Hacker-Proof Your Password

How to create one you’ll remember, and computers won’t guess.

Don’t believe proclamations that the password is dead. Even with increasingly sophisticated software programs able to rapidly burn through an endless array of possible character combinations, the password is not only alive, but as important as ever.

“Passwords are the bane of our existence, but they’re here to stay,” says Hilary Schneider, president of LifeLock, an identity-theft protection company.

Think of the password as a mouse trap. As simplistic as it seems, there’s nothing out there more effective and straightforward for accessing sites likes your bank and favorite retailer. “A better system can be developed but it needs to be easy to use before it can have the widespread adoption to abolish the use of the password,” says Cameron Camp, a security researcher for ESET, an antivirus and Internet security provider. “If it’s not convenient, you won’t transact with the bank as much and the bank loses revenue.”

We’ve been told time and again how important it is to have tricky, unique passwords that are known to no one but ourselves. We should make them long and add numbers and symbols to fool the fraudsters combing the Internet for access to our records.

And we should always, always have different passwords for each site.

But apparently, we’re not listening very well. The annual compilations of “worst passwords ever” are numerous but remarkably similar in their results. Moreover, the top 25 or so passwords are held by an alarmingly large number of people.

Source: yahoonews.com

New Year holiday in UAE announced

Dubai UAE: Ministries, federal bodies and the private sector will have a holiday on Tuesday, January 1, 2013, to mark the New Year.

According to circulars issued by Humaid Mohammad Al Quttami, Minister of Education and Chairman of the Federal Authority of Human Resources, and Saqr Gobash, Minister of Labour. Work will resume on Wednesday, January 2.

Google Maps return to iPhone with new mobile app

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google Maps has found its way back to the iPhone. The world's most popular online mapping system returned late Wednesday with the release of the Google Maps iPhone app. The release comes nearly three months after Apple Inc. replaced Google Maps as the device's built-in navigation system and inserted its own map software into the latest version of its mobile operating system. Apple's maps application proved to be far inferior to Google's, turning what was supposed to be a setback for Google into a vindication. The product's shoddiness prompted Apple CEO Tim Cook to issue a rare public apology and recommend that iPhone owners consider using Google maps through a mobile Web browser or seek other alternatives until his company could fix the problems. Cook also replaced Scott Forstall, the executive in charge of Apple's mobile operating system, after the company's maps app became the subject of widespread ridicule. Among other things, Apple's maps misplaced landmarks, overlooked towns and sometimes got people horribly lost. In one example brought to light this week, Australian police derided Apple's maps as "life-threatening" because the system steered people looking for the city of Mildura into a sweltering, remote desert 44 miles from their desired destination. Google Inc., in contrast, is hailing its new iPhone app as a major improvement from the one evicted by Apple. "We started from scratch," said Daniel Graf, mobile director of Google Maps. Google engineers started working on the new app before Apple's Sept. 19 ouster, Graf said, though he declined to be more specific. Digital maps are key battleground in mobile computing because they get used frequently on smartphones and can pinpoint a user's whereabouts. That information is so prized by advertisers that they're willing to pay much higher rates for marketing messages aimed at a prospective customer in a particular location, said Greg Sterling, an analyst at Opus Research. Google's mapping app for the iPhone doesn't include ads, but that will likely change, based on the steady stream of marketing flowing through the Google maps app on Android phones.

To read the full story click  YahooNews

Source YahooNews

South Africa gets ready to celebrate Africa's Wonder of Nature: Table Mountain

On Sunday morning, 2 December, Mayor de Lille will preside over the unveiling of a specially-commissioned bronze plaque at the foot of Table Mountain listing the site as one of the Official New7Wonders of Nature. In the evening, 120, 000 Capetonians are expected to celebrate Table Mountain's new status during a float procession through the city. A second plaque will be unveiled in Pretoria on Monday, 3 December, at Muckleneuk, the headquarters of South African National Parks.

 Ceremonies marking the Official Inauguration of Table Mountain as one of the New7Wonders of Nature begin on Sunday in Cape Town and continue on Monday in Pretoria. Guests will include local dignitaries, representatives from New7Wonders and delegates from the other New7Wonders of Nature sites.

"The Official Inauguration of Table Mountain as one of the New7Wonders of Nature marks the culmination of an inspiring campaign that all South Africans can be proud of," said Bernard Weber, Founder-President of New7Wonders. "I look forward to congratulating the stakeholders in person in Cape Town on Sunday and in Pretoria on Monday."

read more Here

Ministry of Labour announces UAE National Day holiday

The private sector institutions and companies will be off work on Sunday, December 2, 2012, on the occasion of the 41st National Day of the UAE, according to a circular issued today by Saqr Ghobash Saeed Ghobash, Minister of Labour.

Ghobash extended his congratulations to President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Their Highnesses the Supreme Council Members and Rulers of the Emirates and people of the UAE on the occasion.

Source SevenDays

Islamic New Year on Thursday, November 15, 2012

Dubai:  The Federal Authority for Human Resources has announced that Thursday, November 15, will be a holiday for all ministerial and federal bodies on the occasion of the Islamic New Year.


Work will resume on Sunday, November 18, according to a circular issued Humaid Mohammad Al Quttami, Minister of Education and Chairman of FAHR.


source: Gulfnews.com

Oman waives huge fines for stranded labourers

Muscat: Amidst frequent news of absconding workers and crackdown against illegals, the Omani authorities and Indian embassy have warmed the cockles of many hearts by showing their humanitarian side by helping stranded labourers reunite with their families.

According to latest statistics released by the Manpower Ministry, 1,120 expatriates, including 273 women, were arrested last month (September) for violating Oman’s residency laws, including entering the country illegally.

The number of expatriates leaving their employers in violation of the Omani Labour Law rose 15.5 per cent in the first half of 2012. “As many as 8,382 expatriates absconded in the first half of 2012, an increase of 15.5 per cent over the same period in 2011,” said Saleh Bin Saeed Al Ameri, Adviser for Labour Welfare at the Ministry of Manpower.

The number of illegal workers from January-June 2012 stood at 7,296, of which 2,448 were detained, an increase of 49 per cent over 4,885 offenders in the corresponding period of 2011.

“The number of illegal expat workers detained in the first half of 2012 rose 51 per cent to 5,402 as compared to 3,569 last year,” he added. Around 3,427 illegal expatriate workers were deported in the first half of 2012 while 2,100 were deported in the same period last year, an increase of 63 per cent.

Source Gulfnews.com

Nikon D600

photo taken from UAE product launching at Armani Hotel

Nikon D600  a new full frame (FX) line up of Nikon DSLR cameras.


Image-processing engine EXPEED 3, the same as used for the D4 and D800 series, realizes superior high-speed processing performance

Wide ISO sensitivity range ISO 100 to 6400* at normal setting that handles various degrees of brightness *Expandable to ISO 50 equivalent or ISO 25600 equivalent.

Approx. 0.13 s* start-up time and approx. 0.052 s* shutter-release time lag. High-speed continuous shooting at approx. 5.5 fps* *Based on CIPA Guidelines.

Newly developed glass pentaprism optical viewfinder with approx. 100% frame coverage that enables a grid line display.

SD memory card double slots compatible with high-speed SDXC and UHS-I.

Approx. 921k-dot, wide-viewing angle, 8-cm (3.2-in.) LCD monitor with reinforced glass that reduces the surface reflection of each part to deliver clear visibility with its integrated structure of glass and panel.

Multi-area mode Full HD D-Movie that delivers two selectable movie formats. Virtual horizon that detects both "pitching" and "rolling" directions.

Compatible with the WU-1b Wireless Mobile Adapter (optional) that enables remote shooting and transmission of images to a smart device  MB-D14 Multi-Power Battery Pack (optional) that enables smooth vertical shooting.

IPhone 5

image from apple.com

When we envisioned the new iPhone, we landed on a remarkably thin and light design. But it’s nearly impossible to make a device so thin and so light without sacrificing features or performance.

We could have taken the easy way out and designed something more reasonable and less remarkable. But we didn’t. If the technology didn’t exist, we invented it. If a component wasn’t small enough, we re-imagined it. If convention was standing in the way, we left it behind. The result is iPhone 5: the thinnest, lightest, fastest iPhone ever.

iPhone 5 is just 7.6 millimeters thin. To make that happen, Apple engineers had to think small, component by component. They created a nano-SIM card, which is 44 percent smaller than a micro-SIM. They also developed a unique cellular solution for iPhone 5. The conventional approach to building LTE into a world phone uses two chips — one for voice, one for data. On iPhone 5, both are on a single chip. The intelligent, reversible Lightning connector is 80 percent smaller than the 30-pin connector. The 8MP iSight camera has even more features — like panorama and dynamic low-light mode — yet it’s 20 percent smaller. And the new A6 chip is up to 2x faster than the A5 chip but 22 percent smaller. Even with so much inside, iPhone 5 is 20 percent lighter and 18 percent thinner than iPhone 4S.

read more at apple.com

Dubai Shopping Festival 2013 dates announced

The Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment (DEPE), an agency under the Department of Economic Development, announced the dates of Dubai Shopping Festival 2013. The 18th edition of festival will commence on January 3 and will go on till February 3 2013.

US bank backs $2b loan for UAE nuclear plant

Dubai: The Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank, the official export credit agency of the United States, has authorised a $2 billion direct loan to UAE’s Barakah One Company to underwrite the export of American equipment and service-expertise for the construction of a nuclear power plant in the UAE, a bank statement said.

The credit line comes under the ‘U.S. – UAE 123 Agreement for Peaceful Civilian Nuclear Energy Cooperation’ signed by both the countries in 2009 and the ‘Arrangement Between the Nuclear Regulatory Commission of the U.S. and the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation of the UAE For the Exchange of Technical Information and Cooperation in Nuclear Safety and Security Matters’ in 2010.

The United States’ National Security Council and the Departments of State and Energy have approved the transaction.

This will help more than 5,000 American jobs in 17 states and comes at a crucial time when US unemployment rate flirts around the psychological 8 per cent mark ahead of President Barack Obama’s re-election bid in November.

“Total non-farm payroll employment rose by 96,000 in August, and the unemployment rate edged down to 8.1 per cent,” the U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics reported on Friday.

Full Story Here

Source Gulfnews.com

London Olympic Games 2012 Closing Ceremony

The London 2012 Olympic Games Closing Ceremony  celebrates the amazing sporting feats of the athletes who have taken part in the Games with the ultimate aftershow party. 
Featuring more than 4,100 performers, including 3,500 adult volunteers and 380 schoolchildren from the six east London Host Boroughs, the Ceremony showcase the great creative talent of the UK in a fun, colourful and festive atmosphere. 

London Olympics 2012 Closing Ceremony

Bolt won Gold Medal in 100-Meter Sprint

Usain Bolt - maintain his title as the fastest man in the world...

Result of the 100 meter sprint:


1. Bolt (Jamaica)    - 9.63   
2. Blake (Jamaica) - 9.75
3. Gatlin (USA)      - 9.79

China unveils oil offensive in South China Sea squabble

SINGAPORE/BEIJING (Reuters) - First came the diplomatic offensive, then the flexing of military muscle.

Now, China is opening a third front to assert its claims in the South China Sea - moving ahead with its first major tender of oil and gas blocks in disputed parts of its waters.

China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC), a state oil giant, invited foreign firms in late June to bid on oil blocks that overlap territory being explored by Vietnam, putting the 160,000 sq km of water on offer at the forefront of Asia's biggest potential military flashpoint.

Oil companies have until next June to decide whether to bid for the nine blocks, said a Chinese industry source with knowledge of the matter. CNOOC, parent of Hong Kong-listed CNOOC Ltd <0883 .hk=".hk">, has received many informal enquiries from foreign oil companies, added the source, who did not want to be identified.

Beijing claims almost all the South China Sea, a body of water believed to hold rich reserves of oil and gas and which stretches from China to Indonesia and from Vietnam to the Philippines. Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Brunei and Malaysia claim parts of it.

Any conflict in the sea, one of the world's busiest trade routes, would have global repercussions given the $5 trillion in ship-borne trade carried on its waters each year.

Up to AED50,000 fines for renting out to Bachelors

DUBAI Think twice before you let out your apartment to bachelors illegally. You could be fined anything from Dh1,000 to Dh50,000, depending on the size of your apartment.

Hundreds of residents learnt this bitter truth when Dubai Municipality fined them for the ‘misuse of the approved plan or approved drawing and accommodating bachelors in unauthorised planning areas’.

The bigger the apartment, the bigger the fine.

Tenants liable

Until June this year, 317 bachelors had been served eviction notices for violating Dubai Municipality guidelines. But it’s the tenants who had to bear the financial implications.

“The fine has been imposed on the tenants in whose name the rental contract was made,” said Jaber Ahmad Abdullah Al Ali, Head of Inspection, Building Inspection, Building Department Section, Dubai Municipality.

 

Source: Gulfnews Express

New diversions - at National Paints roundabout

Sharjah: New diversions will take place next Sunday at the fifth Industrial Intersection Sharjah, commonly known to most as National Paints roundabout on the Emirates Road, to make way for the third phase of roads construction works. 


The roads improvement work is part of the initiatives financed by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan that aims to connect the emirates and ease travel between them. 


The National Paints Roundabout area in an important junction on Emirates road which is an important links for motorists travelling on Emirates roads to and from Dubai to Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. It has been a traffic bottleneck for years and was always congested during rush hour. It is important as it leads to two major roads, the Bypass road and Emirates Road.

Source: GulfNews

Extreme UAE weather - temperature reach 50 degrees

Al Ain: The weather has not been kind to people fasting during Ramadan. The temperature in some desert areas shot up to 50 degrees Celsius in the first few days of the month.


People are avoiding outdoor activities given the tough conditions. In towns such Al Ain, Suwaihan and Umm Al Zumol, forecasters have reported temperatures of 50 degrees Celsius and above. 


Even Abu Dhabi city saw the temperature rising to 47 degrees Celsius. Conditions are also tough in Dubai, Sharjah, and coastal cities, including Fujairah. The maximum temperature shot up to 44 degrees Celsius in Dubai, 43C in Sharjah, and 47C in Al Ain. 


 The high humidity has only made the heat worse. The seasonal monsoon influence has been affecting parts of the UAE and light to moderate rain has been reported in the last two days.


Source: GulfNews.com

Massive iceberg breaks off Greenland glacier

Image provided by NASA -- captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on the Aqua satellite -- shows a crescent shaped crack (C) in the Petermann Glacier in Greenland. The massive iceberg broke off of a glacier in Greenland, in what could be the latest indication of global warming.

THE BOURNE LEGACY MovieTrailer - 2012

Resident Evil 5 -Retribution

Donaire wins over Mathebula

Nonito Donaire, Jr. scored a lopsided unanimous decision over South Africa’s Jeffrey Mathebula in their superbantamweight unification bout in Carson City held Sunday morning (Manila time). The Filipino Flash dropped the taller Mathebula with a crunching left hook towards the end of the fourth round that set the tone for the easy win. All three judges scored it overwhelmingly in favor of Donaire, turning in scorecards of 117-110, 118-109 and 119-108. 


The fight was for Donaire’s World Boxing Organization (WBO) belt and Mathebula’s International Boxing Federation (IBF) title. Donaire, who improved to 29-1, started out strong, dictating the tempo in the first two rounds and negating the five-inch height advantage of the five-foot-eleven Mathebula with good foot speed and sold left hooks. The South African, who dropped to 26-4, was a little more active in the third, but Donaire came back in the fourth round with that powerful left hook that dropped Mathebula, who looked groggy and got up just as the bell sounded.


Source: Yahoonews.com

Iran says can destroy US bases "minutes after attack"

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran has threatened to destroy U.S. military bases across the Middle East and target Israel within minutes of being attacked, Iranian media reported on Wednesday, as Revolutionary Guards extended test-firing of ballistic missiles into a third day. Israel has hinted it may attack Iran if diplomacy fails to secure a halt to its disputed nuclear energy programme.
The United States also has mooted military action as a last-resort option but has frequently nudged the Israelis to give time for intensified economic sanctions to work against Iran. 


"These bases are all in range of our missiles, and the occupied lands (Israel) are also good targets for us," Amir Ali Haji Zadeh, commander of the Revolutionary Guards aerospace division, was quoted by Fars news agency as saying. 
Haji Zadeh said 35 U.S. bases were within reach of Iran's ballistic missiles, the most advanced of which commanders have said could hit targets 2,000 km (1,300 miles) away. 


"We have thought of measures to set up bases and deploy missiles to destroy all these bases in the early minutes after an attack," he added. It was not clear where Haji Zadeh got his figures on U.S. bases in the region. U.S. military facilities in the Middle East are located in Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Turkey, and it has around 10 bases further afield in Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan. SCEPTICISM Defence analysts are often sceptical about what they describe as exaggerated military assertions by Iran and say the country's military capability would be no match for sophisticated U.S. defence systems. 


Iranian media reported that this week's three-day "Great Prophet 7" tests involved dozens of missiles and domestically-built drones that successfully destroyed simulated air bases.


Source:  Yahoonews Read More Here!!

Teacher creates works of art during lunch break

Gregory Euclide is an artist and teacher living in the Minnesota River Valley. During his twenty-five minute lunch periods at school, Euclide began creating temporary paintings on whiteboard as a demonstration to his students of the impermanence of nature. He relates this concept to societyʼs impact on the natural world by stating, “When people get to know nature and spend time in it, they start to realize how their actions affect it.” Images from his project "Laid Down & Wiped Away" are created using mainly Japanese Sumi ink, erasers and paper towels. His work has been prominently featured in galleries and on the 2012 Grammy Award winning album covers of the musical group Bon Iver.

to view more visit: Click Here

 Source YahooNews

FIFA 2012 Team Standing

Team statistics overview

Team	G	GA	YC	RC	AT	OF	CO	FC
Italy	6	3	15	0	55	13	27	79
Spain	8	1	10	0	49	18	40	64
Germany	10	6	4	0	41	12	34	49
Portugal	6	4	12	0	35	10	41	91
Czech Republic	4	6	7	0	20	8	21	74
England	5	3	5	0	19	6	16	45
France	3	5	6	0	37	5	28	51
Greece	5	7	11	1	14	12	10	48
Croatia	4	3	9	0	20	2	14	61
Denmark	4	5	4	0	20	8	16	38
Netherlands	2	5	5	0	19	3	22	31
Poland	2	3	7	1	20	3	14	56
Republic of Ireland	1	9	8	1	11	10	8	51
Russia	5	3	6	0	20	4	21	40
Sweden	5	5	7	0	21	7	7	51
Ukraine	2	4	5	0	12	4	18	31

Source: UEFA.com