In what was seen as a first of its kind of attack, Apple Inc has suffered major internet intrusion in its iOS App Store by a malicious programme called XcodeGhost. Though the company has now taken necessary steps to remove infected iPad and iPhone programmes and files, it has still not announced a way for users to determine whether or not their devices have been infected.
The affected apps include Tencent Holdings Ltd’s popular mobile chat app WeChat, car-hailing app Didi Kuaidi and a music app from Internet portal NetEase Inc. According to the cyber-security firm, Palo Alto Networks Inc, a total of five infected apps have been found in the app store since this cyber-attack.
Christine Monaghan, the Apple spokeswoman, affirmed in an email,
“We’ve removed the apps from the App Store that we know have been created with this counterfeit software. We are working with the developers to make sure they’re using the proper version of Xcode to rebuild their apps.”
Though the malicious software was found embedded in hundreds of apps, Apple has not disclosed the exact number. Needless to say, this unprecedented incident has left Apple users more than just surprised all over the world.
YU has released two power banks marked at 5,000 mAh and 10,000 mAh capacity respectively. The durability of the banks definitely seems like an interesting feature. The gadgets are damage resistant and equipped with enhanced durability through Delicate Sand Blasting and Aluminium Alloy Anodizing, protecting them from degeneration, corrosion or rusting. The Aluminium Alloy outer shell of the chargers are hand-crafted with rounded edges and an 8-mm super-slim body, making them light and portable.
The JYUICE manages to adjust the power output depending on the device connected to it and provides protection from electrolyte leakage. An LED light on the side updates the user of the status of the battery of the power bank itself. The price of the two variants is Rs. 699 ($10) and Rs. 1099 ($16).
It would be interesting to see JYUICE pitted against three important competitors which are all offering similar, or perhaps better, features within the same price bracket. There is Xiaomi Mi Powerbank priced at Rs. 999 which provides 10,400mAh of battery. This is followed by Asus ZenPower priced at Rs. 1,599 for 10,050mAh of power lastly, the OnePlus powerbank which costs Rs. 1,399, weighs and comes with 10,000mAh of power. Click here for a more detailed comparison of the three powerbanks.
It’s 2015 and our tolerance for 16 GB storage is almost coming to an end. Google is hearing your wishes loud and clear, the result of which will be seen by the end of the month. According to a report by Android Police, the upcoming Huawei Nexus 6P will feature a cool 128 GB of internal storage. The phone will also be available in 32 GB and 64 GB variants.
If the report is true, it would make the Huawei Nexus the first Google developer device to offer such a high storage capacity. Last year’s Nexus 6 had 32 GB and 64 GB variants. Google’s next flagship phablet is unlikely to feature a MicroSD card slot. The three variants will be separated by a price difference of anywhere between $50-100. The LG Nexus 5X that will be launched along with Huawei Nexus 6P, will be offered in 32 GB and 64 GB variants.
Other features of the Nexus 6P include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 octa-core chipset, with 3 GB of RAM and a 5.7-inch display. Both Nexus’ will run on the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow, and will debut on September 29th at the event in San Francisco. So if you’re looking to go big on storage for your next smartphone, you may want to start saving up from now.
Ever wondered what technology in a bullet can achieve? There is a bullet out there that is considered the deadliest bullet in the world and it’s quite aptly called R.I.P, which is short for Radically Invasive Projectile.
A video demonstrating the bullet in action shows you just how deadly the weapon can be. The ammo is shot against different targets such as a watermelon, a block of ice, and a hollow block, and the damage it causes is, well, let’s just say you wouldn’t want to try it even on your worst enemy.
The R.I.P was created by a Georgia-based company. The crown-shaped bullet opens “nine separate wound channels” that will “take out all your organs” as it explodes immediately on contact.
You would think that this weapon was made for the purpose of finishing a war in a day, but the company behind this bullet actually had other intentions for it. G2 Research stated that the ammo is actually a “self-defense” tool mostly aimed at women who may be living alone and are worried about protecting their families against intruders. Intense right?
The company website explains that:
“the bullet shreds through solid objects first, and only then expands its energy.”
While we respect the reasons behind the making of this little devil, one can’t help wonder what would happen in the future if this falls into some trigger-happy hands. Share your opinion about this bullet in the comments below.
As Slater’s character says in USA’s Mr. Robot, “It controls you and everyone you care about… Money…It’s become virtual. Software –the operating system of our world”, technology truly has become a force to reckon with. It’s interesting to see how the definition of technology and all that it entails has evolved over time, eventually becoming a magical entity which suddenly made information on the remotest of topics available just a simple click away.
In an attempt to move away from the fictional world of TV shows to the domain of international politics, one wonders how different Anonymous’ taking down of the Israeli websites in response to their attack on Palestinian cyber space is from Elliot’s attempts to take down E corp.
The past decade has revealed the potency of technology in bringing down governments and international institutions. The Arab Springs is a perfect example of a situation where social media became the realm of youth-mobilisation against what was seen as injustice done by the system. When one talks of technology as the space for revolution and change, it is impossible to not delve into an elaborate discussion on Anonymous.
Describing themselves as “an internet gathering” with “a very loose and decentralized command structure that operates on ideas rather than directives”, the group emerged in 2003 and became self-professed defenders of those facing oppression at the hands of political or religious institutions. Anonymous provided the template for any group of maverick hackers trying to bring down big corporate houses, the State or any power structure threatening the well-being of a community. There is perhaps a reason Anonymous has gained a potent cult following, with TV shows like Mr. Robot being the latest reminders of it.
Here’s a closer look at top five successful hacking operations carried out by Anonymous that made the world sit up and think:
1. Project Chanology (2008): One of the first prominent hacking activities of the group, this project involved a series of DDoS in 2008 against the Church of Scientiology. As part of this attack, a group of Anons posted a video on YouTube where a robotic voice declared, “For the good of your followers, for the good of mankind—for the laughs—we shall expel you from the Internet.” Needless to say, within a week the video had earned hundreds of thousands of views all over the world.
2. Operation: Payback is a Bitch (2010): In 2010, Anonymous came across an Indian software company called Aiplex Software that carried out DDoS attacks against websites like the Pirate Bay that carried pirated content. On September 17th, within a week of having stumbled upon this company, Anonymous launched a DDoS against the site which shut it down for a day. It soon snowballed into a cyber-war which included Anonymous coming to the aid of various bitTorrent sites. The message was emphatic and well-articulated as Anons went ahead to declare in an official statement, “Anonymous is tired of corporate interests controlling the internet and silencing the people’s rights to spread information, but more importantly, the right to SHARE with one another”. The name of the project was put on a hacked website of copyright alliance.
3. Operation Avenge Assange (2010): This became an extension of Project Payback as the Anons took charge of hacking into all those websites which had refused to allow donations to WikiLeaks. Beginning with DDoS attacks against PayPal, Anons hacked into MasterCard and Visa websites, among others. This resulted in PayPal announcing the release of its frozen funds to be directed towards WikiLeaks. Also, in December of the same month, The Daily Telegraph reported a threat by Anonymous to hack into the British government websites if Assange were extradited to Sweden.
4. Operation Darknet (2011): In October, 2011, Anonymous began a series of DDoS attacks against Lolita City, a child pornography website. Anons stated in an official statement, “We vowed to fight for the defenseless, there is none more defenseless than innocent children being exploited.” Multiple demands and warnings were made and issued respectively to take down the server. This was followed by a manifesto in the form of a YouTube video.
When the servers still remained untouched, Anonymous revealed a list of 1589 users of Lolita City along with detailed records of their profiles. The FBI and Interpol were asked to look into the matter further. Eventually a total of 40 child pornography websites were taken down by Anonymous in 2011 itself.
5. Anonymous-ISIS Cyber-War (2015): Earlier in 2015, a group of Anons called GhostSec started a cyber-campaign called #OpISIS against the Islamic State (IS). The campaign is aimed at targeting those members of the extremist IS who are using the internet as a platform to spread propaganda and fundamentalism. In order to “cure the ISIS virus” they are keeping a close track of the activities of the members of IS across various social media platforms. Even as early as April 8, 2015, Anonymous had managed to attack 233 websites, destroy 85 websites and terminate 25,000 Twitter accounts. Though this did result in a significant lull in the intra-group activities of IS, the move was criticised by many for it meant bigger obstacles in keeping track of IS activities.These are just a few examples of what Anonymous has been up to since its inception over a decade ago. Often identified as the archetypal trickster, no one’s really sure of what to make of this secret, super snazzy self-proclaimed group of “hackists”. One is often tempted to wonder if they are operating as vigilantes, saviours of the world from religious and political institutions, or if they are only there for a few laughs, trolling the most powerful organisations of the world simply because they can.
Could technology truly be the space for bringing about the change the reformers, revolutionaries and anarchists of the world dream of? Or is it simply a hoax, an illusion of power given to people to keep them appeased by hiding from them their absolute powerlessness?
The realm of technology clearly raises more questions than it answers. Adding to the blur of conflicting opinions are groups like Anonymous which still leave us unsure of their position in this rigmarole of politics, power, society and ideology. Until the day a consensus is reached, if one is reached at all, here’s to the riot of social media, the fan-following of Anonymous, and well, to the threat of a futuristic society where artificial intelligence enslaves humanity to save a race turned upon itself.
A new Xbox One is soon to come with a Windows 10 upgrade. Microsoft announced a redesign to the Xbox One dashboard that promises fast, easy-to-use experience. The Xbox One Experience will be available to members of the preview program over the course of this week.
Participants of the preview will get to test out the console so as to provide a feedback to the Xbox team on the Xbox One’s new UI, which is still “a work-in-progress”. Here’s an eight-minute video of Microsoft’s Larry Hryb and Richard Irvine of the Xbox engineer team providing a detailed look at the consoles new design.
Some of the major features of this new UI are a cleaner home page, faster access to essential apps such as Friends, Parties, Messages and Notifications, and an emphasis on vertical placement. It also appears that Microsoft is moving away from the tiled interface that was introduced with the Xbox One.
Another major feature is Cortana. Microsoft’s Kinect system will get a big upgrade which will provide a whole new experience of gaming where you can start a party and invite friends or record videos all without lifting a finger. So you can say “Hey Cortana, record the last minute and share it to my activity feed” and she will publish a game clip straight away. However, it appears you will need to have a Kinect in order to let Cortana to work.
For existing Xbox One owners, the new update will be available sometime in November.
Time for all Apple haters to sit up and listen as Apple announces donation to relief funds for refugees fleeing the Middle East. In an email to the Apple staff, published by The Telegraph, Tim Cook wrote,
“Thousands of people have already lost their lives as families embark on long and dangerous journeys across land and sea.Our hearts go out to these refugees, and many of you have asked how we can help. Apple is making a substantial donation to relief agencies which provide humanitarian aid to refugees in Europe and around the Mediterranean.”
The CEO also added that people can contribute using a donation page on iTunes. Currently advertised on the front page of the App Store, this would allow users to send money to the Red Cross. Cook further added that Apple would donate twice the amount of what employees donate to specific aid programs, including the Red Cross.
As this mass exodus of people fleeing Middle Eastern countries unfolds before the world, it is comforting indeed to watch companies like Apple, and even Google which announced its own relief measures earlier this month, to come forward and do their bit.
Baka Mobile has done a hands-on video on the new Blackberry Venice. With its release dates still unknown, speculations are being made about how it couldn’t be far now that someone has had the opportunity to review it up close.
Baka confirms the presence of a physical camera button, volume rockers and a smart action key, along with a front facing speaker grille and a microSD slot. Blackberry once again brings best of both worlds in its keyboards, which like the Passport, boasts of a biometric sense touch. Scrolling through documents and long web pages just became so much easier. Unlike older Blackberry handsets, the Venice has an equally distributed weight across the screen and the keyboard.
Tap-to-wake, Blackberry Hub, Blackberry Device search, and Google Search are some of the cool new additions the gadget possesses. For a closer look at the Venice, check out the video put up by Baka Mobile below.
The glitches count for Apple continues to increase as users all over the world have trouble updating their devices to iOS 9. A large number of customers took to social media to express their annoyance at the failure of the tech giant to live up to all the hype created around the recent Apple event and all their latest developments. Users of the older versions of iPads and iPhones faced the most problems. Apple’s head-quarter in San Francisco remained unavailable for comment.
Tim Cook addresses the audience at the Apple event in San Francisco on September 9th.
Despite rolling out new updates for iOS 8, some of the already existing bugs have still not been fixed. At the same time, many users found an error message being displayed on their screens, “Software Update Failed”, as they struggled with iOS 9 updates. Apple also delayed the launch of its new watch OS 2, the updated operating system for the Apple Watch due to the discovery of a bug in its development.
The tech world is really fast when it comes to improving things. Samsung’s Galaxy S6 Edge + is still pretty new and there are already rumours afloat about what might be called the Galaxy S7. Apparently, the new smartphone might use magnesium alloy in the construction of its body.
While, the Galaxy S6 uses an aluminum frame and a glass body, the rumoured S7 could be Samsung’s first full metal flagship device, ever. The reason for this is reportedly because the metal is lighter and more durable as compared to its glass-bodied devices, plus magnesium generates much less heat than aluminum, which is something the smartphone industry is definitely looking at as a feature in all their phones.
Finally, the galaxy S7 is allegedly coming out in the first half of 2016, there’s not much else that is known about this device, as of now.
Bentley, which recently unveiled the Bentayga SUV, the quintessential high-riding, luxury car, has decided to take it a notch higher with accessories like the Breitling clock for the dashboard of its newest SUV. Called Mulliner Tourbillon, the watch has a 28mm case crafted from 18 carat gold available in rose or white, and costs a whopping $170,000.
The dial beneath it, is set with 12 diamonds and comes in natural, black ebony or pearl. The back of the clock has been hollowed out to allow it to be lit by natural light. The watch is complete with a titanium cage and a 22-carat gold oscillator. This watch alone costs barely $20,000 less than Bentley’s entry level Continental GT priced at $193,000. Now that is something to mull over (read: covet), boys and girls.
Wilson has introduced a high-tech basketball along with a companion app for iOS for all the basketball fans out there. While the technology is only compatible with iOS so far, its Android version is to be announced soon.
Wilson X, announced last year for the first time, enables the player to note and compare hits and misses, while the mobile app allows four different shooting drills. Wilson claims that the combo is made for shooters and it helps them track shots within a distance of seven feet from the basket.
If this wasn’t enough to get you excited, the company has also added simulations that include crowd noise and sports commentary. There’s a Buzzer Beater mode that allows the player to make the game-winning shot towards the end of the routine. The device also keeps tabs on two-pointers, three-pointers and free throws. Wilson hasn’t forgotten social networking, for the gadget allows the scores to be shared on social media. The ball boasts of a battery that would allow you to make 300 shots per day for a year without requiring charging and is available in two sizes, 29.5-inch Official and 28.5-inch Intermediate, for $199.
We’ve been giving out rumours and hints about Google’s dual Nexus smartphones that will be unveiled on the 29th of September. We also know that one will be by LG and the other by Huawei. Now, we have reports by Droid Life who confirm that the LG device will be called the Nexus 5X while the Huawei will be Nexus 6P.
The LG device is rumoured to have a 5.2-inch display while the Huawei device will sport a 5.7 inch screen. Other features include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 octa-core chipset, with 3 GB of RAM for the Huawei Nexus 6P, while the LG device will feature a Snapdragon 808 hexa-core processor with 3 GB of RAM.
Google will also release the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow and a 2nd Gen Chromecast. Whether or not the new Nexus names will stick till the end of the month is anyone’s guess. Follow this space for more updates on the Google event.
According to 9to5Google, via some ‘internal documents’, Google is planning to unveil a new Chromecast streaming-media device at their upcoming San Francisco event on the 29th of September 2015.
Chromecast is a pen-drive type device that you can connect to the back of your TV in order to stream content from your laptop or phone. It was a great hit back when it was announced in 2013, and has continued to thrive because of its 35$ price tag; that’s a mere Rs.2,305 approximately, as compared to other similar devices which are priced between 50 to 100 dollars.
The new Chromecast is also expected to come with a new rounder looking design, thereby doing away with the whole ‘dongle’ look.Other upgrades include faster WiFi and something called Fast Play. We should also note that Google’s competitors, Amazon and Apple have since unveiled new streaming-media boxes, in the two years that Google did not upgrade theirs. So let us wait and watch how successful this new Chromecast will be, especially with the holiday season around the corner.
The invitations are out. Google has sent out invitations for the much speculated 29 September event, which is now a fact. Judging by the line “some tasty new treats and much s’more”, Google plans on showcasing some sweet goodies.
Earlier leaks hinted at the launch of two new Nexus flagships running on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. One will be produced by LG and the other by Huawei. While there are no details on what other devices Google plans to unveil at the event, reports suggest that Google may just come out with a successor to Chromecast, the media streaming device, which is said to include some new features such as customizable feeds on the home screen, improved Wi-Fi performance, and a new feature called ‘Fast Play.
Seeing that Apple and Amazon debuted new devices for the TV this month, Google could also have something along this line up their sleeves. At this point, anything is possible. The event will begin at 12PM ET / 9AM PT on September 29th. Follow this space for more on the event.
