Posts by chris 27

Google kicks off Android 4.3 updates for Nexus devices

Re: Nexus 10 wifi fix?

I have two APs, one in my ISP router and a separate TP Link device, both with the same SSID and security settings. Most of my devices roam between these devices without issues. My N10 however completely drops the wifi connection when the TP Link AP is powered up. If I power it off, then a get a pretty solid signal to my ISP router.

I've not bothered to investigate if the N10 has issues with multiple access points or if it's a compatiblity issue with the TP Link and N10.

Facebook phone app attempts to seize ALL YOUR MAIL

outrageous

If you have a phone with a pre-installed version of facebook, you can clear the data for the app (under settings) and it will no longer have your credentials to login to the filthy malware pedlar's servers.

something like (depending on version):

settings -> apps -> filthbook -> clear data

Nexus 7 and Surface: A bonanza for landfill miners

And giving each attendee at Google I/O a Nexus 7 will no doubt help this, as I suspect there will be a huge number of devs there.

New Samsung chief: I want SOFTWARE

Re: They also need

Check out some of the screen rotate apps on the market that will rotate the home screen for you. I use one by sugarmintcandy, not the greatest app in the world, but mighty useful and really simple.

My landscape dock for my galaxy nexus now rotates the home screen automatically when inserted after the update to 4.0.4, it could be the same bug if you have 4.0.3 or 4.0.2 on the S3.

Apple's iPad - fat iPhone without the phone

promo video

I watched the promo video and one of the guys says "the best movie watching experience". Seriously?? That guy should go to a cinema, he would be blown away!!

Masked passwords must go

Really?

I can maybe see where they were coming from with this ... it would make users think a little more. You could argue that password masking is security through obscurity.

A few years ago, I amazed someone at a clients IT dept by sniffing their password off the wire (html form based authentication) - they thought the masked password was encrypted. This is the part of the puzzle that the users probably don't understand. “I can't read it on the screen, it most be secure.”

That said, I still think removing it would be a really *bad* idea. It would create a few really large problems, rather than the comparably small problems we currently have.

I can imagine people using high powered telescopes through windows etc. Never a good thing.

I wonder how many people use html forms to authenticate over their unencrypted home wireless network? *Most* sites now seem to use SSL/TLS for the authentication process at least, but some probably still exist. For example your password for your register comments doesn't appear to be submitted over a secure connection: action="http://comments.theregister.co.uk/2009/06/30/masked_passwords_usability/"

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A couple of replies to comments (I've given up reading all of them!)

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@Anonymous Coward Posted Tuesday 30th June 2009 08:23 GMT

You have described another security issue, using the same password on two accounts. This has nothing to do with password masking. If I sniff your password off the wire, how is masking it on screen going to help?

@ChrisInBelgium

* 40 passwords? More a symptom of your infrastructure than a issue with passwords. Maybe centralising some of the user accounts would help.

* password lock out - stops password brute forcing. 3 is maybe too few attempts, it depends on what you are protecting. Brute forcing is the security threat that this control is trying to protect you from.

* Coding your own encryption algorithms is not a recommended practice.

@Mike Peachey

@By Anonymous Coward Posted Tuesday 30th June 2009 08:48 GMT

@Peter Kay

Good examples guys!

@Gilbert George

I used to have a tool, forget it's name (maybe winspy) that would work on any input box. Really useful! I may check that tool out.