The sports giant Nike has announced that it will close all its retail stores across the globe, including in the United States

The sports giant Nike has announced that it will close all its retail stores across the globe, including in the United States, starting from next week. Nike said that the measure is needed to stop the spread of the disease.

"The well-being of our teammates and consumers is our top priority so we have decided to close our stores in multiple countries around the world including in the United States. We are taking additional steps in other Nike-managed facilities, including the option to work from home, staggered work schedules, social distancing and additional safety and cleaning steps to help protect and support our teammates", the company explained in a memo.

Nike said that the stores will be closed through 27 March. At the same time, the company revealed that it wouldn’t close its stores in Japan, South Korea, or in most of China.

Social media users received the news with scepticism, with some saying that closing the stores for 12 days won’t help the situation.

Do they think the risk will be over in a week and a half's time? :|

— What Do We Do Now? (@2020_cancelled) March 15, 2020

Unless people are banned from going outside, all of this is a waste of time.

— Cheryl Riley (@80sGirlCheryl) March 15, 2020

​Others were concerned about the employees and whether they would be paid during this period.

Any ideas about the workers and if they’re compensated? I mean I’d imagine some have to rely on this work

— logo (@logpwil) March 15, 2020

​Some praised the decision, but said that more companies should follow suit.

Nike alone can't handle it

— Save You (@GoldenDutchz) March 15, 2020

Others joked about stocking up on Nike products, which one user said is a matter of existential importance.

What I need my Jordan’s! It’s a matter of life and death!

— Josh Baze (@BazeJosh) March 15, 2020

Stock up!

— Baby Pluto 🪐 (@goatedshit) March 15, 2020

​Still others were happy about the closure, criticising the sports giant’s prices and alleged use of child labour.

Good Riddance! I stopped buying overpriced clothes made by poorly treated children a decade ago.

— Matt Jones (@MattJon24872496) March 15, 2020​

No loss there...

— Matt (@Matt2Mcclosk) March 15, 2020

​The development comes after a similar message from the tech giant Apple. The company announced on 14 March that it would close all of its shops outside China to prevent the spread of the respiratory illness.

The World Health Organisation recently declared the out break of the virus as pandemic, which has so far spread to more than 140 countries. The United States announced a travel ban on 26 European nations and declared a national emergency due to the outbreak of the disease. Countries in Europe that have been hit the hardest by COVID-19 have announced partial lockdowns, while Italy, where there are more than 21,000 cases, has issued a nationwide quarantine.

The number of coronavirus cases globally stands at more than 150,000, with more than 6,000 deaths.

USA and Germany in a tag of war over Corona virus vaccine licence

An entity central to the US’ and Germany’s current COVID-19-related aspirations is the German company CureVac, which has branches in two cities in the country, as well as in the US state of Massachusetts. The biopharmaceutical company recently said that work on the much-awaited vaccine is in full swing, with clinical testing due to begin soon.
The German and US governments are currently battling over the Germany-based company CureVac, which is currently working on a vaccine for the novel coronavirus, the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag reported, citing unnamed sources informed about the matter.
US President Donald Trump has reportedly been offering hefty sums to German scientists working on a vaccine in a bid to guarantee exclusive rights to their much-coveted brainchild, as the coronavirus pandemic has continued to sweep across the world.
According to an anonymous German government insider, quoted by the reputable media outlet, Trump was doing all he could with this regard, “but only for the US”.
On 2 March, CureVac’s then-CEO Daniel Menichella reportedly attended a meeting at the White House to negotiate details with Trump and his healthcare taskforce pertaining to the coronavirus vaccine development.
However, days later, on 11 March, CureVac announced shifts in its top management, with Manichella being replaced by company founder Ingmar Hoerr with no reasons given.
Separately, the newspaper reported that the German government had tried to offer the promising company financial incentives for it to continue its work on German soil, with a the country's Health Ministry spokesman telling Die Welt that the government is in “intensive” dialogue with CureVac.
"The German government is very interested in having the development of vaccines and treatments against the novel coronavirus undertaken in Germany and Europe", the spokesman said.
Tübingen-based CureVac, which has facilities in Frankfurt and the US city of Boston, as well as is allegedly linked with the German Health Ministry, declined Die Wel’s request for comment.
As recently as Friday, co-founder Florian von der Mülbe, who is in charge of the firm’s production lines, told Reuters that they had kicked off research into a number of possible vaccines, with the two most viable ones expected to be picked later on for clinical testing.
The timeframe for an experimental vaccine is June or July this year: if approved, it will then be tested on people.
According to Worldometers.info , the total number of cases has to date climbed to 162,674, with 6,069 deaths from the virus registered across the world. As many as 76,219 have recovered. Of the currently active cases (80,386), 93 percent are in a mild condition, whereas serious or critical cases, primarily among the senior population and those with chronic diseases, make up 7 percent.

Japan unveiling it's plan in the hypersonic weapons

The blueprint reportedly stipulates the development of the Hypersonic Cruise Missile (HCM) and the Hyper Velocity Gliding Projectile (HVGP) which are expected to enter service in the early 2030s.
The Japanese government has unveiled its research and development road map to create domestically-produced hypersonic weapons, the website Defence News reports.
The blueprint was singled out in a Japanese-language document published on the Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Agency website earlier this week.
Under the plan, there will be two classes of
hypersonic weapon systems , including the Hypersonic Cruise Missile (HCM) and the Hyper Velocity Gliding Projectile (HVGP).
Japan unveils its Hypersonic weapons plans
@ChairmanAnuj @adgpi @indiannavy
@IAF_MCC @DefenceMinIndia
@drajaykumar_ias pic.twitter.com/KgJZ8Wwr2p
— India Research Centre (@IndiaResearchC1)
March 14, 2020
Powered by a scramjet engine, the HCM “appears similar to a typical missile, albeit one that cruises at a much higher speed while capable of traveling at long ranges”, Defence News argued.
As for the HVGP, it will reportedly feature a solid-fuel rocket engine capable of boosting its warhead payload and maintaining high velocity when gliding to its target.
The blueprint stipulates using different warheads to tackle seaborne and ground targets, including one that will be specifically designed to penetrate “the deck of an [aircraft] carrier”.
The warhead’s land-attack version, in turn, will feature a high-density explosively formed projectile, or EFP, to be used for area suppression purposes.
Both warheads, which will be navigated via satellites, are expected to enter service in the early 2030s, according to Defence News.
As far as warhead guidance is concerned, the process will be “achieved via either radio-frequency imaging converted from doppler shift data — which the government agency said will be able to identify stealthy naval targets in all weather conditions — or an infrared seeker capable to discriminating specific targets”, the news outlet reported.
Over the past few years, Japan has carried out research and development in a spate of fields pertaining to hypersonic weapons.
In 2017, local media reported the government planned to equip the F-2 multi-role fighters of
the Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF) with new, domestically-produced hypersonic anti-ship missiles that would be able to fly three times faster than the speed of sound and would replace previous transonic missiles.

 US Army officials are preparing to evaluate a slew of industry proposals geared toward advanced tethering technologies of air- and ground-based unmanned systems, according to a special notice issued by Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC) on 26 February.

Army officials from the command's Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC) announced plans to hold a "market research demonstration event," in conjunction with the National Advanced Mobility Consortium (NAMC) to support GVSC related research and development prototype projects, specifically focused on tethering technologies between unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV), the special notice stated.

The event is part of a standing other transactional agreement (OTA) inked between CVSC officials and members of the NAMC in September 2017.

Ugandan using MTN to access their social media accounts/emails are at a high risk of loosing their right to privacy!!! The security of your social media account is in danger of intrusion by foreign agents and hackers.

At the beginning of 2019,I remember making an alarm on and about local phone numbers that were sending security codes on behalf of Facebook,Instagram,yahoo,and google which later came to confirm the presence of SIM boxing(and thank God that ISO,CMI and UCC teamed up to fight these Cyber criminals) fraud here in uganda and let me hope this is not another shit in the Telecom companies here.
There may be another security flaw at MTN Uganda..there seemingly are a group of people or a group of devices using Ip addresses administered by MTN Uganda and trying to takeover citizens social media accounts and emails!!! I have been studying about this thing since 13th February 2020. It is up to the relevant authorities like UCC and other organs to look into this matter...To all Cyber security experts,do not take this as a simple issue..go and study much about it!!!! We must save our citizens,our fellow ugandans!!!


......The privacy of Ugandan citizens must be protected....

If you take a look at the pictures,you get a profile of someone in an Arabic writing who tried to take over some account and was using an IP address of 41.210.145.09 which undoubtedly under Afrinic, MTN Uganda .The question is ,does MTN know this person(I pinged and got the name of the administrator in whose IP ranges lies this address) or this address? Why is he interested in a group of some people??? Is MTN allowed to hack into our accounts???

I advise all Ugandans using MTN as their social media login credentials to beef up their security by changing passwords and setting 2FA.

All relevant authorities must look into this matter for the safety of our citizens!!!

NIHIL NOV SUB SOL

For God and my country

Europol nabs sim hacking,cloning network throughout Europe

SIM Swapping (SIM hijacking or SIM hacking) is rapidly becoming the biggest threat to mobile service providers and mobile users alike. Through this technique, a fraudster can obtain the original SIM card of the victim’s number by trapping the operator and perform all kinds of frauds such as peeforming transaction or spreading the malware along with stealing sensitive private and financial data of the user.

In 2018 and 2019, there was a sudden surge in SIM swapping attacks, for instance, authorities in California arrested a man for carrying out SIM and swapping attack stealing millions of dollars from the victim after hacking their SIM card.

In another incident, a 20-year-old man from New York was arrested for stealing 1 million Us $ from a Silicon Valley Exec through SIM-swapping.

However, Europol has certainly identified the seriousness of this threat and Operation Quinientos Dusim and Operation Smart Cash are proof of this. Reportedly, law enforcement agencies across Europe, primarily from Romania, Spain, and Austria with the support of Europol have arrested a large number of SIM swappers operating in Europe.

Under Operation Quinientos Dusim, Policía Nacional (Spanish National Police), Guardia Civil (Spanish Civil Guard), and Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre investigators collectively targeted suspected SIM swappers in Spain, who were supposedly members of a large-scale hacking group.

This group had stolen more than €3 million through SIM swapping attacks. During the operation, 12 suspects were arrested from Benidorm, 1 from Valladolid, and 5 from Granada.

Under the Operation Smart Cash, law enforcement authorities in Austria and Romania arrested 14 suspected members of another gang involved in SIM swapping. The group comprises of individuals aged between 22 and 52 who hail from Romania, Italy, Colombia, and Spain. This group has so far conducted 100 attacks and stolen between €6,000 and €137,000 from different bank accounts of victims.  

The SIM swappers utilized a relatively straightforward technique to fulfill their malicious tasks. They obtained the online banking credentials of their victims using hacking tools like banking trojan. After obtaining the credentials, they contacted the victim’s mobile service provider and requested a duplicate SIM card of the same number the victim was using by providing fake documents. 

This enabled them to carry out transactions since 2FA  requires the user to enter a security code sent to the mobile phone number, which the attacker could easily access. Attackers could transfer money from the victim’s accounts conveniently as they had the security code, and the entire process was complete within 2 hours only, which is why the victim couldn’t even detect anything.

The money was then transferred between money mule accounts. Austrian and Romanian SIM swappers employed the same technique but the used ATMs to withdraw cash using a mobile app instead of a payment card.

“Fraudsters are always coming up with new ways to steal money from the accounts of unsuspecting victims. Although seemingly innocuous, SIM swapping robs victims of more than just their phones: SIM highjackers can empty your bank account in a matter of hours. Law enforcement is gearing up against this threat, with coordinated actions happening across Europe,”  Ruizsaid Fernando, acting Head of Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre.

Remember, SIM swapping can be prevented if you add a PIN code to your smartphone account. But, the process of doing so is different for every carrier, so you need to contact the related carrier in order to do it. You may also set up a verbal password to further complicate the verification process.

Cookiethief Android malware hijacks Facebook accounts by using browser cookies it transfers to the attacker’s C&C server.

Did you know as of 2019, Android and Facebook had more than 2.5 billion active users? While this is great for global connectivity it also makes both platforms lucrative targets for hackers. 

Recently, Kaspersky Labs researchers discovered a new strain of malware that is targeting Android devices and so far it has claimed around 1,000 victims with the number growing higher every passing day.

Dubbed rather interestingly by researchers as Cookiethief; this Trojan aims to acquire “superuser root rights on the target device, and subsequently, transfer stolen cookies to a remote command-and-control (C2) server operated by attackers,” researchers wrote in their blog post.

It is worth noting that the exploitation doesn’t occur because of a security vulnerability in the web browser of the Facebook app but because of the cookies. It is no secret that browsers store cookiesfrom all the websites and apps a user visits in order to display relevant results.

Cookies are, basically, tiny bits of information that help in differentiating between users, monitor browsing activities, and display ads. However, this Trojan, transfers cookies that the browser or Facebook app uses and sends it to the attacker’s C&C server. Interestingly, the malware can steal cookies from all the websites and apps easily.

The reason Cookiethief is a cause of concern is that apart from storing information about user’s browsing preferences, cookies also store a unique session ID on the device, which the websites use to identify a user without asking for login information or password.

Therefore, through cookies cybercriminals can easily hijack the victim’s profile without acquiring a login ID or password, and use the account for personal gains. The researchers also identified a web page on the C&C server, which is used for marketing spam distribution services on web messengers and social networks.

Kaspersky researchers also identified another app dubbed “Youzicheng” using a similar coding method and communicating with the same C&C server. It is assumed that the same developer is behind this app as well and its purpose is to run a proxy on the targeted device to bypass the security systems of the social network or web messenger so that the attacker’s website request looks legit.

Moreover, through the two techniques, attackers can fully control the account without alerting Facebook. nevertheless, Cookiethief can invade almost any device through being embedded into the firmware during the development phase or while purchasing, or else, it can exploit Android security flaws to access the system and download other malicious software such as Bood backdoor.

The good news is that these apps are not available on the Play Store yet. Therefore, refrain from downloading apps from a third-party app store, install reliable anti malware and keep an eye on permissions your apps ask for.

Firefox's new update helps user use Facebook without being tracked by forming a container that takes care of you not being tracked.

The Firefox browser in its latest update has a feature that prevents Facebook from tracking users on the web. The addition of the function comes in the wake of increasing cyber-attacks the vulnerability of our personal data.

The Firefox 74 slams Facebook into solitary confinement with its Facebook Container add on. The add on is not new but has been refined in the latest update and has the ability to add custom sites to the container so that you can "login with Facebook wherever you need to".

The container’s main motive is to allow the user to use Facebook freely on the internet without their activities being tracked by the social networking site. The extension achieves this by closing your Facebook Tabs, deleting your Facebook cookies and also logging you out of Facebook.

When a user visits Facebook and logs in, the cookies planted are isolated to the container only. The restricts Facebook Like button and embedded comments from working on other sites. Pages that ask you to login via Facebook are also contained with the container and does not leak on to other sites.

Sites are added by clicking a fence icon and selecting "Allow site in Facebook container." The workings resemble two separate browsers out of which one is the container where Facebook has knowledge of your activities but is only limited to your time in the container and the other is the actual browser where there is no influence of Facebook tracking you.

 The add on is a great feature for protecting your privacy and keeping those creepy ads away.

This is what you must know about your phone battery

I remember talking about the internal chemistry of a Lithium ion battery and I have heard many people ask me to re explain!!! But here am not going to put in too much science as I discovered many of you did not get much info in the earliest post about phone batteries.
Mobile phones and tablets these days come with different types of batteries and it is their quality that decides how much energy they can store and hence how long the device can be operated with a single charge.

There are also limitations on size and weight as a big battery would make the device heavy and bulky, which is not a comfortable option. So, designers work on basically three parameters of a battery - chemical composition, size, and weight.

In terms of chemical composition, there are only two types of batteries used in modern cell phones Lithium Polymer and Lithium Ion.

Lithium Polymer (Li-Poly) Batteries

Li-Poly is the latest and most advanced technology for cell phone batteries. This makes the batteries ultra-lightweight, they do not suffer from memory effect and will deliver up to 40 per cent more battery capacity than a Nickel Metal Hybrid (NiMH) (one that you use in your camera) of the same size.

"Memory effect" happens when rechargeable batteries are not fully discharged between charge cycles; as a result the battery "remembers" the shortened cycle and is thus reduces its capacity. Devices like Blackberry PlayBook, Samsung Galaxy S3 use this type of battery.

Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) Batteries

This is the older and most popular technology for cell phone batteries. The only real drawback of Lithium Ion cell phone batteries is that they are expensive. However, they have higher energy density compared to Li-Polymer.

Both Li-ion and Li Polymer batteries have the same chemical composition but the difference lies in their tendency to overheat. Because of this, Lithium Ion batteries have an active protection circuit--essentially an onboard computer--that prevents the battery from overheating and potentially bursting into flame.

Lithium polymer batteries do not need the active protection circuit, which is why it is possible to manufacture them in sizes as small as a credit card.

Another feature that distinguishes different batteries is its usage patter - replaceable and non-replaceable.

In case of non-replaceable battery, it is called a Li-ion pouch cell which is a sealed bag containing carefully layered anode and cathode sheets, with separators between them. All of these layers are infused with a liquid electrolyte.

At one end of the battery, a printed circuit board (PCB) is connected to the positive and negative terminals of each cell that provides active protection against short circuits, overcharge, and forced discharge. Li-ion pouch cells tend to be fragile and rely on the smartphone case for protection, and so officially are not user-replaceable. This basically reduces the need for a separate battery casing which is the case with user replaceable batteries. Please note that these casing constitute most of the volume of the battery.

Circuits also determine how much power can be stored. Ever since Li-Ion technology came into being in early nineties, a lot of work has gone into the making of better electronic circuit to manage the battery and thereby squeezing more energy into the same battery.

So which is the best type?

For the user, current battery technology doesn't offer much of choice, as it is for the manufacturers to make a choice, who has to decide the weight of the tablet or the smartphone. Lithium ion batteries have a greater energy capacity than Lithium Polymer batteries, so in devices that have higher current requirements, Lithium Ion batteries are preferred.

In devices where size is paramount, Lithium Polymer is the choice. Lithium ion batteries are also cheaper to manufacture than lithium polymer batteries, so when cost is a factor, lithium ion is the choice.
In terms of user replaceable batteries, size too is an important factor. Since bigger and more powerful devices need bigger batteries packed in smaller space, you will find the phones like iPhone, Nokia Lumia, HTC Sensation XL, HTC One X, Sony Xperia S do not offer user replaceable batteries.

What started with iPhone is now becoming a trend with even mid range devices like Xolo X900 which do not offer user replaceable battery. And only reason for this trend is the despite expectation of higher processing power and larger screen people are not ready to accept bulky devices and in that sense a battery without additional protective cover (which utilises phones' cover) is the preferred choice. For those who argue that you can buy additional battery if your get user replaceable battery, they still get battery packs for the non replaceable options.

Is you phone or battery fake?

Is you phone or battery fake?

CELLULAR PHONES

Counterfeit mobile phone manufacturers imitate all facets of a branded phone’s appearance to make their products appear genuine. The phone's outer shell and screen, the printed logos and branding, the packaging and the included accessories can all be copied, making it difficult to identify whether a phone is fake or genuine. When possible it is always preferable to buy a phone through a registered retailer or reseller who can vouch for a phone's authenticity. Yet with the prevalence of internet shopping and auction websites this may not be an option. Here are a few simple tips to help you identify whether a phone is genuine or fake:

KNOW THE PHONE
It is important to do a little research before buying a new phone. You should only buy a phone made by a trusted manufacturer. Before committing to a purchase you should know the phone's specific model number, available colours, features, what software and hardware comes included and what warranty is offered with the product. Information about a specific model of phone can be found on the manufacturer’s website or through a registered retailer. Once you have this information it will make the job of identifying a fake much easier.
APPEARANCE
On first glance a counterfeit phone may appear identical to a genuine model. On closer comparison you may be able to identify some obvious differences between a genuine and a fake such as: the colour, location of buttons, size or spelling of the brand name. Some fakes are less obvious. Counterfeiters are able to mimic design details down to minute details making it difficult to tell if a phone is genuine. If you are able to view the product in person you may be able to notice a difference in weight, screen size, location of buttons and battery, quality of printing and paint finish, added or missing functions, quality control stickers and holograms and an overall lack of quality.
FEATURES
Counterfeit phones can have differing features to genuine models, such as dual SIM cards, analogue TV etc. Check the model number and technical specifications of the genuine phone you wish to buy and ensure they match what is being offered. Counterfeit phones also often appear to offer features that are either just not there or that are not as they are said to be. For example, built-in cameras might be said to be 8 megapixel when they are not - or offer GPS when they don't. Counterfeit phones may also differ from a genuine in colour availability, memory capacity, camera megapixels, screen quality and operating system. It is important to compare technical features to ensure the phone is genuine.
FUNCTIONALITY
Black market phones are made from sub-standard and cheap components and often run on 2nd rate or pirated operating systems.Counterfeiters use cheap older generation chipsets, which may offer the same functionality as a genuine model but at far slower processing speeds.
If you have unknowingly purchased a fake phone you will realise very quickly once you turn it on. Processing speeds are often much slower, operating systems have missing features and the phone may not be compatible with affiliated software and applications.

AVAILABILITY
Counterfeit mobile phones tend to pour on to the market when a genuine model is out of stock or unavailable.Often if manufacturers and registered sellers say a model is out of stock or unavailable, counterfeits begin to appear on auction websites and through unregistered sellers. This is also common when a phone is not available in certain colours.
Beware, counterfeiters take this opportunity to deceive consumers when the genuine product is most in demand.

IMEI NUMBER
Every genuine mobile phone has a serial number to register it to a carrier network. This number is called the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. The IMEI number can be used to verify the legitimacy of a phone. Often counterfeit models won’t have an IMEI number or use a fake one.If you are viewing the phone in person then you can find the IMEI number on the product packaging, under the phone's battery or by pressing *06 on the phone.
If you are not viewing the phone in person then you should ask the retailer for the phone's IMEI number.
To check the legitimacy of a phone's IMEI number and any information regarding country of production, manufacturer and model type.

BATTERIES

How to spot fake batteries and chargers?
Mobile phone handsets are not the only electronic product targeted by counterfeiters. Black market cell phone batteries and chargers are also infiltrating the market posing a potential health and safety risk to consumers.Fake batteries and chargers are often offered as an after-market product, found on auction websites or in unregistered stores often at a significantly lower price than genuine products.
Given the uniform appearance of most mobile phone batteries and chargers, it can be difficult to identify what products are fake and which are genuine.
Here are a few simple tips to help you identify whether a battery and charger is genuine or fake:

Buy from a registered manufacturer and trusted retailer
You should only buy mobile phone accessories made by a trusted manufacturer.If you are looking to replace a battery or charger then you should refer to the original manufacturer’s information to make sure you purchase the appropriate battery or charger for your model of phone. It is important to note that you should only use a charger specified by the manufacturer to charge you mobile phone battery.
You should also attempt to buy your mobile phone accessories from a trusted retailer who can verify the authenticity of their products.

Appearance

Most mobile phone batteries and chargers look very similar, making it difficult to identify legitimate and fake products.
If you are able to inspect the product first-hand then you should look for signs of poor quality such as: inaccurate printing, misspelled wording, crooked label placement and signs of defective workmanship.
Some mobile phone manufacturers also place hologram stickers on their batteries, which are difficult to replicate by counterfeiters - although they do try.

Warranty

All genuine mobile phone manufacturers offer a limited warranty that covers the handset, software and accessories.
Most genuine accessories are covered for a certain period of time from the date of purchase by the original owner.
Registered manufacturers and sellers also offer customer support and servicing of damaged products.
Black market batteries and chargers rarely come with a warranty or offer customer support and servicing of damaged products.
It is important to keep the receipt for any mobile phone accessory you purchase so that you can make a warranty claim if the product is faulty. It is also beneficial to keep all proof of purchase in case you have bought a fake so that you can notify the relevant authorities.

Price

If the price sounds too good to be true then it probably is.
Counterfeit mobile phone batteries and chargers are made from cheap substandard components allowing them to be produced at a fraction of the price of genuine products.
Also, counterfeiters don’t have to invest in product research, design and safety testing. They don’t pay government taxes, import fees and are not bound by fair trade or minimum wage regulations for their employees.
All these factors mean fakes can be sold at a much lower price than a genuine product.