One Twitter account notorious for releasing “real” bits of information in one way or another spoken by perhaps more important leaders of Anonymous spoke the following: “We absolutely disown #OpFacebook … We’re supposed to fight for the users, not against them. Don’t violate private citizen privacy please.” This #OpFacebook of course then links to the keyword OpFacebook on Twitter where today we’re seeing a list of Tweets mostly speaking about how not only was this newest operation created by somewhat of a “rogue element” in the collective, but that the attack had indeed been spoken about and disowned on a previous occasion by the larger bit of Anonymous as well.

This whole situation goes back to July 1st where, on the main chat network for Anonymous, there was a channel called #OpFacebook and, as Forbes’ Parmy Olson reports, about two dozen members actually did discuss an attack on the social networking site, though the discussion did turn quickly into what many would refer to as “N00B talk”: “Oooo I wanna hack something lol,” said one chatterer, then asked if he’d ever hacked anything before replying, “I’m here to learn.”

The original date set up for this attack was July 4th notes the original document created by several members of the collective, though as Olson notes again, this date was followed by a note which read: “Guys, we are running out of time, we need a new date.” Of course then you know the rest of this little bit: this date came and went and no such attack took place. The Twitter account @OP_Facebook was then set up on the 16th of July and a link to the YouTube video you can see in the Anonymous Vows Facebook Destruction post was posted. This is the point at which a completely new set of so-called members of Anonymous took over.

According to Gawker, this new set of users found the original #OpFacebook chatroom, saw that there was indeed a set of text created (this again available in the first post we’ve made) and decided they’d take up the cause, creating said Twitter account and switching the date to the infamous November 5th. The current situation stands, one way or another, that the original OpFacebook gathering is now booming, hundreds of new participants joining in on the conversation, this very possibly increasing the possibility that a real Operation Facebook could take place.

Meanwhile the so-called “old hats” of Anonymous continue to wash their hands of the whole situation.

According to our tipsters, this is not the first time this has happened, though this attack is certainly the more important of two in this past month. The attack earlier this month on Codemasters website may or may not have been the same person or group, but accessed only usernames of people signed up for the site, whereas this newest attack has proven to have been much more serious. While Codemasters says they have no confirmation that user data has actually been stolen or compromised, they’re assuming the worst, and are telling users via email to take all precaution including changing passwords on their accounts on all fronts as well as being prepared for ams through email, phone, and snailmail.

Members’ names, usernames, screen names, email addresses, date of birth, encrypted passwords, newsletter preferences, any biographies entered by users, details of last site activity, IP addresses and Xbox Live Gamertags are all believed to have been compromised.

Earlier today we heard about another software developer website being attacked, that being Gears of War developers Epic Games. These incidents are not isolated, though it is possible, again, that they’re unrelated. Have a look at our [hack] portal for info on every attempt in the recent past on a video game related site, paying special attention to the epic story of the taking down of the Sony Playstation Network. Is it the same folks here? Very possible. Hackers beware, though, as Spain is on your tail! You’ve been warned.

– Thanks for the tip, Tom!

Now have a look at the full text of the email sent our to those attached to Codemasters by the webmeisters, warning them of the breach:

Important information regarding your account

Dear valued Codemasters customer,

On Friday 3rd June, unauthorised entry was gained to our Codemasters.com website. As soon as the intrusion was detected, we immediately took codemasters.com and associated web services offline in order to prevent any further intrusion.

During the days since the attack we have conducted a thorough investigation in order to ascertain the extent and scope of the breach and have regrettably discovered that the intruder was able to gain access to the following:

Codemasters.com website

Access to the Codemasters corporate website and sub-domains.

DiRT 3 VIP code redemption page

Access to the DiRT 3 VIP code redemption page.

The Codemasters EStore

We believe the following have been compromised: Customer names and addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers, encrypted passwords and order history. Please note that no personal payment information was stored with Codemasters as we use external payment providers, meaning your payment details were not at risk from this intrusion.

Codemasters CodeM database

Members’ names, usernames, screen names, email addresses, date of birth, encrypted passwords, newsletter preferences, any biographies entered by users, details of last site activity, IP addresses and Xbox Live Gamertags are all believed to have been compromised.

Whilst we do not have confirmation that any of this data was actually downloaded onto an external device, we have to assume that, as access was gained, all of these details were compromised and/or stolen.

The Codemasters.com website will remain offline for the foreseeable future with all Codemasters.com traffic re-directed to the Codemasters Facebook page instead. A new website will launch later in the year.

Advice

For your security, in the first instance we advise you to change any passwords you have associated with other Codemasters accounts. If you use the same login information for other sites, you should change that information too. Furthermore, be extra cautious of potential scams, via email, phone, or post that ask you for personal or sensitive information. Please note that Codemasters will never ask you for any payment data such as credit card numbers or bank account details, nor will Codemasters ask you for passwords or other personal identifying data. Be aware too of fraudulent emails that may outwardly appear to be from Codemasters with links inviting you to visit websites. The safest way to visit your favourite websites is always by typing in the address manually into the address bar of your browser.

Unfortunately, Codemasters is the latest victim in on-going targeted attacks against numerous game companies. We assure you that we are doing everything within our legal means to track down the perpetrators and take action to the full extent of the law.

We apologise for this incident and regret any inconvenience caused.

We are contacting all customers who may have been affected directly.

Should you have any concerns or wish to speak to a member of our Customer Services team, please email them at custservice@codemasters.com.

In addition to the encrypted passwords, the hackers are also believed to have taken the related “salt” for the password hashes. “Salt” is basically randomized information added to the password prior to encryption, making it harder to misuse if that encryption is subsequently broken, though if the hackers have the salting data then they would be able to strip that out.

“You can combine the user’s e-mail, a guess on their master password, and the salt and do various rounds of one-way mathematics against it. When you do all of that, what you’re potentially left with is the ability to see from that data whether a guess on a master password is correct without having to hit our servers directly through the website” Jow Siegrist, CEO, LastPass

LastPass has added an option for those with strong master passwords to opt out of the mandatory change, and has switched those yet to change their password into an “offline” mode to try to reduce load on the system. The rush of people wanting to make a password change had overloaded the servers; more information on the offline mode here.

That’s because the QNX desktop environment already comes with a cross-compiler that allows developers to create native apps for ARM processors, like the TI chip the PlayBook is based on. Software can be written in regular C/C++ and then compiled and copied across to the tablet.

That last step did take a little legwork, since if you merely shuttle the code over to the PlayBook’s “downloads” folder, using SSH into the device as “devuser”, it lacks the necessary permissions to actually run. Instead, Bell found that if you set the binary as executable, and then zip it up, you can move it from the “downloads” folder, unzip it, and run it as a native PlayBook app.

The workaround means that, rather than use AIR to develop apps as RIM is currently insisting on, developers can now create titles with full access to everything RIM’s own software on the PlayBook can use. Whether the company will approve of that remains to be seen, but it’s certainly another benefit of the flexibility of the QNX platform the tablet is based on.

[Thanks Steve!]

More worrying, Microsoft’s Brandon Watson says that, since the development team is focussing on getting Mango out on time, “undoing this specific problem was not in our schedule.” Instead, it’s a case of waiting for the ChevronWP7 team to release a fix which will get modified handsets back on the official Windows Phone path – something they are supposedly working on – or taking your phone back to the carrier or vendor and asking them to reflash it.

Ominously, Watson says that “because of this known error code, it is up to the mobile operators as to what they want to do with your phone” suggesting that some may be less willing to overlook hacks than others, and refuse to repair the device under warranty. Nobody likes waiting for software – since the news that HTC was pushing out Android 2.3 for the Desire HD and Incredible S yesterday we’ve been mashing the “check for updates” button on our phones in the hope that they’ll grant us some Gingerbread – but this underscores that there can be side-effects to workarounds intended to help us jump the official queue.

Microsoft has been admirably transparent in detailing the stages official software goes through at their “Where Is My Update?” site, but whether carriers will be willing to shoulder the blame for the NoDo delays that prompted the mods, or stick resolutely to the line that customers should wait until the upgrades are reader, remains to be seen.

As the team points out, what isn’t currently offered for Kinect gamers is a flight game with guns, primarily – they suggest – because the sensor can’t recognize sub-movements. By throwing the iPhone into the mixture, however, the Kinect is free to track general movement of the spacecraft while the smartphone is used to control its weapons.

It’s the handiwork of Khairul Nizam and his Rockmoon team of merry Unity3D, Kinect and iOS developers. No word on what they intend to do with the system, but we’re hoping this means more integration between smartphones and Kinect games in future.

[Thanks Ben!]

Sony spokesperson Patrick Seybold, senior director of corporate communications and social media, denies the suggestion, however. “To my knowledge,” he told the newspaper, “there is no truth to the report that Sony was offered an opportunity to purchase the list.” Earlier this week, Seybold confirmed that not only was Sony reworking the PSN systems, with the help of both an external security firm and law enforcement teams, but physically “moving our network infrastructure and data center to a new, more secure location.”

Still, there’s ongoing concern that the horse has already bolted. “Sony is saying the credit cards were encrypted,” Mathew Solnik, iSEC Partners security consultant points out, ”but we are hearing that the hackers made it into the main database, which would have given them access to everything, including credit card numbers.” Experts in credit card fraud have estimated that, if true, the potential for false payments could total $24bn.

According to reports earlier this week, a custom PS3 firmware allowed hackers to unofficially gain access to the PlayStation Network developer channels. There, they were supposedly able to use false – and unchecked – credit card details to make purchases. Sony’s only recourse, it was suggested, was shutting down PSN access altogether.

In a new Q&A – which overlaps considerably with Sony’s previous FAQ on the subject – Sony’s Patrick Seybold, Senior Director for Corporate Communications & Social Media, confirms that the company is working with both law enforcement and “a recognized technology security firm” on what is being viewed as a criminal act. According to Seybold, credit card data was encrypted and users are only being warned about it “out of an abundance of caution”; personal data, however, was not encrypted but was, he insists, “behind a very sophisticated security system.”

It’s that security system which has been breached, of course, a side-effect of what Sony hacker George Hotz suggests is likely down to “arrogance and misunderstanding of ownership.”

“Traditionally the trust boundary for a web service exists between the server and the client. But Sony believes they own the client too, so if they just put a trust boundary between the consumer and the client(can’t trust those pesky consumers), everything is good. Since everyone knows the PS3 is unhackable, why waste money adding pointless security between the client and the server? This arrogance undermines a basic security principle, never trust the client … Notice it’s only PSN that gave away all your personal data, not Xbox Live when the 360 was hacked, not iTunes when the iPhone was jailbroken, and not GMail when Android was rooted. Because other companies aren’t crazy.” George Hotz

Sony maintains that certain services will be back online in under a week, though is yet to confirm which those services will be. The company is also facing a class action suit and what experts predict could amount to $24bn in credit card fraud.

The security glitch, it’s suggested, is because Sony was not validating credit card information since the users were on its trusted private developer network. Sony allegedly responded by pulling the plug on the network completely; the “additional security” Sony representatives have admitted is being installed is apparently to combat this sort of hacking.

Chesh admits that the explanation is speculation pieced together from information throughout the PlayStation hacking community, however sources with access to the SCE devnet servers have apparently confirmed that Sony is telling developers that, moving forward, only 3.60+ debug firmware will be allowed onto the network. If developers want to retain their access then they not only need to upgrade, it’s claimed, but contact Sony too.

Rebug’s developers are not responsible for the credit card hack, though whether Sony will look kindly on them anyway remains to be seen. However, user credit card information is believed to be secure still.

[via TorrentFreak]

“We sincerely regret that PlayStation Network and Qriocity services have been suspended, and we are working around the clock to bring them both back online. Our efforts to resolve this matter involve re-building our system to further strengthen our network infrastructure. Though this task is time-consuming, we decided it was worth the time necessary to provide the system with additional security” James Gallagher, SCEE

Unfortunately, that rebuilding process is also “time-consuming” and has left Sony unable to confirm exactly when gamers and A/V users can expect either the PSN or Qriocity to go back online. All Sony’s Gallagher can say is that it will demand “a little more” time in order to finalize.

Meanwhile, hacking group Anonymous – previously blamed for an attack on Sony – has denied any involvement in the recent downtime. “While it could be the case that other Anons have acted by themselves” the group suggests, “AnonOps wa not related to this incident and takes no responsiblity for it. A more likely explination is that Sony is taking advantage of Anonymous’ previous ill-will towards the company to distract users from the fact the outage is accutally an internal problem with the companies servers.”

The pins on the controller are fed into the Arduino, and then there’s a key-mapping app on the phone itself which translates the button-presses into inputs the retro games can recognize. That way, you can reprogram the mappings to suit other games.

Best of all, Bruno has released his source code so that you can replicate the mode yourself. All it needs is a tidy external enclosure and it would be reasonably portable, too, though if you’re lacking in Arduino skills then you may be better off looking to something like the iControlPad.

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/22722692[/vimeo]

[via MAKE]

What’s a Jailbreak and why should I be interested?

Basically, it’s a way of modifying the software running on an Apple phone so that you can do things with it that Apple either didn’t envisage or isn’t keen on allowing. The most common reason to jailbreak your iPhone is to run apps that otherwise you couldn’t get. Apple is reasonably strict about what third-party software it lets into the App Store, and many developers have fallen foul of its rules.

An iPhone which has been jailbroken, however, can access unofficial app stores, the best known of which is Cydia. That works very much like the official App Store, with a range of free and paid applications, but it doesn’t have the same restrictions for inclusion. Apps range from themes that change the appearance of the iPhone’s icons and menus, to tools that allow you to wirelessly synchronize with iTunes or replace Apple’s standard apps with different versions.

Does it mean I can use my iPhone on something other than AT&T?

No, there’s a difference between jailbreaking your iPhone and unlocking it. A jailbreak is a way to modify the iPhone software to gain more flexibility in what you can do with apps, broadly speaking. Unlocking, however, is a way to use your iPhone on a network other than the one you bought it with. In the US, that might mean using the iPhone 4 which AT&T sold you on T-Mobile USA’s network. We’ll cover unlocking in a future SlashGear 101.

Is it legal or will Apple take its revenge on me somehow?

It’s legal, but Apple doesn’t like it. A court ruling last year found that jailbreaking your iPhone was considered to be “fair use” and not something Apple could prosecute you for. However, Apple responded by highlighting that it would void owners’ warranties should they require a repair. Basically, if your iPhone ended up a non-functioning brick in the process, Apple’s Genius Bar wouldn’t be interested.

Meanwhile, Apple has been working hard to close off each potential jailbreak hole as quickly as the hackers can discover them. Each iOS update generally shuts down one or more routes, though some are harder to block than others.

Okay, so how do I do it?

If you’re willing to take the risk, there are a few different methods to jailbreak an iPhone or other iOS-based device. Best known for their work are the iPhone Dev Team, an unofficial group of programmers who collaborate on modifications for Apple phones, tablets and other gadgets. Some of their jailbreak software is “tethered” but the preferred methods are “untethered.” With the former, every time you restart your iPhone you’ll need to have it plugged in via USB to your computer, or you’ll lose the jailbreak. An untethered jailbreak doesn’t suffer the same limitation. Usually it’s just a case of plugging in your phone, running an app and then restarting your freshly jailbroken iPhone.

We’ll cover the mechanics of jailbreaking in a future SlashGear 101.

It’s an untethered jailbreak, which means you don’t need to have the device plugged in via USB any time you power-cycle it. If you’re using ultrasn0w to unlock your iOS device, however, redsn0w isn’t for you; you’ll have to wait for the incoming update to the PwnageTool.

That’s expected later in the week, along with an amended version of the iPhone 4 (GSM) jailbreak. No word on when we might see the same thing arrive for the iPad 2, however; last we heard, it still required a bootrom or iBoot-level exploit be discovered.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Before we continue, I suggest you head back to our last post on this subject so you’re fully up to date. In a nutshell, Hotz is a head of a team of hackers taking the time to break into the software on the PS3 so that people will be able to do what they wish with the hardware instead of having to rely on Sony-approved disks to play games. Hotz noted on his blog just yesterday on the outcome of the case: “At the end of the day, something I take comfort in. The PS3 got OWNED,” Hotz wrote. “‘Once the code works they’ll never be able to take it away from us.’” He refers to the fact that others besides himself continue to work on cracking the latest firmware.

And what about the money? With the money not used in legal defense of Hotz, Hotz donated to the Electronic Frontier Foundation. “This money goes to the EFF in hopes that America can one day again be a shining example of freedom, free of the DMCA and ACTA, and that private interest will never trump the ideas laid out in the constitution of privacy, ownership, and free speech,” wrote Hotz. The EEF is a nonprofit digital rights advocacy and legal organization organization that survives solely on donations from people like you.

Hotz most sour quote from this entire case sticks mud in Sony’s eye one last time: “If you piss them off enough for them to pull out the legal team and their million dollar checkbook, worst thing that happens is you have to super swear to never do it again.” For those times that groups want MORE than that, there’s the EEF. Stay safe, everyone!

[via geohotgotsued]

This first one is a homebrew bot built from an old Tomy Omnibot. If you weren’t around in the 80s, good for you, it was a terrible time. Lots of people were attempting to make things that they called robots or what-have-you. Instead we ended up with stuff that ended up being a hacked together hunks of plastic that were as infuriating as they were disappointing. DJ Sures is a crazy hacker weirdo, and I use the term with more affection than you can even begin to understand. He took apart one of these twenty year old robots and rebuilt it from the inside, making it stronger by adding servos to the arms, making it smarter by loading in all kinds of programming he swiped from his other ‘bot projects, adding a camera to give it vision, a microphone for voice response capability and it has an ultrasonic sensor for navigation. It can see and hear better than your new puppy.

In this video the Omnibot++ watches some TV for a little while and then seems to just… get bored… and wander away of his on volition. This video is particulary cool because it gives you a look from the ‘bot’s POV.

[via RetroThing]

Next we have a begger bot. Dubbed the DONA by designer Min Su Kim, this dimunitive ‘droid is designed to do a task usually taken by volunteers. It solicits donations. There aren’t many details of the the specifics on how this thing works, but it seems to respond well to the people. It looks down whenever someone throws in a donation and blinks cutely. Is it just me or is this some kind of robotic cross between Red Riding Hood and a shyguy?

[via Yanko Design]

The duders over at cookinghacks put together an Arduino based geiger counter. It’s set up to click a speaker at every pulse for an immediate indication of radioactivity. And what’s a geiger counter without ominous clicking? The Arduino microcontroller counts the pulses per minute. Using this measurement the microcontroller calculates Sieverts per hour. This is the standard measurement for the energy that the body absorbs from radiation sources.

They put together a kit that contains everything you need to put one of these babies together You can get it over this-a-way, at their store. They are marketing the device as a cheaper homebrew alternative to commercial radiation sensors. Oh yeah, it’s all open source, they released everything onto the web to make sure that our friends in Japan can check themselves before they wreck themselves on stray radioactivity. But for you, do you want your kid to win the next science fair? This’ll beat a paper mache volcano any day of the week.

[via Dangerous Prototypes]

SharePort allows you to stream music from iTunes to third-party software or – if a manufacturer decided to jump on and use the private key – hardware. Previously it was possible to stream in the other direction, to an AirPort Express, but not vice-versa.

Whether Apple will be content to let this key tomfoolery continue remains to be seen. It seems unlikely to affect the number of collaborators wanting to license the AirPlay technology for use in products, since that also lets them brand their kit as compliant, but it will perhaps mean more software projects using the system.

[via MacRumors]

The alarm clock is The Gifts Project’s handiwork, a fetching pink classic alarm clock which hooks up to the IOIO and can alert you to phone alarms, incoming calls and messages using its LEDs and noisy double-bell ringer. Different events trigger different rings.

Meanwhile there’s also the Visual Charger, a relatively straightforward way to hook up a 7-segment LED display to an Android device, and the Wall Printer, seven marker pens managed by phone-controlled servos. When the project is finished, they’ll be able to create huge text banners by printing out on long sheets of paper. The IOIO for Android is available for preorder now, priced at $49.95.

[via Android Community]

Video demo after the cut

In fact, this particular flavor of Doom II is based on PrBoom, an open-source project from id Software’s original code. What’s most impressive is the refresh rate; apparently the Pocketbook 360 Plus uses E Ink’s latest Pearl display and a new Freescale processor, which together do away with the flashing black screen we usually associate with ereaders.

Sadly, according to The-e-book, Pocketbook is unlikely to ship the 360 Plus with Doom 2 preinstalled. No word on when exactly the 360 Plus will ship, nor for how much.

[via The-Ebook-Reader]

So, you could hook up the IOIO for Android and a couple of heat sensors, and whip up an app that measures room temperature and then emails you if it’s getting too hot. Thanks to a range of I/O choices – including Digital Input/Output, PWM, Analog Input, I2C, SPI and UART control – you could also connect your home thermostat to automatically adjust the heating in response.

Basically, your programming abilities are the limit, and as we’ve seen with Android developers there’s no shortage of clever ideas out there. SparkFun have tested the IOIO for Android with the Nexus S and Nexus One, T-Mobile G1 and Motorola DROID X, as well as an unspecified tablet, but it should play nicely with anything running OS 1.5 or above. It’s available for pre-order now, priced at $49.95.

[via Android Community]

Two coolant reservoirs flank the central, CNC-machined console housing, each standing 22cm high and filled with suitably tinted liquid. The water pump itself is hidden at the base of the left tube, and all the piping is fed through aluminum panels with Wii etched into them. On top is a digital thermometer to keep track of temperatures.

Finally, the mechanics of the console are visible through the glass panel at the front, with discs loading through a slot on the top. No word on quite how much the whole project cost, but we can’t help but think it was all worth it

[via Case Mod Blog]

To build your own ink jet you need a printer, concentrated lemon juice, a hacksaw, a rubber hammer, and some time on your hands among other things. The printer uses the lemon juice as the ink and to get the ink to show up you need a spray bottle with iodine tincture.

That iodine turns the paper purple but the lemon juice breaks up the iodine on the letters printed with it so they stand out clearly on the page. The giveaway for secret agents using this technique will be the lemony fresh scent and purple stained fingers.

[via Make]

Right now, only the PwnageTool works on the Apple TV, and those using ultrasn0w to unlock their device should steer clear altogether. If not, you could lose your unlock completely; the Dev Team is working on a new version of ultrasn0w that will play nicely with custom IPSW files.

As for the iPad 2, that requires a bootrom or iBoot-level exploit be discovered, so a jailbreak using the new tools are still works-in-progress. Nonetheless, the app as a whole is said to be far easier to use for both OS X and Windows, as long as you have one of the compatible devices.

There’s also some cautionary words about the potential impact on your warranty, with Sony Ericsson warning that loading unofficial ROMs could not only void it, but leave you open to a “handling fee” should the company later repair your device. More information on the unlocking service will be shared later in the spring, Sony Ericsson promises.

[via Android Community]

You’ll need to pay for an unlock code at this stage – UnlockStreak gets recommended, for $49 with a 1-3 day turnaround – since there’s apparently no free unlock system yet, but if you’ve been eying AT&T’s HSPA+ enviously then you might not be too upset about that. More on the Dell Streak 7 in our full review.

[via Android Community]

The exact nature of the information and the attack are not specified, but the company is keen to point out that no personal or customer information is believed to have been lost, and no other EMC products impacted. The RSA guidance is apparently to strengthen passwords and PINs while it works out the full extent of the security damage.

Open Letter to RSA Customers

Arthur W. Coviello, Jr.

Like any large company, EMC experiences and successfully repels multiple cyber attacks on its IT infrastructure every day. Recently, our security systems identified an extremely sophisticated cyber attack in progress being mounted against RSA. We took a variety of aggressive measures against the threat to protect our business and our customers, including further hardening of our IT infrastructure. We also immediately began an extensive investigation of the attack and are working closely with the appropriate authorities.

Our investigation has led us to believe that the attack is in the category of an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT). Our investigation also revealed that the attack resulted in certain information being extracted from RSA’s systems. Some of that information is specifically related to RSA’s SecurID two-factor authentication products. While at this time we are confident that the information extracted does not enable a successful direct attack on any of our RSA SecurID customers, this information could potentially be used to reduce the effectiveness of a current two-factor authentication implementation as part of a broader attack. We are very actively communicating this situation to RSA customers and providing immediate steps for them to take to strengthen their SecurID implementations.

We have no evidence that customer security related to other RSA products has been similarly impacted. We are also confident that no other EMC products were impacted by this attack. It is important to note that we do not believe that either customer or employee personally identifiable information was compromised as a result of this incident.

Our first priority is to ensure the security of our customers and their trust. We are committed to applying all necessary resources to give our SecurID customers the tools, processes and support they require to strengthen the security of their IT systems in the face of this incident. Our full support will include a range of RSA and EMC internal resources as well as close engagement with our partner ecosystems and our customers’ relevant partners.

We regret any inconvenience or concern that this attack on RSA may cause for customers, and we strongly urge you to follow the steps we’ve outlined in our SecurCare Online Note. APT threats are becoming a significant challenge for all large corporations, and it’s a topic I have discussed publicly many times. As appropriate, we will share our experiences from these attacks with our customers, partners and the rest of the security vendor ecosystem and work in concert with these organizations to develop means to better protect all of us from these growing and ever more sophisticated forms of cyber security threat.

Sincerely,

Art Coviello
Executive Chairman, RSA

[via Engadget]

The pair of students wanted to do more than just implement that system. They also put together a limited Augmented Reality system utilizing the standard camera mounted alongside the dual IR cameras that allow the Kinect to have stereoscopic vision. The AR system is set up to read various AR bitmap tags like the one pictured below. This allows the system to work with the external world to give the handicapped access to more information. It also works to prove other AR concepts like having bit mapped tags trigger virtual events.

So for example, if you walk towards a door the output will be “Door ahead in 3″, “2″, “1″, “pull the door” where each part of the information depends on the distance to the marker on the door.

These systems put together allow the student to pass blindfolded through a short course with the NAVI working as a guide. The team put together this short demonstration video showing the components and operation of the system. They talk a little bit about the vibro-tactile arduino system in the belt, but I don’t quite understand what’s going on there. I’ll venture a guess that as the user gets closer to walls the belt will begin to vibrate harder as a tactile warning system.

[via HCI Blog @ Universität Konstanz]

Video demo after the cut

The image can be moved around and zoomed by dragging it, either using a touchscreen or mouse depending on what gadget you’re using, and you’ll obviously need a device with a camera – like the iPhone in the video below – to set things up initially. MIT expects to add video support soon.

It’s not the first visual-based screen system we’ve seen; Qualcomm’s AR Digital Frame concept used a similar idea, though the difference is that MIT is allowing anybody to use the Junkyard Jumbotron system.

[via Gizmodo]

Most impressive, perhaps, is the fact that comex fashioned the jailbreak without even having physical access to an iPad 2. The hack could have been completed even earlier, he claims, had he not had to spend time discovering a new exploit in iOS 4.3.

As for the release, comex says he will launch a public version of the iPad 2 jailbreak when it’s polished enough for a broader audience. Once that happens, owners will be able to install the Cydia unofficial app store on the slate.

[via Redmond Pie]

The hack is the handiwork of arch Android tablet modder roebeet, who is already known for his efforts on Augen’s Gentouch slate and the Viewsonic G-Tablet. It requires a rooted XOOM in order to work, along with a compatible OTG USB cable such as this one priced at around $4.

Once installed, plug in some form of USB storage and it should auto-mount and allow you to browse it with a file manager app. The only hiccup might be drives that require more power than the XOOM’s USB port pumps out.

[via Android Community]

You’ll need the newest version of the iPhone Configuration Utility (available for Mac and Windows) and then to install iMovie manually from the Applications menu on the left hand side. Click to open iMovie first, then hook up your iPad and hit install. First impressions are apparently that, despite having a single-core Apple A4 processor and half the RAM, the original iPad still does a decent job at running the software.

Unfortunately, iTunes isn’t keen on you keeping iMovie on the slate, and will do everything it can to get rid of it. Try to sync your iPad subsequently and you’ll get an error message saying your computer isn’t authorized for apps on the tablet. Clicking “Authorize” simply brings up the error message again, clicking “Don’t Authorize” deletes iMovie and clicking “Cancel” leaves things as they are, until you want to install a new app. Then you get the same problem again. We’re guessing an unofficial fix is being fathomed now.

[via 9 to 5 Mac]

Stop before you go tearing through your Mom’s attic looking for your old console. He mentions that you need to pick up a special bit to open up your old NES cartridges and take out the old spittle covered guts. Then you need your trusty Dremel (you have a dremel right?) to carve a flash drive sized slot out of the cart. After grinding out the plastic from inside the cart and from within the NES itself, he glued down one of those USB extension cables to the inside bit.

We’re all chuckling about this amusing little hack. Mr. amungus also released a quick demo video to go along with the guide. Check it out below.

Check out the whole guide on Instructables here.

“All Motorola XOOM tablets on the Verizon Wireless network are eligible to  receive an upgrade to support 4G LTE. This includes those that have been  unlocked; however, those units must be submitted for upgrade with the  original factory software reinstalled and the device relocked in order  to receive the upgrade.

For devices that are returned unlocked, Motorola will attempt to complete  the upgrade, but may be unable to update the software. In these cases, the device will be returned to the consumer with just the 4G LTE modem  installed.

More details on the process will be available closer to the upgrade availability.”

Even if Motorola can’t get the 4G LTE modem working on rooted XOOMs, they’ll at least return the slate with the new hardware installed. We imagine it’ll only be a short matter of time before the Android ROM community get 4G support up and running on hacked devices.

Motorola promises more details closer to the upgrade, but already a stock XOOM ROM has leaked for overly-cautious owners wanting to get as close to box-fresh as possible. More on the Honeycomb-based XOOM in our full review.

[via Android Community]

In his first attempt, network, data, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and Sony Ericsson’s Timescape all worked, leaving only sound support to be added in. The download link is currently offline so that he can fix that, at which point the X10 will ironically be the first Sony Ericsson device to have Gingerbread, beating the company’s official launches.

[via Android Community]

It’s the handiwork of Koush, who had to compile a Tegra 2 compatible kernel from third-party sources – since Motorola hasn’t released the XOOM kernel yet – and then figure out a root from that. Now it’s a relatively straightforward 15 step process.

He also took the time to build a recovery for the XOOM, but thanks to the non-functioning microSD card slot, which is waiting on a firmware update to enable it, it’s not been made public yet. Now, let the Honeycomb hacking begin.

[via Android Community]

“webOS 2.1 is so fast it’s crazy” Charavel says, ”My Pre Plus feels like a brand new device. Amazing.” Interestingly, it seems the German webOS doctor for 2.1 seemed to recognize Charavel’s French Pre Plus with no problems; the phone told him to reboot and, once that was complete, he had the updated version up and running. We don’t have a Pre Plus to hand in order to try it ourselves, and as ever installing firmware not intended for your device can leave you with a bricked phone, but it seems this may be one of the easier update cycles.

Sony’s ire is that, having closed up the routes that allowed unofficial software and platforms to be loaded onto the PS3, hackers like Hotz then came along and offered a jailbreak so that owners of the console could continue to do so. The company’s argument is that such a jailbreak enables pirated games; Geohot’s response is that there are also legitimate uses for the access. Sony sued on January 11 2011.

Unfortunately, WiFi, phone, Bluetooth, audio and 3D graphics acceleration are all among the things not yet working, so this isn’t the ROM to choose if you actually want a functional smartphone. We’ll see the first official release at Android 3.0 Honeycomb on Thursday, when the Motorola XOOM is released.

[via Android Community]

According to BriefMobile it’s the handiwork of AT&T developer DesignGears, who has sent out images of his ATRIX 4G with Superuser access and running Titanium Backup to show that the phone has been modded. Right now the instructions on how to actually gain root access aren’t public, but then since the phone itself isn’t either that’s probably no great issue.

AT&T confirmed earlier in the week that the ATRIX 4G would arrive earlier than expected, dropping into stores from February 22 (and reaching pre-order customers on February 21) rather than in early March as originally suggested. More details on the phone in our full unboxing and hands-on.

[via Android Community]

A geek has now taken the Kinect and hacked it to run on Android. This is the first time we have seen Kinect running on the Android platform and so far the Kinect isn’t really doing much. The device is reading depth information and showing the video its camera picks up on the Android device screen.

The person behind the hack has offered up the video you can check out below, but hasn’t offered up the source code yet for others to give the Kinect on Android a try. This might be a cool way to control Angry Birds or other games once perfected.

Via Android Community
Thanks Robert!