Facebook tricks, Windows trick, Google trick, Internet hacking, Ethical Hacking, gmail tricks, Technological news, Software Crack, Mobile Tricks, Blogging Trick, ebay Trick, Computer program, LAN hacking, WAN hacking, cookies stealing, Email Tracing
Happen to have an old hard drive laying around that you need a project for? WonderHowTo blogger Samimy Productions shows off a way to upcycle a dead hard drive into a cellphone stand and charger, a LED light, and a secret flash drive.
The hard drive is repurposed into an insane desktop tool that kicks power to the cell phone and the LED. The best feature is a hidden flash drive inside the hard drive that won't be detected by a computer unless you trigger it with the external light. If you're holding on to some top secret data this seems like a useful place to hide it. Hit up the post below for the schematics.
DIY How to Hack a Hard Drive to Hidden Flash Drive, LED Light, Cellphone Charger | WonderHowTo via Hack a Day
System Ninja is a temporary file cleaner like CCleaner or Bleachbit. The program scans a system for junk files, temporary files and other unwanted files, to free up disk space. System Ninja is available as a portable version and installer, which both offer the same functionality.
When you first start the program you are presented with three tabs at the top that lead to the program’s core functionality. The Junk Scanner scans select hard drives for temporary files. It does not offer as many third party cleaning options as CCleaner or Bleachbit, but is pretty solid when it comes to cleaning browser and operating system traces and temp files.
The two remaining tab link to a startup and process manager that can be used to remove programs from the system, and kill running processes, and a PC analysis section that lists hardware information. The startup and process manager are basic, and usually not needed as Windows tools can handle the same job just fine.
System Ninja has been updated to version 2.3.2 today. Existing users can check for updates under Options > Settings > Check Now. The program should recognize the new version and offer to update to it automatically. New users can download the latest version from the developer website over at Singular Labs.
The new version introduces new features to the program that include an option to ignore specific programs which basically protects its data from being cleaned by the application. The new System Ninja version ships with Polish, Russian and Swedish interface languages, improved Windows 8 compatibility and an option to include beta versions in the update checks.
The software is not as feature rich as CCleaner. There is for instance no option to add custom folders or locations to the cleanup. Users who are just looking for a temporary file cleaner on the other hand find both programs to be more than capable for that task.
Are you a CCleaner user, or do you prefer a different program to clean up your system?
Windows users have several options at hand when their system does not boot anymore. They can try to boot into Safe Mode, use System Restore to recovery the system to a previous state, or use repair options on the Windows CD to repair the issue. When Windows 8 gets released, options get even better with the included reset and refresh options.
Sometimes though you may need something more powerful, for instance if you need to correct partitioning errors or recover files from a failing hard drive.
System Rescue CD is a Linux Live CD that has been specifically designed for repair and rescue operations. You should not get too confused with the CD in the application’s name though, as you can also install the contents on an USB stick instead which is handy for PCs that do not come with an optical drive anymore (See this manual page for the Windows installer link, and Linux console commands to create the USB version of the rescue disc).
Everyone else can download System Rescue CD as an iso image from the project website. When you first boot either from the rescue CD or USB drive, you get to see the following boot menu. A tap on the enter key loads the system with the default boot options.
Znless you have selected different settings during creation, the CD will load the console if you select the default options. You can type wizard and select a graphical user interface to boot into an interface that should be more pleasing to the average user. Linux buffs on the other hand who feel at home using the console can use it for all recovery and repair options.
From here, you can start programs like the file explorer Midnight Commander, the partitioning tool Gparted, the data recovery tool Testdisk, a CD and DVD burner, or the antivirus software Clam.
You also get access to a web browser or mail reader, in case you need to look up information on the Internet. System Rescue CD is one of those useful-to-have tools when disaster strikes. It is best used in situations where standard recovery options fail, especially after hard drive crashes and other emergencies.
You can check out the related articles and tags below for a selection of alternative solutions. While we are at it, which recovery solution would you recommend?
In a very strange move, some members of hacker group Anonymous have released their own distribution of the Linux operating system, complete with hacker tools for "testing the security of web sites".
The OS is based off Ubuntu and runs the MATE user interface. It comes complete with many built-in hacking tools that crack passwords, search for vulnerabilities in web sites, and simulate denial of service attacks. The about page notes that it was created "for educational purposes" and that you shouldn't use it to attack any web sites, because you could "end up in jail".
Is this an interesting piece of news? Oh yes. Do we recommend you download it? Probably not. Not only could it get you into a host of trouble if used without care, but taking part in Anonymous' activities has been rather dangerous of late—what with some people slipping trojans into Anonymous' own software. Hit the link to read more about Anonymous OS, and if you're really interested in testing security with a similar tool, check out previously mentioned BackTrack.
Getting Things Done (GTD) is one of the most popular productivity methods and Evernote the most popular note-taking tool among Lifehacker readers. The Secret Weapon merges these two into one system so you can achieve your goals.
More specifically, The Secret Weapon offers a GTD structure and workflow for your Evernote notebooks. The requirements for using TSW, are installing Evernote on all your devices (obviously) and reading David Allen's Getting Things Done.
Reading The Secret Weapon Manifesto introduction page you'll get an overview of why this system exists—like the video above—but productivity-seeking Lifehackers may want to just jump to the Setting Up The Secret Weapon section, where you'll find details on the suggested notebooks to set up—Cabinet, Action Pending, Completed—and initial tags.
From there, the site will tell you how to process your to-dos and other power user productivity tips.
If you've been searching for a new productivity system or want to make better use of Evernote, give The Secret Weapon a try. Be sure to come back and let us know what you think.
This paper demonstrates unique kind of communication technique between attacker machine and victim machine during the exploitation of any victim system. Usually, while an attacker exploits the remote system and gets the remote command prompt (remote shell), attacker is only able to execute commands till the session from the remote machine is opened (established). While exploiting the system in a normal way, attacker and the victim system both should be online, if attacker wants to execute some commands in remote machine (Victim Machine). This paper would demonstrate how an attacker can attack a remote victim without being online (attacker may or may be online AND victim may or may not be online).
History During the exploitation of vulnerable remote system (victim system) by an attacker, after vulnerability injection, attacker sends payload and gets remote command prompt on his/her (attacker’s) machine. In this case of normal payload, the limitation for an attacker is that, once the session is expired or shell is terminated, attacker can’t execute commands in remote machine (victim computer).This white paper demonstrates new type of payload by using which attacker can execute command in remote machine (victim system) without actually directly connecting to victim machine and also fooling Antivirus, Firewalls etc.
My Method In general scenario, if attacker gets remote command prompt and execute command in the current session then there is direct communication (connection) between attacker and victim machine. But by using this paper’s mechanism we can prevent direct communication (connection) between attacker and victim. For this, we use an intermediate server (zombie) that should be up and running all the time (24x7). In our case, we use this zombie as an email service like Gmail, Yahoo, msn etc. So the whole system works as explained below.
Attacker infects remote system with an Executable, which can be infected by one of the below mentioned methods:
By autorun.infDuring Metasploit ExploitationPhysical access of victim system
Now once Executable is up and running in the remote machine (Victim Machine), when the victim connects to the internet then it first checks the instruction set in Gmail inbox by an attacker. Now let’s say if an attacker wants to execute command ‘ipconfig’ in remote machine (victim machine) then attacker has to send email with subject ‘ipconfig’ to his own email address . Because the username and password is already encrypted in the Executable file in the victim machine (remote machine ), and as victim comes online , that executable file automatically logs in your Gmail account and reads all command instructions which is loaded by attacker.
It executes the commands of attacker’s choice and attaches these results to the attacker’s Gmail account. Attackers simply have to download that attachment which contains command output from victim machine. So there is an email service (Gmail) between attacker and victim machine. That shows, attacker can execute command in victim system but there is no direct connection between attacker and victim machine, and if an attacker uses Tor (The Onion Router Browser) or Anonymizers for accessing the Gmail account then attacker never can be caught (no reverse traces). It is something like Attacker <->email service <->Victim <->. So life cycle will be as shown below:
Attacker <--> Proxy <--> Email Service <--> Victim
(Tor, Anonymizers) (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) (Proxy Case Scenario)
Hands-on-Approach
Stage I
Let’s say you have infected remote system with this exe and you want account info, drive info and network info from the remote machine (victim machine) then you have to send email to your own account (note: which is also listened and shared by injected exe in remote victim machine) with subject containing account_info, driveinfo, networkinfo as shown in the figure on the next page.
Stage II
Now once the email with appropriate subject is sent to your account, now it’s time for remote machine (victim machine) to be online and fetch the instruction given by intruder (in this approach, “Attacker”). As the victim system comes online, it executes appropriate commands of attacker’s need, redirect command output to .data file and finally automatically attach this file to your email account. Hence, by simply downloading this file you will get all the cmd output in attached .data file as shown in below figure.
Here in the above figure you can clearly see that, all required outputs are attached in your email address!
Advantages
Advantages are that the attacker is never going to be caught if he/she is using the browser like TOR, Anononymizer, VPNs or Any PROXY…. For accessing the attacking Gmail account.No Antivirus can detect the Instruction data because all traffic would come from HTTPS And Antivirus Softwares and Network Intrusion Detection Software Detects simply an outbound connection with GMAIL...!Only a single Gmail account is required. Attacker and victim machine both would be connected to the same account but the attacker knows, and the victim doesn’t!!
Disadvantages Disadvantage is that, if the victim has a habit of checking the current connections using commands like ‘netstat –n’, then there is a possibility to detect Gmail connection when actually there is no browser activity. But still it is difficult to detect because process is running in Hidden mode.
Conclusion So by using above technique, attacker has to send commands as a subject to his/her own email address and then it is fetched and executed in victim machine by executable file running in victim machine. And results of that commands are sent back to the attacker’s email account as an attachment. So there is no need to be online for both attacker and victim. And Anti-viruses and Firewalls going to bypass using this technique because Av and Firewall notice that victim system connects to the Gmail (not actually connects to attacker machine for transferring data) and it uses HTTPS encryption of Gmail for transferring the data (no chance of signature based detection because of HTTPS), so they don’t find any threats for victim machine, so no security alarms!
Remote Thread Execution in System Process using NtCreateThreadEx for Vista & Windows 7 | ClubHACK Magazine Skip to Main Content Area ClubHACKAbout UsTeamPartnersContributorsAuthorsArchives Contact UsSubscribeRSSAdvertise HomeTech GyanLegal GyanTool GyanMom's GuideSpecial FeatureMatriux VibhagPosterDownloadsDownload PDF Home Remote Thread Execution in System Process using NtCreateThreadEx for Vista & Windows 7
Windows provides API function called, CreateRemoteThread Ref 2 which allows any process to execute thread in the context of remote process. This method has been mainly used to inject DLL into remote process, this technique is popularly known as 'DLL Injection'. Especially malware programs exploited this mechanism to evade their detection by injecting their DLL into legitimate processes such as Explorer.exe, Winlogon.exe etc.
Vista & Session Separation
This DLL Injection technique using CreateRemoteThread technique has worked flawlessly till Vista without any limitations. However since Vista onwards things have changed with the introduction of 'Session Separation'Ref 3. This was one of the many defenses introduced in Vista towards securing the system. 'Session Separation' ensured that core system processes including services always run in session 0 while all user process's run in different sessions. As a result any process running in user session failed to inject DLL into system process as CreateRemoteThread did not work across session boundaries.
This is clearly evident from the MSDN documentation of CreateRemoteThread Ref 2 function...
"Terminal Services isolates each terminal session by design. Therefore, CreateRemoteThread fails if the target process is in a different session than the calling process."
About NtCreateThreadEx Function
With the failure of CreateRemoteThread, there was a need for universal solution for remote thread execution on Vista and Windows 7 platform. Then comes the function, NtCreateThreadEx Ref 1, the undocumented function which provides complete solution for executing remote thread across session boundaries. It allows any process to inject DLL into any other process irrespective of the session in which it is running as long as it has sufficient privileges.
Here is the prototype of NtCreateThreadEx function [undocumented]
typedef NTSTATUS (WINAPI *LPFUN_NtCreateThreadEx) ( OUT PHANDLE hThread, IN ACCESS_MASK DesiredAccess, IN LPVOID ObjectAttributes, IN HANDLE ProcessHandle, IN LPTHREAD_START_ROUTINE lpStartAddress, IN LPVOID lpParameter, IN BOOL CreateSuspended, IN ULONG StackZeroBits, IN ULONG SizeOfStackCommit, IN ULONG SizeOfStackReserve, OUT LPVOID lpBytesBuffer);
This function is almost similar to CreateRemoteThread function except the last parameter which takes unknown buffer structure. Here is the definition of that buffer structure parameter...
This information is derived based on reverse engineering work. Hence meanings and importance of internal fields of this buffer structure is not clear.
Executing Remote Thread into System Process using NtCreateThreadEx
FunctionThe steps involved in the execution of the remote thread using NtCreateThreadEx is almost similar to that of CreateRemoteThread function. Hence the traditional steps such as allocating memory, copying the thread code into remote process are not repeated here. For detailed steps you can refer to article, "Three Ways to Inject Your Code into Another Process" Ref 4.
Before we begin, we need to load NtCreateThreadEx function from Ntdll.dll as shown below.
HMODULE modNtDll = GetModuleHandle("ntdll.dll"); if( !modNtDll ){ printf("\n failed to get module handle for ntdll.dll, Error=0x%.8x", GetLastError()); return;}LPFUN_NtCreateThreadEx funNtCreateThreadEx = (LPFUN_NtCreateThreadEx) GetProcAddress(modNtDll, "NtCreateThreadEx");if( !funNtCreateThreadEx ){ printf("\n failed to get funtion address from ntdll.dll, Error=0x%.8x", GetLastError()); return;}
Now setup the buffer structure which is passed as last parameter to NtCreateThreadEx function.
Finally execute remote thread 'pRemoteFunction' into remote process using NtCreateThreadEx function. Here one can use 'LoadLibrary' function address instead of 'pRemoteFunction' thread to implement 'DLL Injection' technique.
NTSTATUS status = funNtCreateThreadEx( &hThread, 0x1FFFFF, NULL, hProcess, (LPTHREAD_START_ROUTINE) pRemoteParameter, pRemoteParameter, FALSE, //start instantly NULL, NULL, NULL, &ntbuffer);Now check for the result of NtCreateThreadEx function and then wait for it to execute completely. if (hThread == NULL){ printf("\n NtCreateThreadEx failed, Error=0x%.8x", GetLastError()); return;}//Wait for thread to complete....WaitForSingleObject(hThread, INFINITE);
Finally retrieve the return value from the remote thread function, 'pRemoteFunction' to verify the result of function execution.
//Check the return code from remote thread function int dwExitCode;if( GetExitCodeThread(hThread, (DWORD*) &dwExitCode) ){ printf("\n Remote thread returned with status = %d", dwExitCode);} CloseHandle(hThread);
The steps illustrated above are almost similar except that here NtCreateThreadEx is used instead of CreateRemoteThread for creating thread in the context of remote process
Limitations of NtCreateThreadEx Method
Though NtCreateThreadEx provides universal solution on Vista/Win 7 platform for remote thread execution, it is risky to use in the production code as it is an undocumented function. As things may change with new version and suppor packs, enough testing is necessary before putting it into production especially when injecting code into system critical process such as LSASS.EXE, CSRSS.EXE.
Another limitation is that it cannot be used in earlier platforms before Vista, such as Windows XP because NtCreateThreadEx function is available only Vista onwards. However developers can easily tune their code to dynamically use CreateRemoteThread function on XP and NtCreateThreadEx for Vista/Windows 7.
Alternative Techniques
Another way to inject DLL into system process is to write the service process (which will run in session 0) and then issue the command from user process to that service to inject DLL into any system process using the CreateRemoteThread function.
This technique will work for any system process running in session 0. But it will fail to execute thread into any other process running in session other than 0.
Though it is a clumsy way of doing the work, it still holds good solution to inject thread into system process only.
Conclusion
This article provides practical implementation of using NtCreateThreadEx function to execute remote thread into any process on Vista/Windows 7 platform. Though it is undocumented function, it provides universal solution for executing code in any process across session boundaries imposed by Vista/Windows 7.
ReferencesNtCreateThreadEx FunctionMSDN Documentation of CreateRemoteThread FunctionImpact of Session 0 Isolation on ServicesThree ways to inject code into remote processAbout The AuthorNagareshwar is a security professional with the unbeaten passion towards Computer Security, mainly involved in Reverse Engineering, Security Research and developing Security Tools. He holds engineering degree in Computer Science from National Institute of Technology of Karnataka, Surathkal (KREC), India. He has professional experience of around 6+ years spanning across Novell & Citrix where he has worked on security and application virtualization technologies.
Microsoft VistaMicrosoft WindowstechGyanTerminal ServicesWindows 7 Add new comment Author CHMag Collector's Edition Vol II
Have you ever encountered that your Computer does not boot normally? Therefore, you need to recover your data from the system before you format the Computer since the data located in the same Drive with the operating system has installed. So, easiest way to recover these data is booting the Computer with Live Bootable cd (emegency disk). I am going to discuss about Multiboot CD which contains many features for recovering data, resetting login passwords, partitioning drives, Memory testing and more.You can download Multiboot CD iso from torrent download. Check these links for download link1& link2. In order to boot from this CD, initially you need to write this downloaded ISO file into a CD using a image CD writer like Nero. Then, put the bootable CD into CD ROM and restart your Computer. Change the boot priority by entering into BIOS menu. After that, you will be able to boot from this CD. You will see several options to choose like above figure. Select any feature to boot from that. When i selected Parted Magic Version 5.9, i was able to enter to the below live desktop. There is a live Windows XP feature is also available in the menu. So, you can enter to this Windows XP desktop for doing various system administration tasks.
Hackers target prison system with latest defacement | InSecurity Complex - CNET News CNET News @import "http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/Ads/common/css/SponsoredTextLink/sponsoredTextLink.live.css"; Manage Packages With UPS My Choice Home Reviews Cell Phones Camcorders Digital Cameras Laptops TVs Car Tech Forums Appliances Cell Phone Accessories Components Desktops E-book Readers Games and Gear GPS Hard Drives & Storage Headphones Home Audio Home Video Internet Access Monitors MP3 Players Networking and Wi-Fi Peripherals Printers Software Tablets Web Hosting You are here: News Latest News Mobile Startups Cutting Edge Media Security Business Tech Health Tech Crave Apple Microsoft Politics & Law Gaming & Culture Blogs Video Photos RSS Download Windows Software Mac Software Mobile Apps Web Apps The Download Blog CNET TV How To Computers Home Theater Smartphones Tablets Web Marketplace Log In | Join Log In Join CNET Sign in with My profile Log out CNET News InSecurity Complex Hackers target prison system with latest defacement by Elinor Mills February 24, 2012 7:15 PM PST Follow @elinormills
Large private prison operator has Web site vandalized in protest against politics of incarceration.
Hackers aligned with the Anonymous group of online activists defaced today the Web site of a major contractor operating detention facilities, calling the move a protest of the for-profit prison system, which, they said, benefits from stricter laws and more arrests.
The home page for the Geo Group's Web site was inaccessible this afternoon after it had had been replaced with an image of imprisoned activist Mumia Abu-Jamal and audio of a song about him, according to news site RT.com.
Phone messages left by CNET at the Geo Group headquarters in Boca Raton, Fla., were not returned late today. But company spokesman Pablo Paez said in an e-mail to The Associated Press that no information on staff or operations had been accessed. "Our public Web site is hosted by an external offsite third-party vendor--therefore no such information was compromised," he said.
Hackers operating under the "AntiSec" banner claimed responsibility and released a statement that alleges that owners of private prisons lobby for expansion of criminal laws, even as they operate at near capacity.
Those claims seem to be corroborated in a recent report from the nonprofit Justice Policy Institute, whose statistics find there are nearly 2.4 million people behind bars in the United States, giving it the highest incarceration rate in the world.
Related storiesHackers nip at LA police canine groupHackers hit CIA, UN Web sitesAnonymous takes aim over Europe's SOPA "While private prison companies may try to present themselves as just meeting existing demand for prison beds and responding to current market conditions, in fact they have worked hard over the past decade to create markets for their product," the Justice Policy Institute says. "As revenues of private prison companies have grown over the past decade, the companies have had more resources with which to build political power, and they have used this power to promote policies that lead to higher rates of incarceration."
"For-profit private prison companies primarily use three strategies to influence policy: lobbying; direct campaign contributions; and building relationships, networks, and associations," concludes the report.
Florida state records show that since 2004, Geo has paid more than $2 million to state candidates, parties, political committees, and lobbyists, according to investigative news Web site the Broward Bulldog.
Meanwhile, Geo Group has been sued by the ACLU over alleged poor conditions at a youth prison in Mississippi, according to a National Public Radio report.
Geo Group representatives declined repeated requests by NPR to comment on the allegations and lawsuit and did not respond to a request for comment from the Broward Bulldog. If the company responds to CNET's request for comment, this story will be updated.
Anonymous and affiliates have proclaimed Friday as the day to launch digital attacks on law enforcement, government, and other targets representing authority.
Which portable gaming system provides the overall best value and experience? Let's take a look.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)
Yes, it's a loaded question, but a necessary one with the PlayStation Vita finally making its U.S. release. There's no denying that platforms like iOS and Android have changed the face of portable gaming forever, but do they provide the best experience?
Just like choosing which home console to buy, this is a decision that needs to be made on a personal level, depending on what exactly your budget and preferences are.
In my opinion, the best "gamer's" games are the ones experienced with actual tactile buttons. While touch gaming might be more accessible and ultimately more affordable, I do believe if you limit yourself to that specific medium, you're missing out on a lot that the world of portable gaming has to offer.
With that said, let's look at the current portable gaming landscape.
Whether it's an Android device, iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad, the options for gaming on-the-go are seemingly endless. Best of all, most of these devices satisfy the crucial "all-in-one" label that so many products seek to capture. It's tough to argue that anyone should carry around a separate gaming-focused device in addition to one of these.
However, I--and most core gamers--agree that the full potential of gaming cannot be unlocked by simple touch, swipe, and flicking gestures. Please don't read that as a jab at the insanely talented developers who pour their hearts and souls into these titles. The truth is these types of games are on a different level than standalone 3DS and Vita games. That level is one of a more casual experience.
(Credit: ZeptoLab/Chillingo)
It's tough to classify a game like Cut the Rope in the same category as something like Uncharted: Golden Abyss. Of course they are both games, but their practical usage in our daily lives differs completely. Cut the Rope is great for the 15 minutes waiting around for the train, while Uncharted demands the commitment of a cross-country flight. That's not to say one couldn't play Angry Birds for 6 hours straight (the horror!), but I think the instant-gratification model that makes games like these work so well is better suited for quick gaming sessions.
So what about the "core" games available on touch platforms? I've tried, with all my might, to get into a first-person-shooter on the iPad. It's painful. You'd think with touch controls that aiming would be a precise mechanism, but alas, it's clunky and unsatisfying. I've tried them all: Dead Space, Rage HD, Battlefield, Call of Duty Zombies; the list goes on. I hate fishing around the screen for the reload area and I can't stand moving my character with a virtual D-pad. There are some games in which touch controls work great, and there are others that just don't register.
While owning an iOS device gives you instant access to hundreds of thousands of apps and games, I've found that the vast majority of titles are just crummy. The whole mentality of "anyone can be a developer" is awesome, but it should come as no shock to find out that it has led to a surplus of games that are not worth your time and money.
Another big talking point is battery life on these devices. It's no secret, smartphones and tablets outlast consoles like the 3DS and Vita. If you're someone constantly on-the-go with no access to an outlet, your time with a 3DS or Vita will be very limited.
Perhaps the best thing touch gaming has going for it is the price. Games are cheap. I've bought dozens of 99-cent games that are garbage, and I don't care. They are practically disposable. Sure, a nasty habit like that can add up over time, but someone who just wants the instant gratification of guiding oil into an monster's mouth or putting out fires with their fingers can have that satisfaction whenever he or she wants. For some people that might be enough.
Touch gaming is best for: Casual gamers who are constantly traveling; those who can only play in short spurts; those looking for an all-in-one device and don't want to carry multiple products around; budget-conscious gamers; those who value battery life.
Touch gaming is not the best choice for: Core gamers; those who desire a big-budget level of production value and polish in their gaming; those who want to experience established franchises from their gaming past; those who consider buttons to be an integral gaming element.
Sure, it stumbled right out of the gate, but Nintendo's portable 3D machine has found its legs and is actually off to a better start than the original DS--which is the best-selling handheld console of all time.
Aside from a glasses-less 3D display, not a whole lot has changed since the DS. The graphics are definitely better, but I've yet to see them make the same jump that other systems have been able to do. The 3DS still relies on a stylus, too, which has become somewhat of a relic in every other tech medium. It's certainly the best way to interact with the 3DS' resistive touch screen, but to some gamers it's a turnoff. In terms of graphics, the 3DS can't contend with the Vita or some high-end iOS games.
(Credit: CNET)
Touch games can't compete with the bevy of control options packed into the 3DS. Long story short, games play better on the 3DS and Vita. The 3DS has all of the buttons we've seen on the original DS, but the 3DS introduces a left circle thumb pad.
The 3DS is the only portable gaming unit that supports 3D, but it doesn't come without its fair share of issues. The 3D effect is easily broken with minor viewing angle adjustments, and it's almost impossible to maintain with games that require some sort of motion control. Also, Nintendo advises that only gamers 7 and older should use the mode. These problems aside, the 3D effect can be turned off at any time. This will also help with battery life, which is surprisingly low for a Nintendo handheld.
The 3DS' launch lineup also left room for improvement. Almost an entire year since its debut, only a handful of titles have fallen into the must-own category, with only a few standout franchises scheduled for a 2012 release. I'm sure there will be a number of surprises down the line, but it's tough to justify a purchase solely based on speculation.
Owning a 3DS has become a cheaper affair, though, with the unit getting a massive 32 percent price cut last year. Now available for $170, the 3DS costs the least up front of all the portable options.
Super Mario 3D Land(Credit: Nintendo)
3DS games tend to skew toward a younger demographic, with mostly all first-party titles designed for players of all ages. Resident Evil Revelations is the first M-rated 3DS game, and I think it's a great start to what's hopefully a long list of titles aimed at an older audience. For the Nintendo faithful, there are plenty of downloadable titles from the company's vault as well as independent selections in the 3DS eShop. Netflix is already available on the platform, too.
Games for the system range in price from around $20 to $40 and download-only titles from around $5 to $10.
The 3DS is best for: Gamers who want a 3D experience above everything else; the Nintendo franchise faithful; younger gamers; fans of the original DS who want the best of both worlds (it's backward-compatible).
The 3DS is not good for: Gamers looking for the top-of-the-line graphics; those turned off by stylus control; those susceptible to motion sickness via 3D; those looking for games aimed at older audiences.
February 2012 marks the release of the Sony PlayStation Vita, the company's follow-up to the PSP. It boasts a huge 5-inch OLED touch screen and rear touch panel, two analog thumb sticks, and an impressive list of launch titles.
Priced at $250 for the entry-level Wi-Fi only system, the Vita also comes with a hidden cost. Players must purchase a Vita Memory Card for access to most of the games and applications available for the system. While I really wish this was included in the box from the start, Sony has packed the card in a limited run of First Edition Bundles and the initial run of 3G units.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)
Games for the Vita are the most expensive among any portable gaming option. Standalone titles range in price from $30 to $50 (though most are priced at $40), and download-only titles go from about $10 to $15. All first-party Vita games and most third-party titles can also be downloaded from the PlayStation Store--sometimes at a discount.
Proprietary media rules the Vita, including the games and aforementioned memory cards. Sony is implementing some strict guidelines for the new system because of the widespread piracy that plagued the PSP. Simple tasks like transferring movies or photos is cumbersome, but suffice to say, it works.
Twenty-five titles make up the Vita's launch list. There are plenty of quality entries in this collection, in which every type of gamer is sure to find something. The Vita is the most capable portable system in terms of graphics--nothing really comes close. The Vita has the best-looking games and the horsepower to be called the closest thing to an actual home console in your pocket. Battery life isn't anything to write home about, but I was really impressed with its standby time during my testing.
The Vita's operating system is one of its most surprising features, as it's ultraresponsive and logically laid out. It's as smooth as iOS and feels like a cross between Android and WebOS. The rear touch panel has had some interesting initial implementations, and I'm curious to see where developers will take the technology moving forward.
Uncharted: Golden Abyss(Credit: Sony Bend/SCEA)
A few social apps will hit the Vita on day one along with a Netflix program. Sony has promised more support from a number of third parties, so it remains to be seen whether the system will deliver on that front like the PlayStation 3 has.
The Vita is best for: Gamers who want the latest and greatest portable games; value graphics the most; want a combination of touch and button control; are intrigued by rear touch control; want the closest thing to a home console experience.
The Vita is not good for: Gamers on a budget; those who want a universal all-in-one device.
Getting Things Done (GTD) is one of the most popular productivity methods and Evernote the most popular note-taking tool among Lifehacker readers. The Secret Weapon merges these two into one system so you can achieve your goals. 
Have you ever encountered that your Computer does not boot normally? Therefore, you need to recover your data from the system before you format the Computer since the data located in the same Drive with the operating system has installed. So, easiest way to recover these data is booting the Computer with Live Bootable cd (emegency disk). I am going to discuss about Multiboot CD which contains many features for recovering data, resetting login passwords, partitioning drives, Memory testing and more.
You can download Multiboot CD iso from torrent download. Check these links for download link1& link2.
There is a live Windows XP feature is also available in the menu. So, you can enter to this Windows XP desktop for doing various system administration tasks.
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by Elinor Mills February 24, 2012 7:15 PM PST Follow @elinormills 
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Super Mario 3D Land(Credit: Nintendo) 
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Uncharted: Golden Abyss(Credit: Sony Bend/SCEA)