Security & Hacking: DEFCON 20 "Can You Track Me Now?"

DEFCON 20: Can You Track Me Now? Government And Corporate Surveillance Of Mobile Geo-Location Data

This was posted on Youtube November 22, 2012, so was well before Snowden release of information in May of 2013.

Main emphasis of this talk was tracking of cell phones.

But Christopher Soghoian briefly covers, at 31:05, that both Android (Google) & iOS (Apple) device encryption can be defeated by Google & Apple respectively.

This is a service they provide for Law Enforcement & other Government agencies.

Google can force a password reset for Android device, they don't require physical access.

Apple appears to use what Soghoian calls a "Master Skeleton key," they require departments to provide actual device (ie physical access).  They then provide unencrypted data on a CD, while device remains encrypted.

I wonder if they might actually need device to decrypt data with way devices since iPhone 4S & iPad 2 have been designed (they have hardware based encryption).

Entire video is worth watching, though it is rather long, they joke about having 3 different audience during the course of the talk.
 

One NFC Ring to Rule Them All

NFC Ring by John McLear

I really hope this is successful, looks like a very practical solution to smartphone security for average people IMHO.

iPhone 4S and newer, and most Blackberry's (with correct settings for MicroSD card) have good device security if locked with strong password, but entering strong password on touchscreens is a major PITA!

I am thinking this would provide a way to use a very strong password, without having to manually enter it all the time, so if your smartphone was lost/stolen, your data would be secure.

Their Kickstarter link http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mclear/nfc-ring

Their Blog is at http://blog.nfcring.com/
Their Webpage (future main site?) http://nfcring.com/

I like the Rackspace NFC ring Hacker challenge for DEFCON (can win $100 of  free hosting) see
http://developer.rackspace.com/blog/steal-my-nfc-ring-data-at-defcon-for-100-dollars-of-free-hosting-with-rackspace.html or http://blog.nfcring.com/uncategorized/rackspace-nfc-ring-challenge/

Security & Hacking: "Nokia’s MITM on HTTPS traffic from their phone"

http://gaurangkp.wordpress.com/author/gaurangkp/

This really upsets me, Nokia is totally corrupting the whole point of HTTPS.

I am certainly not going to recommend or even suggest the Lumia phones anymore, security issues matter a lot to me.

That bums me out as well, because I was really looking at the Lumia 920 as second phone, I like the Qi wireless charging, live tiles of Windows 8, etc.


More articles on this story:

• http://thenextweb.com/insider/2013/01/09/nokia-seems-to-be-hijacking-traffic-on-some-of-its-phones-grabbing-your-https-data-unencrypted/
• http://www.extremetech.com/mobile/145373-nokia-caught-decrypting-https-traffic-for-your-own-good
• http://www.zdnet.com/nokia-hijacks-mobile-browser-traffic-decrypts-https-data-7000009655/

Nerd News: T Mobile ending phone subsidies!!!

http://gigaom.com/mobile/t-mobile-ceo-confirms-the-iphone-and-the-death-of-phone-subsidies/

They are also getting the iPhone, but that is the minor news.

They are getting rid of subsidies, and going to cheaper plans!

So finally, US cell phone plans are moving more towards EU situation, I am really excited about this, because this should lower prices in general, but also because I have been with T Mobile for last few years.

Really dull & dry VOD below contains confirmation from the T Mobile CEO, is almost hour long, I am only including it as primary source for story.

Nerd Gear: Anandtech reviews the Google Nexus 4

http://www.anandtech.com/show/6440/google-nexus-4-review

Anandtech is my favorite site for reviews, they tend to provide more depth and objectivity than most other "tech" sites.

Plus, they still come up with stuff that is new to me, and I don't mean devices,  so I keep learning things from them.

Nerd Gear: Sensor Drone turn your Android, iPhone, or iPod Touch into an even more Powerful Tool!

I really like this, it is on my must buy list!

See http://www.sensorcon.com/sensordrone/ or http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/453951341/sensordrone-the-6th-sense-of-your-smartphoneand-be for more information.

Detailed specs (PDF) http://www.sensorcon.com/forum/download/file.php?id=8

I have bad Asthma/Allergies, this will really help with some air quality issues for me. 

Both for warning when my local air quality is bad, Ozone detection/warning will be very useful for my Asthma issues, and also to help me better determine just what triggers are a problem.

Also as a Star Trek fan, TNG is my favorite, this will let you turn a Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2, Nexus 7, iPod Touch, or other iOS device into something like a real Tricorder.


Cut and Paste of Features from http://www.sensorcon.com/sensordrone/:

Included Sensors/Features

• Air Sensor Port (Gas & Weather Sensing)
• Light Intensity (illumination) & Color Sensor
• Non-contact temperature (infrared temperature) sensing
• Proximity Sensor (Proximity capacitance intensity)
• External Hardware Connection (easy wireless connection for your hardware to Android Devices)
• Programmable LEDs

Where to sell old cell phone?

Article here http://osxdaily.com/2012/09/05/3-best-places-to-sell-iphone/ suggests Amazon followed by Apple as best places to get rid of iPhone, if your okay with getting credit from the respective companies instead of cash.

That article is focused on iPhones, wondering if any of you have suggestions for Android phones?

Either for selling or for repurposing/reusing when you upgrade?


I use Amazon a lot, so I would probably go that route myself, but I usually hang on to my old smart phones.

Only cell phone I don't still have was my very first one, with AT&T, was so mad at them that I spent few weeks tearing it apart and trashing it after I got a Verizon phone.

Still have  my first Verizon flip LG phone, play the games on it occasionally, and use it as a timer for cooking and laundry.

I also took it with me when I went to Mayo Clinic for some procedures, any cell phone will work to call 911 in the USA even if it isn't under contract, it has couple of games on it, so I had something to occupy me if I needed it, and emergency phone (with some phone numbers in address book).

Plus it was old, didn't care if it got lost, stolen, or damaged.

Using T mobile Blackberry now, Bold 9780, but will be switching from Blackberry with next upgrade, because  Blackberry is clearly in a death spiral.

Bums me out, I really like the security features and BBM (Blackberry messenger) of the Blackberry.

I also really like the keyboard & shortcuts the physical buttons provide, Steve Gibson loves his Blackberry as well, so I am not the only Nerd that <3 Blackberry.

I think lot of people never really learn all the shortcuts available with the physical buttons on Blackberry, I don't think I know more than a third or so the shortcuts, I do know for lot of the blog related things I do with Twitter and RSS feeds, the shortcuts are about 3 times faster for me than touchscreen.

We are getting gf iPhone for Xmas, & I was planning on getting iPod Touch before I lost hope in Blackberry.

Now I'm thinking I will probably get iPhone after gf does, maybe iPhone 4S for cheap, then get Galaxy Note II with a prepay plan, the Note 1 & 2 fit my larger than normal smart phone needs better than tablets.

If I go iPhone 4S with pre pay plan like Straight Talk, I could switch SIM card between phones as needed/wanted, would be paying about half what I do now for my monthly phone bill.

Nerd Gear: Replacement wall outlet that adds 2 powered USB ports in addition to normal pair of outlets

I really like this, easy to install if you know anything about basic home wiring, same as normal outlet.

The USB ports support up to 2 amps so will charge high powered devices like iPad.

I plan to get pair of these for bedroom, between my 2 Smartphones & Weather Radio; her smartphone & iPad, and her radio, we run out of outlets were we want them.

This should solve that issue easily, plus let us leave the wall adapter in computer bag/luggage so we don't forget them when traveling.

 I heard about them from OWC's Blog and you can buy them here http://www.newertech.com/products/power2u.php

Mechanical USB Keyboard that switches via Bluetooth to Smartphone or Tablet, & maybe Laptops?

Update/correction 7/31/12 Thanks to anonymous poster comment.

The Matias One Keyboard (Standard $99) is a dome switch keyboard, I thought at that price it would be mechanical.

The Matias Tactile One Keyboard ($199) is the mechanical keyboard, the mechanical one is not yet available, but the dome switch keyboard is currently available.


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Last year I was looking for a keyboard that would let me switch between desktop and laptop at home, so I didn't have to use little keyboard on my 13" ASUS lapptop when I was at home.

Nothing existed that I could find.

So I was pretty excited when I stumbled across the Matias One Keyboard, available in both PC & Mac versions, it is marketed at iPhone users, but it works via Bluetooth and will work with Android, Blackberry, etc smartphones, I think it would work with Laptops that support Bluetooth Keyboards as well.

It should certainly work with an iPad.

Note it doesn't charge your smartphone, but does provide a dock/cradle to hold it on the keyboard.

The Matias One Keyboard is a dome switch keyboard, but the will have a mechanical keyboard with the Bluetooth switch, that will be called the Matias Tactile One, that will use Alphs keys and not the Cherry, I am not a keybaord expert, but from what I understand Alphs are good, and Alphs vs Cherry is pretty much a Honda vs Toyota difference.

Fanboys will argue one is better, but in reality it is more a question of slight tradeoffs AFAIK.

I have a Das keyboard that I love, wish I would have spent the money on a Das years ago, they are worth it for people that spend a lot of time gaming or working on a computer.

But I am putting this Matias One Keyboard Matias Tactile One on wish list to get for my girlfriend, she spends all day working on computer, but she also has an iPad and we are getting her an iPhone for Xmas, and this would give her a quality Mechanical keyboard that could double as full size keyboard for her iOS devices when needed/wanted.

Though I will have to test it out of course!  Quality Control.

Link here to Amazon for the Matias One Keyboard (NOTE: the Matias One keyboard that is available now is a Dome Switch model, the Mechanical Matias Tactile One is not available), I am a Amazon Associate, so I will get a small amount of money from Amazon if you buy from that link, doesn't affect the buyers price.