FEB

15

Force pair bluetooth

The Bluejacking, Bluesnarfing, Bluebugging Blues: Bluetooth Faces Perception of
Vulnerability
Gary Legg
8/4/2005 12:00 AM EDT

Is Bluetooth secure? Inquiring minds want to know. Ever since the first Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones started
appearing a couple of years ago, numerous reports have suggested that the wireless technology is vulnerable to
snooping.
First, the popular press jumped onto bluejacking, which lets complete strangers send anonymous and unsolicited
messages to certain Bluetooth phones. Then came reports that some phones were vulnerable to bluesnarfing, which
makes it possible for someone to access a phone wirelessly without the owner's knowledge and download the stored
phonebook and calendar and sometimes more. More recently, reports have described bluebugging, in which
someone can theoretically take complete wireless control of virtually any Bluetooth phone and use it for all kinds of
illicit purposes.
What the articles don't tell you, though, is just how unlikely it is for any of these bluesomething attacks to affect you.
Some early Bluetooth phones did have some security holes, but they were due to faulty implementations, not
Bluetooth weaknesses, and the phones' manufacturers have since released firmware upgrades that fix them. Also,
the more serious attacks, such as bluesnarfing and bluebugging, require hardware and software and know-how that's
beyond the reach of just about everyone except professional spies or the most obsessed privacy snoops.
This isn't to say, of course, that Bluetooth is absolutely, totally secure. The jury is still out, actually, on just how secure
Bluetooth is. There's scant evidence, however, that the likes of bluejacking, bluesnarfing, and bluebugging have
caused any real problems, although the Bluetooth attackers seem to get more numerous and more sophisticated day
by day.
One thing that has become clear, though, is that Bluetooth security and user convenience involve some serious
tradeoffs. Some of the first Bluetooth mobile phones from Nokia, for example, made it very easy to connect to other
Bluetooth devices, such as headsets. Their default settings turned Bluetooth on and set it to "visible" or
"discoverable" modea necessary condition for connecting. Unfortunately, such visible phones were also visible to
bluejackers and bluesnarfers, who didn't hesitate to "discover" them. Also, the designers of some early phones, in an
attempt to make life simpler for users, didn't require user input of a PIN in certain situations where they thought it
wouldn't be necessary. Again, the result was bluejacking and bluesnarfing.
Bluejacking

Bluejacking, the earliest Bluetooth attack, is a good example of how security and user convenience affect each other.
The most common method of bluejacking works via the process of sending an electronic business carda good
feature to have at business meetings and trade shows. Bluejackers alter the card-passing procedure, though, to
make the business card appear as a short message, and then they choose a nearby discoverable Bluetooth phone to
send it to. People with phones in nondiscoverable mode avoid being bluejacked, but they have to perform an extra
step of setting discoverability in order to receive a legitimate business card.
Bluejacking is very easy to do. It begins with the creation of a new contact in a bluejacker's own phonebook, but in
the name field, instead of typing a person's name, the bluejacker types a short message. Then, it's simply a matter of
choosing a nearby Bluetooth phoneon a subway or in a shopping mall, for exampleto send it to. Phones that are
in discoverable mode, and thus available to be bluejacked, appear on the display of the bluejacker's phone. After
choosing one, perhaps at random, the bluejacker sends the ersatz business card, and the contact "name" (the
message) pops up on the bluejacked phone.
Because bluejacking is so easy, it has become almost a fad in Europe, where the first Bluetooth phones were sold.
Creative bluejackers have a knack for making it amusing, and some even initiate casual sexual encounters in a
wireless ritual called "toothing." Apparently, not all bluejack targets mind the intrusion.
But phone makers, of course, don't find bluejacking amusing, and having been burned by bad publicity, they now
stress security over easy connectivity. No recently introduced phones, for example, set Bluetooth on and discoverable
at startup or even remain in discoverable mode for very long at any time. If a user puts a phone in discoverable mode
in order to pair with another device, the phone will stay discoverable only for a short timetypically one to five
minutes. Some, but not all, of the first Bluetooth phones behaved this way; now they all do.
Bluesnarfing
As with bluejacking, being nondiscoverable also helps a Bluetooth mobile phone avoid bluesnarfing, an invasion of
privacy that's much more damaging. With bluesnarfing, you can wirelessly connect to some early Bluetooth phones
without the phone owner's knowledge and download the phonebook, the calendar, and sometimes more. An
advanced version of bluesnarfing can even alter those files in some bluesnarfed phones.
Bluesnarfing is not a simple procedure, however, and software assistance is necessary to pull it off. Initially, the
software required a laptop to run it, so a bluesnarfer within Bluetooth's short range was at risk of being noticed. Now,
however, bluesnarfing software written in Java can run on any J2ME-enabled cell phone, which is less likely to draw
suspicion.
A primary means of bluesnarfing is with a program called Bloover. (The name, a combination of Bluetooth and
Hoover, was chosen because the programs sucks information, much like a Hoover vacuum cleaner sucks dirt.)
Bloover was written by Martin Herfurt, a researcher at Salzburg Research Forschungsgesellschaft m.b.H. and a
lecturer at the University of Salzburg. Earlier work in defining the bluesnarf vulnerability was done by Adam Laurie,
then with U.K.-based A.L. Digital, and now chief security officer of The Bunker Secure Hosting Ltd., and by Marcel
Holtman, a Bluetooth and Linux expert. Herfurt, Laurie, and Holtman are all members of the Bluetooth SIG Security
Expert Group.
As explained in a presentation by Laurie, Holtman, and Herfurt earlier this year, Bluesnarfing works, as does
bluejacking, through the mechanism for exchanging business cards. Using the OBEX protocol, which is commonly
used for such exchanges, the bluesnarfing software connects to a target Bluetooth device via Bluetooth's OBEX Push

profile. Then, however, instead of pushing a business card, it pulls, using a "get" request for files with known names,
such as the phonebook file (telecom/pb.vcf) or the calendar file (telecom/cal.vcs).
What makes bluesnarfing possible in this situation is the way the OBEX Push profile was implemented in some early
Bluetooth phones from Nokia and SonyEricsson. One particular shortcoming was the failure to require authentication
of another Bluetooth device that attempts to perform a push, thus making these phones easier targets. Normally, two
Bluetooth devices exchange information only after an authentication procedure that depends on the same PIN having
been input to both devices. But the designers of some phonesapparently thinking that users wouldn't want to
exchange and type PINs for a simple exchange of business cardsomitted authentication. Firmware upgrades that
correct the problem are now available, but many phone owners haven't installed them.
Like bluejacking, bluesnarfing aims at phones that are in discoverable mode, but it can also workin theoryagainst
certain phones that aren't in discoverable mode. In order to succeed against an nondiscoverable phone, bluesnarfing
software needs to address the phone by its unique 48-bit Bluetooth device name, and coming up with the name is
sometimes possible with software assistance. A program called RedFang, written by Ollie Whitehouse of U.K.-based
@stake, does the job (sometimes) with what's basically a brute-force approach, trying every possible combination of
characters and noting which combinations get a response.
The main difficulty with discovering undiscoverable Bluetooth devices is that the process can take hours of computing
time. Whitehouse noted in an October 2003 research report, however, that it's sometimes possible to shorten the time
by "seeding" the procedure with intelligent guesses. For example, part of the default name for many phones is simply
the phone's model number. Even so, the approach can still take a long time. Also, Bluetooth specification 1.2,
released soon after Whitehouse's report, addresses the weakness that allows the brute-force approach. It adds an
anonymity mode that masks Bluetooth radios' physical addresses.
Bluebugging
Bluebugging goes well beyond bluejacking and bluesnarfing, allowing virtually complete takeover of a phone. A
bluebugger can wirelessly direct a phone to make calls without the owner's knowledge, for example, after which the
phone works as a bugging device, picking up conversations in the phone's immediate area. Similarly, a bluebugger
can set call forwarding and then receive calls intended for the bluebug victim. Bluebuggers also have bluesnarf
capability, so they can read phonebooks and calendars and more. They can even read a phone's call list to see who
their victims called or who called them. They can even alter those lists.
Fortunately, only a few early models of Bluetooth phones are vulnerable to bluebugging. Their Bluetooth
implementations were faulty and have since been corrected with new firmware. Some reports have pointed out a way
that Bluebugging can also succeed against other, additional phones, but that method requires the owner of the target
phone to more-or-less play the role of a sucker. Basically, the bluebugger talks the victim into handing over the
phone, which the bluebugger manipulates to set up a "backdoor" attack and then hands back.
The phones that are inherently vulnerable to bluebugging can be commandeered without physical contact. As with
bluejacking and bluesnarfing, the process sometimes begins with the pushing of an electronic business card. On a
few early Motorola phones, for example, someone could send a business card using a procedure that, for
convenience, didn't require authentication or PIN entry. Then, due to flaws in the phones' Bluetooth implementations,
a bluebugger could interrupt the sending process, and the bluebugger's phone would remain listed in the victim's

phone as a "trusted" device. Having made it that far, the bluebugger could then connect to the bluebugged phone's
Bluetooth headset. Then, with that connection, the bluebugger could enter AT commands that control the phone.
With newer phones, and with older phones that have been fixed with firmware upgrades, bluebugging becomes much
more difficult. As noted in a presentation given in April of last year by Whitehouse, it can be done, but it requires
special hardware and lots of computing power, and it's not practical when users employ PINs of more than a few
digits.
PIN Cracking
What Whitehouse suggested last year is the use of a Bluetooth "sniffer," to monitor traffic between Bluetooth devices,
plus some number crunching to recover a user PIN from that traffic. A sniffer records Bluetooth packets and can
decode the packets to determine the information contained in them. If you capture packets that are involved in the
process of authenticating two Bluetooth devices, you can use information from those packets to determine the user
PIN. The packet data doesn't contain the PIN itself, but it contains information derived from the PIN. With some
number crunching, you can recover the PIN, and then you're in.
But there are some real difficulties with this approach. First of all, a Bluetooth sniffer is special, expensive gear; you
can't just walk into Circuit City and buy one. Also, the required number crunching can be prohibitive. In his
presentation last year, Whitehouse estimated that an 850-MHz Pentium III could recover a 6-digit PIN in 12.5
seconds, but it would need nearly 4000 years for a 16-digit PIN.
Another difficulty with PIN cracking is that the sniffer has to intercept a pairing process, as when a Bluetooth phone
initially connects to a Bluetooth headset. But pairings seldom occur in public places. Most people pair their headset
and their phone once, usually at home or in an office, and the two devices then "trust" each other, so no further
pairing is necessary.
In June of this year, however, two Israeli researchers proposed a way to force a pairing, which would make PIN
cracking more predictable. According to Avishai Wool and Yaniv Shaked, both of Tel Aviv University, a bluebugger
pretends to be one of two Bluetooth devices that are attempting to communicate with each other. The bluebugger
does this by spoofing the device's Bluetooth name, which is viewable by any nearby Bluetooth device. The spoof tells
the other of the two devices that it somehow lost the link key, a shared piece of information that lets the two devices
know they can trust each other. Because a shared link key is essential to sharing information, this other device then
discards its own link key and initiates a pairing process to create a new one. The pairing requires PIN entry, which
provides an opportunity to sniff the devices' traffic and eventually recover the PIN.
But even a forced pairing doesn't make it easy to recover a PIN. For one thing, a bluebugger still faces the same
number-crunching obstacles described earlier by Whitehouse. Shaked and Wool note that a 3-GHz Pentium IV
computer can crack a 4-digit PIN in 63 msec, or a 6-digit PIN in about seven seconds. Cracking a 7-digit PIN,
however, takes over four hours, and longer PINs take much longer.
Another difficulty with this approach , as noted by Wool and Shaked, is that it "requires the attacker to inject a specific
message at a precise point in the protocol. This most likely needs a custom Bluetooth device since off-the-shelf
components will be unable to support such behavior." Also, if such an attack forces a new pairing, the owner or
owners of the attacked devices might decide to postpone pairing until there's an opportunity to do it in private.
Vulnerable?
So, then, Bluetooth's vulnerability comes down to a few key points:

Early, faulty Bluetooth implementations, since corrected.

Users choosing short PINs that are easy to crack with brute-force computing.

Users unwisely pairing Bluetooth devices in public places.

Motivated, dedicated privacy snoops willing and able to use special, and sometime expensive, hardware and
software.
And, of course, user convenience. It's easier for users to leave Bluetooth turned on and discoverable. It's easier to
use a short PIN than a long one.
But users concerned about security will give up a little convenience to get it. And, increasingly, manufacturers of
Bluetooth phones, understanding the tradeoff between security and convenience, will design their phones in ways
that push users toward security. They don't want to be accused of marketing vulnerable technology, after all. They've
had enough of that already.

Posted 15th February 2013 by rocker

3

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1.
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gsmfastest.com22 January 2014 at 22:51

iPhone
Unlock
Via
iTune?
Please
take
backup
of
your
iTunes
before
you
start.
1. Please make sure that you are running the latest version of iTunes software on your computer. You can
check
it
at
http://www.apple.com/itunes/download
The next 2 steps are optional to unlock your iPhone, but these 2 steps will make sure that your iPhone is
running the latest operating system software. If you do not have the original carrier SIM card or do not
wish
to
update
your
firmware,
please
go
to
step
4.
2. If you've the SIM card from your original network (the network your iPhone is currently locked to), insert
it. Connect your iPhone to your computer using the Dock Connector to USB cable provided with your
iPhone.
iphone
unlock
via
imei
iphone unlock via imei is very easy way to unlock iphone you can obtain your imei 06# and apply on
gsmfastest.com
to
get
your
iphone
unlock.
We calculate iphone unlock very fast than others iphone unlock stores
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There are many reasons business owners like to use a tollfree or "800" phone number as their main
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1.
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Lavish

Guys, this is for you. a Full 1080p hd wallpaper.

We'll upload one each week, every week.
ENJOY!!!
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2.
DEC

23

How to tweak photos with Gimp

How to tweak photos with Gimp

Give your precious photos a professional touch with Gimp, a comprehensive
image editing tool.

Its the holidays! Besides gifts, that means boatloads of

photographs. In case you want to give a professional finish to the photographs, but dont want to sell your
kidney to get the software, Gimp comes to your rescue. It gives the other biggies in the segment a run for
their money. With loads of functionality and customisations up for grabs. Here are a few tricks to make your
life easier.
Batch process your images with Gimp
Gimp doesnt have batch processing built into the core software. A simple batch processing plug-in DBP
(Davids Batch Processor) allows the user to automatically perform operations (such as resize, blur, sharpen)
on a collection of image files. This plug-in is included in this months Alpha DVD. Just copy the executable
file and place it underGIMP_INSTALLATION_FOLDERlibgimp2.0plug-ins. Now restart Gimp. Youll find Batch
Processing listed in the Filters menu. Clicking on Batch Processing will bring up the DBP dialog box. The
mechanics are simple, each tab stands for one operation select input files, enable the operations youd
like to perform and fine-tune the respective settings. Select output file type and parameters and youre done.
Theres one catch here though, the default directory for output is same as the current working directory,
hence youll have to change the output directory with the Select Dir button in the Rename tab.

Colour correction of photos with Gimp

Many times, youll come across an image with a colour cast i.e. the picture is evenly affected by a tint of a
particular colour. One of the main problems in dealing with such photographs is that we dont know which
colour to correct.

One of the solution is to target an area of the image that should be white (but isnt), for example, the white of
the eyes or a wall which should be white. If there arent any white areas in the image take the most neutral
(grey) area of the image and in case you have no grey areas, go with the actual color values, for instance
skin tone should be a balanced magenta and yellow with cyan being 10-15 per cent of that value.

Select the Color Picker Tool (O) and click the area which should be white but isnt. In our case, its the
flowers that should be white. Now, click on the Foreground Color box to get the color selection dialog. Here,
set the Saturation(S) to 100 and Value(V) to 60. Create a new layer and fill it with foreground color. With the
new layer selected go to Color > Invert. Once this is done change its blend mode to Overlay. Were not quite
done yet. Youll get another color cast, in this case the photo has acquired a bluish tinge. To counter this,
lower the opacity of the foreground color layer till you get desired result. The value of opacity depends on
the image youre working on.
Note that this method quickly removes color casts but it isnt the only way to colour correct over all
channels. Use Levels and Curves for better control and more effective color correction.
Instagram plugin for Gimp?
Named App of the Year for 2011 by Apple, Instagram lets you apply filters to photographs and publish them
to social networks. Gimp plug-ins (akin to Photoshop actions) make your photos look as if they were
processed by Instagram.

Two of the more famous filters are Lomo and Vintage. You will find these two and many other plug-ins in this
months Alpha DVD. To install them first find the folder where plug-ins are stored. You can find this folder by
navigating to Edit > Preferences > Folders > Scripts. Once the folder is identified, just place .scm plug-in file
from the DVD into that folder. Refresh the script library by going to Filters > Script-Fu > Refresh Scripts and
youre done.

Youll find the plug-in(s) listed under the Filters menu. Once installed, Lomo can be applied by navigating
toFilters > Light and Shadow > Lomo... and Vintage is found at Filters > Artistic > Vintage Look. On selecting
the menu item a dialog will pop up letting you control some aspects of the scripts, youll need to experiment
with different settings to get the desired result. Doing this manually will take some effort, but the end result
makes the effort worth it. You can find more plug-ins and add-ons at goo.gl/uFgOm.
Selective colourisation with Gimp

If you fancy yourself to be the next Steven Spielberg this technique holds the key. In selective colorisation
the photograph is almost entirely converted to black and white, but some parts are left in color for a dramatic
effect. To achieve this, duplicate the image layer, by clicking on the Duplicate button in the Layers window.
De-saturate the duplicate layer, by going to Colors > Desaturate.. and select Average for converting that
layer to black and white.
In the Layers window, right-click on the B&W layer and select Add Layer Mask. In the Add Mask Options
dialog, select White (Full Opacity). Now, select the Brush tool, making sure that the foreground colour is
black. Select a large brush size and start painting the interior of the parts you want to be coloured. Zoom in
when you reach the edge, select a smaller brush with feather for the fringes. Double-check to see if youve
left out any part. And Voila! you are done.
Hassle-free HDR images with Gimp
HDRI stands for High Dynamic Range Imagery, which essentially is a set of techniques allowing a greater
dynamic range between the brightest and darkest areas of the image. Normally, such images are computer
renderings, or multiple low dynamic range (LDR) images merged into one.
Its easy to emulate this effect in Gimp, without the headache of merging multiple files followed by tonemapping. Firstly, install the Dodge and Burn plug-in bundled with this months Alpha DVD. Before you go all
out on converting the image to an HDR one, adjust the brightness and contrast to your liking. In case youre
confused about the best way to do this just runColors > Auto > Whitebalace.

Now duplicate this layer and set that layers opacity to 75 per cent. Duplicate the original image layer, and
bring it on top of all other layers. Go to Colors > Levels, and set the black point in the dialog to 100. The
image should now become darker. Change this darker layers blend mode to Dark only and set this layers
opacity between 30 to 50 per cent depending on the image. Right-click on the top-most layer and select
Merge Visible Layers, in the dialog that follows, select Clipped to image. Now run the Dodge and Burn
plug-in, youll find it under Script-fu > Enhance > Dodge and burn. In the dialog that follows set Thin to 10
and Thick to 25 (though these values are dependent on the picture, youll need to experiment with this tool to
get the desired result). Once this is done select the image layer (youll get two additional layers called Dodge
channel and Burn channel) go to Colors > Hue-Saturation, and set the saturation to 50. Next go to Colors >
Levels and set the black point to 25. Thats it, you just got
your faux HDR image.
your faux HDR image.

Posted 23rd December 2013 by rocker

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3.
DEC

23

How to effectively use Google Calendar

How to effectively use Google Calendar

Become a Google Calendar Ninja after reading these tips to use it better than ever before.

Google Calendar is an awesome time-management offering from Google. Apart from

organising your schedule and letting you share events with friends, Google Calendar has a
trick or two hidden up its sleeves. We bring you some of the better ones which will make
you a Calendar Ninja.How to export Facebook events to Google CalendarFacebook is a
great way to get in touch with people. Apart from that it also has a feature called Events,
where you can organise events, respond to invites and keep up with what your friends are
doing. Facebook is also a great way to keep track of birthdays of your friends. You can
export both events and birthdays to Google Calendar. Just go to the Events section on your
Facebook page. Click on the export link to bring out a pop-up window, copy the URL. In the
Google Calendar window, click on the down arrow near Other calendars and select Add
by URL.

Paste the link in the dialog box that

follows and youre done. Facebook events are now imported into your Google Calendar.
Similarly, you can also export birthdays of all your friends to Google Calendar. Syncing

Google Calendar with mobiles and other applicationsYou dont need to log
into Google Calendar through your web browser to enjoy the benefits of the service. You
can use it from anywhere you want, even your mobile. Starting with PCs, you can sync
Microsoft Outlook with Google Calendar to do so, download the Google Calendar Sync
utility for Outlook from goo.gl/7Ugu6 after installing it, select the appropriate sync options
and time interval and youre done. You can also sync iCal on your Mac or Mozilla
Thunderbird with Google Calendar. This is done using CalDAV (a web standard for accessing
scheduling information on a remote server). You just need to add a new calendar that
points to the Google Calendar servers, you can find detailed instructions at goo.gl/LPrkk.
Google Calendar supports Android, iOS, Blackberry, Symbian and Windows phone. Android
has Calendar available out-of-box and the experience is specifically optimised for Android
and the best among all other platforms. To get Google Calendar on your mobile, scan the
given QR code. It will take you to the Google Sync Website. Once youre there, download
the application, and add your Google Account details and other sync options and youre
good to go.Appointment SlotsIts a recent addition to Calendar. Say you have a
swimming pool or a conference room you want to share with your friends or colleague. You
can use Appointment Slots to allocate a resource to one person. To use it, just click on
Appointment slots when you see the pop-up dialog after clicking on a time-slot in the
calendar. Fill in the details, by going to Edit details. Copy the URL on the top as the
guests will be able to book their appointment from that particular site. Now put this URL
on a publicly available website and people can come in and book their appointments in a
slot that is free. The use of appointment slots is not limited to this. Its a very a handy tool
with many possibilities.

Notifications via SMS and

Daily AgendaYou can setup Google Calendars to get notifications about an event via a
SMS. To do so, youll need to go to settings and register your mobile phone. Once that is
done, select the calendar for which you want to receive notifications (you can get
notifications from multiple
calendars).

Select when youd like to be

reminded before the event.You can also select how to get a reminder via an email, SMS or
a pop-up.You can also have your daily agenda sent to you (this is sent at 5:00 in the
morning), which lists all the events scheduled for the day and hence you can plan your day
better. You can also tell Calendar to send you notifications about events like change of
time, cancellation, responses and so

on.

Weather inside your

calendarMost of us arent lucky enough to have our phones tell us about the weather.
Google Calendar has a nifty little feature that shows weather forecast for the coming days
so you can plan you schedule accordingly. To enable this feature, go to the Calendar
settings page which can be accessed by clicking on the gear icon at the top-right corner of
the screen. Enter your location and temperature preferences and youre done. When you
return to the calendar home page youll see a small icon at the beginning of each day
showing that days weather prediction.

To do listsTo do lists have always

been an excellent way to boost productivity. Basically a list of all tasks that you have to
perform in a day. You go on striking out the ones youve completed. Google Calendar has
integrated this feature as Tasks.
You

just select the Tasks from My Calendars and a pane will pop up on the right-hand side of
the screen. You can now add items to your task list. Click on the checkbox as soon as
youre done with the task and the item will be striked-out. Public calendarsSimilar to
Google Docs, you have the option of making your calendar public. When you choose to do
this, all of your events will appear in the public search results of Google Calendar and
Google Web Search. Additionally, everyone can add it to their calendar list or use your
Calendar Address. You can make your calendar public by clicking down arrow near the
appropriate calendar and then select Share this calendar. In the screen that follows,
select Make this calendar public. You can also share your free/busy information, without
the details.
Posted 23rd December 2013 by rocker
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4.
DEC

23

How to thoroughly disinfect your Windows PC in case of a virus

How to thoroughly disinfect your Windows PC in case of a virus

If youre in a situation where a virus has infested your PC to the point of hair-tearing frustration, dont panic. Weve all
had this problem at some point of time in our lives, so just follow our instructions and youll be fine

Computers have their own shelf life, but virus and malware issues cut that time exponentially. Even if you follow preventive
measures to the letter, computer viruses are so named because they have the knack of evolving faster than people can find a way
to counteract them. They are a seemingly never-dying breed, but then its an occupational hazard that comes with owning
technology.

First: Take measures to prevent infection

Preventing infection is easiest with a brand new machine. Its even easier if you decide to keep your computer completely isolated.
Dont connect it to the internet. Dont plug it to an external hard drive or pen drive. Dont install anything on it from any external
source. If that is the case, stop reading this article right here. Youre doing everything right with respect to owning a completely
uninfectable computer. If, however, your PC is more than just an expensive paperweight, read on.

The first thing you do when you get a new computer is get a good antivirus. Now you can choose to go for a paid solution but free
ones such as Avast are good as well.

Install the antivirus on the PC, and then update it online. Your first line of defence is set, more or less. This should take care of most
of the problems you may have faced early in the game.

Avoid downloading anything that you know nothing about. Theres a lot of freeware out there that is riddled with viruses
piggybacking on them. When installing a new program, make sure you dont install any add-on software unintentionally. Usually
these add-on extra software are listed as options in the install process, with boxes prematurely checked and ready.

Go through individual steps of the install procedures, instead of just clicking yes and next throughout to hasten the process.

Try verifying the safety of a website before you visit it. Yes, the antivirus is supposed to block malicious online content, and it
certainly does, but you need to remember that everything, including your awesome, antivirus isnt infallible.

The most important advice of all: watch what you download. A lot of the Trojans and other malware that make their way to your PC

are a result of zero vigilance. Keep your eyes open when downloading off ANYWHERE from the internet. You never know whats
infected.

Then
establish
cause
and
effect
How do you know if youve been infected? First off, verify that it is indeed an infection that is plaguing your PC. There have been
several scenarios where people say My computer is infected, but on further examination, the infection turns out to be faulty
hardware or badly installed firmware. Cross out the less dramatic options before you jump to the conclusion that your PC is, indeed,
infected.

Read
and
decipher
the
signs
There are some distinct signs that would indicate malware or viruses. A slow computer would be one sign. This is because your
system processes are being used by other malicious software. On occasion, your computer would restart for no rhyme or reason.
Another sign would be the fact that certain windows features that help you manually remove the malware would cease to work like
your Registry Editor (regedit), Task Manager (taskmgr.exe), Command Prompt (cmd.exe), System configuration utility (msconfig),
Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc). If this happens, move on to disinfection. Other telltale signs include your web browser starts acting
up by giving you search results which have nothing at all to do with what you were actually searching for. Installed programs start
crashing randomly or start behaving in an odd manner. Sometimes, Microsoft Update starts giving you error messages, and the
official
websites
would
be
inaccessible.
The clincher of a sign that your PC is infected is your antivirus starts acting up and nothing you do it would make it work. Websites
which
offer
antiviruses
wont
let
you
download
any
programs
either.
Disclaimer: Please note that BSOD is very rarely a sign of virus attacks. Its mostly a result of your hardware being in a state of
disrepair.

First
disinfect
via
safe
mode
The most common method usually involves rebooting your PC in safe mode. This is mainly because this helps during
troubleshooting various software and your operating system as a whole. Keep in mind that in some cases the user is denied the
option to boot in Safe Mode or Safe mode with Networking. This would mean your infection has spread too far, and you need to try
one of the other (possibly radical) measure mentioned in the tips that follow.

Booting the computer in safe mode or safe mode with networking ensures that the PC loads only the basic and absolutely
necessary system drivers and services. These steps are a lot more effective because there is a much better chance that the virus
will not be loaded at start-up. The safe mode with networking option lets you download the required security software to run a full
scan for viruses and clean the system.

Keep in mind that when disinfecting with this method, it is imperative that your account has Administrator rights.

Getting into Safe Mode: To enter Safe Mode, boot your computer and press F8 before Windows starts loading to enter the Windows
boot menu. Use this menu to access Safe Mode. When you reach that menu, select Safe Mode with Networking from the list of boot
options. Booting with Networking is recommended its better if you have internet access to solve your virus problem. Once your
PC has booted in Safe Mode, open Internet Explorer. Yes, we know were all fans of Chrome and/or Firefox, and most of us may
have even removed IE from our system, but its an unfortunate fact that using any other browser while running Windows in safe
mode often causes more problems than it tries to solve. So grow up, get online and download a reliable antivirus software to try and
clean your PC. We would suggest Avast! or AVG if you dont intend to spend any money in this process. Either buy the install disc
and install it in safe mode, or buy online from a clean PC, then download the setup and install it on the infected one. Whichever
scanner you use though remember not to rush the scan. Go for the most thorough scan. The scan will (it should) take a few hours.
So take off for the day. Take a road trip with your closest friends and remember to complain about how bad your PCs infection was,
and remember who to thank for helping you fix it.

Invest in a premium antivirus!

Clean-up
using
Ubuntu
If the safe mode method didnt work, and your problem is much bigger, i.e. your computer isnt booting and you dont have access to
the OS. Well - be afraid. Be very afraid.

No, not really. Relax. Its probably a boot sector virus.

What is a boot sector virus? Were glad you asked.

A boot sector virus is a virus that places its own codes and commands into a hard drives boot sector (also known as its Master Boot
Record). When this kind of virus infects a system, the Master Boot Record usually gets corrupted. This means that the computers
boot sequence has changed. Boot sector viruses can be dangerous and very creative. They are loaded onto a computer every time
one starts up, and in time, they can spread to the rest of your disks. An infection by a boot sector virus generally leads to Booting
and start up problems, instability in your computers performance, data retrieval issues and the inability to detect your hard drives on
your PC.

This problem, however tedious, is quite curable. Of course, there is the option of running a high-level format on the hard drive, and
yes, that would fix your problem, but it would also wipe out any data that is on the drive. If you need to keep the data, the answer is
quite simple: Ubuntu.

A Windows boot sector hard drive has no impact on the Linux kernel. Plugging in your hard drive into a PC which runs on Ubuntu
and running one of its virus scans on it would do the trick. In case you dont have a Ubuntu PC handy, read Digits last issue the
Workshop section has a handy method of installing Ubuntu on a pen drive.

Avast on Ubuntu

Once you boot in Ubuntu, scan the hard drive with any number of the Linux-compatible antiviruses available. Avast! and AVG both
have Linux versions as well, and Bitdefender, ClamAV and F-Prot are good options too.

The Ubuntu method works for most Windows antivirus issues. If you want to be extremely sure that your PC is clean, we suggest
you go through both techniques for a full cleanse.

Better
safe
than
sorry
Though weve mentioned this several times above, remember, its a lot better to get a full-fledged and trustworthy antivirus software
to take care of your cleanup needs. Even after you disinfect your system, keep a keen eye open for virus issues, and keep running
AV scans on your system regularly to make sure youre virus-free. You can never be too safe, and you will always be way too sorry.
Posted 23rd December 2013 by rocker
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5.
DEC

23

How to optimise your gaming experience

How to optimise your gaming experience

Hold your own and suck out the most possible performance from your system, or in the very least, add to your
gaming.

Gaming has always has its own select cult following. Over the past couple of decades, with the advent of modern console gaming,
PC Games have to keep up with an opposing force that grows greater by the year. In turn, gamers today have to keep their systems
top-notch and consistently updated to ensure the ever-elusive optimal gaming experience. However, even with the best hardware in
the market today, it can be tough (and most of the time, impossible) for a gamer to do an annual overall hardware update or keep
his/her pace with the ever-shrinking bytes. Of course, the easier option in this case would be to buy a console. There are always
rewards in the puritan approach. Theres also the added advantage of not worrying about upgrading your hard disk, RAM and GPU
every two years to play the latest instalment of your favourite game series (that is, until the next generation of console comes out
and yours joins your laptop in the things of yesteryear pile But pros and cons, right?); And still, without the feel of a keyboard and
mouse in FPSes just doesnt feel the same.
So keeping that option aside, and assuming you arent one of those millionaire geeks, there are some techniques out there to hold
your own and suck out the most possible performance from your system, or in the very least, add to your gaming.
Lets start with the obvious stuff, shall we?
Admittedly, the computer is a masterpiece of technology, but not unlike anything else mechanical, it can only do so much with the
hardware installed. Games today are already very complicated, so theres no point in overworking your computer. Be a little smarter
and use some common sense when setting up your system for gaming.
Update your graphics drivers. Im sure its hard to remember. And if that is the case with you, check the settings of your graphic
cards driver interface - Theres an option that states automatically update drivers. If you have a bad memory, let the computer
remember to do it for you. Its not that hard, and itll give you one less thing to consider when youre wondering why Nomad is taking
so long to fire his weapon.
Close unnecessary programs. Shut down your instant messaging clients. Even if youre playing on the best system money can buy,
a message notification can randomly your game at critical junctures, causing your game to handle like a sluggish drunk on a
Saturday night. That is, presuming your game doesnt just crash.
If your social life cant take a break for a while, check out in-game messaging clients like: XFire (http://www.xfire.com/), Raptr
(http://raptr.com/) and Steam (http://store.steampowered.com/). Lower the load on your RAM and GUI. Unless youre on an
incredibly slow system, programs like notepad probably wont make a dent, but the least you can do is shut down your Adobe suite
and Microsoft office before cranking up your game. Shut down whatever programs you have running as background tasks. Check
your task manager to end the processes you wont use for your game. Sure, they arent visibly performing any tasks, but theyre
obviously leeching off your processing power in some small way. Remember to leave your sound and graphics controllers alone,
though (yes, as I stated before, this is the obvious stuff).
Optimise gaming through FRAPS:
FRAPS is a useful tool if youre one of those gamers who likes to review their style to improve their skill - or simply one of those
people who like uploading walkthroughs and gameplay videos on YouTube. Be as it may, its always good to be familiar with
FRAPS. This video game capture software is undoubtedly the biggest name in the professional game recording community. We that
its mainly because it offers great quality videos, excellent video compression and above all, its the easiest software available online
with respect to controls and usability.
FRAPS, (Frame Rate Per Second) stays true to its name. One of its main features is the yellow numbers that you have the option to
disable or show in any corner of your desktop. This is a siample way of measuring the consistency of the frame rate (which is part of
the benchmarking process). The game-recording software gives you complete control over audio-visual recording as well as
screenshots which help set benchmarks for gaming reviewers.Its simple interface marks it high on the user-friendly scale. The one
constant complaint about FRAPS is the monster size of the video files it captures. You can record up to 4GB of footage at a time,
and to take full advantage of this softwares high quality recording using high frame-rates and still avoiding issues concerning lag,
one should be prepared with a good processor. If you intend to go on for a few hours, we would recommend a USB 3.0 hard drive
for storage, as a precaution.

Overall, FRAPS does just enough to set itself apart and at the same time, lay the benchmark for other software of the same nature
without breaking a sweat.
How to optimise gaming through Raptr and NVIDIA GeForce Experience:
Raptr was started back in 2007 by Dennis Fong (of XFire fame) and played a huge role in pushing online gaming to the level it is in
today. It gave gamers worldwide a common hub to come together - gamers own personal social networking website. Its primary
function when it was created was an umbrella like leaderboard for gamers to get a platform where their skills in the field are
appreciated and understood.

Of late, since Raptr launched its desktop app, it connects members and their gaming effectively, giving people convenient,
consistent and mobile connectivity.
Meanwhile, in relatively more recent news, NVIDIA launched its own all-in-one PC Game optimiser. NVIDIA GeForce Experience is,
admittedly very useful with the games it supports.
Features: It primarily works as a jack of all trades. When installed, it scans your system for detailed specifications of your computer,
correlates that to the recommended system requirements for the games already installed on your PC, and tells you what
configuration would be suited best for running the game on your system. Its Shadowplay feature, when enabled, it leverages the
NVEnc fixed-function encoder built into Kepler-based GPUs and automatically records the last 20 minutes of gameplay. players also
have the option of manual control. This is a great replacement for software-based solutions like FRAPS, for people who record their
gameplay, which reduces the load on your host processor.
Enter the Gaming Mode:
Almost all antiviruses today have an option called gaming mode during which they switch to either minimum or zero consumption of
your laptops resources. Its a handy tool to have, and goes a long way to amp up your game performance. Freeing the RAM and
the little GPU memory that they consume, it can make the difference between smooth sailing and jerky gameplay with an
overheated unit
Virtual Private Networks:
LogMeIn Hamachi is one example of several VPN (Virtual Private Network) creating software available online. Hamachi specifically
is easy-to-use to set up a VPN thats sophisticated enough for a small network of gamers online. Admittedly, Hamachi isnt an
enterprise-grade VPN like Juniper and Cisco, but its reliable enough to ensure that your VPN is secure. It is comparatively much
easier to set up, so its a great option for a small group of users The free version is a cheap and convenient for people who want to
game on a closed LAN-like network. It has string security and does very well emulating a virtual Local Area Network. And if
required, Hamachi also has a premium paid version for those who can afford it
Other free options in VPN providers which have comparatively easier interfaces include TunnelBear and VPNBook.
Optimize your in-game graphic settings:
If youre all too familiar with the terms V-Sync, FXAA and Anisotropic Filtering, then you can skip this last segment of the article. For
those who dont, heres a short segment explaining what to do with those settings in your Video/Graphic settings in your in-game
Options menu.
Vertical Sync: It fixes the tearing (misalignment of pixels) of the screen due to a discrepancy in your refresh rate. Put it on only if you
experience this.
Screen Resolution: Adjust the resolution of the game within the maximum resolution of your own system. Sometimes this difference
in resolutions can cause some major lag issues in your gaming.
Anti-Aliasing and FXAA: AA smoothes out jagged pixels in a game when the games resolution is on a much lower one than that of
the screen. Its effective, but we suggest you only raise the AA of the game after maxing out the appropriate resolution of the game.
If the game is having issues with speed, you should just switch this feature off. FXAA stands for Fast Approximate Anti-Aliasing. It
does the same thing the AA feature does, but using lesser power from your processor. The downside is, instead of jagged edges in
an environment, you end up having blurry edges. So use this feature in accordance to your preferable visual sacrifice.
Anisotropic Filtering: This tweak deals with textures of distant objects in your games environment. Graphic cards today can handle
high levels of this filter, so feel free to keep that at a maximum. However, if you think it is causing a drop in frame rate, keep it on 2x
instead of completely off. It shouldnt cause much of a difference in performance, and would enhance your experience considerably.
Shadow Quality, Field of View and Texture Quality: As the names suggest, these features deal with the quality of your environment
from the point of making it more realistic. While setting these (usually on high, medium and low), you should do so at your own

preference and discretion. Set these on maximum first, then bring each down a notch in descending order of what youd like to give
up. The reverse may also work.
Gaming today has more options. Keeping up with new features may take time and effort, but its all worth it. Game On.
Posted 23rd December 2013 by rocker
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6.
DEC

23

Living without Google on a Windows Phone 8

Living without Google on a Windows Phone 8

Here are some apps to keep in mind if Windows volatile policies about Google start causing trouble for you in the
near future

As it was made clear recently, Windows support for Google and its apps has reached a bare minimum. Unfortunately, not an
essential minimum, which means we get to write a workshop on how to survive this harsh reality for all you people who own
Windows phones and have joined the majority of the masses when it comes to Google reliance. We suggest you keep this
workshop safe, because even if Windows comes to its senses, its an app-eat-app world out there and you never know when this
knowledge
may
come
in
handy.
Getting past the issue with contacts:

Exporting your contacts for Outlook from Gmail

Based on a post on WP8 forums it would appear that if you decide to reset your phone, or for any reason delete your Google
account sync, thats the end of it. It will synchronize your emails, but your Google contacts and calendar will cease to exist. So step
numero
Uno:
Dont
do
it!
Oh. You already did? Pity. But dont worry. In all honesty, its an inconvenience, but not one thats too complicated to handle. Sign
into your Google account on your PC and enter the Contacts tab. In the More drop box, enter the Export... menu, select All
contacts and check the Outlook CSV Format. Save the CSV file wherever convenient on your PC, then log into Outlook in your
browser using the Microsoft Live ID your phone is registered to. Use the drop-down menu on the top left to enter People. Select the
Import from file option and browse for your saved CSV file. Your Outlook ID now has your Google contacts all exported and ready
to
use.
If you want to do away with bothering with two IDs altogether, enter the settings menu (the gear-shaped icon on the top right-hand
corner) in your Outlook account and select More mail settings. Select Import email accounts and give Outlook permission to
access your Gmail ID and synchronize everything to your Outlook account, and youre a People person again. Only this time,
Outlook
stores
your
contacts
and
email,
primarily.
Getting Hangouts on WP8:

Google Hangouts on IM+

Cant use your Google account to chat on WP8 because theres no Hangout app? Shift to IM+.
IM+ is a neat app in itself. It synchronizes all your IM-ing into one concrete application. Effectively, you can do away with every
instant messaging app and just rely on this. Unless, of course, youre the kind that doesnt like consolidating your chats. Admittedly,
it handles some infrequent platforms as well like Sina, Mig33, Fetion and Gadu-Gadu; but also puts Hangouts, FB Chat, Yahoo!
Messenger,
Skype
and
Windows
Live
under
one
banner.
Its
a
smooth
app,
and
easy-to
use.
Accessing your G+ on Windows Phone8:

Okay, admittedly, G+ isnt all that popular. But keeping that aside, for all those of you whore really into it, iOS and Android offer
native Google+ apps. Windows Phone 8 mostly has third-party replacements that display a mobile view of the website.
After trying a few other options, one of the best alternatives for Google+ is the Google Plus Viewer. Its free and has a pretty smooth
user interface. When one opens the app, it renders a mobile view and most of the traditional Google+ features are available right
there,
like
on
any
browser.
Alternatives for Google Drive on WP8:

GDrive

This apps so good that it feels like the real thing. After an hour of testing, we realized that this app is NOT by Google. GDrive by
Pedro Lamas is your Google Drive sync app on the WP8. It provides a very neat mobile interface to view your Google Drive files.
With the exception of eBooks, GDrive could open pretty much any file directly off the app. Smooth, well-designed and quick to
impress, GDrive is a must for any of you who rely on Google cloud storage for their backups.
Third-Party Google Maps Apps:

GMaps

No. Not an official Google map app for WP8, just yet. With the Apple fiasco followed by the latest catfight with Windows, Google
seems to be backing on the Android market for Google Map users. But thats a topic for a whole different story. For Windows users
who arent too fond of HERE Maps (previously known as Nokia Maps), the best third-party replacement for Google maps is gMaps
by DreamTeam Mobile. You could pay Rs. 135 for it, or simply download the ad-friendly version. The UI is a lot friendlier than most
other
map
apps.
Shift to UC browser:

UC UI
No Chrome Browser for Windows? Switch. Presenting UC Browser. Its Chrome with a difference. Lightweight, easy to use and
available on Windows. Sync your bookmarks, use Google search freely, and say goodbye to the Internet Explorer for WP8. Easy as
click-and
go.
There are several such third-party apps available in the Windows Store. If these dont suit you, and if youre willing to pay, services
improve considerably. But while you find your way to apps that meet your needs, the apps and methods mentioned above should
keep you satisfied.
Posted 23rd December 2013 by rocker
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7.
DEC

23

Samsung Galaxy S5: The most interesting rumours out there

Samsung Galaxy S5: The most interesting rumours out there

The Samsung Galaxy S5 is already the subject of plenty of rumours about its super high-res screen, 64-bit CPU and
more. Here's a list of what's the buzz around the Galaxy S5.

Even though it's just been a couple of months since the Galaxy S4 launched, we've already started seeing rumours about its
successor- the Galaxy S5. These rumours point to a better display, faster processor, an evolved chipset and even a retina scanner.
Let's take a look at some of these rumours:
The Galaxy S5 may have a QHD display
According to these rumours, Samsung will be applying QHD (quad-HD) tech onto their smart phone next year (not to be confused
with qHD which points to a resolution of 960x540 pixels). The rumours state that Samsung has already developed the technology
and is now figuring out a way to mass produce it. Flagship smartphones today sport displays with full HD resolution (1920x1280)
while QHD resolution is 2560x1440 pixels, which is about four times the number of pixels than on a full HD display. Samsung is
expected to reveal the first QHD smart phone at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in February according to internal sources.
PLS LCD displays for Galaxy S5
According to the Korean media, Samsung is considering using PLS LCD displays on next year's flagships like the Galaxy S5 and
Note 4, in order to reduce production costs by almost 20%. Samsung already uses PLS LCDs on its tablets such as the Nexus 10
and the Galaxy Note 10.1, and the company is now considering adopting the technology for its phones as well.
Samsung Galaxy S5 64-bit CPU
The rumors are also on about Samsung launching the S5 with a 64-bit processor, thanks to an ARM executive spilling the beans on
how Samsung had picked up a new ARM chip for 2014. CNET reported that during a presentation at Samsung's Analyst Day in
Seoul, South Korea, Samsung revealed a two-prong approach in creating a 64-bit chip: first develop a 64-bit chip based on ARM's
design, and then develop its own "optimized" 64-bit CPU core design. This approach was revealed by Stephen Woo, president of
System LSI at Samsung Electronics, although a specific time frame for the custom core was not provided.
Samsung Galaxy S5 rumored to pack 14nm Exynos 6 chipset
A report in Korean media has emerged that potentially sheds light on the CPU of the yet to be revealed Samsung Galaxy S5.
Reportedly, the next generation Samsung Galaxy S smartphone will pack an Exynos 6 CPU with 14nm architecture and 64-bit
support. The current generation uses 28nm process, while previous rumors have suggested that Samsung is working on 20nm
architecture.
Eye scanner on the Galaxy S5
The next Samsung smartphone will have both fingerprint sensors and iris scanners for security, according to ZDNet Korea.
Samsung integrated eye-tracking tech into the Galaxy S4, so it would make sense that the company was looking for a way to add a
security element to the mix as well.

Rugged Water-And-Dust Proof S5

Sources have told Korean publication ETNews that the Samsung Galaxy S5 will be waterproof and dustproof similar to the Galaxy
S4 Active. The Galaxy S4 Active debuted shortly after the original Galaxy S4, to rave reviews, much to Samsungs surprise,
reportedly. It appears customers appreciated the incorporation of metal into the Galaxy S4 Active design, which gives it a more
premium look in comparison to Samsungs other polycarbonate-encased devices.
Samsung Galaxy S5 operating system
All previous headlining Galaxy S handsets have sported the Android operating system and we don't expect that to change with the
Galaxy S5. Google's latest version of its mobile platform, Android 4.4 KitKat, is launched in October 2013, so it's highly likely this will
be the version of choice for the Galaxy S5 come March. There's a rumor that throws a spanner in the works though, suggesting that
Samsung will offer the Galaxy S5 in both Android and its homebrewn Tizen variants.
Posted 23rd December 2013 by rocker
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8.
DEC

23

Cover- an app that unlocks the potential of your Android device's lockscreen

Cover- an app that unlocks the potential of your Android device's

lockscreen

Bored of your default Android lock-screen? Try this Android lock-screen app that adapts and uses your location to
place items on a neat looking platform.

The great thing about Android is that it allows a lot customisation as well as personalisation thanks to the endless number of apps,
wallpapers and themes. We recently bumped into a beta app called Cover which is basically a lock-screen replacement for your
Android
smartphone.
Cover is a simple and clean looking app which brings in some extra features to your lock-screen making it much more useful. Cover
adapts and places your frequently used apps and keeps changing them based on your location and time of the day.

The app can lock onto your location using GPS and switch between profiles like home, work, outdoors and car. According to the
different locations and time of the day, Cover places apps in a dock that you are most likely to use and with just a swipe you can
launch the app. It even offers a multitasking feature, where by long pressing on your Android status bar a drop-down list appears
with your most commonly used apps.

The app runs on Android 4.1 and above devices and is currently available on the Google Play store for US, Canada, and Europe. It
is expected to arrive in all regions soon. One can even grab the installation file and sideload the app on an Android device.
Posted 23rd December 2013 by rocker
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9.
DEC

23

Building Android NDK applications with Intel Integrated Performance Primitives (Intel IPP)

Building Android NDK applications with Intel Integrated

Performance Primitives (Intel IPP)
This article gives an introduction on how to add Intel IPP functions into Android NDK applications. Intel IPP provides
processor-specific optimization, and only can be linked with native Android C/C++ code.

Intel Integrated Performance Primitives (Intel IPP) provides highly optimized building block functions for image processing, signal
processing, vector math and small matrix computation. Several Intel IPP domains contain the hand-tuned functions for Intel Atom
processor by taking advantage of Intel Streaming SIMD Extensions (Intel SSE) instructions. The Intel IPP static non-threaded
Linux* libraries now support the Android* OS, and can be used with Android applications.

This article gives an introduction on how to add Intel IPP functions into Android NDK applications. Intel IPP provides processorspecific optimization, and only can be linked with native Android C/C++ code. To use Intel IPP with your application, you need to
include Intel IPP functions in your source code, and you also need to add Intel IPP libraries into the building command line.

Using Intel IPP

1. Adding Intel IPP functions in source
Include the Intel IPP header files (ipp.h) in the source files.
Call ippInit() before using any other Intel IPP functions. Intel IPP detects the processor features and selects the
optimizing code path for the target processors. Before calling any other Intel IPP functions, call ippInit() to initialize the CPU
dispatching for Intel IPP.
Call Intel IPP functions in your C/C++ source.

2. Including Intel IPP libraries into the Android NDK build files
Copy Intel IPP libraries and headers to your project folder.
Find Intel libraries required for the application: Intel IPP libraries are categorized into different domains. Each

domain has its own library, and some domain libraries depend on other ones. It needs to include all domain libraries and their
dependencies into the linkage line. Check the article Intel IPP Library Dependencies to learn about the required Intel IPP libraries.
Add the Intel IPP libraries to android building script file jni/Android.mk:

Declare each Intel IPP library as the prebuilt library module. For example, if the application uses two Intel IPP libraries
"libipps.a" and "libippcore.a", add the following into the file:
include $(CLEAR_VARS)
LOCAL_MODULE := ipps
LOCAL_SRC_FILES := ../ipp/lib/ia32/libipps.a
include $(PREBUILT_STATIC_LIBRARY)
include $(CLEAR_VARS)
LOCAL_MODULE := ippcore
LOCAL_SRC_FILES := ../ipp/lib/ia32/libippcore.a
include $(PREBUILT_STATIC_LIBRARY)
Add the header path and Intel IPP libraries into the modules calling Intel IPP functions:
include $(CLEAR_VARS)
LOCAL_MODULE := IppAdd
LOCAL_SRC_FILES := IppAdd.c
LOCAL_STATIC_LIBRARIES := ipps ippcore
LOCAL_C_INCLUDES := ./ipp/include
include $(BUILT_SHARED_LIBRARY)
Building one sample code

A simple example is included below that shows Intel IPP usage in the native Android code. The code uses the Intel
IPP ippsAdd_32f() function to add data for two arrays.
To review Intel IPP usage in the code:
Download the sample code and unpack it to your project folder (<projectdir>).
Learn Intel IPP usage in the source files: The "jni/IppAdd.c" file provides the implementation of one native

function NativeIppAdd(). The function calls the Intel IPP ippsAdd_32f() function. The
"src/com/example/testippadd/ArrayAddActivity.java" file calls the native "NativeIppAdd()" function through JNI.
Check the "jni/Android.mk" file. This file adds the required Intel IPP libraries into the build script. The sample

uses the ippsAdd_32f() function, which belongs to the Intel IPP signal processing domain. The function depends on "libipps.a" and
"libippcore.a" libraries. The "Android.mk" file creates two prebuilt libraries for them.
You can build the sample code either using the SDK and NDK command tools or using Eclipse* IDE
Build the sample from a command line
Copy the Intel IPP headers and libraries into your project folder (e.g. <projectdir>/ipp).
Run the "ndk-build" script from your project's directory to build the native code

>cd <projectdir>
><ndkdir>/ndk-build

Build the Android package and install the application

>cd <projectdir>
>android update project -p . -s

>ant debug
>adb install bin/ArrayAddActivity-debug.apk

Build the sample by Eclipse* IDE

Copy the Intel IPP headers and libraries into your project folder (e.g. <projectdir>/ipp).
In Eclipse, click File >> New >> Project... >> Android >> Android Project from Existing Code. In the "Root

Directory", select the sample code folder, then click Finish.

Run the 'ndk-build' script from your project's directory to build the native code:

>cd <projectdir>
><ndkdir>/ndk-build

Build the application in the Eclipse IDE and deploy the .apk file.
Posted 23rd December 2013 by rocker
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2.
DEC

23

Preview : Warthunder
The next step in battle simulator evolution is nearly upon us and we take a look at the game in its current beta testing
phase.

The latest entrant into this scenario, "Warthunder" has now entered stage two of the beta testing where land based warfare trials
have commenced. Currently, we only have access to the aerial module and we take a look at that in this preview of Warthunder.

Hunger for Thunder

Simulator fans rejoice for Gaijin Entertainment is back with yet another great game which involves not only airplanes but also naval
and ground warfare. WarThunder is being made to a much larger scale than all its predecessors and by the looks of it, it just might
pull off what weve all been waiting for a complete battle enactment with air, naval and ground elements combined.

A step back in time

The era on which WarThunder focuses is the period before World War 2 and the early Korean War though history nerds will be more
than happy to point out discrepancies with both. There are plenty of aircrafts to snuggle your bottoms into and speed into the battle
and currently you have five nations to owe your loyalty too including England, Germany, USA, Russia and Japan. If bi-planes are
what you prefer then the Po-2 is at your disposal or maybe youd prefer a MiG-15 to blow the lil Po-2 to smithereens. However, we
doubt that will ever happen given no sensible matchmaking will ever put two aircraft of two separate era in combat. But as weve
seen in World of Tanks where joining a platoon could let a Tier-2 choo-choo get in on the action beside Tier-9 mammoths, even this
game could allow for something like that. After all, its still in Open Beta phase.

Biplanes baby!

Oooh What huge maps you have

The small maps stand at a mere 65 kilometers x 65 kilometers. Thats pretty much essential for high speed aircraft but there is the
option of flying across 200 kilometers x 200 kilometers maps as well. The terrain is based on real-life battle scenarios of that bygone
era and with 6 players on each side to act it out the matches dont feel like a lacklustre experience especially for keyboard and
mouse fanatics. The graphical detailing of each aircraft including the cockpit are pretty darn good and with a good system one could
make a machinima that would feel just as real as the movies.

Majestic maps modeled on real world terrain await your presence

Gameplay
As of now the game is far from being finished with more and more components undergoing Beta Testing and only the lucky ones
can play with Tanks and Airplanes. The rest of us common folk are limited to flying airplanes. The choice of aircraft that one can pilot
is decided by your rank. So we all start off with Rank 0 reserve aircrafts till one collects 120,000 exp to advance to Rank 1 where the
action finally starts and youll notice that you die a lot more than you kill absolutely normal pattern. More and more features are
being released one after the other so in order to experience the full gameplay well have to wait for a while but till then airplanes are
more than sufficient to keep you glued to the screen, after all there are 5 million other players as of now.
There
are
three
game
modes
currently:
1.
Arcade
battles
The simplest mode and also the most fun for newbies is the arcade mode where you dont even bother with the takeoff or landing.
The very first match I got into I managed to kill off 6 planes and pillboxes with absolutely no training. All because the physics are
greatly simplified which means youll rarely die of anything but sheer stupidity. The wings dont come off when you go into a steep
dive and recover just as easily and turning in what purists would call an unnatural manner. However, not all aspects of reality are
bumped
off,
the
heavier
aircraft
still
feel
so
and
the
difference
in
agility
is
quite
noticeable.
2.
Historical
battles
This mode starts off with a tutorial on learning how to takeoff and land an aircraft and isnt a difficult prospect compared to most flight
simulators since the controls are still pretty simple and one can takeoff and land using just the mouse. This is the arena where
realism has been ramped up a bit and the planes need to be handled a lot better if you wish to keep your wings, literally. The
aspect of takeoffs and landing comes into play when you have to capture key airstrips and to re-fuel.
3.
Full
real
battles
And finally, we have the mode where the gameplay could either put you off forever or keep you glued forever. Everything about this
mode feels real, you are limited to the cockpit view which itself pulls you away from the rear camera view that one is accustomed to.
Real battles like the Battle of Guam, The attack on Pearl Harbour , Battle of the Bulge etc, are some of those that you can reenact.The detailing in the cockpit might be too mesmerising for you to pay attention to the actual battle scene but then again the
maps arent exactly simple either. When you get hit you will know how helpless pilots of that era felt. This mode requires you to
switch to a joystick to get the full experience.

Blaze of glory? I say not!

The payment model is F2P with the choice of buying premium currency to speed up your progress through the ages though there
really isnt any need to spend money unless you wish to own premium only aircraft which would be unattainable for a F2P account.
With these games, the multiplayer aspect is what excites most people but for the rest there are sixty single player missions and
thirteen campaigns which re-enact historical battles during the second world war. Experience is gained via the single player
missions as well and its advisable to give it a go if you wish to get into a Rank 1 aircraft faster than grinding through multiplayer
battles.

For consoles too

Thats right, the game has already been released to those in the EU who own a PS4 and even Mac owners can partake in the open
beta. There hasnt been any news of a release on the XBOX ONE but with the hardware being similar to the PS4 it wouldnt be a
surprise if we see a release for the Microsoft console as well.

By release you'll be torpedoing ships played by humans and not NPCs

Verdict
The game is far from being complete but with what weve seen so far and given the previous games Gaijin has come out with, this
one should be fun for years to come. The game has me sold over the combat and the realism aspect but one can never
underestimate if a drastic change in the future could wreck the experience completely but till then Id give it two thumbs up. Now
where did I put my pesky MiG-9...
Posted 23rd December 2013 by rocker
Labels: Games Gaming
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