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Posts Tagged ‘Given’

iOS apps can secretly record and take pictures once you’ve given them camera permission

31 Oct

If you want to be sure nobody is spying on you through your laptop’s webcam, the best thing you can do is cover the lens—but the same might actually be true for the camera on your Apple smartphone.

Felix Krause, a developer at Google, has found that any iOS app could secretly use the iPhone’s camera to record images and video of the user, once given permission to access the camera at all. Krause developed an app for demonstration purposes that shows how an app could use either front or rear cameras to capture images and video in the background. The resulting footage or images could be directly transferred to cloud servers without the user being aware or receiving any notifications.

The camera could also be used to run real-time face recognition, possibly even identifying the user.

The good news is that Krause’s app is not approved for distribution through the iTunes App Store; hopefully such malicious behavior would be picked up during Apple’s pretty strict review process. However, if you want to be entirely certain you’re not being spied on, the best options seem to be covering the lens or not granting camera access to any app you don’t 100 percent trust.

For a better idea of the issue, watch the video below that shows Krause’s proof-of-concept app in action, or read the full report on his website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Human Interest: Homeless Dogs Given Hope-Filled Balloons

14 Aug

[ By WebUrbanist in Global & Travel & Places. ]

homeless dog urban intervention

In a unique urban intervention, two college students took and attached a series of balloons marked with written phrases to stray canines Santiago, Chile. The messages encourage people to feed, pet and play with these ubiquitous animals, lost and in need of love. While one person carried the colorful balloon bouquet and attached the strings, the other of the pair filmed the fascinating results as pedestrians noticed and stopped.

As the video demonstrates, the dogs with balloon additions got the attention of others on the street quite quickly. Man’s neglected best friend became visible once again, with passers by stopping to hand over leftovers and spend time with these estranged animals.

homeless dogs human interest

The project is titled ESTOY AQUÍ (Intervención Urbana), which translates to a simple plea: I AM HERE. Written on the balloons are phrases like ‘feed me’, ‘pet me’, ‘hug me’ and ‘scratch me’.

homeless stray dog project

From young puppies to older pals, thousands of homeless dogs roam the streets of this city. Most of them are friendly and simply in search of scraps – in turn, they are normally humanely avoided but largely ignored as the daily bustle of urban life takes place around them.

homeless pet feed play

Aside from human interest, the dogs themselves sat up and took notice as well, in many cases playing with their own balloons and strings, or interacting with one another’s new colorful accessories.

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[ By WebUrbanist in Global & Travel & Places. ]

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