Google launches strong encryption for Android messages

Google said Thursday it will be rolling out end-to-end encryption for Android users, making it harder for anyone, including law enforcement, to read the content of messages.

“End-to-end encryption ensures that no one, including Google and third parties, can read the content of your messages as they travel between your phone and the phone of the person you’re messaging,” said Drew Rowny, head of Google product, in announcing the rollout.

Google’s move is part of an upgrade from SMS to the Rich Communication Services (RCS) standard with additional features for images and videos.

It will be available for people communicating using Android-powered devices.

The move brings additional privacy and security to Google’s messaging application, however, law enforcement agencies around the world complained that “strong encryption may enable criminals to hide their tracks”.

Digital rights activists have long supported strong encryption to allow users to avoid snooping by governments and cybercriminals. But some governments have warned the technology could hinder criminal investigations.

End-to-end encryption is already available on some services such as Facebook-owned WhatsApp, but the company has been facing resistance over its plan to bring full encryption to its Messenger app.

Last year, US Attorney General William Barr joined with British and Australian counterparts in urging Facebook to abandon its encryption, claiming the planned court hurt investigations into child exploitation.

Civil liberties groups countered that a lack of encryption or privileged access for law enforcement could hurt privacy and security for all internet users, creating holes that could be exploited by bad actors.Source: AFP, Tech Xplore Source: https://www.daily-bangladesh.com

Read More........→December 29, 2020

The Technogym treadmill controlled by Google Glass

Technogym has announced a new bit of fitness equipment for those who like to go running indoors and wear their Google Glass. The niche product, showcasing at CES this week in Las Vegas, will let Glass wearers tap into the specially enhanced treadmill allowing them to see running data on their headset rather than, look down at the huge tablet-like console directly in front of them. But it's not just Google Glass. The Android-based system, dubbed Unity, comes with an API that allows any app for a third party

to connect to the intelligent treadmill, meaning you can get data tapped straight into your favourite app or on to a device you are wearing. "Unity is part of Wellness on the Go, Technogym’s complete experience that allows users to engage and connect with others on any piece of Technogym equipment, anywhere in the world," explains Technogym, living up to its name. "Moreover Unity is the first and only console in the fitness industry that offers users the ability to communicate with their personal trainer or friends via webcam." Unity is already compatible with MapMyFitness, RunKeeper and Withings. No word however on price or when the treadmill will be available in the UK. Source: SAM Daily Times

Read More........→January 08, 2014

Gene of the week: internet addiction

Everybody is talking about internet addiction – many people spend hours online and immediately start feeling bad if they are unable to do so. Medically, this phenomenon has not been as clearly described as nicotine or alcohol dependency. But a German study in the Journal of Addiction Medicine suggests that there are molecular-genetic connections in internet addiction, too. "It was shown that Internet addiction is not a figment of our imagination," says the lead author, Dr. Christian Montag of the University of Bonn. "Researchers and therapists are increasingly closing in on it." He found that some people’s thoughts revolve around the internet during the day and that they feel their wellbeing is severely impacted if they have to go without it. The problem users seem to have a genetic variation that also plays a major role in nicotine addiction. "It seems that this connection is not only essential for nicotine addiction, but also for internet addiction," reports the Bonn psychologist. “The current data already shows that there are clear indications for genetic causes of Internet addiction." The actual mutation is on the CHRNA4 gene that changes the genetic make¬up for the Alpha 4 subunit on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. "Within the group of subjects exhibiting problematic Internet behavior this variant occurs more frequently – in particular, in women," says Dr. Montag. ~ Universität Bonn press release, Aug 29 Source BioEdge, Image

Read More........→December 19, 2013

Popular game Angry Birds now on Facebook

Are you fond of Computer games and facebook? If you want to be on facebook and play your favourite game at same time, then it is possible now. As promised, the mega popular casual game Angry Birds has made its way to Facebook for the first time. The game's developer Rovio previously announced it would bring the avian-flinging adventure to the social platform just in time for Valentine's Day, and here we are. How romantic Yes, nothing screams romance and valentines quite like oblong green pigs, so the launch date seems perfectly fitting. This isn't the first time Valentine's Day has been an important affair for Angry Birds. Rovio previously released a themed 'holiday' version of the game filled with pink backgrounds and a whole slew of little hearts. Angry Birds has, of course, become one of the most popular casual games of all time. However, it is largely a single-player affair. Rovio could have brought it to Facebook a long time ago but it was apparently working on how to turn it into a more social experience. Angry Birds on Facebook includes online leaderboards and special power-ups that users can buy for 99 cents a pop. In case you've been keeping track, Angry Birds is already available for Android, the iPhone and iPad, Windows Phone, handheld game systems, and TV set-top boxes. And that doesn't even include the board game or any of the myriad other merchandising ventures. So as for Angry Birds making its way to Facebook, the only real reaction to have is - it's about time.Source: Ananta-Tec

Read More........→May 25, 2013

Shark Net: Dr. Barbara Block/TOPP release great app to track California's white sharks

I have been fortunate to meet and speak with many accomplished marine scientists and researchers. One who is definitely on my Top 10 list is Dr. Barbara Block. Based at Stanford University, California, she oversees TOPP (Tagging of Pacific Predators), a program started in 2000 that tracks pelagic animals from tuna to swordfish to turtles to great white sharks, and more. (Couple of previous posts on the subject here & here.) Barbara is a spunky taskmaster but, working with her staff, it is that very drive  that  has  enabled
TOPP to discover many of the secrets involving the migration patterns of these large and critically important animals.  It was TOPP that coined the phrase "White Shark Cafe" to describe where great white sharks from California and Mexico migrate to in the Pacific Ocean. One particularly important finding regarding these migration patterns was the possible explanation for the seasonal nature of the sharks' sojourns: Mid-Pacific upwellings which bring nutrients that feed the food chain and ultimately replenish the larger fish that the sharks feed on. Cyclical weather and ocean movement patterns produce these upwellings - and as climate change continues to present itself, there is always the possibility of shifts in the upwelling cycle that could have unknown consequences for these animals. Whenever I am called upon to speak about sharks, these fascinating migration patterns are always a topic I include as I am guaranteed they will mesmerize my audience. So, thank you, Dr. Block! While Internet users can monitor the ongoing activities of TOPP through its website, it's now possible to carry it with you on your iPhone or iPad. Shark Net - Predators of the Blue Serengeti is available fromiTunes at no charge (as in free!) and provides a range of features on the cataloging and whereabouts of those most iconic of California ocean predators, the great white shark. Users can get updates on the latest monitoring of sharks, pinpoint the location of the tracking buoys that gather the data, and get biographies, photos, and videos about many of the sharks that frequent California's waters. There are other apps available that provide white shark tracking info but this is thedefinitive app for monitoring the white sharks that ply the waters off California's coast - and beyond, thanks to those incredible migration patterns. In a recent interview for U.K.'s The Guardian, Dr. Block explained her use of the term "Blue Serengeti" to describe California's coastal waters and the large migration patterns that occur within it. "White sharks and tuna travel for thousands of miles before returning to the same hot spot just as salmon do when they return to the same stream. These journeys are the marine equivalent of wildebeest migrations that take place on the Serengeti plain in Africa. That is why I call this part of the Californian coast the Blue Serengeti." "Everyone knows about watering holes on the Serengeti even though most of us have never been there. We can just close our eyes and see the zebras, the elephants and the hyenas. We want to do the same for the migration hot spots we have found off the coast of California." Dr. Block and TOPP are setting new standards for ocean animal tracking, expanding on the various GPS and satellite tracking methods (which can sometimes provide data intermittently) to include cutting-edge, round-the-clock monitoring technology using monitoring networks or even self-contained, solar-powered tracking stations like Wave Glider that travels the currents along the California coast.  Through the efforts of TOPP and consumer apps like Shark Net, Dr. Block hopes to bring the hidden complexity of our ocean planet to a wider audience. Humankind's curiosity makes it look outward, and that has lead us into the stars. But there is a whole world to be discovered starting right at the shoreline. "Human technology has made it to Mars. We are transmitting gorgeous pictures from it. Yet we have not explored our own planet. Two-thirds of it is covered with oceans that are still mysterious places. We are trying to hook people up to what is going on out there now and get them to realize that it could all be lost if we did not do something to protect it. Ultimately, I want to create a world heritage site here. Wiring up the oceans, as we are doing, is our way to get people to understand the importance of these places."Source: RTSea

Read More........→February 08, 2013