Top 10 Spyware Threat

The list below describes the ten spyware threats most frequently identified by Webroot's Spy Audit, a free spyware scanner tool.

1. CoolWebSearch (CWS)
CoolWebSearch may hijack any of the following: Web searches, home page, and other Internet Explorer settings. Recent variants of CoolWebSearch install using malicious HTML applications or security flaws, such as exploits in the HTML Help format and Microsoft Java Virtual machines.

2. Gator (GAIN)
Gator is an adware program that may display banner advertisements based on user Web surfing habits. Gator is usually bundled with numerous free software programs, including the popular file-sharing program Kazaa.

3. 180search Assistant180search Assistant is an adware program that delivers targeted pop-up advertisements to a user’s computer. Whenever a keyword is entered into a search engine or a targeted Web site is visited, 180search Assistant opens a separate browser window displaying an advertiser's Web page that is related to the keyword or site.

4. ISTbar/AUpdateISTbar is a toolbar used for searching pornographic web sites that, when linked to, may display pornographic pop-ups and hijack user homepages and Internet searches.

5. Transponder (vx2)Transponder is an IE Browser Helper Object that monitors requested Web pages and data entered into online forms, then delivers targeted advertisements.

6. Internet OptimizerInternet Optimizer hijacks error pages and redirects them to its own controlling server at http://www.internet-optimizer.com.

7. BlazeFindBlazeFind may hijack any of the following: Web searches, home page and other Internet Explorer settings. BlazeFind may redirect Web searches through its own search engine and change default home pages to www.blazefind.com. This hijacker may also change other Internet Explorer settings.

8. Hot as HellHot as Hell is a dialer program which dials toll numbers in order to access paid pornographic Web sites. Hot as Hell may disconnect a user’s computer from a local Internet provider and reconnect the user to the Internet using an expensive toll or international phone number. It does not spy on the user, but it may accrue significant long distance phone charges. It may run in the background, hiding its presence.

9. Advanced KeyloggerAdvanced Keylogger, a keystroke logger, has the ability to monitor keystrokes and take screen shots.

10. TIBS DialerTIBS Dialer is a dialer that may hijack a user’s modem and dial toll numbers that access paid, pornographic Web sites.

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How to Keep Your Smartphone Clean

You use your smartphone everywhere, so it's important to keep it clean! Read on for helpful tips on cleaning smartphone screens.

Top Tip

To prevent your phone screen from accumulating dirt, you can use a screen protector. These stick to the screen to protect it against dirt. Change the protector when necessary and wipe the screen to remove any remaining dust particles. Screen protectors can also be useful to prevent your screen smashing if you accidentally drop it.

• Never use commercial liquid cleaning products when cleaning a smartphone. Unless absolutely necessary, you should avoid using any kind of liquid at all. Liquid damage can permanently ruin electronic devices, so be careful.
• Always keep your phone turned off while cleaning. If at any point you do manage to get your phone soaked during the cleaning process, place it the bowl of dry rice or silica gel – with any luck, these will absorb the water and save the device.
• Never use a hairdryer on your smartphone, or to try to speed up the drying process in any other way. Your smartphone contains many parts that can become warped and unusable at high temperatures. Similarly, never put your phone in a microwave or oven, as this could have hazardous consequences.

How to Clean a Smartphone Screen

1. Turn off the device or the screen. This will minimise damage should excess liquid get on the phone. Where possible, remove the battery.
2. Gently wipe the surface with a dry microfibre cloth to remove surface smudges.
3. If persistent dirt remains, spray a small amount of your distilled water solution onto the cloth and try again. If stains persist, use the vinegar solution, but very sparingly.
4. Either wipe off excess moisture with a dry microfibre cloth, or leave the smartphone screen to air dry.
5. Do not turn the smartphone back on until it is totally dry.

How to Clean a Smartphone Keyboard and Ports

These nooks and crevices are always open to dust accumulation. Follow these steps to keep them dirt-free:

1. Turn off your smartphone and unplug any cables.
2. Use a dry cotton bud to swab between the keys and inside the ports. This should get rid of any major dust and dirt.
3. For unmovable detritus, apply a little compressed air. This should blast dirt away nicely.

Compressed air can also be used to clean the interior parts of a smartphone (if they prove accessible), but heed the above advice, and do not attempt to clean the inside of your phone with anything else.

If your phone is extremely soiled, do not attempt to clean it yourself. Seek help from a professional to avoid further damage.

Key Steps:

1. Use liquids sparingly when cleaning your smartphone.
2. Be sure to wipe off any excess liquid with a dry cloth.
3. Never use a hairdryer to speed up the drying process

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Selfies could help diagnose rare genetic disease

Could diagnosing rare genetic disorders one day be as simple as snapping a picture with a smartphone? That’s what a new study suggests.
Researchers with the National Institutes of Health’s National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) successfully used facial recognition software similar to that found in airports and on Facebook to diagnose a rare genetic disease called 22q11.2 deletion syndrome using photos alone.
The disease, also known as known as DiGeorge syndrome, can be difficult to diagnose in diverse populations since it leads to multiple defects, including heart problems, hearing loss, a cleft palate and other distinctive facial features. Yet early intervention can be critical to getting patients the right care.

Patients with DiGeorge syndrome, a rare genetic disease

American Journal of Medical Genetics/National Human Genome Research Institute

“Human malformation syndromes appear different in different parts of the world,” Dr. Paul Kruszka, a geneticist in NHGRI’s Medical Genetics Branch, said in a statement. “Even experienced clinicians have difficulty diagnosing genetic syndromes in non-European populations.”
Doctors in 11 countries submitted 101 photos for use in the study, published last week in the American Journal of Medical Genetics. The researchers then used facial analysis technology to compare a group of 156 Caucasians, Africans, Asians and Latin Americans suffering from the disease with people who don’t have it.

Based on 126 individual facial features, they correctly diagnosed all ethnic groups 96.6 percent of the time, the researchers say. Their data is now part of the NIH’s Atlas of Human Malformation Syndromes in Diverse Populations, a resource launched last year to help clinicians diagnose birth defects and genetic diseases.
Doctors took the photos for the study using whatever photographic equipment they had available. But in an era when smartphones are already helping people determine if they have urinary tract infections and pre-clampsia, Marius George Linguraru, who developed the software, sees those devices as having the most potential reach in helping doctors make quick assessments.

“Eventually, we will have a simple tool that would enable doctors in clinics without state-of-the-art genetic facilities to take pictures of their patients on a smartphone and receive instant results,” said Linguraru, an investigator at the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation at Children’s National Health System in Washington, D.C.
Before that can happen, more clinical studies will be needed, as will FDA approval.
The study on DiGeorge syndrome is the second in an NHGRI series testing facial recognition software as a tool to diagnose inherited diseases in diverse populations. The first looked at Down syndrome, and the next will focus on Noonan syndrome and Williams syndrome, both rare but seen by many clinicians.
 
Tech Enabled: CNET chronicles tech’s role in providing new kinds of accessibility.

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4 things to know about Apple’s red iPhone, new iPad and movie app

 

(CNN) – Apple is keeping things simple.

Instead of trotting out Tim Cook for the typically big spring press conference, the company quietly announced a few product updates this week. It released a new iPad, added some watch bands, and introduced a new color for the iPhone 7.
There are no gimmicky new features, no missing ports to fret over. So what do you actually need to know?
The iPad is the cheapest yet
Just call it “iPad.” Like Charo or Oprah.
Apple released a new 9.7-inch iPad that replaces the iPad Air 2 in its lineup. There’s not much to it beyond the usual upgrades. It’s faster and brighter with the same battery life. Inside is the A9 chip that made its debut in iPhones last year.
What’s most notable is that it is now the cheapest iPad available, costing $329 for the 32 GB Wi-Fi version. It’s even cheaper than the smaller iPad Mini. The company hopes the price drop will appeal to first time iPad customers, perhaps enough to woo people who have purchased Android or Kindle tablets in the past.
Apple wants to win back schools
Since the early days of Steve Jobs, Apple has been active in education. Its iPad seemed like a natural fit for the classroom, but there have been some setbacks.
Google has overtaken Apple in classrooms with its affordable and secure Chromebooks. Chromebooks now account for 51% of devices in K-12 classrooms in the US, according to a January report from Futuresource Consulting. Apple is also still smarting from the botched plan to give every student in the Los Angeles Unified School District an iPad. Apple had to pay back $4.2 million as part of a settlement.
The new iPad is priced for education. Through Apple’s educational programs, schools can actually get the new iPad cheaper, starting at $299. Apple has also been busy working on its educational apps like Swift Playgrounds, which teaches kids how to code.
The new iPhones are exactly the same, but red and charitable
The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus each come in a new metallic matte red finish. There is nothing else different about them. For those brave enough to skip a case, it’s the most colorful option available. A portion of the proceeds from the red iPhones goes to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which Apple has partnered with for a decade.
Related: Apple unveils special-edition iPhone 7 in red
Apple won’t say what percentage of each iPhone sale goes to (RED), the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. It does say that it is the program’s biggest corporate sponsor and has contributed $130 million since 2006.
Nobody listens to videos anymore
People use their phones to shoot video constantly, but they’re usually not creating movies. Apple has designed a new app called Clips that tries to make editing a film dead simple. (Something iMovie’s mobile app never quite mastered.)
Its coolest feature is automatic captioning. It transcribes what you say while recording and overlays the video with text. Sites like Facebook and Twitter autoplay videos, but with the sound off by default. This has created a trend where people will just watch the videos without sound. News organizations and other video makers have responded by adding text to everything, and now iPhone filmmakers can do the same.
The app will not be available until April.

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