Microsoft confirms Hotmail password theft

The internet is an unsafe place by nature, and has been demonstrated in different ways. Many sites have been attacked by those who seek to endanger their safety for some reason that may or may not be related to that site. Usually, social networks like Facebook and services like Twitter are often high profile targets for crackers with very few scruples, but this time the service has been infringed Windows Live Hotmail, the Microsoft e-mail. According to the report which confirms the fact, would have stolen the passwords of several thousands of email accounts, in what would be a major phishing attacks has been seen to date.


During the day yesterday emerged in the network the alarming news that the safety of over ten thousand mail accounts Windows Live Hotmail would have been compromised due to a phishing attack. Phishing has different ways to express themselves, but one of the most common is the creation of a replica of the home page of a mail service, through which users try to enter without realizing that this is a fake site. Simply enter the email address, password, and press the button to enter, these data are automatically collected to complete a list that can contain a huge number of addresses "kidnapped" along with their passwords.


At first there was speculation that someone had managed to hack the main portal to Windows Live Mail, but Microsoft has denied this outright. There has been no breach of security at the actual site of Hotmail, which would confirm the theory of phishing campaign against Microsoft's service. While it is within the margin of success by phishers, the situation appears more serious. Apparently only a fraction of the list containing email addresses beginning with the letters a and b. Hotmail has 500 million users, so that a base of ten thousand accounts does not appear to be somewhat too broad, but if the list extends to other letters of the alphabet, we would be talking about over a hundred thousand mail accounts compromised.

Fortunately, this is easy to solve for the average user. You only need to enter your Hotmail account and change the password. Now that has been exposed, the mastermind behind this action should take it more in stride, knowing that many of the stolen passwords will no longer be useful in the coming days. Another extra in the way that can protect users is looking version of the page with enhanced security. In that case, use the HTTPS protocol and the connection is at least somewhat safer. If you visit the Hotmail site, you will see access to the bottom of the box for the password. Get used to using it, there's nothing wrong with that.

Video: Boeing laser weapon developed by hitting the nerve

The construction of laser weapons by the United States government seems to be increasingly close to becoming a reality. Recall that the government instructed the Boeing company to develop this technology, a program now exceeding twelve years of hard work.

In August this year, a series of tests that were successful, of which only now have released some videos that show the degree of effectiveness of this technology.

In the video we can see how this weapon gives a target located on the bonnet of a van, with an impressive degree of accuracy if we consider that the beam is being sent from a C-130 Hercules.

Originally the development of this technology was intended as a defense system to destroy enemy missiles in flight, but surely after seeing how effective technology in many other applications will be thinking not so defensive.

Sony achieved important advances in wireless power transmission

Several companies are working on developing the technology that enables wireless transmission of energy, without which so far have certainty when it will be ready to be made available to users.

One of the companies that are more advanced in this matter is Sony, which just introduced a new prototype that manages to convey with 60 Watt of power for a distance of 50 cm, while maintaining an efficiency of 80% continuously.

To achieve this they developed a system based on magnetic resonance imaging, with which it is possible to maintain efficiency in the transfer even when the sender and receiver are aligned (in fact it is not a problem when there are metal objects between the two).

In order to improve the distance obtained with this prototype would be used for energy equipment dealers, which would be achieved by powering equipment on greater distances.

See through walls using wireless signals

Perhaps you hide your thoughts with an aluminum cap, but you can not hide from wireless networks that can reveal your location, even behind a wall.

Researchers at the University of Utah say that the way ranging signals from a wireless network can reveal the movement of a person behind closed doors. Joey Wilson and Neal Patwari have developed a technique called CT images based on the variance radio waves "that processes the signals to show signs of movement. Even the idea has been tested on a wireless network of 34 nodes using the IEEE 802.15.4 wireless standard, the standard for wireless personal area networks with low rates of data transmission, such as ZigBee.

The basic idea is simple. The signal strength at any point in a network is the sum of all paths of radio waves can take to reach the receiver. Any change in the volume of space through which signals pass, for example, caused by the movement of a person, causes the signal strength varies.

Patwari Wilson and say they were able to locate moving objects in the room less than a meter. The team said that there is great potential for improving its system, increasing accuracy and reducing the number of nodes, especially if the system is used with GPS networks, Wi-Fi or cellular networks.

A major benefit is cost, military systems regulated through walls display can cost up to 100 thousand dollars.

This means that the concept of Vision 3D Sonar Batman: The Dark Knight was not entirely unreasonable.

Amazon will pay $ 150,000 US dollars for deleting a homework

Remember that Amazon had the bad idea to remotely wipe the books "1984" and "Animal Farm" a lot of Kindles in the United States without permission from the people who had bought (ironically to George Orwell).

Well, a boy named Justin Gawronski had to do homework on "1984" and had his notes listed on the Kindle, along with the book. One day he woke up and bam! Amazon had eaten their work. So Justin could not think of anything better to sue the company.

Before the court could settle the matter, Amazon agreed with lawyers for Justin through which paid USD $ 150,000, and pledged that he will not delete e-books to its customers.

In any case the agreement indicates that some of these USD $ 150,000 will go to charity. The deal must be approved by a U.S. court, but good news for Kindle users (and the kid who pocketed a lot of dollars through their work lost).

Six Apart presents TypePad Motion

Perhaps some of you remember the Pownce, Twitter that attempt by the creators of Digg, and its uncertain future in the hands of Six Apart. As we now know that the service ended and the use that gave the new owners. The name of the new service is simply TypePad Motion.

Motion is basically TypePad Pownce, but integrated with the rest of the Six Apart and services focused entirely on companies and brands who want to keep their image but also have a web presence, bringing together in one place Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, Hulu and others. A major differentiator is that community members can interact by posting notes, photos, audio and video clips, all with microblogging tools we already know.

In fact we are not seeing anything new, but the proposal from Six Apart is offering us an all-in-one, where we do not have to worry about anything else except use it. Of course, all this in exchange for a monthly fee. Prosperity? Do not enter the bulk of the population, but surely companies, actors and singers are the preferred customers of TypePad Motion.

Netbooks to incorporate any version of Windows 7

The restrictions imposed by Microsoft Netbooks manufacturers would seem to be forgotten with the arrival of Windows 7.

Of course because a company spokesman noted that now the manufacturers of these computers can install any version of Windows 7 on them, without any limitations whatsoever. A measure that will be very well received by manufacturers and by users and seeks to counter the growing use of Linux based Operating Systems and the entry of equipment ARM processors.

While this is an excellent measure which we all applauded, in practice we do not know the impact it will have because you do not know the performance you would have a Netbook, and those that are currently marketed with Windows 7 Ultimate and all its graphic paraphernalia enabled (Aero). Another issue that must be considered is the price they might achieve these computers running versions of Windows 7 whose license necessarily raise its market price, so they may no longer be competitive.

At the end have to be Netbooks manufacturers who must see benefit from this measure, which clearly pointed in the right direction.