Apple: Don't make nuclear weapons using iTunes

What exactly are you agreeing to when you click the little check box in the License and Terms statement? Are there hidden terms, like agreeing to not design or reproduce nuclear weapons with the help of the software you are using with Apple?

Warning

The warning in the End User License Agreement is protecting software makers against mass installation and distribution of their product. Most of us just scroll down to the bottom of the page and check the box.   Wanting to get rid of all that mumble jumble so we can get on with our gaming, right?  Maybe all that verbiage should be read with a little more caution. This could be what you are agreeing to without even knowing it:

•  The company reserving the right to install spyware on your computer.


•  The company reserving the right to change the agreement at any time...without your knowledge or consent.


•  The right to publicly display and distribute content submitted from your computer.


•  Giving up the right to sue.

These EULA's are not very user friendly.  How long would it take to read and understand an entire contract?  If I have a question about what's in the agreement is there a number I can call to get an answer right away or do I have to shoot someone an email or letter to get some answers?  I don't think the End User License Agreement is really meant for us to read...

The reason why I just scroll down and click agree is because I trust these companies.  Even if it's a new company or a product I've never used, when I see all the legal stuff I figure they have all their ducks in a row, so everything I just didn't read is most likely legit.

iTunes Paragraph G states:  ""You also agree that you will not use these products for any purposes prohibited by United States law, including, without limitation, the development, design, manufacture or production of nuclear, missiles, or chemical or biological weapons."

;

Are you the Owner

In some EULAs, the companies state that although you purchased the product with money, it's still not yours. You haven't actually bought the goods/services/software; you are temporarily licensing it.


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References:

CNET
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-57591531-71/apple-dont-make-nuclear-weapons-using-itunes/
Published June 28, 2013

TotallyWP
http://totallywp.com/2013/06/28/apple-dont-make-nuclear-weapons-using-itunes/
Published June 28, 2013

InputOutput
http://h30565.www3.hp.com/t5/Feature-Articles/5-Most-Ridiculous-EULA-Clauses/ba-p/657
Published Jan. 11, 2011

Image courtesy of [adamr] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Google Goes Wild

Google Trekker has revealed their street view expansion project is being taken to new heights.  Google is recruiting  third-party organizations such as non-profits, tourism boards, research organizations, government agency's, and universities to literally "take a hike"!   These hikers will strap on the Street View Trekker back-pack equipped with a 15-lens camera system that takes photos every 2.5 seconds.  The lens sticks up over your head to get a 360-degree view of the world less traveled.  It works similarly like the Google Maps Street View car cameras.

So now you can be a part of history, by taking the world to the secluded islands of Indonesia, or through the thick jungles of Costa Rica.  Hikers will gain the ability to visualize their hike before they even start packing for it.

"With 360-degree interactive imagery of the islands, people all over the world can see and explore the beautiful islands before they go, including some remote and hard-to-reach places they may never have discovered on their own," Google Street View program manager Deanna Yick wrote in a blog post.

Trekker for All Around Travel

This amplification of the Trekker program will likely inspire people to travel more often, in turn boosting our Travel and Tourism.  Google is very ambitious to, "build the very best map of the world."   The decision to partner with third-party organizations are going to move this project along at lightening speed.   In March, Google Maps released a way for on goers to  visit the peaks of Mount Everest, Kilimanjaro, Aconcagua, and Mount Elbrus.

If you're heading to someplace awesome and want to take the world along with you, sign up for the Trekker backpack and start planning your adventure.   So instead of taking the guided tour on your next vacation, you can be our tour guide.  Happy Travels!

 Please visit http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/ for more blog posts on the latest technology and IT security news.

References:
Google loans out Street View Trekker for global exploration
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57591455-93/google-loans-out-street-view-trekker-for-global-exploration/
Published June 27, 2013

Capture the World With a Borrowed Google Trekker Backpack
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/06/borrow-a-google-trekker/
Published June 28, 2013

Google Trekker Gets You Off-Limits Access To Exotic Locations Like The Island From Bond’s Skyfall
http://techcrunch.com/2013/06/28/google-trekker-gets-you-off-limits-access-to-exotic-locations-like-the-island-from-bonds-skyfall/
Published June 28, 2013

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XBox Update

Microsoft is bowing down to the fans.   They have removed the draconian restrictions on the Xbox One!  When the XBox One was first introduced, fans expressed great concern that  the system might demand unreasonable online requirements...they were right!  So now you don't have the internet check-ins every 24 hours and no fees for the used games.   If users didn't check in every 24 hours, Microsoft would block the entire games library.  Users would then be limited to only TV and Blu-ray ffunctionality.   Now the system only requires the internet set-up once during installation.   Even though, the system isn't as smart as we would like it to be.  When playing games online, you still have to make the connection, but offline, single-player games can be played for days, months, or however long you wish.

The XBox One will allow users to lend games freely among themselves, the same goes for the XBox 360.

"There will be no limitations to using and sharing games" - Don Mattrick, president of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business

This "sharing" applies to disc-based games, even though, there is no convenient way to share downloadable titles.

One potential drawback is that the Xbox One disc-based games will require the disc in order to function, as does the Xbox 360.    Users used to be able to install entire games from discs.    Microsoft has not told us why this functionality was removed, but it may be to provide downloadable versions of titles with a feature to set them apart from physical copies.

 Please visit http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/ for more blog posts on the latest technology and IT security news.

[TechNewsDaily]

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Head-To-Head: Samsung vs. Apple

Samsung ATIV Book 9 vs. Apple MacBook Air

The newly announced slim Samsung ATIV Book 9  runs Windows 8 comes with an industry-leading 3200 x 1800 display , but can it hold a candle to Apple’s newest Retina Display MacBook Air?  The two competing flagships seem evenly matched for the most part.

Samsung has tinkered with the 9's hinge to make it lock in place when open, for more stability.  If you want more leverage, you can disable the screen lock and push it back so it lies flat onto your surface area. With the battery pack withstanding 9 hours of life, this puts it in the same ballpark of the MacBook Air.  In comparison to Samsung's new line with Apple's latest MacBook Air series, which launched June 10.  There is mention that Apple, always on the cutting edge, built its new line using a chip that was unveiled only a week earlier--Intel's 4th generation Haswell chip, its most advanced and power-efficient processor to date.

In performance, Apple’s 13-inch Retina Display MacBook Pro comes equipped with a 2.5-GHz dual-core Intel third generation Core i5 chip with 8GB of RAM configurable to Core i7.  If you opt for the $1,699 version instead of the $1,499 edition, you’ll get a slightly faster 2.6-GHz CPU instead.  Samsung’s ATIV Book 9 Plus comes with Intel’s new fourth generation Core i5 CPU and is configurable up to Core i7 with 8GB of RAM.

The Run Down

Currently, the Samsung ATIV Book 9 has better specs in every category with a newer processor, sharper screen, lighter chassis and higher-resolution screen.  With that said, the MacBook Air has Retina Display with a bigger battery life of Lithium polymer and 10 hours of movie playback or 12 hours of wireless web. As well as the Intel HD Graphics 5000 processor, and supports multi digital output ports with optional adapters. The ATIV Book 9 comes with a 1.4GHz Intel Core i5 2537M CPU with Intel HD Graphics 3000 and 1600x900 maximum resolution. Adding more pixels is great, but color quality is equally important, particularly when both displays are sharper than many human eyes can see.

Samsung offers seven different models while Apple is a bit simpler. Samsung's product is compelling compared to the MacBook Air, it stands up in nearly every aspect. With the MacBook Air, for about $100 more you get the same specs with a slightly lower resolution and slower dual-core but with more HD capabilities. So you choose...


Please visit http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/ for more blog posts on the latest technology and IT security news.


References:



CRN
http://www.crn.com/slide-shows/mobility/240156973/head-to-head-samsung-ativ-book-9-vs-apple-macbook-air.htm?pgno=1
Published by Edward J. Correia June 20, 2013

CNET
http://www.cnet.com/laptops/samsung-ativ-book-9/4505-3121_7-35796875.html
Published on June 20, 2013

LAPTOP
http://blog.laptopmag.com/ativ-book-9-plus-vs-macbook-pro
Published by Lisa Eadicicco June 20, 2013



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Criminals are Hacking Webcams to Spy on Young Girls!

British talk radio station has revealed the many hackers who spy on adolescent girls via webcams on compromised PCs.



An investigation by BC Radio Five Live, found a profitable underground market disposing access to victims, know as "slaves".  These attackers get into PCs using emailed malware, on top of them getting into your personal accounts, they are also making money from it!

They use "Remote Access Tools", known as "ratting", this allows the hackers to get into webcams and access hard drives and personal files on the compromised PCs.

Yahoo Defends Plan to Recycle User IDs Amid Identity Theft Fears

Yahoo defended its plan to recycle inactive user IDs this week, saying that it had put in place safeguards to prevent the recycled usernames being used for identity theft.

The internet company claimed that only 7% of inactive IDs are tied to Yahoo! email accounts. The company also said that it had worked with major technology companies such as Google to reduce the rick the IDs could be used for fraud.

David Harley, Senior Research Fellow at ESET, says, “What Yahoo is missing here is that it isn’t just about deleting data formerly associated with a Yahoo account – I wouldn’t expect anything else from a ‘reset’. But Yahoo can only do that with data that it actually stores itself. Where an account is – or has been – linked with data that Yahoo doesn’t control, the risk will increase that those data are potentially exposed to a new user, possibly even a malicious user targeting a specific account.”

Dylan Casey, a senior director for consumer platforms at Yahoo said, “Can I tell you with 100 percent certainty that it’s absolutely impossible for anything to happen? No. But we’re going to extraordinary lengths to ensure that nothing bad happens to our users.”

Casey, speaking to Reuters, said that the risk of identity theft was “something we are aware of and we’ve gone through a bunch of different steps to mitigate that concern. We put a lot of thought, a lot of resources dedicated to this project.”

The post Yahoo defends plan to recycle user IDs amid identity theft fears appeared first on We Live Security.
Source:
WeLiveSecurity.com

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BIOS Too Easily Bypassed

More and more hardware stores wish to use the NIST 800-155 specification in order to keep the firmware BIOS more secure for both PCs and laptops. However, a team of researchers belonging to the MITRE Corporation state that the approach that is being presently used relies too much on the mechanisms responsible for access control. Their reason behind this is that these mechanisms are easily bypassed currently.



The researchers plan to unveil newly developed concepts that can slyly get past the TPM (Trusted Platform Module) chip and allow it to continue believing that nothing is wrong with the software. The malware can then continue infecting the BIOS even after it has been altered in any way, for example if it has been reset or flashed. Even an update may not be able to secure the software in this case.

How the Malware Gets Passed BIOS

As of now, the BIOS flash chip contains the code required for the system TPM chips to function.They are needed so that the measurement and PCR (Platform Configuration Register) keep the BIOS from being infected. However, affecting this with the malware allows it to manipulate the PCR into changing its value, following an inconsistency between this and the TPM.



Two different malware that are said to be unveiled at Black Hat are now called the “tick” and the “flea” for their abilities to either be stealthy or be able to jump between BIOS revisions. The flea is said to be able to predict a firmware update and hide itself to be a part of the update as well.

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Image courtesy of [Salvatore Vuono, wandee007] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Your Privacy is at Risk!

The Spy Next Door: Private Surveillance Has Never Been Easier

Do you feel like your personal information is being freely thrown around at your expense?  Not only can the government  spy on you, surveillance hardware and software are just a purchase away. These spying tools have never been more accessible or affordable than they are now.  Understanding how your privacy is at risk can help you gain control of your life.

What's more, the legal regulations dealing with privacy are unpolished and lacking in clarity. In other words,

"There's never been a better time to be the spy next door." -TechNewsDaily

To purchase the necessary spying gear isn't that hard. All you need is money!

Spy-goers can purchase cameras disguised as dictionaries, alarm clocks, house plants, desk lamps, teddy bears and sunglasses, from the range of $95-$300.

We're talking about going all James Bond status with the purchase of a few gadgets.

A License to Spy

The Fourth Amendment protects against unreasonable searches and seizures. The wording of the Amendment is geared specifically towards the government, it does not apply to private citizens performing these acts.

Cindy Southworth, vice president of development and innovation at the National Network to End Domestic Violence, says that domestic surveillance becomes illegal when it becomes systemic.

"If you walk by once and hear something versus if you walk by every day for a year, that's a very difference. It's what differentiates domestic violence and stalking from other things. It's a pattern of behavior."

Aaron's Law

Legislation that would make it more difficult for the government to prosecute people for violating an online company's terms of service was introduced on June 20th, 2013 by U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.).

The bill is called Aaron's Law. This is in remembrance of the activist Aaron Swartz. If passed, this law would modify the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), the law makes unauthorized use of computers or digital technology a federal offense. This bill would remove noted redundancies in the CFAA at which point a person can be charged multiple times for the same crime.

Swartz  was charged in 2011 for allegedly using Massachusetts Institute of Technology servers to download a total of 4 million academic journal articles from JSTOR, a digital library that offers subscription-based access.

 Please visit http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/ for more blog posts on the latest technology and IT security news.

References:

[via: technewsdaily]

Jillian Scharr, TechNewsDaily Staff Writer
Published June 20, 2013
http://www.technewsdaily.com/18402-spy-next-door.html?cmpid=527305

http://www.technewsdaily.com/18404-aarons-law-hacking.html?cmpid=527305



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