What is a DDoS attack? And could my computer be a weapon?

Anonymous is a notorious hackers group which has recently caused a massive cyber-attack on a web hosting service provider which offers hosting services to a number of business site in the world. Anonymous has issued a chilling warning about an impending cyber-attack through Distributed Denial of Service through its Twitter handle. DDoS attack are the most favored and common way of launching attack on any website wherein the site is overloaded with service request to such a point wherein it ceases to function.

Its servers buckled down under the pressure and the site goes offline for the users which results in millions of dollars in loss for the business house which operates the site. Furthermore coming from such attack isn’t an easier affair as it requires a lot of time, money and expertise to bring site back to its full functionality coupled with latest security measures.

Quite recently a number of major banks and popular sites & services have taken a hit by Anonymous attack which includes Twitter, Netflix and Spotify. Anonymous has not stated at which establishment or corporate sector or even the site they will be attacking next with their DDoS attack.
Anonymous hackers group has shades of white and black

Over the years Anonymous has been able to get favorable support from the people all round the world through their good work. Anonymous hackers group has launched massive attacks against the Islamic State in the past which has left the notorious terrorist organization in online turmoil.

They launched a DDoS attack against the Australian PM website when Australia was thinking about block the malicious content on the website which was direct attack to user’s online freedom. In similar fashion Anonymous took down as many as eight Tunisian government website with DDoS attacks when they found that it was subduing the freedom of the speech of the people.

Quite recently it launched a massive cyber attack against a little webs hosting service provider which helped in bringing down the Twitter, Netflix, Spotify among others. Anonymous can easily be described as a group of activists which came together in 2003. Since November 2015 when Paris attacks took place Anonymous has declared a cyber war on the ISIS. Most of the time Anonymous takes down the website offline in order to bring focus towards the social justice or censorship present in the nation.

Huge number of popular website goes down

A number of users on global scale ranging from US to European regions are reported that they were inaccessible to the major popular site which includes, AirBnB, Pinterest, PayPal as well as PlayStation’s online service.

This particular DDoS attack was targeted on the Dyn which is a little known hosting service provider for a wide number of popular high traffic websites. Currently US authorities are investing this attack while Dyn has made a statement where it accepted attack on its servers. Dyn is working towards mitigating and monitoring the attack against its Managed DNS infrastructure.

Hackers Used New Weapons to Disrupt Major Websites Across U.S.

Crucial sites were difficult to reach to individuals crosswise over wide swaths of the United States on Friday after an organization that oversees vital parts of the web's framework said it was under assault. Programmers unleashed a mind-boggling operation on the internet through some devices like webcams and computerized recorders and slice access to a portion of the world's best-known sites, a staggering rupture of worldwide web dependability. Clients reported sporadic issues achieving a few sites, including The New York Times, Spotify, Twitter, Reddit, Airbnb,Etsy, SoundCloud, and Netflix. The organization, Dyn, whose servers screen and reroute web activity, said it started encountering what security specialists called a dispersed dissent of-administration assault in the early morning.

Reports that numerous locales were blocked off began on the East Coast, however, spread westbound in three waves as the day wore on and into the night. Also, in an upsetting improvement, the assault seems to have depended on a huge number of web associated gadgets without their proprietors' knowledge — with programming that permits programmers to summon them to surge an objective with overpowering activity.

The assaults were not just more regular, they were greater and more advanced. The run of the mill assault dramatically increased in size. Besides, the aggressors were all the while utilizing diverse techniques to assault the organization's servers, making them harder to stop. The most successive targets were organizations that give web foundation administrations like Dyn.

The main cause and working of the gadgets-

Jason Read, the creator of the web execution checking firm CloudHarmony, possessed by Gartner Inc., said his organization followed a half-hour-long interruption early Friday influencing access to numerous destinations from the East Coast. Dyn is a New Hampshire-based supplier of administration for overseeing DNS, which goes about as switchboard associating web activity. Krebs, whose site was focused by a comparative assault in September, said the XiongMai gadgets are basically unfixable and will remain a threat to others unless they are completely expelled from the web.

These gadgets are thusly used to make a botnet, or robot system, to send a large number of messages that thumps the out casualties' PC frameworks. The source code for Mirai was discharged on the purported dull web, locales that work as a kind of online underground for programmers, toward the start of the month.

The assault comes during an era of increased open affectability and worry that the country's establishments and framework could confront huge scale hacking assaults. The latest illustration has been the arrival of messages stolen from the servers of the Democratic National Committee, which the USA knowledge sources say was the work of Russian Federation.

The theme has come up often amid the fall's hard-battled presidential crusade. The US Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation both were mutually exploring the late blackout. Dyn authorities wouldn't affirm the figure amid a phone call later Friday with correspondents.

It is too soon to figure out who was behind the assaults, however, it is this kind of assault that has US authorities concerned. They are concerned that an assault could keep nationals from submitting votes.

Computer Engineers Boost App Speeds by More than Nine Percent

New Method of Boosting Speed of Computer Application – 9%

A new method of boosting the speed of computer application by 9% more has been discovered by researchers from North Carolina State University and Samsung Electronics.The developments are the cause of technologies which permit computer processor to recover data much more efficiently.

To perform operations, the computer processors need to recover the data from memory which is stored in off-chip `main’ memory. The data which is utilised the most is also stored temporarily in a die-stacked dynamic random access memory – DRAM cache that is placed nearer to the process which can be recovered much faster.

The data in the store is organized in large blocks or macro-blocks so that the processor identifies where to locate whichever data is required. But for any specified operation, the processor may not need all the data in a macro-block and recovering the non-essential data tends to be time consuming.

For efficiency of the process, researchers have established a procedure wherein the cache learns over a period of time which data the processor would require from each macro-block. This enables the cache to perform two things. Firstly it can compress the macro-block recovering only the relevant data that permits the cache to send data efficiently to the processor.

Dense Footprint Cache

Secondly, since the macro-block has a tendency to be compressed, it tends to free up space in the cache which can be utilised to store the other data that the processor would probably require. This approach had been investigated by the researchers known as Dense Footprint Cache in a processor and memory simulator.

On running 3 billion instructions for each application that had been tested through the simulator, the researchers observed that the Dense Footprint Cache had raced up application by around 9.5% in comparison to the state-of-the-art challenging systems for managing die-stacked DRAM.

Die-stacked DRAM technology permits a huge Last level Cache – LLC which offers high bandwidth data admission to the processor but needs a large tag array. This could take a major amount of space of the on-chip SRAM budget.

 In order to reduce the SRAM overhead, systems such as Intel Haswell tends to depend on huge block –Mblock size. One disadvantage of large Mblock size is that several bytes of Mblock may not be required by the processor though are drawn in the cache.

Last Level Cache Miss Ratios

Dense Footprint Cache utilised 4.3% less energy. The researcher also observed that the Dense Footprint Cache had a substantial enhancement with regards to `last-level cache miss ratios’. Last-level cache misses takes place when the processors attempts to recover the data from the store though the data is not there thereby compelling the processor to recover the data from off-chip main memory.

 These cache misses tend to make the operation far less competent.The Dense Footprint Cache also tends to reduce last-level cache miss ratios by about 43%. The work had been featured in a paper - `Dense Footprint Cache: Capacity-Efficient Die-Stacked DRAM Last Level Cache’ which was presented at the International Symposium on Memory Systems in Washington, D.C. on October 3 – 6.

The lead author of the paper is said to be Seunghee Shin, a Ph.D. student at NC State and the paper had been co-authored by Yan Solihin. Yan Solihin is a professor of electrical and computer engineering at NC State and Sihong Kim of Samsung Electronics.

How to Manage Your Security Settings on Facebook

Facebook developed in the previous years to wind up the biggest online interpersonal organization in the world. It spread so much that even our neighbors, folks, and inaccessible relatives, even from remote regions of the nation, now continually utilize it. It's the place where everyone is dynamic, from family, companions, work partners, and outsiders who just chose to include us as their friends. That's why Facebook has rolled out a few improvements to its security settings over its lifetime, so it merits looking up to check whether you're still just giving the general population you need your private data and photographs.

Here are some basic approaches to ensure your security.

1. Restrain access to you and your Facebook stuff To limit access to your past and future Facebook posts, click Privacy in the left sheet of the Account Settings. At that point pick Limit Past Posts under the option of who can see it and in similar segment another option of who can see future posts. A message will pop up when you endeavor to restrain access to all your past posts without a moment's delay as opposed to changing the setting post-by-post. The alternatives under "Who can reach me?" let you confine companion demands and channel the messages you get. You can also limit your audience by restricting email address and telephone number 
2. Secure browsing A few times ago, Facebook made secure perusing the default for all clients. To guarantee you're utilizing a safe association at whatever point one is accessible, click Security in the left sheet of Facebook's Account Settings and ensure Secure Browsing is enabled. The security settings likewise give you a chance to empower sign in warnings and endorsements and see and alter your perceived gadgets and dynamic sessions. To evacuate a gadget, click Edit to one side and after that Remove beside the gadget's entrance. In like manner, to end one or all dynamic Facebook sessions, click Edit to one side of Active Sessions and pick End Activity or End All Activity, separately. 
3. Approve tags To trigger the survey of posts you labeled in before they show up on your course of events, you can choose Edit to one side of the section and select Enable in the drop-down menu. There In the timeline and tagging options you can enable or disable your posts' appearance by selection of options like "How can I manage tags people add and tagging suggestions?" , "Who can post to my timeline?" etc. 
4. Facebook Application A large portion of the most prevalent applications now associates with your Facebook profile, implying that your action on those applications may be posted on your Facebook profile. Be that as it may, to do this, the applications need to get consent, which is the place you can step in. In Settings, go to the Apps area and select "Select All" to see what authorizations applications have. You may need some of these to have the capacity to post for your sake - Instagram for instance - however, you may not need your dating applications to do as such, for instance. Click an application to alter protection settings.
5. Read and always try to be updated Set aside the time to peruse and comprehend the norms and terms of Facebook. Remain in order to the progressions that are updating regularly try to learn and read more often. The best aspect regarding Facebook is the capacity to custom yours and your companions experience. 

13 Hidden Features in Google Pixel Phone You Won’t Find in Any Manual

The unique features and overall look of the Google’s maiden smartphone is a real blend of glass and metal, which may be considered as one of the most sophisticated assets of any potential user and the envy of others. There are lots of shortcuts, useful features and above all, some exciting extras, which made the phone a pride-catch for any individual. Some of the most exhilarating and useful features of this Google’s first phone, the Pixel, are as follows:

1. Fastness: This phone is considered as one of the fastest phones and the performance is so electrifying that it can operate in a record time, without touching the screen. Just by tapping and swiping down the fingerprint sensor at the rear, the phone can be unlocked and reveal the notifications. 
2. Taking Trivia: The Google Assistant knowing it better and having the ability to perform the test of the user’s knowledge, such as; if you ask the phone to play the interesting “Lucky Trivia”, it will ask five trivia question, to be answered by you. 
3. Instant Photo: The impressive inbuilt camera can be opened up, just by double clicking of the button for instant opening and click. 
4. Hidden Shortcuts: Not only is the phone itself but the apps also having some of the most interesting hidden shortcuts, which help in the easy operation. 
5. Less Hidden Shortcuts: If the user wants to make any shortcut easier, he can do so just by dragging the same to the Home screen permanently. 
6. GIFs of Real-Life: The Pixel camera has the unique ability to save the individual photo and also having the capability of turning these photos as animated GIF separately. 
7. Too Many GIFs: In addition to the real life GIFs, this phone has the unique and hidden feature, which helps in categorizing of animated photo to a great extent. 
8. Photo Tweaks: The Pixel is one of the most advantageous features of the phone, which helps the user to have the control of focus, just by holding the finger on the screen, to make the photos brighter and sharper. 
9. Selfie Smart: The stealthy and swift switching mode is the cameras, is the basic characteristic of the Google’s phone and it’s the handiest for the user in getting intended pictures. 
10. Smart Storage: The uniqueness of this phone is; the unlimited storing capacity of all photos and captured videos. This is possible by automatic deletion of older backup photos, as when required. 
11. Reminder: The reminding option is a very important feature of this phone, which reminds the user with go-to-bed and other notifications, with proper synchronization. 
12. Just Be Quiet: If any user doesn’t want to get notified about any call or messages; he can simply use the feature “Do Not Disturb”, which will block all sorts of beeps and rings for an hour. 
13. Not The Only Guide: One can access an expert, in case it is needed, just by tapping the Support tab in the prominent setting menu for a phone conversation or text chatting.  

Researchers Show Air Bag Bike Helmets Have Promise

Foam Bike Helmets – Reduce Possibility of Skull Fracture/Brain Damages

An assistant professor of bioengineering at Stanford, David Camarillo is well aware that bicycling had been the main cause of sports and activity connected concussion together with brain injury in the United States.

With bicycling accidents, he had received two concussions and though he is not doubtful that wearing a helmet would be better than no helmet at all, he is of the belief that the traditional helmets do not seem to be protective for the rider as much as they should.

Camarillo had stated that foam bike helmets have proved to reduce the possibility of skull fracture together with other severe brain damages. However he thinks that many misleadingly are of the belief that bike helmets tend to protect against concussion, which is not true.

Being aware of what he does regarding the traditional bike helmets, Camarillo whose lab tends to work on understanding and preventing concussions decided to experiment a new kind of helmet, which is available in some of the European countries. The outcomes have been included in the September 27 edition of Annals of Biomedical Engineering.

Designed to Address Situations

The helmet which Camarillo had tested has a soft pocket worn around the neck which tends to pop up like an air bag around the head of the person when it gets alerted of a possible collision.

 Initially he had been designed to address the situations that people did not desire to wear helmets for visual reasons This air bag helmet had been compared to the traditional foam bike helmets by the researchers where the results seemed to be quite remarkable.

Mehmet Kurt, a postdoctoral scholar in the Camarillo Lab commented that they conducted drop test which seemed like typical federal test to assess bicycle helmet and observed that air bag helmets with the precise initial pressure could reduce head accelerations five to six times in comparison to traditional bicycle helmet.

The drop test comprises of placing the helmets on dummy head with accelerometers and dropping it, from neck-side up from different height on a metal platform. At two different angles, the head form had been tilted, faking hits of the crown as well as the side of the head.

More Cushioned Fall

Researchers had dropped the helmets from 0.8 meters to a height of two meters and had measured the direct speeding up of the helmet when it had hit the ground. Camarillo had informed that the huge size of the air bag helmet in comparison to foam bike helmets seems to be a possible source of its achievement.

Besides being large, it can also be soft enabling a more cushioned fall. But this cushioning seems to have a possible shortcoming. The air bag helmet, during the experiment was pre-inflated and the researchers had exploited the pressure of the air in the helmet before each drop to obtain the results.

 Deprived of the maximum amount of the air, the air bag helmet could bottom out resulting in the head to hit the ground with more force than it would be in the case of a traditional foam helmet. In the present form of the air bag helmet, a chemical process tends to activate expansion that does not guarantee maximum air pressure.

Getting Robots to Teach Each Other New Skills

Google – Robots Utilising Shared Experiences

Robots have not got hold of human intelligence still but the researchers of Google have shown how they have been progressing in utilising downloadable intelligence. Just envisage if you could be better at some skill by not just learning and practising but by accessing the brains of another to tap directly in their experiences.

That would be science fiction for human, but in the case of AI powered robotics, it could be a possibility to shortcut training times by having robots to share their experiences. Recently, Google had demonstrated this with its grasping robotic arms.

James Kuffner, former head of robotics of Google had created a term for this kind of skills acquisition, six years back, naming it `cloud robotics’. It recognises the effect of distributed sensors and processing supported by data centres and quicker networks.

 Presently Knuffer, the CTO of the Toyota Research Institute where his focus lies on cloud robotics in bringing about reality domestic helper robots. UK artificial intelligence lab, Google Research, Deep Mind together with Google X continues to discover cloud robotics in quickening general purpose skills acquisition in robots. In many demonstration video that were recently published, Google has portrayed robots utilising shared experiences to learn quickly how to move objects and open doors.

Robots – Own Copy of Neural Network

Out of the three multi-robot approaches which the researchers have been utilising is reinforcement learning, or trial and error together with deep neural networks which is the same approach that DeepMind is using in training its AI, is being skilled at Atari video games and Chinese board game Go.

Every robot tends to have its own copy of neural network which assists it to decide the ideal action in opening the door. Google has constructed data quite quickly with the addition of interference. Recording the robots actions, behaviours and concluding outcome is done by a central serve, which utilises those experiences in order to build an improved neural network which assists the robots enhancing the task.

As portrayed in two videos by Google, after a training of 20 minutes the robotics arms fumbled around for the handle though ultimately managed to open the door. But in the span of three hours, the robots could reach for the handle with ease, twist it and then pull to open the door.

Google Training Robots to Construct Mental Models 

Another system which they have been exploring could be helpful for robots to follow commands in moving objects around the home and it is here that Google has been training its robots to construct mental models on how things tend to move in response to definite actions by building experience of where pixels turn out on a screen after a certain action is done.

The robots tends to share their experiences of nudging different object surrounding a table, assisting them forecast what could happen should they tend to take a specific course of action. The researchers are ultimately exploring methods for the robots to study from humans. Google’s researchers directed robots to the doors and exhibited how to open them. These actions had been encoded in deep neural network which tends to transform camera images to robot actions.