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    LG Optimus L7 and Optimus 3D Max officially released in the Philippines

    Gadgets Team
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    LG Optimus L7 and Optimus 3D Max officially released in the Philippines

    LG has officially released the LG Optimus L7 and the Optimus 3D Max in the Philippines at a small event at the Society Lounge in Makati earlier today. The LG Optimus L7 is the top-of-the-line device from the company’s L-style series of devices, while the Optimus 3D Max is the successor to the company’s previous 3D smartphone, the Optimus 3D.

    We’ve gone through the LG Optimus L7 in great length before, and have already finished our review of it (check it out here) but we’ll go through the specs again just for the sake of thoroughness. The LG Optimus L7 is a 4.3-inch smartphone that’s armed with an extremely bright, 500+ nit IPS screen that’s powered by a single core 1GHz processor topped with ICS.

    What’s more interesting is the LG Optimus 3D Max, which the company says is an evolution of their previous 3D-equipped smartphone, the Optimus 3D. The Optimus 3D Max is thinner than the previous 3D device (9.6 mm compared to 11.6 mm before) and is a bit faster now (1.2 GHz dual-core processor as opposed to a 1 GHz dual-core processor). It still retains the lenticular 3D panel on top of the 4.3-inch capacitive screen that gives users the feeling of 3D without the need for glasses.

    Unfortunately, the LG Optimus 3D Max is still equipped with Gingerbread (Android 2.3) instead of ICS (Android 4.0). Our guess is that there’s still no proper APIs for proper 3D in ICS, and that’s probably the reason they stuck with Gingerbread for the 3D Max. Like the previous 3D smartphone, the Optimus 3D Max has dual five-megapixel cameras on the back to facilitate 3D shooting.

    The LG Optimus L7 will hit stores with an SRP of  Php 15,990. No price has been set for the LG Optimus 3D Max, though we think it might be priced at around 20K to 24K.

    [album: https://gadgetsmagazine.com.ph/wp-content/plugins/dm-albums/dm-albums.php?currdir=/wp-content/uploads/dm-albums/[email protected]/LG Optimus 3D Max/]

    Globe is first telco to offer new iPad in the Philippines, falls under Tattoo plan

    Gadgets Team
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    Globe is first telco to offer new iPad in the Philippines, falls under Tattoo plan

    Globe has managed to one-up rival telco Smart in therelease of the highly anticipated new iPad. Globe set the official date of the unveil last night, and delivered amid massive fanfare at the Exchange Plaza in Makati. Present during the event were several official Globe Tattoo ambassadors, which included famous model Georgina Wilson.

    So how much will the new iPad set you back? Well, under Tattoo Plan 499, the 16GB version of the new iPad will cost Php 29,990, while the 32GB version of the new iPad will cost Php 34,990. The highest capacity new iPad, the 64GB version, will retail for Php 39,990. Under the Tattoo Plan 999, you’ll have to shell out Php 21,990 for the 16GB version of the new iPad, while the 32GB version will cost Php 25,990. The 64GB version of the new iPad will cost you 30,990.

    Globe has also confirmed that there will be a price drop for the iPad 2, unfortunately they could not give a timeframe when the drop will occur.

     

    Review: Toshiba Satellite P745

    Gadgets Team
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    Review: Toshiba Satellite P745

    By Steven Vea

    There are few laptops that can offer a wealth of unique features in an equally unique design. The Toshiba Satellite P745 promises to be that complete package, with great speakers to boot.

    First off, once the Toshiba Satellite P745 is right in front of your eyes, you might have mixed feelings regarding its design. It has a textured casing, which I wasn’t particularly fond of, with horizontal lines running across the laptop’s chassis.

    In retrospect, the P745 feels rugged, and with a starting weight of approximately 2.3 kg, it lands right in the middle of the 14-inch notebook weight class. While I might not fancy its exterior, the surface would do well in concealing any hidden scratches or dust, allowing it look clean and pristine for a long time.

    On the left side you’ll find two USB 2.0 ports, the LAN jack, DVD drive and Kensington lock. On the right you’ll find the separate headphone and microphone jacks, HDMI out, one USB 3.0 sleep/charge port, VGA port, cooling vent and the DC-in jack.

    Opening the lid (which can be wonderfully done with one hand without needing to support the main chassis) reveals the work space, with the brilliant backlit keyboard and LED touch function buttons stealing the show.

    The illuminated tiled keyboard is the attention grabber, although it will be a matter of personal preference, as Toshiba has opted to veer away from the super-featherweight keys that most manufacturers are adopting. The square keys feel refreshingly vintage, offering just the right amount of resistance, similar to a calculator. The all-caps text labels may take time to get used to, which initially felt intrusive, but after a while you will realize it contributes to the P745’s unique look. The keys, while wonderfully spaced, might be a little small for some people though.

    The touchpad also has the same design as the rest of the body, and the horizontal lines do match it quite well. There is also a backlit strip above the touchpad (as well as the illuminated Satellite logo on the left wrist rest). However, the addition of a physical button to turn the touchpad on/off is a welcome feature and completely negates the awkward placement of the fingerprint sensor between the clickers.

    With regards to the left and right buttons on the touchpad, they could use an immense improvement. They require more pressure than what’s comfortable and ergonomic to activate, and more often than not, must be pressed dead center.

    On the other hand, one of the P745’s strengths is the unique LED touch function buttons above the keyboard. These provide several shortcuts to Eco, Wireless, Programmable, Play/Pause, Mute, Volume Down/Up. The Eco mode triggers Toshiba’s power management utility, which allows you to dramatically and immediately reduce energy consumption to almost half of the normal rate. If you can move past the vivid green LED that lights up when this mode is on, the utility is effective and non-intrusive.

     

    The Programmable function button is the best shortcut of all, as it allows you to assign a program to launch quickly, whether it’s your web browser or word processor. When customizing this function via Toshiba’s HW Utility software, you may want to turn off the Function buttons’ sounds, as they produce an alarmingly loud beep every time they are pressed.

    The P745 I tested was equipped with a second-generation Intel Core i5, but it’s available in an i7 as well. Running on Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit with 4GB RAM (expandable to 8GB), the system runs smooth as expected. The P745 also comes with a vast amount of Toshiba’s pre-installed software, which is great for the average user who doesn’t have time to survey the web for tools and utilities.

    Now we finally get to what makes the Toshiba Satellite great. It comes equipped with Harman/Kardon speakers which are refreshingly loud and sonically impressive, which is to be expected from the manufacturer of high-end audio systems. The bass is full without becoming too muddy, and the higher frequencies are crisp but not piercing. So whether its music or movies, rest assured that the speakers will deliver.

    The P745 also comes with an Nvidia GeForce GT525M video card, which is capable of handling recent games such as Assassin’s Creed II: Brotherhood and playing back full HD movies. The 1366×768 LED backlit display produces vibrant and clear images, but you may need to adjust some settings, as darker colors have a tendency to lack dynamic contrast.

    Overall, the Toshiba Satellite P745 is a unique product with features that help it considerably stand out among the competition. It is a very capable all-in-one laptop, and is more than adequate to serve the needs of just about anyone.

    Specifications:
    DIMENTIONS: 339 x 229 x 28.5/35.25mm
    WEIGHT: starting at 2.27 kg
    PROCESSOR: 2nd Generation Intel Core i5 or i7
    RAM: 4GB DDR3 (8GB max)
    CONNECTIVITY: WLAN (802.11 b/g/n), Bluetooth 3.0 + HS, Gigabit LAN
    SPEAKERS: harman/kardon stereo speakers, Dolby Advanced Audio, Sleep-and-Music

    What’s Hot:
     • Function buttons
    • harman/kardon speakers

    What’s Not:
    • hit-or-miss design
    • tough clickers

    Bottomline:
    If you like the P745’s design, this Satellite should make its way into your purchasing orbit.

    Buy Meter: 8.5

    [This review originally appeared in the October 2011 issue of Gadgets Magazine]

    PLDT offers new productivity solutions for small-and-medium-enterprises

    Gadgets Team
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    PLDT offers new productivity solutions for small-and-medium-enterprises

    PLDT recognizes that 99.6% of all registered businesses in the Philippines are SMEs (small and medium enterprises). This includes the likes of local franchise restaurants and food stores (such as North Park, Pampanga’s Best, Baliwag Lechon Manok) as well as retail shops, delivery companies, and armored truck companies, just to name a few. The company also recognizes that these businesses lose a lot of money due to theft, pilferage, shrinkage, unproductiveness of employees, monitoring expenses, failing to restock some inventory items, and inefficiency of operations. PLDT’s Productivity Suite is offering 3 new solutions, namely—Watcher, F.A.S.Track, and CheckOut—in order to help owners monitor the operations of their business more closely, increase their control over it, reduce shrinkage, improve efficiency, and cut costs.

    PLDT’s Watcher is a video monitoring solution that allows SMEs to visually monitor their stores and branches through the internet from wherever they are. For instance, an entrepreneur who is running a handful of different outlets or branches all over the Philippines can have cameras installed in each of them so that he or she may keep tabs on them at all times. This gives the owner peace of mind and lets him or her address issues immediately instead of having to visit the different branches.

    PLDT’s Fastrack is an asset monitoring solution that enables SMEs to track the movement of field assets via the internet. This is especially useful for businesses whose efficiency relies heavily on logistics. Four different tracking devices are available (standard, covert, motorcycle, and heavy duty) and can be fitted into delivery vans and such. This allows the person-in-charge to keep track of the location of his personnel at all times to ensure that things are delivered on time and that his employees aren’t slacking off. The information is updated every minute and accessed online. If something goes wrong, like if a particular tracking device goes out of the usual route, then an alert is instantly sent to the supervisor.

    PLDT’s CheckOut is a real-time sales management solution that handles all point-of-sales (POS) requirements of SMEs. It provides branch managers accurate sales information and automates various processes to help them make better decisions. They can use it to record sales transactions, monitor inventory levels, and perform sales analytics.

     

    Asus Zenbook Prime officially launched, Happiness 2.0 campaign detailed

    Gadgets Team
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    Asus Zenbook Prime officially launched, Happiness 2.0 campaign detailed

    We’ve seen the Asus Zenbook Prime before in our office, and yesterday the folks at Asus Philippines officially launched the newly refreshed ultrabook at Opus in Resorts World Manila. The Taiwanese firm also took the chance to outline their new marketing campaign for their notebooks. Dubbed  “Happiness 2.0”, the campaign slightly eschews the habit of drowning customers in specifications and instead highlights the important characteristics that their notebooks deliver. Beauty, Sound, Touch, IOIC (Instant On, Instant Connect) and Cloud. Basically, Asus is making some of the features in its high-end notebooks like the SonicMaster audio technology in their N series notebooks and design aesthetics in their slimmer Zenbook ultrabook line available to their entry level devices. This will give their line a more consistent feel, which should add to the desirability of these products.

    [album: https://gadgetsmagazine.com.ph/wp-content/plugins/dm-albums/dm-albums.php?currdir=/wp-content/uploads/dm-albums/[email protected]/Zenbook/]

    No price has been set by Asus for the newly refreshed Zenbook Prime, though we did hear some grumblings that the top tier device will retail for around Php 70,000.

     

    Everyone’s Vision Petron: Lakbay Kalikasan

    Press Release
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    Everyone’s Vision Petron: Lakbay Kalikasan

    Petron Student Art Competition now open for entries

    Everyone’s Vision Petron is a competition for photographers, painters and designers. It is also a venue for filmmakers, musicians, performance artists, art enthusiasts, and all Filipinos to converge and be one through their shared love for Philippine art and culture.

    Themed Lakbay Kalikasan —A Journey of Nuturing Nature, this year’s competition focuses on the different ways of caring for and protecting the environment. Samples may be seen in Petron’s own efforts to protect our biodiversity through coastal management, reforestation, mangrove planting, creating fish sanctuaries and artificial reefs, and protecting sea turtles.

    Petron believes that everyone has his/her own unique perspective on things and that this uniqueness can be expressed in so many different ways.  This is the inspiration behind Everyone’s Vision Petron — the belief that free artistic expression remains intrinsic to nation-building.

    Everyone’s Vision Petron is open to all talented students enrolled in a regular university or college course, or in tutorial art and photography classes.  Participants must be Filipino and ages 15-28 years old. Student artists may compete in three categories:  Painting (oil and water-based media), photography, and print-making (production of printed images on paper).

    Entries for the painting categories (oil and water-based media) should be no bigger than 4ft x 4ft unframed. Colored photography entries should be no bigger than 10 x 15 inches unframed. For the printmaking category, the minimum artwork size on paper is 12 x 16 inches but not more than 16 x 20 inches.

    In the painting category, six Grand Prize winners will each receive P50,000; for the colored photography category, six Grand Prize winners will each receive P30,000; and in the printmaking category, three Grand Prize winners will each receive P30,000.  Each Grand Prize winner will also receive a trophy/plaque designed by National Artist Napoleon Abueva.

    Application forms are available at participating Petron service stations and bulk plants nationwide, or from the Secretariat Office (c/o Studio 5 Designs, 28 Paseo de Roxas cor Jupiter St, Bel-Air Village, Makati City, telephone 02-8909318).  The form may also be downloaded from the website: www.visionpetron.com or from Facebook: www.facebook.com/EveryonesVisionPetron.

    Deadline for submission of entries is 24 July 2012 at Petron bulk plants nationwide or 31 July 2012 at the Vision Petron Project Secretariat. If submitting by courier, the entry must be sent to the secretariat’s address and postmarked 24 July 2012.

    Winners will be notified personally or through a phone call, and not by any other means, by the Vision Petron Secretariat. Official press releases will be published after the Awards Night in August 2012.

    Asus teases their “next transformation” for COMPUTEX, screens galore?

    Gadgets Team
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    Asus teases their “next transformation” for COMPUTEX, screens galore?

    It’s roughly a week before COMPUTEX, and as is their custom, Asus is now teasing (quite cryptically, if we may add) their next breakthrough products. The Taiwanese firm has just posted a very cryptic teaser video on their official YouTube account, which promises that we’ll be seeing their “next transformation” once June 4 rolls around. At this point we don’t know enough to try and guess what Asus is referring to, but you can be sure we’ll be sharing that with you since we’re going there next week and we’ll be liveblogging the entire event.

    Source: Asus (YouTube)

    Samsung Galaxy S III officially launched in the Philippines, priced at Php 32990

    Gadgets Team
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    5
    Samsung Galaxy S III officially launched in the Philippines, priced at Php 32990

    Alright, we just came from the Samsung Galaxy S III launch in the Fort tonight, and boy oh boy, does Samsung know how to throw a party. If you guys follow our site religiously (if you don’t you totally should), you already know what the Galaxy S III does, what’s it is equipped with, and most of its features. You also probably know what both operators are asking for it – if you don’t let us refresh your memory – Globe is asking for Php 2499 for 24 months on contract with unlimited data, while Smart is asking for Php 2000 for 30 months (that’s a 2 years and six months for the lazy). Most of you are asking what the initial SRP of the device is, unlocked when it lands in June. Well, we got the price for you kiddies – the price of the Samsung Galaxy S III in the Philippines will be Php 32990. That puts it in the same league as the HTC One X, which also carries the SRP of Php 32990. So the question now is: are you getting the HTC One X or the Samsung Galaxy S III?

     

    Samsung Galaxy S III Philippine launch liveblog [UPDATE]

    Gadgets Team
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    1
    Samsung Galaxy S III Philippine launch liveblog [UPDATE]

    We’re here live at the Samsung Galaxy S III Philippine launch, and we’re going to liveblog the entire event for you readers, who are sitting in front of your lovely couches at home. Keep your browsers locked at this address, as the event is about to start in a few minutes.

    Update: We managed to get the price of the Galaxy S III here in the Philippines. Seems like Samsung will offer their newest smartphone at Php 32990, which means it’ll end up the same price as it’s nearest rival, the HTC One X.

    Update: Sorry folks, we forgot to publish the comments. Our bad, should have checked that first before doing anything. We did see your comments during the liveblog, it just didn’t show up because of the settings. We’ll have it up the next time, promise!

    Asus Zenbook Prime Liveblog!

    Gadgets Team
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    We’re trying something new today boys and girls, – liveblogging! We’ll be doing a test run of the software during today’s Asus Zenbook Prime launch here in the Philippines, so please, bear with us if there are technical glitches during the event. Thanks!

    Facebook still looking to make their own phone

    Gadgets Team
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    Facebook still looking to make their own phone

    Rumors of Facebook creating their own phone has been rekindled. According to the New York Times, the leading social network in the world is supposedly having another go at building their own smartphone, but this time they’re pulling out all the stops. The report details that the social media company is grabbing smartphone talent by the bucketful, specifically former Apple engineers that worked on the iPhone and the iPad.

    According to the report from the New York Times, Facebook’s chief executive peppered a former Apple engineer about the inner workings of smartphones, which included questions about chips used in them. The motivation behind the push is clear to the people involved an unnamed Facebook employee said that “Mark is worried that if he doesn’t create a mobile phone in the near future that Facebook will simply become an app on other mobile platforms.”

    There have been attempts to closely integrate Facebook into smartphones, like the HTC ChaCha (pictured above) – in fact, HTC still has an ongoing collaboration with Facebook to create a smartphone, codenamed “Buffy”. Whether people would buy a smartphone made by the social networking leader is still up for debate.

    Source: New York Times

    LG pulls lid off mobile HD screen, has 1080p HD resolution and 440ppi pixel density

    Gadgets Team
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    LG pulls lid off mobile HD screen, has 1080p HD resolution and 440ppi pixel density

    LG’s just revealed their newest mobile HD screen that’s set to possibly go into future handsets of the Korean company. The new display is a 5-inch deal, and uses an AH-IPS (Advanced High Performance In-Plane Switching) technology panel that has a pixel density of 440ppi and has a screen resolution of 1920×1080, which LG says is the first for mobile screens. “As smartphones become increasingly valued for how well they do multimedia and with the rapid growth of LTE enabling faster large file transfers, our new 5″ Full HD LCD panel is certain to prove a significant asset to the mobile market,” said Sang-Deok Yeo, CTO and Executive Vice President of LG Display. “With the world’s highest resolution smartphone display, LG Display continues to remain a step ahead in developing the most innovative in display technology products.”

    You’ll also won’t have to wait long to see this Retina Display killer hit the stores – LG says that this particular display will be released during the second half of this year.

    Via: Engadget

    Review: Samsung HMX-Q10

    Gadgets Team
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    1
    Review: Samsung HMX-Q10

    by M.R. Gavin

    My earliest memory of a video camera was in the late ‘90s when I asked my aunt how a left-handed person could use the camera if the strap is on the right. Fast forward years later, and I’ve got the Samsung HMX-Q10 in my hands. With the weight of only 214.55 grams, you need not worry of muscle sprain when carrying this camcorder. The Samsung HMX-Q10 fits just right in your palm and gives you total control over the camera.

    The highlight of this camcorder is the Switch Grip function, which makes lefties dance with joy as finally, a video camera designed to cater their special needs. Even if you are left-handed, you can still use the switch grip function when your hands and shoulder get tired, especially when recording without a tripod. It is also very useful when recording in difficult situations and positions. There is an option of turning off the Switch Grip but I think it takes out the whole point of the Q10.

    There are only few physical controls—record, zoom in/out, home and the lens cover switch. When handling the camcorder, your thumb naturally rests on the record button but when it comes to controlling the zoom buttons around, it becomes a little tricky and makes your shots shaky. It would have been better if the zoom controls were placed on the top side of the camera right where the index finger can control it with ease. There is a lens cover switch for the Samsung HMX-Q10, which is different with other camcorders as usually lens open automatically. You might have the mistake of recording while lens is still closed, luckily, there is a prompt to check your lens every time you turn on the camcorder.

    Opening the flap of the camera reveals the 2.7-inch LCD touchscreen. The interface is very simple. Right beside the screen is the home button, making it easier to go back to your home screen and change the settings. The home screen consists of smart auto, manual, art film, album and settings. It can’t get any simpler than that.

    My favorite feature is when in manual mode, you can adjust the white balance, exposure, focus and a whole lot of other things. It gives you total control of how you want your videos and photos to look like.

    Video quality suffers in low light though, it would have been better if there is a little light in front of the camera to use when in night mode. The audio quality of the videos is something not to be too excited about, but it would work for home videos and the like. If seeking for better audio/sound features, the Q10 will fail you. It doesn’t have a port to attach an external microphone.

    When shooting, you will see the fine quality of the videos especially when there is fair lighting. Quality may suffer when there is too much light though, so if shooting outside, better use the manual option. There is a 1.4-inch 5-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor and an F/1.8 Schneider Kreuznach HD lens with a 10x optical zoom and 20x digital zoom. These lenses are perfect for shooting macro subjects and events that require shots from a distance.

    I brought this camcorder to a basketball game and tried recording parts of it. The videos we’re clear and sharp and didn’t show how shaky my hands were while recording. The built-in IOS Duo is truly effective, especially recording activities such as sports.

    There is no built-in memory but you can use SD or SDHC cards up to 32GB. It would have been nicer if you could at least snap photos without a memory card.

     

    Battery life is undeniably good; I was able to use the Samsung HMX-Q10 for three days without having to charge the unit. Also, it just takes four hours to fully charge—whether from a PC/laptop or via power adaptor.

    There is a bit of delay when taking photos with the Q10. Stable hands are also needed because the slightest movement sometimes gives out a blurry shot.

    Specifications
    MEMORY: SD/SDHC up to 32GB
    ZOOM: 10x Optical Zoom /20x Digital Zoom
    DISPLAY: 2.7” Auto Rotate Touch-Panel LCD
    VIDEO RESOLUTION: Full HD 1080/50i, 720/50p and standard-def 576/50p
    PHOTO RESOLUTION: 4.9 megapixels (2944 x 1656 pixels) and 2 megapixels (1920 x 1080 pixels)
    INPUTS AND OUTPUTS: USB 2.0
    DIMENSIONS: 119.4 x 53.3 x 43.7mm
    WEIGHT: 214.55g

    What’s Hot:
     • Switch Grip
    • Full HD capability
    • Up to 4.9MP photo quality
    • Very User friendly
    • Good battery life

    What’s Not:
     • Zoom buttons are awkwardly placed
    • No port for external mic

    Bottomline:
    If you are a lefty and needs a video camera then this should be number 1 on your list. The interface is very user friendly and just like navigating through your smartphone.

    Buy Meter: 7.8

    [This review originally appeared in the October 2011 issue of Gadgets Magazine]

    Samsung outs Windows Phone powered Omnia M

    Gadgets Team
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    0
    Samsung outs Windows Phone powered Omnia M

    With all the talk of Nokia Lumia devices the past few weeks, it’s easy to forget that other manufacturers also make Windows Phones. One such manufacturer is Samsung, and they’ve released the Windows Phone 7.5 powered Omnia M recently. The Omnia M sports a 4-inch, Super AMOLED display, a 1-GHz single-core processor, 7.2Mbps HSDPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, A-GPS, 4GB internal memory and a 5-megapixel camera. Samsung’s also including their cloud-powered family-oriented Family Story, which allows users to share family messages, videos and photo slide-shows on a virtual bulletin-board with other Samsung devices.

    Source: Samsung

    Fake anti-virus scammer contacts security vendor, hilarity ensues

    Gadgets Team
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    0
    Fake anti-virus scammer contacts security vendor, hilarity ensues

    There’s plenty of bad people on the internet that’ll try to take advantage of not-so-savvy internet users. One modus operandi of these people is to call you at your house and tell you that they’ve detected something wrong with your PC, either a virus or something similar. They’ll ask you to let them check your PC via a remote administration tool which they’ll then use to disable your computer, subsequently blaming a “virus” for the failure. Unfortunately for them, they made the mistake of calling Noah Magram, principal software engineer with Sourcefire, a firm that specializes in cybersecurity. Noah takes the opportunity to get their entire modus operandi on video, using a virtual machine on his PC. The entire video is a bit boring unfortunately, but it’s still something that most people need to watch, especially the internet-clueless, as Noah expertly dissects and explains all dirty tricks that scammers use on unwitting victims.

    Source: Sourcefire (YouTube)

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