BackTrack 5 R1 Released - Penetration Testing Distribution

BackTrack is a Linux-based penetration testing arsenal that aids security professionals in the ability to perform assessments in a purely native environment dedicated to hacking. Regardless if you’re making BackTrack your primary operating system, booting from a LiveDVD, or using your favorite thumbdrive, BackTrack has been customized down to every package, kernel configuration, script and patch solely for the purpose of the penetration tester.

Official BackTrack 5 R1 change log:

1. This release contains over 120 bug fixes, 30 new tools and 70 tool updates.
2. The kernel was updated to 2.6.39.4 and includes the relevant injection patches.

According to the guys at OffSec, This release is their best one yet! Some pesky issues such as rfkill in VMWare with rtl8187 issues have been fixed, which provides for a much more solid experience with BackTrack.We’ve have Gnome and KDE ISO images for 32 and 64 bit (no arm this release), as well as a VMWare image of a 32 bit Gnome install, with VMWare Tools pre-installed.
We are mighty excited and are already downloading this release just as we speak!
Download Backtrack 5 R1

List of 5 Online Tools to Find Similar Images

Google’s new addition to its image search is “similar image search” through which you can find similar or duplicate images. This feature is particularly useful when you want to view the source image, for example you have found an edited/photoshopped image of Sachin Tendulkar then you might want to know the source of that image.
For example, take a look at the below two images, you can keep the first image as wallpaper (by tiling) but not the second one (looks ugly). So, this can help wallpaper junkies a lot!

Here are some of the best sites which can help you in identifying similar images:

#1. Google Similar Images

“Google Similar Images” was a Google lab experiment but now it’s integrated into Google images. You can see the text “similar” at the bottom of any image when you hover over it. When I checked similar images for the below picture, there were 8 images which were matching it.

Link: Google Images

#2. TinEye Reverse Image Search

This is a bit advanced and it’s the best when compared to rest of them. What amazed me is that, when I searched similar images for the same image (which I used in Google image search), it came up with 32 relevant results!

So, the relevancy of TinEye is very high compared to Google Image search. It also provides cool extensions for IE, Chrome, Firefox and Safari browsers. You can make use of their bookmarklet too!

Microsoft Sending a Message with IE 10 Preview!

IE 10 Microsoft has almost always tied up the development of Internet Explorer browser with Windows. Whenever a new version of Windows is shipped out, the IE browser’s version also gets an upgrade.
Windows XP came with IE6, Windows Vista had IE7 and Windows 7 had IE8 pre-installed. The reception to the browser versions also reflected how the OS was received. Just like people are not ready to upgrade from XP to Vista, IE6 users seemed to not bother upgrading to IE7 or even IE8.

Microsoft’s message with IE 10

With IE 9 being released, many felt it was the last chance for Microsoft to save IE browser. With the release being only a month ago, the preview build of IE 10 was a surprise. IE 9 was expected to be shipped as default with the next version (Windows 8?) of Windows.
With IE 10 Microsoft is telling the internet community that they will probably upgrade browser versions without waiting for newer OS to be introduced.

IE 10 Features

• It is really good at making most use of screen space like IE 9 does.
• The graphics support along with CSS rendering is pretty good, as shown by a tests like Fish bowl and Paint Ball.
• IE 9 has a good record when it comes to handling power efficiency. For Laptop users like me, that is a good incentive. I found IE 10 preview not being as light-weight but that might change when IE 10 goes into Beta from Preview version.

What Microsoft needs to do to give IE 10 a boost?

Firstly, IE 10 preview only works with Windows 7. I am not sure if that will happen with IE 10 browser going ahead but if it does, then it would be disappointing. Internet Explorer needs to offer support to Mac OS and Linux-based OS.
This will truly separate IE from Windows as a product and maybe then we might see IE browser building its own independent identity as a browser which does not only revolve around Windows.
I doubt that all this will happen considering how IE finds itself shooting in the foot, what are your view? Do drop in your comments.
Link: IE 10 Preview

Microsoft launches first preview build of IE 10

Just like it did a year ago, Microsoft is using its Mix designer/developer show in Las Vegas this week to launch the first preview build of the next version of Internet Explorer (IE).
On April 12, Microsoft made available a developer preview of IE 10. It is available on the IE Test Drive site. Microsoft officials said to expect the company to offer new builds every 12 weeks. (With IE 9, it was every eight weeks.)
IE 10 will build on the HTML5 and accelerated hardware graphics capabilities that Microsoft built into IE 9. It also will include support for additional standards, like CSS3 Gradients on background images and CSS3 Flexible Box Layout, officials said.

(click on the image above to enlarge)
IE 10 is expected by many Microsoft watchers to be the IE build that Microsoft will include in Windows 8 when it ships, most likely in 2012.
It took Microsoft about a year to move from the first developer preview to the final release-to-Web build of IE 9.
One more thing: The Professional Developers Conference will be in Anaheim, Calif., from September 13 to 16, officials said today.

IE9 FAQ: how to install, uninstall, and tweak the final release

Microsoft released the final version of Internet Explorer 9 four weeks ago. Since then, I’ve been using it steadily, and I’ve also been fielding a steady stream of questions from readers. Here are the answers to the questions I hear most often.
Which Windows versions does IE9 work with?
Internet Explorer 9 runs on Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2.
I’m running Windows XP. Can I install IE9?
No. XP is officially out of the mainstream support phase and is not eligible for updates like this. Plus, many of the features are specifically tied to Windows features found only in later versions. IE boss Dean Hachamovich laid out the official explanation in his keynote address at MIX11: “Building a new browser for a 10-year-old OS doesn’t make sense. Building for the future of the web does make sense.”
Is IE9 really being “pushed” via Windows Update?
Not exactly. As I noted earlier this week, Microsoft has a consistent, well-defined policy for handling the release of a new Internet Explorer version. Two weeks after the final code is released to the web (RTW), it first appears on Windows Update. This is a staged rollout that goes first to Internet Explorer users who previously installed a pre-release version. Over the course of the next few weeks, it’s rolled out to a larger number of Windows users, and it should be generally available within two or three months of that RTW date.
Even then, though, the new browser is not automatically installed without your explicit consent. Although it is listed as an Important update, it is not selected for download. You have to visit Windows Update manually and click a check box to download it and start the installation process manually and accept a license agreement. That’s a far cry from Microsoft “pushing” IE9 onto your PC.
Where can I download the final IE9 version?
You can get it from Microsoft’s official download site. Choose your language, specify which Windows version you’re running (32-bit or 64-bit), and click Download.
I’m confused about the difference between 32-bit and 64-bit Internet Explorer. Which one do I need?
If you’re confused, join the club. Here’s the short explanation:
You should choose the installer that matches your version of Windows. For all Windows versions, regardless of whether they’re 32-bit or 64-bit, the setup program installs a 32-bit version of IE9 and makes that the default choice when you launch Internet Explorer. If you’re running 64-bit Windows, use the 64-bit installer. It installs the 32-bit IE code and also installs a 64-bit browser.
Even on 64-bit Windows, the 32-bit version of Internet Explorer is the default. For most users, that’s the correct configuration. Using the 32-bit browser is preferable, primarily because most add-ins aren’t available in 64-bit versions yet. (Adobe’s Flash Player, for example, is available as a beta release, code-named “Square.” It has not been updated since last November, whereas the shipping 32-bit version was updated in March 2011 to address critical security issues.)
Can I install over the IE9 beta or Release Candidate?
Yes, that is a fully supported installation scenario. You don’t have to uninstall pre-release builds. If you were running any interim builds, however, I strongly recommend uninstalling those builds first.
I’m running IE9, but I’m not sure whether it’s the Release Candidate or the final version. How can I tell the difference?
To check the version, click the Tools button (the “gear” icon) in the top right of the browser window, and then click About Internet Explorer.
The final version should say RTM.

How do I uninstall IE9? It’s not in the list of installed programs.
That’s because it’s considered an update to Windows, not a program. To find the uninstall link, open Control Panel, go to Programs and Features, and click View Installed Updates. (You can also type Installed Updates in the Start menu search box to find a direct link.) Scroll down to the Microsoft Windows section to locate the update. Or, to skip the scrolling, click in the search box and type Internet; that should filter the list to show the Windows Internet Explorer 9 link. Click that link and then click Uninstall. You’ll need to restart your system to complete the uninstall process, after which your previous version of Internet Explorer (IE8, if you use Windows 7) will be available.

Toshiba unloads Tecra, Portege ultra-slim laptops with Sandy Bridge CPUs

Toshiba has rolled out several new notebooks under the Tecra and Portégé brands, which happen to be “the thinnest Toshiba business laptops ever made.”
Besides the slim exteriors, all of the new Toshiba laptops mentioned here share a number of other similar specs, including:

• Second-generation Intel Core processor options
• High-speed 7200 RPM hard drives or a 128GB solid state drive
• Optional AMD Radeon discrete graphics with 1GB of dedicated graphics memory
• Intel AMT 7.0
• 802.11 a/g/n Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth v3.0 + EDR
• Connectivity: USB 3.0, eSATA/USB combo, DisplayPort *or* HDMI, ExpressCard, Gigabit Ethernet and docking connectors.
• Support Intel Wireless Display

For businesspeople on-the-go, the Portégé R830 is dubbed as the “ultraportable” choice. Built with a magnesium alloy casing with a honeycomb structure, the R830 weighs 3.1 pounds and measures about one inch thin. Toshiba boasts that this model is the “world’s lightest 13.3-inch full-performance ultraportable laptop” with an integrated DVD drive.
Continuing on, the Tecra notebooks are a bit larger but still ready for the road with a fiberglass‐reinforced casing with a honeycomb rib structure. The 14-inch Tecra R840 (pictured above) is 25% thinner and 20% lighter than its predecessor, and users can squeeze up to 11 hours of battery life after each charge with this machine. The 15.6-inch Tecra R850 (pictured right, below) also measures about an inch thin and weighs 5.3 pounds. However, this one only manages seven hours of battery time on a single charge. Both Tecra models sport HD LED-Backlit widescreen displays.
Available immediately, pricing ranges based on the configuration selected by the customer, but here’s a scale for reference:

• Tecra R840: $899.00 to $1,479.00
• Tecra R850: $879.00 to $1,399.00
• Portégé R830: $1,049.00 to $1,649.00

These notebooks are intended for business purposes, but there is a consumer edition of the Portégé R830 that starts at $888.99 with a 640GB hard drive. Most of the same specs are still onboard (including USB 3.0), but it lacks an ExpressCard slot and docking capabilities.