This Gadget Can Hijack Any Google Chromecast, And It's Actually A Pretty Serious Issue

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/rickmote-gadget-hijacks-google-chromecast-2014-7

Living room trolls, rejoice.

Dan Petro, a security analyst for the Bishop Fox IT consulting firm, built a proof of concept device that’s able to hack into any Google Chromecasts nearby to project Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up,” or any other video a prankster might choose.

According to a blog post written by Petro (via TechCrunch), the “Rickmote,” which is built on top of the $35 Raspberry Pi single board computer, finds a local Chromecast device, boots it off the network, and then takes over the screen with multimedia of one’s choosing. 

Petro’s 20-minute YouTube video breaks down how the Rickmote works, but to briefly summarize, the device employs an unencrypted command called “deauth,” which basically deauthorizes the device from the network. As TechCrunch points out, this isn’t a Chromecast bug, but actually a relatively common quirk among WiFi devices.

When the Chromecast receives the “deauth” command, it returns to its configuration mode, leaving it open for a device — in this case, the Rickmote — to configure it. At that point, the Rickmote tells the Chromecast to connect to its own WiFi network, at which point, Google’s streaming stick is effectively hacked.

When the Rickmote and Chromecast are connected, pranksters can send videos or songs of their choosing to Google's HDMI streaming dongle. But it gets worse for the victims: If the hacker leaves the range of the device, there’s no way to regain control of the Chromecast.

Unfortunately for Google, this is a rather serious issue with the Chromecast device that’s not too easy to fix, as the configuration process is an essential part of the Chromecast experience. We’ve reached out to Google for comment, and we’ll update this story as soon as we learn more.

Petro says he plans on releasing a “step-by-step guide on how to create a Rickmote controller out of a Raspberry Pi,” and will offer some details on August 6 at the Black Hat Tools Arsenal USA at the Mandalay Bay resort in Las Vegas. However, hackers and pranksters can already get started building their own devices with the open-source code and set of instructions, which is available at the Bishop Fox GitHub page.

“Once it’s ready, using the Rickmote could not be any easier,” Petro writes. “To start rick rolling, boot it up and press the big Rickroll button. One click is all it takes — and Rick Astley runs wild!”

SEE ALSO: One man's dream of customizable wireless earbuds just hit Kickstarter

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Ori Allon Sold One Startup To Google And Another To Twitter â His New 1-Year-Old Startup Is Worth More Than Both Combined

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/urban-compass-raises-40-million-fundraise-at-a-360-valuation-2014-7

Ori Allon built and sold one startup to Google, then another to Twitter. His new company, which turned one in May, is now worth more than both of those startups combined.

Urban Compass has raised a $40 million series B round at a valuation that exceeds $360 million. Investors include Conde Nast's parent company Advance Publications, Joshua Kushner's Thrive Capital, Peter Thiel's Founders Fund, .406 Ventures, American Express CEO Kenneth Chenault and Salesforce founder Marc Benioff. The startup helps New Yorkers buy and rent apartments, and it raised $20 million at a $150 million valuation last October. Allon says his investors encouraged him to take more of their money so he could launch Urban Compass in other cities. Urban Compass is expected to roll out in Boston, Washington D.C., Chicago and possibly San Francisco later this year.

Allon is proud that his business has been making money since its first day. "We've built a real business and we're growing, mostly by word of mouth. We're helping people by giving our customers better real-estate tools," says Allon.

By the end of last summer, Urban Compass was generating $1 million per month and revenue has increased ten times since last June. Urban Compass' home sales business, which launched last fall, has grown five times faster than its initial rental business, Allon says. The startup works with local real-estate agents on a commission basis. Urban Compass currently employs more than 100 people full-time and it expects to double its staff by the end of the year.

Allon says the technology he's built significantly reduces the amount of time it takes to find a home. It's a cleaner experience than Craigslist and the startup prides itself on timely, accurate listings which it displays both online and via mobile app. Addr! esses ar e shown on a Google-like map as well as pictures of the homes. 

If you want to see an apartment, you can schedule a viewing on Urban Compass which will put together an itinerary for you (Urban Compass is like ZocDoc – a real-time doctor appointment tool – for house hunting). Urban Compass acts as a broker, taking between 0 and 15% per completed deal.

While Allon has sold his last two startups, he says Urban Compass is different. "I do not want anyone to buy me out this time," Allon says. "Coming up with an idea and creating technology is exciting, but it's more exciting to grow a company — especially one customers like."

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Verizon Is Making More Money Per Customer Than Any Other Carrier In The US (VZ, TMUS, T, S)

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/carrier-data-plan-profit-comparison-2014-7

Verizon is monetizing mobile data plans better than its rivals, according to a new report from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP).

That's because unlike some rivals Sprint, AT&T, and T-Mobile, Verizon offers fewer choices and has more customers using shared data plans. It also has the lowest percentage of customers on unlimited data plans (22%). Verizon stopped offering unlimited data plans in 2012, so those customers have been "grandfathered" into their unlimited data plans. With fewer people on unlimited data plans, Verizon is able to charge its customers for the data they use instead of a flat fee for unlimited data.

T-Mobile and Sprint have higher percentages of customers on unlimited data plans (78% for both) because they're the only two major carriers that still offer unlimited data. T-Mobile and Sprint are much smaller than Verizon and AT&T, so they use unlimited data plans as a way to entice customers away from the bigger, more expensive carriers.

Verizon customers also tend to pay more per month than customers on rival carriers. CIRP reports that 51% of Verizon customers pay at least $100 per month. An average of 41% of customers on the other three carriers have bills over $100.

SEE ALSO: No one is paying attention to the way wireless carriers could destroy net neutrality

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Recon's 'Google Glass' for sports gets a finalized design ahead of September launch

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/19/recon-jet-update/

No, the Recon Jet still isn't out yet, but its manufacturer has a few bits of news to share. For starters, the sports-minded heads up display's brain box is now angled slightly upward, which supposedly improves the display's viewing angle and camera orientation. This tweak apparently boosts the HUD's ergonomics and makes it fit a bit better, too. The Jet is also now rated to IP65 standard, which means it'll be able to withstand dust and torrential rainstorms. Don't think that it'll work on your next swim, though, because submerging the unit is apparently out of the question. The outfit (thankfully) doesn't mention any changes to its September 25th release date, either, but it is spending the next month working on testing the Jet. Oh, and there's a protective case in the works too -- all the better to keep your $700 investment safe and sound. How protected to the Jet remains while it's on your face, however, well, that's up to you.

Filed under: Wearables

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Source: Recon Instruments

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Control high-speed photography from your phone with this camera trigger

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/20/miops-camera-trigger/

High-speed photography can be daunting if you're not a seasoned pro. You may have a fast camera and flash, but you probably don't have the gear (or people) you'd need to get that frozen-in-time look in most situations. MIOPS' new camera trigger might make it easier to take high-speed shots all by your lonesome, though. By itself, it can tell a DSLR to take a shot and fire your flash when it detects light, motion or sound; you can capture lightning the moment it strikes, or your cat the moment it bolts across the room. The device supports external sensors like pressure pads, too.

It really comes alive if you pay for the Ultimate variant, which adds remote control from a Bluetooth-equipped Android or iOS device. Unlike most trigger apps, MIOPS' mobile software lets you set up capture scenarios that only take pictures under very specific conditions. You can set it to take time-lapse photos as soon as it gets dark, and snap additional lightning pictures if a big storm brews; in short, you shouldn't have to keep a close watch over your camera.

MIOPS is looking to crowdfunding to get its peripheral off the ground. If you're intrigued by the idea, you can pledge $189 for the Basic unit, or $229 for Ultimate. Everything should ship in December, so long as everything goes according to plan. That's a lot of money to spend for a specialized tool, but it might pay off if you're keen to shoot more than just the usual portraits and still life scenes.

Filed under: Cameras, Peripherals

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Via: PetaPixel

Source: Kickstarter

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