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FYI: "Android Browser flaw a privacy disaster for half of Android users"
by Wayne Billing 17 Sep '14

17 Sep '14

...from: http://arstechnica.com/security/2014/09/android-browser-flaw-a-privacy-disa… Android Browser flaw a “privacy disaster” for half of Android users Bug enables malicious sites to grab cookies, passwords from other sites. by Peter Bright<http://arstechnica.com/author/peter-bright/> - Sept 16 2014, 6:00pm CDT * Share<https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Farstechnica.com%2Fsecuri…> * Tweet<https://twitter.com/share?text=Android+Browser+flaw+a+%E2%80%9Cprivacy+disa…> 60<http://arstechnica.com/security/2014/09/android-browser-flaw-a-privacy-disa…> [cid:6B50831D-9AD1-474E-90A9-49648DA366F2] Thanks to a bug in the Android Browser, your cookies aren't safe. Surian Soosay<https://www.flickr.com/photos/ssoosay/5762345557/in/photolist-9Mcwzt-46PRKe…> A bug quietly reported on September 1 appears to have grave implications for Android users. Android Browser, the open source, WebKit-based browser that used to be part of the Android Open Source Platform (AOSP), has a flaw that enables malicious sites to inject JavaScript into other sites. Those malicious JavaScripts can in turn read cookies and password fields, submit forms, grab keyboard input, or do practically anything else. Browsers are generally designed to prevent a script from one site from being able to access content from another site. They do this by enforcing what is called the Same Origin Policy (SOP): scripts can only read or modify resources (such as the elements of a webpage) that come from the same origin as the script, where the origin is determined by the combination of scheme (which is to say, protocol, typically HTTP or HTTPS), domain, and port number. The SOP should then prevent a script loaded from http://malware.bad/ from being able to access content at https://paypal.com/. The Android Browser bug breaks the browser's handling of the SOP. As Rafay Baloch, the researcher who discovered the problem<http://www.rafayhackingarticles.net/2014/08/android-browser-same-origin-pol…> found, JavaScript constructed in a particular way could ignore the SOP and freely meddle with other sites' content without restriction. This means that potentially any site visited in the browser could be stealing sensitive data. It's a bug that needs fixing, and fast. As part of its attempts to gain more control over Android<http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/10/googles-iron-grip-on-android-control…>, Google has discontinued the AOSP Browser. Android Browser used to be the default browser on Google, but this changed in Android 4.2, when Google switched to Chrome. The core parts of Android Browser were still used to power embedded Web view controls within applications, but even this changed in Android 4.4, when it switched to a Chromium-based browser engine. But just as Microsoft's end-of-life for Windows XP didn't make that operating system magically disappear from the Web, Google's discontinuation of the open source Browser app hasn't made it disappear from the Web either. As our monthly look at Web browser usage shows<http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/09/august-growth-puts-wi…>, Android Browser has a little more real-world usage than Chrome for Android, with something like 40-50 percent of Android users using the flawed browser. The Android Browser is likely to be embedded in third-party products, too, and some Android users have even installed it on their Android 4.4 phones because for one reason or another they prefer it to Chrome. Google's own numbers paint an even worse picture. According to the online advertising giant<https://developer.android.com/about/dashboards/index.html>, only 24.5 percent of Android users are using version 4.4. The majority of Android users are using versions that include the broken component, and many of these users are using 4.1.x or below, so they're not even using versions of Android that use Chrome as the default browser. Baloch initially reported<https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/pull/3759#issuecomment-55638…> the bug to Google, but the company told him that it couldn't reproduce the problem and closed his report. Since he wrote his blog post, a Metasploit module has been developed to enable the popular security testing framework to detect the problem, and Metasploit developers have branded the problem a "privacy disaster<https://community.rapid7.com/community/metasploit/blog/2014/09/15/major-and…>." Baloch says that Google has subsequently changed its response, agreeing that it can reproduce the problem and saying that it is working on a suitable fix. Just how this fix will be made useful is unclear. While Chrome is updated through the Play Store, the AOSP Browser is generally updated only through operating system updates. Timely availability of Android updates remains a sticking point<http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/08/the-state-of-android-updates-whos-fa…> for the operating system, so even if Google develops a fix, it may well be unavailable to those who actually need it. Users of Android 4.0 and up can avoid much of the exposure by switching to Chrome, Firefox, or Opera, none of which should use the broken code. Other third-party browsers for Android may embed the broken AOSP code, and unfortunately for end users, there's no good way to know if this is the case or not.

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INTEREST: Apple's Tim Cook interviewed on Charlier Rose
by Wayne Billing 16 Sep '14

16 Sep '14

"Between zero and two hundred and fifty..." ...from: http://gizmodo.com/tim-cook-on-user-privacy-at-apple-youre-not-our-produ-16… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bmm5faI_mLo http://www.charlierose.com/watch/60444569 [cid:D119CACF-7295-41B8-83C3-F860FC761B32] Tim Cook Says Apple Has Never Shared Data: "You're Not Our Product"<http://gizmodo.com/tim-cook-on-user-privacy-at-apple-youre-not-our-produ-16…> Profile<http://alissawalker.kinja.com/>Follow<http://gizmodo.com/tim-cook-on-user-privacy-at-apple-youre-not-our-produ-16…> [cid:15C3A2EB-4AE3-4E73-A34C-8E2F59ADDDBF]<http://alissawalker.kinja.com/> Alissa Walker<http://alissawalker.kinja.com/> Filed to: APPLE PAY<http://gizmodo.com/tag/apple-pay> * APPLE<http://gizmodo.com/tag/apple> * TIM COOK<http://gizmodo.com/tag/tim-cook> * CHARLIE ROSE<http://gizmodo.com/tag/charlie-rose> * PRISM<http://gizmodo.com/tag/prism> * DATA<http://gizmodo.com/tag/data> * DATA MINING<http://gizmodo.com/tag/data-mining> * PRIVACY<http://gizmodo.com/tag/privacy> * IPHONE 6<http://gizmodo.com/tag/iphone-6> Today 7:30pm<http://gizmodo.com/tim-cook-on-user-privacy-at-apple-youre-not-our-produ-16…> As part of Apple's ongoing glasnost campaign, Tim Cook was on Charlie Rose last Friday<http://gizmodo.com/tim-cook-talks-icloud-hack-iphone-6-and-more-with-cha-16…>. Part two airs tonight and it looks like it will be a lot meatier, just based on the clip released today<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bmm5faI_mLo&feature=youtu.be>: Cook will apparently talk more about the role of privacy at Apple, including their choice not to release or mine user metadata. "When we design a new service, we try not to collect data," Cook says in regards to how they structured Apple Pay to protect delicate user information like credit card numbers. "We're not reading your email. We're not reading your iMessage. If the government laid a subpoena on us to get your iMessage, we can't provide it. It's encrypted and we don't have the key." He goes on to slam other tech companies for handing over information to the government, seeming to particularly point a finger companies like Yahoo, which was supposedly coerced into joining PRISM<http://gizmodo.com/the-nsa-was-going-to-fine-yahoo-250k-a-day-if-it-didnt-1…><http://gizmodo.com/the-nsa-was-going-to-fine-yahoo-250k-a-day-if-it-didnt-1…>. No one has ever been granted access to Apple's data, says Cook. "We would never do that. They would have to cart us out in a box before we would do that."

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FYI: Australia: in "airplane mode", electronics soon fly
by Wayne Billing 03 Sep '14

03 Sep '14

...from: http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/new-inflight-device-rule-clear… New in-flight device rule clears the way for smartphones and tablets to be used during takeoff and landing * 11 DAYS AGO AUGUST 23, 2014 12:00AM [Devices weighing less than 1kg will be allowed to be used in flight mode during takeoff a] Devices weighing less than 1kg will be allowed to be used in flight mode during takeoff and landing, once CASA gives airlines the green light. Source: Supplied AUSTRALIAN airlines are just a signature away from allowing passengers to use electronic devices from gate to gate on domestic flights. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority late yesterday published its new regulation all but clearing the way for smartphones and iPads weighing up to 1kg to be operated in flight-mode during takeoff and landing. IN-FLIGHT DEVICES: Virgin and Qantas lobby for rule change<http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-news/virgin-and-qantas-lobby-for-chang…> CASA is now seeking a “revised submission” from airlines confirming they have completed a safety checklist. Virgin Australia and Qantas must show aircraft manufacturers are happy for personal electronic devices to be used from gate to gate. Then they need to explain what safety systems they will implement to ensure passengers are complying with the regulation, and not using the device in a disruptive or unsafe way. Only devices weighing up to 1kg will be able to be used during takeoffs and landing to limit the risk of heavier items becoming airborne and causing injury. Laptops will still have to be stowed securely in overhead lockers. Finally airlines will need to revise training procedures so flight crew are aware of the regulations and the requirement passengers pay attention to cabin safety announcements. Among the issues highlighted in the safety advisory was an incident in November last year, when a Qantas plane en route to Sydney was diverted to Newcastle because of severe turbulence. One passenger was struck by an iPad from three rows away, and another was hit in the head with a laptop and needed hospital treatment. CASA spokesman Peter Gibson said he expected the airlines would have their revised submissions ready to go. Virgin Australia chief customer officer Mark Hassell confirmed last night the new submission had already been lodged and they were just waiting for CASA’s tick-off. Once that happened, the airline would work to “immediately implement the use of handheld devices from gate to gate”. “In-flight entertainment is a key driver of customer satisfaction and this application marks the next phase of that product evolution,” said Mr Hassell. A Qantas spokeswoman said the change would be “an exciting development to an already exceptional in-flight entertainment service”.

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FYI: "Online Social networks": negative effect on individuals
by Wayne Billing 01 Sep '14

01 Sep '14

SUMMARY: MIT study concludes that people tend to feel more satisfied with their lives and to be more trusting of people if they often meet with friends in person. In all, the study finds the overall effect of social networking on individuals to be "significantly negative" despite its power to keep people connected. ...from: http://www.technologyreview.com/view/530401/evidence-grows-that-online-soci… http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/01/social-networks-negative-effect-study/?n… August 29, 2014 Evidence Grows That Online Social Networks Have Insidious Negative Effects A study of 50,000 people in Italy concludes that online social networks have a significant negative impact on individual welfare. [cid:6A5A3F61-8EA5-43DF-AB13-D9614F6863BA] Online social networks have permeated our lives with far-reaching consequences. Many people have used them to connect with friends and family in distant parts of the world, to make connections that have advanced their careers in leaps and bounds and to explore and visualize not only their own network of friends but the networks of their friends, family, and colleagues. But there is growing evidence that the impact of online social networks is not all good or even benign. A number of studies have begun found evidence that online networks can have significant detrimental effects. This question is hotly debated, often with conflicting results and usually using limited varieties of subjects, such as undergraduate students. Today, Fabio Sabatini at Sapienza University of Rome in Italy and Francesco Sarracino at STATEC in Luxembourg attempt to tease apart the factors involved in this thorny issue by number crunching the data from a survey of around 50,000 people in Italy gathered during 2010 and 2011. The survey specifically measures subjective well-being and also gathers detailed information about the way each person uses the Internet. The question Sabatini and Sarracino set out to answer is whether the use of online networks reduces subjective well-being and if so, how. Sabatini and Sarracino’s database is called the “Multipurpose Survey on Households,” a survey of around 24,000 Italian households corresponding to 50,000 individuals carried out by the Italian National Institute of Statistics every year. These guys use the data drawn from 2010 and 2011. What’s important about the survey as that it is large and nationally representative (as opposed to a self-selecting group of undergraduates). The survey specifically asks the question “How satisfied are you with your life as a whole nowadays?” requiring an answer from extremely dissatisfied (0) to extremely satisfied (10). This provides a well-established measure of subjective well-being. The survey also asks other detailed questions such as how often people meet friends and whether they think people can be trusted. It also asked about people’s use of online social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. This allowed Sabatini and Sarracino to study the correlation between subjective well-being and other factors in their life, particularly their use of social networks. As statisticians they were particularly careful to rule out spurious correlations that can be explained by factors such as endogeneity bias where a seemingly independent parameter is actually correlated with an unobserved factor relegated to the error. They found for example that face-to-face interactions and the trust people place in one another are strongly correlated with well-being in a positive way. In other words, if you tend to trust people and have lots of face-to-face interactions, you will probably assess your well-being more highly. But of course interactions on online social networks are not face-to-face and this may impact the trust you have in people online. It is this loss of trust that can then affect subjective well-being rather than the online interaction itself. Sabatini and Sarracino tease this apart statistically. “We find that online networking plays a positive role in subjective well-being through its impact on physical interactions, whereas [the use of] social network sites is associated with lower social trust,” they say. “The overall effect of networking on individual welfare is significantly negative,” they conclude. That’s an important result because it is the first time that the role of online networks has been addressed in such a large and nationally representative sample. Sabatini and Sarracino particularly highlight the role of discrimination and hate speech on social media which they say play a significant role in trust and well-being. Better moderation could significantly improve the well-being of the people who use social networks, they conclude. Facebook, Twitter, and others take note.

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FYI: "kill switch" on smartphones
by Wayne Billing 26 Aug '14

26 Aug '14

You can check your iPhone settings for this by following these "Find My iPhone" instructions: https://www.apple.com/ca/icloud/find-my-iphone.html You'll want to claim an Apple iCloud ID but they're free. Follow this link and click SETUP INSTRUCTIONS: https://www.icloud.com ...from: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/08/25/california-governor-signs-law-requ… California Governor Signs Law Requiring a ‘Kill Switch’ on Smartphones By BRIAN X. CHEN<http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/author/brian-x-chen/> AUGUST 25, 2014 7:48 PMAugust 25, 2014 7:53 pm Photo [Apple’s iPhone has offered so-called kill switch technology since September, and law enforcement statistics for several major cities saw a significant dip in thefts of devices after the introduction of the antitheft feature.] Apple’s iPhone has offered so-called kill switch technology since September, and law enforcement statistics for several major cities saw a significant dip in thefts of devices after the introduction of the antitheft feature.Credit Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press Governor Jerry Brown of California on Monday signed into law a measure that requires smartphones sold in California to include smarter antitheft technology, a feature that lawmakers hope will help reduce phone theft. The bill, introduced by State Senator Mark Leno and sponsored by George Gascón, San Francisco’s district attorney, requires a so-called “kill switch” — which would render a smartphone useless after it was stolen — to be included on all smartphones sold in California starting in July 2015. A kill switch is software that allows consumers to disable a phone after the device has been reported stolen and reactivate it only with a correct password or personal identification number. Proponents of the bill have argued that wide adoption of this type of antitheft technology would lead to a reduction in phone theft because it would make it more difficult for criminals to resell stolen phones. “Our efforts will effectively wipe out the incentive to steal smartphones and curb this crime of convenience, which is fueling street crime and violence within our communities,” said Senator Leno, in a statement. In May, Minnesota became the first state to require a kill switch on all smartphones sold there. But the California bill is unusual in that it requires manufacturers, like Apple, Samsung and Motorola Mobility, to ship smartphones with the anti-theft technology turned on by default. In San Francisco, 2,400 cellphones were stolen last year, up 23 percent from 2012, according to the San Francisco police. Phone thefts also grew in New York and Washington last year. Overall, about 3.1 million devices were stolen in the United States in 2013, nearly double the 1.6 million that were stolen in 2012, according to Consumer Reports. However, some data suggests that kill-switch technology is already helping deter smartphone theft<http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/06/19/antitheft-technology-led-to-a-dip-…>. Apple’s iPhone has offered kill switch technology since September. In June, law enforcement statistics for several major cities saw a significant dip in thefts of Apple devices after Apple’s introduction of the antitheft feature. For example, comparing data in the six months before and after Apple released its anti-theft feature, police said iPhone robberies in San Francisco dropped 38 percent. Supporters of a kill-switch law have faced resistance from CTIA, a trade organization for the wireless industry. The group has argued that creating laws specific to certain states would stifle technology innovation. It reiterated this argument again on Monday in reaction to Governor Brown’s decision to sign the bill. “Uniformity in the wireless industry created tremendous benefits for wireless consumers, including lower costs and phenomenal innovation,” said Jamie Hastings, vice president of external and state affairs for CTIA, in a statement. “State by state technology mandates, such as this one, stifle those benefits and are detrimental to wireless consumers.” Mr. Gascón, San Francisco’s district attorney, said in a statement that cellphone owners can “breathe a sigh of relief.” “Soon, stealing a smartphone won’t be worth the trouble, and these violent street crimes will be a thing of the past,” he said in a statement. “The devices we use every day will no longer make us targets for violent criminals.”

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FYI: Skipping thru US Customs? There’s an app for that...
by Wayne Billing 25 Aug '14

25 Aug '14

...from: http://9to5mac.com/2014/08/25/skipping-the-us-customs-and-border-protection… http://www.cbp.gov//travel/us-citizens/mobilepassportcontrol Skipping the US Customs and Border Protection queues? There’s now an app for that …<http://9to5mac.com/2014/08/25/skipping-the-us-customs-and-border-protection…> [mobileapp] U.S. Customs and Border Protection is trialling an iPhone app that allows travellers returning to the United States to bypass the normal immigration queues by entering their details into the app and getting a QR code containing their electronic approval. You still have to show the code to a CBP officer, but you can bypass the normal queues and use a special Mobile Passport Control lane that should be significantly quicker … The app is being tested only at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, with at least one more airport due to join before the end of the year, ahead of expected wide-scale rollout in 2015. It is currently limited to U.S. and Canadian citizens, and is likely to be extended to citizens of countries eligible for the visa waiver program at a later date. If you have in-flight WiFi, you can complete the electronic form up to two hours before your flight’s scheduled arrival time, otherwise completing it on arrival in the airport terminal. An Android app will follow, but it made sense to begin with iOS, said CBP spokesperson Jennifer Evanitsky. Airside Mobile felt that there was a sufficient number of travelers with iOS devices to sustain the pilot, especially considering the demographics of international travel and the documented rates of travel-app engagement for iOS You can download the free app<https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mobile-passport-officially/id907024887?mt=8…> from the App Store. You can read the full press release below the fold. New Mobile Passport Control App Available WASHINGTON—U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) today announced the launch of the first authorized app to expedite a traveler’s entry process into the United States. Mobile Passport Control (MPC) will allow eligible travelers to submit their passport information and customs declaration form via a smartphone or tablet prior to CBP inspection. This first-of-its-kind app was developed by Airside Mobile and Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) in partnership with CBP as part of a pilot program at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. IPhone and iPad users can download the app for free from Apple’s App Store. “We are strongly committed to the facilitation of travel and tourism to the United States, all while maintaining the highest security standards in the world,” said Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. “Mobile Passport Control is an important step and one that we think the traveling public will embrace.” Eligible travelers arriving at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport will be able to use the app beginning Aug. 13. MPC is expected to expand to more airports later this year and to Android smartphone users in the future. “CBP continues to transform the international arrivals experience for travelers by offering new and innovative ways to expedite entry into the United States, while maintaining the highest standards of security” said CBP Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske. “By offering this app to passengers, we hope to build upon the success we have already experienced with Automated Passport Control, which has resulted in decreases in wait times as much as 25-40 percent, even with continued growth in international arrivals.” MPC currently offers U.S. citizens and Canadian visitors a more efficient and secure in-person inspection between the CBP officer and the traveler upon arrival in the United States. Much like Automated Passport Control, the app does not require pre-approval, is free-to-use and does not collect any new information on travelers. As a result, travelers will experience shorter wait times, less congestion and faster processing. “Mobile Passport exemplifies the forward-thinking commitment CBP and airports have to improving the passenger experience when entering the United States,” said ACI-NA President and CEO Kevin M. Burke. “This partnership between CBP and ACI-NA also represents an outstanding example of industry and government working together to find smart, cost-effective solutions. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with CBP as Mobile Passport begins its roll-out at U.S. airports later this year.” There are five easy steps to MPC: * Download the Mobile Passport Control App from the Apple App Store prior to arriving * Create a profile with your passport information * Complete the “New Trip” section upon arrival in the United States * Submit your customs declaration form through the app to receive an electronic receipt with an Encrypted Quick Response (QR) code. This receipt will expire four hours after being issued * Bring your passport and smartphone or tablet with your digital bar-coded receipt to a CBP officer ACI-NA contracted with Airside Mobile in MPC’s technical development. Information about Mobile Passport, including how to download, user eligibility and other frequently asked questions, is available on the Travel<http://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/mobilepassportcontrol> section of the CBP.gov<http://CBP.gov> website and theAirside Mobile <http://mobilepassport.us/> website. MPC is just one part of CBP’s resource optimization strategy which is transforming the way CBP does business in land, air and sea environments. As part of its commitment to innovation, CBP last year rolled out Automated Passport Control, which is now available in 22 locations, and automated the I-94 form. CBP has also enrolled more than two million travelers in trusted traveler programs such as Global Entry, NEXUS and SENTRI. These programs allow CBP officers to process travelers safely and efficiently while enhancing security and reducing operational costs.

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INTEREST: Internet outages, slowness spike expected with '512K'
by Wayne Billing 15 Aug '14

15 Aug '14

...from: http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/internet-outages-slowness-spike-expected-… NEW Internet outages, slowness spike expected with '512K' Temporary glitch a warning of upcoming milestone By Emily Chung, CBC News<http://www.cbc.ca/news/cbc-news-online-news-staff-list-1.1294364> Posted: Aug 15, 2014 3:15 PM ET Last Updated: Aug 15, 2014 3:17 PM ET [internet-computer.jpg] When the number of destinations on the internet surpasses 512,000, users will experience overall internet slowness if they rely on an internet service provider that uses older, affected routers. (Shutterstock) Internet outages and slowdowns spiked earlier this week, and more are likely on the way in coming weeks, as the internet grows too big for some network hardware to handle. According to Vancouver-based internet monitoring firm BGPMon, this past Tuesday, outages were "well above the daily average" and the number of affected systems and addresses was "the highest we've seen in the last 12 months." The issue arose when the number of routes on the internet temporarily jumped beyond 512,000 or 512K – the maximum that some older networking gear can handle by default. The global routing table has passed 512k routes. So what now? #IPv4<https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPv4?src=hash> #IPv6<https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPv6?src=hash> Read: http://t.co/gJOafqLGDk via@CiscoSP360<https://twitter.com/CiscoSP360> — Cisco (@Cisco) August 13, 2014<https://twitter.com/Cisco/statuses/499691886169587712> The cause was a bug at U.S. internet service provider Verizon that dumped 15,000 new internet destinations onto the network for about 10 minutes, said Andree Toonk, founder and lead developer for BGPMon. "We basically got a small taste of what is possibly about to happen," added Toonk, whose company monitors internet routing for outages and security incidents. "Hopefully this is a wakeup call." Network analysts such as Toonk estimate the number of routes in the internet — currently hovering around 500,000 — will permanently surpass 512,000 within a month. "The real test… will start later this week, and will be felt nearly everywhere by the end of next week," estimated Jim Cowie, chief technology officer and co-founder of network performance management firm Renesys, in a blog post Tuesday. The hardware causing the problem is older routers made by San Jose, Calif.-based Cisco and still used by many smaller networks and regional internet providers, Toonk said. Nuisance, not threat According to Cowie, most larger internet service providers "and certainly all of the routers that operate the core infrastructure of the internet" use newer hardware that is unaffected. That means the issue is more of a nuisance than a threat to the internet. The problem arises because routers direct internet traffic to the correct destination, and rely on summaries of the destinations that are kept in tables in their memory. The default maximum size of that memory is 512K for older routers. Once that maximum is reached, three possible things can happen, Toonk said: * The router can switch to a slower mode, resulting in sluggish performance. * Some destinations may not end up in the table at all, making them unreachable. * The network operator may have to reboot the router, resulting in a few minutes of instability. Internet users will experience: * Overall internet slowness if they rely on an internet service provider that's affected. * Slowness for certain websites or services that rely on affected internet service providers, even if their own ISP is not affected. Cisco had warned users of the impending problem back in May. "It's time to start preparing," wrote Omar Santos, senior incident manager of Cisco's Product Security Incident Response Team, in a post on the Cisco Support Community website<https://supportforums.cisco.com/document/12202206/size-internet-global-rout…>. He suggested some fixes, such as changing the default configuration for affected devices, but noted that might require users to reset the device. Toonk said that likely would only take five minutes, but isn't always easy to schedule on networks that serve hundreds or thousands of people. He hopes that after this week's warning, affected internet service providers will make a special effort to proactively rejig their routers. "But it's not unlikely we will see some slowness or instability over the next few weeks," he added. "If people don't fix it, it will happen again, and there will always be people who won't fix it."

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INTEREST: Apple makes Fortune’s 100 Fastest-Growing Companies list for 8th consecutive year
by Wayne Billing 15 Aug '14

15 Aug '14

...from: http://9to5mac.com/2014/08/14/apple-makes-fortunes-100-fastest-growing-comp… Apple makes Fortune’s 100 Fastest-Growing Companies list for 8th consecutive year<http://9to5mac.com/2014/08/14/apple-makes-fortunes-100-fastest-growing-comp…> [130521141911-tim-cook-hero-tax-code-614xa] Apple might have dropped from #38 to #88 this year on Fortune’s list of the 100 Fastest-Growing Companies published today<http://fortune.com/100-fastest-growing-companies/apple-88/>, but it’s also making the list for its 8th consecutive year. That means Apple has now been on the list more than any other company and also has the longest streak of consecutive appearances. There aren’t a lot of other high profile tech companies that made the list, but a couple notables include Baidu at #46 and Tivo at #73. Fortune’s list ranks companies (with a market cap of $250 million or more) based on revenue growth rate; EPS growth rate; and three-year annualized total return for the period ended June 30, 2014.[Fortune-Apple-fastest-growing]

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FYI: MacBook Air EFI Firmware Update
by Wayne Billing 31 Jul '14

31 Jul '14

...from: http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1756?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US [Download icon] MacBook Air EFI Firmware Update 2.9.1 Download<http://support.apple.com/downloads/DL1756/en_US/MacBookAirEFIUp2.9.1.dmg> This update replaces EFI Firmware Update 2.9 and is recommended for MacBook Air (Mid 2011) models. This update addresses an issue where systems may take longer to wake from sleep than expected and fixes a rare issue that may cause fans to run at full speed after waking from sleep. Post Date: Jul 30, 2014 File Size: 4.3 MB System Requirements * OS X 10.9.2 and later * MBA41.0077.B11

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INTEREST: BLOOMBERG: Microsoft May Announce Largest Number of Job Cuts
by Wayne Billing 17 Jul '14

17 Jul '14

Summary: - Microsoft expected to cut 4 - 5 % of global work force within weeks - main reductions in areas that overlap with acquired Nokia units and marketing areas such as XBOX - Microsoft trying to refocus company from "the worldwide leader in software, services, and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential" to mobile devices and cloud-computing ...from: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-07-15/microsoft-said-to-announce-job-cut… Microsoft to Announce Job Cuts as Soon as This Week By Dina Bass Jul 15, 2014 4:39 PM CT [cid:7C54FC1E-39DF-48BE-AF1D-ABAC933B6E99] July 15 (Bloomberg) -- Bloomberg’s Betty Liu reports that Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella is preparing for the biggest round of job cuts at the company since 2009. She speaks in today’s “Movers and Shakers” on “In The Loop.” Microsoft Corp. (MSFT)<http://www.bloomberg.com/quote/MSFT:US> is planning its biggest round of job cuts in five years, as the software maker looks to slim down and integrate Nokia Oyj’s handset unit, people with knowledge of the company’s plans said. Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella said in an interview last week that he has preparing to make sweeping changes at Microsoft. The reductions will probably be in engineering, marketing and areas of overlap with Nokia, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans aren’t public. The restructuring -- which may be unveiled as soon as this week -- may end up being the biggest in Microsoft history, topping the 5,800 jobs cut in 2009, two of the people said. Some details are still being worked out, two of the people said. Related: Microsoft, Intel to Benefit as Businesses Upgrade PCs<http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-07-15/microsoft-intel-to-benefit-as-busi…> Nadella, who took over from Steve Ballmer<http://topics.bloomberg.com/steve-ballmer/> in February, said in the interview that Microsoft would have to become more focused and efficient. The CEO issued his first company mission statement last week, calling for greater emphasis on mobile devices, cloud-computing and productivity software as consumers and businesses buy fewer personal computers to check e-mail, browse the Web and access data and software. [cid:CDBDF246-F6E2-49F8-8706-A34B7E440DF5]<http://www.bloomberg.com/photo/uploaded-by-uuid-7953017-at-7-14-2014-11-05-…>Source: Microsoft Corp. via Bloomberg Microsoft employees listen as Satya Nadella, chief executive officer of Microsoft... Read More<http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-07-15/microsoft-said-to-announce-job-cut…> “Nothing is off the table in how we think about shifting our culture,” Nadella said in the interview. Nadella, a Microsoft veteran who joined in 1992, was promoted to speed up a turnaround at the software maker after Ballmer failed to deliver hit products that could take on smartphones and tablets from Apple Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. and other technology rivals. 127,104 Employees While Microsoft has undergone smaller, intermittent job cuts in individual businesses -- for example trimming a few hundred positions in advertising sales and marketing in 2012 and some marketing jobs across the company earlier that same year -- the company has only undertaken a companywide restructuring impacting thousands of workers once before, in 2009 at the start of the recession. Over the course of that year, the company cut 5,800 jobs, or about 5 percent of its workforce at the time. Microsoft shares rose less than 1 percent to $42.45 at the close in New York<http://topics.bloomberg.com/new-york/>, and are up 13 percent this year. Peter Wootton, a spokesman for Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft, declined to comment. Some of the job cuts will be in marketing departments for businesses such as the global Xbox team, said the people. The European Xbox team is based in Reading, U.K. [cid:9685DB6D-3DDA-454D-B00F-671D189FBF52]<http://www.bloomberg.com/photo/microsoft-corp-ceo-satya-nadella-/-izrWUMFLV…>Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg Satya Nadella, chief executive officer at Microsoft Corp., holds a Nokia Lumia 930...Read More<http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-07-15/microsoft-said-to-announce-job-cut…> The company had 127,104 employees as of June 5, after adding about 30,000 in its acquisition of Nokia’s handset unit. Cloud Methods When Microsoft agreed to acquire Nokia’s mobile-phone business in September, the software maker pledged $600 million in annual cost savings in the 18 months after the deal closes. Meeting that commitment will probably involve job cuts in areas where the two companies overlap, said the people. Other job cuts may result from changes Nadella is making to the engineering organization, people with knowledge of the matter said last week. Engineering teams have traditionally been split between program managers, developers and testers. Yet with new cloud methods of building software, it often makes sense to have the developers test and fix bugs instead of a separate team of testers, Nadella said in the interview last week. Some of the cuts will be among software testers, said one of the people. Nadella declined to say in the interview whether the changes will result in job cuts and said he would provide more detail on the implications of his memo when Microsoft reports fiscal fourth-quarter earnings<http://www.bloomberg.com/quote/MSFT:US> on July 22. Cost Cuts Microsoft is the latest technology company seeking to reduce costs by trimming jobs. Hewlett-Packard Co. in May announced more cuts after an 11th-straight quarter of declining sales. CEOMeg Whitman<http://topics.bloomberg.com/meg-whitman/> has said she will eliminate as many as 16,000 jobs on top of 34,000 already cut. Separately Microsoft is in talks to acquire Israeli security firm Aorato, a maker of firewall software backed by Accel Partners<http://topics.bloomberg.com/accel-partners/>, said one person familiar with the discussions. The talks are at an early stage and Aorato may also be negotiating with other parties, the person said. To contact the reporter on this story: Dina Bass in Seattle at dbass2(a)bloomberg.net<mailto:dbass2@bloomberg.net> To contact the editors responsible for this story: Pui-Wing Tam at ptam13(a)bloomberg.net<http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-07-15/mailtspantam13@bloomberg.net> Reed Stevenson, Ben Livesey

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