vrijdag 29 mei 2015

HACK THE WHITE HOUSE


HACK THE WHITE HOUSE

Russian hackers behind the damaging cyber intrusion of the State Department in recent months used that perch to penetrate sensitive parts of the White House computer system, according to U.S. officials briefed on the investigation.
While the White House has said the breach only affected an unclassified system, that description belies the seriousness of the intrusion. The hackers had access to sensitive information such as real-time non-public details of the president's schedule. While such information is not classified, it is still highly sensitive and prized by foreign intelligence agencies, U.S. officials say.
The White House in October said it noticed suspicious activity in the unclassified network that serves the executive office of the president. The system has been shut down periodically to allow for security upgrades.
The FBI, Secret Service and U.S. intelligence agencies are all involved in investigating the breach, which they consider among the most sophisticated attacks ever launched against U.S. government systems. ​The intrusion was routed through computers around the world, as hackers often do to hide their tracks, but investigators found tell-tale codes and other markers that they believe point to hackers working for the Russian government.
National Security Council spokesman Mark Stroh didn't confirm the Russian hack, but he did say that "any such activity is something we take very seriously."
"In this case, as we made clear at the time, we took immediate measures to evaluate and mitigate the activity," he said. "As has been our position, we are not going to comment on [this] article's attribution to specific actors."
    Neither the U.S. State Department nor the Russian Embassy immediately responded to a request for comment.
    Ben Rhodes, President Barack Obama's deputy national security adviser, said the White House's use of a separate system for classified information protected sensitive national security-related items from being obtained by hackers.
    "We do not believe that our classified systems were compromised," Rhodes told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Tuesday.
    "We're constantly updating our security measures on our unclassified system, but we're frankly told to act as if we need not put information that's sensitive on that system," he said. "In other words, if you're going to do something classified, you have to do it on one email system, one phone system. Frankly, you have to act as if information could be compromised if it's not on the classified system."
    To get to the White House, the hackers first broke into the State Department, investigators believe.
    The State Department computer system has been bedeviled by signs that despite efforts to lock them out, the Russian hackers have been able to reenter the system. One official says the Russian hackers have "owned" the State Department system for months and it is not clear the hackers have been fully eradicated from the system.
    As in many hacks, investigators believe the White House intrusion began with a phishing email that was launched using a State Department email account that the hackers had taken over, according to the U.S. officials.
    Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, in a speech at an FBI cyberconference in January, warned government officials and private businesses to teach employees what "spear phishing" looks like.
    "So many times, the Chinese and others get access to our systems just by pretending to be someone else and then asking for access, and someone gives it to them," Clapper said.
    The ferocity of the Russian intrusions in recent months caught U.S. officials by surprise, leading to a reassessment of the cybersecurity threat as the U.S. and Russia increasingly confront each other over issues ranging from the Russian aggression in Ukraine to the U.S. military operations in Syria.
    Sen. Susan Collins said the revelations of the Russian hack "are troubling and further expose that our nation's defenses against cyber-attacks are dangerously inadequate." The Republican senator from Maine said the breach showed the need to pass legislation to encourage the government and private companies to bolster their cyber defenses.
    The attacks on the State and White House systems is one reason why Clapper told a Senate hearing in February that the "Russian cyberthreat is more severe than we have previously assessed."
    The revelations about the State Department hacks also come amid controversy over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server to conduct government business during her time in office. Critics say her private server likely was even less safe than the State system. The Russian breach is believed to have come after Clinton departed State.
    But hackers have long made Clinton and her associates targets.
    The website The Smoking Gun first reported in 2013 that a hacker known as Guccifer had broken into the AOL email of Sidney Blumenthal, a friend and advisor to the Clintons, and published emails Blumenthal sent to Hillary Clinton's private account. The emails included sensitive memos on foreign policy issues and were the first public revelation of the existence of Hillary Clinton's private email address​ now at the center of controversy: hdr22@clintonemail.com. The address is no longer in use.

    woensdag 20 mei 2015








    Chinese firm Iman has officially unveiled its new smartphone – IMAN I5800. IMAN I5800 is a ruggedized smartphone and let’s check out the specs here.
    IMAN I5800 has a 4.5-inch LCD display with 720 x 1280 pixels resolution (HD). The device is powered by 1.3GHz MediaTek MT6582 quad-core processor and 1GB RAM. The internal storage of IMAN I5800 is 8GB and there is a microSD slot for further storage expansion when needed.
    IMAN I5800 features an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. Both cameras come with CMOS image se nsor for better photo quality. Other notable features of IMAN I5800 are multiple sensors, USB OTG, GPS, 3.5mm audio jack, micro USB, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n (2.4GHz).
    IMAN I5800 supports W-CDMA 2100(I)/1900(II)/900(VIII)/850(V) MHz and GSM 1900/1800/900/850 MHz networks. The device is a dual-SIM smartphone and has one micro SIM slot and one standard SIM slot.
    The IMAN I5800 is running on Android 4.4 KitKat version of operating system and comes with a 2,500mAh battery. The device is available in dark blue and white colors.
    IMAN I5800 is priced between $190 and $210.
    IMAN I5800 – Specs Review
    – 4.5-inch HD display
    – MediaTek MT6582 quad-core
    – 1GB RAM
    – 8GB ROM
    – MicroSD slot
    – 8MP / 2MP camera
    – Android 4.4 KitKat
    – Waterproof
    – Dustproof
    – Shock proof
    – Dual-SIM
    – 2,500mAh battery



    rugged
    Rangerfone S17
    DISCOVERY V8
    4.5" IMAN i5800

    Discovery A9 IP68 Waterproof Phone listed with Android 4.4 OS/2GB RAM/NFC
    Here comes the latest rugged phone that suits outdoor activities very well-Discovery A9. This device is specially designed for adverturers and will be very useful when walking through the jungle. It has excellent GPS, water-proof and dust-proof features.

    Discovery A9 supports dual SIM/dual stand by and holds IP68 certification that shows it is a strongly ruggedized smartphone. It is well designed, very solid and tough. It has a 4.3inch screen on the front which is more convenient to carry.

    As for the configuration, Discovery A9 is equipped with MTK6582 quad core processor along with 2GB RAM+16GB ROM that enable the device to read and store datas very fast. It also runs Android4.4 OS which provides a simple UI. The whole performance of the device is pretty excellent due to its powerful hardware and sufficent RAM.

    It has dual Cameras, 2.0MP front camera+8.0MP rear camera, and carries a 3000mAh battery. Discovery A9 also supports other features like GPS, NFC, OTG, IP68, FM, Bluetooth, Ebook, Email, Messaging, Play Store,Tethering & portable hotspot, etc. It is on hot sale now at $199.99.

     

    The Sonim XP7 is a rugged phone made to withstand a lot of punishment, and while it does cost a pretty penny, it might be worth the investment if your particular lifestyle demands a phone of this caliber. 

    Smartphones nowadays are designed to be thin and good looking, but this does require consumers to sacrifice on durability, as is evident by the fact that most of us rush to pick up a protective case or cover for our new devices. At the other end of the spectrum is the latest smartphone by Sonim, designed with only one thing in mind, and that is to take a lot of abuse. Is its durability enough to make it a worthwhile investment? That is what we find out, in this comprehensive review of the Sonim XP7!

     

    Specifications

    Screen 4-inch display, 800 x 480 resolution, 233 ppi
    Size and Weight137 x 72.1 x 20.8 mm
    290 grams
    Cameras8 MP rear camera
    1 MP front-facing camera
    Memory and Storage1 GB RAM
    16 GB storage, not expandable
    Processor1.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400
    Sensors GPS, Accelerometer, Compass, Proximity
    Networks3G/4G LTE
    WirelessWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, hotspot
    Bluetooth 4.0
    PortsmicroUSB 2.0
    Battery4,800 mAh
    OS Android 4.4 KitKat


    The Defender has an 8-megapixel camera, 4 Gigabyte of on-board memory, which can be expanded to 64Gb with a standard micro SD card. It has a 1.2 Ghz dual core processor and runs the latest Android 4.2 operating system.

    But it's the rugged qualities that makes this phone particularly appealing. The Defender has been tested by dropped into two meters of water for an hour, plus the unit is completely sealed against mud and sand.

    The Defender comes with an external aerial that can be used for RF communications, or alternatively they can supply a push to talk application that allows instant voice communication over the networks data connection rather than relying on RF. The PTT function means you can have all your team on the same channel and everybody can stay connected.

    Another nice feature is that you can run two active sim cards at the same time, get the best of two networks coverage. Great










    Runbo X5:
    Highly rugged smartphone. It is dustproof and waterproof rated IP67. It is protected against the effects of temporary immersion between 15cm and 1m. It comes with a built-in laser pointer and can be used as a walkie talkie. It has dual SIM capability.
    It comes with a 4.3-inch multi-touch (2 points) capacitive display with a resolution of 800 x 480.
    On the inside, it runs with Android ICS (4.0) on a 1GHz dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, 4 GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot up to 32 GB.
    It sports a 8MP autofocus camera with a LED flash and 720p video.
    GPS receiver, FM Radio, accelerometer, magnetometer, G-sensor, laser pointer and SOS button.
    Connectivity WiFi b/g/n, can be used as a walkie talkie (400-470 MHz for distances up to 5-10 kilometers) and dual-Sim.
    It measures 155 x 73 x 23 mm, it weighs 321g and its removable battery has a capacity of 3,200mAh.
    Similar model: Durrocomm XWT5
    Also available: Runbo X5 Plus with a 4.5-inch display with a resolution of 960 x 540 and Android 4.2. 





    Hummer H1:
    Ultra-durable 2G smartphone, it features an internal hardened magnesium frame and 3.5mm rubberized casing that repels rain, dust and blunt force. It is rated IP67 and has dual SIM capability.
    It comes with a 3.5-inch multi-touch (5 points) capacitive display with a resolution of 960 x 640.
    On the inside, it runs with Android Gingerbread (2.3.6) on a 1 GHz single-core processor, 256 MB of RAM, 128 MB of internal storage and a microSD card slot up to 32 GB.
    It sports a 0.3 MP camera with a LED flash.
    GPS receiver, FM Radio and a 3 way G-Sensor.
    Connectivity WiFi b/g/n and dual-Sim.
    It measures 122 x 69 x 16 mm, it weighs 169 g and its removable battery has a capacity of 2,800mAh.
     



    Casio Gzone CA-201L:
    Highly rugged smartphone. It is dustproof and waterproof IP67, it will withstand being submerged under 1 meter of water for 30 mn. It is compliant to the US Military Standard 810G (MIL-STD-810G). It runs on american and corean 4G-LTE data networks.
    It comes with a 4-inch Gorilla Glass 2 capacitive display with a resolution of 800 x 480.
    On the inside, it runs with Android ICS (4.0) on a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot up to 32 GB. It comes with an Adreno 225 GPU.
    It sports a 8MP camera with a LED flash.
    GPS receiver, accelerometer, e-compass, barometer and thermometer.
    Connectivity WiFi b/g/n, NFC, IrDA and 4G LTE.
    It measures 129.9 x 68.1 x 13.7 mm, it weighs 173.8 g and its removable battery has a capacity of 1,800mAh.




    Caterpillar CAT B15:
    Highly rugged smartphone. It features an internal hardened aluminium frame in a rubberized casing. It can withstand a fall of 1.8m onto concrete. It is dustproof and waterproof rated IP67 and compliant to the US Military Standard 810G (MIL-STD-810G). It is operational between -20°C and +55°C. It has dual SIM capability.
    It comes with a 4-inch multi-touch (2 points) capacitive Gorilla Glass display with a resolution of 800 x 480. It supports touch operation using wet fingers.
    On the inside, it runs with Android Jelly Bean (4.1) on a 1 GHz dual-core processor, 512 MB of RAM, 4 GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot up to 32 GB.
    It sports a 5 MP camera without flash and 720p video.
    GPS receiver, FM radio with RDS and G-Sensor.
    Connectivity WiFi b/g/n and dual-Sim.
    It measures 125 x 69.5 x 14.95 mm, it weighs 170g and its removable battery has a capacity of 2,000mAh.




    MTT SmartMax Atex:
    Safe ultra rugged smartphone certified for ATEX Zone 1/21 (II 2G Ex ib IIC T4 Gb and II 2D Ex ib IIIC T135 °C Db IP6X). Dustproof and waterproof it is rated IP67. Shockproof, it can withstand a fall of 1.2 meter. It has dual SIM capability.
    It comes with a 3.2-inch resistive display with a resolution of 480 x 320. It enables its use while wearing work gloves.
    On the inside, it runs with Nucleus OS (MTK) on a 650 MHz single-core processor, 512 MB of RAM, 1 GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot up to 16 GB.
    It sports a 2MP camera with video.
    GPS receiver, accelerometer, moisture sensor, thermometer, barometer, Push-To-Talk and Lone Worker features.
    Connectivité WiFi and dual-Sim.
    It measures 123 x 70 x 25 mm, it weighs 210g and its removable battery has a capacity of 1,800 mAh.

    zondag 29 maart 2015

    Android 5.1 Lollipop

    The Android 5.1 Lollipop update has been rolling out beyond those early-release Android One devices for a few weeks now, and while not every Nexus has 5.1 yet, a new security feature has just been rolled out to both Android 5.1 and 5.0: ''on-body detection.'' Head to the updated section below to see how it works and for more info on the Android 5.1 Android update.



    Android L lollipop interface pink lol
    Android 5.1 release date and features revealed. / © ANDROIDPIT
    Update: Smart Lock is a security feature in Android 5.0+ that allows you to set certain objects (like smartwatches), locations (like your home or office) or your face as ''trusted'' - this means that when your watch is near your phone, you're at home or work or your front-facing camera can see you that your lock screen security will be switched off and pressing the power button on your phone will take you straight to the home screen.
    ''On-body detection'' has now been added to devices running Android 5.0 and above. The way on-body detection works is that once you've unlocked your device with a pattern or PIN it won't re-lock until it is set down. If you continue to hold your phone or put it in your pocket or bag it will remain unlocked. The process works with your device's accelerometer, so if you're laying in bed and hold your phone particularly still you will be prompted to re-renter your lock screen security.



    AndroidPIT Nexus 5 Android 5 1 Lollipop security on body detection
    This is ''on-body''detection in Android 5.1 Lollipop.  / © ANDROIDPIT

    Android 5.1 Android update

    The Android team has officially announced the Android 5.1 update on its official Android blog. The announcement comes complete with a few update details, including support for multiple SIM cards, Device Protection and high definition (HD) voice. You'll also get Wi-Fi and Bluetooth shortcuts in Quick Settings.
    There's no details on scheduling for which devices and when, but you can start the good old button mash cycle right now. Head to Settings > About Phone > Software Update and get busy. If you're rocking a Motorola phone, Nexus device or Google Play Edition you're likely to be first in line for the update.
    We'll do some button mashing ourselves and bring you more on the Android 5.1 update as soon as we have it, as well as a install tutorial as soon as the factory images are available.



    test du motorola moto e 2015 android 00
    Moto, Nexus, Android One, GPe: the quick updates list just gets bigger. / © ANDROIDPIT

    Android 5.1 Lollipop update: when will I get it?

    The first devices to get the Android 5.1 update will be the T-Mobile Nexus 6 and Verizon Nexus 6, with the T-Mobile Nexus 5, Nexus 7 and Nexus 4 also on the rapid fire update list - possibly by the end of the day if you're lucky.
    The Nexus 9 will also be high on that list, along with the Moto X (2014), Moto G (2014) and possibly even the brand spanking new Moto E (2015). Google Play edition devices will also be quick to get the update action.
    Previous coverage: HTC's ever-vocal, always-lovable Product Management Vice President Mo Versi was responding to a twitter question about the HTC One (M7) GPE update  a while back when the next version of Google's mobile OS was hinted at:

    woensdag 25 maart 2015

    HTC One M9+ to be launched on April 8

    HTC will introduce a larger version of its M9 flagship on April 8 in China.

    The company’s Chinese unit just published the image below on Weibo, along the #MoreThanOne hashtag, all but confirming the existence of the long rumored One M9+.



    The image matches the numerous leaks from the past weeks showing a circular camera module and a secondary depth sensor mounted above it, just like on the One M8. Other than that, the device teased in the image features the same two-tone design and brushed metal texture of the One M9.

    So, what do we know about this One M9+? Various leaks point to a 5.5-inch display, though at least one claims it will be just 5.2-inch, and there’s a solid chance the M9+ will feature a Quad HD screen, as opposed to Full HD on the M9. According to @upleaks, HTC is going to swap the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chip from the M9 (which caused it quite a bit of trouble) with a high-end chip from MediaTek. Other specs are likely to stay the same, save for the necessary changes in the camera and battery capacity departments.

    One big feature that will differentiate the M9+ will be a fingerprint sensor mounted, somehow awkwardly, on the front of the device. HTC has used a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor on the One Max, but moving it to the front should bring better usability. We don’t know if this is a swipe-based sensor or touch-based, like the new Galaxy S6 and the iPhones.


    -

    maandag 23 maart 2015

    Rumor: LG G4 5.6-inch Screen


    A tweet from a  tipster with the handle @OnLeaks says that the LG G4 is going to feature a 5.6-inch screen. That would represent a slim .1 inch increase from the size of the screen on the LG G3. We expect the resolution to remain at 1440 x 2560. We don't expect to see the LG G4 introduced until May. The current flagship model was unveiled on May 27th, 2014.

    The LG G4 will feature a 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 810 under the hood. We could see a 16MP-20MP rear camera on the handset with OIS still included. Most likely LG will stick with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of native storage.

    This year, LG will apparently have something even bigger up its sleeves with the LG G4 Note. Early speculation has the device earmarked for the second half of the year, carrying a 5.8-inch display. This model is apparently being considered as a challenger to the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, and will be offered with a stylus that might be

    zondag 15 maart 2015

    Google: Android 5.1 Memory Leak Has Been Fixed Internally, No Timeline For Release Yet


    In the Android community, Lollipop 5.0 is known for a lot of things. Unfortunately, among those things is a pretty severe memory leak that has plagued users with app crashes and launcher redraws, as device memory filled and failed to clear.
    When Android 5.1 was announced, many hoped the issue would finally be resolved. After all, Google did mark the memory leak (which climbed to the 34th highest position in the issue tracker's history) as "future release" back in December.
    As it turns out though, Lollipop 5.1 is not without its own memory leak, at least for some users over at the issue tracker. But Google has some good news and some bad news. The good news is that the 5.1 memory leak has been "fixed internally." The bad news? "We do not currently have a timeline for public release."
    Project Member #35 al...@android.com
    This has been fixed internally. We do not currently have a timeline for public release.
    Status: FutureRelease
    Labels: Restrict-AddIssueComment-Commit 
    The status change appeared 39 hours ago (at the time of writing) on an issue created March 12th, which you can check out for yourself below. Here's hoping the fix doesn't take too long to appear publicly, whatever the version number.

    A memory leak that was originally discovered in Android 5.0.1, is still annoying and befuddling Nexus device users with Android 5.1. According to the Issue Tracker page on the AOSP website, Google has internally fixed the issue and plans to include it in an upcoming release. That most likely would be Android 5.1.1.  

    The complaints are beginning to read the same. Apps, especially Google+, restart on their own. Some active apps disappear in the middle of using them, and free RAM drops in hours to about 750MB-800MB from 1.1GB-1.3GB. Most of the people who sent in a complaint appear to be using the Nexus 5, although other Nexus devices have been cited. Some complaints said that opening apps would increase the amount of RAM in use, but closing apps would not reduce that figure.

    Issue 159738, "Memory leak still present on Android 5.1," was closed by Google on Friday. Now, it is just a matter of waiting for Android 5.1.1. Google will no doubt stamp this as "Rush" because no one wants to live with the craziness of a handset running with a memory leak.
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Reported by jlmcr...@gmail.comMar 12 (3 days ago)
    Memory leak not fixed. I've had system RAM bloated over 1GB, processes restarting and launcher redraws.
    
    Android 5.1 running on a Nexus 5.
    

    woensdag 25 februari 2015

    Confirmed: Google Buys Softcard (Assets) To Better Compete With Apple Pay

    Softcard was the reason mobile carriers initially blocked Google Wallet.

    mobile-payment-redbg-ss-1920
    One could argue that Google Wallet was ahead of its time. When it launched it was blocked by wireless carriers (except for Sprint) that were involved in mobile payments joint venture ISIS, which became Softcard. It was rumored last month that Google was buying Softcard, which has been confirmed today. [See postscript below.]
    In a blog post Google said:
    [W]e’re excited to announce that we’re working with AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless, as well as their mobile payments company Softcard, to help more Android users get the benefits of tap and pay. Under this relationship, the Google Wallet app, including the tap and pay functionality, will come pre-installed on Android phones (running KitKat or higher) sold by these carriers in the US later this year. We’re also acquiring some exciting technology and intellectual property from Softcard to make Google Wallet better.
    Effectively what Google is doing is buying the troubled company to gain access to the carrier relationships, for the distribution. There’s probably nothing technical that Google gets with Softcard that it doesn’t already have or couldn’t build itself.
    The rumored purchase price was $100 million or less.
    Google arguably needed to gain this distribution for Wallet or potentially be at a competitive disadvantage vs. Apple Pay or Samsung, which just bought LoopPay to compete with Apple. Presumably Google Wallet and Samsung Pay (or whatever it’s re-branded) will co-exist on US Android devices. In such a case Google Wallet 2.0 will be bad news for S-Pay.
    All this activity is happening now because Apple Pay has revived the NFC payments market in the US. But for Apple’s early success and momentum with Apple Pay, Samsung wouldn’t have bought LoopPay, nor would Google have bought Softcard.
    Softcard was probably destined for ultimate failure. This transaction thus becomes face-saving in many respects. It likely also means that mobile carriers will not have a direct role in mobile payments. They may get a piece of the action however.
    It’s rumored that Google will be paying (or considered) a revenue share to gain carrier buy-in and prominent placement on Android handsets. Either way Google Wallet gains new life — ironically because of and through its rivals.
    Postscript: Google has clarified that it did not buy Softcard the company. Rather it bought IP and certain assets. Softcard and its app will remain in existence for the time being. However longer term the company will probably shut down (that’s my speculation).