TechNewsWorld: New York Times Exposes Chinese Hackathon

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New York Times Exposes Chinese Hackathon Jan 31st 2013, 23:12 Why would The New York Times admit Thursday that Chinese hackers had a go at it for four months? To show that it got the story -- one that involves military-style cyberattacks, possible retaliation for reporting on China's ruling family, and the fact that the hack wasn't caught by the newspaper's computer security provider. The New York Times reported on Thursday that it was the victim of a four-month cyberattack that originated in China. The intrusions may have been part of a shift by Chinese hackers to apply the same sophisticated infiltration techniques on foreign media that have been used in recent years to steal data from international corporations. The attackers cracked passwords and gained access to a number of computers, the newspaper reported, although it had a Symantec security system in place. "Advanced attacks like the ones at The New York Times underscore how important it is for companies, countries and consumers to make sure they are using the full capability of security solutions," said Symantec spokesperson Candice Garmoe. "The advanced capabilities in our endpoint offerings, including our unique reputation-based technology and behavior-based blocking, specifically target sophisticated attacks." Forty-five pieces of custom malware were installed; however, only one was identified and quarantined by the Symantec antivirus product. "Turning on only the signature-based antivirus components of endpoint solutions alone are not enough in a world that is changing daily from attacks and threats," Garmoe told TechNewsWorld. "We encourage customers to be very aggressive in deploying solutions that offer a combined approach to security. Antivirus software alone is not enough." The New York Times did not respond to our request for further details. China's Response to Negative Coverage? While the Chinese government denied that it was behind the attacks, the newspaper said the methods used have been associated with the Chinese military in the past. "The CPC is very sensitive to criticism, especially during a leadership transition wracked by scandal due to the Bo Xilai affair," said Jon Lindsay of the University of California Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation. "The hackers were likely looking for evidence and names of Chinese sources, presumably to punish them. "Their technical tradecraft was a bit sloppy, which is typical of Chinese hacks," Lindsay told TechNewsWorld, "yet there has been little incentive to improve in the absence of any real political consequences from the U.S." The attacks also seemed timed to specific news coverage and could be the CPC's way -- via the hackers -- of responding to what it saw as negative press coverage. An Oct. 25 Times report found that relatives of prime minister Wen Jiabao had accumulated several billion dollars through business dealings. "Chinese government officials said the reports would have consequences, and the attacks began shortly thereafter," said Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT This is not the first time that China's government has been linked to cyberattacks, and the evidence gathered suggested it almost certainly originated in Beijing. "China's government has steadfastly insisted that such activities are prohibited by law," King told TechNewsWorld. "By carefully monitoring the attacks, comparing their methodologies to known past attacks emanating from China, and tracking them over time to amass and solidify its evidence, the Times is essentially calling China's bluff and labeling its official claims of innocence as bogus posturing." Seeking Out Opposition Given China's previous crackdown on any vocal opposition within its borders -- including those online -- this attack appears to be consistent with government policies. "It is there if you go back and read Sun Tzu," said Alan Webber, industry analyst and managing partner at Altimeter Group. The attack may not only be China's way of silencing the press, but in an ominous development could also be an attempt to edit what is said about the country. "This is very much a way for China to see what is being written and to get ahead of the news cycle," Webber said, "but what happens if they can get into the news sites and modify the story a little bit -- make it a little more positive about China? That is just one worry." Another concern is that Chinese citizens who have spoken out against the government might not believe that the media can protect them, even with information given on background or as an anonymous source. "They could be looking to find out who the sources are in the anti-China movement, such as in places like Tibet," Webber told TechNewsWorld. "The New York Times from that perspective is a viable target." How the Newspaper Responded If the hack could scare off some sources, why would the paper announce that it was hacked for so long? One possibility: to reassure those same potential sources. "One of the reasons they did report this was to highlight how well they responded to the incident," said Irv Lachow, director of the program on technology and national security at the Center for a New American Security. "They stressed that no sensitive email was compressed and personal data was not taken." The Times noted that the hacking was detected early on, and then the bad guys were tracked and monitored as they moved through the network. "This was a way of ensuring that no harm was done," Lachow told TechNewsWorld. "One reason to put the story out was to highlight these efforts, and put out the story before others reported on it." It may come down to credibility, something that the Times has long been careful to protect. That doesn't mean, however, that all the sources will still feel comfortable spilling secrets or opinions the next time. "It will make some sources think twice about talking to reporters -- for good reasons, but that is kind of sad," Webber said. Nor will it just be China that should be monitored for such attacks on the free press. Any foreign government that doesn't want dissent in the media could unleash hackers on journalists. "There are a lot of national and non-national efforts into this," said Webber. "This is going to be perpetual and ubiquitous across a number of avenues, and this is just the tip of what we can expect."

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TechNewsWorld: Volunteer Pirate Crew Gives Mega Its Own Search Engine

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Volunteer Pirate Crew Gives Mega Its Own Search Engine Jan 31st 2013, 18:57 Today in international tech news: File-sharers ramp up pirating capacity with a Mega-specific search engine; New Zealand's "Skynet" law lands its first formal piracy charges; Chinese hackers take aim at The New York Times, and British soldiers conduct a virtual battle in France. A user-created search engine now makes it easy to scour the new, controversial file-sharing site Mega, according to Wired. Unveiled two weeks ago by Kim Dotcom, a German national living in New Zealand and wanted on a slew of charges in the U.S., Mega initially did not have a search function to scour its own content. The new search engine was built by users voluntarily providing links to files. It is hosted by an anonymous domain and, in the words of Wired, "makes for a full-blown piracy site," much in the same vein as Megaupload. Dotcom, who faces an extradition hearing in August, said Mega had more than 1 million users after a week. In a related story, New Zealand doled out its first penalty to an Internet user accused of illegally downloading and sharing music, Torrent Freak reported. The woman accused in the case was sent a trio of notices, constituting three strikes and exposing her to New Zealand's Copyright Tribunal, which was tasked with determining damages. The Tribunal ultimately charged the woman for the original price of the downloaded content (a total of about US$3.50); a fee for uploading the songs (determined to be $5.49); another fee for the cost of sending the warning notices ($42.00); the Tribunal application fee ($167); and a "deterrent sum" of about $100 per song. The total she was ultimately ordered to pay: $515.64. Chinese Hackers Target The New York Times China appears to be taking its disdain for Western media to new heights. For the past four months, hackers have persistently attacked The New York Times, "infiltrating computer systems" and stealing passwords from staff and reporters, the Times reported Thursday. The hack was apparently prompted by the Times' decision in June to launch a Chinese-language version of its website. The site was blocked in October after the newspaper ran an article detailing the fortune amassed by prime minister Wen Jiabao's relatives. News of that block spread immediately. Another unreported story began unfolding at the same time: Chinese hackers began going to town on New York Times computers. The hackers broke into email accounts belonging to David Barboza, the Times' Shanghai bureau chief who wrote the report on Wen's family, and Jim Yardley, the Times' South Asia bureau chief who used to be stationed in Beijing. The Times reportedly tracked the hackers to "study their movements" and build defenses. The methods employed by the hackers matched those associated with the Chinese military, according to the Times. The hackers tried to hide their whereabouts by penetrating computers at U.S. universities and then routing the attacks through those machines. The hackers also installed malware that granted them access to any computer in the Times' network. After asking China's Ministry of National Defense about the attacks, the Times was told that Chinese law prohibits hacking, and that accusing the Chinese military of such attacks "without solid proof was unprofessional and baseless." The Times says that the attacks on their system were part of a broader campaign against U.S. media that haven't been kind to China. UK Conducts Largest-Ever Virtual Battle British soldiers took to their computers to carry out the army's largest-ever virtual battle simulation, according to the BBC. The cyberconflict took place in a fictional French town and lasted two hours. The army said that the simulation will help it pinpoint areas in need of additional investment. The virtual conflict project, "Urban Warrior 5," utilizes VBS2 software, which is also found in commercial video games. David Vranicar is a freelance journalist and author of The Lost Graduation: Stepping off campus and into a crisis. You can check out his ECT News archive here, and you can email him at david[dot]vranicar[at]newsroom[dot]ectnews[dot]com.

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TechNewsWorld: Facebook's Relationship With Developers: It's Even More Complicated

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Facebook's Relationship With Developers: It's Even More Complicated Jan 31st 2013, 16:48 When it comes to developers working with Facebook, "share and share alike" is the new policy. The social networking giant made it clear last week that if third-party apps want access to Facebook APIs, they have to let Facebook's users in on the results. The bottom line? No one rides the Facebook express for free. Facebook dropped a bombshell on its developer community last week with the rollout of a clarified platform policy -- one that de-friends certain apps. The new policy spells out which types of apps can use its data. Namely, developers must show "reciprocity"; their apps must let users post content to Facebook if they want to use the vast social network's friend-finding features. "If you use any Facebook APIs to build personalized or social experiences, you must also enable people to easily share their experiences back with people on Facebook," Facebook said in a blog post announcing the change. Developers also will not be able to use Facebook if their app replicates the network's core functionality. Saying No to Vine and Yandex The clarification follows recent incidents in which Facebook restricted developers' access to its data. It reportedly restricted or curtailed access to Twitter's new Vine video-sharing app, as well as Wonder, a social search app from Yandex. Facebook cited the new clarification policy when asked why the Vine app was no longer able to access Facebook. Vine lets users create and share six-second videos on Twitter and Facebook. Its launch earlier this month featured controversy when it was revealed that some users was using the app to trade porn videos, and a salacious video mistakenly made Vine's "Editors Picks" recommendation list. Keeping Up with Industry Trends or Slamming Doors? On one hand it can be argued that Facebook is merely following industry trends; other social networks like Twitter have also banned apps that mimic their core functionality. Facebook is targeting a small group of apps "that are using Facebook to either replicate our functionality or bootstrap their growth in a way that creates little value for people on Facebook, such as not providing users an easy way to share back to Facebook," wrote Justin Osofsky on the company's developers blog. In short, Facebook is moving aggressively to block Twitter and other social media sites from establishing free-rider status on its site, said Rich Hanley, associate professor and director of the graduate journalism program at Quinnipiac University. In Vine's case, that means blocking "a video-sharing application that has the potential to make lots of money. "Twitter's Vine features a tool that encourages people to search Facebook for their friends and invite them to share videos," Hanley told TechNewsWorld. "Money follows eyeballs, and if the eyeballs go from Facebook to Twitter, Facebook loses and is, in fact, facilitating access to a competitor. Facebook is essentially in block-that-kick mode in preventing Twitter from monetizing its user base."

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TechNewsWorld: Hacking: The New National Pastime?

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Hacking: The New National Pastime? Jan 31st 2013, 13:00 "How much you wanna bet at least one if not more WILL BE ARRESTED for doing EXACTLY what the White House said to do?" suggested Slashdot blogger hairyfeet. "If that happens, the White House will say, 'Oh no, we didn't mean for them to do THAT, we meant something totally different,' and then the schmuck can go to jail and the White House can just keep spewing pointless jingoism." What a difference a day makes -- or, in this particular case, eight months or so. Less than a year ago, retailer Barnes & Noble yanked an issue of Linux Format magazine from its U.S. shelves because of a cover story on the topic of "hacking." "A complaint was made," explained the announcement last May on Linux Format's TuxRadar blog. 'National Day of Civic Hacking' Fast forward to last week and what do we have? A pretty different story, let's just say. Specifically, "White House announces 'National Day of Civic Hacking'" was the headline over at PCWorld that brought the news to light. Yes, that's right -- we've gone from hacking being a shameful, undesirable and potentially criminal activity to our very own government asking us to do it more. 'An Opportunity for Developers' "Civic Hacking Day is an opportunity for software developers, technologists, and entrepreneurs to unleash their can-do American spirit by collaboratively harnessing publicly-released data and code to create innovative solutions for problems that affect Americans," reads the official announcement. "While civic hacking communities have long worked to improve our country and the world, this summer will mark the first time local developers from across the Nation unite around the shared mission of addressing and solving challenges relevant to OUR blocks, OUR neighborhoods, OUR cities, OUR states, and OUR country," it adds. Got whiplash yet? You're in good company -- and a Triple Tequila Tux cocktail down at the blogosphere's Punchy Penguin Saloon should take care of that in no time. 'The Right Way to Do Things' "Every government should accept FLOSS and other contributions by citizens just as they breathe the air," blogger Robert Pogson told Linux Girl over a fresh round at the Punchy Penguin. "Some things, like information and software, should be FREE," Pogson explained. "It's the right way to do things. "Rather than paying licensing fees to the likes of M$, governments would be far ahead paying developers to create, tweak and manage FLOSS applications of all kinds," he added. "It's far less expensive and has lasting benefit to society." In fact, "rather than a National Day of Hacking, I recommend governments adopt a default policy that FLOSS is the solution for all IT," Pogson concluded. "If governments cannot do something with FLOSS, it's probably not worth doing." 'Something Sensible' Similarly, "it is so refreshing to see the government doing something sensible," agreed Google+ blogger Kevin O'Brien. "There are a lot of smart people [that] can get involved in solving some problems here." Moreover, "the thing I noticed that is so appropriate is that the Census Bureau is one of the agencies looking for some help," O'Brien added. "If you know your history, it was the Census Bureau that pretty much started computing in the U.S," he pointed out. 'This Is an Olive Branch' Google+ blogger Linux Rants was also enthusiastic -- to a point. "It sounds shiny," Linux Rants told Linux Girl. "Really. I applaud the US government for finally taking an interest in technological matters." At the same time, however, "a not insignificant part of my brain feels that this is an olive branch to the 'Hacker Community' in response to the government's catastrophically heinous position regarding Aaron Swartz," he added. "It feels to me like the White House is trying to distract us from his mistreatment by government officials and Carmen Ortiz specifically," Linux Rants concluded. "Because of that, this 'National Day of Civic Hacking' leaves a sour taste in my mouth that won't go away." 'Some PHB in the Executive Office' Slashdot blogger hairyfeet was also suspicious. "After Swartz? What are you, nuts?" hairyfeet exclaimed. "This regime has taken every single bad thing about the Bush years and extended it or even expanded it, and we're supposed to buy this 'civic hacking' nonsense? "Yeah, how nicely did they treat Occupy?" hairyfeet noted. "Had them infiltrated and put on watchlists, right?" Essentially, "all this is is some PHB in the executive office using that word because he heard it somewhere and has NO clue what it means but it has 'civic' in it, so it MUST be good, right?" hairyfeet went on. "I mean, you read the release and it's like diarrhea of the mouth, just a giant pile of 'buzzword bingo' that frankly isn't saying a damned thing. "I'm sorry, but if this administration said it was raining, I'd want a second opinion," he added. 'Sorry, Not Buying It' Meanwhile, "how much you wanna bet at least one if not more WILL BE ARRESTED for doing EXACTLY what the White House said to do?" hairyfeet suggested. "If that happens, the White House will say, 'Oh no, we didn't mean for them to do THAT, we meant something totally different,' and then the schmuck can go to jail and the White House can just keep spewing pointless jingoism using words it doesn't even understand." In short, "anybody who falls for this is a total moron and deserves to be thrown in jail because they are stupid," he concluded. "Obama hasn't even done anything about the laws we already have on the books, like the ones they got Swartz trapped in a corner with -- laws written so badly that anybody using a fricking handle on the net could be busted for wire fraud for 'giving a false identity.' "Yet we are supposed to trust them when it comes to this?" hairyfeet concluded. "Nope, sorry, not buying it." Katherine Noyes has been writing from behind Linux Girl's cape since late 2007, but she knows how to be a reporter in real life, too. She's particularly interested in space, science, open source software and geeky things in general. You can also find her on Twitter and Google+.

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TechNewsWorld: Taking the Java Bull by the Horns

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Taking the Java Bull by the Horns Jan 31st 2013, 13:00 It's been several weeks since DHS raised the alarm about zero-day exploits in Java and cautioned users to disable it in their browsers. One would think that the situation would be under control by now, but even though Oracle has made some efforts to patch the flaws, DHS hasn't lifted its warning. For users who don't want to live on the edge of a Java vulnerability, here are some options. The United States Department of Homeland Security Computer Emergency Readiness Team has recently been advising computer users to update or switch off Java in browsers. Oracle's Java is a programming language that's used in browser plug-ins. It's used by vendors to make applications function across operating systems. A vendor can develop one piece of code and distribute it knowing that it will work on most platforms. Applications that use it include those that let you work on your office computer at home. Java is not Javascript -- that's a Web programming language. What's the Problem? Hackers have been able to exploit vulnerabilities in versions of Java. Those exploits have allowed hackers to perform criminal activities using the exploited machine. If a computer user with a vulnerable Java install visits a malicious website, the website can execute an applet that can deliver malware to that computer. The malware can include ransomware that blocks computers from being used. What Are the Solutions? You can apply patches supplied by Oracle, or you can disable Java entirely. Applying patches supplied by Oracle may fix known vulnerabilities, but it may not affect future vulnerabilities. Although disabling Java will remove current and future threats, it could severely curtail Web activities that require Java. Updating Java is accomplished best through Windows' default Internet Explorer. Once you've updated that, you can move on to other browsers. Secure Internet Explorer As of Jan. 22, 2013, the current version of Java is Version 7, Update 11. The latest version includes fixes for issues raised by DHS as well as other issues. It also sets security settings to "High." Step 1: Visit http://www.java.com/en/download/installed.jsp to determine if Java is installed, and if so, which version. The resulting Web page will display the version. Step 2: Remove all old versions of Java by accessing the Windows Control Panel and using the Uninstall button within Programs and Features. Allow the uninstall to complete by following the prompts, including prompts to close browser windows as requested. Step 3: Download the latest Java software at http://www.java.com/en/download/ by clicking on the "Free Java Software" button. Follow the prompts and restart the computer. Step 4: Open and then restart Internet Explorer. Then paste the verification link from Step 1, and click on the "Verify Java Version" button within IE. Click on the "Allow" button when prompted to allow the Oracle America, Inc. add-on. Step 5: Observe the browser indicating the verified Version 7, Update 11 or higher update. At this point you have the latest version, with security enhancements. Update Firefox Settings The latest version of Mozilla's Firefox browser has purposefully stopped the Java plug-in from running automatically. Java will run when you acknowledge that you trust the website. Here's how to use this method of protection. Step 1: Update Firefox Tools. Click on the Tools menu item from within Firefox and select Options. Click on the Update tab and verify that one of the two uppermost radio buttons are checked. Select "Automatically Install Updates" or "Check for updates but let me choose when to install them." Step 2: Update Firefox. Click on the Help menu item from within Firefox and select About Firefox. Then click on the Check for Updates button. If updates are available, the browser will be updated along with the new Java blocking features. Step 3: Browse the Java-coded Web page with Firefox as you would normally do, and when you see a "Click here to activate" message, click on it to load the Java applet if you trust the page you are visiting. Tip: Click on the red plug-in icon that looks like a Lego block on the address bar if you want to automatically authorize java for the trusted website you are visiting. Switching Off Java Altogether You may decide that it's prudent to switch off Java altogether. New Java vulnerabilities are likely to be discovered, according to DHS's Computer Emergency Readiness Team. Step 1: Type "Java" in the Windows Control Panel, and click on the Java icon that will appear. Step 2: Uncheck "Enable Java Content in the browser" from the Security tab, and then choose Apply and OK. Agree to any Windows-originating run prompts. Java will be disabled cross-browser. Patrick Nelson has been a professional writer since 1992. He was editor and publisher of the music industry trade publication Producer Report and has written for a number of technology blogs. Nelson studied design at Hornsey Art School and wrote the cult-classic novel Sprawlism. His introduction to technology was as a nomadic talent scout in the eighties, where regular scrabbling around under hotel room beds was necessary to connect modems with alligator clips to hotel telephone wiring to get a fax out. He tasted down and dirty technology, and never looked back.

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TechNewsWorld: Chinese Authorities Shoot Down Videogame Rumor

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Chinese Authorities Shoot Down Videogame Rumor Jan 31st 2013, 01:43 Today in international tech news: Beijing nixes rumors that it might lift its ban on videogame consoles; an exiled Thai leader is using Skype and cellphones to help run the country from abroad; a trial date could be nearing for a Pirate Bay cofounder wanted on hacking charges; Israel's cybersecurity investing comes under scrutiny; and messaging apps drive down China's SMS volume. This game is over before it even started. China's Ministry of Culture said that it is not considering lifting the nation's ban on videogame consoles, according to Tech In Asia. Reports that China might lift its ban on systems like Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation surfaced last week in a number of media outlets, including Tech In Asia. However, that story, which first appeared in China Daily, appears to be false. The anticipated approval of videogame consoles caused a spike in Microsoft and Sony stock and spurred some starry-eyed pundits to speculate about billion-dollar paydays for console makers. Thailand Being Governed From Afar For the past 18 months, the governing party in Thailand apparently has been making political decisions from abroad, according to The New York Times. Thaksin Shinawatra, a former prime minister who has been in exile for more than four years, is exercising "rule by Skype," The Times reported. He "circles the globe in his private jet" and talks with ministers via cellphone, social media and email. In this way, Shinawatra, whom The Times characterized as the nation's most famous fugitive, can avoid corruption charges while still helping to run the country. Shinawatra -- who was deposed by a military coup in 2006 and whose sister, 18 years his junior, is the nation's official prime minister -- has homes in Dubai and London and regularly visits Asian countries neighboring Thailand. One Thai official told The Times, "If we've got a problem, we give him a call." Pirate Bay Founder Could Be Nearing Trial Gottfrid Svartholm, the Swede who cofounded file-sharing site The Pirate Bay, could be formally charged with hacking within a month, according to Torrent Freak. Svartholm was arrested in Cambodia late last summer and subsequently deported to Sweden. He faced allegations of hacking into Logica, an IT company that, according to Torrent Freak, works for Swedish tax authorities. The presumption at the time of Swartholm's arrest was that he would receive a long overdue jail sentence stemming from a Pirate Bay-related conviction. (The other Pirate Bay founders -- the ones who didn't flee the country -- were already sentenced.) Israel Investing in Cyberdefense, Offense Israel is heavily investing in cybersecurity as a means both to protect itself and as "a national growth engine," according to Bloomberg. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been "channeling resources" into Israel's cyberwarfare operations to help the country wage war with its enemies, chiefly Iran. Israeli government networks are attacked tens of thousands of times per day, according to Soufan Group, a New York-based security adviser cited by Bloomberg. A side-effect of Israel's cyberinvestments, which include high school programs designed to create cybersecurity-savvy citizens, is a healthy tech sector, including security networks. Technology accounts for half of Israel's industrial exports, Bloomberg said, and exports account for 40 percent of its GDP. Chat Apps Cause Dip in Chinese SMS Volume Mobile messaging services like WeChat are reducing Chinese mobile users' SMS volume, according to The Next Web. The number of text messages sent via mobile networks grew just 2.1 percent in 2012 -- compared to a 9 percent spike in wireless service penetration, reported The Next Web, citing data released by China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. In years past, texting was the No. 1 way to communicate among young Chinese mobile users, but Internet-based messaging services, which are often cheaper, are starting to rule the day. China has more than 1.1 billion mobile subscribers. WeChat, one of the top "SMS replacements," has about 300 million users. David Vranicar is a freelance journalist and author of The Lost Graduation: Stepping off campus and into a crisis. You can check out his ECT News archive here, and you can email him at david[dot]vranicar[at]newsroom[dot]ectnews[dot]com.

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TechNewsWorld: Z10 Adds a Little Zest to BlackBerry Lineup

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Z10 Adds a Little Zest to BlackBerry Lineup Jan 30th 2013, 23:33 Company rebranding aside, the new BlackBerry Z10, one of two new smartphones announced Wednesday by the former Research In Motion, has all the bells and whistles we've come to expect in high-end handsets, including a touchscreen. Will all those features -- and more apps than Windows Phone 8 had during its launch -- be enough to drag customers away from their iPhones and Androids? The handset maker previously known as RIM on Wednesday launched its new BlackBerry 10 smartphones: the Q10 with the familiar QWERTY keyboard, and something new for the company -- the touchscreen-based Z10. BlackBerry, as the firm is now called, will release the Z10 in the United States in March with the Q10 following in April. BlackBerry Z10 The company released full specifications of the Z10, but only had a placeholder Web page for the Q10 because "we'll be showcasing the Z10 and what it can do, and we'll release more information when we can," BlackBerry spokesperson Nick Manning told TechNewsWorld. The Z10's Specs The BlackBerry Z10 will have a touchscreen with gesture-based navigation, a virtual keyboard with contextual auto-correction, next-word prediction and a personalized learning engine that gets to know the way users type. Its 4.2-inch screen has a resolution of 1280 x 768 pixels, and a 15:9 aspect ratio. The Z10 has a dual-core 1.5 GHz CPU, 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of flash memory. It also has a removable microSD memory card with up to 64 GB capacity; a USB 2.0 high-speed port for charging and data synchronization; and a micro HDMI port for connection to a projector or an HD TV set. There's a 2 MP fixed-focus front camera with 3x digital zoom and image and video stabilization that can take videos at 720p. Features of the device's 8 MP autofocus rear camera include Back Side illumination for low-light performance; a 5-element F2.2 lens; a dedicated image signal processor; flash; image stabilization; 5x Enhanced Super Resolution digital zoom; and can record videos at 1080p. The Z10 comes pre-loaded with various apps including BlackBerry apps; Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn; Foursquare; YouTube; BlackBerry Connect for Dropbox; Print To Go; and Adobe Reader. Other features include password protection, screen lock and sleep mode, and BlackBerry Balance, which restricts business apps and data from being accessed by personal apps. The Z10 supports WiFi and Bluetooth. It incorporates Near Field Communication (NFC) technology and has GPS, an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a proximity and ambient light sensors, and a gyroscope. It's the Experience, Not the Tech Most of the specs listed for the Z10 are standard in smartphones. Understanding why may be the key to comprehending BlackBerry's strategy. "The most interesting thing about the announcement was that it wasn't about specs," Carl Howe, a research vice president at the Yankee Group, told TechNewsWorld. "BlackBerry is selling an experience now. I think that shows a very mature marketing plan and a conscious desire to market the products as more than the sum of their parts." The Apps (May) Have It BlackBerry Q10 Apps are critical for any mobile device being marketed now, and the 70,000 apps offered on the BB10 platform "is the most number of apps that any new platform has launched with," Manning said. "One of the things BlackBerry has done remarkably well is maintain the enthusiasm and interest of the developer community," Jeff Orr, a senior practice director at ABI Research, told TechNewsWorld. "There were more than 1 million app downloads on day one, and there's probably about 1,000 premier applications [that] include everything from Angry Birds Star Wars to a number of pretty hot titles, and they have things that are in development." "BlackBerry 10 is launching with far more apps than Windows Phone 8 did when it launched," Yankee Group's Howe said. "I think it's probably enough to get started." Making Headway in the Market The challenge is whether BlackBerry can now make any headway in the smartphone market, where Android and iOS dominate. Like Windows Phone 8, BlackBerry "is relevant in a space where the company has domain expertise but doesn't have the necessary channels and reach and audience," Orr pointed out. "The device, apps and platform are good, but their reach and their ability to maintain this vision are what the company have to prove." If the company executes, said Howe, BlackBerry may become "a solid third ecosystem behind Apple and Android and ahead of Windows Phone 8."

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TechNewsWorld: Google Peels Away Some of North Korea's Mystery

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Google Peels Away Some of North Korea's Mystery Jan 30th 2013, 22:50 One of the world's most repressive regimes is now in Google's sights. The search giant this week unveiled a new map for North Korea, just weeks after Chairman Eric Schmidt visited the country. Built using crowdsourced contributions from citizens, the new map shows schools, roads and other features -- including locations of suspected prison camps. Google has added more detail to its map of North Korea this week, giving users a better glimpse into the infrastructure of the highly secretive country. Much of the map is still relatively blank compared with Google's detailed maps of other countries. In some parts, though, the map shows information such as roads, schools, parks and waterways, especially near the capital and largest city, Pyongyang. The map also features shaded areas where prison camps, or gulags, are believed to be located. Google's Map of North Korea - After The map was mostly put together by "citizen cartographers" using its Google Map Maker tool, the company said. The crowd-sourcing feature, first launched in 2008, allows users to add information such as roads, landmarks, bodies of water or buildings to existing Google Maps. Map Maker is available in more than 200 countries, but is especially useful in places like North Korea where geospatial information isn't widely available. Google said efforts to boost the country's maps have been going on for a few years and were finally ready to debut this week. Google's Map of North Korea - Before Schmidt's Trip The launch comes less than a month after Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt traveled to North Korea for a four-day trip arranged by former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson. While there, Schmidt and Richardson were part of a nine-person team that met with North Korean officials. Schmidt said he encouraged those leaders to consider allowing greater access to technology such as cell phones and the Internet to reverse the culture of isolation. The unofficial trip was criticized by some public figures. U.S. Senator John McCain took to Twitter to refer to Schmidt and his traveling companions as "useful idiots," and former United Nations ambassador John Bolton said the team was being used by North Korean officials to boost their image within their homeland. Google did not say if there was a connection between the release of the North Korean map and Schmidt's recent trip to the country. The timing is questionable, though, said Tom De Luca, professor of political science and director of the International Studies Program at Fordham University. "I think it is very interesting that this was done right after Schmidt's visit there. It could hardly be a coincidence," De Luca told TechNewsWorld, "although it might be only that Google was waiting until he got back." Google did not respond to our request for further details. Power of Maps Even if the information on Google's North Korean map is limited, any increased availability of geospatial knowledge can be beneficial in many ways, said Ming-Hsiang Tsou, professor in the geography department at San Diego State University. "Governments need maps to plan the building of roads, highways, airports, sewage lines, etc.," he told TechNewsWorld. "Mapping is essential for building basic infrastructure of modern society." Google is not the only company providing maps, but in recent years cartography has become one of the company's most lasting initiatives, said Emmanuel Stefanakis, assistant professor in geographic information systems and science at the University of New Brunswick. "Since 2005, when Google Earth was released, people around the globe have been using maps as never before and have a different view of the Earth, the country and the neighborhood they live in," Stefanakis said. "It is amazing how this product has changed people's perception for the Earth in less than seven years." Opening North Korea a Little at a Time Venturing into North Korea -- literally and digitally -- fits into the company's overall goal of providing as much data as possible, even when information is limited, Stefanakis told TechNewsWorld. "The demand from local communities for the privilege and right to get mapped adequately on Earth browsers is always present, even if authorities try to ban it. This is what sparked Google's interest in North Korea and other places, which sooner or later will be included in the new communication frameworks offered by Google and others." Any kind of diplomatic or communications change isn't going to happen overnight. "North Korea is the most secretive and repressive country on Earth," Fordham's De Luca pointed out. "Based on past behavior one wouldn't expect any cooperation with this project. Quite the opposite, one would expect retribution for any cooperation inside or outside of North Korea. If there is any cooperation, that would be a positive signal. North Korea is so secretive that no reaction might even be positive." Still, mapping could be a baby step as part of a larger initiative. Google is hardly the first company to attempt to map the country. Some South Korean cartographers have published maps based on what they know from before the Korean War or from North Korean defectors. Other crowd-sourced initiatives, such as a map on Curtis Melvin's North Korean Economy Watch website, have also taken on the task. With its widely established platform, though, Google's North Korean map could be the one that gets people to pay more attention, De Luca noted. "The most likely outcome of all of this is to increase a little interest in North Korea and its culture and human rights record among Internet users," he said. "If there's anything other than condemnation from the North that might be worth noting, but that's also grasping at straws."

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Just Another Mobile Phone Blog: Samsung Rolls Out Galaxy Pop in Trendy Colors

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Samsung Rolls Out Galaxy Pop in Trendy Colors Jan 30th 2013, 20:23 Samsung Electronics announced on the 30th that it releases smartphone Galaxy Pop (SHV-E220S) offering a wide collection of fresh and trendy colors for young consumers. Galaxy Pop now comes in white but it will soon be available in gray, orange, and more. The wider color choices and 9.05mm slim body design will make it more like a fashion statement. It runs on the latest IS Jelly Bean and 1.4 GHz Quad Core AP with LTE connection to enjoy voice and video data real time.

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Just Another Mobile Phone Blog: Samsung won’t hold a press conference at MWC 2013

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Samsung won't hold a press conference at MWC 2013 Jan 30th 2013, 20:24 According to Pocket-Lint Samsung wont hold any event at Mobile World Congress 2013 in Barcelona. Samsung will showcase new products but non of them are that special to hold an event. We expect Samsung to show many new Android devices. The Galaxy S IV event is scheduled for March. This may be the reason why Samsung wont have any event! Last year Samsung showed the Galaxy Beam, Galaxy Tab 2, Galaxy Note 10.1 and a couple of mid-range devices. This year we expect the same range of products by Samsung at the Mobile World Congress. SamMobile is live in Barcelona and we will make some hands-on!

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Just Another Mobile Phone Blog: Music Unlimited Mobile App

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Music Unlimited Mobile App Jan 30th 2013, 20:28 Description Try it free for 14 days! Quick registration with no credit card required. Sony Xperia and Android based Walkman device owners may try it free for 60 days.* Listen to your music anytime, anywhere via the Music Unlimited Mobile App with a Premium subscription and an Internet or mobile data connection. Download playlists and listen offline at the gym, on a plane, or anywhere you don't have a connection. Instantly play any album or song from the massive catalog, or sit back and enjoy the service's Channels, which adapt to your tastes and mood with no annoying ads and no song skip limits. Music Unlimited Features: ・Stream as much as you want. Any song, any album ・Download your playlists and listen offline ・Listen to your music from a range of devices ・Create customized channels built around your favorite artists ・New releases weekly ・Discover your next favorite song with Music Unlimited recommendations ・Unlimited skips and no ads! * Trials only for new subscribers to the Premium Plan. You must be age 18 or over or your parent or legal guardian must sign up on your behalf. 60 day premium trial additional terms: To qualify for this trial one must also own a Qualifying Device. Credit card details required. Unless you cancel your subscription prior to the end of the 60 day free trial, it will automatically renew and you will then be charged a subscription fee every 30 days of US$9.99 in the United States, CAN$ 9.99 in Canada, £9.99 in the UK, €9.99 in Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Finland, DKK 89 in Denmark, SEK 89 in Sweden, NKK89 in Norway, AU$12.99 in Australia, NZ$13.99 in New Zealand. You can cancel at any time and you will have access to the service for the remainder of that 30 day period. Offer must be redeemed by 12/31/12. "Qualifying Device" means a PlayStation®3, PlayStation®Portable or PlayStation®Vita system, VAIO® computer, BRAVIA® television, Blu-Ray™ player (internet-enabled models), Sony Tablet, Xperia™ phone or Android Walkman® device.

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Just Another Mobile Phone Blog: Sony Xperia ZL looks like it’s coming to Bell

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Sony Xperia ZL looks like it's coming to Bell Jan 30th 2013, 20:28 Sony unveiled the Xperia Z and the Xperia ZL at CES a few weeks ago. Both are Android-powered devices that come with impressive specs – but for us Canadians we'll see the Xperia ZL make it to our fine land. In our conversations with Sony representatives they stated to us that the XL will arrive in Q1 with carriers and pricing to be announced soon. According to these images it sure looks like the LTE-enabled Xperia XL is heading towards Bell. As you can see by these screenshots the model number of C6506 is correct, plus shows a bunch of Bell bloatware that include their MobileTV app, Remote PVR, self serve app and the Bell Remote Device Manager app. In addition, very surprising to see is that the bootloader has been unlocked. Hopefully it stays like that. http://mobilesyrup.com/2013/01/28/sony-xperia-zl-looks-like-its-coming-to-bell/

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Just Another Mobile Phone Blog: BlackBerry 10: Re-designed, Re-engineered, and Re-invented

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BlackBerry 10: Re-designed, Re-engineered, and Re-invented Jan 30th 2013, 20:33 BlackBerry 10 Platform Launches on Two New Smartphones Waterloo, ON – BlackBerry® (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) launched BlackBerry® 10, the re-designed, re-engineered, and re-invented BlackBerry platform that creates a new and unique mobile computing experience. Available on two new LTE-enabled smartphones, the BlackBerry® Z10 (all-touch) and BlackBerry® Q10 (touch with physical keyboard) smartphones powered by BlackBerry 10 offer you a faster, smarter and smoother experience than any other BlackBerry you have used before. BlackBerry unveiled the new BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry Q10 smartphones at events held simultaneously in New York, Toronto, London, Paris, Dubai, and Johannesburg. "Today sees a re-invented BlackBerry launching an entirely new mobile experience," said Thorsten Heins, President and CEO of BlackBerry. "We are thrilled to be introducing BlackBerry 10 on the new BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry Q10 smartphones, to deliver a faster, smarter experience that continuously adapts to your needs.  Every feature, every gesture, and every detail in BlackBerry 10 is designed to keep you moving." Highlights of BlackBerry 10 BlackBerry 10 is a robust and reliable platform that is smooth and responsive. It has a modern design and a gesture-based interface that is highly discoverable. It is designed to support, learn, and adapt to the way you work and share with features like: The ever present BlackBerry® Hub, which is a single place to manage all your conversations whether personal or work email, BBM™ messages, social media updates or notifications, and the ability to "peek" into the BlackBerry Hub from anywhere, so you're always only one swipe away from what matters to you. BlackBerry® Flow, where the BlackBerry 10 experience excels by enabling features and apps to flow seamlessly together, helping you complete the task at hand effortlessly and efficiently. For example, you can tap on an attendee listed for a meeting to see their latest tweet or LinkedIn profile. Or tap the thumbnail of a picture you just took to launch the Picture editor and quickly apply a transformation or filter, then instantly share it with your contacts. A keyboard that understands and adapts to you, that learns what words you use and how you use them, then offers them up to you so you can type faster and more accurately. BBM (BlackBerry® Messenger), which allows you to share things with the people that matter to you in an instant. BBM in BlackBerry 10 includes voice calling and video chat, and introduces the ability to share your screen with another BlackBerry 10 contact. BlackBerry® Balance™ technology, which elegantly separates and secures work applications and data from personal content on BlackBerry devices. Time Shift, an astonishing camera feature that lets you capture a group shot where everyone is smiling with their eyes wide open. Story Maker, which lets you bring a collection of photos and videos together, along with music and effects, to produce an HD movie that you can instantly share.   The new BlackBerry 10 browser, which sets the industry benchmark for HTML5 support on smartphones, is incredibly fast. Scrolling or zooming is fluid and responsive. The browser includes many advanced features, supports multiple tabs, lets you browse sites privately, includes a reader mode, and integrates with the platform for easily sharing content. BlackBerry® Remember, which combines memos, tasks and much more into a single experience. It helps you organize and manage information you have on your smartphone around projects or ideas, letting you collect content such as websites, emails, photos, documents, and other files, and then like a To-Do list, lets you create tasks, assign due dates, and track your progress. If your BlackBerry 10 smartphone is set up with a work account, your Microsoft® Outlook® Tasks will automatically be wirelessly synced with BlackBerry Remember.  If you have configured an Evernote account with your smartphone, BlackBerry Remember will sync Evernote workbooks as well. BlackBerry® Safeguard technology that helps protect what is important to you, and the business you work for. Built-in support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync® so your BlackBerry Z10 or BlackBerry Q10 smartphone can be simply connected and managed as other ActiveSync devices in a company, or enabled with BlackBerry® Enterprise Service 10 to gain secure access to work email, "behind the firewall" applications and data, and benefit from other security and enterprise mobility management features. The BlackBerry® World™ storefront, which now includes 70,000 BlackBerry 10 apps and one of the most robust music and video catalogs in mobile today – with most movies coming to the store the same day they are released on DVD. In addition, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Foursquare apps for BlackBerry 10 are preinstalled, and BlackBerry 10 customers will have access to leading applications from across the globe. Leading application providers including Disney, Cisco, Foursquare, Skype and Rovio have committed to the platform. "At Foursquare, we are extremely excited to launch our new BlackBerry 10 application and to continue developing on the platform," said Dennis Crowley, Co-Founder and CEO of Foursquare. "Our team built the app just for BlackBerry 10, and the result is an amazing Foursquare Explore experience to help people around the world make the most of where they are." "We're delighted to bring Angry Birds Star Wars to BlackBerry fans around the world," said Petri Järvilehto, EVP of Games, at Rovio. "It's a great platform that gives a fantastic gaming experience, so fans can experience the struggle of Rebel Birds vs. Imperial Pigs to the fullest!" "Bringing Where's My Water? and Where's My Perry? to BlackBerry 10 smartphones will introduce some of Disney's most popular mobile games to new audiences," said Tim O'Brien, VP of Business Development, Disney Games. "The new BlackBerry 10 platform is an exciting opportunity to expand Disney's network of mobile players." "We're proud to extend Cisco's WebEx technology to the BlackBerry 10 platform letting customers of any size join, start, view content, and stay connected to WebEx meetings right from their BlackBerry 10 smartphone," said Raj Gossain, Vice President of Product Management, Cloud Collaboration Applications Technology Group at Cisco. "Our customers access Cisco collaboration capabilities, such as instant messaging, IP voice calling and conferencing on BlackBerry smartphones to stay connected anywhere, anytime, and with anyone. RIM and Cisco have worked together to develop an application that is user friendly and meets the needs of our global customers." "We are excited about our plans to bring Skype to smartphones running the brand new BlackBerry 10 platform," said Bob Rosin, VP & GM of Business Development for Microsoft's Skype division. "We are working closely with BlackBerry to ensure Skype runs great on BlackBerry 10 devices. This will give BlackBerry 10 users a great Skype experience, including free voice and video calling, sending instant messages and text messages, sharing photos, videos and files, and calling to landlines and mobiles at Skype's low rates." BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry Q10 Smartphones The new BlackBerry 10 smartphones are elegant and distinctive, and the fastest, most advanced BlackBerry smartphones yet. They feature 1.5 Ghz dual core processors with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, and an expandable memory card slot. They include the latest enhancements in high density pixel and screen technology to display clear, sharp, and incredibly vivid images. Both feature a micro HDMI out port for presentations, and advanced sensors such NFC (near field communications) to support mobile payments and the exchange of information with a tap of the smartphone. They also have a removable battery. Models of the BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry Q10 will be available from carriers to support their respective 4G LTE or HSPA+ networks, and all the available models include connectivity support for global roaming. The BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry Q10 smartphones will also each come in White and Black. For more information about the new BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry Q10 smartphones powered by BlackBerry 10 please visit www.blackberry.com/blackberry10 A range of accessories for the new BlackBerry 10 smartphones, including the new BlackBerry® Mini Stereo Speaker as well as a variety of carrying and charging solutions including a unique charger that provides on-the-go charging, will be available from select carriers and retailers. Pricing and Availability Worldwide, we have several key markets that are revealing pricing and availability today, including the UK, Canada and UAE. In the UK, the BlackBerry Z10 will be available beginning tomorrow on pay monthly contracts and pre-pay plans from EE, O2, Vodafone, Phones 4u, BT, 3UK and the Carphone Warehouse. BlackBerry Z10 smartphones will be available fully subsidized on competitive monthly pay contracts. Price points will vary according to carriers and retail partners. In Canada, the BlackBerry Z10 will be available on February 5th. Pricing will vary by carrier partner, but it will retail for around $149.99 on a 3 year contract. In the UAE, the BlackBerry Z10 will be available on February 10th. Pricing will vary by carrier partner, but unsubsidized it will retail for AED 2,599. In the U.S. market, we expect availability with most carriers for the BlackBerry Z10 to be in March. Today, U.S. carriers will start announcing pre-registration and price plans. Many of our global partners have already launched or will be launching pre-registration and pre-order sites today. We expect the first global carriers to launch the BlackBerry Q10 in April. We will announce new pricing and availability information as carriers roll-out around the world. About BlackBerry A global leader in wireless innovation, BlackBerry® revolutionized the mobile industry when it was introduced in 1999. Today, BlackBerry aims to inspire the success of our millions of customers around the world by continuously pushing the boundaries of mobile experiences. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, BlackBerry operates offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. BlackBerry is currently listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ: RIMM) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RIM) (Ticker symbols to change to NASDAQ: BBRY and TSX: BB on February 4, 2013). For more information, visit www.blackberry.com.

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