British scientist becomes first human 'infected' with computer virus
BEIJING: A young British scientist stakes a claim to being the first human infected with a computer virus after he contaminated an electronic RFID chip implanted in his hand, reported China’s Xinhua news agency on Tuesday.
Dr. Mark Gasson from the University of Reading, truly is the first human carrying a computer virus inside his body.
However he, the human carrier, might no actually be “infected” the chip he has embedded in his hand surely is.
Dr. Gasson implanted a chip into his hand that gives him access to lab facilities without needing a key or magnetic card, and allows him to be the only person who can access his mobile phone while it is locked to all others.
But he went so far as to infect that chip with a virus, wanting to test whether or not it will be possible to infect other chips in the system with a proverbial slight of hand.
The results shows he succeeded to infect his PC, that the virus in the chip in his hand was able to migrate to the desktop computer.
On why someone would want to do that, Dr Gasson’s reasons is the awareness that more and more people have chip-based electronic parts in their bodies - a pacemaker for example - and that we will have to learn all we can about how such vital instruments may be impacted by other electronic devices.
“This type of technology has been commercialised in the United States as a type of medical alert bracelet, so that if you’re found unconscious you can be scanned and your medical history brought up.”
Also, he thinks that implanted chips, like we now use them for dogs and cats, will most likely find their way into the human body in one way or another.
However, concerns raised by Dr Gasson worries Professor Rafael Capurro of the Steinbeis-Transfer-Institute of Information Ethics in Germany, who said: “If someone can get online access to your implant, it could be serious.”
Supporting his claim, Professor Capurro contributed to a 2005 ethical study for the European Commission that looked at the development of digital implants and possible abuse of them.
“From an ethical point of view, the surveillance of implants can be both positive and negative. Surveillance can be part of medical care, but if someone wants to do harm to you, it could be a problem.”
In the future, Dr Gasson scientist said there is the distinct possibility that in a security obssessed world, chip implants may make passports and credit cards obsolete in the future. -- Bernama
British scientist becomes first human 'infected' with computer virus
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
How to stay safe on Facebook
PRIVACY and security must be dirty words at the Facebook HQ at the moment as the world's largest social media network comes under fire for its privacy policy that has left users exposed and vulnerable.
Amazingly, it was reported that Facebook's privacy policy is a whopping 5,830 words long, even more verbose than the Constitution of the United States which reads at 4,543 words.
Here are some of the precautions you need to take to stay private and safe:
Make friend lists
Categorise your “friends” into various groups according to what information you want them to have access to, from “Work Friends” (minimal access) to “Acquaintances”, “Family” and “Close Friends” (full access) .
Restrict access to profile
To prevent strangers from accessing your page, it is advisable to allow “Only Friends” to access your profile.
Remove your address and phone number
This may be useful information for your real friends and family but imagine what will happen if the information falls into the wrong hands.
Remove your full birthdate from your profile
Identity thieves can use it to obtain more information on you and even gain access to your bank or credit card account. If you want to remind your friends about your birthday, remove the year.
Be careful when registering for new applications
It is all fun and exciting to try out new games and quizzes but what many don't realise is that you may unknowingly be sharing all your information with the developers who can then sell your data or spam you.
Go to “Privacy Settings” and tick “Applications”, followed by “Settings”. Uncheck the boxes for the personal information that you do not want them to obtain.
Still, according to security expert website, the CSO (Chief Security Officer) Online, Facebook users unwittingly expose themselves to five dangers that might be beyond their control: their information is shared with third parties; their privacy settings revert to a less safe default mode after each redesign; malware from Facebook advertisements; fake profiles from scammers; and real friends who unknowingly make them vulnerable.
How to stay safe on Facebook
Amazingly, it was reported that Facebook's privacy policy is a whopping 5,830 words long, even more verbose than the Constitution of the United States which reads at 4,543 words.
Here are some of the precautions you need to take to stay private and safe:
Make friend lists
Categorise your “friends” into various groups according to what information you want them to have access to, from “Work Friends” (minimal access) to “Acquaintances”, “Family” and “Close Friends” (full access) .
Restrict access to profile
To prevent strangers from accessing your page, it is advisable to allow “Only Friends” to access your profile.
Remove your address and phone number
This may be useful information for your real friends and family but imagine what will happen if the information falls into the wrong hands.
Remove your full birthdate from your profile
Identity thieves can use it to obtain more information on you and even gain access to your bank or credit card account. If you want to remind your friends about your birthday, remove the year.
Be careful when registering for new applications
It is all fun and exciting to try out new games and quizzes but what many don't realise is that you may unknowingly be sharing all your information with the developers who can then sell your data or spam you.
Go to “Privacy Settings” and tick “Applications”, followed by “Settings”. Uncheck the boxes for the personal information that you do not want them to obtain.
Still, according to security expert website, the CSO (Chief Security Officer) Online, Facebook users unwittingly expose themselves to five dangers that might be beyond their control: their information is shared with third parties; their privacy settings revert to a less safe default mode after each redesign; malware from Facebook advertisements; fake profiles from scammers; and real friends who unknowingly make them vulnerable.
How to stay safe on Facebook
Sunday, May 02, 2010
Follow procedures, religious officers urged
By ZULKIFLI ABD RAHMAN
PETALING JAYA: Islamic religious authorities should follow procedures when they are carrying out khalwat raids.
Non-governmental organisations said officers conducting the raids would not be accused of acting beyond their jurisdiction if they did so.
They said this when asked to comment on the incident in which a 21-year-old college student fell to his death from an apartment in Gombak while trying to escape a khalwat raid.
It was reported that the raid was carried out by several mosque committee members after residents complained of immoral activities at the apartment.
Sisters in Islam (SIS) said khalwat raids shouldn’t be carried out in a way that degrades human dignity.
“The practice of barging into people’s houses, and bedrooms in particular, clearly violates an individual’s right to privacy and human dignity protected by the Quran,” said its legal affairs officer Ratna Osman.
She added that khalwat raids contravened several injunctions in the Quran.
Expressing sadness over the student’s death, she said such an incident would not have happened if procedures were followed.
Malaysian Council For Child Welfare honorary secretary Ismail Majid also said khalwat raids should be carried out according to guidelines spelt out by the state religious authorities.
“I don’t know how the raiding party carried out their operation, but the youth must have panicked and jumped out the window.
“Usually, raiding officials will knock on the door and introduce themselves before checking whether any form of immoral activity is taking place in the house.
“Standard operating procedures should be followed. Otherwise, their methods may be questioned if something untoward happens,” he added.
Social activist Datuk Paduka Marina Mahathir wrote in The Star on Tuesday that religious officials should be held accountable if death or injury occurred during khalwat raids.
“Just as others are held responsible when accidents happen, religious officers must be, too,” she added.
Follow procedures, religious officers urged
PETALING JAYA: Islamic religious authorities should follow procedures when they are carrying out khalwat raids.
Non-governmental organisations said officers conducting the raids would not be accused of acting beyond their jurisdiction if they did so.
They said this when asked to comment on the incident in which a 21-year-old college student fell to his death from an apartment in Gombak while trying to escape a khalwat raid.
It was reported that the raid was carried out by several mosque committee members after residents complained of immoral activities at the apartment.
Sisters in Islam (SIS) said khalwat raids shouldn’t be carried out in a way that degrades human dignity.
“The practice of barging into people’s houses, and bedrooms in particular, clearly violates an individual’s right to privacy and human dignity protected by the Quran,” said its legal affairs officer Ratna Osman.
She added that khalwat raids contravened several injunctions in the Quran.
Expressing sadness over the student’s death, she said such an incident would not have happened if procedures were followed.
Malaysian Council For Child Welfare honorary secretary Ismail Majid also said khalwat raids should be carried out according to guidelines spelt out by the state religious authorities.
“I don’t know how the raiding party carried out their operation, but the youth must have panicked and jumped out the window.
“Usually, raiding officials will knock on the door and introduce themselves before checking whether any form of immoral activity is taking place in the house.
“Standard operating procedures should be followed. Otherwise, their methods may be questioned if something untoward happens,” he added.
Social activist Datuk Paduka Marina Mahathir wrote in The Star on Tuesday that religious officials should be held accountable if death or injury occurred during khalwat raids.
“Just as others are held responsible when accidents happen, religious officers must be, too,” she added.
Follow procedures, religious officers urged
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Improve your pronunciation
Exploring English
By Keith Wright
LEARNERS’ pronunciation and confidence will significantly improve when they know the rules that apply to speaking English.
To help learners with this, The 4S Approach to Literacy and Language – Accelerated English Programme teaches The 4S Keys to Pronunciation.
A very simple Key to remember is that multi-syllabic nouns usually stress the first syllable, e.g. gar/den; den/tist; pi/lot; oc/to/pus.
The main exceptions to this rule are those words that have an obvious “root” component from which they have been made, e.g. invisible; reporter. When a “root” is part of a word, it is usually the root-syllable that is stressed.
The 4S Key To Pronunciation teaches: In a multi-syllabic word, the stress also can be on the root or base from which it has been built. For example: ex/pend/i/ture; e-val/u/a/tion; re/sour/ces; in/fla/tion; e/vac/u/a/tion.
In contrast, when a word is used as a verb, the stress usually shifts further down the word to another syllable. Compare the following sentences:
The President will address the Congress (verb) – What is your new address? (noun).
If one is unsure what syllable to stress in a bi-syllabic word, it is “safe” to stress both, e.g. ham/mer.
Another easy Key to remember is: double consonants usually split, e.g. but/ter, span/ner.
Speakers need to know also that when a word or syllable ends in a consonant, it is said to be “closed”, and the previous vowel is usually short or regular.
The relevant 4S Key teaches: Closed syllables end in consonants and the vowel is usually ‘short’, e.g. ban/ner; cof/fee.
Another way to remember this Key is: consonants usually close – vowels usually open.
When the double consonants split in a word, the first syllable is “closed off” by the first of the double consonants, which makes the preceding vowel “short” or regular, e.g. hap/py; tof/fee; win/ner.
Double consonants have another Pronunciation Key: they usually follow short vowels.
The final “e”
In English, thousands of words end in the vowel “e”. A characteristic one needs to remember for pronunciation purposes is that it is rare for the final “e” in a word to be pronounced.
Usually, when a word ends in the vowel “e”, it is silent but the preceding vowel is “long”, i.e., it says its own name, e.g. bake; scene, ride; note, cute.
The relevant 4S Key To Understanding Pronunciation teaches: The final silent “e” lets the other vowel do the talking.
There are only a handful of common words that say their “final e”, i.e. apostrophe, catastrophe, epitome, hyperbole, recipe, posse, coyote – the, me, she, he, we, thee and the names of people such as Marie, Debbie, Annie, Kylie, Ronnie, Donnie, etc.
There are other closely linked 4S Keys that relate to vowels making their “long” sound. The first one refers to “open” syllables, i.e. those ending in a vowel, e.g. mo/tel, Pe/ter, du/gong, ti/ger, ta/ble, ho/bo, pre/fer, no/tice.
Open syllables usually end in a long vowel. In contrast, closed syllables end in a consonant.
The main exceptions to the Open Syllable Key are those words that end in the vowel “e” where the final “e” is silent, e.g. take.
Another 4S Key teaches about “stand-alone” vowels, i.e. syllables that consist of just one vowel such as a/gent, e/ven, i/tem, o/dour, u/niform, ex/am/in/a/tion, etc.
Stand-alone vowels are usually long.
The common exceptions are words beginning with “a” such as a/bout, a/gain, a/do, a/mount, etc.
In these words, it is now common practice to make the “uh..” sound one hears in comma and panda.
Knowing the keys to understanding pronunciation is a sure way to quickly improve one’s ability to pronounce words correctly.
Of course, there are exceptions that need to be remembered, for example with words that have been borrowed from other languages, or because of the presence of what are known in 4S as the Influential Consonants.
When a learner has mastered the Key that relates to a particular “clue” word, dozens of other related words can also be pronounced correctly and with confidence.
For example, when one knows that the “o” vowel in mo/tel is pronounced as a “long” sound — because open syllables usually end in a “long” vowel — one can also correctly pronounce related words, such as mo/tion, mo/tor, ho/tel, vo/ter, vo/cal, so/cial, po/tion, de/vo/tion, and so on.
Keith Wright is the author and creator of the 4S Approach To Literacy and Language (4S) — a modern, innovative and proven method of accelerating the learning of English.
The 4S methodology and the associated Accelerated English Program (AEP) mentioned in this fortnightly column are now being used internationally to enhance the English language proficiency of people from a diverse range of cultures and with different competency levels.
E-mail
contact@4Sliteracy.com.au for a free copy of the 4S file: “101 Wrongly Pronounced Words”.
Improve your pronunciation
By Keith Wright
LEARNERS’ pronunciation and confidence will significantly improve when they know the rules that apply to speaking English.
To help learners with this, The 4S Approach to Literacy and Language – Accelerated English Programme teaches The 4S Keys to Pronunciation.
A very simple Key to remember is that multi-syllabic nouns usually stress the first syllable, e.g. gar/den; den/tist; pi/lot; oc/to/pus.
The main exceptions to this rule are those words that have an obvious “root” component from which they have been made, e.g. invisible; reporter. When a “root” is part of a word, it is usually the root-syllable that is stressed.
The 4S Key To Pronunciation teaches: In a multi-syllabic word, the stress also can be on the root or base from which it has been built. For example: ex/pend/i/ture; e-val/u/a/tion; re/sour/ces; in/fla/tion; e/vac/u/a/tion.
In contrast, when a word is used as a verb, the stress usually shifts further down the word to another syllable. Compare the following sentences:
The President will address the Congress (verb) – What is your new address? (noun).
If one is unsure what syllable to stress in a bi-syllabic word, it is “safe” to stress both, e.g. ham/mer.
Another easy Key to remember is: double consonants usually split, e.g. but/ter, span/ner.
Speakers need to know also that when a word or syllable ends in a consonant, it is said to be “closed”, and the previous vowel is usually short or regular.
The relevant 4S Key teaches: Closed syllables end in consonants and the vowel is usually ‘short’, e.g. ban/ner; cof/fee.
Another way to remember this Key is: consonants usually close – vowels usually open.
When the double consonants split in a word, the first syllable is “closed off” by the first of the double consonants, which makes the preceding vowel “short” or regular, e.g. hap/py; tof/fee; win/ner.
Double consonants have another Pronunciation Key: they usually follow short vowels.
The final “e”
In English, thousands of words end in the vowel “e”. A characteristic one needs to remember for pronunciation purposes is that it is rare for the final “e” in a word to be pronounced.
Usually, when a word ends in the vowel “e”, it is silent but the preceding vowel is “long”, i.e., it says its own name, e.g. bake; scene, ride; note, cute.
The relevant 4S Key To Understanding Pronunciation teaches: The final silent “e” lets the other vowel do the talking.
There are only a handful of common words that say their “final e”, i.e. apostrophe, catastrophe, epitome, hyperbole, recipe, posse, coyote – the, me, she, he, we, thee and the names of people such as Marie, Debbie, Annie, Kylie, Ronnie, Donnie, etc.
There are other closely linked 4S Keys that relate to vowels making their “long” sound. The first one refers to “open” syllables, i.e. those ending in a vowel, e.g. mo/tel, Pe/ter, du/gong, ti/ger, ta/ble, ho/bo, pre/fer, no/tice.
Open syllables usually end in a long vowel. In contrast, closed syllables end in a consonant.
The main exceptions to the Open Syllable Key are those words that end in the vowel “e” where the final “e” is silent, e.g. take.
Another 4S Key teaches about “stand-alone” vowels, i.e. syllables that consist of just one vowel such as a/gent, e/ven, i/tem, o/dour, u/niform, ex/am/in/a/tion, etc.
Stand-alone vowels are usually long.
The common exceptions are words beginning with “a” such as a/bout, a/gain, a/do, a/mount, etc.
In these words, it is now common practice to make the “uh..” sound one hears in comma and panda.
Knowing the keys to understanding pronunciation is a sure way to quickly improve one’s ability to pronounce words correctly.
Of course, there are exceptions that need to be remembered, for example with words that have been borrowed from other languages, or because of the presence of what are known in 4S as the Influential Consonants.
When a learner has mastered the Key that relates to a particular “clue” word, dozens of other related words can also be pronounced correctly and with confidence.
For example, when one knows that the “o” vowel in mo/tel is pronounced as a “long” sound — because open syllables usually end in a “long” vowel — one can also correctly pronounce related words, such as mo/tion, mo/tor, ho/tel, vo/ter, vo/cal, so/cial, po/tion, de/vo/tion, and so on.
Keith Wright is the author and creator of the 4S Approach To Literacy and Language (4S) — a modern, innovative and proven method of accelerating the learning of English.
The 4S methodology and the associated Accelerated English Program (AEP) mentioned in this fortnightly column are now being used internationally to enhance the English language proficiency of people from a diverse range of cultures and with different competency levels.
contact@4Sliteracy.com.au for a free copy of the 4S file: “101 Wrongly Pronounced Words”.
Improve your pronunciation
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Utusan Malaysia Online - Johor
MALAM adalah masa yang paling sesuai untuk merehatkan diri selepas berhempas pulas di tempat kerja pada sebelah siangnya.
Malah kesunyian malam jugalah membantu seseorang itu mendapatkan lena yang nyenyak.
Namun berlainan dengan apa yang saya rasa. Sewaktu kepala mahu bertemu bantal tatkala jam di dinding menunjukkan angka 12 malam, di saat itulah ada sahaja 'konsert murahan' yang diperdengarkan.
Ini kerana bunyi bising daripada nyanyian lagu karaoke dari kawasan berhampiran penempatan saya di Taman Bayu Puteri, Bakar Batu sungguh membingitkan.
Malah sering kali mengganggu tidur penghuni sekitarnya.
Bagi saya tidak salah untuk berhibur, namun tolonglah fikirkan keadaan orang lain yang mungkin memerlukan rehat yang mencukupi untuk bekerja pada keesokan harinya.
Kalau seminggu sekali tidak mengapa, ini boleh dikatakan saban malam. Dari pukul 12 malam hingga pukul 2 pagi, asyik sungguh mereka menyanyi.
Mereka yang berkenaan, atau pihak berkuasa tempatan, tolonglah lakukan sesuatu. Mungkin dikurangkan aktiviti 'mengasah anak tekak' itu seminggu sekali.
- PENGHUNI BAYU Bakar Batu
Utusan Malaysia Online - Johor
Malah kesunyian malam jugalah membantu seseorang itu mendapatkan lena yang nyenyak.
Namun berlainan dengan apa yang saya rasa. Sewaktu kepala mahu bertemu bantal tatkala jam di dinding menunjukkan angka 12 malam, di saat itulah ada sahaja 'konsert murahan' yang diperdengarkan.
Ini kerana bunyi bising daripada nyanyian lagu karaoke dari kawasan berhampiran penempatan saya di Taman Bayu Puteri, Bakar Batu sungguh membingitkan.
Malah sering kali mengganggu tidur penghuni sekitarnya.
Bagi saya tidak salah untuk berhibur, namun tolonglah fikirkan keadaan orang lain yang mungkin memerlukan rehat yang mencukupi untuk bekerja pada keesokan harinya.
Kalau seminggu sekali tidak mengapa, ini boleh dikatakan saban malam. Dari pukul 12 malam hingga pukul 2 pagi, asyik sungguh mereka menyanyi.
Mereka yang berkenaan, atau pihak berkuasa tempatan, tolonglah lakukan sesuatu. Mungkin dikurangkan aktiviti 'mengasah anak tekak' itu seminggu sekali.
- PENGHUNI BAYU Bakar Batu
Utusan Malaysia Online - Johor
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