The Pi portion of the Banana Phone system runs the Asterisk PBX phone software and MySQL database. Ruiz used PHP to write his own software that determines on the fly whether a call is valid. He spent about three months developing the system.
via Robocalls are annoying, so this man is using Raspberry Pi to stop them | Ars Technica.
In this case, the website of a legitimate mobile developer was targeted, with the attackers knowing the people they were really targeting (Facebook, Twitter etc) would sooner or later come to visit the site, allowing them to infect the computers of these organisations.
This type of attack allows hackers to infiltrate systems otherwise closed off to them as Facebook’s own security would spot a straight forward attack.
via Facebook Hacks Points to Much Bigger Threat for Mobile Developers – IBTimes UK.
The article mentions how many app developers on Mac platforms are operating with a false sense of security. Interesting read.
Sullivan has this advice for mobile app developers:
“Any developer who has Java enabled in his browser, has visited mobile developer websites in the last couple of months, and finds evidence his computer is compromised – probably should use his source code versioning system to check recent commits.”
The Linux version of Steam will likely be at the core of Valve’s upcoming plans for living room-based “Steam Box” hardware, building off the recently unveiled Big Picture mode. The move to Linux also gives Valve more flexibility in working around Microsoft’s Windows 8, which co-founder Gabe Newell has called “a catastrophe for everyone in the PC space.”
via Valve officially launches Steam for Linux with massive sale | Ars Technica.
The concept isn’t new, but the AlcaLu team believes its system, which includes its patent-pending Agile Rules Technology (ART), enables service providers to develop new mobile service offers more quickly, efficiently and accurately by giving them greater control over the process using a single system.
via Light Reading – AlcaLu Gets Smart With Mobile Data.
Not sure what this actually means. What kind of “service” can a service provider provide for data other than blindly routing IP packets and counting them? I’ll await a powerpoint presentation on this.
Native advertising is a concept that gained traction in the digital ad industry in 2012. It refers to digital ad formats that integrate more seamlessly (yet transparently) into website aesthetics, user experiences and/or editorial in ways that offer more value to both advertisers and readers. Put simply, native ads follow the format, style and voice of whatever platform they appear on.
via Where You Can Go Right, And Wrong, With Native Ads | TechCrunch.
I’m old enough to remember the year 2012 like it was yesterday.
ZoneMinder is an integrated set of applications which provide a complete surveillance solution allowing capture, analysis, recording and monitoring of any CCTV or security cameras attached to a Linux based machine. It is designed to run on distributions which support the Video For Linux (V4L) interface and has been tested with video cameras attached to BTTV cards, various USB cameras and also supports most IP network cameras. A partial list is given in the Wiki and Support sections, please give feedback in the Forums if it works with yours. ZoneMinder also requires MySQL and PHP, and is enhanced by a webserver such as Apache.
via ZoneMinder – ZoneMinder: Linux Home CCTV and Video Camera Security with Motion Detection.
DenyHosts is a script intended to be run by Linux system administrators to help thwart SSH server attacks (also known as dictionary based attacks and brute force attacks).
If you’ve ever looked at your ssh log (/var/log/secure on Redhat, /var/log/auth.log on Mandrake, etc…) you may be alarmed to see how many hackers attempted to gain access to your server. Hopefully, none of them were successful (but then again, how would you know?). Wouldn’t it be better to automatically prevent that attacker from continuing to gain entry into your system?
via Welcome to DenyHosts.
Not me. If I let ssh into the network I only allow it for the IP address I’m going to be accessing the network from. These brute force attacks are annoying. This little app may prove useful. Will look into this.
Sweden has the fastest LTE network, averaging 22.1 Mbps. Surprisingly Japan has the slowest at just 7.1 Mbps
via OpenSignal – The State of LTE.
Lots of interesting graphs and information in this article.
This new “we’ll see what customers want” in terms of screen size is a markedly different message from Microsoft officials than just a year ago, when Microsoft execs pooh-poohed the advantage of smaller screen sizes for Windows devices that could act as both creation and consumption platforms.
via Microsoft CFO Klein: We’re ready for devices of all sizes | ZDNet.
Historically, the company has tried to do just this, but its success at influencing real Web developers has been limited; for all the emphasis placed on standards, many developers don’t, in practice, care about them.