Google Releases Spaces, a Shared Notebook For Your Projects

Google has announced a brand new tool called Spaces that allows multiple users to create a shared workspace for projects. It allows you to grab photos, videos, and links while discussing a topic all in one place.

 

The service is rolling out right now for Android, iOS, and web users. Google suggests that Spaces would be useful for when you need to have a discussion about a certain topic with a group of people and want to make sure it stays on task. You can also collect stuff from around the web to store in each Space. It seems to be a halfway point between Evernote and a group chat. We’ll know more about how it works once it rolls out to everyone.

 

Read the full article here.

Soon You’ll Swallow Origami Pills and Get Magnetic Colonoscopies

This might be a tough pill to swallow, but the future of medicine is all about ingestible sensors. Things like cameras to scope out your bowels and electronics that detect if you’ve taken your medicine (recently FDA-approved, by the way).

Also, swallowable origami. Researchers at MIT have developed a frozen gizmo made of pig intestine that you drop down the hatch. As it thaws in your stomach, it unfolds. Using a magnetic field, a doctor could theoretically lead the device to something you’ve gone and swallowed but really shouldn’t have—batteries aren’t as tasty as they look—and hurry the offending object out of your system.

Theoretically. The researchers have so far only tested the device on a model of a pig stomach. But it’s a fascinating glimpse into the future of incision-free surgery, one propelled in large part by magnets.

Read the full article here.

Beware of Fake USB Chargers that Wirelessly Record Everything You Type, FBI warns

Last year, a white hat hacker developed a cheap Arduino-based device that looked and functioned just like a generic USB mobile charger, but covertly logged, decrypted and reported back all keystrokes from Microsoft wireless keyboards.

 

Dubbed KeySweeper, the device included a web-based tool for live keystroke monitoring and was capable of sending SMS alerts for typed keystrokes, usernames, or URLs, and work even after the nasty device is unplugged because of its built-in rechargeable battery.

 

Besides the proof-of-concept attack platform, security researcher Samy Kamkar, who created KeySweeper, also released instructions on how to build your own USB wall charger.

 

Now, it seems like hackers and criminal minds find this idea smart.

 

The FBI has issued a warning advisory for private industry partners to look out for highly stealthy keyloggers that quietly sniff passwords and other input data from wireless keyboards.

 

According to the advisory, blackhat hackers have developed their custom version of KeySweeper device, which if placed strategically in an office or other location where individuals might use wireless devices, could allow criminals to steal:

  • Intellectual property
  • Trade secrets
  • Personally identifiable information
  • Passwords
  • Other sensitive information

 

Since KeySweeper looks almost identical to USB phone chargers that are ubiquitous in homes and offices, it lowers the chances of discovering the sniffing device by a target.

 

However, according to a Microsoft spokesperson, customers using Microsoft Bluetooth-enabled keyboards are protected against KeySweeper threat. Also, its wireless keyboards manufactured after 2011 are also protected, as they use the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption technology.

 

So, the primary method of defense is either to restrict the use of wireless keyboards, or to use keyboards that use the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption technology.

 

Although the FBI made no mention of malicious KeySweeper sniffers being found in the wild, the advisory indicates the information about the KeySweeper threat was obtained through an undescribed “investigation.”

 

Read the full article here.

Banks officially launch clearXchange real-time payments

ClearXchange, the largest bank-offered digital payments network in the U.S., today announced availability of its real-time payments product, according to a press release.

 

Bank of America, Captial One, JPMorgan, US Bank and Wells Fargo own the network and will bring bank-to-bank payments to more than 100 million account holders, according to the announcement. The banks expect to add more banks in the future.

 

Read more here.

Tata, Fino team up for rural ATM deployment in India

Tata Communications Payment Solutions, a provider of white label ATMs, and Fino PayTech, a payment technology provider, have announced a partnership for the deployment of ATMs in India’s rural areas.

 

Under its Indicash brand, Tata will install ATMs in Fino Money Marts, the retail outlets of Fino PayTech, a news release from the companies said. Conversely, Money Mart points will be placed at existing Indicash ATM locations.

 

Read more here.

New Android NFC Attack Could Steal Money From Credit Cards Anytime Your Phone Is Near

In a presentation at Hat In The Box Security Conference in Amsterdam, security researchers Ricardo J. Rodriguez and Jose Vila presented a demo of a real world attack, to which all NFC capable Android phones are vulnerable. This attack, delivered through poisoned apps, exploits the NFC feature allowing unethical hackers to steal money from victims’ credit cards anytime the cards are near the victims’ phone.

 

Read more here.

With Android Pay, Google gets mobile payments right

Even though Google started the whole mobile payment thing years ago with Google Wallet, it never really took off with the masses. Google’s newly announced Android Pay, however, might. Just like Google Wallet, Android Pay lets you simply tap your phone on an NFC terminal to make a purchase, but with a little less hassle — there’s no need to enter in a PIN to enable payments.

Read more here.

Nearly 95% of SAP Systems Vulnerable to Hackers

More than 95 percent of enterprise SAP installations exposed to high-severity vulnerabilities that could allow attackers to hijack a company’s business data and processes, new research claims entirely.

According to a new assessment released by SAP solutions provider Onapsis, more than 250,000 SAP business customers worldwide, including 98 percent of the 100 most valued brands, are vulnerable for an average of 18 months period from when vulnerabilities surfaced.

Read more here.