Week Ten

How an MP3 can be used to hack your car

It's not just your computer that's at risk of malware - dodgy MP3s can now take over your car.

Last year, a team of researchers at the US Center for Automotive Embedded Systems Security revealed how automobile computer systems could be hacked via the On-Board Diagnostics (OBD-II) port, an access point typically used by engineers to download data on the vehicle's health. 

Through this, they were able to hijack the car, allowing the researchers to disable the brakes, turn the engine on and off, and control electrical systems such as the odometer, lights, climate control, radio and locks.

Building on this, a team of security experts from the University of California, San Diego, and the University of Washington, led by Professor Stefan Savage, have now identified a variety of weak points through which hackers can gain access to a vehicle's computer systems remotely.

In one example, cellphone hardware installed in luxury cars was attacked, allowing the team to inject malicious code into the car's electronic controls. In theory, hackers could then sell the car to a thief, giving them its location and unlocking it remotely. The team also managed to take control of the car using a Trojan app on a phone that used an Android operating system and had been paired with the car's Bluetooth system. 

Another weak point identified was the stereo system, often integrated into other electronic systems such as climate control and GPS. The researchers were able to show that software embedded in an MP3 file could install itself into the car's firmware, enabling similar exploits to those above. If the car had a self-parking system, it could in theory be driven away by the hacker.

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Week Nine

Toshiba Satellite L635 Child Notebook: This gadget promises to be great for parents who have wanted to buy useful toys for their children. Designed for kids between five and 10 years of age, this notebook comes with a 13.3-inch screen and a wipeable keyboard, making it a cool new piece of technology for kids worldwide.

 

Built-In Parental Controls

 

Our new Satellite® L635 Laptop for Kids delivers Web time without the worry. It features one of the best parental control software in the market—Net Nanny™—to help prevent access to the wrong sites or disclosure of private information though email or instant messaging. It lets you limit online visits. Plus, it offers a child-safe browser—KidZui®—for research, games and fun. No need to download these apps. They’re pre-loaded right onto the PC.

Week 8

What if you could buy your iPhone and wireless service directly from Apple, without having to sign a contract with AT&T or Verizon? Imagine going to Google.com and buying an Android phone that comes with Google Wireless.

That day may come sooner than you think.

LightSquared, a wholesale 4G carrier, recently announced that it has five partners lined up, including a website, a national retailer, a device manufacturer, and two carriers. LightSquared's LTE mobile broadband network will provide the infrastructure and service, and partner companies will slap their branding on it and sell it as their own wireless service. The network is set to start rolling out later this year.
The company didn't name its partners, but speculation has run rampant. Is Amazon Wireless coming down the pike? Motorola Wireless? Target  Wireless?
Whoever the partners turn out to be, LightSquared has the potential to shake up the current wireless service market. In the near future, you could buy a smartphone with service directly from the phone's manufacturer or the store that sold it to you.
That wholesale model promises some big benefits. For consumers, it means you would no longer have to covet a device that exists on a network that you don't want to switch to. For retailers, it's a way to have a recurring relationship with consumers and make a few extra bucks by selling an additional service.
Who loses? Existing carriers. Wireless service could easily become a commodity: Just like you don't know whose bananas you're buying at the grocery store, one day you may not know who is providing your cell service.
There are wide-ranging implications of that, including the titillating potential for your cell phone to automatically choose the cheapest service available every time you made a call. Wouldn't that be something?
But don't feel too bad for the wireless carriers -- their business model is being shaken up no matter what happens. The huge spike in mobile data means networks are spending $50 billion annually just to keep up. Smaller wireless companies like Sprint , T-Mobile and MetroPCS  are starting to ask themselves whether all that spending is worth it.
"If you're not AT&T or Verizon, you're wondering if you can afford to build out a nationwide network and compete with the leaders anymore," said Dan Hays, a partner at consultancy PRTM who focuses on telecom issues. "Simply being a network owner may no longer be enough to sustain you."
In other words, the sea change is already underway.


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Week Seven

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! It’s only a few days away and heart’s day is here again – have you found the perfect gift for your loved one? You haven’t?! Well, if you’re running out of ideas for that perfect gift, or that perfect something that will spice up your and your loved one’s Valentine’s day, I have some ideas for you. Check these out:

Heat Changing Love Mug: Say I Love You in a Unique Way
Why don’t you surprise your special someone with this mug? It comes in a heart shape and it’s peppered with small red hearts. But, there’s more to these hearts than you can imagine! You don’t need words, nor hugs or kisses, just a cup of coffee to convey your message – pour in the hot coffee into the mug and the heart shapes will reveal an “I Love You” message that will surely delight your loved one and start his or her morning right!

Magic Love Candle: Traditional Romance Rekindled After your morning surprise to your loved one, you can cap off the day with a romantic dinner using a magic love candle. This cute stuff is a candle, and more! Yes, it burns like a normal candle, and the heart shape is truly romantic. But, other than that, it comes with a sensor, battery, and LEDs (unique, huh?) that allow it to phase through different shades of red when the wick is lit. It’s a perfect blend of the traditional and modern, something your loved one will surely enjoy.


8-Bit Dynamic Life Shirt: Because Proximity Means Life And if you want to show the world that you’re at your best together, this black shirt with hearts that glow is the perfect gift for your loved one (and for you)! The red hearts correspond to your life energy, and it increases or decreases – yes, just like your favorite video game! When you’re far from each other, you have less life and therefore less glowing hearts (only 2.5 of the hearts will glow). When you get near each other, you’ll be back in real great condition and all your hearts will be fully illuminated. This is a truly unique way to celebrate your togetherness!


Tunes for Two Heart Splitter: Because You Share Everything, Even Music And while you have those shirts on, why don’t you listen to your favorite tunes – that is, from one single music source. Just use the heart splitter, plug into your music source, and it can accommodate two headphones for you and your loved one. It comes in red and pink colors, perfect for celebrating the Valentine season by listening to your favorite songs together.



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Week Six

AT&T haters have been waiting years for a Verizon iPhone, so where were the 'round-the-block lines on Thursday? Chalk up the relatively muted atmosphere to strong direct-ship preorders, the lack of a truly new version, and the fact that waiting in line outside in February is much different from doing so in June. 

Just after the Verizon iPhone went on pre-order last week, the carrier boasted record-setting numbers of sales . Some estimates pegged the number at half a million units in only a few hours.

When the actual phones made it to stores on Thursday, though, most places didn't see the kind of blocks-long lines that form at Apple and AT&T stores each time a brand-new model rolls out. So was the launch a big downer? Why no dancing in the street? Might be because Verizon's iPhone 4 isn't exactly a new model; might also be because previous launches happened in June, and it is now February. If you don't get the point I'm trying to make, you need to go outside more.
Anyway, now AT&T refuseniks who want an iPhone can get one, and at its heart it is the same iPhone 4 the world has seen before. But there are a few minor differences.
For one thing, the metal band around the Verizon iPhone appears to be subtly different than the one around the AT&T iPhone. That band serves as the device's antenna, and it was sharply criticized when iPhone 4 was first launched. It seems the design resulted in a so-called "death grip" -- hold the phone a certain way and watch your service bars disappear. It would stand to reason that Apple may have wanted to tweak that bit of engineering for the Verizon launch, but a few reports have surfaced that the death grip is still there, and it's now been joined by the "death hug," which affects the thing's WiFi antenna. We'll see if this issue snowballs the way it did last summer.

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Wave and Pay, Cashless Technology

Parts of Asia have been using it for years! And in Hong Kong its a way of life! You can use a credit card, your iPhone or a watch! It is similar to the Pay Pass here in America. If you have one of the cards, all you have to do when you are ready to pay is just touch your card to the receiver and boom its paid. You don't even have to take your card out of your wallet! Just touch your wallet to the receiver and go. If you use your iPhone or watch, just wave it in front of the receiver and go! Its fast and simply. There is a little chip on the card and in the watch that allows it to exchange information at close range with another devise, its called Near field communication. You can load money on it like at ATM machines. Hong Kong as been using this technology on its trams for over a decade. You can use it on the trains, trams, buses, and at over three thousand other locations in the city like movie theaters, restaurants and grocery stores. You can really only make small purchases on it, so you wouldn't be able to walk into a car dealership and buy a car with it. When you are running low you can just add money to it or sink it to your credit card! It's fast and easy and is spreading like wild fire! 

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Week Four

A demonstration day at Kaiser Permanente offers a look at robotic legs for those who can't walk, arms for those who can't lift, and forceps for surgeons who can't be in the operating room. Since 9/11 and the US going to war thousands of military men and women are coming home with missing limbs. In the past several years the technology of robotics has boomed in order to help those who served our country. Men and women who couldn't walk and now walk with the help of robotic legs. They are also being designed to help support our surging population of elderly and persons with disabilities.  The rise of helpful machines are assisting individuals to become more independent in their daily living. 

 

PerMMA is the only wheelchair with robotic arms, this wheelchair was created at the University of Pittsburgh.  Today, 4.3 million Americans rely on wheelchairs with few chairs being ideal for people with physical impairments, such as limited mobility.  Users can control the robotic arms from a touch pad, microphone, or joystick. For now, each arm can support six pounds, but soon a new arm will be created to support up to 150 pounds.  Expect to see this robotic wheelchair on the job by 2020.

RIBA, is a forklift for humans. It was created at the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research in Japan.  This robot helps individuals who are too weak to walk, sit, or stand on their own.  RIBA, Robot for Interactive Body Assistance, is the only robot with arms designed to carry those people around.  The robot can also recognize faces and voices and respond to commands, such as “RIBA, please help me off the couch.”  The RIBA should expect to be seen on the job sometime next year.

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Second Life

Second Life is an online virtual world imagined and created by its Residents (other users) . It really is a second life that you can live. You can sleep, walk, fly chat, go shopping, go to a bar, meet new people, join a club, go to work, anything you can imagine you can do it.   

You enter a world with infinite possibilities and live a life without boundaries, guided only by your imagination. Do what you love, with the people you love, from anywhere in the world. You will be able to explore places inspired by real cities, like Tokyo.  Immerse yourself in any environment you can imagine: watch the sunset from a mountaintop, dance the night away in a club or plumb the depths of the ocean on a scuba trip.  

Travel by foot, by flying, or else jump in a car, tank, plane or magic carpet. With infinite possibilities come limitless modes of transportation - why not drive a fancy car or sail a pirate ship? Or just spread your arms and take to the sky. 

Tired of the same old cloths you wear? How about the small house you live in, or your broken down car? Not here on Second life! You will have infinite outfits to choose from and hundreds of different cars to drive. And if you want to design and live in your own mansion, you can!

Prepare to socialize like never before. Millions of Residents (other users) from around the world have made Second Life their online home, so there is no lack of people to meet or old friends to reconnect with. 
 

I downloaded Second Life to see what it was really all about. I created my character. I picked out her hair color, length and how I wanted to done. Then I was able to change her makeup and skin color and pick out what clothes, earrings, socks and shoes I wanted her to wear. After my character was complete it took me through a tutorial  were I learned how to walk, run, sit and fly and I also chatted with some other new users and added them to my friend list. After I got the hang of "my new body" I traveled to different lands and meet other Residents. I flew over the water and was able to walk around in a castle. I think I spent a total of 30 minutes in Second Life and it was all I needed. Second Life reminded me a lot of World of War Craft (which I can't stand). I have to much to do in my real life, that I can't imagine living a second life. I guess if you had A LOT of free time and enjoyed spending endless hours on the computer and hated living in the REAL world, then Second Life would be a good fit for you! 

Explore Second Life for yourself!

Week Three

Though MySpace has the taint of a spectacular loser, the fact remains that the site is still the second-most-popular social network. News Corp. may not want much to do with it anymore -- rumors of a possible sale are in the air -- but some other company might find a way to parlay MySpace's strength as a social entertainment network into profitability.

MySpace CEO Mike Jones reportedly told employees on Wednesday that News Corp. , parent company of the once-giant social network, was exploring strategic options for its possible spinout, sale or merger. The talk of a possible sale followed news that MySpace was laying off 47 percent of its workforce -- about 500 employees.

My Space did not respond to the E-Commerce Times' request for comments by press time.

Rumors about the troubled company have been circulating for some time. Last fall, MySpace released a new layout, part of a new plan to focus on music pages and entertainment while leaving social networking to the big dog, Facebook. 

 

MySpace continues to get significant traffic, though nothing like in its glory days.

"They're still the second largest social network in the world," said Gallucci. "They still tend to be one of the go-to places for new bands and entertainment. They're still getting 25 millions hits a month."

MySpace may be a nifty property for the right buyer -- even if it does look tattered.

"It's a nice opportunity for somebody else," said Gallucci. "CBS has been buying Internet sites. Maybe they would be interested. I don't think it would make sense for Microsoft  or Google." 

MySpace 

Facebook  

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Week Two

Best Buy today launched a buy-back program designed to quash the fear of technology obsolescence. In the process, tech buyers can find a way to repurpose or recycle their electronic gadgets.

When Best Buy customers purchase the service with their products, they can return their product and get paid for a fraction of its purchase price, depending on how long the consumer had it.

If it doesn't have any resale value, the PC, TV, or smartphone will be either stripped down for parts or recycled in the U.S., as part of Best Buy's existing programs, said George Sherman, the senior vice president of services at the company.

The cost of the buy-back program for laptops, Netbooks, or tablets is $69.99. For smartphones that cost less than $350, it's $39.99, and $59.99 for smartphones that cost more than $350, Sherman said. Best Buy could extend the program to game machines or other electronics, depending on consumer reaction. 

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Week One

Digital Textbooks

A Toronto District School Board Trustee discusses supplementing textbooks with digital content.

A Toronto School District is thinking about making to switch to digital textbooks. The school districts Superintendent say's that they will save about $50 millions every 10 years if they go digital. Right now the entire Toronto school district is on a book rotation and they rotate new books in every three years and it costs up to $20 million each time!

Pros and Cons for going digital


Pros: 

• More then half of the textbooks are out dated and if they went digital they would be able to have up to date, current information
• Save over $50 million over 10 years
• Students could access the digital textbooks from their cell phone, iPad, or computers
• Students wouldn't to carry around so much weight and put stress on their shoulders and back
• Some students can not take home textbooks because either the school has a  shortage or they can not afford them personally 

Cons:

• How do you gather all the kind of information and own the rights?
• How do you make it safe and secure for the instructors and students?
• Not everyone can afford a cell phone with internet, an iPad or computer. 
• Will all the money that the school would save, would they provide the students with those devices?

There is a lot to think about and I think they need to get with the authors and book companies and come up with a plan to make this work. I think it would be great. I mean everything else is just a click away why not our text books? And what about Google books? It can be done and I think it will be done soon!


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Introduction

Briefly describe why you are taking CIS 120 and anything in particular you would like to know more about related to computers.

 I am taking CIS 120 not only because it is a prerequisite, but I want to be able to use computer terminology, hardware and software basics, privacy and security to their full potential and to work for my advantage.