SoftKinetic beats Microsoft to the punch, releases Kinect SDK first.

After a slew of crafty users took Kinect into their own hands shortly following the device’s launch, Microsoft finally relented and decided it would open up the SDK for its users. Before you go kissing the ground MS execs walk on and hailing them as supporting customer creativity, know that the allowance comes only after initially threatening legal action against hackers and then a quick save-face routine in which the company began praising the ingenuity of the developers.
But apparently, these developers didn’t want to wait for the Microsoft stamp of approval before letting everyone who wants to get their hands dirty with the 3D interface. Belgian-based firm SoftKinetic released its own SDK today, which offers development kits for all depth-sensing recording devices – included Kinect.
“We want to expand the community of developers to be able to access to our professional tools and technology. We believe that opening up our cross-platform, multi-camera software to a broader community will enhance productivity and creativity, and we cannot wait to see the incredibly innovations that emerge as a result,” the company’s chief strategy officer Eric Krzeslo says, according to Beta News.
According to SoftKinetic’s site, its license and tools will give users total and free access to “the world’s premier [sic] gesture recognition middleware and industry de facto standard, compatible with all 3D camera technologies on the market.” It does appear, however, that there are some requirements for using the kit. SoftKinectic will be accepting registered companies with a staff of at least three, as well as inventors and creative types working on a finite project or experiment, and of course those of the academic variety. In short, it sort of sounds like SoftKinectic is looking for serious and committed brainiacs to benefit from their hard work. But it’s sure to find them: A fair amount of the early Kinect hacks were from artistic types who were exploring how to incorporate the technology into their art. Then again, some were to make the most realistic appearance of a lightsaber to date. In our eyes, both are deserving of Kinect’s SDK.

Read More :- Kinect SDK.

How to Avoid Being the Victim of an Android Trojan.

 It is no secret that mobile platforms are ripe targets for malware. The explosion of smartphones and tablets, combined with the lack of security awareness or tools for mobile platforms makes them particularly attractive targets. Apparently, Android has caught the attention of mobile malware developers because the number of threats is on the rise.
One of the primary benefits of Android over its main rival--Apple's iOS--is its openness. While Apple exerts control over almost every aspect of the iPhone and iPad experience, and has stringent rules when it comes to the apps that are approved to work with iOS mobile devices, Android is open source and gives developers and users significantly more freedom to customize the platform to meet their needs.
That openness comes at a price, though. A Symantec spokesperson e-mailed me to point out that Symantec has recently noted a spike in malware targeting Android. A recent example is an Android Trojan dubbed Android.PJapps which is spread through compromised versions of legitimate apps that are hosted on unregulated alternatives to the official Android Market.
The Symantec representative described the Android Trojan. "Android.Pjapps masquerades as a popular "Steamy Window" app. The legitimate features of the original app are still present in the malicious version, but it also features additional functionality that allows an attacker to build a botnet. Among other things it is able to install applications, navigate to websites, add bookmarks to the user's browser, send text messages and block text message responses. It also sends sensitive user information back to the attacker."
Mobile malware is by no means unique to Android, but the open nature of the platform makes it an easier target. To avoid becoming a victim of Android malware, Symantec recommends:
Only use regulated Android marketplaces for downloading and installing Android apps.
 Adjust Android OS application settings to stop the installation of non-market apps.
 Review other users' comments on the marketplace to assist in determining if an app is safe.
 During the installation of Android apps, always check the access permissions being requested for installation; if they seem excessive for what the application is designed to do, it would be wise to not install the application.
• Utilize a mobile security solution on devices to ensure any downloaded apps are not malicious.
• Enterprises should consider implementing a mobile management solution to ensure all devices that connect to their networks are policy compliant and free of malware.

Read More :- Android Malware.

Intel completes McAfee acquisition.

WASHINGTON (AFP) – US computer chip giant Intel said Monday that it has completed its $7.68 billion acquisition of computer security firm McAfee.
Intel said that with the completion of the deal, McAfee becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Intel. McAfee will continue to sell security products and services under its own brand.
The Santa Clara, California-based Intel, whose processors power nearly 80 percent of computers worldwide, announced its plan to purchase McAfee, one of the world's largest anti-virus software companies, in August.
The acquisition received the green light from the Federal Trade Commission in December and from European regulators in January.
"Intel has added security as a third pillar of what people demand from their experiences with personal computers and other connected devices," Intel senior vice president Renee James said in a statement.
"The acquisition of McAfee adds not only world-leading security products and technologies to Intel's computing portfolio, but also brings incredibly talented people focused on delivering products and services that help make connecting to the mobile Internet safer and more secure," James said.

Read More :- McAfee Intel

Morgan Stanley hit by China-based hackers.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Morgan Stanley experienced a "very sensitive" break-in to its network by the same China-based hackers who attacked Google Inc's computers more than a year ago, Bloomberg reported, citing leaked emails from an Internet security company.
The emails from the Sacramento, California-based computer security firm HBGary Inc said that Morgan Stanley -- the first financial institution identified in the series of attacks -- considered details of the intrusion a closely guarded secret, the report said.
Bloomberg quoted Phil Wallisch, a senior security engineer at HBGary, as saying that he read an internal Morgan Stanley report detailing the so-called Aurora attacks.
The HBGary emails don't indicate what information may have been stolen from Morgan Stanley's databanks or which of the world's largest merger adviser's multinational operations were targeted, according to the report.
Representatives for HBGary were not immediately available for comment.
A Morgan Stanley spokeswoman declined to comment on whether the bank had been targeted in the Aurora attacks.
"Morgan Stanley invests significantly in IT security and manages a robust program to deal with malware and attempted computer compromises," spokeswoman Sandra Hernandez said in a statement emailed to Reuters.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu repeated that China opposed any kind of hacking.
"We often hear this kind of story. I don't know if related parties have reported this to the relevant authorities asking China to cooperate," Jiang told a regular news briefing.
"We ... will use the law to go after any kind of hacking or crime on the Internet," she added.

Read Full :- China Hackers.

Man Gets 7 Years for Forcing Modems to Call Premium Numbers.

A New Hampshire man who made US$8 million by installing unwanted dial-up software on computers and then forcing them to call expensive premium telephone numbers was handed down an 82-month sentence on Monday.
Prosecutors say that between 2003 and 2007, Asu Pala and others put together a lucrative business by setting up premium telephone numbers in Germany -- similar to the 1-900 numbers used in the U.S. -- and then infecting German PCs with software that would automatically dial the numbers for short periods of time.
"The victims were generally unaware that their computers' telephone modems were calling these numbers and charging them with expenses," the U.S. Department of Justice said in a press release.
These dialers were a major, but largely unreported, problem in Europe in the early part of the last decade. In 2006, two men were given stiff sentences by an Austrian court for running a scam that brought in €12 million ($16.5 million). And while dial-up modem usage has dwindled, shrinking the number of possible victims, this type of software is still in circulation in Europe.
Pala, a Turkish immigrant to the U.S., ran a small Massachusetts Internet service provider called Sakhmet when he was approached by others -- men he believed to be the brains of the operation -- and enticed into building the back-end infrastructure for dialer software that was then downloaded onto the German computers, his lawyer, Geoffrey Nathan, said in an interview Tuesday.
The money was good. Pala was caught after he was flagged by federal authorities after paying cash for his second Lamborghini sports car, Nathan said. By May 2009, Pala had begun cooperating with federal authorities and was training U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation agents across the country on how the Trojan downloader scam worked. He was also secretly working on a sting, trying to nail the two men who had introduced him to the scam. But they couldn't be enticed into a meeting, and the feds ultimately pulled the plug on the operation.
At his sentencing, Pala was given a break for his cooperation with the government, but had the sting worked, it would have cut years more off his sentence, Nathan said. "The case reflects the pitfalls and the success of a cooperation agreement," he said.
The people Pala had been trying to turn in, however, are still running the scam, Nathan said. "Most regrettably, it turns out that the big fish got away with the crime and they remain in operation."
Pala pleaded guilty to fraud and tax evasion charges in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts in April 2010. In addition to the 82-month sentence, he must pay a $7.9 million fine, along with $2.2 million in back taxes to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

Read More :- Forcing modems to call premium numbers.

Apple set to unveil new iPad, with or without Jobs.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – More than a year after igniting the tablet computing craze, Apple Inc prepares to unveil the second version of its blockbuster iPad on Wednesday -- possibly minus lead showman Steve Jobs.
Plenty has changed over the course of the year. The iPad became a bona fide smash, essentially creating the tablet category and triggering a wave of me-too products that are just starting to hit the market.
Now, as rivals Motorola and Research in Motion race to catch up, Apple itself is going through a transformation.
There is as much speculation about whether iconic Chief Executive Jobs will take the stage at Wednesday's event in San Francisco as there is about the new device.
Jobs traditionally launches major products with a pizzazz and style that reflect his eye for detail and design. But he took indefinite medical leave last month and Apple has not given details of the cancer survivor's medical condition.
His absence is bound to spark a fresh round of speculation on his condition. And his presence will be scrutinized equally closely for any signals on his health.
Many in Silicon Valley and on Wall Street doubt he will return to the company he co-founded in 1976.
In his absence, it is a good bet that Tim Cook, the company's operations chief and Jobs' heir apparent, or marketing head Phil Schiller, will lead Wednesday's show.
If Cook does appear, investors will scrutinize his performance. While Wall Street has grown comfortable with Cook's leadership, Wednesday would provide the first major test of his showmanship skills -- a key asset for marketing maestro Apple.
Regardless, the company is in little danger of losing its massive lead in the tablet market in the near term. With a big first-mover advantage, the company is rolling out the second-generation iPad just as most its rivals are bringing their first offerings to consumers.
IPAD, PART DEUX
The new model will sport the same 10-inch screen but should be lighter, thinner and faster, according to a plethora of analyst and blog reports. Apple is expected to add a camera to enable video chat using the FaceTime application.
Shares of some Taiwanese component makers rose in Asian trade on Wednesday ahead of the launch.
Camera module maker Genius Electronic Optical Co Ltd and lens manufacturer Largan Precision Co Ltd were starting new supply deals with Apple, two sources said in December, but neither could confirm for which product the modules were intended.
Genius jumped as much as 5.1 percent before ending 2.5 percent lower, while lens manufacturer Largan edged up 0.2 percent in a broader market down 1.2 percent. Hon Hai Precision, whose parent Foxconn manufactures Apple products, eased 1.8 percent.
"The launch of iPad2 should have been priced in, but any other new features released, for example more powerful hardware, could push relevant stocks into another round of growth," said Mike Fang, a fund manager at Paradigm Asset Management in Taipei.
Component makers generally do not know what the finished product will look like because they are only responsible for manufacturing one part before passing it on for assembly.
Some industry watchers believe the new model may also sport a chip that enables it to run on networks that use both GSM and CDMA technologies.
Consumer appetite for tablets seems sizable, and businesses are also piloting the devices for a variety of uses, including retail and healthcare. But Apple no longer has the tablet market to itself.
Motorola has just launched the well-reviewed Xoom. Research in Motion, which specializes in corporate customers with its BlackBerry, will begin selling the PlayBook. And Hewlett-Packard Co will bring the TouchPad this summer.
Companies such as Samsung Electronics and Dell Inc are already selling tablets, but neither seems to have slowed the iPad's momentum.
Apple set a high bar with the first iPad, so the company will have a harder time creating a "wow-factor" with the second iteration.
It sold nearly 15 million iPads in 2010 after an April launch, three or even four times as many as some analysts had predicted. The tablet added more than $9 billion in revenue for the company last year.
It became a must-have for the holiday season, embraced by taste arbiters such as Oprah Winfrey.
Analysts expect Apple to sell more than 30 million iPads this year, as the overall tablet market explodes to more than 50 million units.
Jobs' absence comes at a crucial time. Apple is engaged in a battle in the smartphone market with Google Inc, whose Android operating system was installed on more devices than Apple's for the first time in 2010. Its usually gravity-defying stock has fluctuated this year.
Shares in the world's most valuable technology company are up roughly 8.5 percent this year, but slid nearly 7 percent over three trading days from February 17 to 22.

Read Full Article Here :- Apple unveil new iPad

Android is virtually everywhere, from docks to clouds.

 

Motorola docks get smarter

Our smartphones are now as powerful as many of our computers, reiterating the trend towards interoperable devices. Motorola (MMI) is taking a literal approach with the Atrix, a laptop dock you can plug your phone into. Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha reportedly had good news for investors yesterday, saying the company will be bringing its Webtop apps and their corresponding docks to its high-end smartphone lineup in the second half of this year.
It’s good news for the dock concept, which is yet another manifestation of mobile-PC interoperability. Google (GOOG) may not have made a device specific for this, but its recent availability of mobile app management via the web adds multiple points of access. Apple (AAPL) has applied a similar tactic for iOS, ensuring a more fluid experience amongst devices. While these integrated platform offerings are free, Motorola’s docking bundle will run you about $500 with a two-year contract.

The mobile cloud takeover

The cloud is facilitating several ways to make our smartphones more functional, and Verizon’s (VZ) unified communications plans will turn your Android into a business desktop phone. Through a platform called Verizon Mobile UC, the desktop phone also features a mobile phone dock, connecting to the enterprise LAN via Ethernet. It’s designed as an enterprise solution, giving employees the ability to make calls without using precious daytime minutes.
Cloud services are also helping the enterprise from a security standpoint, developing separate profiles for Android devices so personal and professional content don’t overlap. Entreproid launched its Divide service at DEMO this week, providing a platform for corporate workers to maintain secure, work-related interactions on their mobile devices. Divide is currently available for Android, in private beta.

Read More :- Android Everywhere.