Security & Privacy

The heart of wearing Google Glass isn't merely the wish to be at the forefront of technology -- it's the excitement of seeing what you can get away with.

And so it was that last month New York web developer Patrick Hill decided he'd see if he could slide past the doorman of a strip club wearing Google Glass.

Accompanied by a New York Post reporter, Hill tried to enter the VIP club in Manhattan.

Subsequently, he posted the footage to YouTube, where, oddly, few have taken a look. So I thought I'd embed it here, … Read more

Canary wants to make home security simpler and smarter. The startup is launching an Indiegogo campaign to raise $100,000 to get to the finish line, with shipment slated for May 2014.

Unlike SmartThings, which is developing a platform for building apps and devices that work with a variety of sensors, Canary is more of an all-in-one solution for home security, including video capture and motion and temperature sensing.

The 6-inch-tall and 3-inch-wide cylindrical device includes a 720p HD video camera with a wide-angle lens and night vision, and multiple sensors for tracking motion, vibration, sound, temperature, humidity, and air … Read more

Ibrahim Balic thinks he may be the intruder identified by Apple in an attack against its developer site but says he had no malicious intent.

Apple reported Sunday that an "intruder" tried to gain access to developer data last week, prompting the company to take down its Developer Center Web site. The general developer Web site is accessible as always, but the actual Developer Center sites for iOS and OS X remain offline.

No names have been revealed in the alleged security breach, but security researcher Ibrahim Balic pinned the blame on himself, claiming that he was merely … Read more

Who hasn't bought something online, only to receive a torrent of marketing spam that follows you around like a rabid puppy?

Abine's new MaskMe browser add-on and mobile app, debuting Monday, ensure that you can use the Web while avoiding the data stalkers by preventing you from giving out your contact info in the first place.

MaskMe is a freemium add-on for Firefox (download for Windows | download for Mac) and Chrome (download for Windows | download for Mac) that creates and manages dummy accounts for your e-mail address, phone number, credit card, and Web site log-ins. Upgrading gets you … Read more

It may well be that the NSA is recording every breath you take, every move you make.

But it's going to take them quite some time to review whether your breaths and moves are, in some way, significant or even troubling.

So along comes an Android app that can help you by forewarning the NSA with "Look! It wasn't me!"

I am grateful to Android Central for forewarning me about USA PRISM Plus.

Being an Android app, this sprightly invention relies on utter openness. For it takes random shots of your cell phone and sends them … Read more

A vulnerability on SIM cards used in some mobile phones could allow malware infection and surveillance, a security researcher warns.

Karsten Nohl, founder of Security Research Labs in Berlin, told The New York Times that he has identified a flaw in SIM encryption technology that could allow an attacker to obtain a SIM card's digital key, the 56-digit sequence that allows modification of the card. The flaw, which may affect as many as 750 million mobile phones, could allow eavesdropping on phone conversations, fraudulent purchases, or impersonation of the handset's owner, Nohl warned.

"We can remotely install … Read more

The tech industry wants to come clean -- or at least cleaner -- about its role in providing user data to the government and is asking the feds for permission to do so.

In a letter sent Thursday to the White House and Congress, dozens of organizations involved in or concerned about the National Security Agency data-snopping controversy made their requests, Reuters reported. Companies want to be able to regularly provide statistics on the number and scope of user data records ordered by the government. They also want to be allowed to disclose the number of people, accounts, or devices … Read more

Apple and Samsung's latest smartphones will face the scrutiny of state and federal prosecutors in San Francisco on Thursday, who plan to test the latest in antitheft security.

San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman are testing the latest security features of Apple's iPhone 5 and Samsung's Galaxy S4 to see whether they can stop thieves who have made off with said devices.

In the iPhone 5's case, the group will have security experts attempting to thwart Apple's activation lock feature, which requires users to have a … Read more

Google has patched a security vulnerability that could have left Glass users with some major issues.

Lookout Security discovered a flaw in Google Glass back in May that would allow a hacker to create a QR Code that -- once scanned by Glass -- could see all of the connections running through the glasses-mounted computer. A hacker could also deliver a payload over the Internet that would wreak havoc on Google Glass and possibly steal information.

In order to connect to Google Glass, the QR Code would direct a user to an access point that gives the hacker the ability … Read more