5 Most Dangerous Virus & Malware

Viruses and malware are constantly evolving, becoming more advanced and more dangerous by the second, making it extremely difficult to keep your data protected. Unless you’re properly protected (which most people aren’t), you’re at risk of becoming a victim of the latest computer virus threats and malware attacks.

Cybercriminals are relentless and will stop at nothing to hack your computer or phone to steal your most valuable data — including bank details, personal photos, and sensitive ID card information. This is why you must have a working antivirus installed on your PC, Mac, Android, or iPhone. I recommend Norton 360 for low-cost, secure protection against all cyber threats.

Here are the 5 most dangerous computer viruses and new malware threats in 2020 that you need to protect yourself from.

1. Clop Ransomware

Ransomware is malware which encrypts your files until you pay a ransom to the hackers. “Clop” is one of the latest and most dangerous ransomware threats. It’s a variant of the well-known CryptoMix ransomware, which frequently targets Windows users.

Before beginning the encryption process, the Clop ransomware blocks over 600 Windows processes and disables multiple Windows 10 applications, including Windows Defender and Microsoft Security Essentials — leaving you with zero chance of protecting your data.

The Clop ransomware has evolved since its inception, now targeting entire networks — not just individual devices. Even the Maastricht University in the Netherlands became a victim of the Clop ransomware, with almost all Windows devices on the university’s network being encrypted and forced to pay a ransom.

2. Fake Windows Updates (Hidden Ransomware)

Hackers have been increasingly sending emails that instruct readers to install urgent Windows OS updates. The emails trick readers into installing the “latest” Windows updates, which are actually ransomware ‘.exe’ files in disguise.

The ransomware contained in these emails is known as “Cyborg”. It encrypts all of your files and programs and demands a ransom payment to un-encrypt the files.

Unfortunately, many email service providers and basic antivirus software aren’t able to detect and block these emails. This is why you must be using an antivirus that provides proper internet security, protecting you from dangerous emails.

3. Zeus Gameover

Zeus Gameover is part of the “Zeus” family of malware and viruses. This piece of malware is a Trojan — malware disguised as something legitimate — that accesses your sensitive bank account details and steals all of your funds.

The worst thing about this particular variant of the Zeus malware family is that it doesn’t require a centralized “Command and Control” server to complete transactions — which is a flaw found in many cyberattacks that authorities can target. Instead, Zeus Gameover can bypass centralized servers and create independent servers to send sensitive information. In essence, you cannot trace your stolen data.

4. RaaS

“RaaS” — also known as “Ransomware as a Service” — is a growing industry in the underground hacker community. People without the knowledge to carry out a sophisticated ransomware attack can pay to hire a professional hacker or team of hackers to perform the attack for them.

The growth of the underground RaaS industry is worrying, as it shows how easy it is to infect people with ransomware despite the bad actors having no previous experience with designing or coding malware.

5. News Malware Attacks

Cybercriminals often use current news stories and global events to target people with malware

One example is hackers using the wave of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak to target individuals with malware. Hackers send out emails that are disguised as legitimate information about the outbreak. Readers are prompted to click a link to learn more about the information, but the link contains malware that copies the files on your device and steals your personal information.

Research currently focuses on the spread of this malware in Japan. Still, it will become an issue worldwide during any kind of newsworthy outbreak.

World's Largest Solar Farm

 World's Largest Solar Farm to Be Built in Australia - But They Won't Get The Power

A major renewable energy project in Australia billed as the world's largest solar farm in development has had its proposed location revealed.

The AUD$20 billion facility – the heart of an ambitious electricity network called the Australia–ASEAN Power Link – will be built at a remote cattle station in the Northern Territory, roughly halfway between Darwin and Alice Springs.

The gargantuan 10-gigawatt array – spread out across some 20,000 football fields' worth of photovoltaic panels – might be situated close to the heart of the Australian outback, but the energy reaped from the plant will ultimately be transported far, far away from the sunburnt country.

That's because the Power Link doesn't just involve building the world's largest solar farm, which will be easily visible from space. The project also anticipates construction of what will be the world's longest submarine power cable, which will export electricity all the way from outback Australia to Singapore via a 4,500-kilometre (2,800 miles) high-voltage direct current (HVDC) network.

For this transmission system to work, the PowerLink, being developed by Singaporean company Sun Cable, will also need to build the world's largest battery, which will be stationed near Darwin on the northern coast of Australia.

The idea is that the network will transport current from the array at Newcastle Waters roughly 750 kilometres north, where it will be stored at the Darwin battery.

Some of the current will enter the local Darwin grid, but the majority will be exported internationally via over 3,700 kilometres of undersea cables laid along the ocean bed, first through Indonesian waters, before eventually making it all the way to Singapore.

Once the electricity reaches its ultimate destination, it's expected to provide power for over 1 million Singaporeans – about 20 percent of the sovereign island's population – and ultimately there are plans to provide power to Indonesians also.

Of course, for this hugely ambitious multi-year renewables project to be pulled off, lots of things have to go right.

Once all the approvals are secured – including environmental assessments for a project expected to take up around 120 square kilometres (almost 50 square miles) of land – construction is expected to begin in 2023, with energy production commencing in 2026, and the first exported electricity could be flowing in 2027.

If all goes as planned, the Power Link could be a watershed moment not only for solar power but for the clean energy industry as a whole, illustrating how renewable energy can be shared and relayed across international networks, spanning vast distances and even oceans.

"It is extraordinary technology that is going to change the flow of energy between countries. It is going to have profound implications and the extent of those implications hasn't been widely identified," Sun Cable CEO David Griffin told The Guardian in 2019.

"If you have the transmission of electricity over very large distances between countries, then the flow of energy changes from liquid fuels – oil and LNG – to electrons. Ultimately, that's a vastly more efficient way to transport energy. The incumbents just won't be able to compete."

Five Tech Myths People Still Believe

Most of us just want our technology to work when we need it, and when we have problems with it, we don’t dive into the details of how it runs — we just want it fixed. So it’s natural that we fall for the most convenient suggestions for resolving issues or getting the most life out of our gear. Unfortunately, some of those premises are false, and they can do more harm than good — and may even cost us money.

Here are a few tech misconceptions to watch out for:

Myth 1: Better specs mean better devices

Whether you’re looking for a new laptop or a new smartphone, you’ve probably been tempted to just throw money at the top model and save the mental gymnastics over specs and features. It’s natural: We often hope that spending a little more to get the fastest phone will make it last longer, or that the computer with the most memory and storage will run faster. It’s not just you — manufacturers depend on customers thinking that way, and they price models accordingly.

In reality, top-of-the-line specs don’t guarantee that your phone or computer will work any better for you than one with more modest features. For example, spending more on a laptop with the absolute fastest processor won’t matter much unless you’re doing processor-heavy tasks like editing video or encoding music. Similarly, worrying about whether your smartphone has the latest processor versus the one in last year’s model probably won’t matter as much as more practical details, like whether the storage space or the camera quality fits your needs. For most people, obsessing over specs is a waste of time



The real message here is that while it’s easy to get caught up in the game of latest-and-greatest, you should really pay attention to the features that matter to how you’ll be using your new computer, phone or other device. If you’re looking for a phone that’ll last all day, focus on the battery. If you want a computer you can travel with, battery life and weight may matter more than a powerful processor. But never just buy the biggest and best and assume it’ll fit all of your needs.

Myth 2: A battery should be at zero before you recharge it

The idea that you should always completely discharge a battery before charging it up again has legitimate origins, but it doesn’t apply to current technology. Years ago, when nickel–metal hydride (NiMH) and nickel-cadmium (NiCad) batteries were common, they suffered from an issue called “battery memory”: Unless the battery was completely spent before being recharged, it would “remember” how much power it had used and only charge back up that amount. If done repeatedly over time, the battery would never charge totally again.

Fortunately, the lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery that’s probably in your phone or laptop right now doesn’t suffer from this issue, at least not in any significant way. In fact, with Li-ion batteries, you can actually do more harm than good by letting them die before charging them again, because they have a limited number of charge “cycles” (meaning times you can completely discharge and recharge them) before batteries start to hold less overall power.

Luckily, according to Battery University, the solution is pretty simple: Charge your devices from time to time before they fully die. These so-called shallow discharges mean you don’t use a full charge cycle every time you top off your phone after carrying it for a few hours or plug in your laptop after working on the couch for the afternoon. In reality, the biggest enemy of modern batteries is temperature. The cooler you can keep your battery, either while charging it or while it’s in use, the more you can prolong its life.

Myth 3: More megapixels mean better cameras

When small, portable point-and-shoot cameras took off and larger, digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras became more affordable, there was a brief rush among manufacturers to push out models with greater numbers of “megapixels,” the unit of capacity used to define how much information a digital camera’s sensor can capture. Unfortunately, because those numbers dazzled spec-hungry consumers and could be used to market cameras, shoppers began to assume that more megapixels meant you were buying a better camera. And you can’t really blame them — marketers latched on to the idea, and even now, in modern smartphones, the first spec anyone mentions about the built-in camera is the megapixels.

All of this led to the “megapixel myth,” which has persisted for almost a decade. While most budding photographers understand that more isn’t always better in a camera, shoppers looking for a good smartphone camera, and the phone manufacturers themselves, haven’t seemed to learn the lesson.

Megapixels still count — they do tell you how powerful a camera’s sensor is, which is important for professionals or anyone who needs to print out physical photographs (when translated to paper more pixels per inch can mean more detailed prints), but it doesn’t necessarily tell you how good the photos taken by that camera will be.

To find that out, look past the specs (again!) and to reviews. Even better, look for examples of photos taken with a certain phone or camera and compare them to those from other popular models — or even the one you already have. Look for reviews that mention a camera’s lowlight performance and, perhaps most important, get familiar with your camera’s options. The best photos come from someone who knows how to tweak the settings for the perfect shot.

Myth 4: “Planned obsolescence” is why your phone slows down right before a new model comes out

It happens every year or so: Just before the latest and greatest phone comes out, your phone suddenly starts running slowly. Maybe it starts freezing, or the apps you use get sluggish. Either way, if you can relate, you can probably also understand the common feeling that this is all a plan by tech companies to force you into upgrading — a trick called “planned obsolescence.” While that’s a real problem in some specific cases, assuming it’s the reason everyone’s old phones get slow before new ones are announced is, well, a bit of an oversimplification.

In reality, it’s not a conspiracy, and it’s not some corporate trick to force you into the newest tech, or trap you on the consumerist treadmill. It’s just a side effect of an ever-evolving and ever-improving industry. As those new phones are released, they come with more memory, better screens, faster processors and other specs that, in general, you shouldn’t care about — unless developers start building their apps around them. When they do, they optimize their apps for the newer devices, leaving your older ones in the dust.

So as apps are updated to make use of all of the features on those new devices, they seem to slow down on older phones. And unless the developers care enough to make sure your older phones are properly supported, the problem only gets worse over time. The annoying end result may be the same, but you can at least rest comfortably knowing there’s no massive conspiracy (here, anyway) to make you keep spending money.

Myth 5: Extended warranty plans are worth your money

It’s tough to buy anything at this point without being offered an extended warranty. Whether you’re shopping online or in a brick-and-mortar store, retailers often dangle third-party “protection programs” and “service plans” in front of you, promising that, for a few extra bucks, they’ll replace or repair your purchase if damaged over the next few years. The problem with these offers is that they’re almost always unnecessary — or worse than what you could get otherwise with a little savvy shopping.

In many cases, the pricey extended warranty runs right alongside the existing manufacturer’s warranty, which means you may be paying twice for coverage the phone’s maker already provides. So be sure to research the warranty that comes with your device. Similarly, if you use a credit card, you may even have extended warranty protection through the card’s issuer — check with that company before you add the pricey phone to your cart.

Finally, consider how much the extended warranty costs versus the actual total of the gadget you’re buying. You may be better off taking the money you would have used on the warranty plan and stashing it in a savings account as a “rainy day fund.” Then, if you do need to pay for a repair or replacement, you can use your own cash instead of having to jump through the hoops of getting service from the company managing the protection program.

10 greatest inventions changing the world

Elon Musk’s 10 greatest inventions changing the world

 Futurist extraordinaire

Universal History Archive | Getty Images; Getty Images

Elon Musk may just be the 21st century’s Thomas Edison. 

The prolific inventor’s inventions have won him multiple entrepreneur and innovator-of-the-year awards — and are a regular topic of discussion among both business leaders and consumers. 

While some of the companies Musk has founded are more famous than others, he has been actively inventing things since before he was a teenager. Early efforts in software and software companies have since evolved into consumer products and mass-transportation visions. And although some of those visions may seem impossible at first glance, Musk’s track record has muted many doubters. His breakthrough thinking has helped him amass a net worth around $13.5 billion. 

But there’s more to Musk than just the companies you’ve heard of. Here’s a look at his wide range of revolutionary ideas, patents, products and companies.

Tesla Motors, electric car

Source: Tesla Motors

These days, it’s impossible not to think of Musk without quickly thinking of Tesla, the publicly traded electric-car company whose stock has increased nearly 700 percent in the last 2.5 years to just under $213 a share at press time. Despite reporting third-quarter results that missed Wall Street expectations, the company boasts revenues of $1.24 billion and claims strong guidance for future deliveries.

There’s plenty of demand for the cars, especially the upcoming Model 3 (which boasts a range of 200 miles and will start at $35,000), but the company continues to struggle with manufacturing enough cars to keep up with that demand. That is why it plans to sell $500 million shares of stock to fund capital expenditures. 

SpaceX, Falcon rocket

Mike Brown | Reuters

Musk’s aerospace company may be just as famous as his automobiles. Founded in 2002 to help reduce the cost of space transportation and enable the colonization of Mars, SpaceX’s Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 rockets are designed to be reusable. The company has flown six cargo resupply missions to the International Space Station and has been awarded a contract by NASA to develop a spacecraft to take crew members to and from the ISS. 

The company (which is privately held) did suffer a setback earlier this year when one of its Falcon 9 rockets exploded after liftoff. It has since suspended flights, giving it time to redesign the two-foot metal bar that failed and, according to Musk, caused the explosion.  

X.com (PayPal) e-payments

Source: CNBC

In 1999, Musk co-founded a company called X.com, which focused on financial services and email payments. A year later, X.com merged with Confinity and adopted the name of that company’s best-known service, PayPal. The two technologies created a powerhouse that led the way in online payments, which was eventually bought by eBay in 2002 for $1.5 billion. Musk pocketed $165 million from that deal. 

Hyperloop

Source: ET3

Musk’s latest idea might be his most ambitious. This transportation system, introduced in 2013 and still in the formulative stages, aims to allow commuters to travel between Los Angeles and San Francisco in 35 minutes or less — faster than a commercial flight. 

The rail system would work in a tube with extremely low air pressure, which would theoretically reduce drag and enable higher speeds at up to 800 miles per hour with lower power consumption. That full vision is still a long way from reality, though. The company’s first venture is scheduled to begin construction next year, with a 5-mile loop around Quay Valley, California. The biggest speed bump: the cost of the land and technology to make this a reality. 

Zip2, online city guides

Wikiupdate1019 | Wikimedia Commons

Musk’s first Web software company, founded with his brother using money loaned by their father, was aimed toward helping the newspaper industry put together ‘city guides’ for online users. After considering, and ultimately rejecting, a merger with CitySearch (IACI), Zip2 was bought by Compaq for $307 million in 1999. Musk received $22 million from the sale. 

SolarCity, solar-power systems

Tony Avelar | The Christian Science Monitor | Getty Images

Co-founded in 2006 by Musk and his cousins, SolarCity has since grown to become the second-largest provider of solar-power systems in the country, with revenues of $102.8 million in the most recent quarter. While it’s centered in California, it also provides installations in select areas of 14 other states (and the District of Columbia). 

It’s in the process of creating storage systems letting people tap into power produced by solar panels at night. The company is also working with Tesla to offer free solar-powered charging stations to owners of the vehicles traveling Route 101 from San Francisco to Los Angeles or back.

Electric Jet

Source: AeroAstroMIT | YouTube

Musk hasn’t officially started working on this project, but last year at MIT’s Aeronautics and Astronautics Centennial Symposium, he said he was “toying” with the concept. Musk also has mused on The Colbert Report about the opportunity to have a “vertical takeoff and landing electric supersonic jet,” which uses electric motors to drive a fan, which in turn propels the aircraft. It would not require a long runway, so airports could be smaller. 

Web-based phone calls

Source: U.S. Patent Office

Back in 1997, Musk had an idea about allowing computers to call land lines (something he secured a patent for in 2001). The idea was a bit less intricate than what we use today with Skype, though. Instead, the idea went, users could click on a company’s contact information online and then calls would be routed to the company via a call center. 

Location-specific searches

Source: Google Maps

In the early days of the Internet, finding a business that was close to you wasn’t the priority it is today. Musk, in 1998, thought it might be someday, though. His idea was to create a system that initially searched for results in the geographic area closest to you, then automatically widening that area (meaning the user wouldn’t have to refine the search) until there were enough results. 

Blastar, video game

Source: iTunes

Before he popularized electric cars and began planning the colonization of Mars, Musk was a kid who liked video games. So, at the age of 12, he made his own. That’s impressive enough, but Musk being Musk, he sold the game to a magazine for roughly $500

 

Apple iPhone 12 Mini Vs iPhone SE 2020: The Best Small-Sized Phone 

Apple's latest iPhone 12 series is among the trending smartphones, especially the new iPhone 12 Mini. As the market is flooded with large-screen smartphones, Apple has brought back the good old 5.4-inch display with the iPhone 12 Mini along with 5G support. However, it's often asked if the iPhone SE 2020 also makes a good choice for a small phone. Here's the iPhone 12 Mini Vs iPhone SE debate that's discussed in detail.

iPhone 12 Mini Vs iPhone SE: Price Factor

The iPhone 12 Mini is available in three size variants of 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB storage capacity costing Rs. 69,900, Rs. 74,900, and Rs. 84,900, respectively. The iPhone SE 2020 is also available in similar three storage variants costing Rs. 34,999, Rs. 39,999, and Rs. 49,999. The new iPhone 12 Mini is certainly more expensive, but it also includes a lot of the latest goodies including 5G support.

iPhone 12 Mini Vs iPhone SE: Design Details

The next factor is the design of the two smartphones. The iPhone 12 Mini flaunts a compact, bezel-less design, while you'll find thick bezels on the iPhone SE. The iPhone 12 Mini features a 5.4-inch Retina XDR display protected by Ceramic Shield, whereas the iPhone SE packs a 4.7-inch 720p Retina display with a Touch ID sensor on the Home Button. Despite its larger display, the iPhone 12 Mini is smaller than the iPhone SE - but still manages to look more elegant without thick bezels.

iPhone 12 Mini Vs iPhone SE: Processor Performance

The key difference between the two smartphones is what's under the hood. The iPhone 12 Mini packs the latest A14 Bionic chip packed with 5G support. The iPhone SE packs the slightly older A13 Bionic chip without a 5G network. While the iPhone 12 Mini comes with 4GB RAM, the iPhone SE features 3GB RAM.

On the battery aspect, the iPhone 12 Mini packs a small 2,227 mAh battery with MagSafe charging technology. The iPhone SE draws fuel from an even smaller 1,821 mAh battery. Looking at how most Android smartphones have around 4,000 mAh battery, both the iPhone 12 Mini and the iPhone SE pack relatively small-sized batteries. Nevertheless, reports suggest that they can last an entire day on a single charge.

iPhone 12 Mini Vs iPhone SE: Camera Performance

Apple's camera technology has been critically acclaimed. The iPhone 12 Mini packs a dual-camera setup consisting of a 12MP wide-angle primary lens and another 12MP ultra-wide-angle shooter. There's another 12MP selfie shooter housed in the notch on the display. As a contrast, the iPhone SE packs a single 12MP lens at the rear and a 7MP selfie camera in the front.

iPhone 12 Mini Vs iPhone SE: Verdict

Both the iPhone 12 Mini and the iPhone SE are great phones for those looking for a small-sized gadget. Despite have a generation-old processor, the iPhone SE offers some great performance for all smartphone tasks, which also doesn't drill a hole in your pocket. On the other hand, if your budget permits, go for the latest iPhone 12 Mini, which packs a better camera, larger battery, and the latest processor with 5G support. For all we know, the iPhone 12 Mini might be the new trendsetting smartphone!