Facebook to become more news-centric with an emphasis on smartphone users

In October, a Pew Research Center report was released showing that 30-percent of American adults on Facebook get at least part of their news through the social network. That number may grow in the coming months, with Facebook announcing today that it will be showing more news links, particularly for those who are accessing the […]

Router Sweet Router

In the future, when you and your grandkids are gathered over a hologram of a fireplace and they ask you where you think your home is, dust off your ancient tablet and show them Isaac Moore’s profound cross-stitch.

home is where the wifi connects automatically by isaac moores 620x486magnify

We may mess with cell towers, but we’ll always come home to our router. You can grab Isaac’s cross-stitch pattern on his blog.

[via Sprite Stitch]

Linux-based Internet-connected devices widely vulnerable to new worm

Symantec researcher Kaoru Hayashi has posted a report to the effect that a sizable portion of the “Internet of Things” is now vulnerable to a worm called Linux.Darlloz. The worm attacks CPUs running on devices like routers, set-top boxes, security cameras and industrial control systems, as well as PCs. The worm relies on a pre-May […]

Recommended Reading: Stuxnet’s more dangerous precursor, fake memories and more

Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology in print and on the web. Some weeks, you’ll also find short reviews of books dealing with the subject of technology that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read.

Recommended Reading

Stuxnet’s Secret Twin (4,176 words)
by Ralph Langner, Foreign Policy
Pocket

Stuxnet is a pretty nasty nasty customer, especially if you happen to be a centrifuge used in the enrichment of uranium. Amazingly, the story of the first publicly acknowledged cyber weapon keeps getting more and more interesting. Ralph Langner has spent the last several years poring over code and other details of Stuxnet’s history and discovered there was an earlier version of the virus, that was even more destructive than the one unleashed on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Instead of putting the centrifuge’s motors in overdrive, it over pressurized them by closing valves designed to allow gas out. It sounds like a perfectly logical avenue of attack, until you realize that the potential for truly catastrophic failure would have quickly blown Stuxnet’s cover.

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Syme social network offers encryption in a world full of spying

Online security is a topic that has never been as popular as it has since Snowden leaked a variety of documents revealing widespread spying by the United States government. Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, and other such networks have all been targeted by the NSA , and as such many users may no longer feel comfortable […]

FIFA rolls out iOS and Android apps ahead of 2014 World Cup Final Draw

Now that we know which 32 football nations will be on the quest for global domination in Brazil, FIFA, the sport’s governing body, decided it was the right time to release a set of apps for iOS and Android. These official applications, which are free of charge, provide fans with access to a ton of footie-related stuff, including news, videos, photos and match results from nearly 200 leagues. The FIFA app also lets you mark up to three national teams, clubs and competitions as favorites, allowing easy access to information from those followed the most. Better yet, FIFA’s going to be using its new mobile ware to stream the 2014 World Cup Final Draw on December 6th, so you’ll be able to see in real-time what road lies ahead for your country.

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The Next Web

Source: App Store (iPhone), (iPad), Google Play

Dutch regulator says Google’s privacy policy breaks the law

Almost two years after it updated its privacy policy, Google is still facing the wrath of European watchdogs. The Dutch Data Protection Authority (DPA) has just ended a seven-month investigation into the search giant’s practices and, similar to rulings in the UK and France, has deduced that Google isn’t doing enough to inform users about the data it “collects and combines.” The DPA accuses Google of spinning an “invisible web of our personal data without our consent” with its Search, Gmail and YouTube services, which it states in no uncertain terms “is forbidden by law.” It’s another knock for Google, which has found itself under investigation by a total of six European privacy authorities after French privacy regulator CNIL initiated action on their behalf last year. Google has said that it “respects European law,” but its commitment will be tested at the Dutch DPA’s upcoming hearing, after which the authority will decide it wants to take “enforcement measures” against the company.

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Via: Techie News

Source: Dutch DPA

Chrome may let you try Web Store apps without installing them

Launching Chrome web apps without installing

Ever want to test a Chrome Web Store app without installing it? You may get your chance if a new Chromium feature find its way into Google’s commercial browser. Mountain View is experimenting with support for “ephemeral” apps that launch like regular Web Store titles, but don’t leave a footprint in Chrome or Chrome OS. Users wouldn’t even have to visit the Web Store in the first place — a recent Chromium build lets surfers launch an app directly from a Google search result page. There’s no certainty that the new try before you buy (or at least, try before you glorified bookmark) capability will actually land in Chrome’s stable channel, but it certainly wouldn’t surprise us.

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Via: The Next Web

Source: Francois Beaufort (1), (2)

Google breaks Dutch privacy laws says watchdog

Google‘s unified privacy policy and its sharing between services have seen it fall foul of another European country’s data protection rules, with Dutch authorities accusing the search giant of breaking the law. “Google spins an invisible web of our personal data, without our consent” the Dutch data protection authority said today, revealing that it has […]

Brazil wants to know why Apple bills its citizens in US dollars

Brazil’s national currency is the real, but you wouldn’t know that by looking at its iTunes storefront. Apple prices everything there in US dollars, which has led Brazil’s Consumer Protection Secretariat to write a formal letter to the company requesting an explanation. We’re not sure why this has taken so long, given that iTunes came to Brazil two years ago, but in any case Apple now has ten days in which to respond or face the threat of a penalty. Other countries that’ve tackled Apple over its pricing policies in the past have generally failed to reach a resolution, and in some cases citizens have even been urged to take matters into their own hands.

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Cult of Mac

Source: Brazilian Ministry of Justice