Hackers targeting Facebook users in India to gain likes and followers

Facebook users in India are being targeted by hackers to gain more likes and followers on the social network. According to Symantec security experts, the new scam is a variation of a method called self-XSS (self cross site scripting), which helps trick users into copying and pasting code into their browser's console that could perform various actions on their behalf.

Researchers reveal a post went viral on Facebook from a particular page showing a purported video tutorial on “Facebook Hacking” with a disclaimer saying – it is meant for educational purposes only. The post redirects to a document hosted on Google Drive, which feature some code, which supposedly allows users to reveal their friends' Facebook passwords. The instructions ask users to disclose their friends' Facebook passwords. The instructions attempt to convince the user to paste the code into their browser console window and asks them to wait two hours before the hack will supposedly work.

“What really happens when you paste this code into your browser console window is that a series of actions are performed using your Facebook account without your knowledge. Behind the scenes, your account is used to follow lists and users, and give likes to pages in order to inflate the follower and like counts defined by the scammers,” explains Symantec in a detailed blog post.

Symantec reveals this type of scam was first circulated in 2011, while the current variation has been around since early 2014. Scammers manage to gain massive success with this scam earlier this year with gaining 50,000 to 100,000 likes and followers on a number of pages and profiles.

“For this campaign, the individuals responsible are based in India. They have modified the original authors’ code by simply adding their own pages and profiles into the script to increase their follower and like counts,” adds the blog.

You can learn more about the new scam here .

Google Stars details revealed: built-in search, filter, folder and more

If reports are to be believed, Google is working on a new service that allows users to save, share and organise web content. Dubbed as Google Stars, the new service will reportedly include a wide range of customisation features as well as options such as advance search and auto-detect spam.

In a leaked video and screenshots, Google Stars' home screen features all the items users have favourited as well as an option to split in folders and filters. There's an option to export bookmarks as well. Keeping security concerns in mind, Google lets you have more control on visibility of your folders – you can either set it for public sharing or private viewing. You can name and add description to each folder.

Google Stars will have built in automatically organise content, spam detection and option to share links to public folders. Other features include search box with auto-complete and suggestions, bookmarks with option to add notes, drag and drop support and more.

Leaked screenshots hint that Google Stars will be a cloud service. It is expected to be initially available via an app or extension on Chrome. Google Stars will enable web pages, images, videos, emails, Maps locations, Google+ pages, Drive documents and more to be moved to a library. If it turns out to be successful, Google may soon launch an app on Andriod and iOS platforms.

Source: The Next Web

3 billion people to be online by end of 2014: UN report

With Internet coverage rapidly expanding across the globe, especially in the developing nations, the world is set to have about 3 billion netizens (Internet users) by end of this year. Mobile cellular subscription will increase to almost 7 billion by 2014-end. The predictions were made in a report by the UN's International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

The report further says 44% of the global households will have internet access by end of 2014. About 31 percent of households in developing nations will be having internet access. The figures shoots up to 78 percent in developed countries. The ICT report further points out households internet access in reaching a saturation level in developed countries.

"The newly released ICT (information and communications technology) figures confirm once again that information and communication technologies continue to be the key drivers of the information society," ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Toure said.

For mobile cellular subscriptions, the number is expected to hit 7 billion by 2014-end, while 3.6 billion will be in the Asia-Pacific region. Developing nations are expected to account about 78% of the world's total.

Brahima Sanou, the director of ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau, says: "Behind these numbers and statistics are real human stories. The stories of people whose lives have improved thanks to ICTs," Sanou said, adding "our mission is to bring ICTs into the hands of ordinary people, wherever they live. By measuring the information society, we can track progress, or identify gaps, towards achieving socio-economic development for all".

According to the report, one-fifth of population in Africa will have access to the Internet, while two-thirds of population in Americas will have the access by end of this year. Europe has the highest internet penetration rate of 75%, while the Asia-Pacific region has the largest population of internet users.

Source: Times of India

Telcos resume offering pan-India 3G services after TDSAT breather

Telecom operators Vodafone, Idea Cellular and Bharti Airtel have resumed offering pan-India 3G services days after receiving a green signal from the telecom tribunal TDSAT (Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal) in this regard. Moreover, the telecom operators have launched various schemes and offers to woo 3G customers.

Idea Cellular has just announced resuming 3G services through Intra-Circle Roaming (ICR) across 10 circles - Delhi, Mumbai, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Kolkata & West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Assam and North East. The move will enable over 25 percent of its 100 million plus subscribers to access 3G Internet on their mobile devices.

“Idea is committed to proliferate mobile internet in India, and the extension of our 3G services on a pan-India level will give a major boost to our efforts in this direction. Idea has partnered with leading telecom operators in the country to enable seamless 3G connectivity, in addition to building a robust network, strong distribution channel, and a wide range of services and Idea branded 3G devices, to enable 3G proliferation in India,” says Sashi Shankar, Chief Marketing Officer, Idea Cellular.

Vodafone has also resumed offering 3G roaming in circles - Karnataka, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and J&K, UP West, Kerala, Bihar/Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Assam & North-East. For this, it has a tie-up with Airtel and Idea.

Airtel has resumed its 3G services in eight circles - Haryana, Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Kolkata and UP (east).

Reliance Communications (RCom) recently tied up with Tata Teleservices and Aircel (via ICR) to provide pan-India 3G services to its GSM subscribers. With the new 3G roaming partnerships, customers of RCOM can now enjoy 3G data services in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and UP East where Aircel has presence.

The recent TDSAT directive came as a huge respite to the telecom operators, who were barred from offering 3G services outside their licence circles. The move will help telcos to tap the revenue-intensive 3G segment as well as provide users access to high speed internet across the country.

However, telcos' happiness may short-lived. According to reports, the telecom department may may challenge the TDSAT order in the Supreme Court, which might put a stay on the directive.

Source: TOI

Nokia's Here Maps app coming to iOS and Android?

Nokia has put up job listings on LinkedIn where it says that the company is looking for developers who can work on apps for Android and iOS. Even though Nokia hasn't announced any official plans of releasing its Here maps app again, therefore this is just a speculation. Nokia had earlier pulled its Here Maps app from App Store in 2013 due to incompatibility issues with iOS 7. The Finnish company had also been working on an Android version of the app but couldn't ever release it.

Nokia will no longer manufacture mobile devices after it was acquired by Microsoft last month. For now, Here Maps can still be accessed on smartphones through web browsers.

The job postings say that Nokia is looking for iOS and Android software engineers with one listing for an iOS/Android developer for a team that produces industry leading mobile SDKs. Only those persons can apply who have experience of "shipping" one or more iOS or Android apps in the App Store and Google PlayStore. The other listing says that the company is looking for an Android Mobile App Developer for HERE crowd mapping.

Here Maps division is located in Finland and Nokia seems to be looking forward to rework on its maps app which is among the most-used location service used around the world. Many users prefer it over Google Maps for its more "privacy-friendly" features while others believe that it works much better than Apple's iMaps.

Source: LinkedIn, Via: PhoneArena

Microsoft announces Office 365 Personal for Rs. 330 per month.

Microsoft has launched the Office 365 Personal for individual users which allows users to connect up to two home devices to the service. The software giant has unveiled new range of consumer services and devices that will help the company reach 25 million new Indian users in the next 12 months.

MS Office 365 Personal pricing and validity details

Rs. 330 per month
Rs. 3,299 per year

Valid for only one person across one computer, one tablet and one smartphone per subscription

 

Office 365 is Microsoft's fastest growing product and targets individual consumers with its PowerPoint, Excel, One Note and more range of services. The software lets users connect two devices to the service simultaneously. Microsoft's Office 365 Personal is available at all leading retail stores including Chroma, Reliance Digital and Jumbo Electronics and Microsoft's online Store.

Microsoft has also added new functionalities to its current services. Bing users can now access Venue maps to navigate through malls across India. Venue maps covers 120 malls and 3 major airports (Bangalore, Mumbai and New Delhi). The service also gives automatic directions while searching for a destination. Microsoft has also made Skype group video calling for Xbox One,  Mac and Windows desktop free of charge.

Microsoft has launched Internet Explorer’s 3D FishGL, a WebGL graphics benchmark, that is easy to use and very interactive, the company stated. It is a part of Internet Explorer’s Rethink programs that aims to create new web experiences for consumers on the web.

Chakrapani Gollapali, Country General Manager, Consumer Channels Group stated, “Today’s consumers are seeking a more optimized experience across their phone, tablet and PC and the combined power of Microsoft devices and services provides the best experience they can have today across all these. We at Microsoft are working hard to deliver unmatched immersive experiences to the next 25 million consumers, powered by our first and third-party devices and our capabilities in the consumer cloud space.”

Commenting on the launch of Office 365 Personal, Ram Kumar Pichai, General Manager, Microsoft Office Division said, “More and more consumers today are looking for a home productivity suite which will allow them to move between devices and have constant access to important documents online. Office 365 Personal will address the needs of all these consumers.”

Rovio launches Flappy Bird inspired game 'Retry'

Rovio has soft launched a clone of the popular 'Flappy Bird' game called 'Retry' in Canada, Finland and Poland. Retry is available for iOS from the country specific Apple app store. No information is available about whether the game will be launched for Android or if it will also be launched globally.

Retry is similar to the addictive game 'Flappy Bird', it has a high level of difficulty and keeps urging the user to 'Retry'. The game features side-scrolling navigation of a flying object through a series of vertical obstacles as Flappy Bird, in an 8-bit design style. The new game comes from Rovio's new LVL11 division.

“From the guys sitting in the room next to the guys who made Angry Birds, comes Retry – a game so hard, so addictive, so old school that you’ll think you’ve stepped into an 8-bit time machine and gone back to 1986. Totally rad!” the game’s description reads.

The game requires players to tap on the screen to control the plane's altitude. However, users can also control how fast the plane flies, make it move backwards and forwards to collect coins, land it at bases, and can unlock checkpoints at bases with the coins.

It is yet to be seen if Rovio also integrates the global leader board that contributed to Flappy Bird's success. Flappy Bird was taken down by its developer for being too addictive after a few days of its launch. After that numerous Flappy Bird clones popped up on Google Play Store as well as the Apple app store. Do you think Flappy Bird's formula plus Rovio's own tweaks are sufficient enough to make the game a bestseller? Let us know your views in the comments section below.

Source: App Store

Microsoft OneDrive for web and Android updated with new features

First up is the web version, OneDrive for desktop now shows larger thumbnails of your photos and videos. There's a new All Photos view option, which allows you to see all the content (similar to Google Image search) at one place. The video playback has been improved in the new update.Microsoft has rolled out a major update to its OneDrive service for Android as well as web app. As expected, the update brings slew of new features and improvements to the apps.

OneDrive users can now customise album covers. Moreover, OneDrive will automatically create rotating covers for your folders, giving a peak at the photos inside. Facebook enthusiasts can now directly upload videos from OneDrive. Earlier, one could only post photos to Facebook.

“OneDrive lets you share individual files in a folder as a group. This is pretty convenient In the case of photos when you only want to share the best vacation photos from a folder containing hundreds or if you want to share a few photos of an event from your Camera roll,” explains Microsoft in a detailed blog post .

For the Android app, Microsoft says the mobile app now gives users more power and control. The latest version 2.5 for Android 4.0+ brings ability to share files and folders by inviting users, sending link or sending files to another app. You can update view and edit sharing preferences. Users have the option to update view and edit sharing preferences.

Other new features include ability to select multiple files to download, move files and folders, sort files and folders and more.

You can check out the updated OneDrive service at onedrive.live.com  and for mobile users via the Google Play store. 

$20 smartphone to be a reality in the next few months: ARM

Low-cost smartphones are becoming increasingly popular across the world. Companies such as Nokia, Samsung and Micromax have well tapped the segment with smartphones in each possible budget category. Will the smartphone prices go further down? Yes, and it might be as low as $20 (Rs. 1200 approximately) in near the future. The prediction is made by the chipmaking company, ARM.

ARM predicts a $20 smartphone running Android and single-core Cortex A5 based SoC will go on sale “in the next few months”. According to ARM, prices will not go down below $20 due to manufacturing limits. The company points out that single Cortex A5 is faster than the ARM11 in the original iPhone, which was launched at $599 in 2007.

According to ARM, performance of devices and their overall cost are two key factors for the growth of entry-level segment. Earlier this year, Mozilla showed off a $25 smartphone prototype running Firefox OS. The smartphone featured Allwinner A31 (1.2GHz); Cortex-A7 Quad-core, PowerVR 544MP2, 4.5-inch screen (FWVGA 854×480 pixels), Cameras: Rear: 5MP / Front: 2MP, 3G UMTS quad-band (850/900/1900/2100),8GB memory, 256MB -1GB RAM (adjustable by developer), A-GPS, NFC, Battery capacity: 1,800 mAh and connectivity options such as Wi-fi: 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, Micro USB.

Even as the companies are launching premium-priced high smartphones, there's a huge market for ultra low-cost smartphones, especially in emerging markets. India has been a price-sensitive market with a massive market for low-cost devices. Companies such as Nokia, Samsung and Micromax have long focussed on this segment to thrive in the country.

Source: AnandTech 

Now you can watch live video stream of Earth in HD via ISS

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has started an experiment called High Definition Earth Viewing (HDEV) which shows the station's view of our planet via an internet stream. The project has been developed and run by NASA together with some high school students. The students have helped with the design of some of the HDEV components through the High School United with NASA to Create Hardware (HUNCH) program. The experiment includes both multiple 720p camera feeds and the ISS crew's radio chatter.

The stream from HDEV is not stable and occasionally loses contact. The project includes testing the quality of Earth-facing cameras as well as their ability to survive high doses of radiation while in orbit. The project is supposed to run till October 2015 and NASA will use the results from the experiment to decide what cameras to use on future missions. 

The HDEV experiment was aboard the ISS and was activated on April 30, 2014. It is mounted on the External Payload Facility of the European Space Agency's Columbus module. It includes several commercial HD video cameras aimed at Earth which are enclosed in a pressurized and temperature controlled housing. Video from these cameras is transmitted back to Earth streamed live on the channel below. If you don't see anything, it is most likely that space station is hovering over the dark side of the planet Earth.

 
Live streaming video by Ustream

If you wish to know the exact location of the Space Station and also watch the live stream at the same time. Click here.

Crysis 3 in 8K resolution hack offers a peek into next-gen gaming

Even though we are yet to hit 4K resolutions in gaming, a well-known gaming hacker called K-putt has gone well ahead of 4K and hacked a Crysis 3 executable file to run the game at a mind-boggling 8K resolution. Specifically, his 8K resolution images are rendered at 8000x3333 pixels resolution. And the results look amazing!

The screenshots look so good that you might think that the photos are hand-drawn concept art of the game. But the screenshots are said to be taken right out of the running game. K-putt has used an ultra high-end gaming rig to produce such gorgeous results. But at 8K, his PC could run Crysis 3 at 2fps only.

After the release of the first Crysis game in 2007, it has became the benchmark for graphics card performance and even now, gaming enthusiasts use Crysis games to compare gaming hardware. Even now, most good enough gaming rigs struggle to run Crysis 3 in Full HD resolution at very high detail.

Click on the image to view its 8K version.Caution: People running on low-usage data packs, be careful. The image is almost 24 MB.

K-putt has given details about the hack in case you wish to try it on your PC:

"I used Maldo’s On The Fly tool to get access to some blocked cvar’s [engine commands like draw distance] of the game. I also used his ultra preset for those screenshots. Then i added some custom exec’s [command-line settings] for those high resolutions. Which i could then change via keybindings. So i line-up a shot, change to 8K for example, take a screenshot and go back to 1080p. SweetFX was used as well to adjust some colours/blacklevel etc. And i used a cheat-engine hack to get some sort of a free camera (changing the x,y,z player coordinates)."

We are yet to get our hands on an 8K resolution TV, so the pictures that you are viewing on K-putt's Flickr page won't show their true quality as you view them on your HD or Full HD screens. For now, a 4K TV is the best option to view the real quality of these visuals. Another thing to note here is that K-putt did not actually get up to a real 8K resolution which is 7680x4320. The images that he has put up are ultra-wide screen shots at 8000x3333 and the portrait shots are at 3750x5000 pixles. At the given ultra-wide-screen resolution, a single frame consists of 26.6 million pixels as compared to 2 million pixels on a Full HD 1920x1080 pixels resolution.

In order to run Crysis 3 in 8K resolution at playable frame rates, you might need around 10 GTX Titans that need to be set up in a perfect way for best performance from each card. Check out all the 8K screenshots of Crysis 3 on K-putt's Flickr page.

Google Maps for iOS, Android update brings lane guidance, offline support and more

Google has rolled out a major update to its Maps app on iOS and Android platforms. The update brings an array of new features including lane guidance, improved offline maps and Uber integration.

Lane guidance as the name suggests will guide users on what lane they should stay in or move to while travelling. The feature helps find to alternate routes while navigating. Voice guidance and step-by-step directions are also available for Lane guidance.

Improved offline Maps is another main highlight of the new update. Now, users can save a map for offline use. Earlier, saving a map for offline use wasn't easy. To use, search for an area and tap on its place info sheet, then when available, you can select “Save map to use offline”. You can also add a custom name to the map.

Lane guidance

Google Maps now includes new filters allowing users to browse through restaurants, bars and hotels by opening hours, rating, price, and more. Maps also includes integration with Uber. Users can compare route with transit and walking directly from Google Maps (works if you have the Uber app installed).

Offline Maps

You can learn more about Google Maps update here.  The updated Google Maps for Android and iOS can be downloaded via the App Store  and Google Play store .

Uber integration

Intel, Google team up to boost Chromebook lineup

Microsoft has been dominating the PC segment for years now. Even though Google entered the fray with its Chromebook, it barely impacted (arguably) Microsoft's dominance. Scenario, however, is set to change in the near future as Intel Corp. ties up with Google to further push Chromebook offerings.

Announcing the development at a Chrome OS event in San Francisco, Intel VP of mobile client platforms Navin Shenoy said Intel's Bay Trail chip will see “significant change” in Chromebook, along with improved performance in silent and fanless models. The official added that Chromebooks running Intel Bay Trail processor will be about 15 percent lighter and slimmer than previous Intel Haswell-based Chromebooks, and offer 11 hours of battery life.

A slew of OEMs such as Acer, Asus, Lenovo, and Toshiba will be launching Intel Bay Trail-based Chromebooks later this year. Intel confirms releasing at least 20 Chromebooks by end of this year, which is significantly up from just 4 in September 2014. The company also revealed it will be involved in releasing the first device to feature 64-bit Chrome OS.

In addition to new Chromebooks, there will be some major updates to the existing lot. Intel reveals vendors will be launching some low-end Chromebook variants based on Intel's Core i3 processor, replacing Celeron. Acer has confirmed releasing a Chromebook later this year, while Dell will be launching a Core i3 version of its Chromebook 11. HP will be releasing its Chromebox in June.

Google VP of product management Caesar Sengupannounced that Google Now will be added to Chrome OS within the next few weeks, offering the ability to watch TV shows and movies offline.

Source: TheInquirer Zdnet