Microsoft Issues Urgent Windows XP Updates to Block US Spy Tools

 WINDOWS XP GETS A NEW PATCH TO BE SAFE FROM HACKERS

The recent attacks- ransomware has created a great chaos among the netizens. So, Microsoft has done a U turn when it as time to provide the most important updates of security for the Windows XP. They were supposed to provide an important patch in order to protect the computers from cyber-attacks.

The Tech giant company has asked the users who were still using the software version of 2001 to get the update and the patch for the security purposes. Those who have not opted for it have to bear the brunt and face a huge issue. Some were asked to pay huge amount of bucks and the worst part of the ransomware was that even after paying the amount they were unable to get the info or their precious data back from the hackers. The Wannacry attack has realty shaken the world.

THE OPERATING SYTEM

The Windows operating system has been idle for more than three years as they were not providing any kind of support from 2014. There are still computers or machines which use the Windows XP version even though it has become outdated. Well, some people have the habit of using the old versions and things and this has cost them a lot recently.

The reports state that more than 5 percent still use the same old version of the Windows XP. The attacks don’t guarantee that they would get the updates of Windows XP even after the attacks of ransomware. So, the people are at a big mess.

The recent report is a bit confusing from the windows team as they have revealed that they are not going to provide any kind of support. The current attack is more threatening and so they would look into this very carefully. The engineers have decided to post the updates more efficiently in a broader spectrum.

THE FAILURE

The initiative has been taken as the Wannacry have already damaged a great number of computers over the world in a span of two days. The global attack has created a fear among the common multitude to use the internet or do any kind to transactions online.

The attack was mainly done with the help of Eternal Blue tool which was formed by the security Agency. But unfortunately, it got leaked and went into the hands of one of the famous hackers round the world who are known as the Shadow Brokers. The attack has hit very badly even the top organisations in like the Airports of England, Health departments and many more.

THE PATCH

The tech giant released a patch which has solved more than 94 problems but there are few issues which needs to be solved. Else the hackers may take advantage again. The users should update their systems in order to be safe. However, it has released a patch as an exception for the Windows XP in order to completely bring an end to support the old version of Windows XP.

What Facebook Knows About You

Model Devised to Analyse Facebook `Likes’

Whenever the advertisements on one’s Facebook newsfeed tends to appear unusually significant, it could be due to the social network giants being aware of you very well. The social network takes pride of having almost two billion users and provides a amazing amount of free content which has a tendency of keeping most of the users engrossed for hours daily. It intends to improve its efforts further in the near future by keeping the users on-site for even a longer time or in other owned properties of Facebook such as the Messenger, Whatsapp and Instagram.

Facebook is said to have accumulated an estimated $26.9 billion by way of ad revenue in 2016 by drawing out its massive troves of data on its 1.86 billion users in order to sell directed information to advertisers used to provide products as well as services depending on their particular preferences. There seems to be more disturbing methods wherein companies tend to utilise personal information. A model had been devised by researcher Michal Kosinski which tends to analyse Facebook `likes’ of a user in predicting information like ethnicity, sexual orientation together with political belief in creating as well as locating personal psychological profiles.

Facebook Most Appalling Spying Machine

As it was recently revealed by tech publication Motherboard, wherein an identical scheme was reported to have assisted Donald Trump in reaching the White House, on sending directed campaign ads which had appealed to individual needs together with requirements. Julian Assange, Wikileaks founder, in an interview with Russian news site RT, had called Facebook as the most appalling spying machine which has ever been invention.

 Assange had claimed that they have the most comprehensive database regarding people in the world, their relationships, their names together with their addresses, their locations as well as the communications with each other, their relatives, all being within the United States and accessible to U.S. intelligence. He added at a book launch in 2014, that each time one goes to a party, takes an image and posts the same on Facebook, you are being a traitor.

However even his organisation finds it difficult to refrain from joining the damage. Wikileaks tends to have its own Facebook page that seems to disclose the secrets of the rulers of the world. What Facebook intends to do with the data seem to be a subject of debate though the data it has is alarmingly all-inclusive. The following details will bring about an awareness of how much details Facebook can have regarding its users:

1. How much Facebook tends to know about the user, its family and friends

The source of one’s profile seems to be the on-site behaviour that covers the profile information one tends to provide, the advertisements clicked on, the events created and attended, items one prefers and the information that one has posted. All these behaviour tends to expose the age, gender, language together with the educational level, the electronic device one may utilise and how one would connect to the internet.

The post and the profile provide the details of your Facebook data footprint though the company gathers a huge selection of information from the other sources for adding personal information beyond those which have been significantly uploaded.

The user’s online behaviour together with the information from third-party sources are inclined to get mixed in conveying to Facebook about their job, whether the user is married, engaged or intending celebrating an event, whether you are a parent or expecting to be one. Moreover, it is also aware of who is in the family, how far they seem to be living and their anniversaries and much more.

2. Facebook aware of your finances and spending habits

It has a tendency of paying data brokers like Experian and Epsilon for added information they have compiled over a period of time in collection of additional information from government, surveys together with commercial sources like magazine subscription list.

 This conveys to them where one may shop, what is purchased and whether one owns a car. It also tends to be aware of the value, size, and composition together with the type of property one may be living in and when the said property had been constructed. Besides this, it not only knows what may be in possession with the user, but also what one purchases, on comprehending their tastes and when they would be likely in upgrading to some degree.

The financial information of the user is all taken hold wherein Facebook can forecast what one had invested in, or if is in possession of a credit card and if it is in debt, your net worth and income, together with details if one is a member of a credit union, national bank or regional bank

3. Facebook is aware of the websites visited and the apps utilised

The online activity of the user tracked by Facebook is not restricted to the social media site only. Should the user visit a web page which utilises Facebook technologies like Facebook pixel, then the publishers as well as Facebook can trail visits from the users. The information is utilised by the advertisers to craft ads for the individuals who tend to visit the website or use the mobile app.

 It covers any page with `like’ or `share’ button which informs Facebook where one could be browsing, any downloads of their mobile apps as well as any purchases done from the site or products which may have been added in the shopping cart. The family of apps and services of Facebook comprises of Instagram and WhatsApp which tend to add to the data record of the company.

4. Facebook knows the whereabouts of the user

The location data is utilised by Facebook to support advertisers in targeting individuals in or within a specific area. This detail is conveyed by the IP address where one tends to connect to the internet, the GPS as well as the location services on your phone, your check-ins together with the listed areas in your Facebook and Instagram profiles. In June 2016, debate came up when Facebook had first acknowledged and later denied that it was using smartphone location details to recommend friends, though eventually revealed that it had briefly done the previous year.

5. Facebook knows about your beliefs

Directed advertising utilised by the Donald Trump team before the US presidential election of 2016, had revealed the value of Facebook data in the political campaigning. If one mentions their political preferences, expresses a political leaning or like a page connected with one, Facebook has the tendency of utilising the information in presuming your political opinions.

 However, the company is not only in need of direct evidence. If the user like pages viewed as characteristic of a certain position, it could recommend you to share those beliefs. Liking Exxon for instance could specify that you are more expected to be traditional. Facebook tends to combine the details with demographic information to classify the users as substantial, traditional or reasonable.

6. Facebook knows your secret thoughts

The old saying of `think before you speak’ has given a new lease to life on social media where the fake security shield of screen together with the keyboard has given rise to several regrettable tap of the enter key. Recently it had been revealed by data scientist Vicki Boykis that Facebook tends to know what the user could be thinking even when they choose not to comment on it.

 The company can trail your typing in order to read your mind. Facebook tends to gather the text as it is typed by sending code to the browser which has the tendency of analysing the keystrokes and report the metadata. It comprises of deleted post, comments together with check-ins. The company has named these unpublished thoughts as `self-censorship’ and had earlier utilised the data in researching the human behaviour.

The overall incoming data amounts to about 600 daily terabytes if the estimates of 2014 of Facebook engineers tend to be precise. As per the calculations of Boykis, this could be the equivalent of uploading 193 million copies each day of the novel War and Peace.

7. How to find out what Facebook know about you

A board outline of information is provided by Facebook that tends to accumulate in its Data Policy though does not expose the complete details of how it functions. This can be found out by going to your ad preferences on the social network which comprises of profile information, categories of interest together with advertisers the user may have interacted with as a customer, a website user or by just clicking on their ads.

One could also hide advertisements regarding sensitive issues which you would like to opt out. Users of Facebook could also block certain kinds of ads by going to Facebook ads settings. The only means of averting the controls of the Facebook data collectors together with their partners is by quitting the social network completely though it may not provide you with a clean break.

 The data of the user has left an ineradicable mark and once the user tends to agree to hand it over they are no longer entitled to get the same back. However, one could download the complete Facebook data history as a ZIP file by utilising a self-service tool that has been designed by the company.

Mario caps Nintendo's triumphant comeback

Nintendo's super comeback!

Gaming in consoles has taken a huge turn with passing years, where the youth of the country invest quite a sum annually into various gaming consoles. The year was marked by the return of the famous Nintendo. And above it all, it is worth mentioning how Super Mario caps the royal return of the company.
 
The Wii back in its time was the talk of the town. Every kid in town seemed to have one tucked in their backpacks. It was definitely a challenge for Nintendo to come back with expectations of competing with Microsoft or Sony, however, their growth has been astounding. The newest talk of the town, the Switch had been released earlier this year. It may not have blown off minds but the company is pretty confident about its growth in the market. Perhaps the name pays off. There has been quite a growth in the passing year.

The Switch:

 This new device had a major sell-out after its release, peaking to sell almost 3 million devices. The famous- Legend of Zelda, the game has said to sell almost seven million copies. That is a whopping amount indeed. The Switch unlike perceived by many, made it big in the consoles market, bringing back the fame Nintendo deserves.

It brings back a nostalgic feel while indulging in the games. Innovation at its peak. Nintendo's hopes cross the number of copies sold for Wii when it comes to the Switch. It may be difficult, but with the return of Mario, it can’t be impossible. An innovation takes on the product, the Gameplay mechanic uses the product’s dual motion controller and shows off various new additions to Mario.
 
Mario caps the release:
 
Remember our favorite chubby plumber? Well seems like he is back with a bang with newer additional this October.

The Super Mario Odyssey, releasing this October has a lot of expectations. This time our favorite character will be seen in a real-life situation, perhaps in one of the busiest cities in the US. What is better is that it can be customers, people are free to the customer with the character, make it do what they want, go where they want. Similar to GTA perhaps, but no one dies. With the dual motion control per, with a click of a Switch, one can fling Mario’s new cap, the 'Cappy’ into the air, helping him combat enemies.

Mario surely caps the release of Nintendo.

Nintendo is to release another game this year called Arms, an action based game and another one called the Spatoon 2, featuring paintball shooting by squids.

The question is if people are fine without the 4K feature. Nintendo unlike other consoles like Chod does not support third party games with grand visual quality. According to talks, this is one of the development and additions Nintendo wishes to make this year on its consoles. The Wii however always had a larger impact, and matching up to that is difficult. The Switch wishes to do that in future. Wii has revolutionized the idea of gaming, making it as real life as possible. It was no more about pressing buttons.  The company had miles to go indeed.

Solar Paint Offers Endless Energy From Water Vapor

Solar Paint and its capability to Produce Fuels out of Water Vapor

Researchers always tend to turn the whirlwind with their innovative research and invention. This time they have decided to bewilder the world with the most innovative research in terms of paint. We have heard about the use of solar energy to generate electricity, but this time the impact of solar power will be located in paints as well. The researchers have unveiled this new development (Solar Paint) which can be used as a measure to generate water vapor which would further split to provide hydrogen. This has left all the science Nazis with utmost eagerness to follow up this research as soon as possible.

The paint would be so tempting because it would contain all essential compounds which would act like silica gel. This compound seems to be frequently used in most of the materials, these days. It is most commonly used in all the sachets in order to absorb moisture, so that the food, medicine or any other product in sachet would remain fresh and undetected from any sort of bacteria. But other than this gel, there are several other materials such as synthetic molybdenum-sulphide which also acts as a semi-conductor and behaves as a catalyst in spitting the water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.

One of the renowned researchers at the University of RMIT in Melbourne known as Dr. Torben Daeneke, Melbourne, Australia, has confirmed that they once absorbed that when they added titanium particles to compounds it resulted in forming a paint that could absorb sunlight and thus, produced hydrogen from solar energy and moist air. Hence, the name solar paint was given.

Observation suggests that the white pigment which is already present in wall paints is known as titanium oxide, which means that just with the addition of this new component a simple material can upgrade itself to form large chunks of energy harvesters and real estate which produces fuel by converting walls of brick.

The researcher has further concluded that this invention in terms of solar paint has several advantages. Usage of water can be restricted to some extent, as the water vapor or moisture absorbed from the atmosphere can now be utilized to produce that too in much-affected ways. One of his colleagues also seconded him by adding that hydrogen is the cleanest and purest forms of energy which could be used as fuels by utilizing it in fuel producing cells and in combustion engines that are conventional with an alternative measure other than fossil fuels.

This invention can be used in all sorts of places irrespective of the weather conditions. May that be a hot or cold climate or places near to the oceans this formula would be applicable in all places. The formula is very simple, the sea or ocean water would evaporate due to sunlight and thus, the vapor formed can be utilized to produce fuels. The way solar paint is turning out to be beneficial in everyday life soon its impact would be realized globally. 

Sennheiser’s PC 373D Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headphones

Sennheiser has not made any adjustments to the basic concept on the PC 373D Dolby 7.1 gaming headphones while comparing with its successful predecessor. The gaming headset, like its predecessor, can be connected to the PC via USB or mini USB and is based on an open design for good ventilation of the ears.

The design of the PC 373D Dolby 7.1 gaming headphones has been slightly revised compared to its predecessor. While the PC 363D was completely black, the successor has additional, discreet red elements. There are small red lines on the microphone bracket and the cable. The inside of the auricle was also lifted in color.

Overall, however, Sennheiser continues to rely on the familiar, simple, functional design. The processing is high-quality and the carrying comfort was increased.

Great Package of Delivery

The PC 373D Dolby 7.1 gaming headphones is delivered with manageable accessories. In addition to the headset, the scope of supply includes a 1.2 m long extension cable so that the cable length can be extended to a total of three meters. In addition, there is a USB surround dongle in the package, which can be switched between stereo and surround sound quickly.

The specifications of the PC 373D Dolby 7.1 gaming headphones are as follows:

Transducer principle: Dynamic, open

Frequency range: 15 Hz - 28,000 Hz

Impedance: 50 Ohm

With these specifications, the headset is also compatible with all other players, such as MP3 players and mobile phones.

Sound Quality

The goal of Sennheiser is to produce headsets with a sound that satisfies both professionals and ambitious amateur gamers. This is the absolute success of the manufacturer with the PC 373D Dolby 7.1 gaming headphones. The Sennheiser PC 373D Dolby 7.1 gaming headphones delivers 7.1. Dolby Surround Gaming Sound of the top class.

The sound is clear and the gaming headset manages to reproduce basses as well as letting higher notes sound naturally. The highs and lows also have a very good correlation with each other.

The 7.1 surround sound in PC 373D Dolby 7.1 gaming headphones is characterized by a realistic and precise spatial sound. One has the feeling exactly to determine, where the sound in the game comes from.

Sennheiser has developed a new software for the PC 373D Dolby 7.1 gaming headphones to precisely adjust the surround sound for every gamer's ear. The software implementation is intuitive and allows gamers to choose between four different equalizer settings.

Microphone

The new Sennheiser PC 373D Dolby 7.1 gaming headphones headset is also equipped with noise canceling. In this way, background noise is avoided, thus ensuring that only your voice is recorded. The voice is clearly transmitted.

There is also the possibility to use the "Mic Sidetone" on the headphones and the Sennheiser software to adjust the voice reproduction. This makes the voice recording even clearer.

Of course, the PC 373D Dolby 7.1 gaming headphones also has the simple, intuitive mute of the microphone, which we know from the PC 363D. The microphone is muted when the microphone is raised until a "soft" sound is heard. A small but very useful feature.

Overall, the implementation of the microphone is impressive all along the line and is in no way inferior to the sound quality.

Comfort

Besides the sound quality, Sennheiser has always attached great importance to the wearing comfort of the headset.

The auricles are covered with velvet. This makes the headset very soft and comfortable to wear. Sennheisser himself applies the ear pads as an "XXL ear pad".

With a weight of 354 grams, the headset is not a light weight. Due to the very soft padding of the temples, this weight is not noticeable even during long gaming sessions when worn.

Overall, the Sennheiser PC 373D Dolby 7.1 gaming headphones is also convincing in terms of style and comfort.