Binarycse Blog

California—March 5, 2010—Apple today announced that its magical and revolutionary iPad will be available in the US on Saturday, April 3, for Wi-Fi models and in late April for Wi-Fi + 3G models. In addition, all models of iPad will be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK in late April.

Beginning a week from today, on March 12, US customers can pre-order both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models from Apple’s online store (www.apple.com) or reserve a Wi-Fi model to pick up on Saturday, April 3, at an Apple retail store.

“iPad is something completely new,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We’re excited for customers to get their hands on this magical and revolutionary product and connect with their apps and content in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before.”

Starting at just $499, iPad lets users browse the web, read and send email, enjoy and share photos, watch videos, listen to music, play games, read ebooks and much more. iPad is just 0.5 inches thick and weighs just 1.5 pounds—thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook—and delivers battery life of up to 10 hours.

iPad’s revolutionary Multi-Touch™ interface makes surfing the web an entirely new experience, dramatically more interactive and intimate than on a computer. You can read and send email on iPad’s large screen and almost full-size “soft” keyboard or import photos from a Mac®, PC or digital camera, see them organized as albums, and enjoy and share them using iPad’s elegant slideshows. iPad makes it easy to watch movies, TV shows and YouTube, all in HD, or flip through the pages of an ebook you downloaded from Apple’s new iBookstore while listening to your music collection.

The App Store on iPad lets you wirelessly browse, buy and download new apps from the world’s largest app store. iPad includes 12 new innovative apps designed especially for iPad and will run almost all of the more than 150,000 apps on the App Store, including apps already purchased for your iPhone or iPod touch. Developers are already creating exciting new apps designed for iPad that take advantage of its Multi-Touch interface, large screen and high-quality graphics.

The new iBooks app for iPad includes Apple’s new iBookstore, the best way to browse, buy and read books on a mobile product. The iBookstore will feature books from the New York Times Best Seller list from both major and independent publishers, including Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, Penguin Group and Simon & Schuster.

The iTunes Store gives iPad users access to the world’s most popular online music, TV and movie store with a catalog of over 12 million songs, over 55,000 TV episodes and over 8,500 films including over 2,500 in stunning high definition. All the apps and content you download on iPad from the App Store, iTunes Store and iBookstore will be automatically synced to your iTunes library the next time you connect with your computer.

Pricing & Availability
iPad will be available in Wi-Fi models on April 3 in the US for a suggested retail price of $499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB, $699 for 64GB. The Wi-Fi + 3G models will be available in late April for a suggested retail price of $629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB and $829 for 64GB. iPad will be sold in the US through the Apple Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers.

iPad will be available in both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models in late April in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. International pricing will be announced in April. iPad will ship in additional countries later this year.

The iBooks app for iPad including Apple’s iBookstore will be available as a free download from the App Store in the US on April 3, with additional countries added later this year.

*Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

This sophisticated laptop is perfect for anyone looking for performance and quality in a package that doesn’t stress your budget. Featuring a vibrant, LED-backlit 15.6″ widescreen display at resolutions up to 1600×900, you’ll get a clean, crisp image whether you’re working in Excel, surfing the web, or watching high definition movies.

The mX-L features the all new 2010 Intel® Core™ i5 / i7 mobile processors and 802.11b/g/n wireless for a state-of-the-art features and performance. The mX-L also features ATI Radeon HD graphics, Bluetooth connectivity, high resolution 2.0MP video camera, e-SATA, and HDMI. For entertainment or business, the mX-L delivers.The mX-L features ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570 graphics to give you a visual feast of high definition media and gaming. With 80 unified stream processors and DirectX 10.1 support, the mX-L can even serve up some light gaming while on the road. And coupled with HDMI out, the mX-L can even handle driving your 1080p high definition TV. The Radeon HD 4570 is equipped with 512MB of dedicated memory and supports HDCP.

The mX-L packs all these features and power into a package that is thin, aesthetically pleasing, and devoid of any unnecessary design aspects. The mX-L even features a full numeric keypad usually only found in larger, 17″ notebooks.The Intel Core i5 and i7 processors feature a combination of fast cache, Turbo Boost Technology for performance when you need it, and Hyper-Threading for faster mutli-tasking and multimedia. Coupled with an integrated memory controller and dual channel DDR3 memory, and the mX-L 15 delivers a silky smooth computing experience.The mX-L is available with solid-state hard drive technology, eliminating moving parts, noise and heat, while drastically improving reliability so your data is kept safe and secure. These optional upgrades bring a whole new level of performance and response during an computing task. From booting up to launching applications, an SSD hard drive is a solid investment.

With wireless 802.11b/g/n technology, you get the fastest, most secure wireless experience. Coupled with an integrated fingerprint reader and you can be assured that your system is locked down from unwanted guests. A 2.0MP camera provides for easy tele-conference and is compatible with popular software like Skype. An e-SATA connection will enable you to connect external hard drives at speeds that match your internal storage.

California—March 2, 2010—Apple today filed a lawsuit against HTC for infringing on 20 Apple patents related to the iPhone’s user interface, underlying architecture and hardware. The lawsuit was filed concurrently with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) and in U.S. District Court in Delaware.

“We can sit by and watch competitors steal our patented inventions, or we can do something about it. We’ve decided to do something about it,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We think competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours.”

Apple reinvented the mobile phone in 2007 with its revolutionary iPhone, and did it again in 2008 with its pioneering App Store, which now offers more than 150,000 mobile applications in over 90 countries. Over 40 million iPhones have been sold worldwide. Apple submitted over 700 pages of exhibits to the District Court, which is a little nuts. In addition, the ITC complaint lists a number of specific HTC handsets as exhibits, including the Nexus One, Touch Pro, Touch Diamond, Touch Pro2, Tilt II, Pure, Imagio, Dream / G1, myTouch 3G, Hero, HD2, and Droid Eris. That’s really a full range of HTC phones, running both Android and Windows Mobile, with and without Sense / TouchFLO. Interestingly, the Android sets are specifically included because they run Android, while the WinMo sets are called out specifically for including DSP chips, not anything to do with Windows Mobile.

The TiVo Premiere box brings it all together with one device, one remote, one HD interface, all on the biggest screen in your house. What was once complicated is now simple.Plug your HDTV into the future of television Premiere replaces your dusty old cable box or DVR with something far more powerful. You’ll not only get the world’s most innovative DVR and increased storage for your HD entertainment, you’ll get Premiere’s reinvented, visually stunning HD interface, which enables you to search, explore, browse, and discover in all new ways. The Premiere is the one set-top box you’ll need to access almost any content out there, all with the TiVo features you already know and love. Better still, the Swivel Search feature has been extended to search the internet so in a few clicks you can track down movies featuring, say, a favorite actor and be streaming them to your TV.With a broadband-connected Premiere, you’re connected to a vast universe of on-demand choices for purchase or rent—from movies and TV shows to web videos, music videos, streaming music and more. (Additional fees may apply from third-party content providers.), you no longer need to enjoy your computer’s personal music library through your computer’s speakers or headphones. With TiVo Desktop software it’s simple to stream the tunes you love the most on your TV or home entertainment system.

There are two Series 4 models (and you’ll have to buy one – series 3 boxes cannot be upgraded): the Premiere with a 320GB hard drive for $300, and the $500 Premiere XL with 1TB, THX-certification and a backlit remote.There are some oddities. Neither model has Wi-Fi built-in, which for a machine so obviously designed to connect to the internet is a rather cheap-looking omission. You’ll have to buy an 802.11b/g USB dongle for another $60, and the widescreen, HD interface is built on Flash which, although as a lot of content out there is still in Flash this isn’t so odd.

The original TiVo put an easy-to-use, almost telepathic DVR into the homes of regular people, essentially killing rigid TV schedules. It looks like the new Premiere could be the box that fulfills the promise of bringing internet content into your living room. And the podcast support, hidden under the label “web videos”, essentially puts a zillion amateur and niche shows onto the TV, bypassing the networks entirely. This could be the most disruptive product we have seen in years.

Google on Saturday quickly activated an online “person finder” tool to allow relatives and friends to find loved ones following the huge earthquake in Chile.
The “Person Finder: Chile Earthquake” from the California-based Internet giant is located at Chilepersonfinder.appspot.com and offers users the choice of using it in English and Spanish.
It asks users “What is your situation?” and gives them the choice between “I’m looking for someone” and “I have information about someone.”
Users can then search records by name or input information about someone.
As of 1:15 pm (1815 GMT) Saturday, Google’s “person finder” was tracking around 1,400 records.
Google also deployed a “person finder” following last month’s earthquake in Haiti. It currently contains some 58,700 records.
Saturday’s 8.8-magnitude earthquake in Chile killed at least 122 people and sent tsunami waves roaring across the Pacific Ocean.

Bedford, MA— RSA, The Security Division of EMC (NYSE: EMC), announced the results of its 2010 Global Online Consumer Security Survey that polled more than 4,500 consumers regarding their awareness of online threats, concerns with the safety of their personal information online and their willingness to share it, and desire for better identity protection.

Of the more significant survey findings, consumer awareness of phishing attacks has doubled between 2007 and 2009 and the number of consumers who reported falling prey to this attack increased six times during that same period of time. In addition, while hundreds of thousands of people join social networking websites each day, the survey exposed that nearly two in three (65 percent) people who belong to these online communities indicated they are less likely1 to interact or share information due to their growing security concerns.

Social networking websites have become a hotbed for online criminals because of their global reach and the participation by hundreds of millions of active users from all walks of life. This makes these communities prime targets for exploitation by criminals who seek to steal personal information through socially engineered attacks. Reflective of this trend, the survey exposed that four out of five (81 percent) people using social networking websites displayed concern2 with the safety of their personal information online.

“Fraudsters continue to fine-tune their array of tactics that result in millions of computers becoming infected with Trojans and other malware,” said Christopher Young, Senior Vice President at RSA. “These online criminals are adept at social engineering with at-the-ready phishing attacks that are launched within moments of breaking news about popular celebrities, professional athletes or serious global events. In these cases, people are lured to legitimate websites infected with malware as well as complete fakes designed to look like well-known news sources. Within these websites, Trojans can easily be masked as ‘required’ updates to a media player which can result in countless computers becoming infected with malware. While it’s difficult to prevent consumers from visiting these websites, we can do a better job of protecting those who do.”

Consumers more aware of phishing threats, but new attack methods dupe six times as many in just two years
In a similar RSA survey in 2007, one in three (38 percent) consumers reported they were aware of the threat of a phishing attack – and this figure doubled in two years3 where three in four (76 percent) consumers have become aware. Additionally, in RSA’s 2010 survey, nine in ten consumers (89 percent) reported concerns caused by the threat of phishing.

Despite increased awareness, there have been a growing number of online users that have fallen victim to a phishing attack. In the 2007 RSA survey, only one in twenty (5 percent) consumers cited they had fallen victim to a phishing scam – and this rate increased six-times in 2009 to represent three in ten (29 percent) consumers. This increase can be attributed to more advanced communications tactics and greater sophistication such as improved writing and web design skills on the part of the fraudsters. Phishing attacks have also evolved in an attempt to exploit users in different ways and through a broader variety of methods including offshoots known as “vishing”, “smishing” and “spear phishing.”

The sheer volume of phishing attacks launched in recent months is also contributing to these trends. The RSA® Anti-Fraud Command Center recently reported4 the highest-yet detected rates of phishing attacks between August and October 2009, as well as a 17 percent increase in the total number of attacks between 2008 and 2009.

An increase in consumer knowledge of online threats is further evident from the growth in the number of respondents that expressed awareness of Trojans. In 2007, 63 percent of consumers stated that they were aware of Trojans and in 2009 that figure climbed to 81 percent.

Consumers’ safety concerns translate to significant eagerness for better identity protection
Online banking continues to provide significant levels of convenience for consumers, with quick access to checking and savings accounts, the ability to pay bills automatically, transfer funds and perform other financial transactions. There is dramatic adoption of the use of social networks in which people use to form and nurture personal and professional relationships with each other. Finally, healthcare organizations as well as local, state and federal government agencies are bringing the power and convenience of online services to the consumer – offering access to personal healthcare records, driver’s license renewals and payment of tax bills.

The RSA survey revealed that consumers using online banking (86 percent) websites shared more concern with the theft of their personal information than those using healthcare portals (64 percent) and government websites (68 percent). As a result of these concerns, more than half of all consumers reported that they are less likely to share information and interact on these websites.

Consumers agreed that their identities should be better protected than a simple username and password on social networking (59 percent), healthcare (64 percent), government (70 percent) and online banking (80 percent) websites. Nine in ten consumers are willing to use a stronger form of security if offered.

Young continued, “Consumer education and awareness is one of the first lines of defense in the ongoing battle against online crime. Organizations will continue to take advantage of the many benefits offered by the Internet and consumers will seek the convenience offered online – all despite the inherent risks. In order to maximize the full value of what the online world can offer, organizations need to take a layered approach to Internet security in order to best protect their customers’ information.”

Source ; http://www.rsa.com

High-performance computing (HPC) has almost always required a supercomputer — one of those room-size monoliths you find at government research labs and universities. And while those systems aren’t going away, some of the applications traditionally handled by the biggest of Big Iron are heading to the desktop.

One reason is that processing that took an hour on a standard PC about eight years ago now takes six seconds, according to Ed Martin, a manager in the automotive unit at computer-aided design software maker Autodesk Inc. Monumental improvements in desktop processing power, graphics processing unit (GPU) performance, network bandwidth and solid-state drive speed combined with 64-bit throughput have made the desktop increasingly viable for large-scale computing projects.

Thanks to those developments, a transition to “a supercomputer on your desk” is in full force.

Earthquake simulations, nuclear-stockpile simulations and DNA research are staying put on traditional supercomputers for now. But as processor technology advances to multiple cores in the next 10 years, even those activities, or portions of them, could conceivably make their way to the desktop.

While any array of powerful computers, such as a modern-day web server which consists of several motherboards (the main circuit board of a computer) running in parallel can be considered a supercomputer, generally the term is reserved for machines that dedicate their entire hardware to one complex task at any given time.

Take the NEC Earth Simulator in Japan, for example, which was created specifically for modelling weather problems associated with global warming. Or the world’s fastest computer, BlueGene/L at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the US, which simulates the behaviour of biomolecular structures and protein folding. It’s capable of 600 trillion FLOPS (tera-FLOPS or TFLOPS), whereas, the six-year-old Earth Simulator is only capable of 36TFLOPS. BlueGene/L won’t hold the top spot for long, though. Supercomputers twice as powerful will be online soon.

Even though you might not realise it, your Windows Vista PC isn’t all that far removed from the world’s most powerful computers. A modern CPU is only capable of 30 million FLOPS (giga-FLOPS) but supercomputers comprise large numbers of desktop components running in parallel for the greatest computational throughput.

SanDisk Corporation, the global leader in flash memory cards, announced that it has begun shipping the 64 gigabyte (GB)1 SanDisk Ultra SDXC card, the company’s highest capacity SD card ever.

With its 64GB capacity, up to 15MB/sec read speed2 and Class 4 speed rating, the new card is ideal for capturing and storing massive 1080p High-Definition video files and then transferring them quickly to a computer.

SDXC cards are based on the new SD 3.0 specification, which makes it possible to manufacture cards with storage capacity up to 2 terabytes (TB)3. The SDXC card’s exFAT file structure helps consumers record long-duration HD videos. The 64GB SanDisk Ultra SDXC card can store more than eight hours of such video.

“SDXC is the successor to the world’s most popular card format,” said Susan Park, director, retail product marketing, SanDisk

Businesses and government agencies have a new weapon to fear — one that is stealthy, secretive and can steal secrets without easy detection, said Matthew Wright, assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington.

A new generation of computer viruses have been born, according to Wright. This threat was furthered this week when news broke that Herndon-based NetWitness identified a virus, dubbed the Kneber botnet, that was able to affect up to 75,000 systems in 2,500 organizations worldwide.

“I think it’s very likely there are additional businesses that are affected, and they don’t know about it,” said Wright.

Based on NetWitness’ research, the new virus is able to gather log-in credentials for financial systems, social networking sites and e-mail systems from infected computers.

The source is hard to detect, Wright said.

He added that the creators of the new virus have essentially tied two types of malware, or negative software, together and created a system that allows all of the affected computers to talk to each other.

Wright said businesses should consider meeting with their security vendors or IT security groups to discuss handling or preventing these types of attacks. But don’t expect an ominous sign when your system has been hit.

“This is not going to take down your computers or cause trouble in any way,” he said. “It is going to stay low and quiet. The original goal is to steal online banking credentials.”

Wright said this new threat is real and even has the American government concerned.

“We’ve been seeing this trend over the past decade,” he said. “Hacking and virus-writing has gone from kids messing around with computers to pure criminalization. This is becoming a true criminal enterprise,” he said.

And what does the new generation of hackers want from companies?

“I don’t want to speculate too much,” Wright said, “but any corporate secrets, technology that is going to be developed … anything about company projects.”

He added that the incentive for this information would be a criminal’s impetus to sell that information to competitors.

Computer scientists at Rutgers University have shown how a familiar type of personal computer security threat can now attack new generations of smart mobile phones, with the potential to cause more serious consequences.

The researchers demonstrated how such a software attack could cause a smart phone to eavesdrop on a meeting, track its owner’s travels, or rapidly drain its battery to render the phone useless.

These actions could happen without the owner being aware of what happened or what caused them.

“Smart phones are essentially becoming regular computers,” said Vinod Ganapathy, assistant professor of computer science in Rutgers’ School of Arts and Sciences. “So they are just as vulnerable to attack by malicious software, or ‘malware.’”

Ganapathy and computer science professor Liviu Iftode worked with three students to study a nefarious type of malware known as “rootkits.” Unlike viruses, rootkits attack the heart of a computer’s software – its operating system.

They can only be detected from outside a corrupted operating system with a specialized tool known as a virtual machine monitor, which can examine every system operation and data structure.

Rootkit attacks on smart phones or upcoming tablet computers could be more devastating because smart phone owners tend to carry their phones with them all the time. Smart phones also have new ways for malware to enter the system, such as through a Bluetooth radio channel or via text message, according to a Rutgers University press release.

In one test, the researchers showed how a rootkit could turn on a phone’s microphone without the owner knowing it happened.

In such a case, an attacker would send an invisible text message to the infected phone telling it to place a call and turn on the microphone, such as when the phone’s owner is in a meeting and the attacker wants to eavesdrop.

In another test, they demonstrated a rootkit that responds to a text query for the phone’s location as furnished by its GPS receiver. This would enable an attacker to track the owner’s whereabouts.