Technology News and Reviews

Now i was reluctant to post this up because the more people that know about it, the more people who will exploit this method. There are two new SIMPLE ways of hacking a Facebook account. The first is by using a program called Firesheep. Firesheep is a free plugin for firefox that allows users to capture the Facebook cookie of anyone on their wifi network and duplicate it into their browser. Since the Facebook cookies are essentially the way it knows that you've logged in already, the users of Firesheep have an automatic "in" to all your private info.

Now Firesheep has been out for a while and does not run on many of the later versions of FireFox so it's not to big of a worry, but there are still a number of people who have made modifications to make it work.

The second method is the one that scares me the most. FaceNiff is an application designed for your smart phone that does the exact same thing as Firesheep...only its mobile. I have tried FaceNiff on my network at home and let me tell you, it works... Almost too well.
Lucky for those who care about security flaws there is a solution. If you dont want to have to worry about people using these apps to jack your info all you have to do is enable HTTPS in your Facebook settings. HTTPS is more secure than the standard HTTP that is enabled by default on your Facebook. With HTTPS you can log in and out of your Facebook without worrying about people using these applications against you.

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Today while searching through the Android Developers Blog I saw this image. It really puts into perspective how strong the Android Market is and can also be a great reference sheet when creating new apps.

img credit: http://android-developers.blogspot.com/

For a while now web browser Google Chrome has been auto updating itself with out bugging its users to manually install an update. Now it seems that Microsoft is following their lead. "It's the future ... for all software," said Andrew Storms, director of security operations at nCircle Security. "At this point, at least in the consumer space, people are expecting software to be up to date, and for it to do it itself."

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus was released today and thousands of people have been rushing to their local Verizon stores just to get a hands on look. I know what your thinking, "Why? Its just another smartphone..big deal." Well, your right, it is just another smart phone but the buzz surrounding this device is mostly due to the fact that it comes with Android 4.0(Ice Cream Sandwich). If you take a look at the specs below you will see why people are so excited to get their hands on the Ice Cream Sandwich "flagship".

• Dual-core 1.2 GHz TI OMAP 4460 processor
• 4G LTE with Mobile Hotspot capability
• 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with zero-shutter lag for instant photo capturing, autofocus and LED flash with full 1080p recording
• Front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera for video chat
• 1 GB RAM
• 32 GB on-board memory"

credit:
http://androidandme.com/2011/12/news/verizon-galaxy-nexus-coming-1215-for-299-99/

Thats cool.. but what about the specs?

Most employees working for big companies don't exactly love their job. In fact big companies like Walmart and Afni usually have a low approval rating among their employees. Knowing this, I was surprised when i learned that Facebook, Google and Apple have found themselves in the top ten of the "50 best places to work" list at this years fourth annual Employee Choice awards. It gives me a good feeling to know that the companies that are responsible for many of the advances in technology and social networking are treating their employees well.

Here are some quotes from some happy employees:

On Facebook:
"the toughest job you'll ever love," 
 "in general, there is a high level of autonomy given to employees. We're treated like adults and given lots of responsibility. The perks are unreal compared to other places I've worked. The atmosphere is fun yet serious. We're very lucky to work here overall."


On Google:
"you can be proud to tell your mom you work there. Work/life balance is good. Employees are good people to know now and for the future. Work on great products that hundreds of millions or billions of people will use."


On Apple:
 "very invigorating," 
 "there is always a challenge that you must overcome. The team, management, leadership, and people you meet will be a great asset to you."


All in all i think its great to see big companies doing right by their employees. Work is always going to suck but i think companies will find that if they can make it suck less for their employees they will receive a increase in productivity. As we all know an increase in productivity usually means an increase in profit.


(Employee quotes taken from: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-57342946-92/facebook-google-apple-among-best-places-to-work/?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=News-Apple)
Image taken from: http://www.feelguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/GoogleFacebookApple.jpg

DONT HIT THAT BACK BUTTON JUST YET!. I thought this was a scam to but i decided to give it a shot. Before I start telling you about AppRedeem let me just make one thing clear. This is not gonna make you a ton of money. Its not a get rich quick scheme. This is just a way to get some extra change doing what you already do on your phone every day. AppRedeem pays you to try out apps. Now i've only made about two dollars so far (15 minutes of use) but hey thats two bucks i didn't have. You can request a pay out at any time to your paypal account. Just search for AppRedeem in the app store on your iphone or android and give it a try. Its worth it, even if all you get is a free coffee or snack from the money you earn. Every little bit counts!
Enter code "Brandom" to get some extra points when singing up!

Times are tough and a 100+ dollars a month for phone service just isn't in the budget for most people anymore. If you know what im talking about than I strongly suggest you take a look at Virgin Mobile. The service runs on Sprint but offers prepaid plans for smart phone users starting at $35.00 a month for unlimited data and messaging! I personally use Virgin Mobile and so far its been smooth sailing. I never have to worry about the amount of data i use and i know what my bill will be every month. If you haven't looked into them yet, you should. Find out what their service is like in your area. You really can't beat the price.
For more info and prices you can visit:  www.virginmobileusa.com

    Technology is changing at such a rapid pace these days that it may seem impossible to keep up with all the new gadgets and gizmo's. This year the most prevalent addition to the technology boom has arrived in the form of a thin slate called a Tablet. Whether its checking your email, updating your Facebook or playing games, this years tablet line up is sure to deliver. Here is our top five best Android picks that wont break the bank.



Amazon Kindle Fire
($199.00 8Gb) This small easy to use tablet is great for anyone just getting into the tablet seen. Touch screen has been reported to have a bit of a lag at some points but for the price, you wont find a better tablet.

Acer Iconia A100
$329.00 (8GB $349.00 (16GB) Another small (but great) tablet. Boasting a 7 inch screen and running android gingerbread this tablet is sure to take care of all your needs on the go. The only thing that takes away from this tablet is that it feels like an over sized smart phone.

Lenovo IdeaPad Tablet K1

$499.99 (32GB) Fast performance and reliability are two very distinct features of this tablet. It is a bit pricey but it does have a dual core processor and 10 inch screen. With some price scouting online you should be able to knock about 100 off the price of this tablet, making it an excellent investment in your tech arsenal. 

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus

$399 (16GB), $499 (32GB) This is a 7 inch tablet focused on entertainment. With its bright screen and amazing resolution this tablet will ensure that your entertainment needs are met on the go. 

Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime

 $499 (32GB), $599 (64GB) The power house. This is the best tablet on the market as far as specs go. It has a quad core Nvidia processor. The only complaint critics could come up with is that there isn't enough custom apps that come with the tablet (im sure a trip to the android market can easily take care of that).