Mat Honan in a humorous manner created an everyday life picture in a "smart" house which (according to analysts) each consumer will have in 5-10 years.
I wake up at four to some old-timey dubstep spewing from my pillows. The lights are flashing. My alarm clock is blasting Skrillex or Deadmau5 or something, I don’t know. I never listened to dubstep, and in fact the entire genre is on my banned list. You see, my house has a virus again. Technically it’s malware. But there’s no patch yet, and pretty much everyone’s got it. Homes up and down the block are lit up, even at this early hour. Thankfully this one is fairly benign. It sets off the alarm with music I blacklisted decades ago on Pandora. It takes a picture of me as I get out of the shower every morning and uploads it to Facebook.
Read moreGoogle is planning to launch a new health service called Google Fit to collect and aggregate data from popular fitness trackers and health-related apps at the Google I/O conference.
Such a service would mark a direct challenge to Apple’s HealthKit framework, launched last week and rolling out with its new mobile platform iOS 8 this fall to aggregate data from wearable devices and apps. Last month Samsung also unveiled similar device, called SAMI. Google Fit will aggregate data through open APIs, Google will also announce partnerships with wearable device makers at its I/O conference.
Read moreIdentified by researchers from antivirus firm ESET, there is a Trojan that can encrypt files on Android devices. The new threat is dubbed Android/Simplock. This Trojan not only encrypts your files on your Android devices, but also holds the phone hostage for a ransom.
After installing, Android/Simplocker. will scan the SD card for files with any of the following image, document or video extensions: jpeg, jpg, png, bmp, gif, pdf, doc, docx, txt, avi, mkv, 3gp, mp4 and encrypt them using AES [the Advanced Encryption Standard]. The malware will then display a ransom message in Russian asking for a payment.
Read moreAfter installation the Android-based device, the malware, called “Banker.AndroidOS.Basti.a” requests permission to access the network, incoming SMS-messages etc.
New Trojan-Banker disguised as a legitimate application WeChat, is used to collect owners financial data of Android-devices from China. According to Kaspersky Lab, the attackers chose this program because many users use it to make payments. Authors the Trojan encrypted it using App Shield, which allows you to add multiple "layers of protection." Nevertheless the IS-company experts manage to decode the file. It is capable of many types of malicious behavior. There are also some packages to make its GUI look more professional, which in turn make it a more potent phishing tool.
Read moreGoogle already generates a significant amount of money from ads on search results, but its ads could reach further than desktop and smartphone screens.
In a letter to the US Securities and Exchanges Commission (SEC) sent in December, the company said it could be serving ads and other content on “refrigerators, car dashboards, thermostats, glasses and watches, to name just a few possibilities.” The reason for this statement was because Google was justifying why it didn’t reveal what revenue it generated through mobile, even though other companies like Facebook and Twitter did. It said that the definition of ‘mobile’ is changing and could evolve further as smart devices are added into the mix.
Read moreResearchers have uncovered Android-based malware that disables infected handsets until end users pay a hefty cash payment to settle trumped-up criminal charges involving the viewing of illegal pornography.
To stoke maximum fear, Android-Trojan.Koler.A uses geolocation functions to tailor the warnings to whatever country a victim happens to reside in. The screenshot to the right invoking the FBI, for instance, is the notice that's displayed on infected phones connecting from a US-based IP address. People in Romania and other countries will see slightly different warnings. The malware prevents users from accessing the home screen of their phones, making it impossible to use most other apps installed on the phone.
Read moreViber, a mobile messenger app that allows users to make phone calls and send text messages and images for free, also gives up plenty of free user data to anyone who wants to listen.
According to researchers from the University of New Haven (UNH) in Connecticut, US, Viber's app sends user messages in unencrypted form - including photos, videos, doodles, and location images.
All of that rich data from users is also stored unencrypted on Viber's servers, rather than being deleted immediately, and is accessible without credentials, just a link, the UNH researchers said.
Read moreNow your TV could be infected by computer viruses. Technology security expert warns cyber criminals could infect millions of devices. Televisions could soon be infected by computer viruses, one of the world's top technology security experts has warned.
Eugene Kaspersky is co-founder and chief executive of Russia’s Kaspersky Lab, the world’s fourth largest computer antivirus company. He said threats will spread to the 'home environment' and televisions as internet connections make technology more vulnerable.Televisions could soon be infected by computer viruses, one of the world's top technology security experts has warned In an interview with The Telegraph he said his company's headquarters in Moscow receives 315,000 suspicious activity reports every day.
Read moreA new feature introduced by Facebook to allow meeting the Facebook friends in real time when they are actually close by has had mixed reactions from its users. Nearby Friends, an optional mobile application, taps steady stream of location information and makes it possible for friends to track each other in real time and meet up in real life.
For example, when you’re headed to the movies, ”Nearby Friends” will let you know if friends are nearby so you can see the movie together or meet up afterward,” says the Facebook newsroom. When selected, it means one can have information about:
Read moreA popular Android app called Brightest Flashlight could do more than just shine light. Brightest Flashlight was a simple flashlight app that was highly-rated and had over 50 million installs. However, it had one devious, hidden feature: It would share personal data, such as your location, with advertisers. The FTC caught wind of this and began investigating the developer. The FTC reached a settlement with the developer last week, and it looks like he got away easy.
Erik Geidl, the single developer behind Brightest Flashlight, will have to stop collecting location data unless he clearly explains how and why he’s doing so. He will also have to delete any location data he already has within 10 days of the settlement.
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