Researchers Show Hacking Your Computer's BIOS is Child's Play

Two security researchers have demonstrated an easy way to attack the BIOS chips on millions of PCs in under two minutes, undermining all physical and software security and potentially allowing encrypted data including passwords to be stolen. The two suggest that this technique has most likely already been used by the US National Security Agency.

In a talk titled How Many Million BIOSes Would You Like to Infect at this year's CanSecWest conference, researchers Corey Kallenberg and Xeno Kovah showed how vulnerable the UEFI BIOS implementations on all modern motherboards are. The problem, they said, is made even worse because users rarely patch their BIOS chips when updates are released by manufacturers.

The UEFI BIOS on modern PCs is a miniature operating system itself, and is invisible to desktop antimalware programs. By taking control of it, attackers can either disable a PC entirely or subvert its functions. What's more dangerous is that direct access to data in memory is possible, which means attackers can extract encryption keys, passwords, and other data even when so-called secure operating systems are used.

 

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RMP Infotech
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Tinder Appoints Chief Executive to Replace Sean Rad

Tinder, the mobile dating application, said on Friday it had appointed Christopher Payne chief executive, a step toward building the two-and-a-half-year-old company into a booming business.

Mr. Payne replaces Sean Rad, Tinder's co-founder and former chief executive, who last year was embroiled in a sexual harassment lawsuit levied at Tinderand its majority stakeholder, IAC/ InterActiveCorp. Mr. Rad had said late last year that Tinder was recruiting a new leader. He will continue to work with Tinder as president, and still retains a seat on Tinder's board.

The company settled the lawsuit with Whitney Wolfe, the former executive who filed the lawsuit, in September. The parties did not disclose the terms of the settlement.

Tinder is perhaps the best known of a new generation of mobile-focused dating apps; it grew popular with young audiences as a fast way to meet people by quickly swiping on a series of profile photos

 

 

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Inside the Secret Apple Watch Test Facility

Most multipurpose smartwatches that can also double up as fitness trackers have been panned by critics for inaccurate collection of data like number of steps walked, heart rate, etc. To counter this problem, Apple reportedly collected over 18,000 hours of health and fitness data spread across 10,000 workout sessions.

A segment of ABC News' Good Morning America show featuring Apple executives Jeff Williams and Jay Blahnik took the audience around a secret testing facility where Apple employees participated in these workout sessions for almost two years. In typical Apple fashion, these employees were kept in the dark about the purpose of this experiment until the Apple watch was unveiled to the world. The employees wore masks, to check how hard they were breathing, and other expensive sensor equipment. An Apple Watch prototype was also attached to their hands.

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Sony Unveils PumpX, a Portable Bluetooth Speaker With NFC

In an attempt to make a bigger mark in the personal portable audio segment, Sony has launched the PumpX (SRS-X2) wireless speaker for Rs. 7,990. The device features two 10W speakers powered by 45mm drivers, Bluetooth 3.0 and NFC connectivity, and a claimed battery life of "five to twelve hours" on a full charge.

The Sony PumpX can also be used as a wireless hands-free unit to make and receive calls, thanks to the addition of a microphone. Audio transmission from a source device is either through Bluetooth or 3.5mm audio-in, while NFC technology is also present to facilitate easy pairing of wireless devices.

However, the device only supports up to Bluetooth 3.0, with no mention of AptX support. The device additionally features a virtual surround sound mode, which is said to give the listener a sense of room-filling sound, despite the compact dimensions of the PumpX.

Sony hopes to take on the likes of JBL, DigiFlip, Portronics and other similarly priced Bluetooth speakers with the PumpX. Although it isn't the first Sony wireless speaker, it is the first the company is promoting on portability; claiming strong sonic performance despite the size.

The PumpX is on sale now in Black, White & Red colours at Rs. 7,990 and includes a carrying pouch and charger in the box.

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RMP Infotech
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The Car That Won't Let You Drive if You Are Drunk

Researchers are working on an in-built blood alcohol level tester that can prevent people under its influence from driving.

The team at the University of Michigan studied the impact of installing these alcohol ignition interlock devices in all newly-purchased vehicles over a 15-year period.

Their estimates of injury prevention and cost savings are significant. They found that around 85 percent of the crashes resulting in deaths could be avoided.

"That would mean preventing more than 59,000 deaths in US alone over 15 years," the team reported in a paper published in the American Journal of Public Health.Another 1.25 million non-fatal injuries would also be prevented.

The cost of installing the devices would be recouped after just three years."Our analysis demonstrates the significant public health benefit and societal cost savings associated with including alcohol ignition interlock devices as standard equipment in all new cars," said lead author Patrick Carter from University of Michigan.

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Bharti Airtel Partners With Amazon for Cloud Services

Telecom major Bharti Airtel Sunday announced a partnership with Amazon Web Services to offer its cloud computing services to customers in India.

"In line with this market adoption, we are excited to strengthen Airtel's cloud services portfolio by adding Amazon Web Services to our growing list of cloud services providers. We are confident that this will help our global customers truly leverage the benefits of cloud," Bharti Airtel's Global Business CEO Ajay Chitkara said in a statement.

Cloud computing services offer software and other facilities on pay-as-you-use basis without customers requiring to buy the entire product.

Amazon Web Services offers facility like website hosting, data storage and other softwares required to run or manage businessesAn Airtel official explained that under this partnership customers will get commitment from the company on dedicated connection between their premise and AWS data centres- the facility which was not available earlier."By utilising AWS Direct Connect customers are able to reduce network costs, increase bandwidth throughput and provide a more consistent network experience, helping Indian businesses of all sizes to rapidly expand their organisations," Amazon Web Services India Head Bikram Singh Bedi said.

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RMP Infotech
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Hon Hai, Tencent Partner in Electric Car Business

Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd on Monday said it has partnered Chinese social networker Tencent Holdings Ltd to develop opportunities related to electric vehicles, marking the latest tech foray into "smart" cars.

Hon Hai, WeChat operator Tencent and luxury car dealer China Harmony Auto Holding Ltd signed an agreement to work together in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou, Henan province, the contract manufacturer said without detailing specifics.The partnership would put Tencent on a par with online peers Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and Baidu Inc, which have already moved into the nascent market for Internet-connected cars vie tie-ups with major auto makers.

Hon Hai said the coalition would form a working team drawing on its manufacturing capabilities, Tencent's Internet platform and China Harmony Auto's dealership network, to explore commercial possibilities in smart electric vehicles.

Hon Hai, known more for assembling the bulk of Apple Inc's iPhones, already has experience with electric vehicles having manufactured the touch screens in some cars made by US automaker Tesla Motors Inc.The absence of a carmaker from its new partnership appears to put the group on a different tack to that of Alibaba or Baidu in targeting electric vehicles.That market has largely failed to flourish in China, though the government has given it years of subsidies and support. The government has redoubled efforts to promote electric vehicles, renewing tax breaks and setting aggressive emission standards.

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RMP Infotech
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Transcend MP710 Review: An Old-Fashioned Portable Media Player

We woke up this morning feeling like it was 2005. That was the year that Mumbai was submerged due to never-seen-before rainfall, and Eris, the solar system's largest known dwarf planet, was discovered. It's also probably the last year that dedicated portable media players were still exciting. Yet here we are, well into 2015, reviewing a portable media player from Transcend.

The Transcend MP710 is a tiny device that does exactly what it says on the box, and not much more. Because it's fitness oriented, it features a G-Sensor Step Counter and run-friendly hooked earphones. The pocketable size and lightweight build can be considered advantages, but there is nothing else special about the device. It is simply a portable media player and recorder with 8GB of storage space.

Design and Specifications
The MP710 is made entirely of plastic, which keeps it down to a lightweight 39g without the headphones connected. At 88x44x10mm, dimensions are on the compact side too, which is a good thing for a fitness-focused PMP. There are two colour options, and the dull finish looks good in an understated way. The 2-inch 240x320-pixel TFT LCD screen can be used to play AMV and AVI format files, but unfortunately it's a terrible screen to actually watch anything on. It exists mainly to provide visual cues to navigation and to display album art.

Performance
We've stated that the system is pretty foolproof as far as getting it running and operational is concerned. This is perhaps the only praiseworthy thing about the Transcend MP710's performance.

Starting with audio quality, we're sad to say that the MP710 and its bundled headphones are absolutely appalling. There was a significant hiss to some of the classic audio tracks we tested; more than the acceptable limit. There was also a significant problem with stereo separation, with certain elements of tracks clearly playing through only one earpiece and  ignoring the other. The in-ears are so bad, it's as if they had been designed by someone serving his or her last day at the job before quitting and disappearing forever.

Verdict
Bringing back products from the past is like reminding us of our foolish teenage years. If we were to draw a comparison, the Transcend MP710 would be like a 40-year-old in baggy jeans and a  sideways baseball cap trying to sneak in to a college canteen and look inconspicuous. Even today's least expensive smartphones can handle audio playback and recording better. If you are thinking of spending money on this device, save it instead and buy yourself a better phone the next time you upgrade.

Price (MRP): Rs. 3,999

Pros

• Doesn't weigh much

Cons

• Bad audio output
• Low-quality bundled earphones
• Limited storage space and file format support
• Average battery life
• Step counter is a joke

Ratings (Out of 5)

• Design: 2
• Performance: 1
• Value for money: 2.5
• Overall: 2

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RMP Infotech
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In a market already crowded with wacky and colourful portable Bluetooth speakers, the entry of another upstart is not really surprising anymore; everyone wants a share of the pie.  The Boat brand has been launched in India in partnership with Imagine Marketing, the company which also sells House of Marley products here. The Pitcher is the only Bluetooth speaker available under the Boat brand at the moment. The Pitcher needs to prove its mettle considering it is going up against products from established brands such as JBL, Creative and Logitech.

Design and specifications
If the name wasn't indication enough, the shape of the Boat Pitcher drives home the point that this Bluetooth speaker looks like a pitcher. We got a blue unit for review but it is also available in black, and mint green. We quite like the design of the Boat Pitcher as it feels fresh and playful. Additionally, the build quality of the speaker is also pretty good. The Pitcher measures 110x110x113mm and weighs 1.02kg, so it is slightly on the chunkier side.

The outer shell is made of tough plastic and has curves just like an actual pitcher does. A handle-like extension pops out from the front. The button on top can be used to play/pause music and accept calls. Volume up and down buttons are right below it. A microphone sits near the bottom of the handle, surrounded by an LED indicator ring which turns blue (colour coordinated with the outer shell) when the speaker is turned on or is in pairing mode. The speaker grill is on top with a 'Boat' logo imprinted on a metal plate bang in the center. The bottom of the speaker has a rubbery surface that ensures that the Pitcher doesn't topple over easily. The on/off switch is also on the bottom.

Sound Quality
We paired the Boat Pitcher with a Macbook Air and an iPhone 5c over Bluetooth, which was a fairly easy process. We also connected devices to it physically using the provided 3.5mm Aux cable to test the sound quality. We played songs across various genres and also video files to hear how the Pitcher sounds in use.

You and I by Ingrid Michaelson is an acoustic song for the most part and mainly consists of Michaelson's raspy vocals accompanied by a guitar. The Pitcher reproduces the mid-range frequencies in this song very well and the crisp vocals were a marked departure from the muddy mids we've experienced from many other Bluetooth speakers in the same price range.

The Boat Pitcher doesn't do anything out of the ordinary to create a distinction for itself when compared with the competition. Even so, it is not a bad product by any means. It looks good and produces better-than-average sound, which is more than many other products can pull off.

Price: Rs. 3,990

Pros

• Rich mid-range response
• Colourful design

Cons

• Sub-bass sounds are absent
• Soundstaging is not good

Ratings (Out of 5)

• Design: 4
• Performance: 3
• Value For money: 3.5
• Overall: 3.5

Boat Pitcher Review: Playful Design but a Tad Expensive