Line vs Wechat

An enthusiastic user of LINE, Mark Bivens faces off against Jerry Yang, a WeChat apologist, on the merits of each app. MB: First, I think we can agree on one thing: that WhatsApp, BBM, Viber, Telegram, eBuddy, Nimbuzz, SnapChat, and even Kik do not swim in the same pond as Line, WeChat, and KakaoTalk.

To suggest otherwise would be like comparing a goldfish to Moby Dick. So the real debate, if one is to be had, is about Line vs. WeChat vs. KakaoTalk. JY: I fully agree. People need to stop comparing WeChat to WhatsApp. Furthermore, I suggest we call stalemate on KakaoTalk, since, impressive as it seems to be, neither of us uses it (nor does anyone outside South Korea it would seem). MB: Deal. And since we’re on the topic of international adoption, LINE wins hands down. The LINE app has sewn up the market in its home country of Japan (which is the world’s third largest economy, I remind you). Moreover, LINE has conquered your home country of Taiwan, and has achieved considerable adoption in Thailand, Indonesia, India, Kakao’s home market of Korea, and even Spain and Mexico !

JY : Well, while I’m also a heavy LINE user and I agree that the international adoption of LINE is impressive compared to WeChat, I guess what’s obvious is — if you have 1.36 billion people in your home market, it’s less of a concern, at least in the short term, whether to go international or not, right? And remember that Chinese are the most mobile people in the world throughout the history. In almost every country you visit, there are a substantial amount of Chinese immigrants. It’s fairly common today that when I make a new Chinese friend in Paris, they ask me to connect on WeChat. And if you’re doing business with Chinese, it goes without saying that you have to connect with them on WeChat, as it’s the single most practical way to reach out to them when they’re back in the country.

That means that anyone who has a substantial stake in a Chinese relationship will also be an automatic WeChat user, whether in Oslo or Bamako. line_wechat_map MB: That’s a fair counterpoint. Still, that means that WeChat’s user interface and flow needs to accommodate Western habits. How does that stack up compared to LINE ? JY: Personally I don’t sense there’s any cultural element in WeChat’s interface — I use the English version and it feels as native as using any English app on my iPhone.

The only Chinese element is, of course, that most of the content available in WeChat, be it messages from your friend or news feed services, is Chinese. But now that you brought up the topic of interface, I have to say on this account, LINE really has a lot of room for improvement — random layers of menu, bizarre locations for options, duplicated functions, etc. By comparison, WeChat’s interface is clean, intuitive and natural. It even induces me, fairly painlessly, to try out certain functions designed (obviously) for match-making, such as Shake. I’ve never been someone patient enough to go the distance unless I absolutely have to, e.g. filing a tax return. The fact that I even bother to try this kind of match-making function on my non-primary chat app is a testament to the effort WeChat put into the interface.

 MB: You’re right, the LINE interface might appear at first blush like a hotch-potch of functionality, but I suspect that’s mainly due to the app’s meteoric rise in usage (now over 400 million registered!) and resulting demand for new features. LINE does a pretty good job of regularly updating their app to improve the cohesion of the various functions. My biggest gripe with the LINE interface is its lack of an iPad version. JY: I feel sorry for you that you even use the growth of LINE users as a defense — just last year alone, WeChat grew from 195M of monthly active users in Q1 to 355M in Q4! Yes, they benefitted from only having to worry about the operations in China, but it’s still an amazing growth story.

And that growth for sure didn’t hold them back from building functionality, which by the way could claim to be the most versatile and fully integrated experience among all the chat apps! MB: Well, LINE clearly dominates in its ingenious sticker strategydoraemon_nobita. I know you’re going to argue that WeChat also offers stickers, which makes sense. Stickers are of tremendous importance in cultures where communication involves layers of honorifics and deep context. I’ve even witnessed passengers on the train in Japan exercise careful deliberation in choosing just the right sticker to convey the proper tone and mood in their chat. But I think LINE wins in the sticker battle. Not only do they generate significant revenues from sales of sticker packs (which seem to have drawn inspiration from the old record album model (i.e. two tracks of ‘killer’ and 8 tracks of ‘filler’), but stickers also create switching costs among users who have invested in sticker sets and would not be able to carry them over to another messenger app. LINE admirably employs sticker campaigns to raise funds for charitable causes. They have also wisely opened up the creation of stickers to outside illustrators in the form of a creators marketplace, which will foster an army of ambassadors for sticker promotion, and hence promotion of LINE. JY: Okay, that one I agree. As a heavy LINE sticker user and client — I counted 13 paid stickers in my arsenal — let me just say it’s amazing how a company can generate so much potential from something so simple. And I also see the potential of the LINE bear-rabbit couple to spin off into a standalone franchise. It will be fun to see how a company from a country that gave birth to successful character sans histoire like Hello Kitty plans this one out. However, despite the limited amount of stickers in the WeChat Sticker Shop, there’s at least one thing that it does better — it has animated stickers!! This is nothing new.

Back in the days of Microsoft Messengers, we in Taiwan were used to all kinds of animated stickers, created completely by Taiwanese artists, like these. Having animated stickers just gives an extra dimension to the whole sticker experience. It’s really odd that LINE has yet to implement it. Well, WeChat has it and you can even press on a sticker to see an enlarged animated demo before purchasing the whole set. To be fair, this should be fairly easy to implement. It’s only time when LINE enables this as well. I’m happy for the huge army of MSN sticker creators in Taiwan. They shall see their works shine on the global — or at least the Asian stage. MB: Totally agree on the franchise potential. Moreover, LINE has proven it can bridge monetization from online to offline. The app has so cleverly built brands around cute LINE characters like Kuma (Brown the bear), Usagi (Cony), Moon, James, and Sally, that the physical incarnations of these characters in the form of stuffed animals, for example, are highly sought after. I’ve heard of LINE representatives mobbed at conferences when handing out free samples. Walk in any Don Quixote store in Japan (ドン・キホーテ) and you’ll witness precious shelf space allocated to LINE stuffed animals, figurines, iPhone holders, pencil cases, etc. Global fashion retailer Uniqlo now sells T-shirts with LINE characters.

Merchandising thus offers an interesting complementary revenue stream. Even more importantly, and as you imply, let’s not underestimate the brand potential of these characters. The beauty of this strong brand of characters is that it can withstand technology disruption, adapting to new markets as new products emerge. Already last summer Tokyo TV launched a TV series based on this adorable LINE family. We all know what that ragtag collection of superheroes did for Marvel comics… JY: Interesting that you mentioned the Marvel franchise. It’s exactly what I have in mind on this subject. One of the well-studied cases in the b-schools as you and I both know is the Renaissance of Disney.

The power of de-virtualizing content and profiting from physical products that prove irresistible to consumers and difficult or too costly to plagiarize is generally recognized to be the force behind Disney’s path back to glory. I don’t see why LINE couldn’t do the same. And if they make it work, for sure this will float them beyond the next technological disruption and even the ones after. But enough on the social networking part. With WeChat, what impresses me as much is the professional usage scenario.

I recommend this article written by Paul Bischoff in TechInAsia, Guanxi 2.0: how WeChat groups are changing the game in China’s tech and startup scene. Bischoff points out correctly that in Chinese cultures, there’s less separation of personal lives from professional lives as in western countries. Everything blends together. Taking advantage of this, not only does WeChat allow users to connect LinkedIn to its account, its Group function figures large in the professional scenario. Essentially the Group function in WeChat is more like a forum than mere group messaging. There’s a moderator who has the right to add users beyond the threshold and he or she also really moderates the discussions in the groups to ensure they stay true to the Group objectives. Bischoff outlined some inspiring anecdotes of using Group functions to resolve business conflicts. MB: Great stuff. Indeed, I experienced that first-hand on a recent trip to Shanghai, where I installed WeChat and within an hour received a professional voice message from the director of m&a for Cisco China, who happened to be an old friend that I had lost track of years ago. I can imagine the value of integrating group collaboration functions will extend messenger app usage from leisure time into the workplace, especially in cultures where the line between social and professional life is blurred. What’s next? Payments? E-commerce?

 JY: I guess for those of us in the wechat_xiaomi_flashWest that follow tech news in Asia, it’s widely known that last November WeChat launched a very successful flash sales with Xiaomi. Based on some reports, the red-hot mobile phone maker sold 150,000 smartphones in less than 10 minutes on WeChat exclusively. And there’s good reason to believe that this is not just a one-time stunt. Just as the mobile phone growth far outstripped that of the landline phone due to the high cost of landline infrastructure, we see similar affinity for online or mobile commerce in Chinese consumers compared to brick-and-mortar experience. Most consumers in China are more receptive to purchase online or on mobile than their Western counterparts. In a country where the retail network and pricing remain highly fragmented, the unifying online purchase experience is simply too good for most Chinese consumers to pass up. A report by UBS earlier this year claimed that the 2-trillion-yuan (US$323 billion) e-commerce business accounted for about 8% of total retail sales in China last year, up from 6% in 2012. And they expect China’s e-commerce penetration to surpass that of the United States. With the success of several flash sales, WeChat seems to be every bit as authentic an m-commerce player as Alibaba is dominant in e-commerce. And WeChat parent company, Tencent, wasted no time to move forward by teaming up with another giant e-commerce company JD.com earlier this year. The kind of back-and-forth media onslaught between Jack Ma (Alibaba) and Pony Ma (Tencent) reminds me of the press war between Apple and Google. Moreover, apparently brands can now manage official accounts on WeChat directly. MB: That’s impressive. LINE too, has demonstrated its leadership is mobile commerce. Thailand is a great example. The country boasts 24 million LINE users. Last December, LINE began a series of flash sales, in which it promoted LINE character-branded smartphone cases. They sold out within 25 minutes apparently. Since that successful experience, LINE has executed several more such events, including sales of Maybelline lipstick and coupons for a local supermarket chain. This infographic from TechInAsia illustrates LINE’s fruitful experiences with flash sales in Thailand. JY: I saw that as well, amazing stuff. The potential things that could be done with chat apps are simply beyond the wildest dream of any chat app pioneers. In fact, that’s exactly the reason I am not a big fan of Mr. Jan Koum, the CEO of WhatsApp. I mean, I respect the focus he instilled in this incredible app, and everybody would definitely love to trade places with him for that Facebook deal. However, listening to him ramble on how WhatsApp wants to keep it simple and how it believes reliable text messaging is what really counts and that stickers and stuff are but gimmicks, it gives me a déjà-vu — that was exactly what Blackberry claimed when they started to lose market share to iPhone. Network efficiency and reliability are all good things, but somehow I feel the lion’s share of the value chain won’t be in text messaging. The reason is very simple: the breakneck progress in networking hardware and infrastructure will eliminate any palpable advantage in speed and reliability among the various chat apps. In other words, by the time WhatsApp realizes customers are indifferent to the KPIs they uphold, it could be too late.

 And for the meager $20M revenue WhatsApp generated last year, it’s hard to believe that its users will be willing to dole out more for messaging than what LINE users are already paying for “gimmicks”. If I were (still) a shareholder of Facebook, I would cross my fingers that Mr. Zuckerberg has a much grander plan for this marriage. MB: Given Zuckerberg’s imagination, he probably does have a grand vision for his new toy. Nonetheless, as we seem to agree, LINE and WeChat represent platforms of an entirely different league. As Mona Nomura recently pointed out, Asian chat apps are more than chat apps, they are turning into ecosystems. It will be interesting to see how these Asian tigers impact connected consumers’ mindshare currently dominated by tech giants in the West.

Hackers claim to have exploit for iCloud, use vulnerability to disable Activation Lock

A group of hackers calling themselves "Team DoulCi" say that they have figured out a way to execute a man-in-the-middle attack that gives them the ability to intercept users' Apple ID credentials as well as unlock iOS devices that have been made unusable by Activation Lock.

 The attack is made possible because the Windows version of iTunes does not properly verify security certificates, according to security researcher Mark Loman of SurfRight. The disclosure was first made on Dutch technology website Tweakers.net. The hackers, who are not affiliated with Loman, have demonstrated the attack's efficacy by sharing screenshots of what they say are calls to Apple's iCloud activation service.

A number of others have chimed in on social media with similar success stories. Apple recently patched a similar vulnerability in OS X and iOS, but iTunes on Windows remains susceptible. Loman believes that the issue is "either a beginner's mistake, or it was done on purpose" and alleges that it may have been designed to allow intelligence agencies access to iCloud. Until Apple issues a fix, users are advised not to use iCloud services over public Wi-Fi networks. Users of older iOS devices that no longer receive software updates, such as the first-generation iPad and iPhone 3GS, should exercise particular caution as the vulnerability cannot be patched in those devices.

5 reason Ios and Android should consider dumping their messaging apps for BBM

Just as BlackBerry appeared doomed to fade into irrelevancy, the company’s popular chat application BlackBerry Messenger stormed back on to the scene, making its way to the iOS and Android app stores.

Pitting a well known brand against relative newcomers such as Kik, LINE and recent Facebook acquisition WhatsApp, BBM managed to quickly steal a huge segment of the audience for itself. In case you still haven’t given it a try, James Richardson makes a strong case for BBM in a recent article at CrackBerry, so we decided to share his favorite features to see if this list is enough to convert you. Know when your messages are delivered and read: Like it or not, our chat applications now hold us accountable for timely responses. Whether you’re on Facebook, iChat or WhatsApp, you and your friends can see when your message has arrived and when it’s been read, but some apps are more reliable than others.

For example, WhatsApp uses a check mark and a double check mark, but the double check mark only means that the message has reached the server, not the recipient’s phone. On BBM, ‘D’ means delivered and ‘R’ means read. It’s simple and clean, the way a chat app should be. Share files with friends: Most mobile messaging apps contain some degree of file sharing, but it’s a crapshoot whether or not the interface will be at all intuitive. Fortunately, BBM’s file sharing menu is about as straightforward as they come. Tap the paperclip to the left of the chat, select the share icon and six buttons will pop up on the bottom of the screen. You’ll be able to access media, appointments, contacts, location, files and even your Dropbox account.

Never leave friends or family hanging: Have you ever been patiently waiting in a restaurant for a friend, scrolling through old photos or bookmarked websites to pass the time? With BBM’s Glympse integration, your friends can share their location in real-time for up to four hours, allowing you to keep track of them as they make their delayed approach. Keep your contact list manageable: Chat apps such as Kik and WhatsApp are infamous for their ability to fill up with every contact on your phone before you’ve had a chance to sort through the list, but BBM is much more understanding. The only way you’re ever going to receive a message on BBM is if you decide to share your PIN with a friend or vice versa. Additional features: All in all, BBM isn’t terribly different from its competition. Although it manages to do many things better than other apps on the market, many of the features are identical to those of Kik, LINE and WhatsApp. In order to differentiate itself, BlackBerry has included some extra content within BBM, most notably BBM Channels. Channels allow BBM users to subscribe to their favorite content creators directly from the app, further condensing the mobile experience and keeping users engaged. With well over 100 million registered users, BBM has staked its claim in the chat market. BlackBerry might not be drawing in quite as many monthly active users as WhatsApp, but as the company continues to double down on updates and new features, don’t expect BBM to disappear any time soon.http://bgr.com/2014/05/13/5-reasons-to-download-bbm/

Beware when you open facebook from hacker

MYFOXNY.COM - To promote a video game called "Watch Dogs," the game's maker has launched a website called Digital Shadow to data-mine your Facebook account. "The premise is that a hacker is trying to take over a city with only his smartphone," says Paul Wagenseil, a senior security editor for Tom's Guide.

 When given permission, Digital Shadow analyzes all the public information about you and your friends available on the social network to create a file detailing everything from your most-used words to your annual salary to your personality. "Neurotic, depressive, deviant, submissive and volatile," says Wagenseil, who reminds us that your digital shadow report may not reflect the truth.

But it does display the way companies might see you with only your public Facebook profile to go on. Digital Shadow also looks at with whom you interact most often and then places them into categories. It's labeled my little sister as a liability, my friend Alex as a stalker, and I-Hwei and Katherine as pawns who can be used against me. "It's as if you're the hacker in the game and you're using your Facebook connections to get ahead of the game," Wagenseil says. But this game's not just predicting some eventual reality.

Nearly every digital service already tracks our every digital move and adds it to our ever-growing digital profile. "They may not realize that it's all being aggregated by Facebook and by Twitter and by Google and used for those companies' own purposes," Wagenseil says. "What you put up there pays for the service. And other people might be buying it." So while we go about our daily lives handling our business the tech giants of today see us people as a matrix of fluctuating numbers to be sold, traded, and exploited for their profit.http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/25326213/beware-what-your-digital-shadow-says-about-you#axzz32RmcY1o1

China plans to strengthen internet security to foil 'hostile forces' Technology

Sunday 18 May 2014 - 12:20pm China plans to strengthen its internet security because "overseas hostile forces" are using the internet to "attack, slander and spread rumours." Picture: AFP PHOTO / BULENT KILIC BEIJING - A Chinese official in charge of regulating the internet has said Beijing must strengthen internet security because "overseas hostile forces" are using the Internet to "attack, slander and spread rumours", state media said on Sunday. Wang Xiujun, the deputy director of the China National Internet Information Office, said political security is fundamental, reported The People's Daily, the official newspaper of the ruling Chinese Communist Party. ...the struggle for ideological penetration RELATED STORIES China censors may have caused huge internet outage: group China soars to 618m online users Psst, did you hear? China's crackdown against online rumours Subscribe to our newsletters Wang's remarks coincide with a broad crackdown on online freedom of expression that has intensified since President Xi Jinping came to power last year. The crackdown has drawn criticism from rights advocates at home and abroad. "Now, overseas hostile forces are using the Internet as a main channel to penetrate and destroy (us)," Wang was quoted as saying. "Using the name of 'Internet freedom' to repeatedly attack, slander and spread rumours in an effort to undermine our country's stability and national security." Winning "the struggle for ideological penetration" would "decide to a great extent the future of our party and country", Wang said. In February, Xi took the reins of a government body for Internet security, saying he aimed to turn China into a "cyber power". He said then that working on public opinion online was a long-term responsibility and the Internet could be used to "spread discipline". The party renewed a campaign on online discourse last year, threatening legal action against people whose perceived rumours on microblogs are reposted more than 500 times or seen by more than 5,000 people. China maintains tight control over the media. Censorship is widespread and Internet users cannot access information about many topics without special software to circumvent restrictions.

 Wang said China wants to strengthen its security of networks and information systems in part due to intrusions in cyberspace by foreign governments, according to the People's Daily. The case of former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden showed that "a few countries have used their superiority in Internet resources and information technology to conduct large-scale Internet surveillance and to steal a large volume of political, economic, military and corporate secrets", Wang said. He did not name any country but questions over cyber-espionage have long cast a shadow over China-U.S. ties, with each side accusing the other of spying. The Defence Ministry said in March China would beef up its internet security after the New York Times and Der Spiegel reported that documents leaked by Snowden said the U.S. National Security Agency accessed servers at China's Huawei Technologies to obtain sensitive data and monitor executives' communications.

Windows make Internet Security at Internet Explorer

Windows XP, which Microsoft discontinued support for on April 8, will get a patch, too. If you have automatic updates turned on, you won't need to take any action to get the security patch. SEE ALSO: Windows XP Isn't Safe to Use Anymore. Here's What to Do Next. The news should cheer consumers, Homeland Security and the millions of stubborn Windows XP users around the world. This does not mean Microsoft is turning Windows XP support back on, though. From the Microsoft blog post on the patch: "Windows XP is no longer supported by Microsoft, and we continue to encourage customers to migrate to a modern operating system, such as Windows 7 or 8.1. Additionally, customers are encouraged to upgrade to the latest version of Internet Explorer, IE 11." Is it too late? Even as the fix slides into computers around the world, questions remain about Internet Explorer's future viability in the marketplace.

There was, to be certain, a whisper campaign about this marking the beginning of the end. However, some industry experts don't see this as a watershed moment for the once-dominant web browser. "I don’t expect a huge backlash on Internet Explorer’s market share," said Gartner security analyst Lawrence Pingree. "In fact, I think this helps drive adoption of upgrades to Windows 7 from XP."

 Pingree suggested that Homeland Security probably made its recommendation because it was worried that Windows XP wouldn't get a patch, which would leave users without a choice. Still, industry watchers know Microsoft needed to move fast. “Browsers are essential to the web, and if it becomes vulnerable people will lose trust in it," said Tim Bajarin, the president of Creative Strategies. "Microsoft and all browser vendors must be more vigilant and deal with any holes fast and judiciously." Is Internet Explorer safe? This most recent security black eye may have distorted Internet Explorer's actual record on security, Pingree suggested.Microsoft remains committed to the browser, versions of which exists across its entire product line of desktop and mobile operating systems. The company most recently introduced Internet Explorer 11. Not-so-global dominance Once the leading web browser, Internet Explorer has lost significant ground in recent years, mostly to Google's Chrome. Now, at roughly 58% of global browser usage market share, it has only the slimmest margin over competitors, according to Net Applications.

 In the U.S., that number is even smaller. As of March of this year, Net Applications reported Internet Explorer had 53.54% usage. There's also the reality that web surfers rely on increasingly on mobile devices; as of late last year, Microsoft's mobile OS accounted for just 3.1% of the market. Making the switch Pingree insists consumers won't switch browsers because most don't even know how to do it — but in reality, consumers are switching already.

 Recent earnings reports from both Twitter and Facebook indicate that most of their revenue and/or activity is coming from mobile users who rarely surf the web on desktops and laptops. As we ease into the fourth year of our post-PC world (the beginning marked by the introduction of the iPad in 2010), that trend will continue. Many millions still own and use desktop computers every day, but they're living mainly in mobile. [Ed Note: An earlier version of this story said mobile versions of IE were affected, as well. Although the tablet OSes Windows RT and Windows 8.1 RT are affected, the mobile OS for Windows Phone is not.]

Protect yourself from the Internet Bugs

INTERNET has become a place that we visit on a daily basis and this means that we need to be aware of the many dangers that are out there too. There are all kinds of security issues that people need to learn about and this range from the basics of identifying scams from legitimate offers to knowing how to safely browse websites without becoming vulnerable to attacks. There are many browsers available for surfing the web, but the even the most popular ones can have vulnerabilities that we need to take into consideration.

Internet explorer is one of the most frequently used by millions of people all over the world and there are some security bugs you need to take into consideration. There is a very serious security bug on Internet Explorer and it has yet to be fixed. This bug can allow hackers to gain access to computers, steal passwords and steal all sorts of vital and private information from people. This is something that is causing quite a concern for many users because the few ways to get rid of the bug require either some technical knowledge or the purchase of special software to protect the computer and get rid of the vulnerability. There is also the option of disabling all flash features and plugins but this would mean that you could not watch any flash videos, website banners or games. This would also include YouTube and other sites that stream with FLV format. It would seem like the best solution and the most practical one for most people is to simply switch to another browser that doesn’t have this vulnerabilities. You have two options that you can easily adjust to and they both offer great security and easy navigation options. One of them is Firefox and the other is Chrome. They both have options that allow you to import all of your bookmarks from Internet Explorer and this way you won’t lose all the sites you have been bookmarking all this time. A lot of people seem to have problems trying out new software for all kinds of activities online, but the best thing to do is try out other options and see if they are good for you. There is no need to put your information at risk just because you are used to browsing the internet with IE and you don’t feel like getting used to a new interface. The great thing about internet browsers in general is that they are very similar and you will get used to a new one in no time. You also need to consider switching to a new operating system if you are still using XP. The support and update patches for XP will stop being released and this will make it very vulnerable to all kinds of new attacks. For this reason you really need to update your OS soon and we recommend either win7 or win8. For some people Windows 7 is more user friendly but other think that Windows 8 is better. Both of them are very secure and get constant security patches released. The most important thing is to be able to browse the web safely and avoid having any vital information stole from you. Most of us are using the internet for a lot more than just chatting and checking emails. We log into out bank accounts, check our credit reports and do all kinds of activities that involve the use of a lot of vital information that we don’t want anyone out there being able to see and steal.

This is why we need to keep security in mind at all times. Stay safe online.http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.voice-online.co.uk/blog/protect-yourself-internet-explorer-security-bugIt's been the better part of a week since Microsoft revealed that virtually every single version of its Internet Explorer web browser was vulnerable to a particularly nasty attack, one so scary that U.S. Homeland Security recommended people not to use the browser until the hole is patched. Now, it is: Microsoft will deliver the patch for all versions of Internet Explorer on Thursday (including Windows RT).

White House explains why it might keep internet security flaws a secret By Jacob Kastrenakes on April 29, 2014 10:09 am Email @jake_k 55 COMMENTS DON'T MISS STORIES FOLLOW THE VERGE (Andrea Izzotti / Shutterstock) 18 inShare

The National Security Agency has been trying to explain under what circumstances it might keep cyber security vulnerabilities secret from the public, and today the White House has written a blog post attempting to clarify the situation even further. Unfortunately, the answer still isn't completely clear: White House cybersecurity coordinator Michael Daniel explains that "there are no hard and fast rules" on when the government will or won't disclose a vulnerability that it's discovered. "DISCLOSING A VULNERABILITY CAN MEAN THAT WE FOREGO AN OPPORTUNITY."

 Instead, Daniel explains what federal agencies consider when confronted with such a situation. "Disclosing a vulnerability can mean that we forego an opportunity to collect crucial intelligence that could thwart a terrorist attack, stop the theft of our nation’s intellectual property, or even discover more dangerous vulnerabilities that are being used by hackers or other adversaries to exploit our networks," he writes. At the same time, Daniel says that he also believes that it would also be in the interest of national security for the US to build up a stockpile of these vulnerabilities, because that would also leave Americans at risk. Vulnerabilities appear to be assessed on a case-by-case basis when federal agencies propose withholding a discovered flaw. Daniel writes that among the considerations when making that decision are how significant of a risk the flaw poses, how important it currently is to use the flaw to gather intelligence, and whether the vulnerability could be used for "a short period of time" by the government before then disclosing it.

"We weigh these considerations through a deliberate process that is biased toward responsibly disclosing the vulnerability, and by sharing this list we want everyone to understand what is at stake," Daniel writes. In total, Daniel details nine questions that are considered when deciding whether to withhold a flaw for the purpose of gathering intelligence: How much is the vulnerable system used in the core internet infrastructure, in other critical infrastructure systems, in the U.S. economy, and/or in national security systems? Does the vulnerability, if left unpatched, impose significant risk? How much harm could an adversary nation or criminal group do with knowledge of this vulnerability? How likely is it that we would know if someone else was exploiting it? How badly do we need the intelligence we think we can get from exploiting the vulnerability? Are there other ways we can get it?

Could we utilize the vulnerability for a short period of time before we disclose it? How likely is it that someone else will discover the vulnerability? Can the vulnerability be patched or otherwise mitigated? The White House's elaboration comes just weeks after the major security vulnerability Heartbleed rocked the web in early April, putting as many as two out of every three servers at risk. Following its discovery, a report alleged that the NSA had knowledge of the flaw and had taken advantage of it for two years — nearly since the flaw's inception. The NSA vehemently denied that allegation, and the White House continues to do so here. "We had no prior knowledge of the existence of Heartbleed," Daniel writes. Nonetheless, it appears to be clear to the White House that ongoing issues regarding the NSA's transparency have led to mounting concerns from the web security community. Daniel's is the latest attempt to bring further transparency to the government's thinking here. Still, as President Obama has done in the past, he makes it clear that there's a broad range of situations in which the government may be interested in withholding vulnerabilities.

Internet security expert says no such thing as online privacy

By Elise Worthington Posted Mon 12 May 2014, 9:42am AEST MAP: Southport 4215 International web experts will gather on the Gold Coast today to debate the challenges of internet security in the wake of revelations about the US National Security Agency gleaning personal metadata.

 US computer consultant Daniel Klein will tell the conference, internet users should basically presume nothing posted online is private and personal details are readily accessible. Mr Klein says to prove the point he has always posted his phone numbers, personal email addresses and the GPS coordinates of his house online. "I've been working on the internet since it first existed, you can find out things about me without very much difficulty, so making this information overtly public doesn't put me at any great risk because I know that it's always been covertly public," he said. He says privacy breaches like the Heart Bleed bug that left passwords across the internet vulnerable should cause a rethink of how information is stored and protected online. "We want to protect less and do it better," he said. "Because so much information is available, freely available because of crowd sourced information, because of things like Google and all sorts of data collection, that we've lost a lot of privacy, we've lost a lot of secrecy and that's good and bad. "When it comes to your privacy, you basically have none. "There are so many ways of getting at your information that you may or may not know about, that if I share something with two friends on Facebook, it's gone, it's public."http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-12/internet-security-expert-says-no-such-thing-as/5445830

How to play dota on Ps 3 and the controller and How to Turn Your Samsung Galaxy S3 into an Effective iPhone Cloneo

 Being a purely console gamer until I started playing Dota I found it hard to get used to the keyboard, I kept pressing the wrong buttons and Items were pretty difficult to manage. Ive been playing with a keyboard for all my games up until now and I'm sitting on around 360wins/loses so its not like I just started playing. http://imgur.com/ZUSjqlM This is the controller setup, with I think the default keyboard controls for Dota.

I hold the left half or the controller with my left hand and use the mouse normally with my right hand. I think it works pretty well especially if your better with a controller than a keyboard, the best part is that you can lean right back in your chair and play Dota. It may take some getting used to but only like 4 or 5 games, that's what it took me anyway.

To set up the controller I used 2 programs, Motionjoy (www.motioninjoy.com) to connect the controller to my computer (also supports xbox360 controllers) and a hotkey program called Autohotkey (www.autohotkey.com). First I configured the controller to the keys in the picture by making the controller buttons represent the keyboard keys which was easy.

Then I had to use Autohotkey to make the combination buttons (L1 plus Dpad) because Motionjoy doesn't support button combinations. Autohotkey uses a script to change keys, this is the script I used to make the button combinations work. LControl & q:: send 1 return LControl & w:: send 2 return LControl & e:: send 3 return LControl & r:: send 4 return And there you go, You can play with a PS3 controller. If you Learn more about Autohotkey you can also add more keys by using L2 + Dpad, so you can use cancel, D, F or any other keys. you can also add chat options like X = enter+shift, and O = "get rekt", stuff like that. hope I helped some people out, PC nerds gonna hate.http://www.reddit.com/r/DotA2/comments/1q68so/how_to_play_dota_2_with_a_ps3_controller/

How to Turn Your Samsung Galaxy S3 into an Effective iPhone Cloneo 

You've finally converted from an iPhone to a Samsung Galaxy S3 smartphone. Great. Only now you're overwhelmed with the unfamiliar look and feel of the Android operating system. Switching from Apple to Android can be a tough transition, but you'll eventually get used to it—even love it. To help ease the process, you can temporarily turn your new Android smartphone into an iPhone clone simply by downloading a few apps from Google Play. Image via digitaltrends.com So, whether you're a recent Apple-to-Android switcher, or a weird hipster contrarian that wants to buck the establishment, the following five apps will help bring that iOS look to your new Samsung Galaxy S3 (or other Android smartphone). Springboard Clone There are a few iOS springboard plugins for Android, but none of them take the all encompassing approach that Espier Launcher does. This launcher transforms the standard Android UI into an exact replica of the familiar iOS springboard. It also includes the hold-to-delete function, double-tap to view open apps, and the ability to rename and move apps to different home screens. Lockscreen Clone Espier Screen Locker is a free app still in beta, but has received good reviews and really does emulate the iPhone lockscreen with accuracy and includes nearly all of its features. Images via ggpht.com You can't even really tell the difference, can you? Reminders Clone Reminders iOS Style is a free app in the Play Store that mimics the look and feel of the standard iOS Reminders app. I used Reminders on my iPhone all the time, so I know everyone could use some help remembering what's on their to-do list. Images via ggpht.com You can create a checklist of items to do, create calendar reminders, repeat events, and much more. If you're new to the GS3 or Androids in general, this is an easy to use app to help you stop forgetting. There's also the free Espier Reminders app, but they haven't implemented English support yet. Notifications Clone The notifications center for the iPhone is one of the more recent additions to iOS and definitely one of the most useful ones. It provides users with an all-in information deck, including recent alerts, new emails, app notifications, weather, time, date, and other system information. To mimic this look on your Android, try out the free Espier Notifications. Images via ggpht.com Working in conjunction with Espier Launcher and Espier Reminders, Espier Notifications will display app alerts, text messages, and reminders all in one convenient location. You will need to have the Espier Launcher installed for this addition to work correctly. Keyboard Clone A.I.type Keyboard is a really cool free app that not only makes your S3 keyboard look like an iPhone's, but it comes loaded with a bunch of other awesome features. Images via ggpht.com You can mimic the keyboard for nearly any popular devices, like Windows Phone, Blackberry, and the old Android Ice Cream Sandwich layout. There is also an auto-correct notification bubble that pops up before the phone simply corrects something you're trying to write. The app is really smart and can suggest the next word and learns previous words you have entered. Cool features like this are limited to 14 days on the free version, so if you want those ones for good, you're going to need A.I.type Keyboard Plus, which will cost you $ 3.99. Any more iOS apps for the Samsung Galaxy S3 or any other Android device? Let us know what we missed in the comments sectionhttp://gs3.wonderhowto.com/how-to/turn-your-samsung-galaxy-s3-into-effective-iphone-clone-0145954/

How to play ios games on PC? and How to Play, Run Android Games and Apps on PC with GenyMotion

 How to play ios games on PC? 

There are no perfect ways to run iPhone apps and iPad apps on your Windows or OS X PC. The best way to use your favourite iOS apps on your laptop or PC is by using a simulator. The best way we've found is iPadian: a free Adobe AIR-based iPad simulator which allows you to run more iPhone- and iPad apps in an iPad-like interface on your own PC desktop. (See also: How to connect your iPad to a TV.) However, there are some significant down sides: you can't access the Apple App store, so you're restricted to iPadian's own custom app store. If any reader knows of any iPhone- or iPad simulation software that can run all apps we'd love to hear from you in the comments below. With iPadian's own store there are plenty of apps, but it's still quite limited.

Choose the Games category, for instance, and you'll find fewer than 10 apps on offer. There are also interface issues which will affect most PCs and laptops running any simulator of this type. The iPad is designed for touch, so using anything similar on a desktop, with just a mouse and keyboard, is never going to be ideal. You can still find your way around by clicking on buttons, but it all feels a little clunky, and the program doesn't allow you to use the mouse to simulate swipes (although spinning the mouse wheel will scroll occasionally). That's the bad stuff, here's what's great. iPadian provides a complete iPad-like environment: a web browser, email client, social networking apps, music, videos, photos and more, with plenty of free apps to explore. And, surprisingly, it's portable, so there's no hassles with installation (as long as your system is already equipped with Adobe AIR, anyway).

IPadian works with Windows XP/Vista/7/8, Mac OS X and Linux. (See also: How to get free eBooks on iPad, Kindle and more.) How to run iOS apps on PC iPadian App StoreFirst of all download iPadian here. Unzip the download file, run iPadian.exe. Some security software incorrectly pings iPadian as malware - if you have downloaded from a reputable source such as PC Advisor Downloads you need not worry - just click through to download. During the install process you may need to install Windows .NET Framework. When prompted to do so, do so. You'll also be asked to update to the latest version of Adobe Flash. This is important for security reasons. At the end of the install iPadian will open up. You'll be taken to a desktop that is a cross between Windows and iOS. Key apps such as Facebook and YouTube are already installed. Head to the 'App Store' to install more apps. Open up and use apps as you would on your iPad. When you want to return to Windows simply click the Windows symbol in the bottom righthand corner. And that's it! iPadian is not a silver bullet if you want to use on your laptop the iPad apps you installed on your iPad. But it is a good simulator. If you know of any better way of using iPad apps on PC or laptop, let us know. http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/how-to/software/3510817/run-iphone-ipad-apps-on-pc-laptop/#ixzz31hROIPKV

How to Play, Run Android Games and Apps on PC with GenyMotion

 April 11, 2014 by ramesh Leave a Comment Gney Motion Gif Yes ! Now you can play android games on PC without bluestacks and Youwave. Awesome right? We found many people who dont have android mobile want to use favorite apps and games like Whatsapp, temple run on PC . But problem comes here is that blue stacks is available in free version but it slow […]Facebook messenger app also uses the VoIP, but using this you can make calls to US, UK and Canada citizens only. Using this service the calls are free but you need a good 3G/4G connection, but having Wi-Fi is recommended as calling needs a good amount of Data and speed, and your messenger app version should be 4.0+.

How to Make Free International Calls using Facebook Messenger App and How to watch youtube on TV?

How to Make Free International Calls using Facebook Messenger App 

April 28, 2014 by shubham Leave a Comment Messenger-Calling We already Wrote an article on How to Make Free calls from PC to Mobile in India ! But Now you can also make call to foreign countries like US, UK and Canada? Yes you heard it right for free and all you need is Facebook messenger app on your iOS or Android devices.The best part of using Facebook VoIP calling facility is that it’s not Mandatory to have Facebook messenger app for receiver to attend your call. So here is the Step by Step process How you can make free call using Facebook messenger app.

Here I am using iPhone but you can do it same for your Android device. But make sure that whom your are calling has added his phone number to its profile. Free international calls using Facebook Messenger app on Android and iPhone fb messenger on iphone Download and Install the Facebook messenger app on your Android or iPhone from there store and Launch the messenger app on your device. You must have a recent conservation going with the person whom you are calling. Just tap on the Conservation to open it and if you don’t have any recent conservation tap on the compose message button placed at the bottom right and here you can add the person’s name whom you want to call.

Type anything in the message and send it, to start the conservation. Now just tap once on Contact info button, placed at top right corner like image below . Now you will able to see the contact information whom you want to call. free calling from fb messenger app Here with Options like Timeline and others, you will see a Free Call button placed at the mid of the screen. As shown in the below image.

How to watch youtube on TV? 

When the time comes to view that hot new YouTube video everyone's talking about, which would you rather do: gather around a laptop, tablet, or, horrors, smartphone, or kick back and enjoy it on your big-screen TV? Thought so. Although YouTube was built for Web browsers, it can easily find a home in your living room. All you need is the right gear. If you don't have a so-called smart TV that already has a YouTube channel, here's an overview of the various ways to watch all your favorite cat videos from the comfort of your couch. Apple Apple TV Apple's set-top box has a built-in YouTube channel, and if you pair it with the Apple TV Remote app, you can enter search words and phrases much more easily using your iDevice's onscreen keyboard. Game consoles All the major game consoles have YouTube channels, but not all of them are free.

If you want to watch on an Xbox 360 or Xbox One, for example, you need to be an Xbox Live Gold subscriber. PlayStation 3 owners can stream all you the YouTube they want free of charge, but curiously there's no YouTube channel on the PS4 -- not yet, anyway.

However, there's an easy workaround: open the PS4's Web browser and head to www.youtube.com/tv. On the Wii and Wii U, you simply fire up the YouTube app -- no subscription or extra fees required. Google Google Chromecast Given that Google owns YouTube, it should come as no surprise that the $35 Chromecast video dongle allows for YouTube streaming.

Just keep in mind you'll need a compatible smartphone or tablet to make it happen. Roku box It's a mystery for the ages: Roku's media-streaming boxes, which offer pretty much every streaming service known to man, don't support YouTube. Fortunately, there are a couple easy ways around this vexing limitation. The easiest (and cheapest) is to use the newly reborn MyVideoBuzz (formerly VideoBuzz, which was yanked as a Roku channel earlier this year). The MyVideoBuzz channel brings YouTube to Roku boxes. The MyVideoBuzz channel brings YouTube to Roku boxes. Photo by Rick Broida/CNET First, venture into your Roku's settings and find its IP address. Next, using either Chrome or Firefox, download and run the MyVideoBuzz installer. You may encounter an error message, but continue on until you see the pop-up box with instructions.

These include entering your box's IP address and then activating its developer mode. The whole process is a little convoluted, but it works. You can also use PlayOn, a service that streams a wealth of TV content -- including YouTube -- to its Roku channel. Go to https://owner.roku.com/Add/MYPLAYON, log in to your Roku account, and add the private channel code MYPLAYON. Your laptop or tablet If you're not interested in buying extra gear, consider using what you already have. Any laptop with an HDMI output can easily be connected to an HDTV (via an inexpensive cable) for a "traditional" YouTube viewing experience via Web browser. Alas, that keeps you tethered to your TV, which isn't exactly convenient for video-surfing. Some Ultrabooks incorporate Intel's WiDi technology for wireless screen mirroring to your TV, but in most cases you'll need something connected to the TV that acts as the receiver. (A handful of TVs already have the technology baked in.)

Finally, don't forget your tablet: Many Android models (including some previous-generation Kindle Fires) have Micro-HDMI outputs that allow for connectivity to a TV's HDMI input. That keeps you tethered like with a laptop, but at least you don't have to futz with a touch pad or mouse just to navigate YouTube. Have you found a better way to watch YouTube on your TV? Tell me about it in the comments!

Playsation 3 using remote play on windows pc and How to Remove Write Protection of Any flashdrive/Memory Cards

Playsation 3 using remote play on windows pc 

 This recipe is for the Playstation3 / PS3 users out there that want to utilize the Remote Play features on their PS3. Normally, Sony allows Vaio branded laptops the ability to connect to the PS3 via Remote Play. With the help of 2 patched files from PSDevWiki, we can use the Remote Play software on any PC that has a wireless network adapter. (updated 4/3/2014) Credit to NTAuthority for the patch old, non-working patch and PSDevWiki devs for the new patch. PS3 firmware 3.30+ is required. Requirements: -Playstation 3 (original or Slim) with firmware 3.30 or higher (tested on latest as of 4/4/2014) -PC/Laptop running Windows 7 or Windows 8 (32bit/64bit) and WiFi adapter -Full administrator rights with Windows user account on PC/Laptop -Both devices on same network Software: -Remote Play Software v1.1.0.15070 (download from Sony here) -Patched v 1.1.0.15070 Dlls and EXE (download from PS3Wiki site) –Alternative MediaFire hosted Download w/both files (here) Instructions:

 1. Download both the installer file (EP0000248680.exe) and the patched .rar files (remoteplay 1.1 patch.rar)
 2. Run the installer file EP0000248680.exe and once it finishes, click on Finish.
 3. Extract the patched rar files using 7zip (free and excellent!) or whatever app you may have.
We now will need to copy these files to the Remote Play’s Program Files folder (32-bit OS: c:\program files\sony\remote play with playstation 3\ or 64-bit OS: C:\program files (x86)\sony\remote play with playstation 3\). If asked for administration permissions, click on Continue (ie Windows 8 computers).
 4. Finally, we can now launch the Remote Play by using the patched exe file we copied: rmp_launcher.exe . This will launch the Remote Play software and in turn the initial pairing wizard. We will want to make a shortcut to the rmp_launcher.exe since we need to run this launcher each time we use Remote Play to bypass the Vaio hardware check Sony put into the Remote Play software.
 Just right-click on the rmp_launcher.exe file and then choose Send To > Desktop. This put a shortcut right on our Desktop that we can in turn rename and even change the icon for. I personally move it into the C:\programdata\microsoft\windows\start menu\programs folder so that way it is available to all user accounts via the Start Mene. I also remove the shortcut that the installer creates since it launches VRP.exe directly and will give you this error. error-notpatched If you’re using a desktop with a wired network connection, you will need an external wireless adapter connected to initially pair. However once you have paired your PS3 and Desktop PC; you won’t need the adapter again.
 5. Go through the setup wizard. You will want to have your PS3 and PC on the same network for this initial pairing. On your PS3, go to Settings > Remote Play > Register Device to start pairing.
 6. Hopefully once your done with the wizard, you should be connected to your PS3!http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/7225/playstation-3-use-remote-play-on-any-non-sony-vaio-windows-7-pc-ps3-firmware-3-30/

How to Remove Write Protection of Any flashdrive/Memory Cards 

 April 6, 2014 by raman Leave a Comment remove write protection from pendrive Now a day’s PC usage is common and everyone uses memory cards, pen drives to transfer data from one computer to another computer. In the recent days flash drives usage is increased tremendously because it is easy to carry and at the same time you can take GB’s of data with these tiny devices.http://www.alltechtricks.com/category/android/

online survey

1.What is your name?

2.    What is your gender?

a.     Male

b.    Female

3.    What is your grade?

a.     7

b.    8

c.     9

d.    etc

4.    If you have an Ipad or you already have it , what do you want to do?

a.     Playing games

b.    Use social media

c.     Doing your homework

d.    Etc

5.    If you have Ipad 2 will you change you Ipad into Ipad 3?

a.     Yes

b.    No

6.    If yes why? If no why?

7.     If you want to download a game at app store but it wasn’t free you must pay it before you download it, Will you buy that apps or not?

8.    If yes why? If no why?

9.     Will you download an apps so illegaly? If yes why? If no why?

10.                       Will you download something is not fo good for you?

11.                       If yes why? if no why?

12.                       If you have a laptop what will you do?

a.     Playing games

b.    Doing homework

c.     Something that is bad

d.    Social Media

e.     Etc

13.                       If you want to download something will you do piracy or not?

14.                       If yes why? If no why?

15.                       If you have a microsoft program like microsoft what will you do?

16.                       If you have microsoft 2010 then you want the new microsoft, do you download illegaly without paying?

17.                       s

18.                       Do you want to crack a program?

a.     Yes

b.    No

19.                       What is your favorite app at your laptop

20.                       What do you think if you the one who have a program then someone don’t want to buy it using money and crack it, what do you do and how do you feel?

                                                                     

How to Recover Deleted WhatsApp Chat messages on Android and How to Play, Run Android Games and Apps on PC with GenyMotion

http://www.alltechtricks.com/category/android/

April 29, 2014 by shubham Leave a Comment whatsapp messages restore WhatsApp one of the best cross platform messaging app of all time.

Now WhatsApp messenger has been an essential part of our life because of its capability of receiving and sending unlimited messages at very fast speed and a clean User Interface, which makes the WhatsApp one of the best messaging client.Are you still living in the old era by using the default messenger provided by your mobile phone, then now it’s time that you get modernized and use Whatsapp, the instant messaging app that has taken the messaging field with a storm with its outstanding features, tips and cool tricks




 April 11, 2014 by ramesh Leave a Comment Gney Motion Gif Yes ! Now you can play android games on PC without bluestacks and Youwave. Awesome right? We found many people who dont have android mobile want to use favorite apps and games like Whatsapp, temple run on PC . But problem comes here is that blue stacks is available in free version but it slow […]Facebook messenger app also uses the VoIP, but using this you can make calls to US, UK and Canada citizens only. Using this service the calls are free but you need a good 3G/4G connection, but having Wi-Fi is recommended as calling needs a good amount of Data and speed, and your messenger app version should be 4.0+.

Minecraft tips on PS 3 and How to Recover Deleted WhatsApp Chat messages on Android

Minecraft tips on PS 3

 Hi again guys, Owen from Mojang here. Minecraft: Playstation 3 Edition was released a few days ago, and we thought it would be nice to get some tips from the developers to help you learn the basics. I asked around the office and gathered these for you. Hope they help! Never dig straight down! It’s a lot harder to get back to the surface, and you might end up dropping into lava. Lava is uncomfortably hot.

Never dig straight up! You might end up with a head full of sand, gravel, or the melty hot stuff we mentioned earlier. If you come to a junction while mining, and one of the routes leads upwards, take that one. Explore the safe options first, and then go adventuring deep underground.

Always watch your back in dark places! There might be something scary behind you… waaah! Make sure you bring torches. Place them first, then collect the resources later. Tools are great! Use them and upgrade when you get the chance. Mean things come out at night. It’s probably wise to build yourself a shelter before it gets dark. Don’t forget to bring food with you when exploring.

There’s nothing worse than going hungry. Iron armour gives great protection and isn’t too tricky to craft. Don’t look directly at the bugs – that one’s from 4J Studios. :) Share your top tips below, and have a great festive season! Oh, and don’t forget to see your family/friends between Minecraft sessions. ;http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2013/12/20/mojangs-top-tips-for-getting-started-in-minecraft-on-ps3/ 
How to Recover Deleted WhatsApp Chat messages on Android 

April 29, 2014 by shubham Leave a Comment whatsapp messages restore WhatsApp one of the best cross platform messaging app of all time.

Now WhatsApp messenger has been an essential part of our life because of its capability of receiving and sending unlimited messages at very fast speed and a clean User Interface, which makes the WhatsApp one of the best messaging client.Are you still living in the old era by using the default messenger provided by your mobile phone, then now it’s time that you get modernized and use Whatsapp, the instant messaging app that has taken the messaging field with a storm with its outstanding features, tips and cool trickshttp://www.alltechtricks.com/category/android/

Online Poker need protect themselves from cybercriminal

Online Poker need protect themselves from cybercriminal

ADVERTISEMENT If you’ve spent any time in online poker rooms, you’ve likely heard about a couple of high-profile attacks targeting players. “With cybercrime on the rise, it is only a matter of time before hackers attempt to use malicious software to target poker players,” said Brian Corlisse of PokerSites.com, a leading guide to online poker sites. “Some poker pros have considerable balances in their poker accounts, sometimes with hundreds of thousands of dollars, and that makes it an attractive industry to target.” “Stopping someone from hijacking your computer boils down to software and common sense,” said Charles Kolodgy, research vice president for secure products at IDC.

 Reputable poker sites have invested in tight security measures, rivaling the sophisticated encryption used by financial institutions for online banking. But the onus lies on players to ensure their computers are protected from malicious types out to defraud you, said Kolodgy. After all, more people might be more willing to ante up as legal and regulated online poker spreads. It started in three states last year – New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware – and others are considering it. PokerAtlas.com, a site that boasts the largest source of poker room and game information in North America, predicts as many as a dozen states could allow residents to play on legal online poker sites by the end of 2015.

 To help ward off cybercriminals, here are tips for protecting yourself while playing online poker, as well as other online activities. Security suites, software updates Don’t settle for a basic antivirus program you found for free or already bundled with your operating system. Instead, pick up a more robust anti-malware (“malicious software”) security suite that offers protection against viruses, worms, Trojans, keyloggers (which can remotely see what you’re typing), spam and identity theft. (Page 2 of 3) “Especially for online poker players, a security suite – which includes a firewall – will help prevent someone from getting onto your machine,” said Kolodgy. Good security suites might cost $50 per year, often for up to three PCs. Paid services are usually updated more often, so you’re always protected from the latest threats, and are updated automatically rather than you having to remember to download the latest malware definitions. On a related note, it’s also important to download the latest free software updates for your operating system, as well as third-party programs, such as Java and Adobe. Use strong passwords Creating a good password for online poker isn’t difficult, but it does take more time to come up with one than using common ones like “password,” “poker,” “123456” or your kids’ or pets’ names – all of which are not recommended for obvious reasons.

A strong password is at least 7 or 8 characters long, has a combination of letters, numbers and symbols and mixes upper and lower cases. It’s also a good idea to avoid real words or phrases. “And don’t think replacing a ‘1’ for an ‘i’ will protect you either, as good password cracking programs can also guess these,” warns Kolodgy. For example, passwords such as “p1ckle” or “h3llo” aren’t effective. If you don’t want to use the recommended combination of letters, numbers and symbols, at least keep in mind that single word passwords are easier to break than multiple word passwords. Instead of “giraffe,” use something like “bluegiraffe” or “sillybluegiraffeface.” This should be an easy password to remember – and better yet, add a number and symbol to it, too. “Don’t reuse passwords and change them periodically, too,” suggested Kolodgy. It’s also not a bad idea to set up a brand new web mail address – such as a free Gmail, Yahoo Mail or Outlook.com account – and only use that one associated with your poker account and nothing else. Two-step authentication Major tech companies such as Google, Facebook, Twitter and Apple offer a two-step authentication process – and some poker sites now do, too. This serves as an extra security measure to protect your online accounts from being compromised. It confirms you – and only you – are granted access to your account. (Page 3 of 3) As the name “two-step authentication” suggests, in addition to a standard username and password you’ll also need a code that’s sent usually via text message to your mobile phone, or revealed in an app. Before you gain access to the site or app, you’ll be prompted to enter that short, randomly-generated verification code.

 Some poker sites will send you a small gadget with a screen on it, such as the RSA SecurID products. This security token/key works the same way as a text message – displaying a randomly-generated, one-time-use code to type in along with your password. Don't play as the admin To be extra safe, Kolodgy said you only should play online poker on a PC you don’t have administration (admin) rights to. “That way, it makes it difficult for someone to secretly install a program on your PC while that session is on.” Kolodgy said it’s fairly straightforward to set up a new account outside of admin on your machine, call it Poker, perhaps, and log into this before playing poker. “It’s not unlike enterprise companies who don’t give admin rights to employees, so they can’t purposely or inadvertently load software the company doesn’t want, and it helps prevent malicious code from running.”

 On a related note, Kolodgy said some companies are developing “virtual machine” solutions, such as PokerShield.com. Still in development, PokerShield is a custom-designed Linux operating system that can be booted directly from a USB or CD (or installed on your hard drive) and the system lets you segregate your OS into two distinct platforms: one for online poker and the other for all other computer activity. Resist public Wi-Fi hotspots Whether it’s at your local coffee shop, in an airport or a hotel lobby, millions of mobile computer users take advantage of the free public Wi-Fi networks, or “hotspots.” But don’t use it for activities like online poker, banking or shopping. Some Wi-Fi networks can appear to be legitimate – like a wireless network called “Hilton” or “McDonald’s” – when in fact it is a fake.

Nearby criminals can create rogue networks that often contain the name of the store, hotel or airport, but actually will direct your information to their own computer. Before logging on, double-check it’s legit by confirming the network name at the establishment. Always assume your Wi-Fi connections are being eavesdropped on. That is, if you’re surfing the Web on your computer, smartphone or tablet at a coffee shop, do simple things like read the news.

Don’t enter sensitive data – such as your poker site password. If you like, you can also download and use free VPN (virtual private network) software, such as Hotspot Shield, to surf anonymously. Another option is to bring your own network and resist the free Wi-Fi altogether. Specifically, all wireless carriers sell Internet sticks that snap into your laptop’s USB port and let you access the Internet via cellular connectivity (some, like the MiFi products, don’t require a USB at all). Or you might turn your smartphone into a personal hotspot to get online, but be aware of data costs.http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20140512/NJBIZ16/305120017/Online-poker-protection

Tech Gadget

Tens of thousands of cars are being stolen or broken into every year by thieves using electronic hacking equipment, a Sky News investigation has found. Last year half of all car thefts and vehicle break-ins in London alone were carried out without the use of force, according to the Metropolitan Police. Instead criminals are believed to have used hi-tech devices originally designed for locksmiths to gain access to vehicles. Commonly, the thieves use easily obtainable equipment that can intercept the signals from key fobs to get into cars or that plug into a car's on-board computers remotely.

 Modern cars contain about 50 low-powered computers which criminals have learnt to take advantage of to steal vehicles in as little as 10 seconds without causing any damage. Sky News has established that the devices can be bought cheaply online, from websites based mainly in Bulgaria. Video tutorials posted online can teach criminals how to gain access to popular models.

 Tens of thousands of cars are being stolen or broken into every year by thieves using electronic hacking equipment, a Sky News investigation has found. Last year half of all car thefts and vehicle break-ins in London alone were carried out without the use of force, according to the Metropolitan Police. Instead criminals are believed to have used hi-tech devices originally designed for locksmiths to gain access to vehicles. Commonly, the thieves use easily obtainable equipment that can intercept the signals from key fobs to get into cars or that plug into a car's on-board computers remotely. Modern cars contain about 50 low-powered computers which criminals have learnt to take advantage of to steal vehicles in as little as 10 seconds without causing any damage. Sky News has established that the devices can be bought cheaply online, from websites based mainly in Bulgaria. Video tutorials posted online can teach criminals how to gain access to popular models. The problem was first exposed several years ago in certain models. But now police are warning that all modern makes are potentially vulnerable. And for the first time, the Met has disclosed the growing nature of the threat. About 21,000 cars were stolen in the capital last year, according to the latest figures. A further 68,000 were broken into. "Recent analysis of crime data suggests that almost half the total number of vehicles stolen in London are taken using this method, which can affect all manufacturers," the force said in a statement to Sky News.

 "High-end vehicles are becoming more and more sophisticated. In turn so are criminals. " Some organised criminals have access to technology that avoids the need to (physically break in). Vehicles are becoming more technologically advanced and the criminals are becoming more savvy towards that technology and they will develop." The Met said it was working with manufacturers to protect drivers from having their cars stolen or broken into. Car crime has fallen in recent years as manufacturers create even more secure vehicles. But in countries closer to Bulgaria, like Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands, the crime rate has started to rise after years of decrease.We have every reason to believe that other European countries will be following suit this year and next," Mike Parris, head of the secure car division at SBD security, told Sky News. "It is getting worse," he added. "The tools are becoming much more readily available. The price of them is falling. And they're operating much more quickly - you can re-program a key in a matter of seconds. "All vehicle manufacturers are aware of the problem. It's fair to say some are doing more than others. "Car manufacturers are acutely aware of the need to constantly make their vehicles more secure because they know criminals will adapt and develop." The Met advises car owners to leave their cars in well-lit areas, to consider using steering, gear shift and pedal locks, as well as tracking devices. One website found to be selling the devices did not respond to a request to comment from Sky News. Its homepage says: "All devices are sold for official use only!!! If you use them for any illegal purposes, this is your own responsibility!!!" This week our inboxes filled up faster than a tummy at an all-you-can-eat crab leg buffet. The theme that emerged from this week’s plethora of product press releases was “everything old is new again.” From the stunning leather-and-canvas bike bag from the talented folks at Tanner Goods to the retro speaker from Veho, it seems our fascination with yesteryear and retro continues unabated. May your thoughts of relaxing in a cushy easy chair, whittling away with your new table knife while listening to Jack White’s new Ultra LP, helps you get through the weekend. tate police chief warns that carjackers use the ‘innovative’ device to start cars they intend to steal KUCHING: Be careful when you see an innocent-looking device comprising a piece of wire with one end clipped to two ‘modified’ spark plugs and the other holding a small ‘hanger’. The device looks harmless, but carjackers are using it to start engines in order to steal the vehicles! State police chief Datuk Wira Muhammad Sabtu Osman raised the alarm yesterday and urged car owners to take precautionary measures to protect their vehicles.

“We have confiscated the device and all district police chiefs have been alerted on this. They have been instructed to detain those found to have this device when they come across it,” he said after officiating at the Police Day Jogathon, which was held in conjunction with the 207th Police Day at Le’Park here. The confiscated device used by carjackers to steal vehicles. Sabtu said preliminary investigation indicated that only individuals, not syndicates, were using this device. He also advised car drivers not to leave their bags on the passenger seat unattended as it would attract the attention of thieves. “Since thieves nowadays are resorting to break the glass to steal valuables, I would like to recommend car owners to tint their car with approved protective film so that when the glass is hit it will not crumble easily.” On car thefts in the city, he said police had detained a few suspects and they would probably be charged in court after investigations are completed. “We received tip-offs from the public (from time to time) and they too assisted us in arresting the culprits. That is why the public are very important to us.” Overall, he said the crime rate in the city had shown a significant reduction of 22 per cent compared to the same period last year. “The motorcycle patrol unit has played a very effective role in helping to prevent crime. We will increase the presence of the unit.” http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/05/12/simple-gadget-used-to-steal-cars/#ixzz31UJbiemV Gadget Freak Review: Simple Tool Seals Wounds, Construction Set for Straws, Electronic Wall Outlet Safe Lauren Muskett BIO EMAIL THIS PRINT COMMENT Lauren Muskett, Assistant Managing Editor 2/7/2014 8 comments NO RATINGS LOGIN TO RATE inShare 1 This Gadget Freak review looks at a simple device that can seal gunshot wounds quickly, an open-source construction set that uses straws and cardboard to build shapes and objects, and an electronic safe that is built into a wall. We will also look at a vintage Gadget Freak that features a sonic telescope that uses a MEMS microphone, so you can hear what you are viewing. Quickly seal gunshot wounds (Source: RevMedx) (Source: RevMedx) "Uncontrolled hemorrhage is the leading cause of death on the battlefield and the second leading cause of death in civilian trauma," according to RevMedx. It developed its XStat hemostatic dressing to control severe bleeding from pelvis or shoulder wounds that cannot be helped with tourniquet application. The XStat dressing, which is currently under development, uses mini-sponges that will expand when they contact blood. This results in "a nearly immediate hemostatic effect without manual compression." The mini sponges are made of standard medical sponge material, coated with a hemostatic agent, and compressed. They are stored in a 30 mm or 12 mm lightweight applicator and contain a radiopaque marker for X-ray detection. RevMedx says on its site that it is "working closely with Special Operations Forces medics" to develop the dressing "capable of stopping high-flow arterial bleeding from non-compressible wounds." RevMedx is also incorporating the self-expanding sponge technology into dressings to treat other types of wounds. Building with straws (Source: Creatables) (Source: Creatables)

The Strawbees construction-based kit lets you connect straws to create shapes and objects. These trial-and-error construction sets act as a pivot point and a connector to join straws. To make large-scale mechanical models using cardboard, you can punch a hole in the cardboard to connect up to two layers. The toys, made of polypropylene plastic sheets, can be hacked so you can modify the connectors with a pair of scissors. They can be reused, and virtually anyone can use them -- from preschool to those in higher education. Creatables, the group behind this project, says on its Kickstarter page that it has conducted "test runs at five schools here in Sweden and more than five science centers around the world to make sure it works." The Kickstarter campaign has already reached triple its funding goal, and Creatables anticipates shipping the kits in April. Hidden electronic outlet safe (Source: ASCAS on Instructables) (Source: ASCAS on Instructables) Here is a place you can store your valuables with no one ever knowing -- a hidden wall outlet safe. Not only is it hidden, but it is also electronic and requires a digital key. An Instructables user, ASCAS, created the safe in a dummy wall outlet with an Arduino UNO with a USB cable and mini servo. To open the outlet, you plug a DIY three-pin cable from your vault to your Arduino and then connect your Arduino board to your PC via USB.

The only way the lock can be opened is by connecting the Arduino to the servo's pins -- located in the outlet. One of our own Gadget Freaks created a power lock with a secret code for his workbench. William Grill had a workbench covered with electronic gadgets and power tools, and he wanted to avoid the possibility of a curious grandkid messing with the enticing toys. His power lock requires a secret code to be entered before the power can go to the plug. Vintage Gadget Freak: MEMS mics up telescope One of the problems with wildlife video photography is that you can get close to the animal with a telescopic video lens, but what about the sound? It's still far, far away. Jerald Cogswell came up with a solution. He created a sonic telescope to grab sound and bring it as close to the user as the visual image. Biologists can also use this MEMS microphone to listen to insects and burrowing animals. The microphone can take the sound and match it to the proximity of the image. Do you have a Gadget Freak project you would like the world to see? Send a brief description of your gadget and a photo to Assistant Managing Editor Lauren Muskett. The editors of Design News have handpicked your favorite Gadget Freak cases from over the years, bringing them together in a dynamic digital edition, complete with videos, which you can view here.
http://www.designnews.com/author.asp?section_id=1362&doc_id=271467&piddl_msgid=1327405 This Gadget Freak review looks at a personal motion tracking device that uses Bluetooth to help you track down items you tag in a range of up to 150 feet.

You can uses these tags, PebbleBees, to keep tabs on anything from your keys to your dog. We also look at a DIY solar phone charger that is built in a mint tin and only costs $7 to build. Our vintage Gadget Freak is a dishwasher indicator that uses a flashing green LED to let people know when the dishes are clean. Personal Lost & Found (Source: PebbleBee) (Source: PebbleBee) The PebbleBee is a Bluetooth personal motion tracking device that coins itself as your "personal lost and found." These small, durable, and water resistant tags communicate with Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy in a range of up to 150 feet. You can tag virtually anything with the PebbleBee -- your keys, shopping bags, pet, child -- and set a range finder so you are alerted when they get out of their set range. So what if you lose something out of your range? That is what the PebbleBee cloud is for. You can access your PebbleBees from any compatible phone through the PebbleBee cloud, share your PebbleBees with other users, and set designated friends. Your privacy is kept secure as the PebbleBee cloud, with "security protocols to validate the user for permission to either see or use the PebbleBee." There is also an option to use your tag privately. Once you have your items tagged, you can keep track of them on their app or set the tag to buzz or light up (spark) when you want to locate them. Their free application is compatible with Android 4.3+ Bluetooth 4.0 equipped devices, iOS iPhone 4s or newer, and iPad 3 or iPad Mini. The iOS app is open-source, so you can customize your updates. Utilizing a 3-Axis gyroscope, 3-Axis Accelerometer, and 3-Axis Compass, the PebbleBee has a replaceable 285 mAh CR2430 button battery that can last up to three years. You can also run your tag in private mode to help preserve your battery life and increase wireless performance. The PebbleBee is currently an active Kickstarter campaign that has gone way beyond its goal of $20,000. Backers are scheduled to get their tags in May. DIY Solar Phone Charger (Source: User tech savy on Instructables) (Source: User tech savy on Instructables) User tech savy on Instructables created a solar phone charger from an old tin mint case. The charger is powered by both the sun and a battery and was created as a cheaper alternative to other solar chargers. For the total cost of $7, materials used included a 3V solar cell, 1.5V to 5V boost module, rectifier diode, rocker switch, battery holder, rechargeable battery, and 10 or 25V capacitor all stored in a mint tin.


 One it was assembled and tested with a voltmeter, an iPhone was plugged in to the smart tin and was able to charge 3% in five minutes. Creating gadgets in mint tins is something our Gadget Freaks should be familiar with -- Al Linke created a breathalyzer in an Altoids tin in Gadget Freak Case #207. Vintage Gadget Freak: Dishwasher Indicator Eases Unloading Most dishwashers come equipped with an indicator that lets people know when the dishes have gone through a complete washing cycle. Some people will open the dishwasher and get some clean dishes, but they won't unload it completely. The "clean" indicator will turn off, but people might not know whether the dishes are clean. This gadget uses a flashing green LED to let people know the dishes are clean. An infrared proximity sensor detects the presence of a person near the dishwasher and turns on the LED circuit. The LED state remains set until someone completely empties the dishwasher. Even after you open the door and take out only a few dishes, the green LED will flash when people approach the dishwasher, so they see a reminder to unload it completely. After the dishwasher is emptied, a red LED starts flashing, and people can start to load it with dirty dishes. Now no one will have any doubt about whether the dishwasher is full of dirty or clean dishes. The indicator tells it all. http://www.designnews.com/author.asp?section_id=1362&doc_id=272116&piddl_msgid=1327403#msg_1327403

Gross Gadget that ries flies

TV shows like Iron Chef and Chopped have gotten audiences used to the idea of bizarre ingredients, but Reykjavík-based design student Búi Bjarmar Aðalsteinsson wants to make black soldier flies standard fare. As a first step, he’s developed an abhorrent appliance called the Fly Factory that turns household pests into haute cuisine. The stainless steel Fly Factory is comprised of three chambers: an expansive breeding space for flies, a chamber for their larva to grow, and a fridge to store the pâtés and puddings that can be created with the ground-up grubs. Fly Factory is intended to be used in restaurant environments—the larva would eat the discarded food from patron’s plates, fattening themselves up before being cooked, all while turning leftovers into compost suitable for herb cultivation. Black soldier flies are the key ingredient.

They have predictable mating, eating, and development stages that map onto industrial production processes fairly easily. Also, their relatively cleanliness compared to other members of the arthropod phylum—they don’t have mouths—helps reduce the pucker factor. The recipe is simple: fly larvae are harvested, dried, and ground into a powder then mixed with wheat, milk, eggs, spiced to taste, then baked in an oven. And yes, mashed bugs taste like chicken. Or more accurately, nothing or anything. Think of them as tofu: They’re totally dependent on the preparation and spicing. After consulting with a leading Icelandic chef, Aðalsteinsson developed a collection of recipes to enhance the fly’s very mild natural flavor, including a crowd-pleasing chocolate-coconut cake.

 Convenience Is King Designing a bug farm is seemingly a rite of passage for design students these days, but the Fly Factory brings unique innovations to the table. Aðalsteinsson realized that even if humanity is reduced to mawing mouthfuls of ground up fly larva, we’ll still want the convenience of packaged foods. Instead of trying to get people over the mental hurdle of biting the head off a grasshopper, the bugs are puréed and baked into innocent-looking loaves. Instead of assuming bug farms will take a place to KitchenAid mixers on countertops, Aðalsteinsson envisioned a commercial look for his appliance. It’s an industrial tool that would slot into high-end kitchens. It’s also cleverly designed to limit its use of resources.

The excess heat from the refrigeration unit keeps the fly chamber at an appropriate level of warmth. While it might seem gross, eating bugs—or epicurean entomophagy for foodies—could become a real thing. Raising beef and chicken are resource-intensive practices with harmful environmental side effects. Livestock produces more greenhouse gasses than automobiles, making expansion perilous. The thought of chewing on creepy-crawlies might make your cringe, but at least they’ve got a low carbon footprint and they’re totally paleo

 There are 1,900 species of edible insects and 2 billion people already eat them on a regular basis. According to the UN report that inspired Aðalsteinsson, there are 19,00 species of edible insects and 2 billion people around the world already eat them on a regular basis. Fly Factory and its swarm of competitors might be responding to the market, but it’ll take a massive change in perception for this idea to spread in the developed world.

Even eco-conscious Starbucks customers flipped out when they found their strawberry Frappuccinos were being colored with cochineal, an ancient and ubiquitous dye made from crushed beetle shells. Still, with 9 billion people expected to be living on the planet by 2050 and food system that will need to double to support, changes to our cuisine are coming. Half of the Earth’s habitable landmass is already used for farming and livestock cultivation, and we’ll need new sources of protein. Bugs for breakfast may seem bizarre, but are positively mouthwatering compared to duck embryos, ox penises, or blood pancakes.http://www.wired.com/2014/05/a-gross-out-gadget-that-raises-flies-for-you-to-eat/