Monthly Archives: July 2012

Jul 23 2012

Cosmologists explore Universe with new supercomputer

A  Super computer  capable  of  doing a  billion  calculations each second has been installed at the University of  Portsmouth, enabling cosmologists to test our understanding of the origin of galaxies and of gravity itself.
The supercomputer, called ‘SCIAMA’, has a 1008 Intel core cluster, which represents the equivalent strength of approximately 1000 desktop systems, and is designed to receive, process and present large amounts of astronomical data very quickly.
Researchers at the University’s Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation (ICG) will use the supercomputer to simulate vast regions of the Universe, investigate the properties of hundreds of millions of galaxies and solve complex cosmological problems.
Gary Burton, ICG’s Senior Specialist Technician, will be responsible for managing the supercomputer. He said: “SCIAMA is a cluster of computers linked together to make a far more powerful machine.
It can do a billion calculations each second and follow the movement of billions of particles in a simulation.
“The huge power of a supercomputer like SCIAMA is necessary to deal with the vast amount of observational data coming from satellites, telescopes and other detectors. Using it will allow us to explore the whole of cosmic history and analyse data that contains fundamental clues about the origins of the Universe.”
Lado Samushia, a researcher at the ICG, said: “What would take me 20 days to calculate I can now do in four hours. I am very excited; this is a huge timesaver, which will make a drastic difference to my research.” The supercomputer was named SCIAMA after Dennis Sciama, a leading figure internationally in the development of astrophysics and cosmology. The acronym also stands for SEPnet Computing Infrastructure for Astrophysical Modelling and Analysis. Senior Research Fellow, Dr David Bacon, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have SCIAMA located here in Portsmouth.
The Institute of Cosmology is in a great position to use this supercomputer to make real breakthroughs in understanding the Universe – both by analysing the very latest astronomical observations, and by calculating the consequences of mind-boggling new theories.
SCIAMA has been designed and supplied by Dell, in association with Alces Software. It will be housed in a University computer room, where researchers can access it remotely from their laptops or PCs.
The installation of the computer has been jointly funded by the South East Physics Network (SEPNet), the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the University of Portsmouth. In addition to being used by cosmologists at the University, users at all SEPNet astronomy departments will also have access.
Provided by University of Portsmouth

Jul 22 2012

How to Remove a Keylogger

  • What is a Keylogger

A keylogger is a malicious program that is able to track a user’s keyboard and mouse inputs in order to log usernames, passwords, and other sensitive information. Keyloggers not only capture keystrokes but also mouse clicks, files and folders that are accessed, visited websites, and much more. A keylogger is dangerous to users because it can steal the user’s bank account number, PIN, social security number and other financial information. Keyloggers are not especially difficult to remove but they can be difficult to detect as keyloggers can be launched and controlled from a remote computer and run in the background of the user’s computer.

 

  • Getting Around a Keylogger

When the user suspects that he/she is infected with a keylogger, he/she should NOT type any personal information. Even when typing in a normal word document, the keylogger still keeps track of everything typed.

In order to log into Email or somewhere secure and password protected, there is one way to get around the keylogger:

Click on Start -> Go to All Programs -> Click onAccessories -> Select Accessibility ->Click on On-Screen Keyboard

Executing the above steps opens a keyboard on the screen so that the user can click whatever letter he/she would like to type. Since a keylogger does not track where and what the user clicks, this helps to get around it in times of urgency. Typing with the onscreen keylogger is a great hassle. The only alternative is to eradicate the keylogger program from the computer completely.

 

  • Detecting a KeyLogger

The user has to detect a keylogger in order to eradicate it. Detecting a keylogger is not simple. It can be installed in over a 100 places on the computer, usually in one of the system files. However, there is a much easier way to detect if a keylogger is running. Right click the desktop’s task bar and click Task Manager. Alternately, press Ctrl + Alt + Del simultaneously to open the Task Manager. Task Manager displays a list of all the applications currently running on the computer. Click the tab that says Processes. This gives information about all the programs, hidden and visible, that the computer is currently running.

The name of each process is under Image Name. The keylogger will show up on the list of processes as well as many other programs and background processes. However, it may be difficult to distinguish between the different processes.

There are many sites on the Internet that provide a vast amount of information on each and every process. One of these sites is Liutilities. This site provides some background information on each process as well as specifies the author and the program it is part of. One of this site’s best features is that it  recommends what to do with each process. Most of the time, the process is harmful and simply part of the operating system or another program that is running.

Another fantastic site for information on processes is Neuber. Like Liutilities, Neuber gives background information on each process. A special feature they have is user created comments. Anyone can rate a process in terms of its security and leave a comment about how to deal with the process. Generally, these comments are very accurate. Neuber also provides a ‘security rating’ for each process based on the users’ average rating.

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anti keylogger

However, some find it hard to research each process individually. Thankfully, there is a program called Security Task Manager that is free to download. It displays information about each process that is currently running and specifies whether they are dangerous or not. The user is immediately notified if anything harmful comes up. This Neuber program also shows the security rating and a random user’s comment for each process. Processes that the program has never encountered are not given a security rating or comment. It is therefore advised that each process is researched individually.

Once the harmful process is found in the Task Manager, click the process then click the ‘End Process’ button. The process selected should be terminated immediately.

Once this is complete, the computer is safe until rebooted. If the keylogger was not deleted, it will start up again upon being rebooted.

Once the keylogger is stopped, run anti-virus and spyware checks on the entire computer. Some free virus scan utilities that are recommended are A2, Dr. Web, and AVG. However, highly advanced keyloggers such as TypeAgent, KGB, and SpyOutside can often slip through these scans and remain undetected.

If the anti-virus scans fail to show any result, manually detect and delete the keylogger. Keyloggers are usually located in the system files, so do not delete anything that is not definitely keylogger. Doing so may lead to errors in other areas of the computer. Go to 411-spyware and search for the type of keylogger that has infected the system. If it is listed, there should be instructions about how to manually remove it.

A great way to check if the keylogger has been completely removed from the system is to reboot. Remember the name of the keylogger’s process and reboot the computer. If the process is not there when the computer has rebooted, then the keylogger has been removed.

 

  • Pattern Matching

Pattern matching involves the use of signature bases to detect keyloggers and is the most common method that antispyware software uses. Pattern matching consists of matching the individual signatures from malicious programs against a database of signatures in order to detect keyloggers and other malicious software. Unfortunately, signatures can only be added to an antispyware’s database after someone has been attacked by the specific keylogger. Even after the signature has been added to the signature database, users must update their database in order for their antispyware software to recognize the new keylogger. Because of this, many users are still vulnerable to keyloggers and other malicious programs.

 

  • Anti-Keylogger

Anti-Keylogger is a software that combats keyloggers by addressing the vulnerabilities in security that have been discussed in this article. Anti-Keylogger does not need to wait on signatures to be added to the database because it does not use signatures to identify keyloggers. Instead, the software focuses on the actual activities of a keylogger and flags suspicious behavior. When Anti-Keylogger detects a potential keylogger, it stops the program immediately and allows the user to delete the program if need be. Anti-Keylogger is very easy to use and runs in the background of the user’s computer. The program uses very little CPU and comes with its own User Manual. The software can be downloaded on a free trial basis, can be purchased for $59.95, and comes with a 30-day money back guarantee.

 

Other anti-keylogger / spyware softwares

 

 

Jul 21 2012

Google Nexus Review

nexus

  • Thin, light and portable

    Nexus 7 was built to bring you the best of Google in a slim, portable package that fits perfectly in your hand.Stunning Display

      • Stunning 7” display

        Nexus 7 brings your entertainment to life in stunning clarity on a vibrant 1280-by-800 high-resolution display protected by scratch resistant Corning® glass. With over one million pixels in your hand, text is sharper, HD movies are more vivid and gameplay is smooth and dynamic.

        • Less charging, more doing

        With over 9 hours of HD video playback, 10 hours of web browsing or e-reading and up to 300 hours of stand-by time, Nexus 7 is designed to go the distance. Whether you measure battery life in chapters read, levels completed, movies watched or minutes of backseat silence, you can spend less time charging and more time doing

        • Designed with gaming in mind

        Nexus 7 was designed with gaming in mind. With heart pounding quad-core performance and sensors like a gyroscope and accelerometer – do a barrel roll then tilt, touch and tap your way to the top of the leaderboards while exploring over 600,000 apps and games available on Google Play.

        • Quad-core performance

        Nexus 7 was built by ASUS and comes with a NVIDIA® Tegra® 3 quad-core processor, meaning everything is faster – pages load quickly, gameplay is smooth and responsive, and running multiple apps is a breeze. A 12‐core GPU delivers rich and immersive graphics while patented 4-PLUS-1™ CPU design gives you processing power when you need it, and battery saving efficiency when you don’t.

        • The world’s most popular platform

        Nexus 7 is powered by Android 4.1, Jelly Bean, the latest version of the world’s most popular mobile platform. With smarter notifications, beautiful new widgets and home screen customization that’s as easy as drag-and-drop – Android is faster and more intuitive than ever.

        • Made for Google Play

        Nexus 7 was made for Google Play, so all the entertainment you love is right in your hand: the world’s largest collection of eBooks, millions of songs, thousands of movies and TV shows, and a growing selection of magazines – plus over 600,000 apps and games.

        Android App

        • The world’s largest collection of eBooks

        With over 4 million books to choose from, Nexus 7 gives you access to the world’s largest collection of eBooks. Customize your reading experience by adjusting the font, switching to day or nighttime modes, and much more.

        Music App

        • Pass the popcorn

        Hit movies and TV shows are instantly available on Nexus 7 in full HD – there’s no waiting for downloads and syncing, or worrying about storage space. And because Nexus 7 has a high-resolution 16:9 screen, you’ll be watching your favorite content the way it was meant to be seen.

        Movie App

        • 600,000 apps and games

        Get all the apps and games you love on Nexus 7 – with over 600,000 titles to choose from, Google Play has something for everyone. Find the most popular free and paid apps, explore hand-picked collections, browse by category or simply search for your favorites.

        • Magazine
        • Magazine App

          • Magazines

          Magazines come to life on Nexus 7. With hundreds of popular titles to choose from, you’re bound to find something for you. Buy single copies of new issues, or subscribe to your favorites on Google Play.

          Book App

          • Your music, anywhere

          Take your music anywhere with Nexus 7. When you upload your existing music library to Google Play – up to 20,000 songs for free – you can stream all your tracks and playlists from the cloud so you’ll never miss a beat.


          Specifications

          • Magazine
          • Magazine App

            Magazines

            Magazines come to life on Nexus 7. With hundreds of popular titles to choose from, you’re bound to find something for you. Buy single copies of new issues, or subscribe to your favorites on Google Play.

            Book App

            Your music, anywhere

            Take your music anywhere with Nexus 7. When you upload your existing music library to Google Play – up to 20,000 songs for free – you can stream all your tracks and playlists from the cloud so you’ll never miss a beat.

            Specification

            SCREEN

            • 7” 1280×800 HD display (216 ppi)
            • Back-lit IPS display
            • Scratch-resistant Corning glass
            • 1.2MP front-facing camera

            BATTERY

            • 4325 mAh
              • 9 hours of HD video playback
              • 10 hours of web browsing
              • 10 hours of e-reading
              • 300 hours of standby

              WEIGHT

              • 340 grams

              MEMORY

              • 8 or 16 GB internal storage
              • 1 GB RAM

              CPU

              • Quad-core Tegra 3 processor

              SIZE

              • 198.5 x 120 x 10.45mm

              WIRELESS

              • WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
              • Bluetooth

              • USB

                • Micro USB

                OS

                • Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)

                FEATURES

                • Microphone
                • NFC (Android Beam)
                • Accelerometer
                • GPS
                • Magnetometer
                • Gyroscope