Samsung has patched a smart TV bug that allowed hackers to remotely activate the integrated webcam and spy on viewers in their living rooms, as well as redirect the onboard browser to a compromised webpage. The security flaw, spotted by researchers at iSEC Partners, has been fixed with a firmware update pushed to affected sets, […]
Beer cans, once the vessels of crap beer only, have recently been embraced by craft brewers nationwide. It’s a beer can renaissance! But despite the surge in popularity, beer cans aren’t perfect. Invert the can too quickly and you’re going to get a very uneven pour and a mouthful of air. But this simple hack, known as the Shark Fin, vents the beer can, resulting in a smooth, consistent pour from beginning to end. You might think of it as a gentleman’s shotgun.
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Do you think that with the massive jumps that technology has made over the past years, we seem to live in a world where there is less and less privacy? So much so that anything that comes with a built-in camera could possibly be exploited in a manner where it could be recording whatever it sees without you commanding it to. Similar to smartphones, Smart TVs can also be hacked and compromised. In fact, at the Black Hat security conference, researchers Aaron Grattafiori and Josh Yavor showed the masses how various 2012 models of Samsung Smart TVs had vulnerabilities within which could be taken advantage of, including turning on the camera, controlling of social media apps such as Facebook or Skype, and accessing the slew of files and app on the Smart TV itself.
Grattafiori said, “Because the TV only has a single user, any type of compromise into an application or into Smart Hub, which is the operating system — the smarts of the TV — has the same permission as every user, which is, you can do everything and anything.” n a nutshell, the hacker would have gained full control of your TV. The weak link to cause all this? Javascript or HTML5 which remains vulnerable to traditional unsophisticated, and just in case you want to remain safe and sound from your Smart TV’s camera, just place a piece of non-transparent tape over it.
Smart TV Could Spy On You original content from Ubergizmo. 
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The Magic 8 Ball has been a fair number of things in the past, where among them include a flash prank that we talked about a couple of years back, a rather rectangular version which sullies the namesake of the device, and one with an internal OLED display thanks to a hack. The avid DIY enthusiast might want to check out this unique Magic 8 Ball that has been specially hacked to deliver up to 60 image responses (of fortune or failure) to the curious person.
The person behind this hacked Magic 8 Ball is a certain Jason Poel Smith, where the 20-sided fortune die inside has been removed only to be replaced by a digital picture keychain instead. Of course, a fair amount of work is involved in changing the Magic 8 Ball into what it is, including sawing the entire ball in half, doing away with the tube that held the said 20-sided die and blue liquid which it floated in. A clear plastic is placed within to shield the digital keychain, while button extenders and a USB port would open up the way to access to the keychain and change the image responses any time you want to do so. You can find the full set of instructions here.
Like It , +1 , Tweet It , Pin It | Magic 8 Ball Hacked To Show Images Instead original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Apple has stepped forward to say that they have managed to solve and fix an obscure security flaw which could result in hackers gaining access to data on an iOS device, where this flaw would require the use of a specially-designed custom USB device which resembles a charger, although in reality, it will carry a minuscule Linux-powered computer that was specially designed to insert malware. This particular fix can already be found in the most recent iOS 7 beta version (which we do know has allegedly confirmed iPhone 5S fingerprint scanning technology). Not only that, you can be sure that this particular fix will be part of the iOS 7 update when it rolls out to the masses later this fall, as it is capable of informing users each time they hook up to a different computer, be it through the power adapter itself.
The hack has been known as the Mactans, where this faux “power adapter” held a very small Beagleboard computer that should cost under $50, and it can be specially programmed to send malware into the iPhone via the Lightning connector. In fact, it has been reported to have infected an iPhone 5 that ran on iOS 6 successfully, where the pre-programmed malware dialled the number of one of the researchers who was behind the hack.
Like It , +1 , Tweet It , Pin It | Apple To Fix iOS ‘Power Adapter’ Hack original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Earlier this year you might have heard of how this developer hacked Donkey Kong so that his daughter could play as a female character, a pretty cool move as far as we’re concerned, but it seems that Mike Mika has hacked and modified more than one game during his time and in a recent interview with Wired, Mika recounted how he modified the code in a video game he helped develop to propose to his then-girlfriend, now-Wife.
Mika found out that his girlfriend loved puzzle games and because he was developing one himself, he thought it would be cool to put in the proposal in the game. However his girlfriend actually did not bother playing the game despite his constant urging, and it was only a few years later that she actually did. The reason was because he admitted his plan in an interview with Tips & Tricks magazine, and what he did was he left the interview open on the table along with the game, and the codes she would need to see his proposal. Needless to say it ended well and they are happily married.
This is not the first time we’ve seen games hacked to create marriage proposals, and we don’t expect it to be the last either.
Like It , +1 , Tweet It , Pin It | Developer Modifies Game To Propose To Girlfriend original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Well, well, it seems that you might want to upgrade your navigational systems on your multi-million dollar yacht after hearing this news – researchers from the University of Texas claimed to have succeeded in generating fake GPS signals, and this effort was not done through a computer program performing a brute force hacking, but it required several years of work and mistakes before the team managed to spoof GPS (Global Positioning System) signals, and in an experiment, they managed to send a yacht hundreds of meters off course, all the time fooling the crew into thinking that the yacht remained on course without veering to the right or to the left.
Good thing it was a test that was conducted on purpose, and not pulled off as a prank. In this particular test which was conducted off the coast of Italy last month, it proved to be successful and of course, is one of the most sophisticated ever reported against GPS. Part of the process involved generating fake signals which were a wee bit different from the legitimate ones, and in order to fool the yacht, they had to mimic the entire GPS constellation, which was no mean feat. Obviously, this won’t work very well at night since sailors can always refer to the stars in the sky, but during the daytime, it could be a very powerful military weapon.
Like It , +1 , Tweet It , Pin It | Fake GPS Signals Send Yacht Astray original content from Ubergizmo. 
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One sad aspect of modern tech is that it’s all but ruined our dreams of slinging dead trees for comic book money after school. However, gizmos have enabled a killer sequel to the best paperboy simulation ever. Using a smattering of electronics — and a real bike! — PaperDude VR is the followup we never knew we wanted. Joining an Oculus Rift VR headset, Microsoft Kinect and Wahoo Fitness KickR into a sweat-drenched union, PaperDude VR creates an almost zen-like experience of tossing newspapers, knocking down road barriers and busting windows.
Nostalgia’s a powerful drug, and we’d love a ride to see if chasing the dragon of our youth is as good as we remember. Given developer Globacore’s history though, the chances of seeing this outside a specialized kiosk are slim to none. Regardless, we have one niggling question: Do pixelated paperdudes dream of 8-bit dogs?
Filed under: Gaming
Source: Weird Science
Ben Heck’s devised hacks for everything from console mashups to wheelchairs, and now he’s turned his attention to the humble bicycle turn indicator — something we’ve seen reinvented from time to time. Heck’s take on the device uses a LilyPad Arduino and a backpack modified with an array of lights in the shape of two arrows. Merely pick a direction by jabbing one of the satchel’s shoulder pads with your chin, and the appropriate lights will blink for 20 seconds. Sure, the existing contraption is slated for a giveaway, but the build process will be detailed on the next Ben Heck Show this Friday. To catch a glimpse of the construction in advance, mosey past the break for a quick video preview.
Filed under: Transportation
Students from the University of Texas gave us another reason not to mess with the Lone Star state: they’ll hack your yacht. In cooperation with a luxury boat’s owners, the Longhorns manipulated their $80 million vessel’s nav system, covertly guiding it off-course — all without the crew ever suspecting foul play. By transmitting spoofed global positioning system signals toward the craft, the students tricked its drivers into correcting a non-existent, three-degree course deviation, thus leading them off track. With their work done, the Texans believe this shows exactly how easy it is to exploit civil-band GPS signals. College kids may have conned the helm this time, but it isn’t too far-fetched to think pirates could do the same. Our timbers are shivering just thinking about it.
Filed under: GPS, Transportation
Source: The Houston Chronicle
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