police

Invasion Of Privacy Or Security? 13/7 Blast Case Cracked With The Help Of Tech

by Paul Joseph January 30, 2012 Featured

Though we worry about the constant threats of invasion of privacy from the Government in our lives, some stories help change our perspective. The recent evidence that helped crack the 13/7 Blasts case is one such shining example. In the not so distant past, Government was getting ready to keep a tab on our Social Networking usage. However, how they were going to achieve that was ridiculous . Though the Social scene is yet to be monitored, Indian Government has taken giant leaps in an attempt to keep a check on Anti-Social elements. The Government recently cracked the 13/7 Blasts that rocked various prominent places in Mumbai. Though Govt. was unable to prevent this attack, many such foiled attempts have gone unnoticed. A bomb not exploded, does not make a noise! However, the Indian Cyber Security with the help of various agencies like Mumbai Police, Intelligence Wing of India etc. got to the bottom of this dark hole. Using various Technology tools, the team broke the secrecy of the team that planned & executed the heinous crime. Today, we attempt to highlight some of the Tech that the Govt. is using to protect us: Mumbai cops, combed through 696 hours of footage obtained CCTVs installed at prominent locations. They even procured software to clear the blurry images that these cameras are prone to generate. Combined with Facial recognition software our cops were able to piece together the movements of the terrorists. The Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) used the Cellphone call & tracking tools to capture the interaction & most importantly, they followed the Money trail that was used to finance the blast. The ATS also managed to confirm the identities using fingerprint & DNA sampling technologies. Using these technologies, one can imagine the impact on the Social life of an average human being. Females can feel safer, crimes can be reported &/or stopped, Kids can be protected .  Handling or managing the security of such a large nation is no small feat. In fact, keeping a tab on all suspicious activities is simply beyond the scope of humans. We as citizens should be alert & report suspicious activities. That, combined with the various security tech that the Govt. has installed will eventually prove helpful in deterring such criminals from attacking our sovereign land. Looking For A Social Media Agency?? – Contact WATConsult – India’s Leading Social Media Agency Related Posts India Digital Data To Explode By 2020 – Report Ideacts Ventures Into Cyber Cafe Security Space GMail Introduces New Privacy Settings – Remote Log Out, Logged In Stats & IP Address! WiFi Networks In India Are Weak. Could Fall Prey To Attack Warns CERT-In Metros Get Navigation Assistance. Expect Better Driving?

Tagged as: 13/7, ats, blast, mumbai, news, police, security, web

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Google+ Android App Updated: Improved Huddle & Amp; Streams, No Hangout Video Chat Yet

by Paul Joseph July 15, 2011 Featured

The new kid on the block, Google+  has certainly created a lot of Buzz (ironically, a failed Google service). Touted as a cross between Facebook and Twitter , with elements of Skype thrown into the mix, it does seem promising. The fact that Google have been a bit stingy with the invites has made everyone want to get one The first few weeks have been really good for them, with people really enjoying  the service and it garnering close to 20 Million users. It being a Google service combined with a pretty nifty Android App has made it cause Waves (another failed Google service) worldwide. The Android App for Google+ has got an update and solved quite a few bugs. Here’s a list of whats been resolved and added: Performance improvements and bug fixes . Main Stream Customizable : So far you could not make the Main Stream (similar to Facebook’s newsfeed) show posts from individual Circles. With the update, this is now possible. The popular Swype keyboard was having some issues when used with the G+ App . This too has been resolved. Huddles (Group Chat)  have an improved User Interface and also allow you to add multiple people or even entire circles to a Huddle. Huddle Permissions : You can choose exactly who can start a Huddle with you. Earlier, if a random person invited you to a Huddle and you rejected, it would automatically block them. Now you can reject the Huddle invite without having to block them . Set a photo as wallpaper .  [Image Courtsey: Android Police ] You can update your Google+ App by heading to the Market and going to My Apps if you already have it installed, or else just search for Google+ and install it. Stuck without an Android device and want to use Google+ on your mobile? Don’t worry, an iOS App is on its way. For other users, you can point your web browser to  m.google.com/plus and use Google+ on the move. Looking For A Social Media Agency?? – Contact WATConsult – India’s Leading Social Media Agency Related Posts Android, Google TV and Google Wave Expected Announcements At Google I/O Google Testing Video Chat For Android phones Google Ramps Up Monetisation Strategy For Indian Market Opera Mini Boasts 100 Mn Monthly Users Microsoft Paying Nokia A Billion Dollars To Seal Smartphone Deal?

Tagged as: billion-dollars, facebook, google android, google-ramps, google-testing, google-wave, huddle, Indian, media, mobile, monthly-users, police, skype, social, web-browser

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Five Ways India’s New IT Laws Will Affect The Internet Industry

by Paul Joseph May 27, 2011 Featured

The Economic Times has done a great spread on how exactly the new IT Laws will affect the internet industry. Here are some of the ways the Internet Industry and its arms will be affected and the effect on users, websites and corporates. 1) Statute : Electronic service providers to maintain transactions, receipts, vouchers in specific formats. The records should be produced for inspection and audit by a government nominated agency or person. Government can audit security and privacy protection measures. Effect on Users : A more convenient and secure environment is built as all their transaction data is kept. Effect on Corporates : As they have to keep electronic records of everything, cost for Intermediaries will increase. 2) Statute : Cyber cafes must register with a government appointed agency. They must identify every customer and keep a user record for a year. Computer screens must face the open area of the cafe. Cubicles must not be more than 4.5 ft high. Cafes will be inspected by a government agency. Effect on Users : Possessing an ID card is even more necessary. Minors will be disallowed from surfing alone. This  can greatly affect the reach off many youth oriented sites and stifle them. Effect on Corporates : Too much power is in the hand of the Government, who can stifle entrepreneurship in the sector. Bureaucracy can encourage corruption. 3) Statute : Intermediaries must publish rules and regulations, privacy policy and user agreement for access. Effect on Users :  They will avoid wantonly accessing various sites and will be more aware as they will be the ones accountable. Effect on Websites : It is good for them in case of legal disputes, but they will have to sit and draft policies and user agreements. 4) Statute : If an intermediary receives a complaint, it must act within 36 hours and also store such information for 90 days. Each website to have a grievance officer. Effect on Users : Will remove a big headache from them as they are assured of a response. However, moderation may increase if misused. Effect on Websites : A separate team of ‘moderators’ will have to be kept, like in forums. 5) Statute : Corporates who collect, or handle, personal information should get permission from citizens through letter, fax or e-mail. Sensitive personal data includes passwords, financial information, physical, physiological, medical records and biometric information Effect on Users : Misuse of data shall be greatly reduced. Effect on Corporates : User consent shall have to be taken. More cost, administrative hassles and implementation difficulties. A lot of websites haven’t taken too wel l to the new rules. A spokesperson from Google India said, “ If internet platforms are held liable for third-party content, it would lead to self-censorship and reduce the free flow of information. The regulatory framework should ideally help protect internet platforms and people’s abilities to access information .” What do you think of the new IT Rules? Were they needed or is this too much monitoring on a medium that people turn to for freedom? Looking For A Social Media Agency?? – Contact WATConsult – India’s Leading Social Media Agency Related Posts Huawei Planning To SetUp A Security Center In India Kanpur Police Follows Delhi Traffic Police, Opens Facebook Account Curb On Bulk SMS, National Broadband Plan, MNP Coming Soon – TRAI Mobile Number Portability Should Be Renamed Mobile Number Postponability Yet Again! Government Says No To Facebook In Mantralaya

Tagged as: facebook, features, government, india, intermediaries, internet industry, it '11, kanpur-police, media, national it law, news, police, security, web

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Now Convert Your Facebook Profile To Business Page

by Paul Joseph April 1, 2011 Featured

An individual’s profile on Facebook is for interacting with his friends, while a page is used by businesses who are looking to increase traffic and leads from social media marketing. You can’t use a Facebook profile for marketing and promotional activities. The quintessential difference between a profile and a business page is that the latter is liked by users while the former is added as friend. Pages also offer galore of features which are exclusive to a page. This is why, when it comes to business solution, pages on Facebook are better solutions than profiles. But there have been lots of instances where businesses have started promoting their brand through a profile and now command a huge fan following on them. This prevents them from migrating to a business page, although they are aware that they are missing out on features, that would help their brand to grow further. Another limitation of the Facebook profile is, it has an upper friend limit. A person can add at the max 5000 friends. This is also a reason that some widely known public figures prefer using a page on Facebook rather than a profile. The social network has recently made a silent move and have introduced a mechanism which would convert a normal profile page to a business page. This feature was first reported by InsideFacebook’s Josh Constine. Facebook has included a new article in its Help Center which would assist users in the migration. The Help Center article clearly mentions why a profile should not be used for promotions,”Maintaining a profile for anything other than an individual person is a violation of Facebook’s Statement of Rights and Responsibilities. If you don’t convert your profile to a Page, you risk permanently losing access to the profile and all of your content.” If you want to convert your profile to a page, you can do so by clicking here . There is a caveat here though. A profile once converted to a business page can not be converted back to a profile. This feature would definitely be helpful to a lot of businesses, but there is a risk as well. No wonder Facebook, itself, has been silent about it. Facebook also warns , “When you convert your profile to a Page, your profile pictures will be transferred, and all of your friends will be automatically added as people who like your Page. No other content will be carried over to your new Page, so be sure to save any important content before beginning your migration.” This is surely a nice move by Facebook, but my suggestion to those wanting to take the plunge — don’t do it, not at least now, the risk is not worth taking. It wouldn’t be wrong to think that we might see some more tweaks to this feature which allows more flexibility. Once that happens, be free to experiment. Soon as we were about to publish this, we came across a post on Mashable from tech writer Christina Warren, who participated in the process and has converted her personal profile into a business page. The best way to share the outcome would be to quote her words: “Those interested in the migration should proceed with extreme caution. I unintentionally committed Facebook suicide earlier this afternoon when I participated in the process myself. What I had hoped would be a way for me to create a fan page and then re-establish a new personal account has instead turned into a bit of a technical, and social media-induced nightmare.” Read her post where she explains what’s in store on the other side, once you undergo the great migration. What do you think about the new converting option? Would you convert your profile to a page? Showcase Your Digital Work Here! Win An Award! Log onto WATAwards Related Posts Kanpur Police Follows Delhi Traffic Police, Opens Facebook Account Facebook Inks A Deal With Russian Search Giant Yandex WATFive: Twitter & FB Embrace Location Features, TweetMeme Enters Advertising, Google Will Now Don A Sidebar, WATVille Coming Soon! Google +1 Button Rolling Out Today To Take On Facebook Like Costolo Denies Selling Twitter To Google; Does Not Comment About Facebook

Tagged as: button-rolling, feature, friends, personal, police, profile, russian-search, traffic-police

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