Friday, April 13, 2012

GCHQ has been threatened with cyber-attack tomorrow

The ability of Britain's security institutions to fight off the threat from online activists was cast into doubt after hackers penetrated Scotland Yard's anti-terrorism hotline and leaked conversations between staff online.
Britain is lagging behind the US, France and Germany in its capacity to respond to cyber attacks, a former senior official at the government "listening post", GCHQ, warned yesterday.

Best Laptops to Buy in 2012

The whole laptop market has been infused with 'fresh blood' after the inclusion of the much touted ultrabooks in its already power packed line up. So, now in the current scenario, we have laptops ranging from machines offering heavy duty gaming to contraptions barely scuttling by some basic software. However, core functionality will always remain relative with the user. And, given this propitious phase for consumers and their choices, we have made out a list of the best laptops you could buy in 2012.

Pre-Order LG Viper 4g LTE on Sprint

LG Viper 4g LTEIt’s not running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich yet and just the stock Android 2.3 Gingerbread, but hey that doesn’t mean that the LG Viper 4G LTE is not a worthy phone to get. For one thing, it’s 4G LTE-capable so you are pretty assured of a fast mobile browsing speed courtesy of Sprint 4G network.If those are convincing enough for you, then you better pre-order the LG Viper 4G LTE Android smartphone which just came up for pre-order from Sprint just now. 

Japanese bank plans to use palm readers instead of cards at ATMs

ATM systems that we use today work pretty well, but there are flaws with security of the systems that can allow hackers and thieves to take money from accounts not belonging to them. Some people also use pin numbers that are easily hacked allowing other people to access their account if they find the user’s ATM card. One Japanese bank called Ogaki Kyoristu Bank has a new plan that will significantly increase security.

The B&N Nook Simple Touch With GlowLight: Pre-Order Today For $139, Hits Stores In May

Barnes & Noble just announced its latest ereader: The Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight. It doesn’t look any different from the previous model until you turn it on. That’s when the magic happens. Powered by a front-lit screen dubbed GlowLight, the new Nook emits a pleasant glow that’s sort of different from traditional backlighting. It’s easier on the eyes but the light cuts the battery life in half — which honestly is not that big of a deal.

Microsoft sets up new subsidiary, would like to meet open source types

It's been a mixed bag when it comes to Microsoft and open source involvement, but Redmond's now getting all enthused, setting up an Open Technologies subsidiary dedicated to making friends in open source circles. While of other parts of the Redmond behemoth will also continue to work on open source projects, this new team of up to 70 internally-recruited staff members will attempt to engage with open source

Deal: $250 off HP Pavilion performance desktop

Options can be baffling. Laptop or desktop? 720p or 1080p display? Dual-core or quad-core? Hard drive or SSD? And that’s just the beginning of your spec comparisons. There’s a whole host of upgrades for personalization. Once you succumb to one attractive add-on, you may find yourself falling down the rabbit hole and filling your cart with additional drives, add-in cards, and peripherals that you don’t really need.

Instagram's New Filters


If Facebook added Instagram filters to photos, we'd probably see a lot more "reflection" and "duck face" images than ever. Cool Material has compiled a funny (yet fictional) list of possible filters that could be added in the future. Continue reading to see our favorites. 

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Boeing Super-Secure Android Smartphone Coming in 2012


As if producing commercial airliners, helicopters, and satellites didn’t keep Boeing busy enough, the company revealed earlier this week that they would soon be branching out into a slightly different market. National Defense Magazine reports that Boeing is currently working on an highly-secure Android-based smartphone of all things, and that it should see a release later this year.


Boeing President Roger Krone declined to go into specifics when it came to the device’s hardware or release date, though he did note the Boeing Phone (the company hasn’t officially decided on a name yet) is nearing the end of its development cycle.


It seems as though the device has been in the works for a while so it’s a safe bet that the spec sheet won’t be the most competitive, and I wouldn’t expect to see anything newer than Froyo or Gingerbread running on it.


If you hadn’t already guessed, this isn’t the sort of device you’ll be able to pick up at your local mom-and-pop cell phone store. In developing their Android phone, Boeing kept an eye on big competitors in the secure communications market, who often price their proprietary devices in the five-figure range. 
Thanks in part to the inclusion of a free (not to mention robust) mobile operating system, Boeing plans to introduce their smartphone at a much lower price, which should please the procurement folks within the Defense Department and other security-conscious operations.

Cost apparently isn’t the only reason that Boeing opted to create an Android device — with Google’s OS accounting for over around 50% of the U.S. smartphone market, users are coming to expect more out of their work-issued devices. As Krone told National Defense Magazine’s Stew Magnuson, the Boeing Phone will give customers “what they are used to seeing [on consumer market smartphones] and give them the functionality from the security perspective.”

Boeing isnt the first company to surprise us with news of a security-conscious mobile device — Dell surprised us late last year when they announced that the their discontinued (and oft-maligned) Dell Streak 5 was the first Android device to be given the official seal of approval by the U.S. Department of Defense. Folks within the organization were apparently fond of the mini-slate’s design, though I have to wonder how well those things actually hold up in the field.


icreati: Hi-Tech News

HandiZoom - video accessory for Canon DSLRs (Watch Video)

Wanna shoot really serious video of the sidewalk on your DSLR, but can't get along with those dicey standard controls? Then maybe VizTools has a solution -- or at least a working prototype it's readying for NAB. The HandiZoom can be operated with only one hand and does motorized zoom with adjustable speed settings, as well as various other primary controls.