Hijacked Twitter account sheds light on thriving black market for handles

In case you needed yet another example of why a simple password can come back to haunt you, a recently hacked Twitter account should have you heading over to your account settings. Daniel Dennis Jones, who had the Twitter handle @blanket , discovered that he was not able to access his account and realized that his password had been changed. After digging into the issue further, he found an alarming number of security flaws and lack of preventative measures on Twitter’s end.

There’s a black market for Twitter handles, where commonly used names are being sold for less than $100 or simply being handed out to friends for what’s come to be known as the “lulz” — an Internet meme meaning “just for laughs.” Turns out, this is exactly what Jones fell victim to.

Jones’ entry into the world of Twitter jacking began on Saturday when he was notified that his password had been changed. However, he was still logged into Twitter on his phone and eventually was able to gain access to his account via his email address only to realize that his user name was changed to the very NSFW handle @FuckMyAssHoleLO. Otherwise, nothing else on his account had been changed. After some digging, Jones had discovered an underground network of young kids who were jacking Twitter accounts with common (and short) names for pocket change. @blanket, he found was selling for only $60.

Jones recounted his experience in Storify: “Twitternames that would have high value due to brevity: @hah, @captain, @craves, @abound, @grinding.”

The medium for selling cracked passwords that @blanket and other hijacked accounts were being auctioned off was ironically through Twitter, and also a forum called ForumKorner. If you visit the forum, you’ll find anonymous individuals selling anything from jacked Minecraft accounts to Twitter usernames.

So why is it so simple to crack Twitter passwords? First at fault might be the user. Simple passwords that can be found in the dictionary can be easily uncovered using the Brute Force Dictionary method. If you’re using a password like “Zebra” for example, it’s only a matter of time before the algorithm that rapidly inputs dictionary words to crack an account eventually enters the correct password, “Zebra.” But in Jones’ case, as he explained to Digital Trends, the password that he used was not as easy to crack as you might expect. His was a combination of a name and some numbers.

More notable is the way that Twitter built its security and account input system makes it easy for anyone with the right program to hack the account. What Jones discovered was that Twitter seeks to prevent a large number of attempts that a single IP address attempts to access a Twitter account. It’s a weaker system that makes it susceptible and easier to hack. Most social networks will only offer a limited number of attempts to access the account itself. What this means is that simply by using multiple IP addresses, through a proxy for example, and an algorithm that changes the IP address (before the CAPTCHA pops up), you can attempt to breach an account for as many times as the number of IP addresses that you’re using.

There’s an underground, albeit rudimentary, economy for stolen social accounts that may not be at the forefront of our minds like identity theft and the sales of social security IDs, but does in fact thrive. Jones was briefly immersed in the world when he went so far as to talk to a purported Twitter jacker, who was just 14 years old, and explained to Jones that Twitter was particularly easy to crack when compared to a site like YouTube.

He also learned that some of these kids are contracting hackers to hijack specific accounts, whether to use for themselves or to “give to a girl,” which was the reason that @blanket was targeted. ”These kids decide they want a username and just sit there and wait for the jacker to get it for them,” Jones explained. ”One kid I saw on Twitter, said it took him 3 or 4 hours to crack a password for a username that he wanted.”
If you’re using a vulnerable password, it’s really in your best interest to change it fast. If you happen to get your account stolen it’s unlikely that you’ll ever get it back, although Jones did get his account reinstated but only likely after publicizing his experience.

source : digitaltrends

Illegal Downloaders in Japan Face Two Years in Prison

Under a new law that goes into effect Oct. 1, Japanese internet users who illegally download files face a 2-year prison sentence or a fine of up to 2 million yen ($25,700), the BBC reports.

Theoretically, pirating just one file could get you in jail and — under one interpretation — using a service such as YouTube, which temporarily stores video files on your computer, could be illegal.

Downloading copyrighted material has been illegal in Japan since 2010, but it did not incur such penalties. Uploading, on the other hand, is a far worse offense, with a maximum 10-year prison sentence and a 10 million yen ($128,400) fine attached.

The law was passed under influence of the Recording Industry Association of Japan, which cited a 2010 study, claiming illegal downloads in the country outnumber the legal ones ten to one.

Japan has been on the forefront of the anti-piracy fight in recent years. The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), a international treaty designed to protect intellectual property rights, was first created by the U.S. and Japan in 2006. The treaty was abandoned after a strong public movement against it in many countries, including the U.S., Hungary and Poland.

source : mashable

When the Internet Finally Connected Itself to my Couch…

source : coolmaterial

I’m old enough to remember when getting a TV with a remote control was a big deal. It used to be you needed to get up each time and change the channel by hand or yell at your kid to do it (that was me and my dad). Next came the wired remotes, which were better than nothing, but they got tangled in the cat (or the kid) all the time. When wireless remotes finally arrived, we knew we had made it because everything that mattered was now fully accessible from one’s indented spot on the couch. And things were very, very good.

Then the whole Internet thing happened and everything went downhill. Okay, I’m exaggerating, but it was really inconvenient. You’re watching a show and you want to know something about it. You have to get up and go to the computer in the other room, or worse yet, find where you put your smartphone. The whole world switched to the net and here I was stuck with a TV remote that only caught half of what mattered anymore. Something had to be done.

Well, it was. Say hello to the LG Smart TV with Google TV. Finally, the full buffet of the Internet and the absolute best of on-demand-TV have melded themselves together as one. LG’s Smart TV with Google TV actually links the web and the TV universe together like never before. And you can see it! In massive widescreen! In glorious HD – and even 3D, too!

No more squinting at tiny screens or going back and forth between computer and TV to find something. Just use your TV like always and access Facebook, Youtube, Netflix, Google Play, and many more apps. The mouse and keyboard are on LG’s magic remote, so you don’t have to leave your couch … ever! Order pizza, get a movie, pay a bill, take out a mortgage, whatever.

If being able to do all this while your butt is jammed on the couch isn’t proof of a bonafide technological revolution, then nothing is. You owe it to yourself to check out the latest innovations, starting with the LG Smart TV with Google TV first. I can promise, you won’t be disappointed.
Now where is that darn remote, anyway?!

source : coolmaterial

Garage iPhone App

source : coolmaterial

There are countless ways to sell things on the Internet. Etsy, eBay, Craigslist, forums, the list goes on and on. There are also countless ways to take pictures of things with your phone. Instagram, Camera+, Seed, and this list goes on and on as well. Garage takes the ability to sell shit you don’t need from the first list and combines it with the dead simple functionality of the second list. At the most basic level, Garage is Instagram with a buy button and Paypal integration. It does a lot more with the front end and the back end, but that’s really what it boils down to. A way to sell stuff on the Internet, using an interface you’re already familiar with, with nothing more than your iPhone. eBaygram, err Garage, is one of the coolest, easiest to use apps we’ve seen in a while.

source : coolmaterial

Polaroid Right Angle Spy Lens

source : coolmaterial

Don’t you hate it when you’re trying to discreetly take a picture of some bombshell in a bikini only to have her turn and see you pointing a camera right at her? All of a sudden you’re the creepy one, right?? This lens from Polaroid will keep your dignity intact (questionable) and your perv levels at a minimum (also questionable). The Polaroid Right Angle Mirror Lens fits any lens with a 58mm filter thread (or 52mm with the included adapter) and lets you take pictures on a 90 degree angle (think the top of a periscope). Sure people will think you’re a blind dude with a camera, but the secretive shots you get will be worth it.

source :  coolmaterial

Leica M Camera Sports a Full Framed Sensor

source : gadgetreview pic

If you’ve got cash to burn, and you’re looking for a retro looking camera body with a full frame sensor, than look no further than the new Lieca M.

Replacing Leica’s old CCD sensor, is a completely brand new and built from the ground up 24-megapixel CMOS sensor that is said to provide the same great color reproduction as found in previous iterations, yet uses less power and improves lower light capabilities.  Complementing that is Leica’s Maestro processor, which is also found in their Leica S SLR cameras.

True photogs will have to invest in a viewfinder, otherwise you’ll be stuck with the 3-inch 920,000 dot display, which mind you is covered in Gorilla Glass for added durability.  Leica also says the body of the camera is splash proof, not to mention extremely tough thanks to the full-metal body that is manufactured from one piece from high-strength magnesium alloy.

Other features include an ISO of 6400, full HD video capture mode, an “extremely long battery life”, multi-pattern and spot exposure metering, and a whole bunch more stuff.

The all new Leica M will hit retail shelves sometime in the beginning of 2013 with a price tag of about $7,000.

source : gadgetreview

Motorola’s Razr i: A Razr M With Intel Inside

source : wired picture

Motorola and Intel’s plan to build Android phones with Intel processors is finally coming to fruition. Things got off to a slow start back in April when Intel attempted to build a handset on its own, producing the dull, low-end AZ210. The device, which launched in India, Russia and the United Kingdom, garnered an almost unanimous “meh.”

On Tuesday, Motorola announced an Intel-powered phone of its own that looks like it will be the complete opposite of the AZ210. The Razr i, as it will be called, is essentially a Razr M with a powerful new Intel 2GHz CPU packed inside.

Everything that made the Razr M so compelling carries over to the Razr i, including 1GB of RAM, 8GB of on-board storage, a microSD card slot for expanded storage, a 4.3-inch display that runs to the edges of the handset, and the Razr line’s signature Kevlar back. Like the Razr M, the Razr i features an 8-megapixel camera that can shoot up to 1080p video. Unfortunately, the Razr i also has the same PenTile display with a low 960×540 resolution.

On thing that isn’t clear at this point is whether the phone will ever see a U.S. release. The Razr line of Android phones, including the Razr M, has so far been exclusive to Verizon in the U.S. On Tuesday, Motorola said in a statement that the Razr i would launch in October in “select European and Latin American markets including the U.K., France, Germany, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, with more to be announced.”

So far, no Intel-powered Androids have launched in the U.S. But given Intel’s stated plans, we wouldn’t expect that to last indefinitely.

source : wired

Google Apps Says Goodbye To Internet Explorer 8, Pulls Support For the Browser

source : techcrunch picture

Today, the Google Apps team announced that it will no longer support Internet Explorer 8 (and lower). Thank goodness. This will affect everyone using Google Apps: businesses, educational and government institutions. The drop of support officially starts November 15th, a few weeks after Internet Explorer 10 launches.

This means no support for GMail, no Calendar, no Drive, no anything for Internet Explorer 8. Good riddance.

Here’s what the team had to say:

As we announced last year, we support the latest version of Google Chrome (which automatically updates whenever it detects that a new version of the browser is available) as well as the current and prior major release of Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari on a rolling basis. Each time a new version of one of these browsers is released, we begin supporting the update and stop supporting the third-oldest version.
Internet Explorer 10 launches on 10/26/2012, and as a result, we will discontinue support for Internet Explorer 8 shortly afterwards, on 11/15/2012. After this date users accessing Google Apps services using Internet Explorer 8 will see a message recommending that they upgrade their browser.

I don’t think anyone will be crying over this, however, for companies who don’t get their workstations properly updated, this could cause some issues for sure. IT folks, put your hardhats on!!!!

source : techcrunch

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Wirelessly Charge Your iPhone With This Smart Purse

There’s nothing worse than watching your mobile device’s battery slowly slip away, and who wants to lug around a phone charger? Those built-in battery cases are typically clunky and heavy too.

A new Kickstarter project aims to take frustration out of the equation for female iPhone users thanks to a series of stylish wristlet and clutch purses with built-in wireless power. Called the Everpurse, its internal 2500 milliamp battery will keep you going all day and throughout the night, whether you have an iPhone 4, 4S or the latest 5 model. (Note: The company plans to develop an Android-compatible Everpurse, as well).

source : mashable picture

The device starts charging when you place it into one of the purse’s pockets. Everpurse owners will have to eventually charge its battery pack with an AC adapter, which is typical for most charging packs.
“You shouldn’t have to decide between fashion and function,” the company says on its Kickstarter page. “You can leave home early in the morning, go through a full day of work (Facebooking, Instagramming, games, calls and web surfing) and still have hours and hours left of battery when you go out to dinner or party into the early morning.”

What would make the concept even better though is if you could turn any purse into one that charges — not all women want to forgo their favorite brands and styles for something new. Plus, there’s something to be said for versatility and not being confined to just one bag that keeps your smartphone powered.
Although the project launched earlier this week, it has already accumulated more than $60,000 from backers. But it’s still about $40,000 shy of its target goal. All orders — which start at $99 for fabric and $129 for leather — come with a charging mat.


source : mashable

Apple’s Lightning Connector: What We Know, What We Don’t

source : mashable picture

The iPhone 5 has many physical changes from previous iPhones, and one of the biggest — or rather, smallest — is the new Lightning connector. While it’s a major departure from the venerable dock connector that’s been around since 2003, it’s a bit of a question mark what the new jack can do.

Since Apple prioritizes a thin and lightweight form factor in the iPhone, the old dock connector had to go. Lightning appears to be an improvement: it’s an all-digital connector that takes up a lot less room on the device. Plus, it’s reversible, so you’ll never mistakenly try to put it in the wrong way. And yes, there is an adapter that lets you plug your Lightning device into old 30-pin docks.

However, at no point does Apple say Lightning is faster than the old connector, even though the name is a bit of a riff on the ultra-fast Thunderbolt jack that’s a feature of the more recent Macs. It also has fewer pins than the old one at just eight.

Apple has offered some more details on Lightning since it was unveiled on Wednesday. Here’s what we know so far, and what we don’t:

It can relay audio: When Apple first put up the product page for the Lightning to 30-Pin Adapter, the $29 item said it doesn’t support video output or “iPod Out,” which many took to mean Lightning can’t output audio or video.

Apple has since removed the reference to “iPod Out,” which is something it introduced in iOS 4 as a means of displaying iPod information on a car dashboard. It also made clear the adapter does support analog audio (since Lightning is all-digital, the adapters are clearly doing the conversion).

It also supports video: Even though the adapter doesn’t support video output, future accessories will. Apple has said, as reported by Macworld and The Verge, that accessories are in the works that will let you connect Lightning port to an HDMI or VGA input. If that’s true, obviously the connector can output video.

Adapters sold separately: Neither $29 adapter nor the $39 cable come with the new iPhone. You have to buy them separately, although some carriers in some parts of the world reported an adapter was included. Apple has since clarified to CNET that it’s sold separately in all cases.

Speed? Is Lightning faster than the old dock connector? If it is, it’s probably not significantly, since Apple didn’t say so, and it typically likes to tout big improvements in performance. Still, once the phone is available, many testers (including Mashable) will measure its performance.

source : mashable

Instacube

source : coolmaterial/instance

So you had some amazing kale and quinoa burritos and now you want to share those photos with everyone. Clearly, this is when you turn to Instagram, but what about sharing those photos with party guests? Instead of scrolling through them on your iPhone screen, hook up an Instacube. This awesomely designed device will stream photos from your Instagram account and display them on a 600×600 LCD touch screen display. Not only is it great for showing off your filter-enhanced dinner shots, but you can also have it display popular photos so you can catch some amazing photography along with a few girls in bikinis (there are a lot of horny dudes out there). You can even “Like” photos by simply pressing the heart-shapped button atop the unit and skip the ones you don’t care for by swiping on by. Now all your party guests can see what a great faux photographer you are!

source : coolmaterial

HP announces Spectre One desktop, three other all-in-ones

source : hp

Didn't you hear? All of HP's top-shelf product consumer products will henceforth have the word "Spectre" in the name. So, it makes sense that the company would expand beyond laptops and release a futuristic desktop bearing the same branding. Indeed, the company just announced the Spectre One, a 23.6-inch all-in-one with a skinny design and nice-to-have features like NFC.

Though that aluminum frame and tilting 1080p display are pleasing to look at, the real story isn't what the Spectre One has, so much as what's missing. You see, in order to get the system down to 11.5mm thick, the design team had to forgo certain features you might otherwise expect -- features like a TV tuner, touchscreen and even an optical drive. It's a gamble, to be sure, but HP is betting that fashion-forward, tech-savvy users won't really mind. (The jury is out on whether a Windows 8 all-in-one without touch is a missed opportunity.) In any case, HP did include four USB ports (two of them 3.0), HDMI input, an Ethernet jack, Beats Audio and a memory card reader, with optional discrete graphics and SSDs. The components are also easily serviceable via a back door, if tinkering is your idea of fun. Lastly, the One ships with a keyboard, Magic Trackpad-style wireless touchpad and two NFC tags, which can be assigned to favorite websites.

In addition to the Spectre One, HP also trotted out three other all-in-ones. At the mid-range, you'll find the Envy 20 and 23, which have 20- and 23-inch screens, respectively, with 1,920 x 1,080 resolution. Rounding out the list, the company announced the low-end Pavilion 20, another 1080p system. Put simply, the two Envy systems have touchscreens, Beats Audio and will be offered with Ivy Bridge processors only; the Pavilion is non-touch, and will be offered with both Intel and AMD chips. Whichever you choose, HP's old Magic Canvas UI for Windows is gone; in its place, the "Connected Suite," which includes a mix of desktop and mobile apps for sharing photos, streaming music and remote access. Though the mobile applications work with iOS and Android devices, you'll need a Windows 8 laptop on one end of the setup -- specifically, an HP PC. That's right: for now, at least, the software will only work on the company's own computers.

The Envy 20, Envy 23 and Pavilion 20 will all be available on October 23rd, with the budget Pavilion going for $499 and the two Envys starting at $849 and $1,099, respectively. The Spectre One doesn't arrive until November 14th, but when it does it will cost $1,299.

source : engadget

World's Most Rugged Mobile Phone

Sonim XP3300

If you're play and work in the extreme environment and having a communication problem because of afraid you might break your cell phone or you don't get a communication signal SONIM can be the answer of your problem.

Sonim Technologies is the provider of the world's most rugged, water-submersible mobile phones designed specifically for workers in demanding and hazardous environments. Sonim specialize in workforce-critical communication tools for vertical industries including construction, security guarding, oil, gas and chemical operations, utilities, transportation and logistics, forestry, agriculture and defense

Sonim phones are backed by a three-year comprehensive warranty, covering not only manufacturing defects, but even accidental damage. Sonim  is also the international leader in intrinsically safe phones, devices certified to operate in potentially explosive atmospheres.

Print Your Instagram Photo

source : prinstagram

 When instagram release, it seems like this application is only for iDevice user, but then their release android version which make some apple fan boys feel insecure cos now the application not exclusive anymore. Facebook make a move to buy instagram and they have to pay 1billion $ (Tsk, i can get it free on iTunes App Store , haha).

Take a picture + select a filter + post it ( usually connected to twitter and facebook), that easy step can make you feel like you a are a pro photographer and that's why people love instagram. Now instead of just posting your picture (food mostly) why don't you print it out? Prinstagram can help you to make it happen.

They can turn your instagram photo into stickers, mini book, poster, even print it on a shirt. Don't waste your time go to prinstagr.am and make a cool stuff from your instagram picture.

source : prinstagram

Flashlight apps

FlashLight apps

You're home alone and suddenly electricity blackout happen. Good that your iPhone is next to you, but then you realized that though there's LED light embedded on your iPhone it's seems useless cos you can use it as a strobe light. 

Flashlight help you to maximize the function of LED light on your iPhone. Also it can fill your screen with bright white light to illuminate your world when you find yourself in a dark spot or concert. Includes fully customizable special effects including: Magnifying Lens, Fireworks, Strobe Light, Trippy, S.O.S., Yin-Yang, Halloween, Candy Hearts, Holiday Lights, Photos, and more!

Go to App Store to get this cool app.