October 17, 2025

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October 26, 2022

Apple tightens its rules on crypto and NFTs in its App Store

Apple clarified its rules on cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) laying out what apps are allowed to do with these technologies.

On crypto exchanges, Apple said in updated App Store rules on Monday, that apps may facilitate “transactions or transmissions of cryptocurrency on an approved exchange.” But the app can only be offered in countries or regions where it has licensing and permission to operate a crypto exchange.

“Apps may not use their own mechanisms to unlock content or functionality,” such as cryptocurrencies or cryptocurrency wallets.

Apple has clarified the rules on NFTs, which can be a digital representation of a real-life asset such as artwork and are usually purchased using cryptocurrency.

Credit: Apple tightens its rules on crypto and NFTs in its App Store (nbcnews.com)

UK Lawmakers Vote to Recognize Crypto as Regulated Financial Instruments

Lawmakers in the U.K. voted in favor of recognizing crypto assets as regulated financial instruments and products in the country on Tuesday.

The House of Commons, the Parliament's lower house, met on Tuesday for a line-by-line reading of the proposed Financial Services and Markets Bill, which broadly covers the U.K.'s post-Brexit economic strategy. The lawmakers considered a list of proposed amendments to the bill, including one put forward by parliamentarian Andrew Griffith to include crypto assets in the scope of regulated financial services in the country.

Biden Administration Wants To Make It Easier To Seize Crypto Without Criminal Charges

Buried deep in a 61-page recent report by the U.S. Attorney General, the Biden Administration called for a dramatic expansion in the federal government’s ability to seize and keep cryptocurrency. If enacted, the proposed changes would bolster both criminal forfeiture, which requires a conviction to permanently confiscate property, as well as civil forfeiture, which doesn’t require a conviction or even criminal charges to be filed.

Credit: Forbes

October 24, 2022

How DeFi and Web 3.0 will shape the future of finance

CEOs and leaders in the banking industry discussed the impact of emerging technologies and innovations on financial service including the development of new decentralised operating models and Web 3.0, the third generation of the internet.

The internet has witnessed some major disruptions, from offering read-only, static content at its inception to much more more dynamic, interactive, and decentralised experience now.. Web 3.0 is evolving with , innovations in decentralised finance (DeFi), blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and distributed ledgers as its foundation. In December 2021, the total market capitalisation of cryptocurrencies stood at $2.2 trillion while the total locked value in DeFi protocols grew by over 1000% year-on-year.

The financial service industry is accelerating the adoption of Web 3.0.

Read More

Next 6 Cryptocurrencies Waiting to Explode in 2023

Source: Click here

2022 saw numerous cryptos launch presales, but few were successful. Dash2Trade’s latest presale will be successful.

Let’s look at some projects and coins that might yield 10x returns by 2023.

Dash 2 Trade

Dash 2 Trade (D2T) is a new cryptocurrency coupled with an analytics-driven platform for traders and investors. Dash 2 Trade raised $400,000 on its first presale day. With growing chatter, demand should rise.

October 23, 2022

Crypto and climate change: Can web3.0 help get us to net zero

Source:Click Here

Web3.0 will operate on blockchain-enabled technology working on P2P network. It will transform netizens’ experience but the flow of information will be administered by the participants themselves and no control shall be enforced by any single authority. In the absence of a third party like a bank to vet the transaction there is a need to validate ‘system security’ by solving complex puzzles by the cryptographers on devices which are energy hungry. Only after solving the puzzle, miners add a new block to the chain and receive a token as a reward.

Source : Click Here

The explosive Web3 growth in the country is supported by several factors, including a large talent pool, a high adoption rate and product development for global markets.

The global Web3 boom is expected to add $1.1 trillion to the Indian economy over the next decade, supporting the investment-based momentum driven by over 450 in-house startups, including CoinDCX, Polygon and CoinSwitch.

Reading More

October 22, 2022

Can the Reverse-engineered Starlink seen as backup for GPS : A matter of Security flaw, exploited in Ukraine

Article Source Credit

"As time goes on and their dependence on Starlink deepens, Ukraine and its allies in the West are coming to appreciate that they have little control over Starlink and know little about it," Humphreys told MIT Technology Review. "But now many millions have a vested interest in Starlink security, including its resilience to jamming.

"Humphreys has done a big service to the navigation community identifying these sequences," Mark Psiaki, an aerospace professor at Virginia Tech and GPS expert told MIT Technology Review. "But any navigation system working on open-source sequences could definitely be spoofed, because everyone will know how to spot those signals and create fake ones."

Starlink has become such an integral part of wartime communications in Ukraine that recent outages were described as "catastrophic" by officials. Musk tweeted this week Russia is "actively working" to destroy the satellites, but Humphreys' discovery — that the signals are predictable and replicable — highlights the possibility for intentional disruption of Starlink.

January 30, 2022

French court upholds 100 million euro fine against Google for breaches linked to cookie policy

Reuters

January 29, 2022 11:02 IST

Updated: January 29, 2022 11:02 IST

France's Conseil d'Etat, the country's supreme administrative court, on Friday said it upheld a decision by a watchdog imposing a 100 million euro ($111.46 million) fine on the U.S. tech giant for breaches linked to its cookies policy.

The fine imposed by France's CNIL data protection authority was proportionate, the court said in a statement.

For More: Click

Microsoft repelled the most powerful cyberattack in the history of the Internet

Courtesy : https://thetimeshub.in/

Microsoft has repelled the most powerful DDoS attack to date on users of the Azure cloud platform.

Source: delo.ua

According to the corporation's report, the power of the DDoS attack was 3.47 terabits per second (Tbps).

The DDoS attack was carried out in November 2021, and Microsoft Azure called it the most powerful in the history of the Internet.

Attack vectors are UDP bandwidth saturation -packets to port 80 using Service Discovery Protocol (SSDP), Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (CLDAP), Domain Name System (DNS), and Network Time Protocol (NTP).

In total, in 2021, the company repelled 611,657 unique cyber attacks: 251,944 in the first half of the year and 40% more – 359,713 – in the second.

Most of these incidents occurred on May 10 and August 10 — 2,043 and 4,296, respectively.

The Ministry of Digital Transformation has officially stated that «all evidence points to the fact that Russia is behind the largest cyberattack in 4 years on the websites of Ukrainian government agencies»

For More : Click.

Hackers are Increasingly Targeting Zero-Day Vulnerabilities and Supply Chain Networks for Maximum Impact, says report

Courtesy : https://www.expresscomputer.in

The report identified 32 new ransomware families in 2021, bringing the total to 157 and representing a 26% increase over the previous year

Ivanti announced the results of the Ransomware Spotlight Year End Report that it conducted with Cyber Security Works and Cyware. The report identified 32 new ransomware families in 2021, bringing the total to 157 and representing a 26% increase over the previous year.

The report also found that these ransomware groups are continuing to target unpatched vulnerabilities and weaponize zero-day vulnerabilities in record time to instigate crippling attacks. At the same time, they are broadening their attack spheres and finding newer ways to compromise organizational networks and fearlessly trigger high-impact assaults.

Below are a few top observations and trends from the Ransomware Spotlight Year End Report:

Unpatched vulnerabilities remain the most prominent attack vectors exploited by ransomware groups. The analysis uncovered 65 new vulnerabilities tied to ransomware last year, representing a 29% growth compared to the previous year and bringing the total number of vulnerabilities associated with ransomware to 288. Alarmingly, over one-third (37%) of these newly added vulnerabilities were actively trending on the dark web and repeatedly exploited. Parallelly, 56% of the 223 older vulnerabilities identified prior to 2021 continued to be actively exploited by ransomware groups. This proves that organizations need to prioritize and patch the weaponized vulnerabilities that ransomware groups are targeting – whether they are newly identified vulnerabilities or older vulnerabilities.
Ransomware groups continue to find and leverage zero-day vulnerabilities, even before the CVEs are added to the National Vulnerability Database and patches are released. The QNAP (CVE-2021-28799), Sonic Wall (CVE-2021-20016), Kaseya (CVE-2021-30116), and most recently Apache Log4j (CVE-2021-44228) vulnerabilities were exploited even before they made it to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD).

More News : Click

Millions of US Bank, Payment Cards have Been Compromised, NordVPN Reveals

More than 1.5 million US banking/payment cards may reportedly be found via the dark web, according to a study carried out by cybersecurity firm NordVPN.

The study by NordVPN reveals that a total of 1,561,739 American payment card details had been discovered by researchers. This sensitive information was for sale via the dark web. Notably, the average price for a US bank card offered via the dark web was around $5.80.

In statements shared with Yahoo Finance, Adrianus Warmenhoven, Defensive Strategist at NordVPN, said:

January 17, 2020

Artificial Intelligence real applications for Broadcast & Media Industries

Courtesy : VSN Media Innovations

The development of new Artificial Intelligence-based tools has opened the door to new media cataloging, utilization, and monetization possibilities. AI systems such as those of Microsoft Azure, Google or IBM allow the automation of repetitive tasks and processes that would normally require the allocation of greater time and resources, especially in the areas of production, cataloging and media management. How can this technology help us make the most of our resources? We give you the keys to it.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has found its way in the audiovisual industry in the last few years, gaining special importance in the Broadcast & Media industries. The number of solutions including AI systems for the development of editing and media management tasks has increased exponentially, especially the solutions focused on the most repetitive tasks and, therefore, those most likely to be automated.

Reed More at: https://www.vsn-tv.com/en/artificial-intelligence-applications-broadcast-and-media/

Broadcasters unite against TRAI's revised tariff order

Mumbai: Top Indian broadcasters shared a stage on Friday to express solidarity against the latest amendments to broadcast sector tariffs by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). Under the aegis of the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), top executives of Star & Disney India, Zee Entertainment EnterprisesNSE 0.14 % (ZEE), Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN), Viacom 18, Discovery Communications, Turner International, ETV and TV Today Network pointed out how the new regulations wer ..

October 30, 2013

Fwd: Handy Tips To Help Maintain Your Android Device

Handy Tips To Help Maintain Your Android Device

Android's open nature may be lauded by many but it also leaves your device vulnerable to malware, freezes & slowdowns. Hitesh Raj Bhagat shows you how you to keep it running like new with little effort.

Guard Against Malware & Bad Apps

IF YOU DOWNLOAD a lot of apps from unknown sources (places other than Google's Play Store), chances are that your phone is already infected with malware. Trend Micro reports that there are over 500 sources that host malicious apps. While most malware will send texts to premium numbers without your

knowledge, some could also be mining data (and consequently slowing down your device). If you must get apps from unknown sources, you should get an anti-virus app. Some of the best free options include Avast, AVG, Lookout, Norton, ESET & Zoner. Note that you shouldn't install more than one of these at one time and having one isn't a guarantee against bad apps — but it helps.

Manage RAM for Smooth Multitasking

ONE OF THE biggest reasons why your device runs out of steam is limited available RAM. This is more true of devices with 512MB and to a certain extent, 1GB of total RAM. Depending on the number of applications you have installed (and how many of them are running in the background), the amount of free RAM your device has may not be enough to smoothly switch between apps. To solve this problem, get a free app called Clean Master by KS Mobile. Not only does it have a task killer (to free up RAM), but it can also delete history (web browser data & history), clean the cache, properly uninstall apps and remove residual files (remnants of previously deleted apps) to free up space on the device memory.

How to Manage Your Applications

MOST IF NOT all Android devices have a built in task manager which shows you all the background apps (running apps) and lets you selectively remove them from memory. Keeping them running will pull them up faster when you need them, but beyond a point, too many apps will slow the device down. The app manager is usually pulled up with a long press on the Home or Options button. If you need to install a third-party app to do the same thing, you can get Advanced Task Manager (by Infolife) or Android App Manager (by SmartWho). The advantage that either of these apps can offer is a home screen widget which allows you to close running apps with just one tap.

Get Your Settings Straight

TAKE A LOOK at your device's settings page. Are you signed in to any accounts that you are not using? Remove them. You can also check for sync intervals (how often these accounts check for updates). Are additional functions like Bluetooth, NFC and WiFi on when you don't need them? Some of these might keep hunting for a connection and slow down other services. If you are using a third-party launcher, set it as the default. If you use more than one launcher at a time, resources are usually shared between them, making everything slower. It also helps if you remove any widgets that you aren't using (because they keep updating in the background) and remove any extra homescreen pages.

GET A FRESH START

Sometimes, whatever you do may not be enough. If your phone or tablet still keeps freezing or drags its feet with even the simplest of tasks, it may be time for a factory reset. A factory reset restores your device to original settings — like the way it was when you first got it. Luckily, every Android device has a factory reset option built in. Initialising the factory reset is a simple, one-step process — just head to settings and 'privacy' or 'backup & reset'. Keep in mind that doing a factory reset erases everything on the device: all installed apps, contacts, calendar entries, photos, texts, videos & any accounts that you're signed in to will be removed. So before you reset, use an app called inDefend to backup your contacts & messages, use App Backup & Restore (by Infolife) to backup apps, SMS Backup & Restore for SMS & Dropbox to save your photos & videos to the cloud.

ANDROID TIPS

Periodically Clean Out messages and Gallery

If you've owned your phone for a while, chances are you have thousands of texts, photos & videos stored. You can take a backup of all essential data and clean out stuff — starting from the oldest first.

Since these apps won't have to cache as much data, they'll load much faster.

How much Free Phone Memory do you have?

Even if you have 16GB storage, some of that is taken up by the operating system and essential apps. You should keep at least 2GB of that free. Move all non-essential data and apps to the external memory card using the file manager and a free app called App2SD.

Does the Stock Launcher Slow you Down?

Phone makers have a tendency to use heavy interfaces with animations & features that you may never use. Download Nova Launcher from the app store to give your device an instant speed boost. It's also way more customisable than the stock interface that you get.

Live Wallpapers use up Processor Bandwidth

Using a live (animated) wallpaper on your device uses up a fair bit of processing power — power that could easily be put to use by making apps load up faster and making the interface smoother. While this is more true of budget devices, switch off your live wallpaper and you'll also see better battery life.

Courtesy : Tectonic, Times of India, dated: 03/07/2013

Google's Latest Plans For World Domination

Google's Latest Plans For World Domination

Google showed off a bunch of new services and upcoming features at their annual Google I/O conference. Karan Bajaj & Hitesh Raj Bhagat analyse the announcements to give you a detailed look at what's new and how they will affect you

MAPS

Maps for Android will see a number of new features, starting with the Fused Location provider. It uses all your phone's sensors to provide accurate location spotting while consuming less than 1% battery per hour. Maps will also use your phone's accelerometer to determine whether you are walking, running or driving. Another interesting addition to maps is an improved Geofencing feature. Geofencing lets you setup a virtual perimeter on a map. Concrete details were not shared, but we expect this will allow you to set certain functions & apps to start or stop using an Geofencing. For example, it could automatically switch on WiFi and set the ringer to vibrate within your office building.

PLAY STORE

A useful new feature is the cross platform, single sign in for third party apps. So, if you signup for Box.net on your Android smartphone, it will automatically sign you in on your Android tablet as well as your desktop Chrome browser. Notifications are also synced across devices — if you dismiss a notification, it will be removed from all other connected devices. The great news for developers is that they can now invite beta testers for apps directly through the Play Store. Previously, beta testers had to sideload apps onto the device. Developers can also get direct feedback from the beta tester from within the Play Store.

HANGOUTS

Hangouts will replace Google Chat and offer a unified messaging experience, be it on the web or on a smartphone (Android or iOS). Apart from text chat. it will allow videos call with up to 10 participants, across platforms. It will even offer SMS alerts for incoming chat notifications when offline (select countries only). Since a conversation is not deleted when you log off, you can continue where you left off, even after a few days or months.

GOOGLE+

Your Google+ stream will have a revamped design — new animation and cards — similar to Google Now on Android smartphones. The layout displays content in multiple columns that automatically adjust to your device's screen size and resolution. A new smart hashtag feature has been added for photos.

Google+ will automatically analyse an image, recognize the location/structure/monument and hashtag it. Clicking on a post or photo will show you content with similar hashtags. Storage space for full size photographs has been increased from 5GB to 15GB. A feature called 'auto highlight' automatically selects the best photos out of hundreds, removing blurr ones and duplicates. Auto enhance offers onetouch image correction within the browser by fixing white balance, sharpening images, removing red eye and auto adjusting colour tones.

MUSIC

Google announced a US-only (for now) music streaming service called 'Google Play Music All Access'. Users will get a 30-day free trial after which the service will cost US$ 9.99 per month. The service gives you access to all music on the store and also offers personalised recommendations based on your listening history. You also have control over streaming playlists — it will allow you to rearrange songs or remove them easily. A feature called 'listen Now' instantly start playing tracks from your music uploads or from Google's music collection.

GAMING

You can now save game progress in the cloud — start playing the game on one device and continue from where you left off on another device (Android, web or iOS). You also get leaderboards. Using a Google+ account, sign-in to the service, connect with friends and compare game scores in public and private leaderboards. Google Play services will work across platforms: Android, iOS as well as browser-

based games.

COMING SOON

NEW IMAGE & VIDEO FORMATS

WebP, a new image format invented by Google, is a third smaller in size than JPEG while retaining the same quality (if all other parameters remain the same). WebP also supports animated images (like animated GIFs). For video, Google's format called VP9, offers the same quality as the current (and most commonly used) H.264 standard — but is less than half the size. Smaller image and video file sizes will automatically mean lower data costs and faster load times, especially on mobile devices.

SEND MONEY USING GMAIL

You will soon be able to send money in an email — as long as you have a bank account or credit/debit card associated with your Google Wallet account. Wallet is already used to make purchases from the Play Store so if you have purchased an Android app, this step is already done. Each email money transaction (using cards; bank account transfers are free) will carry a 2.9% transaction fee. Google is gradually rolling it out to Gmail users.

Courtesy : Techtonic, Times of India, dated: 22/05/2013

Older Devices With Fantastic Bang For Your Buck

Older Devices With Fantastic Bang For Your Buck

More often than not, gadget updates just have minor changes and a new model number to keep things looking fresh. Hitesh Raj Bhagat & Karan Bajaj point you towards some of the best deals right now

TABLETS

Apple iPad 2 (WiFi)

Even though there are two new versions, the iPad 2 is the slimmest (8.8mm) and lightest (601 grams) tablet from the range. It has a 9.7-inch display (1024 x 768 pixels), dual core processor & 16GB storage.

It upgrades to the latest iOS 6.1 and there are absolutely no issues with running any of the newer apps or playing the latest games. Apart from the performance, the battery life that you get is also phenomenal. WAS 29,500 NOW 22,500

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (WiFi)

If you're looking for a 7-inch tablet from one of the bigger brands, Samsung's Galaxy Tab 2 is a great option. It may be old, but it still offers a lot in terms of hardware, software, features as well as overall build quality compared to most other tablets in this price range. Specs include Android 4.1, 1Ghz dual core processor, 1GB RAM and 16GB storage. The 7-inch display (1024 x 768 pixels) is sharp & vibrant. WAS 13,900 NOW 9,499

CAMERAS

Canon IXUS 500 HS

This is one of the few ultracompact point and shoot cameras at this price with 12X optical zoom. It has a unique design, 10MP CMOS sensor and Canon's HS system for fantastic low light photos. It is also capable of full HD video recording and has HDMI output to connect with a TV. The rechargeable battery is good for up to 150 shots. WAS 19,995 NOW 11,990

Canon EOS 600D

This mid-range DSLR recently had a hige price drop & has an 18MP sensor — similar to the one used in Canon's EOS 7D DSLR. You get a built-in flash, full manual controls and full HD video recording. The 3-inch articulating LCD makes it easy to frame your shots from different angles. WAS 50,990 NOW 34,000

Nikon D3100

For first-time DSLR users, the D3100 is a great camera thanks to the guide mode that makes it easy to learn. It has a 14MP CMOS sensor, built-in flash, 3-inch LCD display, HDMI and even does full HD video recording. The D3200 doesn't add too many features. WAS 32,950NOW 27,110

BUYING A PC?

Processor

There are currently two variants Intel Core series processors available — 2nd and 3rd generation. There is a clear difference between the two when it comes to performance and energy efficiency. That being said, if you are buying a PC for basic usage like Internet, multimedia playback and office work, why not save and opt for the older chip? Laptops with the 2nd generation processor can be a lot cheaper compared to those which have the latest third generation Core processors.

Windows

Microsoft's new and revamped Windows 8 has a lot of new features, but even the older Windows 7 stands its ground. Manufacturers are moving towards Windows 8 and almost all new machines now come with the new OS. However, a lot of retailers have older stock of devices running Windows 7 which they are looking to get rid of — if you ask around and check online, you'll get some great deals on laptops and allin-one PCs with Windows 7.

PHONES

Apple iPhone 4

The iPhone 4 marked a major shift in design compared to the previous 3GS. It still looks fresh because the iPhone 4S is near identical and the iPhone 5 follows the same design language. Apart from the latest version of iOS, the iPhone 4 also enjoys a vast app + accessory ecosystem and there's currently a great buyback (discount) offer on that drops the price by another Rs7k. WAS 34,500 NOW 24,345

Samsung Galaxy S3

The blockbuster S3 and S2 were the main factors that catapulted Samsung into the Android big leagues, making them the world's largest vendor of smartphones. Now, even though the mighty S4 has now been launched, the S3 is no slouch. At its new price, the S3 is superb value for money and still one of the best Android phones around. WAS 43,180 NOW 27,500

Nokia PureView 808

There wasn't much to differentiate cameraphones from one another till the 808 PureView came around. It was unveiled last year - the 41 Megapixel sensor and pixel oversampling technology was inno vative to say the least. It was and still is leagues ahead of most cameraphones – primarily thanks to the sensor being larger than most compact cameras. The Nokia Belle operating system fell out of favour though and is the main reason why it's available at this throwaway price now. WAS 33,899 NOW 17,999

Courtesy : Tectonic, Times of India, dated: 29/05/2013

Handy Tips To Help Maintain Your Android Device