Now, where’s that email? Gmail introduces a bunch of new search options

If you're a Gmail user and often find yourself wasting time trying to locate an old message among the many millions scattered about your various folders, you might want to check out a list of new operators that should help speed up your search.

Whether your Gmail account is a messy mass of unsorted messages or a neatly arranged, highly organized affair, it can still be difficult to locate a particular email when the need arises.

With this in mind, the boffins at Google have been working on creating a bunch of new search operators so that nearby innocents will no longer have to listen to you swear in frustration as you waste time attempting to track down that vital message – which you forgot you deleted months ago.

The new operators allow users to look for emails by size, more flexible date options, label, exact match…..the list goes on. In fact, more than 25 different operators have been introduced. If you can’t find that all-important email using one of these, you surely never will.

Google’s Gmail team gives an example of the new operators on its blog. “To find emails larger than 5MB, you can search for size:5m or larger:5m or to find emails sent over a year ago, older_than:1y.”

According to a comScore report, Gmail last month became the world’s most widely used web-based email service, knocking Hotmail from the top spot, a position which it had held since it got the web-based-email-ball rolling back in the 1990s. However, Microsoft’s rebranding of Hotmail as Outlook over the summer does cloud the issue somewhat, as both services continue to run alongside each other while Hotmail is gradually phased out.

While Yahoo is in third position globally, it’s the most popular service among US users, with 41 percent of the market.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Good guy Apple gives $2.5 million to Hurricane Sandy relief

After successfully raising "millions" of dollars toward the American Red Cross' Hurricane Sandy relief efforts, Apple CEO Tim Cook told employees today that the company will donate $2.5 million of its own money to help the storm's victims recover.

Apple will donate $2.5 million to victims of Hurricane Sandy, according to an internal memo obtained by 9to5Mac. The charitable gift comes on top of untold millions raised by Apple customers for the American Red Cross through a special page on iTunes. 

Apple originally launched the Hurricane Sandy relief page in iTunes on November 1, just days after the storm decimated communities up the East Coast, including towns and cities in New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut. Apple iTunes customers can give amounts ranging from $5 to $200 through the page.

Sandy is said to be the second most-costly hurricane in U.S. history, after 2005′s Hurricane Katrina. Eleven days after Sandy made landfall, around 265,000 homes in New Jersey, and more than 168,000 in Long Island remain without electricity. An untold number of people are displaced or homeless because of the storm.

News of Apple’s donation follows a joint project between Silicon Valley vacation rental starup Airbnb and the New York City Mayor’s Office, which are urging Airbnb hosts (or anyone with a bit of extra room) to lend out their space to displaced Sandy victims for free. As of this writing, more than 530 hosts have signed up for the effort.

Apple’s charitable giving has increased under CEO Tim Cook. In February, Cook revealed that the company had given a total of about $150 million to charity, a large number, but a small fraction of the electronic giant’s approximately $117 billion in cash it had on hand, as of this summer.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Quality-control crackdown causing iPhone 5 supply issues, Apple shares knocked

There are no worries about consumer demand for the new iPhone 5 – Apple is selling millions of them. The problem, thanks to its popularity, is on the supply side. However, quality-control issues and component shortages are not helping the situation.

When the new iPhone 5 started landing in people’s hands last month, it didn’t take long before forums started to fill with comments from disgruntled customers complaining that their handset was delivered with scuffs and scratches on its anodized aluminum back.

Its predecessor, the 4S, had a glass back so didn’t suffer from the same problem. The new aluminum design has enabled Apple to make its popular smartphone thinner and lighter than any earlier iteration, but it seems the soft material also makes it more susceptible to damage.

Quality control

It appears the issue has caused something of a stir behind the scenes at Apple, with a Bloomberg report Wednesday suggesting the supply shortage of the new handset is in part down to a quality-control crackdown by the phone’s manufacturer, Foxconn.

Foxconn is reportedly working hard to limit the number of Apple smartphones leaving its plants with scuffs and scratches, with Bloomberg citing “a person familiar with the matter” as its source.

“Senior Apple managers told executives at Foxconn near the end of September to tighten production standards,” the report claims.

A shortage of iPhone 5 components is also proving to be a problem for the Cupertino company, contributing to manufacturing challenges. As a result, RBC Capital Markets analysts have reevaluated their iPhone 5 sales forecast for the December quarter, cutting it to 49 million units from 57 million.

Share price drop

Worries about supply appear to have been a contributory factor in Apple’s falling share price, with $60 billion wiped off the company’s market value since the handset’s launch. On Tuesday shares closed at $635.85, significantly down from the record $700+ value they reached only a couple of weeks ago.

Demand for the iPhone 5 has admittedly been incredibly strong, with Apple announcing a record five million orders in its first three days of sales. Although a wait is always expected if you order an iPhone online soon after launch (currently 3-4 weeks), it seems the supply problems are being compounded by the quality-control issue and component shortages.

Handsets turning up with scuffs and marks were reported right from the start with the iPhone 5. One unhappy owner fired off an email to Apple’s marketing chief, Phil Schiller, and received the following response:

“Any aluminum product may scratch or chip with use, exposing its natural silver color. That is normal,” Schiller wrote. Trouble is, some of the devices have been arriving damaged.

Until the initial rush to buy the new handset dies down and Apple gets on top of the current supply issues, a certain degree of patience is required if you’re thinking about ordering an iPhone 5 anytime soon. As for Apple’s share value, no doubt that’ll bounce back once (if) it unveils the iPad Mini later this month.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

7 Common Threats in WordPress and Their Solutions

WordPress is undoubtedly the most popular content management system in the world. Millions of websites around the world are being powered by this CMS thanks to its usability and scalability. But this popularity has also made WordPress a happy hunting ground for the hackers. Hundreds of security issues have been unearthed and fixed over the years as newer versions of the CMS tightens screws on these security threats. However, since WordPress is used as a blogging tool by many newbies but for them security threat increases due to lack of awareness. Here we shall take a look at some of the common WordPress security threats and their solutions.

1. Password Hacking

This is the most common problem that most WordPress users around the world talk about. Having your WordPress website hacked can do a lot of damage to your image and to your brand. A professional hacker can gain access to the administrative section of your website and install scripts which can steal your data or damage the whole server. People fall victim due to the habit of using easy to remember passwords such as their names, phone numbers and date of birth.

Solution

- It is important that you set a password which isn’t predictable and has a combination of alphabets, numbers and special characters for example [ndyx#189@]. Also you should always uncheck the ‘Remember Me’ box when using a public computer.

2. Themes and Plugins

Since WordPress is an open source platform, there are a number of free plugins and themes available which enhance the functionality of your website. This allows a lot of malicious themes and plugins to circulate in the system which can compromise the security of your website by hacking information, interrupting services and redirecting traffic causing a lot of harm to your site as well as the users.

Solution

– Always download themes and plugins from trusted sources, preferably the WordPress site itself. Keep the themes and plugins updated with the latest security patches whenever they are available. Remove unused themes and plugins from your server as they act as breeding ground for threats. Remember, if you are using the same WordPress set up for too long without any update you are inviting trouble!

3. Database Access using Root Account

WordPress stores content and web files in one database and when you make use of more than one application, separate databases are created. These databases can be accessed through the WordPress root account which are saved on the server or web hosting account. Any hacker who cracks into your root account gets complete access to all your databases creating a security issue.

Solution

– To overcome this problem you need to create dedicated accounts to access each database instead of using the root account. Although this might seem a laborious job, this can go a long way in securing your website.

4. SQL Threat

There are two core components which power a WordPress website – the database and the PHP script which runs the system. This makes the website vulnerable as hackers can make use of SQL injection to gain access to the database. This allows them to steal sensitive information such as customer data etc.

Solution

–You can prevent SQL injections by changing the default database tables prefix and customizing with strict rules which shall be used to access your .htaccess file hosted on your web server.

5. Database Permission

This is nothing but a set of rules which allows a web application to access and modify the secured parts of your database. Many people make the grave mistake of setting database permission too low which can easily be exploited by the hacker to gain control of the website.

Solution

– You need to set strict permission for web applications to access your database by updating the rights privileges. You can customize the set of permissions required for each type of application to access your database thus keeping the malicious web applications at bay.

6. Operating System Vulnerabilities

Most of us focus on securing the WordPress website taking all necessary precaution and often ignoring the source operating system and the infrastructure that is used to manage the website. Your computer or laptop is a major source of security issues to your WordPress website.

Solution

– Good food is always prepared in a clean kitchen and thus you need to secure the infrastructure at your end. Use a strong anti-virus and Internet firewall for your desktop/laptop to secure your website.

7. Database Backup

The best of the security measures can go awry when the website falls prey to professional hackers who always look to outsmart developers and break through the security cordon often exploiting the database.

Solution

– Backup your WordPress website religiously on a regular basis as this will help you restore the website quickly in case it has been hit by the bad guys. Backing up the site once a week is advisable. No web development platform in this world is full proof in terms of security. In fact, a WordPress website is as secure as you want it to be. Keep the above things in mind while developing or managing your WordPress site and it will shield against external threats easily.

This guest post is contributed by Jeff Thomson. He is working as a wordpress developer with MarkupBox.com. Markupbox.com is a specialized PSD to HTML Conversion Company, backed with years of experience and diligent professionals. MarkupBox offers PSD to HTML, PSD to WordPress, and other conversion services like PSD to Joomla, PSD to Magento, PSD to Email, PSD to Drupal, PSD to CSS and much more.

Tags: Internet Security, Online Security, Web Security, WordPress

Source : techtalkafrica[dot]com

Epic Hermit Crab Migration Captured on Camera

It’s something you have to see to believe. A beach on the island of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands is overtaken by a millions of hermit crabs during the crustacean’s mass migration, turning the sandy shore into a sea of clattering shells and legs.

Veteran videographer Steve Simonsen, who captured the phenomenon last week in a video that is going viral online said, he was covered with crabs in the shooting process.

“Crabs were crawling over my feet, arms, cameras. They crawled right into the lens hood,” Simonsen said. “I was freaked out.”

Simonsen, who specializes in underwater and nature films, was summoned by a friend, author Pam Gaffin, to the beach at Nanny Point to document the spectacular sight. Gaffin had been there since 6 a.m. after hearing the crabs rustling in the underbrush the night before in a mass exodus to the beach.

“[Gaffin] told me … there were millions and millions of them …she likened it to the migrations of Serengeti. I didn’t need to hear anymore, I loaded my car with cameras and was out the door,” Simonsen wrote on his Vimeo page, where the video was first posted.

Simonsen arrived at 10 am and joined Gaffin, who was snorkeling in the water.

“You couldn’t walk …you had to pick out high rocks that no crabs were on. Or if a crab or four or five where on it, I had to brush the crabs off with my foot. I had to pick my way through,” he said. “What I found out that the crabs were not interested at all in pinching. They were on a mission.”

Hermit crabs, also known as soldier crabs, are found throughout the Caribbean islands and take part in a great migration en masse annually in August to mate. The crustaceans travel to the beach, leave their shells and enter the water to lay eggs, according to Smithosianmag.com. After spending two minutes in the water, Simonsen said the crabs turn around, return to land and make their way home.

“People who live on St. John know this happens in August. I’ve never been able to see it or know when it happens,” said Simonsen, who plans to study the creature’s migrations, moon phases, tides and stake out beaches next August to see the phenomenon again.

Simonsen is  working on a project filming leatherback sea turtles that nest on St. Croix.

Source : abcnews[dot]go[dot]com

Which Social Media Websites to Use for Recruitment

Millions upon millions of unemployed people from all around the world log into their social media accounts each and every day. In spite of the fact that the previous statement isn’t of blindingly obvious importance for recruitment agencies, its importance will become very obvious if you think about it for some time. What this means is that all of these millions of people could be or are actively looking for a job, and very few of them have realized that they can use social networks to help them with solving this problem. As a result of this, recruitment firms have started using social media websites to find the perfect candidates for job openings in many different fields of work.

Which Social Networks Are Good for Social Recruitment Efforts?

Generally speaking, there are four major social media websites you should pay attention to when it comes to social recruitment. There are the following social networks: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Google+. As a recruiter, if you take advantage of these four social networks you will surely be very successful at doing your job right.

Facebook

As the biggest and the most prominent social network in the world, Facebook is the obvious choice for anything that involves the social aspect of the World Wide Web. The best thing to do is create a Facebook page for your recruitment agency and start working your magic across this popular social network. You will be very surprised with the number of potential job candidates you will find on Facebook, and you will definitely be able to leverage the popularity of this social media website.

LinkedIn

Even though LinkedIn doesn’t even compare to Facebook when it comes to the number of people using it, this social network is very important for all of your social recruitment efforts. The reason for this is the fact that LinkedIn is more business-oriented than any other social network. As a matter of fact, more and more recruiters are starting to use LinkedIn as their only online job board, as it offers great tools as well as a large network of professionals in every field of work you might be interested in.

Twitter

Twitter is also a great social network when it comes to social recruitment, even though many do not see the importance and the potential this social media website offers. Job advertizing is really simple with Twitter, and the best thing about it is that all the tweets are very concise and to the point. Therefore, you do not need to be worried that you will only lose time on Twitter.

Google+

Despite the fact that it has been ignored by many, Google+ is actually a great place to visit if you want to find serious professionals and good job candidates. Google+ is easy to use, and it is also very important to mention that Google offers a number of very useful and free tools that could help you along the process of finding the perfect candidates for job openings, and these tools include Google Documents, Gmail, GTalk, YouTube, and so on.

Guest Post contribution by Paul Harris who is a seasoned IT staffing consultant with over 15 years of experience. He has worked with both small and large firms, delivering exceptional services to his diverse clients.

Source : techtalkafrica[dot]com

Call of Duty: Black Ops II offers a first look at its multiplayer

Treyarch and Activision have released the first look at the highly anticipated multiplayer for the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops

If you are one of the millions of rabid Call of Duty fans, then the multiplayer offering is what you are probably most anticipating when Black Ops 2 is released later this year. The single player campaign may prove to be the best gaming experience in the history of the human race, but even if it brings tears to your eyes from the beauty of it all, the majority of fans are still looking for Call of Duty’s next entry in order to jump online and pummel their fellow gamers by punching them to death with bullets and tomahawks.

As you might expect of a game set in the future, the multiplayer mode will feature futuristic tech and plenty of gadgets to help you along. Judging from the aerial assaults and numerous devices you can use, killstreaks will also be a huge part of the game. Not surprising of course, but the question of how they are earned is still a question mark. Will Treyarch return to the traditional killstreak method of consecutive kills to unlock the chosen option, or will it use the multiple killstreak types, like the support killstreaks that earn points by actions regardless of deaths, as were introduced in Modern Warfare 3.

The video also raises the question of how important equipment—both killstreaks earned via equipment and equipment chosen at the loadout—will be. Finding a balance between useful and cool gadgets, and gadgets that are toopowerful is important, and something that many have criticized the series for not fully attaining. It is fun to earn enough kills to unleash a barrage from above, but it can quickly be overwhelming. 

Beyond that, the game looks like standard Call of Duty gameplay, for both good and bad. The fans will likely love it, and are probably already putting in their requests for the day off work when it is released, while the haters shall continue to hate. Of course, that is just from the quick glimpse provided, there could be significant changes we haven’t seen yet.

We’ll find out more soon enough, when Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is released for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 on November 13, with a Wii U release likely coming soon after.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com