What is the dark web and is it a threat?

Created by the US government

In the mid 1990s, US military researchers created a technology that allowed intelligence operatives to exchange information completely anonymously. They called it 'Tor', which stands for 'The Onion Router'.

As part of their strategy for secrecy, they released Tor into the public domain for anyone to use. Their reasoning was simple: the more people using the system, the harder it would be to separate the government's own messages from the general noise. You can't be anonymous on your own.

Tor spread widely and today, is a critical part of the so-called 'dark web': a network of untraceable online activity and hidden websites, of which Tor hosts approximately 30,000. And that anonymity has attracted a huge range of people; all who want to keep their activities hi

WATCH: How the dark web works

Watch the video to see how Paul Syverson from the US Naval Research Laboratory created Tor, and how it works.

ump media playerhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/z9j6nbk

Media player help

Out of media player. Press enter to return or tab to continue.

CLICKABLE: Who uses the dark web, and why?

There are many legitimate uses for the dark web- but it also enables online criminal activity. Click on the images below to see how the dark web is used today.

Images: Getty, PA and Thinkstock

Good or bad: The expert view

Thinkstock

Despite the benefits that online anonymity can bring, would we better off without it?

Bruce Schneier, computer security expert

"Internet anonymity is vital for people living in countries where you can be arrested, tortured, and killed for the things you do online. This is why the US government was instrumental in developing the technology, and why the US State Department continued to fund Tor over the years."

Troels Oerting, former cyber-crime chief

"The Tor network hides criminals. I know it was not the intention, but that's the outcome and this [was] my job, to tell society what the trade-off is here. By having no possibility to penetrate it, criminals can continue their crimes on a global network. It's very, very difficult for the police to penetrate, so it's risk-free crime."

Jake Applebaum, The Tor Project

“There is often asserted certain narratives about anonymity and, of course, one of the narratives is that anonymity creates crime. So you hear about things like the Silk Road [a dark web marketplace that sold drugs and guns] and you hear, 'Oh, it's terrible, someone can do something illegal on the internet'. Well, welcome to the internet. It is a reflection of human society, where there is sometimes illegal behaviour.”

Dr. Joss Wright, Internet researcher

"We should not shy away from the negative uses of Tor any more than we should ignore its benefits. Preventing individuals from communicating without being tracked, watched, logged, and profiled, however, would be a huge blow to our society."

UK government concerns

In 2014, David Cameron announced plans for GCHQ to work alongside Britain's National Crime Agency in order to attack the dark web and root out criminal activity. He said, "The dark net is the next side of the problem, where paedophiles and perverts are sharing images, not using the normal parts of the internet that we all use."

The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology

In a recent report on the dark net and anonymity, the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology claimed "there is widespread agreement that banning online anonymity systems altogether is not seen as an acceptable policy option in the UK. Even if it were, there would be technical challenges. For example, when the Chinese government attempted to block access to Tor, Tor Project Inc. introduced secret entrance nodes to the Tor Network, called ‘bridges’, which are very difficult to block."

VOTE: Do the pros outweigh the cons?

This vote is not available outside of the United Kingdom.

This vote is not an opinion poll, merely a way for you to compare your view with those of others. The BBC does not make any claims for the vote's statistical or representative significance

Where next?

Green future of Pakistan

AGRICULTURE THAT sustainably increases productivity, resilience (adaptation), reduces/removes GHGs (mitigation), and enhances achievement of national food security of Pakistan and development goals. Climate-smart crop production contributes to food security, climate change adaptation and mitigation by addressing different current and projected climate change impacts (e.g. variability, unpredictability). Crop production, encompassing  the series of processes involved in the growing of crops – from land preparation through planting to the produce reaching the farm gate, is not operated in isolation but rather constitutes an  integral part of a farming system, which in turn is a constituent of the broader agro-ecosystem and landscape. 

Crop production is aimed at providing food security, contribute to sustainable diets, raw materials for industries and generally, to improve and sustain the livelihoods. The linkages between crop production to the wider overarching agricultural production systems and its value in socio-economic contexts are therefore obvious and these aspects are largely covered in other modules. Against the backdrop of social, economic, institutional and other enabling environments, we must focus on the technical aspects of crop production within the context of evolving climate change and variations. In particular, the concepts of the sustainability of crop production systems and to explore how crop production can adapt to and contribute to the mitigation of the effects of climate change.

The successes and failures of crops have always been subject to prevailing environmental factors and hence the mechanisms for managing the stresses imposed by these factors have remained subjects of extensive studies in varied disciplines. It is noteworthy that currently, crop production is increasingly vulnerable to risks associated with largely new and evolving climatic changes. Variations in environmental conditions that are posing significant challenges to farmers, over and beyond those that are experienced “normally”. The frequency, variability and intensity of these events are increasing.  According to IPCC, the planet is facing more extreme weather events, such as heavy precipitation events, coastal high water, geographic shifts in storm and drought patterns, and warmer temperatures. For example their impact on the current tillage-based agriculture with no soil cover, low soil carbon and severe plough pan, a dominant approach to production intensification. Conversely, climate change will have a significant impact on crop production but alternative adaptation approaches and practices can address this by helping to reduce the net GHG emissions while maintaining or improving yields as published in AgMIP Annual Report in 2014. 

Cold periods becoming warmer and shorter (warmer and more frequent hot days and nights over most land areas) and increased yields in colder environments; decreased yields in warmer environments; increased outbreaks of new insect pests and pathogens. Heavy precipitation events increasing in frequency over most areas are very likely. Drought-affected area increases land degradation and soil erosion; lower yields from crop damage and failure; loss of arable land intense tropical cyclone activity increases damage to crops. 

Crop production has always been impacted by environmental stresses and has looked for ways to manage these. Climate change adaptation requires more than simply maintaining the current level of performance from the agricultural sector, but rather developing a set of responses that allow the sector to improve performance under the changing conditions climate change implies. Because agricultural production remains the main source of income for most rural communities, adaptation of the agricultural sector to the adverse effects of climate change will be imperative to protect and improve the livelihoods of the poor and to ensure food security. 

Examples of ways are local adaptation to the stress through plant breeding, pest management strategies, and seed delivery systems, to name a few. Today, however, crop production is increasingly vulnerable to risks associated with climate change. This is because climate change is causing variations in environmental conditions that are posing significant challenges to farmers, over and beyond those that are experienced “normally”. Some examples of changes in climatic conditions that influence crop systems include rain quantity and distribution (and consequent water availability), extreme events such as floods and droughts, high temperatures and shifting. 

The Earth’s average surface temperature has risen by 0.76 °C since 1850. The rate of climate change will possibly exceed the natural rate of adaptation of natural systems including crops, and this creates high concern for food availability. In essence, what this means is that crops that were usually planted in one area may not be able to grow there any longer. But that is not all! It is not just the crop itself that may be impacted, it is also the ecosystem services that ensure crop growth (e.g. pollination, soil biodiversity) and for these reasons it is necessary to address crop production at the farming systems level. However, with the proper technical, institutional, socio-economic and policy infrastructure in place, there is a huge potential for crop management practices adapt to, and contribute to, the mitigation of climate change.

Farming practices that rely on natural biological processes and biodiversity to increase the production of agro-ecosystems are “climate-smart”. Sustainable crop production intensification can be achieved through good farming practices, which are based on improving efficiencies and managing biological processes. SCPI is based on agricultural production systems and management practices that include maintaining healthy soil to enhance soil related ecosystem services and crop nutrition, cultivating a wider range of species and varieties in associations, rotations and sequences, using well adapted, high-yielding varieties and good quality seeds, integrated management of pests, diseases and weeds, efficient water management.

Managing agro-ecosystems for producing food and fodder and managing agro-ecosystems to adapt to and mitigate climate change have the same underlying principles, and can work together to achieve the same goal; feeding the population, into the future. Both crop production and climate change adaptation and mitigation require a resilient ecosystem and this can be ensured through approaches and practices that are based on the sustainable management of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Climate-smart agriculture in crop production is a sustainable crop production system that inherently in its nature addresses climate change. Sustainable agricultural systems also contribute to the delivery and maintenance of a range of valued public goods, such as clean water, carbon sequestration, flood protection, groundwater recharge, and landscape amenity value. By definition, sustainable agricultural systems are less vulnerable to shocks and stresses. Sustainable crop production systems are climate-smart and provide options for adapting to, and mitigating, climate change.

 

 

Texas judge throws out patent claims

 

A  judge in East Texas has wiped out 168 patent cases relating to a single patent and filed by the same company.
The patent, belonging to a firm called eDekka, related to "methods of storing information" which included the use of labels - but the judge said this could apply to routine activities.
The US patent system allows companies to acquire the rights to inventions and demand money for their use, without making products of their own.
Critics call it "patent trolling".
However, in the case of eDekka against online retailer 3balls.com judge Rodney Gilstrap ruled that "the claimed idea represents routine tasks that could be performed by a human" and was therefore not worth protection by patent law.
The District of East Texas has traditionally been favourable towards patent claimants, in part because of its rules on swift litigation processes, which can put pressure on defendants to settle disputes quickly, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).
However, Judge Gilstrap's ruling on the 3balls case last month also included all other defendants facing similar legal action from the firm regarding the same patent.
"US judges, even in the notoriously troll-friendly Eastern District of Texas, increasingly invalidate patents for claiming monopolies on abstract ideas," patent expert Florian Muller told the BBC.

EDekka, which has no online presence, is one of the most prolific filers of patent lawsuits.
In 2014, it filed more than 100 allegations of patent misuse.
The new ruling means its patent, number 6,266,674 is, in effect, wiped out.

Google's driverless car is brilliant but so boring

The biggest compliment you could possibly give the Google driverless car team is that experiencing their groundbreaking product feels utterly unremarkable. Dull, even.
Let me explain.
This week I, along with a heap of other reporters, was given a ride in two of their driverless vehicles.
The first was a modified Lexus that has been out on the streets around here for well over a year now, and is improving and learning every day as new scenarios are logged and analysed by the team.
This version, which is the most "ready" for the roads, though still years off, is essentially a normal car. Except it drives itself.
The second "car" (at what point does something stop being a car?) was more interesting, and is a better reflection of where Google is ultimately going with all this

Safe and cautious

It's an odd little pod, a prototype for a fully autonomous vehicle. No steering wheel. No pedals. Nothing really - save for a couple of chairs with a control panel in between.
The prototype was unveiled earlier this year, but we didn't hear much about it. Now, Google had set up an obstacle course on top of one of its buildings. Across the makeshift course were "hazards" - a chap on a bike, a car pulling out, a man walking aimlessly across us. Naturally, the car dealt with all this impeccably.
I shared my test ride with the Guardian's Jemima Kiss, and while Google wouldn't let us film or take pictures in the vehicle - I did convince them to let me record our experience for this week's edition of Tech Tent. So do have a listen to that when our podcast goes live on Friday at about 17:00 BST.
So why unremarkable? Well, like any good technology, the driverless car technology just works.
As much as I'd like to write here about the white-knuckle "Oh my gosh, there's no driver!" ride I had in a prototype car, that really was not the case.
It was slow. It was cautious. It was safe, a more attentive driver than any human could possibly ever be.
And later that evening, as I snaked my way back to San Francisco on the four-to-five lane wide Interstate 880, I wished it was the Google car driving me home.

Sunday driver

The pod demo was in a highly controlled environment. Nothing was ever going to go wrong (although there is a big, fat emergency stop button in the car if needs be).
The Lexus demo ride, on the other hand, was around Google's headquarters in the streets of Mountain View. It's a quiet town, but one that has enough bustle to make the trip a considerable challenge for the car.
And indeed off it went, pootling through the streets, being patient with traffic - never cutting anyone up or changing lanes at the last moment.

Image copyright Google

Image caption The Lexus cars are able to go on public streets

It won't ever cut corners, or do that tiny burst of speed to nip through the lights as they change. When the lights do go green, it pauses for a second before pulling away, just in case.
It's a Sunday driver, every day of the week.
That, obviously, is a good thing. It's far safer than a human. The brief delay before pulling away on a green light is intentional - a huge proportion of accidents at traffic lights happen in that first moment, as a car whizzes through a red light and clatters into anyone who's pulled away promptly.
But just because it's safe doesn't meant it won't be massively frustrating - particularly if you're desperate to get to work or in any other kind of hurry that required a bit of (legal) urgency on the road.
That's a terrible complaint, isn't it? The impeccable standards are a sign the technology is really quite magnificent.
But like dating someone who is just "too nice", the Google car will start to grate on you a bit.

Boggled by a jogger

As Google works its way through the regulatory hoops, and gains confidence, the next focus will be on just how ready this technology is to hit the streets.
In the test scenario, Google took us on public roads, with common complications - roadworks, road closures and pretty heavy traffic. It was the end of the school day, and so we had parents and children haphazardly crossing the road.
At one point, a skateboarder rolled towards us. The car's idiot detection sensor (to use its unofficial title) instantly knew to give him a wide berth. On the on-board computer, you could see how the technology had broken down the hazard: human + object (the skateboard) + fast movement = stop.
But we did see how the car's nervousness - which is the only way I can describe it - sometimes got it wrong. At one moment in our journey, a jogger ran by. He was on the opposite side of the road, and any human eye would have instinctively known he posed no danger.
But the Google car panicked, hitting the brakes for an emergency stop.
Luckily, there was nobody behind us, or I'm sure they'd have gone into the back of us. Google's engineer told me that if a car had been right behind us it wouldn't have stopped so suddenly.
But suppose the jogger had been a danger? Would the car have ploughed into him rather than causing a crash from behind? It's the classic ethical dilemma that has kept psychologists debating for centuries.
The way Google sees it is that even with those theoretical scenarios - where it's forced to choose between what it thinks is the least harmful - the Google car is still far smarter than a human, and, crucially, will save thousands of lives by existing in the first place.
Riding in a Google car may be slow and boring, but the effect it will have on the world certainly isn't.

---

Google's view of a driverless future

Image copyright Google

Image caption Sergey Brin dropped into the demo day to discuss long-term plans

Sergey Brin, Google's co-founder, thinks there's space for both types of driving experience on our roads. "I love the idea of being out on the open road that's kind of curvy and fun - you're driving, really getting into it," he said.
"But in practice that's probably 1% of my experience.
"Typically I'm in stop-and-go traffic, and some traffic jam, or just going from light to light on a pretty straight road, mostly just trying to make sure nobody does anything weird in front of me and I don't crash into them.
"I think we need to see both of those worlds, and I think there's a future for both of those. I don't think we're going to see no human driver any time soon.
"And I think there's always going to be a pleasure in being able to hit the open road and enjoy that."

10 Things Your iPhone Repair Technician Wants You to Know

While we don’t own a repair shop or fix any devices here at eTech Parts (besides our own), we have great insight into the lives of repair shop owners and technicians. One of the biggest struggles facing repair technicians today are the common misconceptions and things that consumers don’t yet understand about the wireless repair industry. This has led us here at eTech to take on some of these misconceptions, in the hope of improving the reputation of the wireless repair industry simply by sharing the truth.
If you haven’t read our blog about the 7 Common Misconceptions about Cell Phone Repair, we suggest you do so — and read the following blog, inspired by the comments of repair technicians all over the country.

10 Things Your iPhone Repair Technician Wants You to Know

1. You should always disclose your device’s water damage, no matter the circumstance or if it “worked just fine before.”

Even if you dropped your device in the toilet once and it seemed to work just fine afterwards, water damage can change a lot about a repair. What appears to be a simple screen fix can turn into hours of work for a technician, and they won’t know what they’re in for until they open your device and take a look.
There’s a chance your phone, that may have “just shut off one day,” has previous water damage, so be sure to disclose any and all dips your device may have taken to your local repair technician.

2. You should disclose any previous repairs to your technician, too.

It’s like a doctor asking for your medical history. We’re basically performing surgery on your device, and we need to know if anyone else has been in there. It’s easy to damage a device during a repair, and really easy to see if a device has been tampered with previously, so we need to know if you or anyone else has attempted to repair it…just in case. #TheMoreYouKnow

3. If you attempt (and fail) to repair your device yourself, and then bring it to your local repair shop in pieces, we can fix it.

…but don’t expect us to be thrilled about it. While we applaud your DIY spirit, it’s like putting together a very intricate puzzle with no instructions, and a lot of teeny tiny pieces that look exactly the same. It’ll probably take longer than it would have otherwise, and no, we can’t offer you a discount.
While we know iFixit makes it look super easy for everyone, sometimes a repair can be more difficult than you might expect, and there are dozens of things that could go wrong – which in turn could increase your cost of repair. Break a connector off the board and that repair could cost you a lot more than you’d even like to know. Unless you’re a highly confident and skilled “DIY-er,” we always suggest taking your broken devices to your local trusty repair shop.
But if you do attempt a repair and can’t finish it, don’t worry – you’d be amazed (and reassured) to know how many times this happens to us. Just bring all the pieces to us and we’ll put it back together again!

4. Always back up your data before bringing your device in for a repair.

Please back up your data, either on your computer or through iCloud, because when we repair your device there’s always a chance of data loss. Backing up prior to a repair is the only way to prevent us from losing all your pictures, contacts, text messages, etc. We might even have you sign a release form prior to the repair, just to make sure you fully understand what could happen if you don’t. We want to make your repair experience as painless as possible, and taking this precaution will help us both.
And if you don’t know how, just ask! We’ll be happy to assist you or give you directions for how to back up data on your iPhone or iPad.

5. Bent aluminum corners make your device harder to repair…but we have the tools to fix it!

When you drop your device on its side or corner, the fragile aluminum that holds your screen in place will most likely bend out of shape. This leads to a more time-consuming repair, because you can’t replace a screen on a device with bent casing.
Luckily, we have all the tools to get the job done right! You’ve probably never heard of a gTool iCorner, but these specialty tools help me to reshape bent aluminum corners for a more professional repair.
Bonus points: Wanna impress your local repair technician? Ask if they use the gTool in their shop!

6. If possible, charge your phone before you bring it in for a repair.

You probably don’t even think about it, and that’s okay, but most professional repair technicians will do a full diagnostic test on your device prior to performing any repairs. They’ll check the speakers, Wifi, cellular connectivity, etc… If you bring us your device with a dead or dying battery, that’s an additional 10 minutes we both have to wait before we even start the repair. Which is fine with us, because all good work takes time, but we know you want your device back as soon as possible.
This obviously only applies to devices that are in working condition, but just need a new screen or small part installed. If your device doesn’t even turn on, we have a lot more to deal with than an uncharged battery.

7. Discovering defective parts during an installation is frustrating for both of us – but there’s little we can do when it happens.

Defective parts happen… but when it happens right in the middle of a repair, and it’s the last one we have in stock, and we can’t get a replacement until tomorrow… Ugh. We know you’re not going to be happy about it. We’re totally not happy about it. We’ve already called our supplier to complain about it, but unless our supplier is local, there’s not much we can do other than overnight the replacement parts to get your device fixed ASAP. We hope you accept our very sincerest apologies if this happens.

8. Know your device.

When you bring your phone to your local repair shop, it’s helpful if you know the model number, generation, or what year it was released. If your technician quotes you $100 over the phone for an iPhone 5 repair, only to learn you have an iPhone 5s, the price will be different – because the repair certainly is. We know it gets confusing with generation after generation of iPhones that look incredibly similar, and we don’t expect everyone to know the differences as well as we do, but the parts and repair processes are different for each device. Even in an iPhone 4, the repair parts are different dependent on which cellular provider you purchased it from. Confusing, right?

9. Tell your friends your phone is in the shop!

In the words of our friend Geoff Waller, “There’s nothing like trying to test a phone that won’t stop ringing and dinging!” Tweet to your friends, send them a Snapchat… let them know your phone will be in the shop and you’ll text them as soon as it’s done. Repairs should only take an hour or two, so don’t worry – your friends won’t be without you for long.
And if you have a good experience with us, let your friends know I can fix their broken phones, too! Word of mouth is a powerful and highly effective marketing tool, and we appreciate the help.

10. Always do your research before choosing a repair shop or technician to fix your device.

There’s no industry certification or requirements for someone to own and operate a wireless repair shop. There is no accountability, and no one to rectify any issues you might have if the tech does a shoddy job. But don’t let that deter you from choosing a third-party repair shop; there are hundreds of reputable repair shops all over the country, you just have to do your research to find them.
To find a reputable repair shop, search online for “iPhone repair shops” near you. It might take some digging, but when you find a shop, check out their website, read their reviews, look at their Facebook page. Whether you feel you can or can’t trust them, go with your gut instinct.
Your device is important, so finding someone you can trust to fix and take care of it for you will make all the difference. Sure you can find someone on Craigslist who will fix it for $20, but remember: the age-old adage, “you get what you pay for,” definitely applies here.

And if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Play video games to fight cigarette cravings

 

 Poison kills poison. Iron cuts iron. And now the new one addiction kills addiction! According to a study carried out by researchers from Plymouth University and Queensland University of Technology in Australia, people who played the classic game of Tetris had reduced craving for cigarettes. And not only Tetris you can play any game like Candy Crush for that matter. The point is, the game should be visually interesting and changing.




The study involved a sample size of 31 students between the ages of 18 to 27. These students were asked to note the frequency and intensity of any kind of craving (nicotine, food, etc.) they felt. Half of them were given an iPad upon which they could play Tetris, whereas the other half were asked to struggle with their cravings. After 15 minutes, when checked, the group involved in playing Tetris reported 20 percent less craving for cigarettes than those who weren’t playing. Scientists attribute this decrease in craving to the mental process involved in playing Tetris. According to them the same process is also involved in controlling and satisfying cravings.


 Professor Jackie Andrade of Plymouth University expressed her opinion as, “We think the Tetris effect happens because craving involves imagining the experience of consuming a particular substance. Playing a visually interesting game like Tetris occupies the mental processes that support that imagery. It is hard to imagine something vividly and play Tetris at the same time.” So the next time you feel a craving for something you know isn’t good for you and your health, just grab your smart phone and start playing Candy Crush or Tetris!

LED Lights Control Mice Movements

Scientists working with mice have to be careful about a lot things, the mice running away being the least of the problems. This remote-control LED chip can make a mouse completely in its trance by activating neurons in its brain, with light stimulation of peripheral nerves.

While the movement of the mice can be influenced, this chip is tiny and thus eliminates the use of those giant cables.

“This is a new way of delivering wireless power for optogenetics,” said Ada Poon, an assistant professor of electrical engineering at Stanford. “It’s much smaller and the mouse can move around during an experiment.”

This LED chip provided the field of optogenetics the needed boost. This chip can be used to interpret and diagnose the behavioural and motor aspects of Parkinson’s disease. This chip weighs just 20-50 milligrams and can be easily sneaked into the brain, or spine, or limbs of a mice. But Poon also realised that a mice housing the chip, would be used to power the chip as. A 2 mm coil could be the powerhouse of the chip, collecting the energy from the mice.

To rest your fear now, this chip cannot be extended to the human brain. For functioning, this LED requires light activated proteins called opsins, which are found only in special mice genetically altered to express them.

http://www.technologyvista.in/pin/led-lights-control-mice-movements/