Tag: internet

Mysterious, Phony Cell Towers Found Throughout US

Trachman writes: Popular Science magazine recently published an article about a network of cell towers owned not by telecommunication companies but by unknown third parties. Many of them are built around U.S. military bases. “Interceptors vary widely in expense and sophistication – but in a nutshell, they are radio-equipped computers with software that can use arcane cellular network protocols and defeat the onboard encryption. … Some interceptors are limited, only able to passively listen to either outgoing or incoming calls. But full-featured devices like the VME Dominator, available only to government agencies, can not only capture calls and texts, but even actively control the phone, sending out spoof texts, for example.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Mysterious, Phony Cell Towers Found Throughout US

Hackers Behind Biggest-Ever Password Theft Begin Attacks

An anonymous reader writes “Back in August, groups of Russian hackers assembled the biggest list of compromised login credentials ever seen: 1.2 billion accounts. Now, domain registrar Namecheap reports the hackers have begun using the list to try and access accounts. “Overnight, our intrusion detection systems alerted us to a much higher than normal load against our login systems. … The group behind this is using the stored usernames and passwords to simulate a web browser login through fake browser software. This software simulates the actual login process a user would use if they are using Firefox/Safari/Chrome to access their Namecheap account. The hackers are going through their username/password list and trying each and every one to try and get into Namecheap user accounts.” They report that most login attempts are failing, but some are succeeding. Now is a good time to check that none of your important accounts share passwords.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Hackers Behind Biggest-Ever Password Theft Begin Attacks

Grand Ayatollah Says High Speed Internet Is "Against Moral Standards"

An anonymous reader writes A Grand Ayatollah in Iran has determined that access to high-speed and 3G Internet is “against Sharia” and “against moral standards.” However, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani, plans to renew licenses and expand the country’s 3G cellular phone network. A radical MP associated with the conservative Resistance Front, warned: “If the minister continues to go ahead with increasing bandwidth and Internet speed, then we will push for his impeachment and removal from the cabinet.” “We will vigorously prevent all attempts by the [communication] minister to expand 3G technology, and if our warnings are not heeded, then the necessary course of action will be taken, ” he added. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Grand Ayatollah Says High Speed Internet Is "Against Moral Standards"

Indiana University Researchers Get $1 Million Grant To Study Memes

An anonymous reader writes with news that the NSF has just awarded a group of researchers a grant to study the life cycle of memes. “Indiana University is receiving nearly $1 million in federal grant money to investigate the genesis, spread, and demise of Internet memes. The grant from the National Science Foundation awards four Indiana researchers $919, 917 to for a project called Truthy that will, as the grant’s abstract explains, “explore why some ideas cause viral explosions while others are quickly forgotten.” (And yes, in case you’re wondering, the name was inspired by Stephen Colbert’s neologism “truthiness.”) The government-funded research is aimed at identifying which memes are organic and which ones are mere astroturf. “While the vast majority of memes arise in a perfectly organic manner, driven by the complex mechanisms of life on the Web, some are engineered by the shady machinery of high-profile congressional campaigns, ” Truthy’s About page explains.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Indiana University Researchers Get $1 Million Grant To Study Memes

Nail Polish That Detects Date Rape Drugs Is a Damn Good Idea

A team of recent graduates from North Carolina State are developing a new kind of nail polish that changes color when it’s exposed to date rape drugs. Just stirring a sketchy drink with a finger could let a woman know she’s being targeted for assault. Although a little odd, it does sound like a pretty good idea. Read more…

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Nail Polish That Detects Date Rape Drugs Is a Damn Good Idea

UPS: We’ve Been Hacked

paysonwelch writes The United Parcel Service announced that customers’ credit and debit card information at 51 franchises in 24 states may have been compromised. There are 4, 470 franchised center locations throughout the U.S., according to UPS. The malware began to infiltrate the system as early as January 20, but the majority of the attacks began after March 26. UPS says the threat was eliminated as of August 11 and that customers can shop safely at all locations. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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UPS: We’ve Been Hacked

Calibre 2.0 Adds an Editor, Book Comparison, and More

Windows/Mac/Linux: Calibre, one of the best free ebook managers out there (and a great tool for removing DRM ), released a big update this week. Calibre 2.0 includes a new editor function, comparison tool, support for Android phones on OS X, and more. Read more…

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Calibre 2.0 Adds an Editor, Book Comparison, and More

​The $1.5 Million Indiegogo Smartwatch Horror Story

Crowdfunding, like any gamble, preys on your hopes and dreams. Sometimes, you get the wonderful dream device you deserve . Other times, you get a million dollar pile of shit, like a smartwatch that can’t tell time. The Kreyos Meteor seems to fall into that second category. Read more…

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​The $1.5 Million Indiegogo Smartwatch Horror Story

How Much $100 Is Really Worth in Every State

The face value of $100 is the same in all 50 states, but when it comes to actual purchasing power, your mileage may vary depending on where you are. These are the states that offer the biggest bang for your buck. Read more…

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How Much $100 Is Really Worth in Every State