Facebook Security Update: Call Your Friends

In a blog entry on Thursday, Facebook stated that about 600,000 log-ins every day are compromised. In it’s National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, under update/10150335022240766, Facebook claims to have locked it’s site down with new clever security policies, the best of which is Call a Friend?

Controlling how you share content on Facebook is quite complex and will probably make your head hurt, but it’s essential that you take a good look at the settings and decide for yourself what you want to share and with whom, from where.

“Today, we wanted to give you an update on some new features we will be testing in the coming weeks – Trusted Friends and App Passwords – and remind you of the many user tools we offer to help keep you secure on Facebook”

Whenever Facebook opens it’s considerable mouth, it seems to do the exact opposite to the words that fall out. Security site Sophos, was in the first to jump on the (what ever the opposite to security is . . . ) issues Facebook is having with it’s stats.

The infographic Facebook has posted on it’s blog and  scribd.com introducing it’s new security features, seems to indicate that Facebook in-fact has a considerable security problem? :: Read the full article »»»»

Android Overtakes Apple Mobile App Downloads

​The growth of Googles Android platform has been stratospheric over the past 12 months, at October 2010 Android held 19 percent of the U.S. smartphone market – with Apples iPhone iOS at 24 percent. Fast forward 12 months to October 2011 and Android was holding 38 percent of the smartphone market, an increase of almost 20 percent, against Apples 26 percent, an increase of only 2 percent. Androids big big numbers is also reflected in it’s massive increase of available apps to 500,000.

Note worthy is Samsungs strangle hold on the smartphone market. Our favorite semiconductor behemoth has consistently outperformed Apple in sales. Samsung smartphones make up almost 25 percent of the U.S. market, while the much lauded Apple iPhone has consistently sat below 9 percent. This explains Apples aggression toward Samsung [check the litigation links]  84.5 million smartphone handsets in the U.S. equates to 21 million Samsung handsets to Apples 8 million iPhones, ouch! Read the full article »»»»

iModela, The Desktop 3D Printing Factory

The world is shrinking, cities seem much closer together when you travel at near to the speed of sound, computers that once filled entire buildings now fit in your pocket and what once required factories full of machines can be done by the iM-01 iModela, the desktop 3D printing factory. Roland has managed to squeeze an entire automated production system into a box not much bigger than an inkjet printer and at $1000 they have managed to  bring desktop manufacturing to the masses, anyone with a computer and spare USB port can start the production line rolling.. A product of Roland’s little known DG division the iM-01 brings flexible manufacturing to a desktop near you.

“With iModela, artists around the world can bring their most innovative design ideas to life, adding dimension and style to creative projects, whether or not they have any previous experience with 3D technologies. iModela makes it easy to create a physical model from an artist’s 3D rendering, using powerful 3D modelling technology to sculpt shapes, drill holes, create reliefs, smooth surfaces and engrave designs. With iModela, 3D modellers and hobbyists can affordably produce even the most complex designs with precision.”,  John Wall, Roland DG Business Development Manager Read the full article »»»»

Spherical Panoramic Camera Ball

As a species. creativity has to be one of our greatest strengths, granted some ideas and inventions can come across a little whacky and strange, but with perseverance they often blossom into excellent gadgets. One such idea is the Spherical Panoramic Camera Ball, created by Jonas Pfeil. The ball is tossed into the air where it proceeds to snap a full 360 degree panoramic image of the surrounding scene. The images produced are an amazing snapshot of the moment, with every direction able to be explored. Unexpected details appear in every corner, even capturing the scene behind you that was till then unseen.

A built in accelerometer is able to calculate the launch speed of the ball, that is in turn used to calculate the maximum height and time to maximum height. This is then used to time the shot for that zero g moment when the camera ball is stationary. At that moment the 36 fixed-focus 2 megapixel mobile phone camera modules fire off simultaneously. The camera’s internal 8bit Risc processor then stitches them together into a panoramic picture of the scene. Depending on the surroundings the Camera Ball will capture detail out to a few hundred meters in each direction. Read the full article »»»»

Anonymous: Operation Darknet Takes Down Pedophile Site

Our least favorite rabble rousers, Anonymous, have finally done something with real meaning. The Hactivist group has taken - excuse the bad taste – back door into a Pedophile site, rumaged around and caused a little chaos. Yeehaa, you guys now rock our world! Lolita City, a child pornography site run on a hidden “darknet,” has been taken down by Anonymous members, and account details of 1,600 users from the site’s database were posted as evidence.

The takedown is part of Anonymous’ Operation Darknet, an anti-child-pornography effort aimed at thwarting child pornographers operating on on the Tor network. Anonymous’ attack was focused on a hosting service called Freedom Hosting, which the group claims was the largest host of child pornography on Tor’s anonymized network. Read the full article »»»»