Tag: privacy-rights

Netflix is paying Verizon for network connection to speed up video

Netflix today confirmed that it reached an interconnection agreement with Verizon, similar to the one it recently struck with Comcast. “We have reached an interconnect arrangement with Verizon that we hope will improve performance for our joint customers over the coming months,” Netflix spokesperson Joris Evers told Ars. “It is a paid interconnect agreement.”Word of the deal first leaked on Twitter when analyst Walter Piecyk wrote , “Verizon CEO [Lowell McAdam] confirms they have signed direct connection deal with Netflix like Comcast’s.” When contacted by Ars, Piecyk said that “McAdam confirmed a deal with Netflix in answer to our question at a group investor meeting [today]. No further details were provided on the financial terms.” Read 7 remaining paragraphs | Comments

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Netflix is paying Verizon for network connection to speed up video

Bank robbers use KVM switch and 3G router to steal money

The networked KVM switch and 3G router used to rob a Barclays Bank branch remotely. Metropolitan Police, London Nine members of a London-based gang have been convicted  and three others are scheduled for sentencing in June for a series of electronic bank robberies. Using social engineering to install a remote-controlled keyboard-video-mouse (KVM) switch on bank PCs, the gang managed to transfer millions to outside accounts in two separate jobs in April and July of 2013. They were caught attempting to rob a third bank in September. Dean Outram, 32, entered all three banks claiming to be from a tech support contractor and saying he was there to repair computers. At each bank branch robbed, Outram installed a KVM switch and a 3G wireless router . From a “control center” in central London, others then used the KVM switches to gain access to the PCs of bank employees, remotely logging keystrokes and monitoring screen activity to get the information necessary to transfer funds from customers’ accounts to accounts controlled by the group. In the first attempt, the group managed to make 128 fund transfers totaling £1.3 million (about $2 million) in one day from a branch of Barclays Bank. The bank detected the fraud the same day and recovered about £600,000 ($1 million) of the funds before the gang drained the accounts. In its second attempt at another Barclays branch, the group was able to make off with £90,000 (about $150,000). Read 3 remaining paragraphs | Comments

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Bank robbers use KVM switch and 3G router to steal money

Review: Gigabyte’s AMD Brix gives Intel’s mini PC a run for its money

Gigabyte’s AMD Brix (top) is, if anything, even smaller than Intel’s latest NUC (bottom). Andrew Cunningham When AMD sent us the Brix Gaming for review, it wasn’t alone in its box. We were also sent another, smaller Brix with an AMD processor, and it’s the antithesis of its big loud cousin. It’s basically the AMD take on the NUC : a small, quiet, unobtrusive little box that still tries to deliver the features and performance of a full-size entry-level desktop. We originally planned to review both in one shot, but there was so much to say about the Brix Gaming that the GB-BXA8-5545 (say that three times fast) got edged out. Rather than bury it, we’ve decided to give it its own evaluation. It’s the only AMD-powered desktop in the same size category as the NUC that doesn’t use a wimpy netbook-class processor. And as much as Intel’s integrated GPUs have improved in recent years, the name “AMD” still means something when it comes to graphics performance. Surprise, it’s a tiny cube! Like most other mini PCs, the Brix is a tiny box with a small external power supply. Andrew Cunningham Specs at a glance: Gigabyte Brix GB-BXA8-5545 OS Windows 8.1 x64 CPU 1.7GHz AMD A8-5545M, Turbo Boost up to 2.7GHz available with proper BIOS settings RAM 8GB 1333MHz DDR3 (supports up to 16GB) GPU AMD Radeon 8510G (integrated) HDD 128GB Crucial M500 mSATA SSD Networking 2.4GHz 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, Gigabit Ethernet Ports 4x USB 3.0, 1x mini DisplayPort 1.2, 1x HDMI 1.4a, audio Size 4.24” x 4.5” x 1.18” (107.6 x 114.4 29.9 mm) Other perks Kensington lock, VESA mounting bracket Warranty 1 year Price $249.99 (barebones), $494.97 with listed components and software The other Brix boxes we’ve reviewed have been larger and more powerful machines, but the smaller Intel and AMD-based Brixes are a lot more like the original Intel NUC. This one’s a short, square little device that’s actually a little shorter than the NUC. It’s an understated all-black system with matte metal sides and a glossy plastic top, and while it has an external power brick it doesn’t add much to the total size of the package. With the adapters, it’s roughly the size you’d get with standard PC laptops and Ultrabooks, since the Brix uses low-voltage mobile parts rather than full-fledged desktop chips. Read 17 remaining paragraphs | Comments

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Review: Gigabyte’s AMD Brix gives Intel’s mini PC a run for its money

Man uses Raspberry Pi to build actual working cell phone for $158

David Hunt Raspberry Pi-using tinkerer David Hunt—who previously built a bark-activated door opener for dogs—is at it again with a real, working cell phone powered by the tiny computer and a few other items. “PiPhone” cost Hunt $158 to build with these components, all held together with cable ties: Raspberry Pi Model B – $40 PiTFT Touchscreen 320×240 – $35 2500mAh LiPo battery – $15 SIM900 GSM/GPRS module – $48 DC-DC boost converter 3.3V – 5V 1A – $10 Cables, connectors, switch, etc. – $10 “As you can see from the cost of the components, you’d be FAR better off going into your local phone store and picking up a normal smartphone, but hey, where’s the fun in that?” Hunt wrote on his blog today . “I got a great kick out of the first phone call I made with this thing. And it won’t stay in one piece for long, I’ll be using those parts for other projects very soon!” Read 5 remaining paragraphs | Comments

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Man uses Raspberry Pi to build actual working cell phone for $158

Lucasfilm makes it official: New Star Wars films ignore Expanded Universe

Fan favorite Mara Jade is now consigned to the Star Wars Legends non-canonical label. Derek Herring / Sony A post on Starwars.com officially confirms what fans have been hearing for the past three months: the complex and detailed future history of the Star Wars universe that has been slowly accreting since the 1990s will be completely ignored by the new trilogy of films. Per the post, ” Star Wars Episodes VII-IX will not tell the same story told in the post- Return of the Jedi Expanded Universe.” The confirmation is being met with a mixed reaction from fans over on Star Wars uber-site TheForce.net . “Thank you for wasting 20 years of my life,” said one poster . “I honestly may be done with Star Wars at this point.” “The simple truth is that canon is whatever the license holder says it is. Fans need to wrap their heads around that,” responded another . Read 5 remaining paragraphs | Comments

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Lucasfilm makes it official: New Star Wars films ignore Expanded Universe

Covert Bitcoin miner found stashed in malicious Google Play apps

Lookout Researchers scouring the official Google Play market have unearthed more Android apps that surreptitiously abuse end-user devices to carry out the computationally intensive process of mining Bitcoins. The malware, dubbed “BadLepricon” by its creators, was stowed away inside six separate wallpaper apps that had from 100 to 500 downloads each, according to a blog post published Thursday by researchers from Lookout, an anti-malware provider for smartphones. Google employees promptly removed the offending apps once Lookout reported them. It’s at least the second time in a month that third-party researchers have discovered cryptocurrency-mining apps available for download on Google servers. Four weeks ago, researchers from Trend Micro reported they found two apps downloaded from one million to five million times that mined the Litecoin and Dogecoin cryptocurrencies without explicitly informing end users. “These apps did fulfill their advertised purpose in that they provided live wallpaper apps, which vary in theme from anime girls to ‘epic smoke’ to attractive men,” Meghan Kelly, a Lookout security communications manager, wrote in Thursday’s blog post. “However, without alerting you in the terms of service, BadLepricon enters into an infinite loop where—every five seconds—it checks the battery level, connectivity, and whether the phone’s display was on.” Read 3 remaining paragraphs | Comments

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Covert Bitcoin miner found stashed in malicious Google Play apps

Rolling in it: Comcast profited $1.9 billion in first 3 months of 2014

Alyson Hurt Earlier this month, Comcast told the Federal Communications Commission that it needs the green light to purchase Time Warner Cable as a way to stay competitive with Google, Netflix, and others. Nevertheless, in its latest quarterly earnings report published on Tuesday, Comcast reported that it made $1.9 billion in profits in the first quarter of 2014—an 18 percent increase year-over-year. “Our operating momentum is continuing as we enter 2014 and is highlighted by our second consecutive quarter of video customer growth, as well as strength in high-speed Internet and business services,” Comcast CEO Brian L. Roberts said in a statement. Read 4 remaining paragraphs | Comments

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Rolling in it: Comcast profited $1.9 billion in first 3 months of 2014

“Russian Facebook” founder flees country after being forced out as CEO

Pavel Durov, founder and former CEO of Vkontakte. Pavel Durov/VK Pavel Durov, the founder of Vkontakte (VK)—the largest social network in Russia—said on Tuesday that he fled the country one day after being forced out of the company, claiming that he felt threatened by Kremlin officials. In a  post on his profile page on Monday, Durov explained that he was fired from his position as CEO of VK and that the so-called “Russian Facebook” is now “under the complete control” of two oligarchs close to President Vladimir Putin. Durov explained that after seven years of relative social media freedom in Russia, his refusal to share user data with Russian law enforcement has set him at odds with the Kremlin, which has recently been trying to tighten its grip on the Internet, according to The Moscow Times . Read 7 remaining paragraphs | Comments

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“Russian Facebook” founder flees country after being forced out as CEO

Next-gen Thunderbolt doubles speeds but changes the connector

The leaked slide that purports to out the next-generation Thunderbolt controller. VR-Zone Thunderbolt 2 just started showing up in devices late last year, but a new slide leaked by VR-Zone is giving us our first glimpse at what the next version is going to look like. Dubbed “Alpine Ridge,” the new Thunderbolt controllers will double Thunderbolt 2’s bandwidth from 20Gbps to 40Gbps, will reportedly support PCI Express 3.0, and will reduce power usage by 50 percent compared to current controllers. The downside is that the new version will require the use of a new connector—it supports charging for devices that use up to 100W of power and it’s 3 mm shorter than current connectors, but adapters will be required to maintain compatibility with older Thunderbolt accessories. Doubling the available bandwidth will enable next-generation Thunderbolt controllers to drive two 4K displays simultaneously, where current controllers can only drive one. The new controllers will allegedly be compatible with a variety of other protocols as well, including DisplayPort 1.2, USB 3.0, and HDMI 2.0. Intel will offer two different versions of the controller—a version that uses four PCI Express lanes to drive two Thunderbolt ports and an “LP” (presumably “Low Power”) version that uses two PCI Express lanes to drive one port. This is consistent with the current controllers. High-end devices like the Mac Pro and Retina MacBook Pro use two-port controllers, while lower-end, lower-power devices like the Mac Mini and MacBook Air use the one-port version. Thunderbolt 2 gave the specification a performance boost but didn’t change all that much about the protocol. It combined the original Thunderbolt’s two 10Gbps channels to allow for higher maximum speeds, but it didn’t increase the total amount of bandwidth available or introduce any new protocols. The upside is that it maintained full compatibility with all of the original Thunderbolt cables and accessories, something that this next-generation Thunderbolt controller won’t be able to do without adapters (though to be fair, USB 3.1 and the new Type-C USB connector have the same problem). Read 2 remaining paragraphs | Comments

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Next-gen Thunderbolt doubles speeds but changes the connector

Comcast bills lowered $2.4 million by scammers who accessed billing system

Alyson Hurt Two men pleaded guilty to a scam that lowered the bills of 5,790 Comcast customers in Pennsylvania by a total of $2.4 million. They now face prison time and will have to pay their ill-gotten wealth back to Comcast. 30-year-old Richard Justin Spraggins of Philadelphia pleaded guilty in February and was “ordered to make $66,825 in restitution and serve an 11- to 23-month sentence,” the Times-Herald of Norristown wrote at the time. Scaggins was described as the second-in-command of the operation. The accused ringleader, 30-year-old Alston Buchanan, pleaded guilty last week . “Buchanan faces up to 57½ to 115 years in prison, although Buchanan will likely serve a lesser sentence than the maximum,” the newspaper wrote. Read 3 remaining paragraphs | Comments

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Comcast bills lowered $2.4 million by scammers who accessed billing system