The Citizen Science Quarterly

The data stored in your smartphone is probably more valuable than the device itself – but very few of us take basic steps to keep it safe from hackers and thieves.

Smartphones often contain your personal details (address, phone number, etc), passwords for everything from app stores to social network sites and banks – along with personal photos and the contact details of everyone in your address book.

Leaving apps open can put this data in the hands of thieves or hackers – as can failure to observe simple security precautions.

It’s not just thieves who want it; either – viruses and other unscrupulous apps have begun to target smartphones, usually with the goal of serving adverts direct to people’s phones.

Thankfully, a few basic security steps can help to keep your phone safe.

General security tips

There are some simple steps you can take to beef up your security considerably.

Make sure you have your password lock enabled, and more importantly that it’s set to engage soon after any period of inactivity. Set a pin code too on your voicemail so only you can access your messages.

Set up a tracker app like Find my iPhone or LocateMyDroid so that if your phone is lost or stolen you can track, remote lock and if necessary remote wipe it. And if any of your apps or security settings is hacked or breached, remember to change your passwords straight away.

Your security may still be at risk after you’ve sold on your smartphone. Before you sell, back up all your data and then do a full phone factory reset. How to do this differs for each phone so check online for your model.

Make sure too that when you finish using an app – especially those containing sensitive information like banking apps – you close it completely rather than just exiting it. If it’s open, and your phone is stolen, it can mean thieves have access to sensitive information.

In iOS this is a simple case of exiting the app, double pressing the home button and doing a long press on the icon in the apps that show in the bottom menu until the ‘close’ x appears before tapping on it.

Android is a little trickier, as you have to navigate the Applications tab, then settings and applications menus and then tap Manage applications. Here you can select an app and tap ‘Force stop.’

App security

Apps represent the biggest vulnerability to your security on your phone. Free apps in particular often share your data with advertising firms – meaning unwanted ‘targeted’ adverts that pop up on your phone.

Recent study by Appthority shows that free apps for iPhone pose a greater privacy risk than free apps from Google Play, with 60% of the former and 50% of the latter’s top-10 selling apps sharing data with advertising networks.

Be extra vigilant about what apps you download and from where. Check out the app’s privacy policy and terms and conditions to see what data it will mine and share and what permissions it requests, if you’ve already downloaded it you can still check in the app settings menu or website.

A simple rule of thumb here is that if there is no privacy policy, give the app a miss and if it’s free, the chances are the creator is looking to recoup its costs and make money by passing on your information to third parties.

Make sure to always download the latest software updates for your apps as they become available. Many of these updates contain bug fixes and security upgrades that help protect you from the latest malware, although in some cases it may also mean an update to the privacy policy and T&Cs. To be on the safe side, always read what the new update delivers.

Staying safe from ‘fake apps

Fake apps are also rife on marketplaces such as Google’s Play Store.

‘Clones’ of popular apps such as Angry Birds instead infect your phone with malicious software.

The only defense is to be wary about downloading apps – particularly free ones – from the store.

Some simply serve you annoying adverts. Others though are far more sinister – adding huge amounts to your bill by dialing foreign numbers or using premium SMS services.

Microsoft Management is preparing the latest version of Windows 8 operating system, called Windows Blue. It will be the first update and full of companies that made ​​Bill Gates.

Currently, the Windows team is finalizing the first stage called Milestone 1 (no details as to what that entails). The next milestone is called MP, or “Milestone Preview” because Microsoft will release a preview version of Windows Blue after meeting that milestone. The Milestone Preview will precede the final product by “a few months,” so developers and early adopters can work with it. Win8China claims that RTM are scheduled for June 7, at which point Blue will be made available on MSDN, followed by general availability in August. Blue will be free to Win8 customers.

Windows Blue will be faster, use less power, and run with a new, smaller kernel, version 6.3 (recall that Win8 runs kernel 6.2). The UI hasn’t changed — no Start button, no Aero. Windows Blue will support more screen scaling — presumably for smaller (and larger?) screen sizes. There’s some talk of “multi screen applications,” although in the context it isn’t clear if that refers to Metro apps. Not much change for PC and mouse users.

According to leaked obtained by ZDNet, Blue Window system based on Windows version 6.3. While the operating system Windows 7, which launched in 2009, is based on version 6.1.

A figure 6.1 and 6.3 is a reference number which facilitates communication between the platforms with an installed application. Microsoft reluctantly confirmed about Windows Blue.

Microsoft is updating its operating system every three years. Some of the company’s engineers were posting status on their LinkedIn accounts that they are working on the Windows operating system 9.

Plastic toy bricks are famous all over the world, LEGO, considered quite positive because it can stimulate the creativity of early childhood. But it turns out LEGO products also have played a decent adult. At CES 2013, LEGO Mindstorms introduced EV3, advanced robot from LEGO bricks that can be programmed – without the help of computers.

This latest version of the robot using the ARM9 processor, 16MB flash memory and 64GB of RAM, and an SD card slot. It’s a pretty good improvement over the previous version that carries the ARM7 processor and without the option to add external memory. While the number of “brick” with sensors that can be connected is now a four “bricks”.

EV3 unit that contains the processor is also equipped with touch sensors, motors and infrared sensors. With the help of these sensors, LEGO robot will be able to respond accordingly. For example, Reptar robot will do bite if EV3 detect movement of your hand in front of her. Currently, there are 17 design robots that you can build. Furthermore, the amount will increase.

On the software side, LEGO partners with Autodesk to bring 3D application instructions so that the user can rotate and zoom in instruction development. In addition, you can control the EV3 from iPhone, iPad or Android device, using a Bluetooth connection is in place.

EV3 Mindstorms intended for children aged 10 years and over, despite its sophistication will also attract adults to build their own robot. The plan, the new LEGO Mindstorms EV3 will market in mid-2013 at a price of $ 349. Interested?

Just a little bit of advanced technology products that have functions such as Flower Power from Parrot. Flower Power is a plant monitoring devices with Internet connectivity.

The device is fitted Bluetooth sensors can collaborate with existing applications on the smartphone to notify the health of the plant to its owner. You can use it indoors or outdoors.

It is simple to operating the gadget. You just insert the sensor into the soil around the plants that like to monitor growth. Then the sensor will transmit data via Bluetooth Smart to the cloud. The data will then be analyzed and the results are sent to the owner’s smartphone or tablet.

Application itself has thousands of plants contains data that can inform the needs of the plant, based on measurements of bulk sunlight, moisture, temperature and fertilizer use. So now your favorite plants have a better chance to keep growing well.

No need to worry about forgetting to replace the batteries. Flower Power is equipped with a battery that can last up to 6 months. Parrot provides two color variants; Emerald (green) and Wood (brown). Parrot has not revealed the price and exact date, but they ensure that the Flower Power will be on the market this year.

Most internships job seekers in the technology industry will do anything to be able to work at Facebook, Google, Amazon, or Apple. They are even willing to do the work without being paid a dime. But in fact, these companies are willing to pay an apprentice; even they offer very high pay.

An intern on Facebook can earn U.S. $ 6,056 per month, according to Glassdoor. While Google is paying her intern to an average of U.S. $ 5,678 per month, and those who work internships at Amazon and Apple earns U.S. $ 5,366 and U.S. $ 4,913 per month.

Glasdoor.com, a jobs and careers online community where people can share information about their work has just released the 20 technology companies with the highest paid apprentice. To obtain these data Glassdoor filter payrolls report from an anonymous source that internships in the technology industry over the past three years.

“It is no secret that competition talent search in the world of technology is very fierce, even at the level of apprenticeship,” said spokeswoman Samantha Zupan Glasdoor. He added, “Companies are fighting for the best graduates from the campus, and provides lucrative compensation during the period of internship is one way to attract talented young employees to remain with the company after graduation.”

Here are 10 technology companies with the highest paid internships.

1. VMware. Average monthly salary: U.S. $ 6,536.
2. Facebook. Average monthly salary: U.S. $ 6,056.
3. Microsoft. Average monthly salary: U.S. $ 5,936.
4. LinkedIn. Average monthly salary: U.S. $ 5,808.
5. Adobe. Average monthly salary: U.S. $ 5,757.
6. Google. Average monthly salary: U.S. $ 5,678.
7. Amazon. Average monthly salary: U.S. $ 5,366.
8. NVIDIA. Average monthly salary: U.S. $ 5,215.
9. Yahoo. Average monthly salary: U.S. $ 5,191.
10. Apple. Average monthly salary: U.S. $ 4,914.

Warning for Android users. There are new dangerous Trojan attacks and spread quickly through SMS (text messages) from other mobile users. Your phone can be taken over and driven to crime in cyberspace.

Researchers at Symantec found some Trojan infected phones – phones that are infected then it will attack other phones, by sending an text messages (SMS) to a phone number in their address book.

Because the text messages looks like from a friend, then the attack will be more effective. The new Trojan dubbed “botnet” attack by “recruiting” other phone to send spam to my friends. SMS are sent usually contains a link to download a free game or prize winning notification.

But what happens is when the link is clicked, the Trojan is installed. The phone is infected it then becomes part of the control of cyber criminals to send spam to other victims.

The phone is “controlled” by the Trojan can be used to get money for the hacker in cyberspace through spam advertisements, and through the use of premium SMS service which is then added to the user’s bill.

These attacks are an alarming new trend in the category of malicious software, Symantec officials said. The attack is the same as the type of mass spam attacks on your PC.

Symantec predicts that this trend will continue and spread. “While botnets sending spam is not new, mobile technology has opened up new intermediaries to hacker attacks in cyberspace that uses techniques of social engineering attacks and spam that proved successful on mobile devices,” Symantec said in its official blog.

“Installing Trojans hidden from the user and removed the traces of their presence when installing official application to the user device. Victim only saw the advertised application, tricking victims who believe that all applications are safe.”

“In 2013, mobile adware or ‘madware’ would be a major nuisance, disturbing and potentially expose user’s location details, contact information, and identification devices for hackers. Madware – who slipped to the user when they download an application – frequently sends a notification pop -up notification to the board, adding icons, changing the browser settings and gather personal information.

Only in the last nine months, the number of applications including the most aggressive form of madware has increased by as much as 210 percent.

The signal that the technology from reaching mass market is when technology began to stray pets and children.

Both targets were addressed by StickNFind, a round sticker the size of a coin which contains the Bluetooth chip, heat sensors and batteries.

Stickers are designed to be used with a smart phone application that shows radar images over an area of ​​61m.

Sticker is worn around the cat and looking like the cat that would be easier to hide.

Parents can also use it to track their children in public by sending a signal if the kids start running around.

The founder of the company, Jimmy Buchheim said innovation was inspired by an incident involving his daughter.

“He was just three years old when he decided to play hide and seek in a shopping center,” Buchheim said. “He was hiding behind a pile of boxes.

“They had to shut down one area of ​​the mall and everyone is looking for it. Imagine if that moment I had the smart sticker, I would definitely be able to find him quickly.”

Development of computer technology, smartphones, tablets nowadays increasingly rapid spread of viruses now make not only intended to damage the system, data, software, and disable computer networks, but it is more than that even go further and sophisticated. We often hear terms such as: -

Worm – impair function and erase data with the operating system makes the computer very slow.

Trojan – pretending to be a function of the normal computer application and then doing the back door (backdoor) seeks to make way for hackers and virus infection.

Phishing – More to steal passwords and password from your bank account, credit card users through Online. There are some rules that apply to the theft of account data among internet surfers acceptance e-mail will be directed to a website that resembles the bank’s website.

Keylogging – Work record whatever is done by the user via an internet connection

Cross-Site Scripting – It is an attack using the mechanism “injection” in web applications by leveraging HTTP GET or HTTP POST. It works disrupt the website by entering the program (usually a java script).

Web Defacement – Works transform an ordinary website is done by the “attacker” or striker because were not happy or do not like the individual, a specific group.

Beginning of the 1990s war between a country more conventional form of war. War strategy in 2000-an era that has changed through cyber warfare. In this year of computer users around the world are reminded by the United Nations (UN) on cyber threats ‘Virus Flame’ which became a national cyber warfare weapons more serious and frightening.

The virus is found by Kaspersky Lab team in 2012 and is the most complex virus from virus Stuxnet. Previously believed Stuxnet virus created by Israel and American computer experts were sent to the Middle East, especially Iran, Syria seeks damage a nuclear facility or weapon system in the country is dangerous. Stuxnet virus which is also known as ‘Winsta’ or ‘Tmphider’ concern could take over computer systems in nuclear technology and nuclear capable meledakan if successful take over completely. We know that Israel and America will always try to weaken or topple the country, especially against Muslim countries in the Middle East or countries that pose a threat to them.

But the cyber world is threatened once again by the virus ‘Flame’ known tool “intelligent” a very powerful and complete at this point. According to Kaspersky Labs, Virus Flame, not created by the cyber crook but created by a country that has or would like to achieve a specific purpose. What makes this virus different Flame from other virus is a virus named “Flame” is able to take and monitor all of the data that was on the computer and the plan to steal the information, collect the data files, change the programming on the remote computer ( remote), activate the computer audio system including a microphone on your computer silently to record conversations without the user’s knowledge and take “screenshots”. Additionally Flame virus capable of communicating with the server handle, remove or destroy his own trail.

Flame virus is believed to be infected through USB / Flashdisk, LAN and via the Internet such as Worm operated by the owner. With such capabilities, this is not the only Flame virus as the virus but also functions as a spy. Flame virus is said to be more likely to target in the governance of a country that pleases from individual clusters.

Camera technology is now growing rapidly. Especially with the development of smartphone technology is now even able to produce images with no less quality when compared with digital cameras.

A new picture technology was introduced by the Japanese electronics manufacturer, which is Panasonic. The latest technology called Micro Color Splitter is said to increase the accuracy of image sensors to be twice as high.

This new imaging technology is still not perfect and still requires further development. However, the Panasonic assured that with this technology, and then the camera will not need a debayering filter. Debayering filter itself usually will cut about 50 percent to 70 percent of light captured by the image sensor.

Color Splitter Micro Technology will create a kind of electronic deflector that analyzes and separates the frequency of light waves faster. That way, the light will not disappear.

Panasonic Party also has registered their patent for this technology. However, it is still in the development stage; of course, do not expect that this technology will be found in the market in the near future.

Research in Motion’s was renamed as BlackBerry at the launch in New York, 30 January. The company is based in Waterloo, Canada, is relying on the operating system BlackBerry 10.

The system is based on the QNX operating system, which is used for serious applications, such as monitoring and military aviation. BlackBerry QNX is already purchased the company to boost its product capability devices.

To activate this phone, users simply sweeping a finger on the surface of the screen from left to right, this will bring up the animation. Display screen using box icon, which has a vertical shadow.

Like the iPhone and Android phones, running her hand from left to right will bring up the display a row of other applications. There are four display screens that can be used to store icons. Performance of the operating system 10 which produces by RIM is promising. Despite countless simple, user interface BlackBerry 10 now starts applying shear or swipe system. Understandably, as the flagship BlackBerry 10 plans to carry the newest touchscreen display on the handset, though not altogether abandon QWERTY handset.

“Experience using OS 10 all natural. Noticeably more practical and palatable for gesture-based, “said Vincent Son, Indonesian developer who has tried this operating system to create applications.”I dare say even the operating system is better than Android and iOS equivalent,” he said.

Meanwhile, ran a finger down from the top of the screen will bring up the control settings, such as alarm, notification, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. There is a feature called BlackBerry Hub, which became the center of all notifications for e-mail, Twitter, and Facebook.

BlackBerry Messenger feature can be improved by exchanging text and video, such as the FaceTime feature on the iPhone mobile phone. And the touch keyboard is designed very comfortable to type fast. This is possible because the board is the key word prediction offered recommendations that want the user types. Applications are turned on simultaneously will appear on the main screen in the form of a large box, which looks comfortable and informative.