Facebook hits two billion users

More than a quarter of the world's population now uses Facebook every month, the social network says.
"As of this morning, the Facebook community is now officially two billion people," founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg posted.
The milestone comes just 13 years after the network was founded by Mr Zuckerberg when he was at Harvard.
He famously dropped out of the university after launching the global social-networking website.
The internet giant announced it had one billion monthly users in October 2012, meaning it has doubled the number of its users in just under five years.
The firm's continuing growth will confound critics who have long predicted that the social network's growth would slow down as rivals such as Snapchat stole its users.
Earlier this year, Facebook warned that growth in advertising revenues would slow down.
Nonetheless, Mr Zuckerberg's ambitions remain huge.
He told USA Today the firm had not made "much fanfare" about hitting the two billion figure because "we still haven't connected everyone".
"What we really care about is being able to connect everyone," he said.
The firm's rapid growth has put pressure on its ability to moderate violent and illegal content posted on its site.
The most recent high profile incident involved a man in the US posting a video of himself to the site, showing him shooting and killing an elderly man.
Last month Facebook said it was hiring 3,000 extra people to moderate content on its site.

Credit card with a fingerprint sensor revealed by Mastercard

A payment card featuring a fingerprint sensor has been unveiled by credit card provider Mastercard.
The rollout follows two successful trials in South Africa.
The technology works in the same way as it does with mobile phone payments: users must have their finger over the sensor when making a purchase.
Security experts have said that while using fingerprints is not foolproof, it is a "sensible" use of biometric technology.
'Nine changes'
Mastercard's chief of safety and security, Ajay Bhalla, said that the fingerprint technology would help "to deliver additional convenience and security. It is not something that can be taken or replicated."
However, fingerprint sensors can be compromised.

Karsten Nohl, chief scientist at Berlin's Security Research Labs, told the BBC: "All I need is a glass or something you have touched in the past."
He adds that if that information is stolen, "you only have nine fingerprint changes before you run out of options".
But Mr Nohl is cautiously optimistic about the technology, saying it is "better than what we have at the moment".
"With the combination of chip and PIN, the PIN is the weaker element. Using a fingerprint gets rid of that."
"Fingerprints have helped us avoid using terrible passwords, and even the most gullible person is not going to cut off their finger if [a criminal] asks nicely."
No scanner needed
The cards are thought to be the first to include both the digital template of the user's fingerprint and the sensor required to read their fingerprints at the point of sale.
Previous biometric payment cards only worked when used in conjunction with a separate fingerprint scanner.
That limited their usefulness, as only stores with the correct equipment could accept them.
Having both the data and the scanner on the same card means that they should be accepted everywhere a normal chip and PIN payment card can be used.
But the biometric verification can only be used for in-store purchases: online and other so-called "card not present" transactions will still require further security measures.

Facebook team working on brain-powered technology

Facebook says it is working on technology to allow us to control computers directly with our brains.

It is developing “silent speech” software to allow people to type at a rate of 100 words per minute, it says.
The project, in its early stages, will require new technology to detect brainwaves without needing invasive surgery.
"We are not talking about decoding your random thoughts,” assured Facebook's Regina Dugan.

"You have many thoughts, you choose to share some of them.
"We’re talking about decoding those words. A silent speech interface - one with all the speed and flexibility of voice."

Ms Dugan is the company’s head of Building 8, the firm’s hardware research lab. The company said it intends to build both the hardware and software to achieve its goal, and has enlisted a team of more than 60 scientists and academics to work on the project.
On his Facebook page, Mark Zuckerberg added: "Our brains produce enough data to stream four HD movies every second.
"The problem is that the best way we have to get information out into the world - speech - can only transmit about the same amount of data as a 1980s modem.
"We're working on a system that will let you type straight from your brain about five times faster than you can type on your phone today.
"Eventually, we want to turn it into a wearable technology that can be manufactured at scale. Even a simple yes/no 'brain click' would help make things like augmented reality feel much more natural.
"Technology is going to have to get a lot more advanced before we can share a pure thought or feeling, but this is a first step."

Other ideas detailed at the company’s developers conference in San Jose included work to allow people to “hear” through skin. The system, comparable to Braille, uses pressure points on the skin to relay information.
“One day, not so far away, it may be possible for me to think in Mandarin, and you to feel it instantly in Spanish,” Ms Dugan said.
With these announcements, Facebook is envisioning technology that is far in advance of anything currently possible. To achieve sophisticated brain control with today's technology requires the implanting of a computer chip into the brain, something Ms Dugan joked "simply won't scale".
There are already external brain-control technologies on the market, but these are simplistic in comparison. Electroencephalogram tech - known as EEG - can monitor electric impulses in the brain, but only for very basic, structured output - such as moving a dot up or down a computer screen.
"We'll need new, non-invasive sensors that can measure brain activity hundreds of times per second," Facebook said in a statement.
"From locations precise to millimetres and without signal distortions. Today there is no non-invasive imaging method that can do this."

Microsoft ‪Windows 10 update to bring 3D gaming and other features

NEW YORK: A major update to Microsoft's Windows 10 system will start reaching consumers and businesses on April 11, offering 3-D drawing tools, game-broadcasting capabilities and better ways to manage your web browsing. This "Creators Update'' also aims to make future updates less disruptive.
Microsoft said Wednesday that it will roll out the Creators Update to some 400 million Windows 10devices worldwide over time. Though there's no set schedule, devices that came with Windows 10installed will likely get the update first. That will make it easier for Microsoft to work out kinks for older devices, which are potentially more problematic.
Once you get it, here are five things to check out. Website clutter Throughout the day, you're likely using your web browser for a variety of tasks _ researching a trip, checking the news and, gasp, doing actual work. Having all those websites open at once could prove cumbersome. Windows 10's Edge browser now has a small icon on the upper left corner for setting aside a group of websites. Say, your deadline on a work project is rapidly approaching. Just hit the button to clear out website tabs for your Caribbean getaway. When you're ready to return to trip planning, hit an adjacent icon to restore those tabs you've set aside. You can set aside multiple groups; the most recent ones appear on top. When things get rough, you can scroll down to check the set of job search sites you set aside weeks ago. Though browsers let you bookmark sites, you probably don't want permanence for trips and short-term projects. Once you restore tabs using the new feature, you'll need to set them aside again when you're done for future access. And tabs won't sync across devices. Digital doodles Last year's "Anniversary Update'' introduced Windows Ink, the ability to highlight, mark and otherwise doodle on documents with a finger or stylus, provided you have a touch-screen computer. Updated Windows apps for Microsoft's Maps and Photos will let you do more. Though the apps are available separately, getting the Creators Update ensures you have them. In Photos, you can draw on photos and videos with virtual markers and share your creations with friends. For example, you can circle that guy in the background and call attention to how goofy he looks. For maps, you can mark a specific spot in a park for friends to meet. Technically, you can already do that with web versions of Google, Bing and other maps, so long as you're using the Edge browser and its doodling function. Microsoft's Maps app offers extras. For instance, you can have the app calculate the distance of the bike route you're tracing; be sure to first hit the "measure distance'' icon (the one with the red diagonal). Ink would have been great for a new e-book feature coming to Windows. Microsoft is now selling e-books through its online store, and books open as a tab in Edge, with no separate app needed. But Microsoft says Ink is disabled on e-books because of publisher restrictions. In 3-D Paint, a graphics app Microsoft first shipped with Windows 1.0 in 1985, is getting a major refresh. You can now create images in 3-D. Start by pressing the cube icon at the top. You can create 3-D images from scratch or choose an object, such as a cylinder, a fish or a person. You can get additional models from a 3-D online community called Remix and even share your creations there. You can add stickers, such as eyes, by tapping the icon to the right of the cube. Play around to get a feel for all the capabilities. Expect lots of trial and error _ and frequent use of the "undo'' button. 3-D images created through paint will be compatible with 3-D printers and printing services.

This country is planning to 'ban' Facebook for six hours every day

NEW DELHI: The government of Bangladesh is planning to block popular social network Facebook for six hours, starting midnight. According to a report by a Bangladeshi daily, the government is considering the step for the 'betterment of students and youth'. As per a report by The Daily Star, the cabinet has forwarded a letter to Telecom Ministry, saying that Facebook is "affecting the students" and "dimming the working capabilities of the youths".

The report further adds that the telecom division has asked Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission's opinion on the issue.
Shyam Sunder Sikder, secretary of the telecom division, confirmed to The Daily Star that the telecom division has received the letter and will have to assess whether the decision will hamper the business communications. According to The Daily Star's report, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission has said that the ban should not be imposed. The regulatory body feels that instead of imposing ban on the social network, the government should try involving parents and educational institutions in this matter. BTRC has further stated that blocking of Facebook will be ineffective when other services like WhatsApp, Viber are there. Moreover, the blocking will hamper the businesses of people who rely on Facebook. As per the report, BTRC has recommended that parents should use parental control software, security software and privacy features to stop their children from accessing Facebook. This is not the first time that the Bangladesh government is thinking of banning a digital service. In 2012, the government had imposed a ban of 260 days on video-sharing platform YouTube.

Samsung's foldable smartphone could land in the summer

Samsung's elusive folding smartphone could finally see the light of day in summer 2017 in a handful of trial markets, according to a Chinese Twitter account (@mmddj_china) specializing in Samsung-related leaks. In the Samsung calendar, the folding phone would land well after the launch of the Galaxy S8 (from April 21) but before the Galaxy Note 8 (expected this fall). For months, specialist Samsung news websites have been talking about patents reportedly filed by the manufacturer at the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), hinting at a possible design for the firm's future folding smartphone. Such a device has supposedly been in the pipeline at Samsung for years, ever since the firm showed off its first flexible plastic screen prototypes at CES, Las Vegas (USA) in 2011. One of the leaked patents features an original hinge system for folding the smartphone in half, echoing old-school flip phones but with a large display spanning the phone's front face when open.

Long referred to as "Projet Valley," the handset now looks like it could get the "Galaxy X" moniker. Samsung could initially roll out the device to Asian markets to test the water, before evaluating the potential of a folding handset on a global scale in 2018. Other manufacturers, like LG or Lenovo, could also follow suit.
Samsung has previewed flexible screens on various occasions and now fully masters flexible OLED technology. The South Korean tech firm has always sought to stay at the cutting edge of innovation, bringing Super AMOLED technology to the Galaxy S in 2010, and curving the Galaxy S6 edge's display around the sides of the handset in 2015. This type of device could also pave the way for a whole host of innovations on which Samsung is already working, such as flexible tablets with entirely transparent screens

WikiLeaks Exposes CIA's Device Surveillance Tricks

WikiLeaks on Thursday announced that it had released more Vault 7 documentation online, including details about several CIA projects to infect Apple's Mac computer firmware and operating system.

The site unloaded its first batch of stolen Vault 7 data earlier this month.

The CIA's Embedded Development Branch developed malware that could persist even if the targeted computer were reformatted and its OS were reinstalled, according to data WikiLeaks exposed.

The newly released files shone a spotlight on the CIA's efforts to gain "persistence" in Apple devices, including Mac computers and iPhones, via malware designed to attack their firmware.

One of the documents highlighted in Thursday's data dump exposes the "Sonic Screwdriver" project, which likely was named for the handheld tool wielded by the science fiction character "Doctor Who," as the device seemingly can bypass any digital or mechanical lock.

The CIA described it as a "mechanism for executing code on peripheral devices while a Mac laptop or desktop is booting," accordingly to WikiLeaks, to allow the attacker to gain access even if a firmware password were enabled.

Who Is Listening

The CIA has been infecting the iPhone supply chain of specific targets since at least 2008, a year after the release of the first iPhone, WikiLeaks claimed.

It also released the CIA's manual for "NightSkies 1.2," described as a "beacon/loader/implant tool" designed for use in infecting iPhones.

"Today's release appears to confirm that the CIA had developed tools to hack the iPhone well before most people ever owned one," warned Ed McAndrew, cybersecurity partner at Ballard Spahr and former cybercrimes prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney's Offices for the Eastern District of Virginia and for the District of Delaware.

"Infection within the supply chain illustrates how committed the agency was to widespread and persistent exploitation of these devices over the long term," McAndrew told TechNewsWorld.

"With malware development moving at light speed, it is frightening to think of how the CIA's hacking capabilities have likely advanced from back then to today," he added. "Unfortunately, this release may provide little that will be useful to Apple or its development partners in eliminating vulnerabilities in today's devices."

Controlling the Firmware

Also among the data released on Thursday is information on "DarkSeaSkies," a project that could implant UEFI (User Extensible Firmware Interface) -- a specification that defines a software interface between an operating system and platform firmware -- on an Apple MacBook Air computer.

EFI/UEFI, which is expected to replace BIOS as the connection between firmware and a system's OS, typically is installed at the time of manufacturing and is the first program that runs when a computer is turned on.

Controlling the UEFI would make it virtually impossible for anyone to remove the installed malware.

"If you want persistent access -- which is an exploit that will remain available to you even after a user updates her software -- then there is almost nothing better than control of the firmware," said Jim Purtilo, associate professor in the computer science department at the University of Maryland.

"This gives you control of the device even before the user's software starts to run on it, and your defensive measures will guard digital premises that have already been violated," he told TechNewsWorld.

Bridge Between Hardware and Software

The boot process reflects the increased complexity of modern devices -- that is, how many bridges between hardware and software must be erected when a device is powered up.

"It starts when a modest amount of hardware is used to load and execute commands which are stored in a special type of memory reserved just for this process, and these in turn will cause yet more commands to be loaded from the device's storage -- perhaps a flash drive," explained Purtilo.

"This is where it gets really complex, because there is s