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February 10, 2012, 1:07PM

Researchers Discover Android Mobile Botnet 100k Strong
by Paul Roberts
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A newly discovered malicious application circulating on third party Android markets in China has created a botnet that contains more than 100,000 compromised devices, researchers report.

Researchers from North Carolina State University and Symantec say the malware, dubbed RootStrap (NC State) installs a known remote access trojan (RAT) named BMaster (Symantec). It is capable of stealing a wide range of information from infected Android devices running versions earlier than 2.3.3 and 3.0, and may be ginning up illilcit profits with premium SMS and telephony scams, according to the report from NC State and Symantec.

Malicious software researches and anti virus companies have observed a sharp spike in the number of malicious programs targeting the Android platform in the last year, as the population of Android devices has skyrocketed. However, botnets are still rare for the mobile world.

Though reliable data on the size and operation of the botnet isn't available, Symantec estimates that it could generating anywhere between $1,600 to $9,000 per day and $547,500 to $3,285,000 per year for its operators, depending on how many infected devices the botmasters are able to sustain.

RootStrap isn't the first example of an active, revenue-generating Android botnet, Symantec points out. However, it may be the first that large enough and profitable enough to rival traditional Windows-based bot networks. That, Symantec points out, means it certainly won't be the last.

New Tool Cracks Apple iWork Passwords
by Brian Donohue

The Russian software company, ElcomSoft, has developed a tool capable of recovering iWork passwords from Apple Numbers, Pages, and Keynote applications. According to ElcomSoft, 'Distributed Password Recovery' is the first commercially available tool with this capacity.

The tool works by performing a distributed, brute force dictionary attack against user-selectable passwords. Its just the latest effort by the Russian firm, which has

previously released tools for breaking the encryption used to protect data on Apple iPhone and RIM Blackberry devices. ElcomSoft claims this tool gives forensics experts the ability to access a vast array of encrypted evidence.

Microsoft fixes Windows 8 Consumer Preview launch event for Feb. 29
New name for beta, but provides no new details
By Gregg Keizer | Computerworld US | 08 February 12

Previously, Microsoft had promised that it would distribute a public beta -- the company used the label "Consumer Preview" instead -- in "late February." Wednesday, Feb. 29 is the last day of the month.

Microsoft did not offer any additional details on the Consumer Preview, including whether it planned to also introduce it at a similar U.S. event. A spokeswoman said that Microsoft would provide more information at a later date. The company will not present the Windows 8 preview at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), but instead at a Barcelona hotel between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. local time. The MWC runs from Feb. 27 through March 1st.

Microsoft will open the Windows Store to the public at the same time it ships Windows 8 Consumer Preview. Although the company today again declined to comment on a ship date for the final edition of Windows 8, the Consumer Preview's timing hints at a fall 2012 debut assuming the company paces Windows 8's development and testing as it did Windows 7's.

What's the difference between the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S?
It may look the same as its predecessor, but is the iPhone 4S very different?
By Carrie-Ann Skinner | PC Advisor | 12 December 11

Apple released the iPhone 4S, next iteration of its smartphone, in October this year, but the handset was not quite what everyone, including PC Advisor, was expecting. For a start, the latest version of Apple's smartphone sports the exact same glass and stainless steel design as the iPhone 4. However, the device has proved popular. Within the first three days of availability, Apple said it had sold more than four million of the iPhone 4S, that's more than double the number for the iPhone 4, which sold 1.7 million in its first three days. So if you're contemplating on buying the device for yourself, or a loved one, you're probably questioning just what's the difference between the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S.

It may look the same as its predecessor, but is the iPhone 4S very different?

More than two in five smartphones sold in October were Apple's iPhone 4S

Internal redesign

The big differences between the two handset is in the form on what Apple calls a complete internal redesign. To begin with the iPhone 4S feature a dual-core A5 chip, the same used to power the Apple iPad 2, which Apple says delivers twice the processing power and up to seven times faster graphics than iPhone 4.

When Apple launched the iPhone 4, the smartphone was given a dual antennae for the first time ever. The stainless steel band that wraps around the sides of the smartphone was split up into several antennas so that one piece handled Wi-Fi, another GPS, one handled Bluetooth and another did cellular. However, when the handset was held in a certain way, which became known as death grip, many users reported a loss of signal. As a result Apple was forced to offer a bumper to resolve the issue.

While the iPhone 4S has retained the dual antennae, the section that handles the cellular signal has been divided up into two pieces and will "intelligently switch" between the two. So if you apply the death grip to attenuate to one piece of the cellular antenna, the radio will, in theory, switch to the other piece that isn't being


The iPhone's camera has been improved from 5Mp to 8Mp and comes with a f2.4 aperture for improved low-light photography. It also offers grid lines on screen and the ability to capture video in full 1080p HD with real-time video image stabilisation and real-time noise reduction. Apple also says battery life has been improved and according to Apple, the iPhone 4S now offers 8 hours of 3G talk time.

The iPhone 4S runs iOS 5, the latest iteration of Apple's mobile platform, which benefits from 200 new features including a new-look Notification Centre, and iMessage that allows users to send messages, photos, videos and contact information to other users of the app for free over Wi-Fi. Another feature of iOS 5 is iCloud - Apple's online storage service. Music purchased from iTunes, photos, files and contacts can be stored in the free 5GB of online space and then wirelessly access then from a number of different devices including others running iOS and Windows PCs. Furthermore, when content changes on one device, all your other devices are updated automatically and wirelessly. While iOS 5 comes preloaded on Apple's iPhone 4S, it's not really a difference between both handsets as iPhone 4 users can upgrade to iOS via iTunes by connecting their handset to their PC.

However, there is one feature that iPhone 4 owners won't be able to access even if they upgrade to the latest version of iOS and that's Siri the "intelligent assistant".

According to Apple, the voice-control technology understands context allowing users to speak naturally when asking questions. For example if you say 'will I need an umbrella this weekend?' Siri will provide you with a relevant answer, in this case, the weather report. It is integrated into all iPhone apps.