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CE Week Top 10 Gadgets

Posted by Unknown
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
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 A round up of the most important gadgets and trends this year by tech journalists from NPD, Fox, gdgt, ABC and Laptop at CE Week NYC. 
 It’s not quite time for an end-of-year list of 2011’s most important gadgets and trends, but a mid-year round up is exactly what took place on stage at the CEA Lineshows Conference in New York City this week.

Clayton Morris from Fox News got Ross Rubin of NPD Group, Peter Rojas of gdgt, Andrea Smith of ABC News Radio, Mark Spoonauer of Laptop and Josh Topolsky of ThisIsMyNext to chat about the most exciting gear and gadget-related trends on the market now

  1. Software/App is the new gadgetFor a panel billed to be all about gadgets, it was surprising the journalists would kick things off by talking software rather than hardware, but they were spot on. With all the tech coverage devoted to software update news — from iOS 5, Windows Phone 7 Mango to Android Ice Cream Sandwich (what’s with all the food references?) — so far this year, software is without a doubt defining (if not outright making or breaking) gadgets right now.
  2. Eye-Fi Memory Card
    An Eye-Fi card looks and feels just like a standard SD card but contains an embedded Wi-Fi chip that allows users to upload photos and videos instantly and wirelessly from camera to computer or even your phone, without having to physically move the card from one device to another. As Rojas pointed out, many people don’t bother moving their photos or videos off their phones or SD cards, so they rely solely on the camera’s tiny LCD screen to show off their images. With the Eye-Fi, users don’t have to bother with moving a thing, and only have to worry about capturing the best shot. That said, the card only works with selectcameras and camcorders so check for compatibility before buying. The Eye-Fi is available from major retailers like Best Buy starting at $40 for 4 GB.
  3. OnLive Game System and other set-top boxes
    What makes the OnLive Game System a game-changer to the panelists is that the cloud-based video game service takes the device out of the equation by running games that used to be only possible on the latest consoles or high-end PCs with top of the line parts, on devices that have a fraction of the power. Other set-top boxes in the living room like the Roku, Singbox and Boxee also got a mention as they are helping people cut the cord to cable. Smith made a good point that her college-aged son just cares about getting Netflix on his Xbox, so the box that wins will be that one that makes it easy to get the content consumers want, as opposed to what the cable company wants to push to consumers.
  4. Health Gadgets
    No particular product was singled out but all the panelists agreed the use of technology to help consumers take more responsibility for their health is growing, especially among the “boomer generation” according to Smith. Average consumers can now purchase attachments like the iHealth blood pressure reader and app to measure and record their vital signs and send the information directly to their doctors, rather than drop by their doctor’s office. There are even apps that remind users to take their medication, and measure there caloric in-take and exercise progress. Whether these apps and gadgets are as effective at improving our health as advertised, we’ll just have to wait and see.
  5. HTC Thunderbolt 4G/LTE
    Phone-wise, the panelists were most impressed with Verizon’s HTC Thunderbolt to date. What separates the Thunderbolt from others is the incredible upload (30 seconds to one minute) and download (5-12 mbps) speeds it can achieve thanks to the LTE network. In Spoonauer’s opinion, “This is a huge deal. It’s mobile broadband that feels like home broadband.” The Thunderbolt’s 4.3″ display, 8 megapixel camera and 1 GHz Snapdragon CPU running Android Froyo still rank among the best specs in phones currently on the market, though it faces “lots of challenges around battery life,” said Rubin.
  6. iPad 2
    For Topolsky, companies trying to catch up to the iPad 2 have yet “to make a really compelling argument about their products,” which explains why the iOS device is still dominating its category without much competition. The panelists attribute the iPad’s success to its software because “the main reason people buy the iPad is for the apps,” according to Smith, “People want to play with those apps.” Spoonauer got some chuckles by pointing out that, “There are probably more apps in the Chrome app store than in the Android Market for Honeycomb.”
  7. Chromebook
    Speaking of Google’s cloud-centric laptop running the Chrome OS, Rojas believes the Chromebook will “eventually be a game-changer [but] we’re not there yet.” At $350 for the cheapest model by Acer, the Chromebook is still too expensive for a laptop that has limited functions (no Bluetooth or Ethernet port, for example) when a netbook at a similar price is much more flexible and powerful. Perhaps when the price of Chromebook drops further, it will encourage more people to purchase the Google laptop as a secondary device and hence influence the industry.
  8. Nintendo Wii U
    Although the next generation Nintendo Wii U console won’t be launched until 2012, the announcement of its new controller at E3 earlier this month captured the imagination of many eager consumers, including these tech journalists. As Rubin put it, the Wii U offers “innovation with a second screen” so they can’t wait to see how it will play out.
  9. MusicLites
    MusicLites is a light bulb that streams and plays music wirelessly through the built-in receiver and speaker, which can be controlled with a remote via Infrared. Simply screw the bulb into a regular light socket, connect the USB transmitter to the source of music (computer, phone or tablet), and the music will be able to play in rooms installed with the MusicLites bulbs. The light bulb is a 10-watt LED light (equivalent to about a 65-watt reflector bulb), with a 70-millimeter full range high fidelity loudspeaker and a wireless audio receiver that works on the 2.4GhZ Wi-Fi band. “I think this is an insane idea,” said Topolsky and I would have to agree given its price: $250 for one bulb, and $120 for the iPad/iPhone/iPod-compatible transmitter and remote. They are available in select audio dealers now. See for yourself in the video below

  11. Motorola Atrix 4G + dock
    The panelists lamented what could have been with AT&T’s Motorola Atrix 4G smartphone that can transform into a netbook with the Webtop OS and laptop dock. The idea is that you can expand on your phone’s functionality by docking to a laptop shell, but in practice, “the laptop component isn’t great,” said Topolsky. Other gears like the Asus Padfone and Transformer are also following in this direction as the design makes sense “for people who are looking to combine gadgets,” said Spoonauer. I know I am always looking for ways to do more with less gadgets. What about you?

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Nokia N9 to run Android apps with Alien Dalvik emulator for MeeGo

Posted by Unknown
Thursday, June 23, 2011
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While many have consider the fate of the MeeGo-based Nokia N9 sealed even before it hits the shelves later this year, others are optimistically assessing the potential of the platform and its ecosystem. In the meanwhile, another titbit of information has appeared that might just change the equation quite a bit – a high-performance Android emulator known as Alien Dalvik will be developed for MeeGo sometime later this year. This will enable Nokia N9 and other MeeGo mobile users to run non-ported, unmodified Android applications.
All Android app developers will have to do is to repack the .apk installer. Made by Myriad, the Alien Dalvik emulator is different from other such software in that it is designed to take full advantage of the hardware, and therefore performance is not expected to be an issue. Any further, more complex features can be integrated using the Android SDK that Myriad provides.

In the meanwhile, Nokia has announce a developer handset for MeeGo – the Nokia N950, which sports a hardware QWERTY keypad, and much the same specs as the N9, except for the use of a TFT screen instead of an AMOLED display. In essence, this makes two MeeGo phones, though for right now, Nokia hasn’t provided a release date for the developer device. 
The standard Android hardware keys - options, home, search, and back – will be emulated as touch buttons in the interface. A spokesperson for Myriad said that the experience of running Android apps on a MeeGo device is “seamless,” and should run as well as the native software. Check out a short preview of the emulator below.




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RIM launches Blackberry Playbook, selects Salman Khan to promote the product

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Another entrant in the burgeoning tablet market is the BlackBerry PlayBook which was launched yesterday in Mumbai. The PlayBook is a seven inch tablet which runs the QNX operating system which was acquired by RIM last year. The nifty tablet was unveiled by Bollywood actor Salman Khan, while also present at the event was Frenny Bawa, MD RIM.

The PlayBook features the same security features as BlackBerry phones and does not require a separate data or tariff plan. In other words the PlayBook would tether to your BlackBerry smartphone to access the BES (BlackBerry Enterprise Server) along with other office applications. RIM was focusing on the PlayBook's multitasking capabilities and while we were impressed by how the tablet handles multiple tasks without much stutter, we wonder how that is any different from the existing tablets, all of which boast of multitasking. The QNX UI lets you view the running applications without having to minimize them in order to switch and that's about as far it goes in offering a fresh approach to multi task.

On the specifications front the PlayBook features a 1 GHz dual core processor along with a standalone GPU. On the whole with the PlayBook RIM has ensured the tablet isn’t left behind on the specifications front. It feels pretty easy to hold and is light, weighing in at just 425 grams, however the only available screen size is seven inches. The PlayBook sports a 3 megapixel front and a 5 megapixel rear camera, both of them record in 1080p HD. It has a mini HDMI port to connect it to your LCD TV to view the tablet’s content on a much larger screen. This comes in handy while playing games or watching YouTube videos; incidentally it also has Flash support. We would’ve liked to see a few more colour options other than the plain old black that they currently have. After all, Blackberry boys are not all about the suits right?

Priced at Rs. 27,990 for a 16 GB Wi-Fi model the PlayBook is about two thousand rupees cheaper then the iPad 2. The other two models are 32 and 64 GB which are available for Rs. 32,990 and Rs. 37,990 receptively.

What we liked most about the PlayBook is its ability to sync with a BlackBerry smartphone which lets you perform all the tasks only this time on a bigger capacitive touch display, however the lack of GSM capability renders its use impossible without a BlackBerry phone.

You can leverage the power of BB messenger using Blackberry bridge, however the tablet doesn't have its own PIN and mirrors it from the BlackBerry phone it is connected to. PlayBook might serve its purpose for the existing BlackBerry smartphones users but it needs to be seen how the tablet fairs when it comes to acquiring new customers and markets. Locking it to a BlackBerry phone in terms of both usability and connectivity seems like a gamble for RIM.
Source:  Digit

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Apple under scanner for violating Indian competition laws with iPhone 4

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India may conduct an inquiry against Apple following a complaint that the iPhone maker is breaching the competition laws of the country. The complaint lodged at the Competition Commission of India (CCI) states that Apple is curbing the customers' choice by restricting sale of the iPhone 4 through only two mobile operators – Bharti Airtel and Aircel. It further states that the software for the device can be downloaded only from the official Apple app store. The complainant also alleges that the Apple hardware can be serviced only at Apple stores.

AFP quotes a CCI official as saying the competition watchdog will examine the complaint and see if Apple is violating the laws. The CCI official, however, declined to divulge the details of the complaint. Apple, meanwhile, has said that it has not received any notice from the CCI and refused to comment further. The commission is likely to take up the matter later this week.
Apple has been selling its iPhone with exclusive operators since its launch in India, and most territories around the world. But in India, consumers are not yet very used to such contract-based devices. However, until operators offer more than a few devices on such contracts, we will never know if the Indian consumer actually likes or dislikes such deals - unless they have sufficient variety to choose from.

Apple's iPhone 4 was launched last month in India, almost after a year it was launched in the US. The phone came with services of two mobile operators Bharti Airtel and Aircel. The two operators have offered the latest iPhone with discounted data plans. The launch of iPhone 4 came months after the third-generation wireless spectrum was launched in India. The operators brought the iPhone 4 hoping to take advantage of the3G services.

Do you also think Apple has breached laws by restricting its devices to certain network operators? Let us know what you think in the comments

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Save Yourself from Trojans, viruses, worms on PCs and Macs? PART - 3

Posted by Unknown
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
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What’s a virus, anyway?
I’ve been writing about Windows security since before the turn of the millennium. Every edition in the Windows Inside Out series of books, starting in 2001, has had a lengthy section on security. Back in 2002, I co-wrote Microsoft Windows Security Inside Out for Windows XP and Windows 2000.
In every previous edition, the section on malicious software started with a lengthy glossary, explaining the differences between viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware, and other esoteric terms.
For the Deluxe Edition of Windows 7 Inside Out that went to the printer this week, I ditched that section completely. In 2011, those lines have become so blurred as to be practically meaningless.
Microsoft’s most recent security report lists threat categories by family. (The totals add up to more than 100% because some variants fall into multiple categories.)
Category% Detected
Misc Trojans31.6%
Misc Potentially Unwanted Software25.5%
Worms24.4%
Trojan Downloaders and Droppers20.1%
Adware17.4%
Password Stealers & Monitoring Tools11.7%
Exploits7.1%
Backdoors6.6%
Viruses5.9%
Spyware0.6%
You’ll find viruses down at the bottom of the list, just above spyware, which was a very big deal in 2005 but is practically nonexistent now.
I asked Microsoft for details on what exactly was included in the Viruses category, and they were kind enough to provide a list that wasn’t in the original report. Interestingly, the two entries at the top of the category were already on the top 10 list. Some variations of the Alureon and Frethog Trojans can be technically classed as viruses, because they inject code into system files as part of the infection process.
I found the last entry on the Top 10 Viruses of 2010 list even more interesting. Microsoft’s virus encyclopedia goes on for page after page with variants of malware in the Delf family. It starts withAdware:Win32/Delf and continues over 40 pages untilWorm:Win32/Delf.ZAB. That’s 2,359 variations from a single obscure family, covering just about every category in the malware universe.
And there’s the numbers game in a nutshell. I saw a headline from someone today marveling at the fact that there are 67,000 new threats aimed at Windows every day. Well, that’s only sorta kinda true. Most of those “new threats” are microscopic variations on an existing one, cranked out on the fly by automated malware toolkits that have learned how to slide past signature-based antivirus software.
And so we come full circle. Although it’s an odd way to look at things, malware is actually a market. An unfortunately healthy, thriving market. On the PC side, it’s large and mature, with reasonably skilled coders cranking out malicious product quickly, and an army of white hats well equipped to deal with them.
In the Mac universe (and in Android-land too), the malware market has only just begun to take off. The opportunities for malware developers on new platforms are practically endless. So, unfortunately, are the challenges for those who have to fight them off.
The good news about the bad guys is that they’ll be using a very predictable playbook. Those in the Mac security business who are willing to learn hard-won lessons from their PC counterparts will find life considerably easier. Those who insist that Macs and PCs are fundamentally different are in for a rude shock.
Related : PART - 2

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Save Yourself from Trojans, viruses, worms on PCs and Macs? PART - 2

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Where does malware come from?
On Windows machines, some malware comes from drive-by downloads. You visit a website, you get infected by a piece of script that triggers a buffer overflow that allows the malware to stealthily install.
If you keep your system fully patched, you are almost certainly not that victim. Those types of attacks are typically successful only with PC owners who haven’t installed the latest security updates. Most such exploits, in fact, target vulnerabilities that were patched years earlier. A 2009 Kaspersky report concluded, “With very few exceptions, the exploits in circulation target software vulnerabilities that are known – and for which patches are available.”
The number of drive-by installations is small. So how does the majority of malware get on a PC or Mac? Most attacks today succeed by convincing the victim to do the actual work.
A 2010 study by Bruce Hughes of AVG Technologies, says “Social engineering trumps a zero-day every time.” It concludes that “users are four times more likely to come into contact with social engineering tactics as opposed to a site serving up an exploit.”
How do those big numbers translate into the actual families of malware that end up on user’s machines? You can get a pretty good idea by looking at data from Microsoft’s most recent Security Intelligence Report. The report contains two interesting top 10 lists representing threats faced by consumer and enterprise populations, respectively. In all, this combined list accounts for between 54% and 56% of all malware that was detected on Windows PCs by any Microsoft security product in 2010.
Let’s go through the list (note that because of overlap between the consumer and enterprise lists there are fewer than 20 entries here).
The biggest infection of 2010, by far, was Conficker. This is a worm that spreads via file shares, mostly on corporate networks. At its peak, it represented 22% of all infections detected on domain-joined computers.
Conficker’s means of propagation is a vulnerability in the Windows Server service. This vulnerability was fixed in October 2008 by Security Bulletin MS08-067, which patched Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Server 2003, and Server 2008. (Windows 7 was never affected.)  There’s no excuse for that patch not being installed nearly two years later, in 2010.
The lists contain multiple families classed as Trojans, which typically rely on social engineering to spread:
  • Frethog and Taterf are password-stealing Trojans that show up in both the consumer and enterprise populations. They were originally identified in May and June 2008, respectively.
  • Alureon (aka Zlob) is a data-stealing Trojan found mostly in the enterprise space. It dates all the way back to March 2007.
  • Renos is a family of fake security software that’s classified as a Trojan Downloader & Dropper, much like Mac Defender. It dates back to April 2007. FakeSpypro, a more recent variant, was originally identified in May 2010.
RealVNC, a legitimate remote terminal program, also made it on the list, under the category Potentially Unwanted Software. If it’s installed by an intruder, it can be used for malicious purposes. It was detected on more than 5% of domain-joined PCs.
In the consumer populations, four browser-based families of threats—not malicious, just annoying—made the Top 10 list. All are typically installed by means of social engineering.
  • Adware:JS/Pornpop.A, added to the encyclopedia in August 2010, isn’t a piece of software at all. It’s a snippet of script from a web page that is activated within an iFrame in any browser. Microsoft’s security software usually picks up on this one when it scans the browser’s cache.
  • Zwangi is a browser hijacker, first spotted in October 2009.
  • Hotbar, which has been around as long as I can remember, is an annoying adware program.
  • ClickPotato is a relatively new family of “multi-component adware” that displays pop-ups and ads. It often tags along with Hotbar.
The latter three programs are typically installed along with smileys and other bits of fluffy software aimed at noobs and rubes.
Finally, there are a family of interesting Trojans that combine social engineering with the AutoRun feature of USB drives and file shares:
  • Autorun is a generic worm that attempts to copy itself to mapped drives, then writes an autorun configuration file (Autorun.inf) pointing to the executable file. It’s usually accompanied by other malware variants
  • Rimecud is a backdoor that spreads by way of removable drives and instant-messaging programs.
  • Hamweq is an IRC-based backdoor program that spreads via flash drives.
The AutoRun feature doesn’t actually install the malware. Instead, it uses the AutoRun feature to open a dialog box that tries to trick the user into running an installer.
The behavior that made this social engineering possible was changedbefore Windows 7 was released. The behavior was modified in the same fashion for Windows XP and Windows Vista by means of Optional updates that were published in February 2009 (KB967940) and August 2009 (KB971029). As of February 2011, they are delivered as Important updates through Windows Update.
So add it all up. Among the top 10 threats in both the consumer and enterprise populations, one exploited a vulnerability that had been patched more than a year earlier, and the rest consisted of Trojans and worms that relied on social engineering to land on a victim’s PC.

Related : PART - 1  , PART - 3

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Save Yourself from Trojans, viruses, worms on PCs and Macs? PART - 1

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The hardest part of talking about computer security is getting everyone to agree on the nature of the problem. It’s especially frustrating when you’re trying to weigh the pros and cons of different strategies with someone whose view of the PC security landscape is outdated and inaccurate.
Case in point: What’s the best way to deal with malicious software on PCs and Macs?
You can’t answer that question—you can’t even start talking about it—until you know how malware gets installed in the first place. And there’s where the disconnect begins.
Judging from the reactions to my recent posts on OS X and malware, the Mac community has a pretty consistent collective understanding of how computer security works. Their worldview is based on opinions that might have been close to the mark in 2004 or 2005 but are just plain wrong in 2011.
They think, incorrectly, that Windows is inherently insecure. They assume, with no support, that large numbers of PC users are infected every year just by visiting websites or opening e-mails. And they believe, sincerely but also incorrectly, that OS X is inherently secure and that they are basically immune as long as they avoid doing stupid things.
Here’s the reality, for PCs and Macs:
  • The traditional labels for malware categories—viruses, worms, Trojans, and so on—aren’t nearly as meaningful as they were 10 years ago.
  • If you install security updates regularly, your risk of being affected by a drive-by download is virtually zero.
  • A very small number of malware families account for virtually all malware infections.
  • The overwhelming majority of malware is installed by the victim, who is fooled by social engineering.
Much of the discussion I read comes down to shorthand, like this: “There’s malware [on Macs], yes. No viruses though.”
I have read variations on this theme over and over again in the Talkback section of this blog recently:
Mac Defender is NOT a virus. … Mac OS X has ALWAYS been free of viruses… as opposed to Windows which has hundreds of thousands of viruses and new ones coming each day.
Indeed, that obsession with the word virus is a recurring theme in Apple’s support forums. Search for the phrase “there are no viruses” at discussions.apple.com and you’ll find plenty of examples, like this onefrom January 2011:
There are no viruses that run on OSX. None. Zip. Zero.
There is some “malware,” such as Trojans, for Macs, though. But (unlike viruses that can get onto your system without your knowledge), you must approve their installation (via your Admin password) and/or operation (via the “This application was downloaded from the internet …” prompt).
Sorry, but that’s not true. The Mac Defender gang already proved they can sidestep the requirement to enter an Administrator password. They already convinced tens of thousands of victims to install a small program that then downloads and installs additional malware without any user interaction. And it’s just a matter of time and financial motivation before they begin whacking at vulnerabilities in OS X.
And categories don’t matter. These days, actual viruses are almost unheard of. Melissa, back in the late 1990s was a real virus, the kind that copied itself to documents and spread via e-mail. Today, security professionals are more interested in what a particular family of malicious code does. The delivery mechanism is usually separate.
If this were simply a matter of semantics, I would let it slide. But it’s not. The obsession with these technical labels reflects a dangerously outdated view of computer security. If you can’t see past those labels and get an accurate view of the current threat landscape, you won’t be able to make smart, informed decisions for yourself or for others.
Or, put another way: We can’t even have a discussion if one side thinks the world is flat and the other thinks it’s round.
So let me give you the lay of the security landscape that PCs and Macs share in 2011, starting with how malware gets on PCs and Macs in the first place.

Related : PART - 2

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