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Webcam Users Under Serious Threat: The Internet Panopticon

So you own a webcam? Good! Welcome to being watched then.Cyber crime is a fascinating field: constantly evolving, and always innovating. Meet its most latest brain child: hacking webcams without even the owner knowing!The idea is simple: they turn on your webcam and watch you. Oh no, you will not be asked to pose or say cheese. They simply capture away pictures and videos of yours or anything in the webcam's field, when you go about doing stuff, blissfully unaware.Switching off your cam is not going to help either. The webcam hacking spyware works with a Trojan backdoor software that will turn on the web cam on its own. This can be installed in your system when you download innocent-looking picture or video or music files.Still skeptical? Okay, let us get you some more details. If your system has a webcam, then it also requires a software to control it. Even if your webcam is connected, it need not be on. That requires the software we are talking about. Ideal case is when there is just a single software that can access the cam, and you are its sole controller.Having said that, there are apps that access the webcam other than the ones we are talking about. Examples are Yahoo! Messenger and the like. No cause to worry because these apps require you to 'allow' access.BUT...There are other softwares that can be installed in your system, softwares that can access your webcam without your permission. You don't have to be using the webcam or turning it on, consider it a job done by the software. The malicious code can be installed when you download something. Once installed, it can access your web cam, turn it on and click away! Shutter bug, did I say?And hey, this ain't elaborate conjectures on possible threats in the future. What we are talking about has already been done.Some news reports: in Cyprus, a 45-year-old man was arrested in connection with hacking a teenage girl's webcam, in order to take illicit pictures of the young woman in her bedroom. In Spain, police have arrested a man suspected of stealing online bank passwords and of writing a virus that is capable of spying on people through their webcams. More disturbing is the fact that the police found information from thousands of computers worldwide in his system. The Blake J Robbins v Lower Merion School District (PA) is legendary already, and the school used student laptop webcams to spy on them at school and home. Stories do not end here. Some of them can make Little Brother look tame.So what do you do? Apart from panicking and biting nails, that is.For starters, unplug your web cam cable whenever it is not in use. No software can plug your cable back and use your web cam. If you cannot unplug the webcam, like in a laptop, cover it using tape. If you do not want the tape residue on the lens, then at least cover it with an old sock.Same goes for your internet connection too. Disable it when it is not in use. Not having a device connected to any network would be the only way to prevent broadcasting data from your system.Stop downloading files from unknown sources like insecure websites or simply, strangers in chats. Those files are the surest way of being a victim of all sorts of hack attempts.And if possible, get a webcam that turns on a small light, or gives a physical indication of some sort when in use. So if you ever see the web cam light go on, and if you have not executed the webcam software, you know you are being spied on. If you know your stuff well, you can insert a webcam light by simple hardware modification: check the chip's pins with a scope, find which signals correspond with activity, and connect the suitable ones to LEDs.If you want to be fully sure, take your laptop apart, locate the cam, and insert a physical switch.MOST IMPORTANTLY, ensure the security of your system. Update and tighten it like mad! Better antiviruses, better firewalls and better operating systems can help tonnes. Linux tends to be more secure, especially if you know what you are doing. In any case, a decent firewall should protect your system from outsiders accessing it in the first place.The issue of webcams being hacked is creepy at the first glance, and the implications are scary in a blood-curdling way. Think about the degree of intrusion into privacy that this can facilitate. Your credit card numbers, sensitive financial information can all be hacked; even visuals of places used to store the information can be obtained easily.Hacking surveillance cameras in public places can yield gigantic amounts of images. One may argue that this might not be personally sensitive material, but what if the surveillance cameras within an organization are hacked? That can be a veritable Mecca of privileged information.And in a world where terrorists are more clean-shaved tech jargon-speaking geeks than gun-branding wild-looking cavemen, the possibilities take on an entirely new level of threat. Horrible, but inevitable.Make people aware. It is a clich?d line, but the principle still works best. Technology may be your best friend, but it is also your worst enemy. Looking over your shoulders constantly is not paranoia anymore, it is actually commendable caution. Like Mad eye Moody says, be in "CONSTANT VIGILANCE!!".Of course, there are still people who tout the line "I don't have anything to hide, so I'm not concerned about privacy protection".To them: know the laptop sitting in your 14 year old daughter's bedroom? A hacker who thinks it is worth the effort can hack into her webcam and watch her while she is changing. Nothing to hide, you say?

Webcam Users Under Serious Threat: The Internet Panopticon

So you own a webcam? Good! Welcome to being watched then. Cyber crime is a fascinating field: constantly evolving, and always innovating....

Most internet users spend under £7 a month on content

<div align="center"><img src="http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/8568/pew20internet20research.jpg" /></div>A new report detailing US consumers online buying habits indicates that, whilst the markets for downloading apps, music, games and other content is growing, most consumers spend less than $10 (£6.46) a month on downloads. 
Reassuringly, for businesses selling content online, 65 per cent of US consumers regularly pay to access or download content online. It's just a shame that they don't pay more! 
Pew Research report 
The Pew Research Center report, released Thursday this week, confirms that the typical user pays between $1 to $10 per month for downloads or online streaming services 
Nearly half of those in the survey pay for either smartphone apps or music downloads. 
18 per cent pay for a digital newspaper or magazine, although only 11 per cent had paid for premium content when they were able to access a paper or magazine's website for free. 
10 per cent of those in the survey had paid to download e-books, while only 2 per cent admitted to having paid for online porn. 
A minority of heavy downloaders means that the average monthly payment for online content is $47 (£30.37) 
 
<a href="http://www.techradar.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Source.</a>

Most internet users spend under £7 a month on content

A new report detailing US consumers online buying habits indicates that, whilst the markets for downloading apps, music, games and other co...

Google under fire for promoting own content ahead of competing websites

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh63Jn1zbBJeJEcSz4XGhStBpmtcHOl_l0v5rnIPjMl2aXZNza2RkBznc-FmXS_MvyS5Be3EpIEqbOLdBRCUWQGJBGSr-WYQNd2eIFqQaCoiDCC6yE_U0XkM9DOYrhjDct_lX9kc_jtUg0/s1600/10x1130foogne4r.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh63Jn1zbBJeJEcSz4XGhStBpmtcHOl_l0v5rnIPjMl2aXZNza2RkBznc-FmXS_MvyS5Be3EpIEqbOLdBRCUWQGJBGSr-WYQNd2eIFqQaCoiDCC6yE_U0XkM9DOYrhjDct_lX9kc_jtUg0/s320/10x1130foogne4r.jpg" width="320"></a></div> 
This isn't exactly a new allegation, but the idea's spreading fast: Google is tuning search results to favor itself, and perhaps that's not entirely fair. Though the European Union is already investigating Google for potential antitrust violations, a recent article in the Wall Street Journal cites several US businesses that aren't too happy themselves, claiming that Google Places, Product Search and the like took a big chomp out of their traffic.

Google under fire for promoting own content ahead of competing websites

This isn't exactly a new allegation, but the idea's spreading fast: Google is tuning search results to favor itself, and perhaps th...

Google brings all its apps under one roof

<img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//classifications/images/google-apps-200-200.jpg"> Google is bringing the wide-ranging suite of Google services together under the Google Apps banner, to make it easier for users to access and use its numerous services. In addition to your standard applications such as GMail and Google Calendar, users will now be able to access services such as photo-suite Picasa, video service YouTube and Google Reader far easier and quicker than previously. Google will offer over 60 productivity-boosting apps under four easy to understand banners - Google Apps, Google Apps for Business, Google Apps for Government and Google Apps for Education. See, easy! App happy chappies "As customers begin to recognize large productivity gains with Gmail, Google Docs and the rest of Google Apps, they frequently ask when they'll be able to use services like Google Voice, Reader, Blogger and AdWords with their Google Apps accounts," blogs Googler, Derek Parham, Lead Software Engineer, Google Apps. Parham adds that his team is "thrilled to swing the floodgates of new functionality wide open" so that customers worldwide can access <a href="http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/business/more.html#utm_campaign=launch&utm_source=en-na-us-entblog-gaplus_11182010&utm_medium=blog">a full spectrum</A> of services from Google. Here are more details on how the new Google applications line-up is set to work: <UL> <LI><a href="http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/group/index.html#utm_campaign=launch&utm_source=en-na-us-entblog-gaplus_11182010&utm_medium=blog">Google Apps</A> is our free service geared towards families, entrepreneurs and other groups up to 50 users. <LI><a href="http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/business/index.html#utm_campaign=launch&utm_source=en-na-us-entblog-gaplus_11182010&utm_medium=blog">Google Apps for Business</A> offers 25GB of email storage per user, a 99.9% uptime guarantee, data migration capabilities, advanced management tools, telephone support, added security features and more, all for $50 per user per year. <LI><a href="http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/government/index.html#utm_campaign=launch&utm_source=en-na-us-entblog-gaplus_11182010&utm_medium=blog">Google Apps for Government</A> is FISMA certified and designed with local, state and federal agencies in mind. <LI><a href="http://www.google.com/a/help/intl/en/edu/index.html#utm_campaign=launch&utm_source=en-na-us-entblog-gaplus_11182010&utm_medium=blog">Google Apps for Education</A> offers many benefits of Google Apps for Business, but at no cost to schools, universities and qualifying non-profits.</LI></UL>

Google brings all its apps under one roof

Google is bringing the wide-ranging suite of Google services together under the Google Apps banner, to make it easier for users to access a...

Google brings all its apps under one roof

<img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//classifications/images/google-apps-200-200.jpg" /> 
Google is bringing the wide-ranging suite of Google services together under the Google Apps banner, to make it easier for users to access and use its numerous services. 
In addition to your standard applications such as GMail and Google Calendar, users will now be able to access services such as photo-suite Picasa, video service YouTube and Google Reader far easier and quicker than previously. 
Google will offer over 60 productivity-boosting apps under four easy to understand banners - Google Apps, Google Apps for Business, Google Apps for Government and Google Apps for Education. See, easy! 
App happy chappies 
"As customers begin to recognize large productivity gains with Gmail, Google Docs and the rest of Google Apps, they frequently ask when they'll be able to use services like Google Voice, Reader, Blogger and AdWords with their Google Apps accounts," blogs Googler, Derek Parham, Lead Software Engineer, Google Apps. 
Parham adds that his team is "thrilled to swing the floodgates of new functionality wide open" so that customers worldwide can access <a href="http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/business/more.html#utm_campaign=launch&utm_source=en-na-us-entblog-gaplus_11182010&utm_medium=blog">a full spectrum</a> of services from Google. 
Here are more details on how the new Google applications line-up is set to work: 
<ul><li><a href="http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/group/index.html#utm_campaign=launch&utm_source=en-na-us-entblog-gaplus_11182010&utm_medium=blog">Google Apps</a> is our free service geared towards families, entrepreneurs and other groups up to 50 users.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/business/index.html#utm_campaign=launch&utm_source=en-na-us-entblog-gaplus_11182010&utm_medium=blog">Google Apps for Business</a> offers 25GB of email storage per user, a 99.9% uptime guarantee, data migration capabilities, advanced management tools, telephone support, added security features and more, all for $50 per user per year.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/government/index.html#utm_campaign=launch&utm_source=en-na-us-entblog-gaplus_11182010&utm_medium=blog">Google Apps for Government</a> is FISMA certified and designed with local, state and federal agencies in mind.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.google.com/a/help/intl/en/edu/index.html#utm_campaign=launch&utm_source=en-na-us-entblog-gaplus_11182010&utm_medium=blog">Google Apps for Education</a> offers many benefits of Google Apps for Business, but at no cost to schools, universities and qualifying non-profits.</li>
</ul>

Google brings all its apps under one roof

Google is bringing the wide-ranging suite of Google services together under the Google Apps banner, to make it easier for users to access ...

Buying Guide: Best cheap laptop under £350: 10 to choose from

Sub-£350 laptops are never going to be capable of high end computing. They won't run the 3D latest games, or edit high-definition video. But, for stuff like word processing or web browsing they're absolutely ideal. All the laptops we've featured in this round-up include screens of 15.4-inches or above, so they're great for home use. Best of all, though, is the price: for around the same cost as a netbook, you're getting what is pretty much a full-blown PC. Here our our 10 favourite sub-£350 notebooks. 1. Fujitsu Siemens Esprimo V6535 - £276 <img alt="Fujitsu siemens esprimo v6535" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/Review%20images/What%20Laptop/WLT%20133/WLT133.rev1.lenova-420-100.jpg" width="420"></IMG> An ideal machine for families, Fujitsu Siemens' Esprimo V6535 features a matt 15.4-inch screen, which eliminates reflections, and an Intel GMA 4500M graphics chip, which is actually surprisingly capable for 3D application Build quality is impressive, too, and it won't attract too many scratches and marks. We were also impressed with the large comfortable keyboard, which is very suited to long-term use. Overall, this is a great machine for home use, but with 164 minutes of battery life it'll enjoy trips outside, too. <a href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks/fujitsu-esprimo-v6535-609838/review">Read our Fujitsu Siemens Esprimo V6535 review </A> 2. Dell Vostro 1015 - £279 <img alt="Dell vostro review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/computing/mobile-computing/images/dellvostro-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG> Dell's Vostro is built to the same high standards of all the big D's machines, but it also costs less than £300. Bearing in mind Dell's netbooks are about the same price, it's a complete bargain. For the price, the specifications are - understandably - a bit feeble: you get a 160GB hard drive and a mere 1GB of RAM. But it's also got a nice 15.6-inch screen, a dual-layer DVD rewriter and Windows 7 Home Premium. 3. eMachines G420 - £299 <img alt="eMachines g420 review" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/Review%20images/What%20Laptop/WLT%20141/WLT141.rev1.emachine_1-420-100.jpg" width="420"></IMG> 17.3-inches is a whopping screen size, and one you don't often seen on laptops in this price range. It's all backed up amicably by the its components, such as Nvidia's 9100M graphics chip, which is capable of basic photo editing, and a surprisingly powerful AMD Sempron processor. The sheer size of the beast means it's not the most portable of PCs, but as a clutter-free desktop replacement it's ideal. <a href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks/emachines-g420-712035/review">Read our eMachines G420 review</A> 4. Asus X58L - £299 <img alt="Asus x58l review" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/Review%20images/What%20Laptop/WLT%20127/WLT127.rev1.asus-420-100.jpg" width="420"></IMG> Asus' bargailicious laptop doesn't really stand out from the crowd apart from in one area: its vibrant 15.4-inch screen. Its glossy Super- TFT coating means colours pop off the screen, and contrast and black levels are also impressive. Performance isn't great, but added extras like a dual-layer DVD rewriter and a 4-in-1 card reader make it nice and practical. It's hard-wearing, too, and features a smooth keyboard and large touchpad. Certainly not a bad option, especially given the low price. <a href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks/asus-x58l-609781/review">Read our Asus X58L review </A> 5. Asus X5DC-SX025V - £299 <img alt="Asus x5dc review" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/Review%20images/What%20Laptop/WLT%20141/WLT141.rev1.asus_1-420-100.jpg" width="420"></IMG> Not the greatest laptop in the world by any stretch of the imagination, but we found Asus' venture into the world of cheap portable PCs pleasing enough. Although it let us down in the performance stakes, its usability more than made up for it, with a lovely keyboard and comfortable 15.6-inch screen making it ideal for internet browsing and word processing. It's also ruggedly made, and its matt-black plastics mean that it's not a magnet for dirt and fingerprints. <a href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks/asus-x5dc-sx025v-712025/review">Read our Asus X5DC-SX025V review </A> 6. Toshiba Satellite Pro L300-2CH - £299 <img alt="Toshiba satellite review" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/What%20Laptop/WLT%20131/WLT131.rev1.toshiba-420-100.jpg" width="420"></IMG> Toshiba's laptop is incredibly well made, thanks to its bulky, but not-too-heavy chassis. It also includes a lovely 15.4-inch screen perfectly suited for entertainment, and an impressive 194-minute battery life. The included internet security and DVD authoring tools make it ideal for first-time laptop buyers, but it's let down slightly in terms of performance and the awkward arrangement of its USB ports. Nevertheless, it's a portable and competent machine, and feature-packed for the price. <a href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks/toshiba-satellite-pro-l300-2ch-646940/review">Read our Toshiba Satellite Pro L300-2CH review </A> 7. Lenovo G550 - £330 <img alt="Lenovo g550 review" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/Review%20images/What%20Laptop/WLT%20133/WLT133.rev1.lenova-420-100.jpg" width="420"></IMG> Lenovo - it of ThinkPad fame - knows how to build a decent laptop, and the G550 is no exception. Usability is the big selling point here, with a solid keyboard with a dedicated numeric keypad, as well as a 15.6-inch display capable of stunning brightness, colour and contrast. Lenovo hasn't skimped on innards, either, and you'll find a capacious 320GB drive within a machine that happily multitasks, too. The only slight let-down is graphics performance, but at this price-point it's a given. <a href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks/lenovo-g550-664946/review">Read our Lenovo G550 review</A> 8. HP Compaq Presario CQ61-402SA - £347 <img alt="HP compaq review" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/Review%20images/What%20Laptop/WLT%20136/WLT136.rev1.hp01-420-100.jpg" width="420"></IMG> Performance is actually rather good in HP Compaq Presario. You won't be editing high-definition videos or playing intense 3D games, but in terms of multitasking it's actually rather capable. HP's also bundled CyberLink MediaShow for editing videos and CyberLink PowerDVD for watching movies. Add to this the HDMI output and you've got a multimedia machine ideal for usage in the home. Admittedly, battery life could be a little better, but it's certainly worth the extra £50 over a other laptops in our round-up. <a href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks/hp-compaq-presario-cq61-402sa-680580/review">Read our HP Compaq Presario CQ61-402SA review</A> 9. Toshiba Satellite L450-136 - £350 <img alt="Toshiba satellite l450" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/What%20Laptop/WLT%20133/WLT133.rev1.toshiba-420-100.jpg" width="420"></IMG> It's a tight match between Toshiba's Satellite L450-136, and Lenovo's G550, above. The Lenovo just about pips the Toshiba in terms of graphical performance, and both offer similar levels of comfort and usability. However, in terms of connectivity, the Toshiba's the winner, including a speedy 802.11n WiFi connection, and an HDMI output for connecting it to a big-screen TV. Combine this with its excellent battery life and strong performance, and it's an extremely versatile laptop. <a href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks/toshiba-satellite-l450-136-664957/review">Read our Toshiba Satellite L450-136 review </A> 10. Advent Modena - £350 <img alt="Advent modena review" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/Review%20images/What%20Laptop/WLT%20139/WLT139.solo.Advent01-420-100.jpg" width="420"></IMG> The ample storage provided by the 320GB hard drive and 2GB of DDR3 memory make Advent's Modena stand out from the crowd. As with most laptops of this price, it's not a hugely powerful machine, but it will handle internet browsing and watching the occasional DVD. It also includes a 15.6-inch TFT screen, which is glossy enough to show colours nicely, but not so glossy that you'll be constantly staring at your own face. At 33mm, it's fairly slim, too, but the low battery life means you can't stray too far from the mains.

Buying Guide: Best cheap laptop under £350: 10 to choose from

Sub-£350 laptops are never going to be capable of high end computing. They won't run the 3D latest games, or edit high-definition video....

BlackBerry PlayBook will cost 'under' $500

<img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//classifications/computing/mobile-computing/Tablets%20and%20touchscreens/BlackBerry_PlayBook/BlackBerry_PlayBook_front_navigator-200-200.jpg"> Research in Motion’sforthcoming tablet PC, the BlackBerry PlayBook, is set to cost less than $500 (around£312) according to RIM’s CEO. RIM’s co-CEO Jim Balsillie told a Korean interviewerthat RIM's 7-inch tablet computer will be "very competitively priced"and should be "under" $500 when it arrives in North America early in 2011. PlayBook launching early 2011 A UK launch should follow soon after the US launch,although we still await official details on UK launch dates, pricing and willbring you those as soon as we have them. RIM follows numerous other vendors into the tablet PC market, includingAsus, Acer, ViewSonic, HP, Samsung, Motorola and others. Apple currently owns 95 per cent of the tablet PC market withthe iPad. Apple has sold over 4.19 million iPads to date. The iPad’s dominance will "change when we’re in the market,"said the RIM CEO.

BlackBerry PlayBook will cost 'under' $500

Research in Motion’sforthcoming tablet PC, the BlackBerry PlayBook, is set to cost less than $500 (around£312) according to RIM’s CEO. RIM’s...