| How To Check Your (Rooted) Android Phone for Carrier IQ Posted: 06 Dec 2011 03:07 PM PST  Discovering that user-activity logging program Carrier IQ might be loaded on your phone is like finding out there's a peeping tom in your neighborhood: You want to find out if your house was on the scumbag's route or not. Well, if you have a rooted Android phone, you can do just that, thanks to a utility by Trevor Eckhart, the dev responsible for uncovering this scandal.
Eckhart posted an .APK that allows these Android users to test their devices for programs like CIQ, and it's available as a free and paid ($1) version. (The latter allows you to not only find the offending software, but also remove it.) His post over at XDA-Developers.com says: "It can be used to verify what logging is being done on your phone and where data is going to. It will assist you in manually removing parts you do not running (see post#1), or you can go pro for automatic everything (and support me)." Both The Verge and RedmondPie tested this on Samsung Galaxy SII devices, and in their cases, the tests came up negative. The Verge notes, however, that users in the related forums did experience a few issues, so you'll want to exercise caution if you give this a shot. For more info, or to download the free version, click here to go to the post at XDA-Developers.com. (Bear in mind, to get the pro version, users will have to install the free version first and then pay a buck over at the Android Market to get a pro key.) Again, this is for rooted Androids only. Oh, and before you install, you'll also want to enable "Unknown sources" in Settings > Applications. Are you going to give it a shot? If you do, be sure to report on your findings below. 
TechnoBuffalo.com is a technology site created by a team of professional writers that are self-proclaimed tech-enthusiasts. Their articles cover a breadth of technology-related issues and topics from the everyday uses to the business side of the industry. |
| Facebook Flaw Exposed Private User Photos Posted: 06 Dec 2011 02:57 PM PST  For a few hours today, Facebook users were able to snoop around in other users' private photos thanks to a flaw in the Facebook code. Interestingly, the issue was present in the abuse reporting tool. The flaw did not expose all a user's photos, but several choice snapshots could be harvested with the hack. Facebook patched the exploit, but not until the Internets snatched some of Zuckerberg's personal photos.
Here's how it worked: a user could click the report "inappropriate profile photos" link on someone's page to start the process. If they selected "nudity or pornography" as the reason, the reporting tool would have the reporting party point out an offending photo to help the Facebook staff confirm the infraction. The issue being that the system would pull up even private photos here. If the two users were friends, the full-resolution version could be snatched. Facebook confirmed and fixed the problem shortly after it was reported, but it just goes to remind us that nothing you put on the Internet is truly private. Do you keep images on Facebook you'd prefer others not see? |
| Android Market Hits 10 Billion Downloads, Google Celebrates with 10-Day Sale Posted: 06 Dec 2011 02:36 PM PST  As Google's Android platform continues to dominate smartphone sales, the big G has decided to update us all on a significant milestone. As of last weekend, the Android Market has exceeded 10 billion app downloads. According to Google, the current rate is more than 1 billion per month. In celebration of this momentous occasion, Google has worked with top app developers to sell some premium apps for just $0.10.
The sale will run 10 days and includes some really stellar titles like Fieldrunners HD, Minecraft, Soundhound infinity, and Switfkey X. The best part, each day Google will be switching out the sale apps, so make sure to check back daily. Many of these apps usually sell for $6 or $7, but you can get them for next to nothing. As OEMs continue to pump out new phones on a weekly basis, we expect the Android Market will continue to grow. It's worth noting that Google is just talking about total downloads, not sales in this announcement. Some developers claim that revenue from paid apps is still not where it should be. Will you be taking advantage of Google's generosity? |
| Sol Republic Tracks Headphone Review Posted: 06 Dec 2011 12:47 PM PST If you can find better $100 headphones, buy 'em! Money can't buy you love, but 100 bucks will buy you a better set of headphones than we would have thought possible before we strapped Sol Republic's Tracks to our noggin. The Tracks feature a very unconventional design in which the ear cups slide up and down—or even completely off—a spring-plastic headband with a thick but short cushion at the top of its arc. The ear cups are large—nearly 1.5 inches thick—but generously padded. The design seems rugged enough, but it's not very portable (even if you dismantle it, remove the cable, and stash the components inside your computer bag). We generally prefer circumaural designs that fit around our ears, as opposed to phones such as these, which rest on them. Circumaural phones are more comfortable to wear during long listening sessions, especially if you wear earrings. They're also more effective at both isolating you from outside noise, and preventing the music you're listening to from leaking into the environment, which might annoy people around you. Bowers & Wilkins managed to avoid both these problems with their exceptional P5 on-ear headphones (you can read our review here), but those phones are triple the price of the Tracks. 
The ear cups on Sol Republic's Tracks headphones slide up and down a spring-plastic headband. After extensive testing, the Tracks proved to be more comfortable to wear than we had expected, and leakage was less of an issue than we'd anticipated. But the rubber material wrapped around the headphone cable made an irritating noise whenever it rubbed against our shirt collar (which was every time we'd turn our head). This problem is compounded by the fact that there are two cables, one for each ear cup. On the bright side, for Apple device users at least, the two cables come together in an inline three-button remote control with buttons for volume, pause/play, track forward/back, and (on the iPhone) accept/reject incoming call. Turning our attention to the Tracks' performance, allow us to emphasize what we said at the beginning: These headphones sound much better than we expected them to for the price. We've been using the Accidental Powercut series of albums, published by Bowers & Wilkins' Society of Sound subscription music service, to evaluate headphones because these live dummy-head recordings were engineered specifically for headphone listening. First up was Sound of Rum's "Rumba," from Accidental Powercut 2. The Tracks did an excellent job of rendering rapper Kate Tempest's rapid-fire rhymes perfectly distinct. When we turned our ears to "Ant House," by the instrumental group Speakers Corner Quartet, the unusual combination of flute, cello, contrabass, and drums exposed the Tracks' limited ability to produce crisp highs, especially the drummer's rim shots and delicate cymbal work. Listening to tracks in which individual instruments aren't so exposed, ranging from "If This is Goodbye," from the Mark Knopfler, Emmylou Harris collaboration All the Roadrunning, to "Aïr-Tombouctou," from Afro-rock-band Toumast's second album, Amachal, gave us an opportunity to evaluate the Tracks' bass performance. They're just a tiny bit flabby on this score, but the flaw is exposed only in A/B comparisons with more expensive phones, such as the aforementioned P5s. Sol Republic delivers a solid pair of on-ear phones; we haven't heard anything better in this price range—or even slightly above it. |
| 20 Great Games for Under $20 Posted: 06 Dec 2011 11:50 AM PST In today's gaming landscape where so many of the must-have new releases launch at 60 dollars, it's great that the PC is loaded with a ton of affordable alternatives. There are a lot of great games out there that cost less than twenty bucks apiece. Who cares about Battlefield 3 when we can get three, four, five, or even more games for the same price? True diamonds, but with a cubic zirconia price tag, these games span a variety of genres, from turn-based strategy to first person shooters to tower defense. They're all great games, and all cost less than twenty Washingtons. |
| Fortinet Reveals Top 8 Security Predictions for 2012 Posted: 06 Dec 2011 11:11 AM PST  Tis the season for many things, like spreading holiday cheer, grabbing swank electronics gear on sale, and watching holiday classics like National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story (funny movies no matter which, if any, holiday you celebrate this time of year). It's also the season for making lists. Fortinet, a Sunnyvale-based firm specializing in network security appliances, sent us a list of its Top 8 Security Predictions for 2012.
There's reason to pay attention. Big botnets, 64-bit TDSS rootkits, leaked source code for the Zeus and SpyEye botnets, and anonymous hactivists declaring war on everyone are some of the events Fortinet predicted in last year's "Top 5 Security Predictions for 2011." So what do you need to look out for in 2012? Straight from the horse's mouth, here's Fortinet's new list in its entirety, a week before it's scheduled to hit the news wire: - Ransomware to Take Mobile Devices Hostage
Over the past few years, FortiGuard Labs has witnessed the evolution and success of "ransomware" (an infection that holds a device "hostage" until a "ransom" payment is delivered) on the PC. Mobile malware that utilize exploits have also been observed, along with social engineering tricks that lead to root access on the infected device. With root access comes more control and elevated privileges, suitable for the likes of ransomware. FortiGuard predicts the team will see the first instances of ransomware on a mobile device in the coming year. - Worming into Android
Worms, i.e., malware that is able to quickly propagate from one device to another, have by and large remained absent from the Android operating system, but FortiGuard Labs believes that will change in 2012. Unlike Cabir, the first Symbian worm discovered in 2004, Android malware developers most likely won't be using Bluetooth or computer sync to spread out because of their limited ranges. Instead, the team believes the threat will come from either poisoned SMS messages that include a link that contains the worm or through infected links on social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter. - Polymorphism Want a Cracker?
There's no denying that Android-based malware has gotten more diverse and complex. In the last year: FortiGuard Labs has seen Android malware use encryption, embed exploits, detect emulators and implement botnets. But what they haven't seen yet is an example of polymorphism in action. Polymorphism is malware that is capable of automatically mutating, making it extremely difficult to identify and thus destroy. The team has previously encountered polymorphism on Windows Mobile phones and believes it's only a matter of time before the malware appears on Android devices. - Clampdown on Network-Based Money Laundering
Money mules, which typically consist of third party individuals electronically transferring money from one person or service to another and illegitimate payment processors, are critical components to a successful money laundering and fraud operation. Using anonymous fund transferring services, human networks and payment processor safe havens, cybercriminal syndicates have pretty much operated with impunity for years. How do you catch someone when you don't even know where they're located? FortiGuard believes that will change in 2012 [By this, are you saying in 2012 we expect to be able to catch these people?]. The recent arrest of ChronoPay CEO Pavel Vrublevsky's on the grounds of hacking Aerfolot's Website and preventing visitors from buying tickets, is a good example of the type of takedowns the team expects to see in the coming year. - Public-Private Relationships in Security
Last year FortiGuard Labs predicted they'd see an increase in global collaborative botnet takedowns. And they were right not only with botnet takedowns, but global collaboration period. Among globally-supported botnet takedowns were Rustock and DNS Changer while other international efforts helped take a massive scareware operation offline that siphoned $72 million in bank funds. Meanwhile, arrests were made against international members of Anonymous and LulzSec hacktivist groups. This crackdown will continue in 2012, and the team believes that much of it will be aided by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA's) public defense initiative. DARPA was recently granted $188 million budget and plans to use part of the money on initiatives to build a cyber defense team in the private sector. With recent movement, it seems likely that in 2012 we will start to see similar relationships formed worldwide. - SCADA Under the Scope
For over a decade, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition- (SCADA) based threats have been a concern, because they are often connected to critical infrastructure such as power and water grids that would have serious consequences if they were ever breached. This last year FortiGuard saw two examples of this in the form of Stuxnet, which compromised Iran's nuclear program and Duqu, a Stuxnet-like virus that used similar attack methods and stolen certificates. While Iranian officials confirmed the latter had infected systems in the region, no hostile industrial code has been found to date. However, it's clear the building blocks are now in place. The reality today is that critical infrastructure systems are not always operating on a closed circuit. New human machine interface (HMI) devices that interact with these systems are being developed by a number of different software and hardware manufacturers, and many have Web interfaces for logging in. And the FortiGuard team has seen historically that Web-based interfaces that interact with back end systems can many times be circumvented. Even more concerning is the migration to cloud-based SCADA services. This allows data storage and potential control of critical systems on a public cloud server – hence the security concern. Groups like Anonymous have already found an assortment of Web-based vulnerabilities simply by picking targets and scouring code. In 2012, FortiGuard predicts a number of SCADA vulnerabilities will be discovered and exploited with potentially devastating consequences. - Sponsored Attacks
The FortiGuard team often talks about Crime as a Service (CaaS), which is just like Software as a Service (SaaS), but instead of offering legal and helpful services though the Internet, criminal syndicates are offering illegal and detrimental services, such as infecting large quantities of computers, sending spam and even launching direct denial of service (DDoS) attacks. If you've got the money, there's a good chance you can find a CaaS provider to help you out. What FortiGuard sees evolving in 2012, is that instead of hiring a CaaS outfit for blanket attacks, they're going to see more strategic and targeted attacks on companies and individuals. This scope would include state or corporate sponsorship. Admittedly, this prediction will be tough to monitor because without "freedom of information" legislation in place, many of these discovered cases will be settled out of court with verdicts not being released publicly. For example, Russian payment processor ChronoPay allegedly hired a hacker to attack a direct competitor (Assist) in 2011. - Hacking a Good Cause
While Anonymous has been alive and kicking in one capacity or another since its formation on 4Chan.org in 2003, only in the last year have the loosely organized anarchists started using their power to attack large, high profile targets such as Sony. More hacktivist groups were formed in 2011 (most notably LulzSec), and more will likely rise in 2012. What FortiGuard found interesting about Anonymous towards the end of the year, was how the group started to use their power for "good." Case in point, they've recently threatened to unmask Mexican drug cartel members and they recently helped authorities break up a child porn ring. FortiGuard expects to see more examples of "hacktivist" justice meted out throughout 2012 along with a mix of attacks that border or cross the line of justice. It's enough to give you the heebie jeebies and should serve as a reminder to surf safely and use your gear intelligently (don't download Android apps from an untrusted source, for example). On a related note, be sure to check out our "Choose Your Defender! 10 Anti-Virus Programs Reviewed and Compared" feature. |
| 5 Essential Tips for Winter-Guarding Your Gadgets Posted: 06 Dec 2011 10:56 AM PST  Winter is coming, and the cold, icy weather can be brutal on more than just your head and hands — it's not too good for your devices either. If you live in a cold region, then you've probably got hats and gloves for yourself (maybe even some pelts), but what about all that tech you spent your hard-earned money on?
Temperatures can play havoc with technology, from the blistering heat of summer to the freezing cold that many of us are about to experience. But don't fret. The cold may be coming, but there are things you can do to guard that gear. Here are a few tips that will soon have you laughing in the face of winter.
Kick portables to the curb (or at least from your vehicle): If you've ever gotten into a car that has been sitting outside over a winter's night, then you know how freezing cold it can be. That heater just can't warm up fast enough, can it? Well, you don't want to subject your laptops, phones, tablets, mp3 players or gaming handhelds to that cold either. Yes, it's a little inconvenient, but so is a frozen hard drive or a cracked screen. If there's no choice, and you have to leave a gadget in the car, at least wrap it up in an extra scarf, jacket, sweater or any other layers you might have on hand.
Handle condensation wisely: Sometimes, after being out in the tundra, condensation can form inside your device. The chances of this go up if you try to turn on your gadget while it's still cold. If you spot wetness — or, for that mater, you just dropped it in a sleety puddle on the sidewalk — DON'T power it on right away. I know, you want to see if it's still okay, but resist the urge. First, let it naturally come up to room temp, then put the device in some uncooked rice. (Make sure it covers it.) This is your best chance at getting rid of that moisture and salvaging your gadget. Turn your device off… completely: Running around with a sleeping laptop or netbook increases the odds (and potentially the magnitude) of damage that can happen if you let it fall — say, like on that icy patch in front of your house. Don't let it happen to you. Power your machine down completely before you head outdoors, just to be safe. Invest in a decent earbud with inline mic/call answer button: If you don't have to whip your phone out in the sub-zero temperature to answer calls, all the better. You can keep it safe and toasty warm in your pocket without missing calls if you have an earbud with an inline microphone/call answer button. Spend a couple of bucks and get a good one, a product that fits well and has good call clarity. (It does no good if you don't like using it because it's uncomfortable, or everyone sounds like Darth Vader on the other line. Personally, I like Etymotic.) You won't have to use gloved hands to fumble with a ringing cell phone — a scenario that has had me drop (and break) more than one smartphone. Get a case or sock: There are numerous tough cases, sleeves and the like for any gadget you can imagine. While you may prefer a naked look to your device, the extra padding is a good way to maximize protection — possibly even insulation. Think of it as a winter snuggie for your beloved. Use case scenarios differ, so depending on what and how you rock, there are also plenty of products out there to help, from capacitive gloves for touchscreen use to laptop warmers and portable power (cold temps can be hell on batteries), and everything in between. 'Tis the season for sales and promotions, so check out your favorite retailers and see what they have to offer. Got any other must-do tips for winterizing your gear? Share them below in the comments! 
TechnoBuffalo.com is a technology site created by a team of professional writers that are self-proclaimed tech-enthusiasts. Their articles cover a breadth of technology-related issues and topics from the everyday uses to the business side of the industry.
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| Intel, Micron Give Birth to World's First 20nm 128 Gigabit MLC Device Posted: 06 Dec 2011 10:49 AM PST  The joint collaboration between chip giants Intel and Micron has resulted in a new benchmark in NAND flash technology. Specifically, the two tech gurus announced the world's first 20nm (not just nanometer-class, but an actual 20nm process) 128Gb (gigabit) multilevel-cell (MLC) device they say is ideal for small form factor tablets, smartphones, solid state drives, and high-performance compute devices.
It was developed through Intel and Micron's joint-development venture, IM Flash Technologies (IMFT), and is the first in the industry to enable a terabit (Tb) of data storage in a finger-tip size package by using just eight die. The new part offers twice the storage capacity and performance of IMFT's existing 20nm 64Gb NAND device, and meets the high-speed ONFI 3.0 specification to achieve speeds of 333 megatransfers per second (MT/s). "As portable devices get smaller and sleeker, and server demands increase, our customers look to Micron for innovative new storage technologies and system solutions that meet these challenges," said Glen Hawk, vice president of Micron's NAND Solutions Group. "Our collaboration with Intel continues to deliver leading NAND technologies and expertise that are critical to building those systems." Playing with 20nm NAND isn't without its challenges, and to make announcements like this possible, Intel and Micron used an innovative new "planar cell structure" that enables more aggressive cell scaling than conventional architectures. It's the first cell structure to integrate Hi-K/metal gate stack on NAND production, Intel says. Image Credit: Intel |
| AMD Shaves 800 Million Transistors Off Bulldozer Without Physically Changing The Chips Posted: 06 Dec 2011 10:29 AM PST  Time to start firing the PR guys! As is the case with all technical products these days, AMD used a lot of lofty-sounding numbers and specs to make its new 8-core Bulldozer chips sound friggin' awesome in the company's press releases. Eight cores, four modules, a 315mm die area, two billion transistors – actually, scratch that last one. Over the past weekend, AMD contacted several publications and said that, um, somebody screwed up. Eight-core Bulldozer chips actually only have 1.2 billion transistors. Oops.
The Inquirer provides the text of the message for our viewing pleasure: Last week, AMD confirmed the transistor count in the AMD FX CPU line-up at 1.2 billion, a correction from the earlier count of 2 billion. The earlier figure of 2 billion transistors was unfortunately shared in error. This correction is not the result of a new revision to the Bulldozer design. The correct count of 1.2 billion applies to all recently introduced 8-core AMD processors that are based on the new Bulldozer core - AMD FX family of desktop CPUs and AMD Opteron family of server and HPC processors. We apologize for the confusion. So, the bad news is that somehow, this slipped through the cracks until several weeks after the first reviews hit the streets. The good news is that since the drastic transistor reduction is due to clerical error rather than an actual revision to the chips, the results of our review still stand. The funny part is that 1.2 billion transistor number may still be a bit off. Joel Hruska at Extreme Tech took a look at the tech behind Bulldozer and speculates that the chips actually have at least 1.32 billion transistors – and that's "before we add I/O, integrated memory controller, or HyperTransport." Thoughts? Is this an embarrassing gaffe or much ado about nothing? |
| And the Survey Says!: AT&T Last in Customer Satisfaction Posted: 06 Dec 2011 10:26 AM PST  After ranking last in a customer satisfaction survey conducted by Consumer Reports last year, AT&T had two options. The wireless carrier could lick its wounds and take steps to improve its image, whether real or perceived, or it could bury its head in the sand, because after all, who cares what thousands of people think? AT&T apparently chose the latter, and its reward is another last place finish.
Consumer Reports questioned 66,000 of its subscribers on the service and customer support experience with both standard and no-contract wireless communications providers. And for the second year in a row, AT&T fell to the bottom of the pack. "Our survey indicates that subscribers to prepaid and smaller standard-service providers are happiest overall with their cell-phone service," said Paul Reynolds, electronics editor for Consumer Reports. "However, these carriers aren't for everyone. Some are only regional, and prepaid carriers tend to offer few or no smart phones.The major carriers are still leading options for many consumers, and we found they ranged widely in how well they satisfied their customers." On the opposite end of the spectrum, respondents rated Verizon tops among wireless carriers for two years running, "followed closely by Sprint." T-Mobile fell below both Verizon and Sprint, but still rated "significantly better than the higher-priced AT&T," Consumer Reports stated. How would you rank your wireless carrier? Are you happy with your carrier, or do you plan to switch when your contract is up (or sooner)? |
