ZTE Nubia 5 and Grand S are coming to America!

ZTE is coming to America just in time for the holidays.  ZTE Numbia 5 and Grand S are unlocked mid-ranged Android smartphones for the prepaid service enthusiast.

The ZTE is in third place among the prepaid handsets with a market share of 17 percent.  Both phones are available for pre-orders on October 5th.

 Nubia 5

http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/zte-nubia-5-and-grand-s/

The Nubia 5 is priced at $450 unlocked and the Grand S is at $400.  Both smartphones are available to be used on AT&T‘s or T-Mobile‘s network.

The Nubia 5 is geared toward imaging and entertainment with a 13-megapixel camera and a Konica-Minolta lens.

When in the “Auto” mode,  there are features such as HDR and smile recognition.  The “Pro” mode allows the user to have control over lighting, focus and gradient.

The five-inch display with a 1,980 by 1,080 pixel touch screen, Digital Dolby Plus audio technology, is created to enhance the multimedia experience.

The Nubia 5 ships running Android Jelly Bean 4.1.2 and a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor.

Grand S

http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/zte-nubia-5-and-grand-s/

The Grand S asserts to be the slimmest smartphone in the U.S. at 0.27in thick.  The Grand S also has a five-inch, 1,920 by 1,080 pixel touchscreen, 13-megapixel camera, and a quad-core Snapdragon Pro processor. This phone has 2GB of RAM and a total of 16GB of internal storage space.

The Grand S is an unlocked 3G GSM smartphone, but has the speed of a 4G on the T-Mobile and AT&T networks.

ZTE is committed to bringing more of its higher-end devices to the U.S.

“The launch of the ZTE Nubia 5 builds on our ongoing commitment to the U.S.,” said Lixin Cheng, chairman and CEO of ZTE USA, in a statement. “ZTE will be working closely with our customers to makes devices like this available in the U.S.”

ZTE has been wanting to build its presence in America for some time now.  ZTE is among the Top 5 phone makers in the world and according to a report by Strategy Analytics, it was the fastest-growing smartphone vendor in the U.S. over the last year.

Do you think the ZTE smartphones will beat the iPhone or Galaxy phones within the next year?  A lot of people are switching to unlocked phones free from big company contracts.  Would you switch?  Share your thoughts below!

Be sure to follow us on Twitter at @hyphenet or “Like” us on Facebook to stay up-to-date on the latest computer security threats.

References:
ZTE Nubia 5 and Grand S coming to US as unlocked devices October 16th – Engadget
http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/03/zte-nubia-5-grand-s-usa/
Oct 3rd, 2013
ZTE Expands U.S. Offerings with Nubia 5, Grand S – AllThingsSD
http://allthingsd.com/20131003/zte-expands-u-s-offerings-with-nubia-5-grand-s/#
Oct 3rd, 2013
The Engadget Interview: Lixin Cheng on ZTE’s US future at CTIA 2013 – Engadget
http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/27/the-engadget-interview-lixin-cheng-on-ztes-us-future-at-ctia-2/

My Cloud Storage

We are using more and more storage on our computers daily.  We have become photographers and movie makers of our own lives.  Quickly filling up storage and not knowing what to do next.
The average household is estimated to require 3.3 terabytes of storage by 2016.
1 TB = 1000000000000bytes = 10¹²bytes = 1000 gigabytes. So over 3000 gigabytes!
1-terabyte is equivalent to:

• 472 hours of quality video
• 150 hours of hi-definition recording
• more than 200 DVD movies
• 17,000 hours of music
• 1 million 1MB images

My Cloud is a rapid hard drive with an Ethernet connection so it can be hooked up to a home network.   My Cloud is accessible from any internet connection in the world.
My Cloud works like other cloud services like Dropbox, orSkyDrive, and there are no fees involved for having the storage.
This is a local network drive hardrive so there’s no need for formatting with Mac’s or Windows.
Managing storage space, and users are accessed via a desktop application.
There are apps for iOS and Android that allows users to upload photos, videos, and other documents as well as integrate the service with Google Drive.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter at @hyphenet or “Like” us on Facebook to stay up-to-date on the latest computer security threats.
References:
WD Asks: Why Are You Paying Dropbox for Cloud Storage? – Mashable
http://mashable.com/2013/10/02/wd-my-cloud/
October 2, 2013
WD My Cloud – Engadget
http://www.engadget.com/gallery/wd-my-cloud/1252696/#!slide=1252696

October Savings Deals!

U.S. Bank Attack from Shylock Trojan!

The crafty banking Trojan known as Shylock has returned.  The Shylock Trojan is attacking thousands of customers and 24 American banks.

The Shylock or Caphaw Trojan is a financial malware that functions using stealth tactics both on and off the wire.

Shylock  has incredible defense mechanisms that enable it to restore itself after and during a shutdown.
The malware is outlined as “one of the few that can steal money while a user is accessing his bank account,” by ESET Security Intelligence Team Lead, Aleksandr Matroosov.  Aleksandr Matrosov published a detailed analysis about malware earlier this year.

The Shylock has an autoload functionality to repeatedly steal money when a user is actively accessing their bank account.  The user can not recognize the money is being stolen.

The threat uses techniques for bypassing security software and evading automated malware processing.

Zscaler stated in a blog post, “Over the last month, the ThreatLabZ researchers have been actively monitoring a recent uptick in the numbers of Win32/Caphaw (henceforward known as Caphaw) infections that have been actively targeting users’ bank accounts since 2011.  You may recognize this threat from research done by WeLiveSecurity earlier this year in regards to this threat targeting EU Banking sites.  This time would appear to be no different.  So far, we have tied this threat to monitoring it’s victims for login credentials to 24 financial institutions.”

Zscaler reported an increase in malware detections this week, targeting 24 U.S. banks including Chase Manhattan, Bank of America, Citi, and Wells Fargo.  The first detected malware in 2011 targeted European customers in the United Kingdon, Italy, Denmark and Turkey.

http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/bank-attack-shylock-trojan/

The ESET Virus Radar is showing an increase of infections in the North America Region.  This malware is difficult to detect and is hard to stop when it’s ability to restore itself and an antvirus cleaning procedure is carried out.

The infection vector is unknown, but researchers are pretty sure the malware is served by an exploit kit that uses Java’s vulnerabilities and targets the computer.

The DGA

A Domain Generation Algorithm represents an algorithm seen in  numerous families of malware.  This generates a large number of quasi-random domain names.

The nasty Trojan avoids detection by injecting itself into legitimate processes like explorer.exe while concealing its phone home traffic through the a Generated Domain Algorithm creating address using Self Signed SSL certificates.

The Self Signed SSL certificate is an identity certificate that certifies to an organization that they are the actual signers.  So basically forging its way through the system.

ThreatLabZ is monitoring the Internet for this threat and its multiplication.  The lab is also dissecting the threat in order to obtain more information about its attack,approach, scope and impact.
What do you think about the banks being compromised? Share you comments below!

Don’t miss out on the latest tech news and computer security alerts! Follow us on Twitter at @hyphenet, “Like” us on Facebook or add us to your circle on Google+.

References:
Can’t keep a bad man down: “Shylock” Trojan returns to attack U.S. banks – WeLiveSecurity
http://www.welivesecurity.com/2013/09/20/cant-keep-a-bad-man-down-shylock-trojan-returns-to-attack-u-s-banks/
September 20, 2013
New wave of Shylock Trojan targets bank customers – Net Security
http://www.net-security.org/malware_news.php?id=2592
September 19, 2013
A New Wave of WIN32/CAPHAW Attacks – A ThreatLabZ Analysis -ZScaler
http://research.zscaler.com/2013/09/a-new-wave-of-win32caphaw-attacks.html

Buy of the Week: Dell Multifunction Color Printer C1765nfw for only $299 plus shipping!

http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/buy-week-dell-multifunction-color-printer-c1765nfw-299-plus-shipping/

 Empower your business to do more with the affordable and versatile Dell C1765nfw color printer from Dell. The Dell C1765nfw color printer offers print, scan, copy and fax functions in a single device.

With fast printing speeds of up to 15 ppm in black and 12 ppm in color, this printer ensures excellent performance every time you print. The Dell C1765nfw color printer features versatile and easy network connectivity with embedded Ethernet and WiFi. Impress with crisp text and brilliant color prints with up to 600 x 600 dpi (up to 1200 dpi image quality). Handle high-volume printing jobs with a large duty cycle of up to 30,000 pages a month.

Get excellent print quality and reliable printing with Dell Clear View LED technology. Easy to use and operate with four-row LCD display and 34 button operator’s panel. Optimize energy efficiency with the ENERGY STAR qualified Dell C1765nfw color printer featuring innovative LED printing technology. With Nuance PaperPort 14 software preloaded the Dell C1765nfw color printer can quickly scan, organize, view, edit and share documents and photos from your PC. Achieve professional quality color prints with this Multifunction Color Printer.
Special Features:

• Dell Multifunction Color Printer C1765nfw
• Multifunction printer – color – LED
• Legal (8.5 in x 14 in) (original)
• Legal (216 x 356 mm) (media)
• up to 15 ppm (copying)
• up to 15 ppm (printing)
• 160 sheets – 33.6 Kbps
• USB 2.0, LAN, USB host, Wi-Fi

http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/buy-week-dell-multifunction-color-printer-c1765nfw-299-plus-shipping/

Call (619) 325-0990 to order a Dell Multifunction Color Printer today!

Buy of the Week offer valid through October 4, 2013.
Note: Shipping and taxes apply.
Looking for something else? Check out our monthly deals or contact us to get a quote on the product you’re searching for.

Amazon Scams to Lookout For

Online marketplaces like Amazon, Ebay, and Craigslist are known for housing internet thieves.  These popular sites see millions of users everyday, giving scammers a lot of potential targets .  Be wary of items sold from third party sellers.  When purchasing anything from a third party vendor, it is likely a scam.  Here is a list of what type of scams are popping up in these online marketplaces.

 

http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/amazon-scams-lookout/

• The Bait-and-Switch Tactic

Scammers will list products for a decent price on Amazon.  When the buyers goes to purchase an item, the buyer will receive an e-mail directing them to cancel the order and make the purchase from a third party site for a better deal.  People do fall for this scam and end up purchasing nothing.  If you are on Amazon.com and receive an e-mail to purchase an item from someone else, it is a scam.

• Identity Theft

Personal Information is given when making purchases including, name, address, e-mail addresses.  This information alone is enough to steal your identity.  Scammers may try and open a credit card account with this information. In most cases, this will not work, but it can happen.  Do not send money by cash, wire transfer, Western Union, PayPal, or MoneyGram to a seller who claims that Amazon agrees to guarantee the transaction.

• The Empty Box Trick

Sometimes after a buyer makes a purchase, they receive an empty box filled with something like rocks to give it weight.  The buyer signs for the box and when the unfortunate moment when they realize they have been bamboozled.  The buyer will put a dispute with Amazon to get their money back and the company will judge the evidence between both parties, including the signature with the weight that should be similar to the purchased item.  Buyers have lost this dispute in the past.  When receiving a box, always check the return address, if it is an e-mail like, “amazon-security@hotmail.com” or “amazon@msn.com” it is fraudulent.

• Build Trust Then Take it Away

Amazon relationships are build between two parites after a buyer might regularly go through a certain seller. This trust is sometimes built with the intent to be broken. The seller knows when your guard is down and will then try and put a scam on you. A lot of money can be lost this way, always be cautious when making any purchases online.

 

http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/amazon-scams-lookout/

• Deceived Purchases

On occasion, faulty items are sent on purpose. Or the seller may prolong the returns process until it is no longer valid. Sellers may also send broken items or items with missing pieces, getting money for their junk.

It is very easy for a seller to disappear after making money off scams from Amazon.  Never provide information such as your social security number, date of birth, or credit card number or pin.  Be wry of attachments in suspicious e-mails, especially if they have grammatical errors or are from an unknown source.
Genuine Amazon Payments websites are always hosted on one of the following domains:

• https://payments.amazon.com/
• https://resolutioncenter.payments.amazon.com/
• https://authorize.payments.amazon.com

Have you experienced an Amazon scam?  Please share your incident with us, it’s important to keep our community informed!
Don’t miss out on the latest tech news and computer security alerts! Follow us on Twitter at @hyphenet,  “Like” us on Facebook or add us to your circle on Google+.

References:
5 Amazon Scams to Be on the Lookout For – Yahoo
http://voices.yahoo.com/5-amazon-scams-lookout-for-9153487.html?cat=46
September 26, 2013
Internet Scams and Phishing – Amazon Payments
https://payments.amazon.com/help/Personal-Accounts/Privacy-Security/Internet-Scams-and-Phishin

Google Turns 15!

Google has turned 15 today! The mega search engine is by far the most popular throughout the world.  Taking over 80% of all the searches today.
Google crawls and indexes many web pages, increasing the liklihood of returning what you are searching for.  Google is pretty good at populating your search field with what you are already looking for.
If you go to Google’s home page, there is a little celebration piñata Doodle to play.  Simple, fun, and doesn’t stray you too far away from what you were originally doing.

http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/google-turns-15/

 http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/google-turns-15/

Google’s Accomplishments

Here is a great website showing the 15 years of Google and all its accomplishments.  http://www.google.com/about/company/timeline/
The timeline goes all the way back to when Google’s name started out as “googol”.

http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/google-turns-15/

In the past year; Google invested $1 billion for a clean energy farm in Texas,  introduced enhanced campaigns updating AdWords, unveiled Project Loon, teams up with Starbucks giving them fast and free WiFi, and releases Google Trekker to the world.
Google has a slew of accomplishments, and I’m sure many more to come.  So Happy Birthday Google, you have a lot to celebrate about!
References:
Google Timeline
http://www.google.com/about/company/timeline/