Tag: videos

Adware found in MacUpdate’s Skype Installer package

Long-trusted software site MacUpdate has apparently gone the way of its competitors: It has been tainted by adware . A Twitter user tried to download a Skype Installer package from the site and discovered that all was not as it appeared . The file looks normal at first and when opened you’re prompted with a user agreement that people generally just click past, but it’s here that gives the installer the right to change browser settings and add a “search-assist” browser extension . This type of software-trickery is identical to those used by InstallCore adware and as soon as the Skype agreement is confirmed, an InstallCore browser is added to Safari. It’s usually wise to download software from the developer’s site but the appeal of MacUpdate was that it acted like a one-stop-shop of sorts, carrying with it a strong reputation for reliable downloads. Now, with this news coming to light, maybe it will have to be added to the boycott list right under Download.com and Softonic . Source: Ciro Urdaneta (Twitter)

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Adware found in MacUpdate’s Skype Installer package

Hacking Team offers encryption breaking tools to law enforcement

Mere months after having more than 400 GB of confidential information stolen from its servers , spyware vendor Hacking Team has announced that it has resumed operations with a suite of digital tools to help law enforcement agencies get around pesky device encryption technology. In an email pitch sent to existing and potential new customers earlier this month, Hacking Team CEO David Vincenzetti, touted the company’s “brand new and totally unprecedented cyber investigation solutions.” The company has also been reportedly working on a revamped 10th edition of its proprietary Remote Control System, which constitutes the core of its software suite. There is no word, however, as to when RCS 10 will be made available. It also remains to be seen as to which, if any, law enforcement agencies will take Hacking Team up on its offer, given the company’s recent security debacle. [Image Credit: Moment Editorial/Getty Images] Source: Motherboard

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Hacking Team offers encryption breaking tools to law enforcement

Cassini gets cozy with Saturn’s moon, flies 30 miles above its surface

Cassini has just finished the second of three planned Enceladus flybys on October 28th, going as close at 30 miles above the surface of the icy moon’s south polar region. The photo above was taken after the flyby, showing both the moon and Saturn’s rings, but rest assured the probe took a lot of close-up photos. It even grabbed some of the gas and dust that erupted from one of Enceladus’ geysers that typically spew water and other materials up to 125 miles into the sky. NASA will analyze those samples within the next few weeks, which should gives us more details about the composition of the moon’s ocean floor, as well as about any underwater hydrothermal activity. Cassini made the first flyby this early October to take a closer look at Enceladus’ north pole region. It’s scheduled to make its last one on December 19th to measure the heat the moon gives of, after which it’ll move on to other things for the last two years of its life. Source: NASA

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Cassini gets cozy with Saturn’s moon, flies 30 miles above its surface

Facebook changes ‘Real Name’ policy rules after public outcry

Facebook announced Friday that it is modifying the terms of its oft-criticised “real name” policy which demands users go by their “authentic name” when on the social network rather than a pseudonym. The trans and Native American communities have repeatedly protested the policy , citing its use by trolls as a weapon of harassment . Today’s announcement comes in response to an open letter penned by advocacy groups including the EFF and ACLU. Via: Buzzfeed Source: Facebook (scribd)

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Facebook changes ‘Real Name’ policy rules after public outcry

The IRS has used Stingray phone-tracking tech

This year, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice have thankfully put into place more stringent regulations on how government agencies can use ” Stingray ” cellphone-tracking devices. However, we’re also learning more about how widespread usage of such tools was within the government: Today, The Guardian reports that the Internal Revenue Service made purchases in 2009 and 2012 of Stingray equipment from manufacturer Harris Corporation. The documents it received as part of a Freedom of Information Act request were heavily redacted but still revealed that in 2012, the IRS paid more than $65, 000 to upgrade previous Stingray equipment to a newer version called the HailStorm. Source: The Guardian

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The IRS has used Stingray phone-tracking tech

Nanofiber gel and snake venom work together to stop the bleeding

Researchers at Rice University announced a novel use for batroxobin , a hemotoxic component in the venom of two South American pit viper species. They’ve figured out how to leverage it as a potent anticoagulant — when combined with a nanofiber hydrogel called SB50 — that could save countless lives in surgery. Medical science has actually been employing batroxobin as a topical clotting agent and thrombosis treatment since the mid 1930s. But more importantly, it’s been shown to stop the flow of blood even if the patient is on heparin, a powerful anticoagulant administered before some surgeries. Via: Rice University Newsroom Source: Rice University

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Nanofiber gel and snake venom work together to stop the bleeding

Short story vending machine promises old-school distractions

In the French city of Grenoble, there are unusual vending machines that don’t dispense soda or snacks — they print out short stories that look like paper receipts instead. These machines were built by a publishing company called Short Édition , which placed eight of them in public locations (such as the city hall and libraries) as part of a pilot project. Each dispenser has 1-minute, 3-minute and 5-minute buttons, so readers can choose how long their stories are, all of which were written by members of the Short Édition community. Company co-founder Christophe Sibieude told Agence-France Presse that his team came up with the idea while in front of a chocolate candy machine: “We said to ourselves that we could do the same thing with good quality popular literature to occupy these little unproductive moments.” Best thing about these story dispensers is that they’re free, giving residents something to do if ever they get tired of poking on their phones or want to read the old school way. Via: PSFK Source: Short Edition , Konbini

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Short story vending machine promises old-school distractions

Update Facebook on iOS now to keep it from draining your battery

Facebook users on iOS have had a sneaking suspicion that the app was starting to misbehave, to the detriment of their phone’s battery life. After saying it was looking into the issue, Facebook has now confirmed the problem and pushed out an update to the iOS app to help offer some relief. Facebook engineering manager Ari Grant said as much in a post today on (where else) Facebook, saying that the company “found a few key issues and have identified additional improvements, some of which are in the version of the app that was released today.” While there’s more Facebook says it can do to lessen battery draing, updating the app today should provide some immediate relief. Source: Facebook

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Update Facebook on iOS now to keep it from draining your battery

Vudu starts streaming 4K movies to the Roku 4

Vudu’s 1080p HDX streams were once considered high quality for streaming movies over the internet, (now they’re even watchable on phones ) but in the last year Amazon and Netflix surpassed them with 4K resolution and even HDR. Now Vudu is stepping up its game with some 4K flicks, currently available only through the new Roku 4 . For the moment it has 12 movies viewable in 4K (check the list after the break), with prices of $10 for a rental and $25 – $30 to purchase. According to Vudu, you’ll need an 11Mbps connection to stream the high-res versions that it’s marked Vudu UHD. The option will be coming to other platforms including Vizio’s 4K TVs soon, and for the ones that can handle it, there’s support for HDR and Atmos surround sound too. 1. San Andreas 2. Man of Steel 3. Edge of Tomorrow 4. The Lego Movie 5. Magic Mike XX 6. Jupiter Ascending 7. Sherlock Holmes 8. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows 9. The Great Gatsby 10. Into the Storm 11. Focus 12. Run All Night

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Vudu starts streaming 4K movies to the Roku 4