Full Report is Available as a PDF from the Webroot Website and there's a Summary of the Findings in Infographic Form, below:

http://www.webroot.com/shared/pdf/Webroot_2015_Threat_Brief.pdf

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VIDEO: Drones Will Deliver Mail in Switzerland this Summer

You Know which Organization Doesn't Want to Fall Behind Amazon, DHL and Alibaba When it Comes to Drone Deliveries ? The Swiss Post. Yes, Switzerland's Postal Service Wants to Deliver Small Packages Using Small Drones. In Fact, it will Start Using Quadcopters Developed by a Company Called, Matternet, to Drop Off its Customers' Parcels during a Pilot Program this Summer. Matternet ONE Can Carry Anything Up to 2.2 Pounds for over 12 Miles on a Single Charge and the Post will Put it to the Test Delivering Small Things like Medicine or Documents. The Pilot Program, according to the Company, Serves as "a Proof of Concept to clarify the legal framework, consider local conditions and explore the technical and business capabilities of the drones". Matternet Isn't a New Player by Any Means -- it's Already Used its Drones to Deliver Meds in Haiti -- so, the Swiss Post Chose a Great Partner for the Project. "Our product is vertically integrated into a complete transportation solution. Swiss Post comes to us, we supply them all the technology (drones, landing pads, batteries, charging stations, cloud software) and they just focus on operations", One of its Founders, Andreas Raptopoulos, Told TechCrunch. If this 1st Run is Successful, the Postal Service Hopes to Go through 2 More Rounds of Pilot Testing to Determine How Viable Delivery Drones Truly are.




Info Sources:

http://techcrunch.com/2015/04/23/matternet-to-test-the-first-real-drone-delivery-system-in-switzerland/#.wl8hrd:sieH

http://matternetnews.tumblr.com/post/117012559457/swiss-worldcargo-to-test-drone-technology-in

https://vimeo.com/51498640

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Wi-Fi Software Security Bug, Could Leave Android, Windows, Linux Open to Attack

In an Email Today to the Open Source Software Security (Oss-Security) Mailing List, the Maintainer of Wireless Network Client Code Used by Android, the Linux and BSD Unix Operating Systems and Windows Wi-Fi Device Drivers Sent an Urgent Fix to a Flaw that Could Allow Attackers to Crash Devices or Even Potentially Inject Malicious Software into their Memory. The Flaw could Allow these Sorts of Attacks via a Malicious Wireless Peer-to-Peer Network Name. The Vulnerability was Discovered by the Security Team at Alibaba and Reported to wpa_supplicant Maintainer, Jouni Malinen, by the Google Security Team.


The Problem, Malinen Wrote, is in how wpa_supplicant "uses SSID information parsed from management frames that create or update P2P peer entries" in the List of Available Networks. The Vulnerability is Similar in Some Ways to the Heartbleed Vulnerability in that it Doesn't Properly Check the Length of Transmitted Data. But, unlike Heartbleed, which Let an Attacker Read Contents Out of Memory from Beyond What OpenSSL was Supposed to Allow, the wpa_supplicant Vulnerability Works Both Ways: it Could Expose Contents of Memory to an Attacker, or Allow the Attacker to Write New Data to Memory.


That's because the Code Fails to Check the Length of incoming SSID Information and Writes Information Beyond the Valid 32 Octets of Data to Memory Beyond the Range it was Allocated. SSID Information "is transmitted in an element that has a 8-bit length field and potential maximum payload length of 255 octets", Malinen Wrote. And the Code Wasn't Sufficiently Verifying the Payload Length on One of the Code Paths Using the SSID Received from a Peer Device. This Can Result in Copying Arbitrary Data from an Attacker to a Fixed Length Buffer of 32 Bytes (i.e., a Possible Overflow of Up to 223 Bytes). The Overflow Can Override a Couple of Variables in the Struct, including a Pointer that Gets Freed.


In Addition, about 150 Bytes (the Exact Length Depending on Architecture) Can be Written Beyond the End of the Heap Allocation. The End Result is that, an Attacker could Corrupt Information in Memory, Causing wpa_supplicant and Wi-Fi Service to Crash; a Crafted SSID could Essentially be Used as a Denial-of-Service Attack on Affected Devices Simply by Sending Out Responses to Wi-Fi Probe Requests or P2P Network Public Action Messages.


But, it Could also Expose Memory Contents during the 3-Way Handshake of a Peer-to-Peer Network Negotiation (the GO Negotiation) or Potentially Allow for the Attacker to Execute Code on the Target. For the Most Part, these Vulnerabilities are Difficult to Exploit if, the Target Isn't Actively Using P2P Wi-Fi Connections. While it's Possible that an "Evil SSID" could Cause Denial of Service without a P2P Network, the Greatest Security Risks involve Peer-to-Peer Activity. A Patch for the Bug has been Posted and Based on Google's Involvement, it will Likely be Part of an Android Security Update Shortly. However, the Distribution of that Fix, will Depend on Android Handset Manufacturers and Carriers to Reach End Users.




Info Source:

http://w1.fi/security/2015-1/wpa_supplicant-p2p-ssid-overflow.txt

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"Grand Theft Auto 5" Beauty / Maxed Settings Videos

Here's a Video (1) Showing Off the Beauty of "Grand Theft Auto 5" with Completely Maxed-Out Visual Settings. The Videoclip was Shot on an i7 3930K CPU with 2 GTX 970 GPUs. On a Related Note, this Video (2) Offers a Comparison of the Game's Textures in 3 Different Modes to Illustrate the Difference between Normal, High and Very High Quality Textures:

https://youtu.be/ibS9dsbq96E

https://youtu.be/G8WDPbvYbgg

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VIDEOS: DORA Offers a Realistic Telepresence Experience through Oculus Rift

Many Commercial Telepresence Robots are Merely Screens or iPads on Moving Platforms. DORA (Dexterous Observational Roving Automaton), however, Promises to Make Users Feel like they've been Transported to Another Location When it does Become Available. The System was Created by a Team of University of Pennsylvania Roboticists Who Want to Provide People a More Immersive Telepresence Experience without Draining their Bank Accounts. Their Robot is Paired with an Oculus Rift Headset, which Can Track the User's Head Movements and Orientation, Whether Up / Down, Left / Right or Forward / Backward. That Data is Wirelessly Transmitted to the Robot's Arduino and Intel Edison Microcontrollers, Prompting its Camera-Equipped Head to Follow the User's Movements.




Here's How One of DORA's Creators, Emre Tanirgan, Describes the Experience:


"You feel like you are transported somewhere else in the real world as opposed to a simulated environment. You actually get to see people interacting with you, as if you were actually there, and it's difficult to recreate the same experience in a virtual environment right now."




Done Right, the Setup Can Make you Feel like you're Really in the Meeting Room, the Office or Wherever the Telepresence Robot is. However, Perfecting the System Hasn't Been Easy for the Roboticists, Who are still Trying to Reduce the Lag Time between the User's Movements and What's Shown on Screen. The Current Lag Time is around 70 Milliseconds and Shifting to WiFi or 4G from Using Radio Link for the Wireless Data Transfer could Increase it Even More. That's Why the Team's Aiming to Bring it Down below 60 ms, since Too Much Lag could Lead to Motion Sickness. Once DORA's Ready for Deployment, the Team will 1st Make it Available to Museums Offering Virtual Tours and Emergency Responders. After them, Ordinary Consumers could Come Next, though that Obviously Wouldn't Happen Anytime Soon.




Info Source:

http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/robotics-hardware/upenn-dora-platform


Videos:

https://vimeo.com/124993083

https://vimeo.com/125286769

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There's an Easy Way to Bet on Competitive VideoGames

Competitive Gaming is Big Enough Now in the US that, it's Catching ESPN's Attention so, it Stands to Reason that you'd Want a Way to Bet on those Virtual Matches, Doesn't it ? Ex-Microsoft Manager (and Engadget Expand Panelist) Rahul Sood Thinks so. He just Launched, Unikrn, a Website that Makes it Easy to Wager on eSports. If you Live in a Country Where the Company will Accept Bets (currently Australia), you Can Plunk Down Real Cash and Win Jackpots, Much like you would with Conventional Sports Betting. You Could Make a Tidy Profit Betting that, a Low-Ranked League of Legends Team will Defy the Odds, for Instance.


Even if you Live in the US and Other Nations Where Real Bets are Illegal, you Can still Sign Up and Win Prizes. It's a Gamble, Both Figuratively and Literally but, Unikrn does Have Some Early Support. The Startup has already Acquired 2 Companies to Get its Betting System Off the Ground and it has Partnerships that include Sood's Old Outfits HP (which Acquired VoodooPC) and Razer, as well as, CBS Interactive and Logitech. Unikrn Might Not Attract as Much Hype as the eSports Events Themselves but, the Chances are that, you'll Hear More about it in the Future.




Info Sources:

http://www.geekwire.com/2015/ex-microsoft-gm-rahul-soods-startup-comes-out-of-stealth-revealing-a-global-esports-betting-platform

https://unikrn.com

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Europe is Making In-Car Emergency Calling Standard by 2018

More than 25,700 People Died Driving on European Highways Last Year. In an Effort to Reduce these Incidents, the European Parliament has Voted to Outfit Every New Passenger Car and Light Truck in the EU with an Auto-Dialing System that Rings 112 (Europe's 911) in the Event of a Major Accident. Known as 'eCall', it will be "a public service, free of charge for all citizens, irrespective of the type of vehicle or its purchase price", MEP Olga Sehnalova Explained in a Statement. They'll also be Standard Options for All New Vehicles Sold after March 31, 2018. The Program was Originally Pitched in 2012 but, was Delayed as Regulators Worked Out a Balance between Utility and Privacy.


The 'eCall' System in its Current Form, Prevents Authorities from Tracking Vehicles Prior to a Crash and Only Sends Basic Information -- Vehicle Type, Location and Number of Passengers -- When a Wreck does Occur. "The information is transferred only at the moment a serious accident occurs and airbag are sensors set off", Sehnalova Continued. "Then a standard set of information is sent to the rescue services." These Devices are Expected to Reduce Emergency Crew Response Times by 40% in Urban Areas and Halve them in Rural Communities. As such, the European Commission Estimates the Program will Reduce Driver Deaths by a Whopping 10% -- 2,500 Lives Annually. The Device is Expected to Add Only around $100 to the Total Price of a New Vehicle.




Info Sources:

http://phys.org/news/2015-04-eu-cars-automatic-dial.html

http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/news/ecall-all-new-cars-april-2018

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Marilyn Manson Released his Latest Album on Early PlayStation CDs

The '90s are Back in Style, in More Ways than One. Kill Screen has Revealed that, Marilyn Manson Released his Latest Album (The Pale Emperor) on the Black CDs Used for Original PlayStation Games, Made in the Same Sony Plant. No, they're Not Meant to Rekindle 2 of your Fondest Teenage Memories. Manson's Art Directors Chose these Discs because they Help Underscore the Album's Themes of Darkness and Light. They Start Out Pitch Black but, a Newly-Added Thermal Layer Turns Them White When you Play Them -- Clever, Isn't it ? With that Said, you'll Probably Have a Hard Time Appreciating this Thematic Trick. While you Might still be a Marilyn Manson Fan, the Odds are that, you Ditched CD-Based Music a While Ago.




Info Sources:

http://killscreendaily.com/articles/heres-why-marilyn-mansons-latest-album-distributed-playstation-disc

http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/6546110/marilyn-manson-playstation-discs

http://www.nme.com/news/marilyn-manson/84921

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Unreal Game Engine Will Support HTC's Virtual Reality Headset

The Crew at Epic Games has Made a Point of Welcoming Virtual Reality with Open Arms and it's Not about to Shy Away Anytime Soon. The Studio Recently Updated its Roadmap with Indications that Unreal Engine 4 will Support Steam VR (and by Extension, the HTC Vive Headset) No Later than May. Also, Epic Isn't Wasting Much Time Getting Up to Speed with Sony's Newer Project Morpheus Gear -- there's Promises of Silky-Smooth 120Hz Visuals, among Other Things. This Wider Support Won't Matter until you Can Buy Both the VR Hardware and Titles Based on UE4 but, it Suggests that, there Won't be a Shortage of Immersive Gaming When Everything Lines Up.




Info Sources:

http://www.roadtovr.com/htc-vive-steam-vr-support-morpheus-features-unreal-engine-4

https://trello.com/b/gHooNW9I/ue4-roadmap

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Hackers Deface Tesla's Website and Twitter Accounts

It's All Too Common to See Ne'er-do-Wells Compromising a Website or a Social Network Account but, Tesla just Got Hit with a Triple Whammy. At Least One Group has Hijacked Not just the Electric Car Maker's Website and its Twitter Account but also, Founder Elon Musk's Account. Both Social Services were Quickly Back in Running Order but, the Website is Going Up and Down as of this Writing. The Attackers Appear to be Attention-Seeking Pranksters (they Offered a "Free Tesla" to Anyone Calling a PC Repair Shop, for Example) rather than Sinister Agents. Still, Something Tells us that, the Company Isn't Quite so Amused -- we've Reached Out for its Take on the Situation and we'll Let you Know if it has More to Add.




Info Source:

http://techcrunch.com/2015/04/25/teslas-site-and-twitter-account-hacked/#.1fxaov:0Fdz

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Your Tor-Based Email Isn't as Secure as You Think

A Recent Security Breach just Provided a Painful Reminder that, Tor's Anonymity Network Isn't Completely Foolproof against Truly Determined Intruders. The Email Service, SIGAINT, is Warning Users that Someone Recently Launched a Sustained Attempt to Break into its Servers and Snoop on Messages. While that Direct Attack Wasn't Successful, the Culprit also Tried Setting Up Malicious Exit Nodes (Where Data Reaches the Normal Internet) in Hopes of Spying on Messages the Moment they Left Tor. The Chances of actually Connecting to One of these Rogue Routers was Slim (about 2.7%) but, you Clearly Wouldn't Have Enjoyed Winning this Lottery. The Kicker ? The Campaign was probably Avoidable. SIGAINT Doesn't Encrypt its Normal Website, which Let the Perpetrator Get Away with the Impersonation Necessary for this Campaign.



The Service Tells Motherboard that, it Doesn't Lock this Website because it's Both a Hassle for Users and Ineffective against Fake Security Certificates but, that's Not Much Consolation if you're Affected. SIGAINT Hasn't Said Exactly What it will do but, it's Looking at Either Encrypting its Page or Pulling the Public Tor Link to Reduce the Chances of this Kind of Assault. It's Not Clear Who's Responsible and there's No Clear Evidence that, this was a Government Agency Trying to Spy on Drug Dealers and Terrorists. Given the Low Odds of Intercepting any Useful Messages, the Attack could just as Easily be the Work of Criminals Hoping to Get Lucky, or Even Someone Holding a Grudge. Whoever's at Fault, the Incident Suggests that, you'll Want to be Careful about Sending Sensitive Messages, No Matter How Secure you Think a Service Might be.




Info Sources:

http://motherboard.vice.com/read/after-hacks-a-dark-web-email-provider-says-a-government-spied-on-its-users?utm_source=mbtwitter

https://lists.torproject.org/pipermail/tor-talk/2015-April/037549.html

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Infrared Implant Brings Practical Sight to the Blind

You Can Already Get a Retinal Implant to Restore Some Sight, When you're Blind but, the Quality is usually Too Poor to be Useful for More than Avoiding Collisions. A Better Solution is Close at Hand, however: Pixium Vision has Successfully Tested an Implant that Should Go Beyond Basic Vision. The Tiny Chip Sits just Behind the Retina and Uses Infrared Light to Both Stimulate Images in your Brain and Power the Whole Device. Tests in Rats Generate Vision Equivalent to 20/250. That's still Far from Flawless but, it'd be Superior to the 20/500 you Can Get Now -- Good Enough that you Could Read the Largest Letter on an Eye Doctor's Chart. The Eventual System for Humans, which will Use Goggles to Send Images, should Manage 20/120 and Put Wearers above the US' Legal Standard for Blindness. Trial Runs Start in 2016 so, you May Not Have to Wait Much Longer if you're Eager to Give the Implant a Try.




Info Sources:

http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/biomedical/bionics/blind-patients-will-soon-try-a-new-bionic-eye?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+IeeeSpectrum+%28IEEE+Spectrum%29

http://www.pixium-vision.com/file_bdd/dynamic_content/file_pdf_pdf_en/1430154566_Pixium_Vision-PRIMA-Nature-ENG-FINAL.pdf

http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nm.3851.html

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Someone Got "Android Wear" Running on "Samsung's Gear 2" Watch

Don't Despair if you Bought Samsung's Gear 2 Smartwatch, Only to Realize that, you Wanted the Android-Powered Gear Live instead -- there Might be a Solution in the Works. XDA Tinkerer, 'biktor_gj', has Successfully Loaded Android Wear on the Gear 2 after 4 Months of Work. It's in a Very Rough State, as you Might Imagine. Only Touch and Rudimentary Bluetooth Support are Working Right Now. Android Wear Doesn't Have an Open Source Project the Way that Regular Android does so, any Support for Audio, the Motion Sensor and Other Features will Likely be Tricky to Implement. Biktor is Hopeful that he'll Get those Working, however and Even this Crude Port is Proof that, your Smartwatch Isn't Necessarily Limited to its Original Software.




Info Sources:

http://www.sammobile.com/2015/04/24/developer-gets-android-wear-running-on-the-samsung-gear-2

http://forum.xda-developers.com/gear-2/development/please-help-kernel-compiling-android-t2992953/post60318747#post60318747

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=60327337&postcount=154

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=60357672&postcount=163

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Facebook Brings Video Calling to Messenger

Facebook is No Stranger to Video Chat but, it's been Keeping a Low Profile as of Late. Well, it's No Longer Content to Sit on the Sidelines while Skype and Hangouts Steal the Show -- the Company has just Introduced Video Calling in Messenger. Whether you're Using Android or iOS, you Only Need to Tap a Single Button in an Existing Conversation to Start a Face-to-Face Session. The Feature is Available Now in 18 Countries (including the UK and the US) so, Give it a Shot if you're a Facebook Fan and would rather Not Fire Up Another App just to See Who you're Talking to.




Info Source:

http://newsroom.fb.com/news/2015/04/introducing-video-calling-in-messenger

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Apple Sold 61 Million iPhones Last Quarter, Thanks to China

Back in January this Year, Apple Recorded a Blockbuster of a Quarter Thanks to Holiday Sales of its New, Larger-Screened Handsets. It Sold a Whopping 74.5 Million iPhones in the Last 3 Months of 2014, Chalking Up $74.6 Billion in Revenue in the Process. While Today's 2nd Quarter Results Don't Quite Match that Number, Cook & co. still Managed to Rake in a Respectable Amount of Cash: According to the Report, Apple Made around $58 Billion and Sold Close to 61 Million iPhones in the 1st 3 Months of 2015 Alone. That Makes this the Most Successful March Quarter in the Company's History. This is in Large Part due to Apple's Rising Popularity in China, Having Brought in $16.8 Billion in Revenue from the Country in the Past 3 Months.


Indeed, China is Now Apple's 2nd Biggest Market (Americas is still the 1st), with Europe Falling to 3rd Place. Apple also Continues to Defy the Global Decline in PC Shipments with 4.56 Million in Mac Sales, which is about a 10% Increase from this Time Last Year. iPad Sales, however, are on the Decline; Apple Sold 12.6 Million of the Tablets, a Drop of about 23% from this Time Last Year. Interestingly, this Means that, Apple Made More Money from its Mac Products than iPads this Past Quarter: Revenue from Macs were $5.62 Billion while iPads only Brought in $5.43 Billion (Whither the Post-PC Era ?). Of Course, as the Apple Watch only just Went on Sale in the Past Month, there Aren't any Numbers for those just Yet but, Cook Remains Enthusiastic about its Potential on the Call, Saying that, he was "Thrilled" by the Reactions to it so Far.




Info Source:

http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2015/04/27Apple-Reports-Record-Second-Quarter-Results.html

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VIDEO: Wireless Glove Adds Touch to VR VideoGames

While Oculus, VALVe, Samsung and HTC are All Looking to Captialize on the Resurgence of VR, their Solutions All Focus on What we Can See and Hear. That's More than Enough to Immerse you in a Virtual World but, What if you Want to Interact with the Objects within them ? Some Companies Have Already Taken on the Challenge but, Researchers at RICE University Have Created a New Haptic Glove that Uses Air to Inflate Bladders Underneath your Fingers to Offer a Real Sense of Touch. Although it's still in Early Development, the Hands Omni Glove is Intended for Gamers. In Fact, Virtuix, the Company Behind the Crazy Virtuix Omni Virtual Reality Treadmill, is Sponsoring the Project with a View to Making it a Widely Available Gaming Peripheral. These Agreements Mean its Developers Can't Reveal Exactly How the Wireless Glove Works but, its Developers are Hopeful that Developers will be Able to Implement Support for it into Games and Other VR Projects in the Future.




Info Sources:

http://news.rice.edu/2015/04/22/gamers-feel-the-glove-from-rice-engineers-2

http://www.slashgear.com/hands-omni-haptic-glove-uses-air-to-let-you-feel-virtual-objects-27380886

https://youtu.be/QaiGAI7ZeEY

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VIDEO: One of eSports' Biggest Stars, Retires with Repetitive Strain Injury

If you're into eSports, then it's Highly Likely that, you Would Have Heard of Hai Lam. He's Best Known as the Mid Laner and Captain of Cloud9, which is Regarded as the Best US eSports Team for the Popular Online Multiplayer Game, League of Legends. Nonetheless, just Less than a Week after his Team Finished 2nd in the North American Championship Series, Cloud9's Shotcaller has Announced he's Getting Out of the Game. Like Football Players are Forced to Retire When their Knees Give Out, a Persistent Wrist Injury Means 'Lam' Can No Longer Mix it with Other A-List Players on the Big Stage. In a Blog Post on the Cloud9 Website, 'Lam' Explained his Reasons for Retirement, Noting that, his Wrist Injury Made it Hard to Keep Up with his Teammates and Deliver on a Tournament Level. In the World of eSports, Professional Gamers are Considered Athletes, Thanks to their Crushing Training Regimens and Busy Tournament Schedules so, to Hear of a Big-Game Player Being Forced to Retire Due to Injury, Shouldn't Come as Much of a Surprise.


It's Not been a Particularly Good Year for Cloud9. After a Poor Showing in North America's Fully Professional League of Legends League, Last Year and an Earlier than Expected Knockout in the 2014 World Championships in Korea, the Team has Found it Difficult to Replicate Past Successes. Its Recent 2nd Place Finish Means, the Team Might Not Even Make the 2015 World Championships this Fall. 'Lam' Says that, Teammates also Lost Confidence in his Playing Ability during that Time, which Contributed to his Decision. Although he Won't Now Figure as One of Cloud9's Major Players, 'Lam' Isn't Going Far. He'll Now Enjoy the Role of "Chief Gaming Officer", Helping to Recruit and Mentor New Players as well as Maintaining the Group's Partnerships (which already include HTC).




Info Sources:

http://cloud9.gg/news/thank-you-hai

http://kotaku.com/top-league-of-legends-player-retires-following-persiste-1699977161

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»XoZZeN« CyberTronx Website Almost Concluded Announcement **UPDATE**

Hello Guys,



I Would Like to Announce that, »XoZZeN« CyberTronx Website (SITE A) is Coming at you, in about 1 or 2 Months from Now and will be One of the Most Impressive Websites Ever Made in the History to Come. The Website is Full of Themes and Topics for your Main Multimedia Interests in Almost Everything you Can Search Online and Even though, the Website will be Opened to the Public Only with just 5% of the Contents Made my Myself in the Full 10-Year Project that I've Started to Work on, since 2005; it Has a Lot of Variety and Creativity to Expand Even More over Time. You Have Blogs Associated with the Website and the Contents, you Can Chat with Anyone, Share Contents, Informations, Follow Blogs, Use Forums, Check Worldwide Stats and Almost Everything that you Can Imagine...Even though the Website is in its Beginning is Far from the Dimensional Side of it, in its Fullest Purpose / Scope for my Ideas of What the Future will Bring to us All. After »XoZZeN« Being Online, you Can be Sure that Nothing will be the Same Anymore. I Have Lots of Ideas and Plans to Invest Funds on Major Online / Physical Services and Totally Restructure the Way the World System Functions in a More Automatized / Efficient and Fused Approach of Using All Things in a Digital / Virtual Environment. The Main Ideia of the Overall Project is to Unify All Things in a Major Unique Website...Yes, you Can Call it, "The New Web", if you Want to.


I Would be Sharing More Updates, When Things Come to Conclusion.




From »XoZZeN« CyberTronx Founder / ADM,

                                                                            Vasco "Nrk?t!x" Bruno




Follow »XoZZeN« CyberTronx Website, over at:

http://www.XoZZeN.com


If you Want to Contact me, you Can Always Visit:

http://webchat.quakenet.org (Nickname: "YourNick" ; Channel: #XoZZeN)

or by Email:

x0z3n@hotmail.com


Or Even Visit my Twitter / Facebook / Google+ Accounts:

http://www.Twitter.com/XoZeN

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1424160445

https://plus.google.com/u/0/wm/1/106461964048862482721

**UPDATE**

The Website Development is Now Fully Concluded with just Some Tweaks to be Added into it and Only Needs Some Work, in Terms of Uploading Some Sort of Contents in Determined Themes and Topics that Will be Used in Just One of the Dedicated Server, that was Bought in Time of the Website's Development. The Website Has a Public Release Countdown between May 1st / July 1st. So, Stay Tuned for What Will be the Most Important Website of Our Lives in the Future Ahead of us. Cya Around Soon, Folks ! =)

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Fake Antivirus Delivered to Users in the US via Fiesta Exploit Kit

The Operators of Fiesta Exploit Kit Have Switched the Payload Delivered to Users with Outdated Browser Plugins from Crypto-Malware to Fake Antivirus Software, an Old Type of Threat that Runs a Bogus Scan and Tricks Users into Purchasing the Product to Get Rid of the Infections. The Counterfeit Product is Promoted as "Antivirus Pro 2015" and it Disables Some Windows Tools and Software that Could be Used to Deactivate it, such as Task Manager, Process Explorer and Internet Explorer. Researchers at Trend Micro Found that, the New Payload Started to be Distributed after March 19, a Switch from Spreading Crypto-Malware, TeslaCrypt, that Deletes Shadow Copies and Encrypts Mostly Files Used by Popular Game Titles. Among the Games Affected by TeslaCrypt, there are Call of Duty, StarCraft 2, MineCraft, Half-Life 2, The Elder Scrolls (Skyrim-Related Files), WarCraft 3, Assassin’s Creed, World of WarCraft, League of Legends and World of Tanks.


The Reason for Changing the Payload to Antivirus Pro 2015 is Not Known but, Exploit Kits are Often Employed for Dispensing Different Threats. According to Telemetry Data from Trend Micro, the Country Most Targeted by Fiesta Operators during the Month of March is the United States, Accounting for More than a 3rd (36.9%) of the Total Infections Recorded. The Next 2 Countries Impacted are Japan (15.73%) and Australia (11.9%). Antivirus Pro 2015 Relies on Scareware Tactics and Displays Multiple Security Warnings to the Victim, Promising to Clean the System of All Alleged Threats if a 1 or 3-Year License of the Product is Purchased (Some Versions of the Threat Ask for at least $64 / €60). On the Online Payment Page, Users Have to Provide the Card Data, which May be Collected for Fraudulent Purchases in the Future. The False Anti-Malware Program is Detected by Multiple Genuine Antivirus Products, including the Free Versions and the General Recommendation is to Have them Up-to-Date. Fiesta Browser-Based Attack Tool includes Vulnerabilities for Outdated Versions of Adobe Flash Player, Internet Explorer, Silverlight and Adobe Reader. Having the Latest Versions of these Products Installed is a Good Way to Protect against Drive-by Attacks.

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"Batman: Arkham Knight" Ultra Specs

The GeForce Website Now has System Requirements for "Batman: Arkham Knight", including an Ultra Specification for those Looking for All the Bells and Whistles. Since these are Provided by NVIDIA, AMD Users will Have to Extrapolate What to Expect, since only GeForce Accelerators are Covered. Also Odd is the Recommended Spec, as it Calls for 3GB of VRAM and a GTX 760, which Only Sports 2GB.




Here are the Specs:


Minimum System Requirements

OS: Win 7 SP1, Win 8.1 (64-bit Operating System Required)
Processor: Intel Core i5-750, 2.67 GHz | AMD Phenom II X4 965, 3.4 GHz
Memory: 6GB RAM
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660
Graphics Memory: 2GB
DirectX®: 11
Network: Broadband Internet Connection Required
Hard Drive Space: 45GB


Recommended System Requirements

OS: Win 7 SP1, Win 8.1 (64-bit Operating System Required)
Processor: Intel Core i7-3770, 3.4 GHz | AMD FX-8350, 4.0 GHz
Memory: 8GB RAM
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760
Graphics Memory: 3GB
DirectX®: 11
Network: Broadband Internet Connection Required
Hard Drive Space: 55GB


ULTRA System Requirements

OS: Win 7 SP1, Win 8.1 (64-bit Operating System Required)
Processor: Intel Core i7-3770, 3.4 GHz | AMD FX-8350, 4.0 GHz
Memory: 8GB RAM
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980
Graphics Memory: 3GB
DirectX®: 11
Network: Broadband Internet Connection Required
Hard Drive Space: 55GB




Info Source:

http://www.geforce.com/games-applications/pc-games/batman-arkham-knight/system-requirements

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"Overlord: Fellowship of Evil" Announced + Website Launch + Trailers

After Some Hinting, CodeMasters Officially Announced, "Overlord: Fellowship of Evil", a Return to the Overlord Series of Action / RPGs Where you Get to Play the Bad Guy. They Plan on a Release this Year for Windows, PlayStation 4 and XBox One and Celebrate the News with An Open Letter from Gnarl on the CodeMasters Blog and the Launch of the "Overlord: Fellowship of Evil" Website. They also Offer a New Trailer and Outline More on their Plans in this Video Developer's Diary.




Here's the Announcement:


"Are you sick of RPGs casting you as a valiant bore ? Do you need a fresh breath of putrid air in fantasy Action RPG gaming ? Then it’s time to thank the dark Gods; everyone’s favorite pantomime of gaming evil has returned ! After six years of scheming away in their darkest dungeons, the Codemasters development Minions have hatched their most diabolical gaming experience yet – Overlord: Fellowship of Evil, invading PlayStation® 4 computer entertainment system; XBox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC in 2015. Boasting a devilishly good script written by the original’s award-winning scriptwriter Rhianna Pratchett, Overlord: Fellowship of Evil gives players a brand new, darkly comic quest to embark upon. Fans of evil doings can watch the first trailer in action now at www.overlordthegame.com. With the last true Overlord deceased, gamers take up the role of one of four Netherghūls. These brand new, suitably nefarious additions to the series are undead servants of the dark arts, determined to bring evil back to a world overrun by the forces of good. But where’s the fun in smiting fools alone ? Join the Fellowship, grab three of your most devious friends - locally or online - and gleefully unleash a wave of delightful destruction across the land. For the Master ! Are you the type of ne’er-do-well who thinks that friends are the disgusting product of weak-minded goody-goodies ? Fear not ! You can always choose to screw them over too - evil never plays by the rules !


Assisted by your horde of loveably moronic minions, Overlord: Fellowship of Evil takes gamers back into the series’ charmingly twisted world, resurrecting its unique blend of subversive humor and destruction and then sprinkling in a large helping of four player co-op chaos to dial the eviling up to evileven. Fans will be pleased to hear that the Minions are led by their wise master Gnarl, voiced once again by beloved voice actor Marc Silk. Filled with fun combat and twisted fantasy tales, Overlord: Fellowship of Evil invites players to dive once again into the series warped fantasy world in an Action RPG where it’s good to be bad, but it’s GREAT to be evil. “We’ve been scheming about a new Overlord for some time”, said Rob Elser, Executive Producer Minion, Codemasters. “We really wanted to do something that would allow us be evil alongside our friends, instead of the normal heroics in every other game. The idea of playing as a team of bad guys commanding Minions to do our utmost bidding, while also causing chaos for each other, just really made us smile. And as you know, an Overlord game never takes itself too seriously.” “Finally the secret dark rituals have paid off !”, said Rhianna Pratchett, Mistress of Scrolls “I’m often asked if there’ll be another Overlord game so, it’s wonderful to be back in black helping to create a new carnage-filled evil ride. This is one game franchise which has been as fun to develop as it is to play, and Fellowship of Evil is no exception. And don’t worry, there will be sheepies. We have plans for them. Oh yes !” Overlord: Fellowship of Evil invades digital console stores and Steam for PC in 2015. Follow the Codemasters Minions’ progress towards world domination on the Codemasters Blog and on social media on Twitter and Facebook."




Info Source:

http://blog.codemasters.com/overlord/04/an-open-letter-from-gnarl


Official Website for "Overlord: Fellowship of Evil" :

http://www.overlordthegame.com/us/home


Trailers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZheVXS6rkRQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3dg5u5hUl0

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iOS Apps Vulnerable to HTTPS Data Decryption

A Bug in an Older Version of a Widely Used Networking Library for iOS and OS X, Present in Products from Prominent Developers, Can be Exploited to Decrypt the Secure Traffic from an iOS App, Allowing an Attacker Access to Sensitive Data like Credentials and Banking Info. Build 2.5.1 of Open Source AFNetworking is Affected by a Security Vulnerability that Disables SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) Certificate Validation, Permitting Someone in a Position to Intercept the Connection (Man-in-the-Middle Attack) to Read the Encrypted Information in Plain Text. The Security Flaw was Patched in Late March but, Not All Developers Integrated the Updated Code into their Apps, Leaving their Users Exposed, especially those still Employing Outdated Versions. In a Research from SourceDNA on Monday, the Analytics Service Created Fingerprints for Tracking Down the Free Apps that Contain AFNetworking 2.5.1 and Discovered that about 1,000 Products Didn't Move to the Succeeding, Safer Version of the Library.


The Faulty Release of AFNetworking is included in Software from Major Developers, such as Yahoo (Yahoo Finance 2.3.2) and Microsoft (OneDrive 5.1). Their Apps, however, Have been Updated to New Versions that Rely on a Secure Variant of the Networking Library so, Users should Simply Install the Latest Revision to be on the Safe Side. On the Other Hand, there are Other Developers Who Haven't Made the Switch and Whose Users May Become Victims. Two of them are Alibaba.com (Build 3.3.2 and 3.3.3) and Citrix (OpenVoice Audio Conferencing 1.4.0 and 1.5.1). To Help Both Users and Developers Identify the Hazardous Products, SourceDNA Released a Service that Checks if the Apps from a Developer are Vulnerable. According to SourceDNA, the Number of Users Impacted Amounts to Millions. Developers Have Started to Address the Risk and Released Updates for their Products so, Clients should be Able to Install the New, Risk-Free Revisions.




Info Sources:

https://github.com/AFNetworking/AFNetworking

http://blog.mindedsecurity.com/2015/03/ssl-mitm-attack-in-afnetworking-251-do.html?m=1

http://sourcedna.com/blog/20150420/afnetworking-vulnerability.html

http://searchlight.sourcedna.com/lookup

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Russian Hackers Exploit Windows, Flash Player Zero-Day Flaws in Targeted Attack

A Highly Targeted Cyber Attack Believed to be Run by Russian Hackers has been Observed a Week Ago, Leveraging a Zero-Day in Flash Player and One in Windows that, Allowed Privilege Escalation. The Incident was Spotted on April 13 by Security Researchers from FireEye, Who Allege that, the Threat Actor is a Russian Group they Call, APT28, Whose Activity has been Traced as Far Back as 2007. The Security Glitch in Flash Player (CVE-2015-3043), has been Patched by Adobe in an Update Released a Day after FireEye Learned about APT28’s Attack. In the Security Bulletin for the Update, the Developer Informed that, an Exploit for the Flaw Existed in the Wild. As for the Privilege Escalation Flaw in Windows (CVE-2015-1701), it Continues to be a Zero-Day as Microsoft has to Release a Patch for it. The Company is currently Working on a Patch. FireEye Researchers Say in a Blog Post on Saturday that, the Attackers Relied on the Flash Vulnerability to Gain Access to the Targeted System and then Exploited the Windows Flaw to Increase their Grip on the Machine.


The Attack would Start with Tricking the User into Following a Website that Served the Flash Exploit for CVE-2015-3043, which Would Run a Payload that Achieved Privilege Escalation, Allowing ATP28 to Execute Code with System Rights, thus Being Able to Access any Region on the Computer. Compromising Systems this Way is No Longer Successful if Users Have the Current Version of Flash Player (v17.0.0.169) Installed. Also, the Zero-Day in Microsoft’s Operating System Affects only Windows 7 and Earlier. Researchers Say that, the Attack was Deployed against an International Government Entity that Fits the Target Profile the APT28 Hackers Focus on. Attribution of the Incident has been Done Based on Observed Similarities of the Delivered Malware with Backdoors CHOPSTICK and CORESHELL, Previously Used by the Group.




Info Source:

https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2015/04/probable_apt28_useo.html

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VIDEO: Chill Out with this "Holographic" Virtual Aquarium

There's Something Inexplicably Tranquil about Gazing at Fish in an Aquarium, as they Swim Back and Forth, Darting about Rocks or that Tacky Plastic Treasure Chest Sitting in the Corner. But, What if you Could Have One on your Desk, Without All the Water Changes, Filter Cleaning and General Maintenance ? That's Probably a Ways Off but, Memukhin Oleg's "Fishing Day" Explores such a (Not Entirely Virtual) Reality. As you'll See in the Video below from The Creators Project, he's Used a Handful of Different 3D Modeling Techniques to Bring Artificial Fishies to Life. They React to a Handheld Submarine, Schooling and Separating as they Might in the Real World, Flitting through a Gaudy Shipwreck you'd Find at a Pet Store's Aquarium Aisle. It's All Really, Really Impressive and there's Even a Breakdown of How the Effects Shot Came Together. The Only Bad Part ? The Video's a Bit on the Short Side.




Info Sources:

http://laughingsquid.com/fishing-day-an-artist-imagines-a-realistic-holographic-aquarium

http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/blog/watch-cgi-fish-swim-around-a-virtual-aquarium

https://vimeo.com/122942653

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Russian Hackers Scooped Up the President's Unclassified Email

Russian Hackers May Have had More Success in Breaching the White House Network than First Thought. New York Times Sources Understand that, Intruders Who Got into the White House's Unclassified System Managed to Collect Some of President Obama's Email. They Didn't Compromise the Account itself and they Didn't Snap Up the Classified Messages Passing through the President's BlackBerry. However, these Messages likely Included Some "Highly Sensitive" Material, like Policy Discussions, Schedules and Staff Changes -- the Data Could Have been Abused in the Worst Circumstances. Officially, the Government Isn't Acknowledging the Email Invasion. It's Reportedly Trying to Keep a Lid on Details to Avoid Letting the Russians Know just What Data Escaped into the Wild. However, the Revelation Shows just How Much of a Security Issue the White House Faces. Unless it Can Clamp Down on Vulnerabilities, it May Have a Hard Time Keeping the President's Activities under Wraps.




Info Source:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/26/us/russian-hackers-read-obamas-unclassified-emails-officials-say.html?smid=tw-bna

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Police Can Spot Differences Between Identical Twins, by Melting DNA

Believe it or Not, Police Have a Real Problem with Identifying Suspects Who are Identical Twins -- Unless you're Willing to Spend a Month Sequencing Genes, DNA Samples are All but, Useless. They May be Far More Effective in the Future, though, as British Researchers Have Developed a Technique that Melts DNA to Identify What Few Differences Exist. The Team has Determined that Heating Genes will Break Hydrogen Bonds that Form, Due to a Person's Environment and Habits.


Unless the Twins Live Eerily Similar Lives, those Bonds will Snap at Different Temperature Points and Quickly Identify Who's Who. The Technique Requires a Relatively Large Sample so, it Wouldn't Work if there's just a Scant Amount of DNA at a Crime Scene. However, it Should Only Take a Few Hours to Get a Result. So Long as the Technology Reaches the Field, Law Enforcement would Have a Relatively Easy Time Determining the Evil Twin (and Exonerating the Good One, of Course) while the Accusations are still Fresh.




Info Sources:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn27411-police-can-now-tell-identical-twins-apart--just-melt-their-dna.html#.VTuxkK1VhBc

http://www.hud.ac.uk/news/2015/april/crimescenediscoveryseparatingthednaofidenticaltwins.php

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003269715000500

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BitTorrent Reportedly Laid Off Dozens of Employees

According to Buzzfeed, BitTorrent Drastically Reduced its US Workforce on Thursday. Multiple Anonymous Sources Reportedly Confirmed that, about 40 of the Company's 150 Domestic Employees were Sacked Yesterday Morning. BitTorrent has Struggled to Turn a Profit over the Last Couple of Years. Despite its Ubiquitous Name Recognition and Multiple Profit-Sharing Partnerships with Major Musical Acts, the Company Never Quite Shook the "Pirated Media" Stigma with Mainstream Consumers. It also Offered a String of Peer-to-Peer Based Products that Never Really Went Anywhere. I Mean, do you Remember Bleep, BitTorrent's P2P Messaging App ? No, of Course you Don't. BitTorrent Reportedly Made the Cuts in Order to Streamline its Business and Focus on Sync, a Cloud Storage System Based on it's Peer-to-Peer File Sharing System.




Info Source:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/johnpaczkowski/big-layoffs-at-bittorrent#.nk9W4rREJp

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Guillermo Del Toro Confirms Cancellation of "Silent Hills"

"Silent Hills" is, "not going to happen". That's according to Filmmaker, Guillermo del Toro, Who Made the Comment at an Event Honoring him during this Weekend's San Francisco Film Fest. Del Toro had been Co-Directing the Title, which would Have been the 9th Installment in the Silent Hill Franchise, with Metal Gear Creator, Hideo Kojima. Rumors about the Fate of the Project Began to Circulate When Konami Removed References to Kojima and his Studio, Kojima Productions, from the Official Websites for Metal Gear Solid and Changed the Name of Subsidiary Studio, "Kojima Productions Los Angeles" to "Konami Los Angeles Studio" as Part of a Reorganization at the Publisher.


Reports Soon Surfaced indicating Tension between Kojima's Team and Konami, Suggesting that, Kojima Productions May Dissolve Following the Release of Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, Later this Year. And then, Late Last Week, it was Learned that, Distribution of P.T., the "Playable Teaser" Used to Unveil Development of "Silent Hills", would Cease on April 29, Leading to further Doubt about its Status. This Wouldn't be the 1st Time a VideoGame Project involving the Director has Gone Up in Smoke. He also Collaborated with Volition on Insane, an Unreleased Survival Horror Title Dropped by THQ in 2012, 2 Years after 1st Announcing it. Though del Toro Expressed Confidence that Another Developer would Pick Up Where Volition Left Off, Nothing has been Heard of it, since.




Info Sources:

https://twitter.com/tvsmatthackney/status/592177537427447808

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/kojima-expected-to-leave-konami-after-mgs5-inside-/1100-6426024

http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/11/20/guillermo-del-toro-on-gaming-and-the-halo-movie

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"X-Files" Goes HD on Netflix, Ahead of New Episodes

Been Itching to Prep for "The X Files" Return by Binge-Watching the Series from the Beginning ? Given that Netflix has just Flipped the Switch on an HD Upgrade of the 1st Season, that's Gotten a Little Easier on the Eyes. As Bloody-Disgusting Reports, the 1st 13 Episodes are Streaming in High-Res and Widescreen and they Look Good. Whether or Not the Rest of the Show's Run will Get a Similar Upgrade, is Anyone's Guess at this Point but, there are at Least a Few People Who'd Appreciate that Sort of Thing. It's Worth Noting that, this Isn't the 1st Time the Show's Appeared in HD (Germany's had it for a Bit) but, Nothing of the Sort's Hit Stateside until Now.




Info Source:

http://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3341654/netflix-streams-first-season-x-files-hd

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Send Directions to Your Android Phone with a Google Search

Sending Google Maps Directions to an Android Phone, Hasn't been that Hard for a while but, it's Now Downright Easy. Google has Introduced a Web Feature that Delivers Instructions through a Simple Search. As Long as your Phone is Properly Linked to your Google Account, you Only Have to Search for "Send Directions" to Get the Ball Rolling -- Choose the Route, Hit Send and your Device will be Ready to Navigate. Only Some People Appear to Have Access to this Option as of this Writing but, there's a Good Chance that you'll Get to Check it Out before Too Long.




Info Sources:

http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2015/04/sending-directions-to-your-android-phone-just-got-stupidly-easy

https://plus.google.com/u/0/+google/posts/ho8Lyjtkdnk

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VIDEO: Technology Turns TouchScreen Displays into Biometric Scanners

A Team of Researchers from Yahoo Labs, has Developed a Much Affordable Alternative to Fingerprint Sensors for Phones. It's a Biometric System Called, "Bodyprint" and it Only Needs Devices' Capacitive TouchScreen Displays to Authenticate Body Parts. Since Displays Have Lower Input Resolution Compared to Specialized Sensors, the System Requires you to Use Larger Parts of your Body. It Can Recognize your Ear, Fist, Phalanges, Set of 5 Fingers and your Palm -- Simply Press any of them on the Screen for Access. In Addition to Serving as your Phone's Gatekeeper, it has a Number of Other Potential Applications, as well.


For Instance, you Can Program the System to Answer Calls Only When it Detects your Ear Pressed against the Phone. You Can also Use it to Lock Documents and Keep them Away from Prying Eyes. Bodyprint, which was Recently Demoed at the 2015 Computer-Human Interaction Conference (CHI) in Seoul, accurately Identified Body Parts and their Owners 99.98% of the Time during a Small Test Comprised of 12 Subjects. But, we're Guessing its Creators, Christian Holz and his Team, will Need to Test it on a Wider Scale before Anybody Can Use it on a Commercial Device.




Make Sure to Watch the System in Action, below:

https://youtu.be/JrK1wQjh980


Info Sources:

http://www.christianholz.net/bodyprint.html

http://www.planetbiometrics.com/article-details/i/2967/desc/yahoo-reveals-plans-for-lsquobodyprint-biometrics

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