'Thousands of Twitter passwords leaked'

Twitter is looking into the emergence of an online list which purports to reveal thousands of tweeters’ usernames and passwords.

The list was posted onto Pastebin, a site frequently used by hackers to anonymously post evidence of their hacks.

It was so long that it took up five Pastebin pages. US security blog,Airdemon.net, calculated that anonymous hackers had leaked more than 55,000 Twitter accounts and passwords.

The blog post said: “This hack is just an alert to other millions of Twitter users that they could be hacked anytime.”

A Twitter spokesman said: “We are currently looking into the situation. In the meantime, we have pushed out password resets to accounts that may have been affected. For those who are concerned that their account may have been compromised, we suggest resetting your passwords and more in our Help Centre.

“It's worth noting that, so far, we've discovered that the list of alleged accounts and passwords found on Pastebin consists of more than 20,000 duplicates, many spam accounts that have already been suspended and many login credentials that do not appear to be linked (that is, the password and username are not actually associated with each other).”

-Telegraph

Google 'Story of Send' offers insight into how email works

Google has produced an animation showing what happens when you send an email.

The Story of Send tracks the path of a Google Gmail message.

The animation, titled The Story of Send, tracks the passage of an email from the moment from the moment you click send, through your ISP's servers and into data centres run by Google.

The company explains the security measures it takes to keep its data centres secure, including "security cameras, iris scans and fingerprint scans". Along the way, short video clips offer background information on how the service works and how Google tries to stay energy efficient.

The Story of Send says that Google saves energy by keeping its server floors at 80 degrees fahrenheit - contrary to common belief that data centres should be kept as cool as possible. Google says: "That means we don’t need as much energy-intensive air-conditioning, and our employees get to wear shorts to work."

The journey of the email is simplified considerably but those who haven't thought about how the technology works will get an informative explanation.

The animation is filled with quirky visual jokes, typical of the company that regularly replaces the logo on its search page with a Google Doodle, including a dinosaur skeleton and a vampire in a crypt.

The company says that half of all emails sent with Gmail are delivered in less than a second and 90 per cent pass through the system in under five seconds.

Google launched Gmail in 2004, offering vastly more storage than typical email services of the time. Though the service officially remained in 'beta' until 2009, the company continued to expand its features and to increase the available storage.

In the last couple of years Google has made more of a push into the enterprise market, attempting to challenge the dominance of Microsoft Outlook in office email and move more business onto its Google Apps platform.

-Telegraph

New Samsung Galaxy S III phone is bigger and smarter

Release date: 

29 May 2012

Price: From £36 per month on a two year contract

Samsung Galaxy S3 features at a glance

There’s a lot riding on the Samsung Galaxy S3 – it’s the successor to the 20million selling S2, it’s the Android phone best-placed to take on Apple’s iPhone, and it’s the device that Samsung hopes will cement its reputation as an innovator.

I had less than an hour with the S3, but that’s a lot longer than people were able to grab easily with the device when Samsung announced it at London’s Earl’s Court tonight.

The first impression I came away with was not that the screen was the best on the market, although it has a depth, responsiveness and sharpness that bests, to my mind the HTC One X, although I wasn’t able to compare the two directly. Nor that the huge 4.8” screen was too big, although it’s heading that way. The compelling thing about the S3 is the package it offers. Like the iPhone 4S after the 4, it offers iterative improvements over its predecessor, but the total effect is to create a radically innovative new device.

In among those things is a new sensor that tracks your eyes – so long as you’re looking at the S3’s screen, it won’t dim or lock itself. Yes, you could just set the screen timer to longer, but “Smart Stay” means you don’t have to. In use, the feature seemed to work very well, with a little icon indicating the phone is watching your eyes.

On a similar note, if you’re looking at a contact, or a message from a contact, the S3 automatically dials that person when you put the phone to your face. It’s one less button to press.

An improvement to voice control, called S-Voice, that lets users control their phone using normal, natural language. So it’s like Siri, only it does more – you can say volume up, for instance, and the phone will filter out the noise of the song it’s playing so it can hear you. The S, we assume, stands for Samsung.

Elsewhere, the phone adds useful features that, for instance, can automatically share a photograph you take with people whose faces are recognised, called 'Buddy Photo Share', or display social media profiles directly on a photograph when those face are recognised. These are features that are useful rather than revolutionary, but they feel like they will be obvious standards in the near future. Tagging groups and offering an automatic slideshow zooming into the faces in a picture are also useful additions. Samsung, unless the patent wars cause further upset, is setting new standards.

When it comes to features such as S-Beam, which transfers files quickly between devices by touching them together, or sharing the phone’s screen content with other devices, these are increasingly becoming more widespread industry standards, as indicated on the new Motorola Razr, which offers similar concepts. The Samsung processor is fast enough to allow crystal clear video to play in a window on your homescreens, which again is nifty, but not vital.

Are there areas where the phone disappoints? The camera is just 8MP – good, but not market leading – although it has been upgraded to offer a 20-shot burst mode and the automatic selection of a best picture. The firm insists on pre-loading apps which I don’t see much use for – while Dropbox (including a remarkable 50GB of storage for two years) and Flipboard are useful, the Music, Game and Video Hubs will have to offer remarkable content to outplay the entirety of the app store, Google Play.

I didn’t get long enough with the phone to talk about the battery life – a 2,100mAh battery is big, but this is a demanding phone that users will have on more than ever before, not only thanks to the screen that stays on because you’re looking at it. Samsung assures me that the performance will be better than the SII; it needs to be much better. It’s good to see, however, that one of the range of optional accessories will be wireless charging, via a special back and charging pad ideal for the bedside table.

Overall, the device is in many ways much like its predecessor: does it feel as solid or heavy in the hand as the iPhone? No, although it’s certainly a lot bigger. Is it a different, superb product in its own right? Absolutely. On spending just a short time with the S3, I’m confident in saying that it’s a worthy successor to the globally popular S2. But I also want to see how much all those new features make a real difference in everyday use to form a fuller opinion.

Specifications:

Screen: 

4.8” Super Amoled HD display

Storage: 

16/32/64GB depending on model, plus expandable MicroSD card

Cloud storage:

50GB Dropbox for two years

Colour: 

Pebble blue or marble white

Battery:

2,100mAh (wireless charging optional extra)

Camera:

8MP rear; 1.9 MP front

Resolution:

720 x 1280 px (306ppi)

RAM:

1GB

Dimensions: 

136.6 x 70.6 x 8.55 mm

Weight:

133g

Operating System:

Android 4.0.4

Processor: 

Exynos 4 Quad (1.4GHz)

-Telegraph

Google launches Google Drive

Google on Tuesday(24 April) launched a long-anticipated "Drive" service that lets people store, share and collaborate on digital files in the Internet "cloud."

Google Drive accounts with five gigabytes of storage were available free at drive.google.com and upgrades to more space on servers in the California company's data centers were available at rates set by size and country.

"The model is really designed at the core to help people live their lives in the cloud," Google vice president for Chrome and Apps Sundar Pichai said on a conference call with reporters.

"Google Drive is something we see as central to the online experience at Google."

Google Drive software has been tailored for Windows and Macintosh computers as well as smartphones or tablets powered by Google-backed Android software.

A version tailored for Apple mobile gadgets will be released soon, according to Pichai.

"We want to make sure that all our users' data are available wherever they are," he said.

Google Drive data can be reached from various devices, and deleting it from one deletes it from all. Scanned letters can be saved under the new service and Fax messages can be sent or received.

Google Docs online text program was described as an integral component of Drive, letting people create and collaborate on documents.

Google put its search expertise to work to provide tools for people to quickly find files in their Drive accounts, according to Pichai. Included was Goggle technology to power searches using images instead of key words.

Autodesk and some other third-party program creators have collaborated with Google to make it possible for people to use their software in Drive accounts, where teams can join forces online to handle projects.

"We have only shared it with a few developers so far," Pichai said. "Over time, we want Drive to be thought of as a place where you can create anything and collaborate with anyone; and the devices or apps are up to you."

Talk about creating a Google Drive started about five years ago.

The booming trend of smartphones or tablets being at the center of mobile lifestyles and the growing popularity of services like Gmail or YouTube hosted in the Internet cloud made the time ripe for Google Drive, executives said.

"This is a natural progression," Pichai said."We are moving to a post-PC (personal computer) era where this is the cloud at work. Pretty soon you will be able to open a file from anywhere in Google Drive."

Google Drive will also be built into a new generation of Chrome laptop computers.

A version of Google Drive geared for businesses will have a different pricing structure and offer 24-hours technical support.

Google's new service will enter an arena with Microsoft's SkyDrive, Apple's iCloud online data repository for users of its devices, and popular Web-based file hosting service startups such as Dropbox and SugarSync.

-HT

Photos: Life Inside Facebook Headquarters -1

An employee writes a note on the message board

An employee writes a note on the message board at the new headquarters of Facebook in Menlo Park, California January 11, 2012. The 57-acre campus, which formerly housed Sun Microsystems, features open work spaces for nearly 2,000 employees on the one million square foot campus, with room for expansion.

Employees working in the international user operations area

Employees work in the international user operations area at the new headquarters of Facebook in Menlo Park, California January 11, 2012. The 57-acre campus, which formerly housed Sun Microsystems, features open work spaces for nearly 2,000 employees on the one million square foot campus, with room for expansion.

Employees gather at the IT service desk

Employees gather at the IT service desk at the new headquarters of Facebook in Menlo Park, California January 11, 2012. The 57-acre campus, which formerly housed Sun Microsystems, features open work spaces for nearly 2,000 employees on the one million square foot campus, with room for expansion.

Employees chatting

Employees chat at the new headquarters of Facebook in Menlo Park, California January 11, 2012. The 57-acre campus, which formerly housed Sun Microsystems, features open work spaces for nearly 2,000 employees on the one million square foot campus, with room for expansion.

The new home of Facebook is seen in Menlo Park, California.

The new home of Facebook is seen in Menlo Park, California January 11, 2012. The 57-acre campus, which formerly housed Sun Microsystems, features open work spaces for nearly 2,000 employees on the one million square foot campus, with room for expansion.

An employee rides a bicycle

An employee rides a bicycle at the new headquarters of Facebook in Menlo Park, California January 11, 2012. The 57-acre campus, which formerly housed Sun Microsystems, features open work spaces for nearly 2,000 employees on the one million square foot campus, with room for expansion.

A "cozy" awaits an employee

A "cozy" awaits an employee at the new headquarters of Facebook in Menlo Park, California January 11, 2012. The 57-acre campus, which formerly housed Sun Microsystems, features open work spaces for nearly 2,000 employees on the one million square foot campus, with room for expansion.

Employees choose to either sit or stand while working

Employees choose to either sit or stand while working at the new headquarters of Facebook in Menlo Park, California January 11, 2012. The 57-acre campus, which formerly housed Sun Microsystems, features open work spaces for nearly 2,000 employees on the one million square foot campus, with room for expansion.

An employee works in one of many "cozies," tiny, personal conference rooms

An employee works in one of many "cozies," tiny, personal conference rooms featured at the new headquarters of Facebook in Menlo Park, California January 11, 2012. The 57-acre campus, which formerly housed Sun Microsystems, features open work spaces for nearly 2,000 employees on the one million square foot campus, with room for expansion.

An employee walks through the cafeteria

An employee walks through the cafeteria at the new headquarters of Facebook in Menlo Park, California January 11, 2012. The 57-acre campus, which formerly housed Sun Microsystems, features open work spaces for nearly 2,000 employees on the one million square foot campus, with room for expansion.

-time.com