Tag: internet

North Korea’s Operating System Analyzed

Bruce66423 points out an analysis at The Guardian of North Korea’s Red Star Linux-based OS, based on a presentation Sunday to the Chaos Communication Congress in Berlin : The features of their Fedora based OS include a watermarking system to enable tracking of files — even if unopened. The operating system is not just the pale copy of western ones that many have assumed, said Florian Grunow and Niklaus Schiess of the German IT security company ERNW, who downloaded the software from a website outside North Korea and explored the code in detail. … This latest version, written around 2013, is based on a version of Linux called Fedora and has eschewed the previous version’s Windows XP feel for Apple’s OS X – perhaps a nod to the country’s leader Kim Jong-un who, like his father, has been photographed near Macs. The OS, unsurprisingly, allowed only tightly fettered access to web sites, using a whitelist approach that gives access to government-controlled or approved sites. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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North Korea’s Operating System Analyzed

Comcast switches on the first public gigabit cable modem

Comcast’s gigabit internet access doesn’t officially go live until sometime in 2016, but that isn’t stopping the company from flicking the switch a little early. The cable giant recently activated what it says is the first public-facing DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem in the world — a fortunate customer in Philadelphia now has the kinds of speeds that previously required either a partial fiber optic link or jumping through lots of hoops. There are additional tests running in parts of Atlanta, northern California and Pennsylvania, too. The trial run will seem old hat if you’re using an existing gigabit internet service like Google Fiber or AT&T’s GigaPower . To some extent, Comcast is playing catch up in hopes of preventing its rivals from getting too strong a foothold on the market. Even so, the upgrade is a big deal. However much you might prefer one of the alternatives, DOCSIS 3.1 (whether from Comcast or another cable provider) is more likely to be widely available — cable companies don’t have to overhaul their networks to enable the faster speeds. Ultimately, this deployment is the first step in bringing gigabit-class internet access to the mainstream. [Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images] Via: ZDNet , The Verge Source: Comcast

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Comcast switches on the first public gigabit cable modem

The Essential Cyberpunk Reading List

It’s now been over three decades since cyberpunk first exploded, and in that time we’ve seen gorgeous movies, read fascinating books, and seen dozens of offshoots like steampunk (and my new favorite, deco punk) develop. Here are the 21 cyberpunk books you absolutely must read. Read more…

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The Essential Cyberpunk Reading List

Steam Goes Nuts, Offers Access To Other People’s Accounts [UPDATE]

Steam faced something of a catastrophe this afternoon, giving players across the world access to the personal information in other people’s accounts. It’s not yet clear how this happened, but it’s a doozy. Call it the Steam Winter Fail. Read more…

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Steam Goes Nuts, Offers Access To Other People’s Accounts [UPDATE]

You Can Now Pre-Order this Obscenely Expensive But Working Hoverboard

It’s expected to cost a staggering $20, 000 if it ever goes into production, and its battery can only power the device’s 36 fans for about six minutes. But unlike all the other hoverboards grabbing the media’s attention these days, Arca Space’s hoverboard actually hovers. Read more…

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You Can Now Pre-Order this Obscenely Expensive But Working Hoverboard

How to Install Unapproved Apps on an iPhone Without Jailbreaking

Apple’s notoriously picky about what apps are allowed in their store, which means a lot of great apps get locked out. Jailbreaking has always been the go-to method for getting unapproved apps , but jailbreaking can be a hassle. If you’re just looking to get one or two non-Apple-approved apps—like Kodi , video game emulators, or even the f.lux -like Gamma Thingy , side loading is the way to do it. The process is free, it’s easy, and it only take a couple minutes. Read more…

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How to Install Unapproved Apps on an iPhone Without Jailbreaking

This Squid Could Help Humans Repel Dangerous Flesh-Eating Bacteria

The bobtail squid stays alive because it attracts and keeps a specific kind of bacteria. Scientists still don’t know exactly how it does this, but new research could shed light on why some people get hit with the closely related flesh-eating bacteria. Read more…

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This Squid Could Help Humans Repel Dangerous Flesh-Eating Bacteria

Scientists Create Injectable Foam To Repair Degenerating Bones

Researchers in France have developed a self-setting foam that can repair defects in bones and assist growth. Eventually, this advanced biomaterial could be used to quickly regenerate bone growth and treat degenerative diseases such as osteoporosis. Read more…

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Scientists Create Injectable Foam To Repair Degenerating Bones

Microsoft bans adware that use man-in-the-middle techniques

Starting next year, Microsoft will be a lot stricter when it comes to adware. In a post on the Technet blog , Redmond has announced that it will block advertising programs “that take choice and control away from users.” The company’s talking about adware that use “man-in-the-middle” (MiTM) techniques, in particular. Those include injecting ads and promotions by proxy, as well as changing DNS settings, without your express consent . They aren’t safe, because they could be used to introduce malware into your system, or even to spy on encrypted data and communication. In order to keep those types of adware off your computer, Microsoft has made it a policy that programs that show ads on the browser can only install, disable or execute programs through the browser itself. That means any ad software that doesn’t notify you via your browser that it wants to download or install something will be blocked off and marked as malware. The company says it will enforce the new rule on May 31st, 2016 and asks developers to comply with the new policy. If all these sound vaguely familiar, it’s because Lenovo’s controversial Superfish adware worked the same way. The PC-maker shipped out laptops with the pre-installed software , which not only injected sponsored links into users’ search results, but also installed man-in-the-middle certificates that would allow third parties to see users’ sensitive data, such as their bank details. After getting a lot of flak, Lenovo eventually agreed to stop preloading its computers with Superfish and provided a tool that can remove it completely from the units that already shipped out. This change by Microsoft effectively bans the root method that Superfish used to hijack Lenovo customer traffic. — SecuriTay (@SwiftOnSecurity) December 21, 2015 Breaking: Microsoft bans all adware use of proxies/Winsock/MitM to inject ads. Violators will be marked malware. https://t.co/kVYfKYJP15 — SecuriTay (@SwiftOnSecurity) December 21, 2015 This is a problem. #superfish pic.twitter.com/jKDfSo99ZR — Kenn White (@kennwhite) February 19, 2015 [Image credit: Nils Geylen/Flickr ] Source: Microsoft Technet

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Microsoft bans adware that use man-in-the-middle techniques