How important is it to fight Ransomware?

On Friday May 12, 2017 a massive ransomware infection hit computers across 99 countries, including Russia, China, England, USA and Spain. This infection, WannaCry, is spread through a worm – a program that automatically spreads amongst computer systems. The birth of this program can be traced to NSA’s attempt to identify weaknesses in Microsoft systems which was stolen by a group of hackers known as The Shadow Brokers who made it available to the general public in April this year as a protest against US President, Donald Trump.

The BBC reported that more than 40 of England’s National Health Service (NHS) hospitals and numerous health practices were hit the worst, with thousands of crucial surgeries and appointments cancelled as a result. The malware spread like fire and people across the world began to report computers shutting down in quick succession. Staff at NHS hospitals shared screenshots of the attack which demanded $300 (£230) in the virtual currency Bitcoin as ransom to free the files for each computer system.

As the day progressed more and more reports began flooding in from European countries, particularly up to 1,000 computers in Russia’s banks, interior and health ministries, railway and a mobile phone network. However, the virus was countered effectively and quickly so no sensitive data was compromised. In Spain, telecom, power and utility companies were hit and staff were told to shut down their computers. The French car manufacturer, Renault, Portugal’s Telecom and the courier company FedEx were also affected. Social media sites such as Twitter were flooded with thousands of pictures and posts about this virus throughout the weekend.

Even though the spread of this attack was temporarily alleviated when a British cybersecurity researcher activated a ‘kill switch in the malware’s code’ which bought additional time for all affected organizations, it didn’t help those that were already hit by the ransomware.

It is crucial to stop such attacks because they are not only criminal activities which affect individual privacy but also pose long term negative effects and dangers to businesses and economies. Organizations were left virtually at a standstill during this recent attack. If left unchecked, such attacks can breach private data, such as credit card information which can leave innocent and unsuspecting citizens exposed to fraud and theft. In the light of recent ransomware attacks, crucial medical operations were also suspended which left patients without necessary treatment and could eventually put their lives at risk.

To develop long term measures for ransomware protection and protection against such attacks in future, government officials from seven countries have met in Italy to assess the threat of this cyber-attack and its implications on security as well as the global financial system. This will enable mobilization of all countries to pledge global cooperation against cyber-crime and strengthen vulnerabilities of security measures.

Experts emphasis that users can themselves protect their systems by employing certain safety measures. One of these includes regularly backing up your system through off-line sources such as data banks and hard drives. It is also important to be extremely vigilant while visiting suspicious websites and opening attachments to ensure the safety of your system.

The Many Ways VR Is Being Used For Innovation

Virtual Reality is an emerging technology that has taken the whole world by storm. Many knows it as a three-dimensional, computer-generated digital world that can be explored by use of headsets, sensors, glasses and other special equipments, but rarely do they know its many applications. This article discusses various applications of the VR technology

VR Glasses – Virtual reality glasses are becoming a hit in computer gaming and entertainment industry in that they incorporate interactive functionalities unlike the traditional glasses. Apart from being able to show images in 3D, they can also be used to play audio files, videos, view maps and connect to the internet. There are many renowned brands of VR glasses available in the market today e.g. Google, HTC, Samsung and many more.

VR Headsets / VR Boxes – A VR Headset provides immersive virtual reality environment for the wearer. VR headsets are widely used in computer gaming but are also used in other applications, including simulators and trainers. A wide range of these headsets are cross platform i.e. they are compatible with most mobile operating environments. They can be used to watch 3D movies from mobile devices. Various types are available e.g. Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Sony PlayStation VR, Google Cardboard among others.

Healthcare – This sector has been one of the biggest adopters of the VR technology, established health institutions are using computer generated images for treatment and diagnosis. Virtual-reality simulations use actual diagnostic images from a computerized tomography scans or ultrasounds to construct 3D models of a patient’s anatomy. The virtual models help surgeons and medical practitioners to perform safe medical procedures on a patient. Through virtual reality and with the help of 3D printing, models of medical parts can be developed for studies and references. Other examples of VR in healthcare includes human simulation software, virtual robotic surgery etc.

Automotive Manufacturing – In automotive industry, VR technology has been deployed to design and process virtual prototypes of vehicles before real production can commence. This is done using high-tech simulation software to enable designers to inspect and test various aspects of the vehicle before mass production. In 2013, Ford became the first automobile maker to deploy a cross-cutting high definition virtual reality lab that enabled its designers and engineers to work simultaneous and real time. This saw massive improvements in the design and general out view of Ford Fusion and Ford Mustang brands. As a result of this simulation, the company was able to cut production cost as result of man power transfer.

Shopping – Traditional online shopping may be a thing of the past if the advancement of VR technology is anything to go by. Of late, apps that can provide virtual tours of stores have come into play thereby improving on the traditional online shopping experience. This is a big paradigm shift from browsing online catalogs since a shopper can virtual walk through a store and select whatever he/she needs. Emergence of apps like Trilleniumcould even allows collaborative virtual shopping where one can shop with his friend.

A Review Of The Nintendo Switch

Nintendo Switch Review

March 2017 is an exciting time for Nintendo fans. On March 3, the highly anticipated Nintendo Switch will be released to the public. Many longtime fans of Nintendo have already put in their pre-order and are waiting for their device to be shipped to their door. But what about the casual fan? Is the Switch worth it? Will it be able to compete with the Xbox One or PS4?

One of the biggest selling features of the Switch is its portability. This console works on televisions just as the Xbox One or PS4 does, but it doubles as a portable system. According to Nintendo.com, “Nintendo Switch is designed to go wherever you do, transforming from home console to portable system in a snap.”This makes it a great option for parties and get-togethers with friends. No matter where the party is, you can grab the Switch and take it with you. Since it is so easy to take with you, you can play it pretty much anywhere you go. The long battery life of the Switch makes it even more compelling as a portable device. According to tests done by Forbes.com, the battery life of the Switch is better and lasts longer than both the iPad Air and the Playstation Vita. This makes it a viable option for parties, since you can get together and play it for hours before worrying about battery life.

For both longtime and casual fans of Nintendo, the most exciting aspect to the Switch is the release of the latest game in the Legend of Zelda series. The series consists of games that take place in a fantasy world filled with action and adventure.The first game in the series, The Legend of Zelda, debuted in 1986. It was added to the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1988, and since then, it has been a staple to every Nintendo game console that has been released. The Switch is no different, as the launch of the console coincides with the release of the latest game in the Zelda series, namely the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This alone will make many people want to get their hands on the Switch. This iconic series will once again allow gamers to step into a world of discovery and adventure, exploring the fantasy world while working on challenging puzzles and fighting off all kinds of enemies.

There are many other great aspects to the Switch. For instance, the controllers are very user friendly and will be especially useful when playing with friends and family. Of course, there also some drawbacks to the console and some users may prefer to stick with a tried and true console. As with every console, there will be some initial issues to work through, just as the Xbox One and PS4 encountered. It may also take some time before there are an adequate number of games available for this console. Overall, however, the Nintendo Switch appears to be a wonderful addition to the gaming consoles available today. Gamers will be happy to have another option to get their gaming fix.

New Tips & Tricks For your website Design Structures

Uniqueness of web designs marks its importance. Knowledge about SEO tactics can make a huge difference between fair and good designers. Whenever a designer designs a website, he makes a lot of common mistakes, especially in his fresher days. To become a good website builder, one should acknowledge the basic process. If you follow all the basic principles of designing and study all the general workflow issues, you will soon be on the way to become a professional web designer. There are numerous of tips and tricks linked to the structure of website designing.

Tip No.1) Availability of Quality and Fresh content: Your content is the king, its uniqueness and freshness can ruin or uplift a site. If you failed to gather effective material for your content, it will prove disastrous both for the designers as well as search engine. Your content should be easy to read and should complement different users.

Tip No.2) Never Write for Search Engine: It is true that the rank of your website is decided by the search engines, but they are not the actual readers. Yours each page and blog is liked and followed by actual readers and followers who share the link of your post on different social media sites such as Facebook, twitter etc.

Tip No.3) Use of reliable Link structure: In previous time, link structures are not considered of much importance. Now the picture has changed. Many websites are taking the fresh and clean link structures which should be readable, concise and consistent.

Tip No.4) Use of Style guides: Style guides are in the form of large documents that media publicized and favours uniform styling. Web designers can create their own style link to enhance their sites which are beneficial for the designers who join hands with other freelancers.

Tip No.5) Apply Large font sizes: Importance of fonts and their different styling is very popular from a long time, but now in 2016, larger font sizes are in trend as it attracts the readers to focus on your material.

Tip No.6) Importance of spacing: Huge and continuous paragraphs distract the readers to read your content. Apparently, if you showcase your content by providing proper relevant spaces, then your content looks much attention grabbing. You can use bullets, numbering etc.

Tip No.7) Keep the navigation simple: Usually, people keep a view that placing a lot of sidebars blocks posts, etc. will attract the readers towards their website but it is not true. By placing fewer items in your navigation menus and deleting extra sidebars can prove much promising.

Tip No.8) initiate your designing work offline: Rather than creating codes on screen at a high speed, designers should follow the new approach of offline medium, i.e. using the pencil, paper or a wider board in initial stages.

The above discussed tips and tricks will prove very beneficial for the new fresher website designers. Reduction in silly mistakes and use of methods which are in trend will save both time and money. Website designers are not the person who design a website, but the quality of content they offer also matter.

6 Web Design Trends For 2017

Website trends have always kept changing depending on user’s feedback, SEO, and coding methods. 2016 had been great for website design with people trying to come up with unique ideas. Here we run down few promising trends arising for the year 2017:

Visual appeal with at design

Flat design had gained popularity in 2016 and even more popular in 2017. In at design, the sections are arranged next to each other neatly which makes the website easy to interact with. The clean appearance which has been liked by users visually will be a major focus. Simplicity will be the key to making the website visually appealing.

Responsive design everywhere

Knowing the benefits of responsive websites, developers have embraced this change more since past two years. There will be hardly any websites that will be non-responsive. The design approach will always have the mobile view in mind. UI patterns will be created such that they are not very difficult to align them in responsive view. User’s journey will be the prime focus for desktop, smartphones, and tablets.

Video banner

I am personally not a fan of auto play videos on websites, but video backgrounds are gaining immense popularity since few months. Having video slider along with image slider is a versatile marketing trend which will rise in 2017. Users are liking the idea of instantly watching the video to gain information about the company while online.

Less use of stock photos

It’s high time to change the same old idea of stuffing stock photos in the site. Some photos are so common that they are seen on many other websites also. Customers will be more picky about having unique images for their brand. People are tired of seeing typical bespoke stock images, and hence original custom photos will be welcomed.

Bold typography and colors

We have seen rich colors being quite a rage in 2016 which is a nice stereotype break from the typical web standard colors. The trend has nully changed. Brands will make efforts to look unique and showcase clearly who they are. We will have a more bold choice of typography too. The typography will be making statements, clear and sharper. Web design standard trends for 2017 will see big hero image with a beautiful big typography with nice animations and layers in the text.

Less full parallax websites

We have seen a lot of parallax website in past 2-3 years. This trend is about to vanish because of its side effects with SEO. Parallax websites are usually long one-page websites which do not generate URLs separately for inner pages and hence are not crawled by search engines. Also, the use of heavy script reduces the speed of the site, and mobile view is not so good either. Parallax is not going anywhere. Rather it will be used smartly for certain sections of the site for that excellent Visual treat.

With the above trends, 2017 seems to be a great year ahead for interesting website concepts to come into the market. Creative thinkers are likely to experiment more and build fresh looking websites.

Spectacles Is A Revolutionary Wearable From A Familiar Source

If you are a “selfie addict”, there is a high probability that you have, or are using an app called Snapchat. Even though the company has been doing more than well enough, it doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t leave it at that, right? Well, the short answer is a resounding NO. This past week, Snapchat-ers around the world received some very exciting news. For starters, the company is now called Snap Inc. But it doesn’t stop there.

The company has announced a new product called Spectacles – and it is quite exquisite.
As the name describes, Spectacles are, well, spectacles. Sunglasses to be precise. But its not the UV protection that makes this eyewear special. Believe it or not, Spectacles comes with an inbuilt wireless camera so that you can record all your favourite moments on-the-go. After working on the new wearable for a couple of years, Snap Inc is finally unveiling it to the world.

The video camera is fitted into the corner of the frame and is surrounded by a ring of tiny lights to notify you and others that you’re recording. A button in the left corner, beside the camera, initiates the recording which lasts for up to 10 seconds at a time. By tapping the button again, you can start another 10-second recording. The mini-videos or “Memories”, as Snapchat calls them, get stored in the Snapchat application on your Smartphone.

As the application is compatible with Android and iOS devices, Spectacles too can be connected to devices on both platforms. On Android, the one of a kind sunglasses connects via Wi-Fi only, while on iOS, it is can be connected via Bluetooth as well.

Memories are recorded through the 115 degree wide angle lens of the aforementioned camera and replicates the view from an actual human eye. When viewing the stored content, you will notice a “circular” format which plays the short video from the users point of view – literally. According to Snap Inc, Spectacles is estimated to last for a full day. The ring of lights also acts as a battery indicator, so that you know when your device needs charging. To charge the wearable, place the Spectacles in its case and connect it to a power source.

When it comes to pricing, Snap Inc looks to be targeting every smartphone user who loves to record their favourite moments. Spectacles comes with a very affordable price tag of $129.99. It will be available this autumn and will come in teal, black, and coral color options.

When it comes to innovation, Spectacles might not stand out as the first of its kind, but it definitely will catch more than a few eyes (no pun attended). The style, usability, and pricing of Spectacles make it a sure-shot winner in the wearable department and Snapchat users will find it a must-have accessory for capturing their daily dose of selfie-driven content. So, this autumn, will you be sporting one of the most talked about wearables in the market, or will you too busy creating Memories or your own on Spectacles?

Ways on How Interior Design is Changing and It’s Outcome

You obtain a more stylish feel of your house interior with tiny changes and renovations. As an example, changing your interior doors makes a difference in improving your home decor.

You may want to find the methods of this home improvement. Interior design is changing, and there are a few tips to avoid expensive errors. Several improvements are required, but at least shades and shutters are modernized and often refreshed. Nobody likes to see filthy surfaces and items all over the place.

People come up with a detailed process for renovation, and they want to implement it. Beyond doubt, if you have several sparkling ideas of how to improve your living space, you’ll strive to achieve your personal objectives in this respect.

Due to the changes in interior design, the most gracious model have emerged. Most people tend to use the current design for their home decoration. It’s rather easy to find testimonials for home decor cost fewer ideas on so many designer websites online.

However, you need to think about how much to spend on interior design. If you earn enough, renovation can become expensive. If you are very tight on the expenses, you can make. Try the simple changes which bring innovative ideas. Being noticeable counts a big deal.

The main elements of home decor are just simple ones. All window blinds, curtains, and carpets should match with each other. Colors have to be pleasant, and they create design lines.

Picture a scenario of workspace with gray furniture, white walls, fluorescent lights and some office essentials, such as a desktop computer, pens, and paper. Sounds kind of bleak when you picture it in your head, doesn’t it? Now imagine a home with beige furniture, white walls, beige carpeting or white linoleum floors, and basic household necessities and appliances. Sounds like a rather drab place to live, doesn’t it?

Without interior design, these places will be dull and uninspiring. Such environments can raise your stress levels. Interior design significantly improves the appearance of the environment.

A coat of fresh paint is an inexpensive way to make a huge change in an office or home. Blue, green and warm brown tones can induce a sense of calm and focus in the room, or in living rooms, dining rooms, and bedrooms. Yellows and creams work well in sunny bathrooms, and the kitchen can be anything you like! Adding long-life, inexpensive plants such as spider plants, corn plants, vines, ferns and other hardy species will add pops of greens to your spaces. It is medically proven that having plants in the home and office can improve the quality of the space so much that your stress levels drop dramatically. Even fake plants do the job–just remember to dust them periodically!

Make your living environment very welcoming, inspiring and comfortable–and you will feel much less stressed. Interior design is not as complicated as many people make it out to be. It can be if you wish, but it can also be simple, straightforward and inexpensive to create an excellent space for yourself, your family or your officemates. The current interior design changes have great importance in your home or office. Just make use of them.

Cryptolocker- The Best Prevention Strategies That You Can Use

Cryptolocker is a unique ransomware with a business model based on taking money from users. It mimics the police virus that usually asks you to pay a fine before you can access your files. However, as compared to this virus, cryptolocker hijacks your files and documents and asks you pay a ransom while giving you an allowance to pay. It normally applies social engineering techniques to confuse you into installing it.

It takes advantage of the windows default behavior to disguise the real extension of the bad file. The moment you run it, the malware goes memory resident on your computer and does the following.

· It starts two processes of itself to protect the main process from being terminated.

· It adds a key making it run whenever you start the computer.

· It saves itself in your user’s profile.

The rise of this software is a genuine threat that can easily lead to the infection of your machine. If you cannot manage it, your machine is likely to get infected and lose some data. Since most vendors are not able to protect your computer from this virus, you need to be very careful. Here are some prevention strategies that you can use

Manage network traffic

If you manage your network traffic, you can control this malware. Normally, flat networks are more likely to be affected by this virus. You need to properly zone your network so that you can only see and interact with the areas of the network that you should be interacting with.

Use layers

Although this is often said, it’s surprising most people often ignore this approach of protecting their computers thinking that antivirus and firewall are enough to secure your environment. Unfortunately, this is not the case especially when cryptolocker strikes. This is why you need to place a lot of emphasis on the significance of having layers of protection. This should be part of your protection method.

Uses restricted interfaces

If you use restricted application, you will be better placed to prevent cryptolocker. For instance, if your browser is blocked through restricted interface, you tend to browse on your own machine and not through the corporations connection. This may help you limit the exposure.

Use HIPS and IPS

It’s advisable that you use advanced HIPS and IPS. This will help you prevent cryptolocker since interfaces that produce unusual traffic can easily be detected. This should also detect and prevent any traffic that is the norm.

Be vigilant

You also need to be watchful and promote security awareness. You will realize that many users are not even aware of this malware and the potential threats that it has on machines. This will help you know the latest threats and attacks

Be careful about strange emails

You should also be wary of any emails that you do not know the senders and disable any hidden file extensions. This will help you recognize any attack. However, if your machine is infected but lack backup files do not pay any ransom. This will help limit the spread of this bad ransomware.

2012 BMW X5 xDrive35i Review

Introduced a few years back for the 2012 model year, the BMW X5 xDrive35i is an all-wheel drive SUV which offers owners a more engaging drive than most of the competition. Today it’s still one of the most technologically advanced SUV’s on the market, which also means that it’s one of the safest. Let’s take a look at exactly what BMW has to offer with the 35i.

Key Figures

3L Inline 6 Cylinder Engine producing 300HP @ 5,800RPM

Automatic Transmission

5 Door SUV Configuration

16MPG City, 23MPG Highway

Was Released in 12 Colors, with 7 Interior Color Options

Looks

If you’re familiar with any of BMW’s SUVs then you will immediately feel at home with the looks of the BMW X5 xDrive35i. It’s a fairly unassuming car, even for its size, and it keeps the traditional BMW grill design with subtle angles across the bodywork. This vehicle gives off the typical BMW sense of class but doesn’t offer anything dazzlingly flashy. If you’re looking for a head turning SUV, this might not be the vehicle for you, however if you want understated elegance then the X5 xDrive35i could be your perfect SUV.

Who’s it For?

If you’re looking for a car based on fuel economy alone then you could do far better than the X5. Fuel economy is a tradeoff with any SUV, simply because they all weigh in on the heavier side. In saying that, 23MPG on the highway and 16MPG is not too bad of a compromise for something this size.

If you have a large or growing family then the X5 would make a lot of sense. It’s an all-purpose car, meaning that you could easily make the morning school run, and then use the X5 for business meetings throughout the day. You could even head out for dinner or drinks later in the night and the xDrive35i will look the part in every situation. It’s a serious car for discerning owners, and it offers some real driving performance to complement the practicality of a 5 door SUV.

How does it Perform?

The 2012 BMW X5 xDrive35i will please owners who are used to sedans or even smaller sports cars. Taking some cues from the X5 M, the 35i gives real feedback and response. This is something that is going to be a selling point for many, and a turn off for others. SUV’s don’t typically try to offer a fully involved driving experience. The trend in the industry is to make these vehicles almost too easy to drive. Be warned that BMW hasn’t taken this approach.

You can have some fun driving it, and you will also have all of the benefits of state of the art technology like corner breaking, and even electronic torque vectoring. All of the electronics aim to keep the car firmly planted on the road in any driving condition, and they do a fantastic job.

All of the Extras

The interior follows typical BMW standards with plush and supportive seats, luxury trim, and high end electronics like the integrated Google search and social networking systems. Gadget lovers will be very pleased with all of the extra bells and whistles in the BMW X5 xDrive35i

Overall it’s an impressive SUV that is still as much of a worthwhile purchase in 2015 as it was when it was first released. Average MPG figures are compensated for with a fun and involved driving experience, advanced electronic safety features, and a luxurious and well equipped interior cabin.