The Most Audacious Hacks in Computer History

When we think of warfare, most people will speak of the horror. Guns, tanks, bombs and explosions. Death and destruction everywhere. This is what war brings to people and to places.

However, there’s another form of warfare that is becoming increasingly prevalent and it can often be just as destructive as traditional war; cyber warfare.

Yes, computers are not only a powerful tool, but used by experts can be a powerful weapon too. The recent troubles with the Ukraine and Russia have highlighted cyber-attacks on Ukrainian computer networks. The sophisticated nature of the ‘Uroburos’ cyberweapon has led experts to believe it was designed to hack government and telecoms networks. Is it a coincidence that this weapon originated from Russia? Who can say, but it is not alone in being a way to disrupt people, businesses and countries as a malicious action.

Here are other examples of computer hacking which are noteworthy for their sheer audaciousness.

US Nearly Explodes Siberia. All of it.
The year is 1982. It is the height of the Cold War between the USA and Russia. The CIA and their Soviet equivalent, the KGB, were constantly trying to outdo each other. In one of the first examples of a Trojan Virus, the CIA added it to software the Russians stole and then used to monitor and regulate Russian gas pipelines. The software would lie in wait until the program finished running a specific number of commands (in this case, 10 million cycles).

After 10 million, it would change the program slightly. This occurred after several months, and then things got serious. The code instructed the software to run a pressure test at higher than normal levels. However, the CIA did not take into account that Russian engineering might not be equipped to handle it. The result was a pipeline explosion in Siberia that was so big it was 20% the strength of the Hiroshima atomic bomb.

The Best Spy in the Business Wasn’t a Person
Traditionally, secret agents and spies were men and women who put their lives on the line for their government. It didn’t take long for someone to figure out a computer could probably do the same job.
Enter Flame. 20 megabytes of code that was programmed to spy on several countries in the Middle East. Flame had the ability to do the following:

• Copy files
• Capture screenshots
• Download instant messaging logs
• Turn on computer microphones and cameras remotely

Basically, it acted like James Bond in many ways. In fact, it was also programmed to project a specific cryptographic sequence known as a ‘prefix collision attack’ in case of detection. This means that is basically disguised itself (like any good spy) by convincing antivirus software that it was supposed to be there.

The amazing thing is that if it did get detected, it would delete itself and all traces from a system. It managed to operate for five years until eventually discovered in Iran. They claimed that the US was responsible for the virus. The US has denied all knowledge so we may never know the truth.

This post was written by Jake Messer on behalf of HANDD, a company specialising in data loss prevention services, file encryption and managed file transfer.

Read more

Top Rated Android Casino Apps for This Year

 

If the world casinos in Las Vegas are only a mirage for you, nowadays you can test your playing qualities in the most convenient way for you. Nowadays you can choose from a variety of casino apps, available for android. If you consider yourself a gambling type of person you have certainly tried at least one or two of these applications.

Despite the fact that when playing in the casino you are able to perceive the whole ambience and experience unforgettable emotions, some apps are still very well designed and you can amuse yourself effectively, while playing one or two games per day.

The best rated android casino apps for this year are the following:

1. Spider solitaire
The Spider Solitaire is an app that is already available for android. It tends to be one of the most popular free Spider Solitaire game and is a truly solitary experience. It is a version of solitaire and the goal is to place all the cards in each suit in stacks of descending suit sequence. The version of this game is exactly the same as that for the Windows, so if you have played it on your computer it won't be difficult for you.

The rules are simple and you can move to a different level of difficulty, while you attempt to tackle 3 and 4 suit games and become a master of the Spider Solitaire.

2. Jackpot city
This is an app that is perfectly compatible with Android devices. The wonderful visuals and the and the outstanding sounds will definitely impress the players. This is thanks to the fact that this mobile casino app is powered by Microgaming. It provides the players with eleven casino games, all of them from different gambling genres. It include games like Mega Moolah, Tomb Raider, Blackjack and Roulette.

The mobile casino players can also get in touch with a 24/7 customer support service, which could also be contacted through the phone. They will solve any issues connected to your playing on the City Mobile Casino App. The software of this app is second to none, with a very high quality. The game's graphics easily leads the players into the theme of the game and they can freely enjoy this magnificent experience. The easy structure of the game is another advantage of this casino app. Everything is set up in a way which would be the easiest for the user.

3. Party casino
Party casino mobile app is powered by the in-house development team of Party Gaming. The players can enjoy a wide range of casino games but firstly they should use the QR code that could be found of on the mobile page of the casino to get the app or they must open the casino's website and download it directly from there. The website has the quality to automatically detect the phone type and will deliver the appropriate casino app.

The mobile players can place real money bets on the outstanding collection of games at Party Casino. The players can always seek the help of the professional customer support of the helpful and motivated team. The flashy lights are particular for this online app casino game. The casino is made to work perfectly through the touch function. The players are given a wide variety of depositing or withdrawing options. The bank information is well encrypted so players do not to have to worry about the banking information.

4. Gaming club
This is a casino app that is also provided with software and games by Micro-gaming. This is a guarantee for the excellent experiencing of the customers, with a perfectly made interface. You just need to open the Gaming club through the mobile browser and follow the simple steps. There is a wide variety of games available to the players, appropriate for everyone's taste. There are cover table games card games, slots, progressive games as well as virtual racing games.

The wonderful software offers the players the most exciting mobile gaming experience. The colorful and bright colors of the visuals will immediately draw your attention. There is a reliable customer support and the team will help you to resolve any issues through a Live chat Feature, phone or by email. There exist plenty of depositing options for the players and the same goes for players who are willing to withdraw their money from the earned winnings.

These are some of the most popular casino apps for android for this year. Even if you are not keen on gambling or spending your leisure at playing games some of them will definitely appeal to you. Bring the atmosphere of the real casino and enjoy the great variety of games.

Author Bio: Gayle Grant is blogger and writer who writes about technology and gambling. His passion is Punto Banco articles but he is also keen on different casino games.

Read more

6 Free Cleaning Apps You Must Have on Your Mac

As your Mac ages, you’ll probably begin to notice it becoming less efficient. The start-up process can begin to take longer, internet browsing can slow down, and applications that once ran smoothly can become jittery or laggy.

The good news is that these problems are easy to address, all you need to do is download one of the many free professional Mac cleaning software packages and have it clear up your machine.

Here’s a list of the 6 best options out there for your consideration:

1. MacKeeper
MacKeeper doesn’t just provide a deep clean service for your Mac (removing redundant files and speeding it up), it also monitors all of the applications you use for updates and streamlines the process of downloading + installing them.

Keeping your programs up to date plays a key role in maximizing their efficiency. Furthermore, MacKeeper provides protection against all forms of malware designed to infect your Mac and steal your personal information / adversely affect its performance, making it the ultimate all-round Mac maintenance tool.

2. CleanMyMac 2
With a track record stretching for more than 4 years of providing top quality Mac software, this latest addition to the MacPaw inventory doesn’t disappoint.

Built on the successes of its predecessor, the software provides a quick and easy means of cleaning up any and all troublesome files sapping your valuable processing power. It’s easy to use and doesn’t intrude upon your day to day use of programs.

3. AppCleaner
AppCleaner focuses on helping you locate all of the hidden cache storages, redundant user preferences and installation protocols likely to be clogging up your machine, and then displaying them in a unique and intuitive interface that makes the process of eliminating them quick and easy.

There’s nothing fancy or flamboyant about the software, but the simple drag and drop nature of interacting with it means it’s appropriate for even the least tech-savvy users.

4. OnyX
OnyX is a multi-purpose tool aimed at helping you to not just speed up the performance of your machine, but streamline the way you use it by reconfiguring a large number of folders, menus and option settings to make everything more efficient.

Traditional Mac cleaning mechanisms such as the removal of redundant files are of course included, but there’s a whole host of additional general maintenance tools included as well.

5. AppleJack
AppleJack is a comprehensive suite of Mac recovery and restoration tools designed to help not just to speed up machines that are becoming sluggish, but recover those that have succumbed entirely to technical difficulties.

The program itself is designed to be a user-friendly troubleshooting assistant for Mac OS X, and can help you address issues, even if you’re struggling to load the GUI.

You can address virtually any issue from cleaning up useless files to restoring corrupt applications simply by installing the software and then restarting your Mac in Single User Mode.

6. EaseUS
One of the most basic packages on offer, EaseUS nonetheless constitutes an effective means of completely removing useless files and speeding up your machine.

There are no supplementary features or gimmicks, but it does what it is supposed to do, it’s easy to use, and most importantly it’s free!


Your Turn

Try them all and find out which one(s) work best for you, before leaving a comment below. If you feel our visitors should be aware of any other such programs, feel free to mention them too!

MacPing.com is the ultimate website where you can find everything you need to know about how to care, optimize and make the most out of your MAC. You can find information on how to speed up your Mac, different must-have software that works best, secrets on how to boost its performance, and many more. Come and visit us today! 

Read more

8 Free Apps For Crime Fiction Lovers

Do you love everything to do with crime and mystery? Are you looking for criminal investigation adventures to enjoy on your iPhone or Android? Then look no further, and enjoy the 8 games we’ve outlined and reviewed below!

1. Special Enquiry Detail: The Hand That Feeds
In this game, you’re charged with helping Lamonte and Turino get to the bottom of a case involving the murder of Carmody Phelps at her home.

The game itself focuses on locating hidden objects and piecing them together in a manner that sheds light on the mystery, whilst the narrative is pretty engaging and the artwork is highly detailed.

Some of the things you must locate might seem a little odd at times, but you can always call on the help of forensics expert Will Sheng for guidance.

2. Crime City
In Crime City, the tables are turned, and instead of helping to track down and arrest criminals, you are responsible for mugging, murdering and extorting your way to the top of the criminal ladder.

The aim of the game is to accumulate gold bars, which serve as a gauge of your progress and a means to acquire more weapons / vehicles.

The multiplayer element also allows you to team up with your friends and produce crime syndicates to rival others, or simply to engage in rampages against your peers in a bid to establish your dominance.

3. Crime Inc
Crime Inc. operates according to many of the same principles as Crime City, but instead of visually coordinating your criminal efforts from a bird’s eye view of the city, you do so via a series of shady, darkened room interactions with fellow mobsters.

Each successful completion of a criminal operation will boost your respect rating and bring you closer to the boss, opening up greater entrepreneurial opportunities.

Again, you can team up with or set out to destroy your friends online, a notion that has proved very appealing to the player base yielding well over 10 million active users.


4. Unlikely Suspects
Unlikely Suspects adds a quirky 70s twist to the familiar Cluedo / Clue game format, boasting 16 retro characters and a wealth of hidden objects that must be found in order to deduce who murdered who.

There are also in-game puzzles to solve and a wealth of additional aspects / clues like witness statements or airline tickets.

With over 4000 different scenarios to play out, this game also boasts some serious longevity.


5. The Room
The Room is a chilling, perplexing and ultimately enthralling puzzle game where you investigate a series of artefacts, pictures and locked boxes in order to discover the truth behind the ‘null element’.

Successful location of hidden keys will allow you to open mysterious boxes containing clues about this paranormal phenomenon, but there’s a long way to go before you discover the dark truth…

6. Crime Scenes: Hidden Unknown
This game sees you transferred to a city overrun with criminals and crime syndicates to head up Group A, an elite crime investigation team charged with cleaning up the streets.

Successful completion of puzzles and challenges will yield information leading to the capture of wanted individuals, and help you bring peace to a troubled population.

High quality graphics, an extensive list of challenges and an intuitive interface ensure a great gaming experience.

7. CSI Game
If you’re a big fan of the CSI TV series, then this is the app for you. Boasting a frequently updated database of trivia questions relating to characters and plotline, this is the ultimate way to prove to your friends just how much detective acumen you’ve picked from watching your favourite TV heroes.

A great way to relive the best moments from treasured episodes on the bus or train to work.

8. Crime Scene Investigation
In this game, you pick the story of Juliet, who worked in the city at a big, successful corporation, but suspected some of her coworkers were up to no good.

Upon investing time and finding evidence of their wrongdoing, she reports it to her superiors who subsequently have her killed. Your job is to find out exactly what she discovered and bring those responsible to account by locating a series of hidden items and interacting with them in the correct manner.

The game provides a good challenge, great graphics and an integrated walk-through to help you overcome some admittedly poorly translated text in places.

Your Turn

Tell us about your favorite or any other games you feel deserve a place on this list by leaving a comment below!
 
Do you like this article about crime scene games you should try? You can find more of these fun and exciting blog posts from Galnix.net – the ultimate hardcore gamer’s website.

Read more

7 Reasons Why Atlanta Needs Google Fiber

A few weeks ago, Google, the world's largest search engine, said 24 cities, including nine Atlanta cities, were under consideration for Google Fiber, the super-fast internet service. Cities being considered include Atlanta, Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, College Park, Decatur, East Point, Hapeville, Sandy Springs and Smyrna.

Southern Web, an Atlanta-based web design and development firm, is excited about the possibility of Google Fiber coming to Atlanta. That's why we've put together this infographic, which explains all of the positives that Google Fiber could bring to Atlanta and our surrounding cities.

Increased home values, enhanced access for local schools and libraries, customer savings and some of the quickest consumer Internet connection speeds currently available in the country are just a few of the benefits we could see.

The infographic was a group venture between graphic artist Ron Griffel, content strategist Ryan Watkins and Southern Web’s Director of Internet Marketing Cullie Burris.

Ryan Watkins is a content strategist with Southern Web Group, LLC., an Atlanta-based web development, design and marketing firm. In his spare time, Ryan enjoys blogging, staying up-to-date with the latest social media trends and outdoor adventuring.

Read more

Phone, Fax and Web Chat - The Evolution of Customer Service

If there's one job that will always be in demand, it's customer service. We can automate the production of many products, and Amazon is even toying with automating the delivery of smaller products with drones, but there's one thing that machines can't do as well as humans, and that's provide customer service.

Over the last few decades we've seen a huge amount of innovation in customer service, and today there are a huge number of different ways to contact businesses:

• Letters
• Telephone
• Fax
• Email
• Web forms
• Live chat
• Social Media

In spite of all of those contact options being available, most of us still prefer to pick up the phone. In fact, according to Maintel, who produced this fascinating infographic on modern customer service trends and the ways in which businesses are failing customers, around 79% of consumers prefer to pick up the phone instead of using other contact methods.

Over the last 20-30 years, technology has come a long way, but at the end of the day the most important thing in the customer service equation remains the same - dealing with helpful people.

Read more

3 SEO Content Bits to Boost Your Site’s Traffic

Bells and whistles – you’ve managed to fill every page of your site with these. Intricate details sit and stare back at users, site visitors, even to those inanimate bots. Let’s assume you haven’t forgotten to do the same kind of pampering with your content. 

Wait... what?! You did forget. Frankly, you are not alone. A whole bunch of other SEO folks out there (you know who you are) neglect to integrate content in their daily duties. Sure, there are wide ranging SEO techniques waiting to get implemented, right?

But that doesn’t mean you can’t treat content with the same scrutiny and confidence. Content makes the bulk of pages and multiple sites. It is your primary offer to the unsuspecting net user.

To help your content get back to its tiptop shape, here are 3 bits of SEO Content awesomeness:

1. Keywords: the long tail trend

1.  

It’s not that accurate keywords aren’t working anymore. It’s just the trend and the undeniable direction search engines have been prepping for. Most search engines have started to anticipate the coming of human-form search queries: question-like statements.

Long tail keywords support this type of statement queries. Search engines are adjusting in line to this anticipation; it’s time for your content keywords to catch up.

2. Review of existing literature
 
It’s safe to assume that what you’re giving your users is unique. But really, it is no longer safe to think so. In fact, to truly reach the peak of the content’s potential, it is important to assume otherwise: that the rest of the content curators out there are giving the same piece of advice.

Then what? Go act on this belief. If it were true, perhaps, you must study how others have been delivering the goods. If you are planning to give the same piece of advice, think of a different approach to presenting it. Then think of things that you can add in the mix: humor, insider’s tip, so forth.

3. Fusion of eye candy 

Investing in good texts – with zero grammar or plagiarism errors – is an established ingredient for helping SEO pros boosts their sites. But that is not the end of it. Content wordsmiths can do as far as adding videos, infographics, and thought-provoking images.

These extra sweets need to be relevant; otherwise,they only risk creating unhealthy distractions for your viewers. Also, try to create uncanny connections, like a Pokémon Psyduck (a symbol for dilemma and headache) plus a nagging issue. These kinds of connections don’t just reflect clever bouts of awesomeness; it also makes viewers laugh – a better substitute to a yawn-inducing piece of crap in front of them.

Creating powerful or compelling content is a challenge in itself. This is one sufficient reason to stick and work for it. This kind of attribute sits well among SEO pros, particularly, those who love challenges.

Ultimately, content is part and parcel of the most fundamental SEO techniques. That being such, there are no incentives in ditching it. So, why ditch it?

Authir Bio: Hi I am Chris Johnson, an expert-level blogger with a blogging experience of 9 years. I tried several different niches (like business, finance, sports, health). Yet, I chooses to settle mainly for his favourite: the Education niche.

Follow me at:
G+ -https://plus.google.com/u/0/112780820750067389728/posts
Twitter- https://twitter.com/babyChris818
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/johnson.chris808

Read more

So Just What Is Mozilla Up To With the Firefox OS?

Perhaps you have heard whispers of it in passing, or maybe you don’t know anything about the new Firefox open source mobile platform. That’s right. There’s a new kid on the block, so to speak. The Mozilla project was actually created in 1998, with the release of the Netscape browser suite source code.

The idea was to push the idea of the open web, and open source. For those not familiar with the term, open source is software that is “open” to the public, and possibly regulated, but not controlled by any for-profit company. The concept is that this allows thousands of programmers access to what otherwise would be closely guarded corporate secrets, thereby releasing unprecedented innovation in the browser market.
The project spread beyond expectations, first creating Mozilla 1.0, the first major browser from the open community. At the time, over 90% of the market used Internet Explorer for browsing, simply because they didn’t know there were alternatives.

In 2003, the non-profit Mozilla Foundation was created, funded by individual donors and a variety of companies. The role of the foundation was to manage the project and promote openness, innovation and opportunity on the web over competition and profit.

Firefox 1.0 was released in 2004, and in less than a year had been downloaded over 100 million times. New versions have continued to come out, and the popularity has grown. On the tenth anniversary of Mozilla in 2008, Firefox reached a 20% worldwide market share, renewing competition, accelerating innovation and improved Internet for everyone.

Now Mozilla is attempting to do the same thing in the mobile field market. Firefox OS is planned as a community-based platform for mobile devices. It will utilize open standards and approaches such as making HTML5 applications that are just as robust as native apps on iOS and Android.

Though Android is supposed to be an open-source platform, it is not completely so. Windows Phone and iOS are nowhere close. Mozilla has repeatedly said the Firefox OS (nicknamed Boot to Gecko, or B2G) was construed not so B2G would succeed, but the web would. That is, the base motivation is to show that the standards-based open Web, cannot only openly compete with the two (or three) major platforms, but force the same type of innovation the Firefox browser has brought to the web.

Mozilla hopes to bring the browser back to the forefront of a mobile experience, rather than playing second fiddle to the native apps on the phones. The Firefox OS is designed to run apps from web technologies such as HTML5, allowing those apps to run on any handset (or any other device) with a browser, regardless of platform.

For developers this is a boon, because it removes the need to rewrite code for cross-platform operations. For users, it’s great because the apps can be used on whatever device is handy.

Mozilla has been working to introduce the Firefox platform as a cheap under £80 smartphone option in countries with little exposure to smartphones, such as Latin America and Eastern Europe. The idea is that it is easier to introduce a new platform and show its effectiveness in a market where the other platforms have not already secured a foothold.

So can the idea succeed? History and the numbers certainly support it. There are about 100,000 iOS developers and 400,000 Android developers compared to ten million HTML5 developers (roughly). The Firefox browser has just reached version 25, and the innovation charged by this open community has carried over to all the competitors.

Certainly there is still work to be done, but many people’s confidence lies in the advances web technologies have already made in the last 20 years. Things like including interactive animations and imbedding video in a webpage without a plug-in, as you can with HTML5 and AJAX, were less than a concept back in the 1990’s and early 2000’s.

Mozilla is taking on a big challenge, and some mighty big opponents with deep pockets, but as the Linux-system demonstrates, open-source will always have a devout following, and Mozilla is on the path to opening up the entire mobile market.

Read more

Top Reasons Why PlayStation 4 Is An Interesting Choice

Gaming consoles provide great entertainment to gaming lovers. With the advancement in technology, gaming enthusiasts are getting advanced consoles these days. PlayStation 4 from Sony Computer Entertainment is an interesting game console that was released recently.

Sophistication: PlayStation 4 is a highly sophisticated gaming device for the variety of features it has. All options are interesting and the flexibility of usage provides customers great satisfaction.

Enhanced Experience: PS4 is integrated with advanced graphics chip and processor. It also has an HDMI port and this facilitates playing games by connecting the console to high definition televisions of the day. This gives people a highly interactive playtime experience.

Rich Features: PS4 has a flash card reader and the hard drive can be upgraded. The inclusion of new features has given people high level of excitement.

Configurations: PlayStation 4 is available in two configurations including basic and premium. Premium configuration provides advanced features and specifications and is therefore expensive.

PlayStation 4 can throw away people from boredom. It is a great feel to sit with family and play games and spend time in gaming. And, PS4 has created great buzz in the entertainment market with highly advanced features and people love it a lot.

Christina Jones is a professional technical blogger and she writes regular shopping review for gaming consoles.

Read more