Freezing and hacking a 'chilling' tandem

This report is cool. Chillingly cool.

Who would have expected that freezing and hacking could be a tandem useful in extracting data from RAMs.

German researchers at Erlangen University discovered or devised a method for accessing the information contained in a RAM. The method involves freezing and data dumping. The Erlangen University researchers successfully extracted the data stored in the RAM of a Samsung Nexus by freezing the device to a temperature of -15 degrees Celsius and restarting it in fastboot mode to dump the RAM contents for inspection.

This method basically enables the hacking of stored data without having the crack the password or storage encryption protecting the device.

The whole process works by exploiting the the phenomenon called "remanence." In remanence, the excessive cooling down of the RAM cuts off power to the RAM and almost instantaneously erases the RAM's stored data. However, once the RAM goes back to room temperature, the data thought to have been erased after the power supply cutoff is retained for a couple or more seconds. This few seconds is all the time needed to access the RAM's contents.

 Some of the data that can be accessed in the RAM include passwords, emails, text messages, photos and other images, as well as browsing history.

This may sound a bit alarming considering that encryption may even be bypassed. Now, you could no longer feel so assured misplacing your RAM-bearing device even if you had it password-protected or encrypted.

HTC One prices lower than Xperia Z's

Looks like Sony's attempt at gaining a bigger share of the Android smartphone market is likely to end in a failure. The latest flagship from Taiwanese smartphone maker, HTC, is expected to be available at lower prices. What was generally believed to come at ceiling high prices turns out to be more affordable compared to the flagship from Sony.

UK prices have been revealed and the range is pegged at a tempting  £459 to £519 for the unlocked versions, all colors. Clove is offering the device at  £510 while Expansys is asking for  a £519 fee to hand out an HTC One unit. The cheapest price tag comes from Phones 4U which offers the device for pre-orders for a price of  £459.

Specs-wise, the HTC One boasts slightly better hardware and software than Xperia Z's. While the Xperia Z comes at a bigger 5" display (HTC One has just 4.7"), the HTC One display is arguably superior in terms of contrast, pixels per inch (468 vs 441), and viewing angles. The HTC device is made with an aluminum unibody while the Xperia Z is covered by glass panels at both the front and back.

Xperia Z has failed to enjoy a good lead due to a seemingly delayed release with its specs likely have been outdated by the launch of the HTC One. Nevertheless, the Sony flagship remains to have an edge in being water and dust resistant (IP57 certified).

Update: Based on current prices, Xperia Z is already cheaper. Price cuts have been introduced since the flagships from Samsung and HTC have been made available.

Jobs' Android rage was just "for show"

Larry Page, Google Chief Executive Officer

                                                                                 

In an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, the Google CEO opined that Jobs wasn't really mad at Android or Google, contrary to what was written in Jobs's biography. Page thinks the "expression of anger" was only intended to create "an obvious competitor and rally around that."

More of the interview here.

HTC One aka M7, The One

Just when many thought Xperia Z is already the best looking smartphone of 2013...

The HTC One / M7 certainly looks impressive. The display is gorgeous. The homescreen is the best I've seen in a flagship. It looks attractive and functional. This really deserves to be called "The One."

I'm glad they didn't do the same edge-to-edge glass paneling they did with the HTC Butterfly / Droid DNA. That design made it easier to crack the screen even with a short fall to the pavement. The device is quite thick at 9+ mm. Here's hoping for a battery larger than 2500 mah.

The display looks like it's just printed on the panel. Excellent viewing angles. Sony, this is how you should do your displays. I have nothing against not so good viewing angles but if you want to create a premium look and charge a premium price, you need something as gorgeous looking as this thing here.

Hands-on video below.

photos from telefonino.net

Sample HDR videos of the all new HTC One smartphone

Here are some samples of the HDR video capture capabilities of the HTC One, the latest smartphone from the Taiwanese manufacturer.

Dramatically funny doggie

As if acting on cue, this dog responds to his human by nimbly changing his expression.

Our Russel Terrier mix can do something similar but not as quickly.

Dogs hardly fail to amaze.

The Xperia ZL Ad

This promo video for the Sony Xperia ZL is awkward. It's like a subtle way of criticizing its own larger sibling, the Xperia Z.



Here's the text of the ad:

The Sony design team has put their expertise into every corner, piece, and pixel of the Xperia ZL.

Introducing Omnibalance Design....
Symmetry in all directions.
Subtle, rounded edges and a natural hand-fit curvature.

The phone is precision engineered for a great viewing experience.
We took away all the UNNECESSARY hardware bits and optimized components and design to allow the brilliantly bright 5" screen to take center stage.

Spectacularly beautiful.
An advanced smartphone technology yet so compact it fits in your pocket.
Xperia ZL. 

Experience the best of Sony in a Smartphone.

So the Xperia Z has unnecessary components? The ad implies that the ZL is better because it got rid off the unneeded parts found in the device being primarily marketed by Sony Mobile as their 2013 flagship. Sony needs to hire better writers for their promo materials, I guess.