Six New York lawmakers arrested in alleged corruption scheme

By Jonathan Dienst, Joe Valiquette, Shimon Prokupecz, NBCNewYork.com

A prominent Democratic state senator and a Republican city councilman from Queens were arrested Tuesday in an alleged plot to get the senator onto the New York City?mayoral ballot by paying off GOP county chairmen, authorities said.

Democratic State Sen. Malcolm Smith, City Councilman Dan Halloran and four others were arrested by the FBI Tuesday morning.

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said Smith "tried to bribe his way to a shot at Gracie Mansion."

Bharara said Smith conceived the plot and Halloran "quarterbacked that drive by finding party chairmen who were wide open to receiving bribes."

Read more at NBCNewYork.com

NBC 4 New York's calls and emails to offices and attorneys of those arrested were not immediately returned.?

Any candidate seeking to be added to a ballot needs to be approved by three of the five county chairmen for a particular party.

Two Republican county chairmen -- Joseph Savino, of the Bronx, and Vincent Tabone, of Queens -- were among those arrested Tuesday.?

Smith was elected to the State Senate in 2000 in a special election. He was elected minority leader in 2007, succeeding David Paterson.

Halloran assumed office in 2010 and represents the 19th district in Queens, succeeding Tony Avella.

He garnered widespread attention that year when he said five municipal employees told him that workers had engaged in a deliberate slowdown in clearing snow following the Christmas blizzard.?The Department of Investigation?said later that an exhaustive probe found no evidence?of such a slowdown.?

Federal officials announced other arrests Tuesday; those expected to be charged are Democrat Noramie Jasmin, mayor of Spring Valley in Rockland County, and her deputy mayor, Joseph Desmaret.?

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HTC One also coming to Sprint from April 19

$199.99 with 32GB of storage, pre-orders start April 5

Following on from AT&T's announcement earlier today, rival network Sprint has announced that it too will start selling the HTC One from Apr. 19. Pre-orders on Sprint begin a day later than AT&T this Friday, April 5. Sprint will sell the phone with 32GB of storage for $199.99 on a two-year plan.

Like AT&T, Sprint will carry the phone in silver and black color options.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/4GTcuRKhz6w/story01.htm

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BrowserCheck Business Edition

Large companies have IT personnel responsible for tracking software users have on their computers. For the small business, the task generally falls to end-users and one IT person already burdened with a long to-do list. If the user doesn't keep up with updates and IT doesn't notice, that is a security risk. Considering the amount of Web-based threats out there, the free BrowserCheck scanner from Qualys is a quick way to ensure Web browsers and installed plug-ins are up-to-date.

Cyber-criminals have a choice between buying?or creating?attacks targeting either zero-day vulnerabilities or older security flaws. The latter type is much cheaper and readily available. ?Recent research has shown a significant number of computers run outdated software. Targeting older software can be pretty lucrative.

Qualys offers BrowserCheck (three stars) for personal use and BrowserCheck Business Edition, both for free. The personal version scans the end user's computer and generates a security profile right away. BrowserCheck Business Edition collects the scan results from each computer and displays them in a dashboard. At one glance, the administrator can tell what browsers and plug-ins have been installed. For Windows machines, administrators can also check the status of antivirus and firewall protection, as well as the latest security updates via Windows Update. Thanks to automated scanning, BrowserCheck Business Edition allows administrators to schedule future scans to monitor any changes to the computer's software security profile.

Getting Started
I signed up for a BrowserCheck Business Edition on the Qualys site with a non-webmail account, as Qualys does not accept addresses from Web providers such as Gmail, Yahoo and Hotmail. Businesses that don't have their own domain name and rely on these email services are blocked from using the scanner, unless they have some other email address to use instead.

The dashboard's tables and graphs offer a bird's-eye view of how many insecure browsers and plug-ins are in the organization. I viewed detailed scanning results for each system and historic reports, as well as platform statistics, such as the most frequently installed plug-ins and browsers.

BrowserCheck supports server and desktop Windows versions all the way from Windows 2000 to Windows 8, Mac OS X, and Linux. I ran a basic scan using the stock Web browser for Android but not for Firefox, and I didn't test on iOS. Qualys can also analyze alternative Web browsers, such as Maxthon, Seamonkey, and Rockmelt.

BrowserCheck, Administrator
The administrator controls all the BrowserCheck settings, such as scanning all the browsers installed on the computer at the same time, checking if the antivirus, firewall, and Windows Update are turned on (Windows only), looking for missing Microsoft Security Updates (also Windows only), and setting up an automated scheduler.

The administrator can send the customized Quick Scan URL listed under account settings to users. When someone clicks on this link, BrowserCheck scans the computer and saves the results back to the dashboard. The no-install scanner can check the plug-ins and version number for that browser only. This is a nice and simple way for the administrator to see all the results of all the machines in one place. Even so, the BrowserCheck plug-in is the better option.

Administrators can email the link to the plug-in and ask users to install it manually, or push out the MSI agent onto the computers via a software distribution tool or a script. If the organization didn't already have a software distribution tool that can push out files to user computers, administrators would have to rely on users, or take the time to make the rounds and install the plug-in themselves.

BrowserCheck can also be silent, where the user doesn't get to see the results of the scan as it is sent directly to the dashboard.

BrowserCheck, User-Side
All the end-user has to worry about is clicking on the Quick Scan link from IT to run the no-install scanner or downloading and installing the plug-in. The administrator determines what to scan and how often, making the process really simple for the user.

The plug-in-based scanner collects machine information, such as the operating system and the machine name, and associates the scan results with the machine name in the dashboard. The no-install scanner results are saved without any machine-identifying information. It's more helpful to tell the administrator which computer has the outdated Java plug-in, rather than just saying one computer needed to be updated.

If "silent mode" wasn't on, the user would see the results, a list of all installed plug-ins and their statuses. BrowserCheck has 13 different types of statuses, such as Obsolete and Retired. Outdated ones appear first, with red "Insecure Version" and blue "Fix It" buttons, followed by yellow "Update Available" buttons to indicate the updates were non-security related. Up-to-date plug-ins have green buttons, and all the ones BrowserCheck doesn't recognize have gray "Unknown" buttons.

Clicking on "Fix It" or "Update Available" buttons downloads the latest versions, but there's no way to automate getting the latest updates.

The scan results page look very similar to Mozilla's own plugin check.?With BrowserCheck, though, I could view the status of the plugins for each browser, along with system-specific data for Windows machines. I was concerned that nearly half of the plug-ins were flagged as "unknown" by BrowserCheck. While great for Windows OS and for common plug-ins, there is quite a lot the scanner doesn't recognize.

BrowserCheck for Security
For small businesses falling behind on patch management and regular software updates, BrowserCheck Business Edition is a great first step. There is nothing worse in security than not doing anything at all, so being able to see which computers have unsafe browsers or are missing security updates is a positive move.

If you just want a quick system that will tell you the state of your browsers and operating systems across your Windows network, BrowserCheck is sufficient. If you don't have a way to automatically deploy the MSI across all the computers, BrowserCheck will not be as effective as you depend on the users to install the plug-in. BrowserCheck Business Edition is the easiest way to ensure browsers and plug-ins within your organization are up-to-date with the latest security patches. If you need a little bit more, such as automated patching, investing in a more robust platform such as Panorama9?may be the way to go.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/7Fd-YK4CUfI/0,2817,2417226,00.asp

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C. African Republic coup leader adds to his roles

BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) ? Central African Republic's coup leader solidified his hold on the government Monday after announcing that he will serve as both president and defense minister, while other top posts are going to his fellow rebels.

Michel Djotodia, who led the thousands of rebel fighters who overthrew longtime President Francois Bozize just over a week ago, made the announcement in a decree read late Sunday on state radio.

Not only will Djotodia hold the defense ministry, but his allies also will control the ministries of mines, commerce, communication, and security and public order, according to a decree issued on letterhead that reads "presidency of the republic."

Opposition leader Nicolas Tiangaye remains as prime minister in the new government.

Alex Vines, head of the Africa program at Chatham House, a London-based institute on international affairs, has described the coup as being about "blind ambition" despite the rebels' claims they are seeking greater assistance for their homeland in the deeply impoverished northeast. The rebel alliance that overthrew the government is known as Seleka.

"All the accounts of Seleka are that they have no development vision for CAR. It's exclusively about redistribution of patrimony from having captured the state," Vines said.

"There is so little other activity ? capturing the state is sort of the main source of revenue," he said.

Thousands of Djotodia's rebels are now residing in the capital, and could be seen Monday riding on pickup trucks that were sponge-painted brown and black in a kind of homemade camouflage with "Seleka" scrawled across the sides.

Others camped out on cots in and around the state-run radio building, and some sat beside a drained swimming pool at the luxury hotel that Djotodia has transformed into his presidential palace.

The rebels are identifiable by the head turbans they wear, though others have taken to wearing clothes they took from the Central African army soldiers who fled in the face of the rebel advance and adorning them with a yellow ribbon on the shoulder.

Djotodia, who first rose to prominence as a rebel leader back in 2006, already had served as defense minister since the formation of an ill-fated national unity government in January.

That agreement had been backed by regional mediators trying to avert a crisis in the country long wracked by coups and rebellions, and was to allow Bozize to remain in office until 2016.

However, the rebels soon accused Bozize of failing to deliver on his promises and ousted him during fierce fighting that also left 13 South African soldiers dead.

Bozize and his family have taken refuge in neighboring Cameroon and are now seeking exile in the tiny West African nation of Benin.

The African Union has suspended Central African Republic's membership, and the United States has urged the country to swiftly organize new elections.

"We also condemn Seleka's unlawful designation of a head of state or any other unilateral decisions involving the future governance of the country," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in a statement issued over the weekend. "The only legitimate government in the CAR is the government of national unity led by Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye."

In South Africa on Monday, the opposition Democratic Alliance party called for President Jacob Zuma to withdraw troops from Central African Republic. And a South African soldiers' union called for Zuma to report Djotodia to the International Criminal Court for allegedly using child soldiers.

South Africa is increasingly embroiled in debate over why its troops were deployed to Central African Republic. There are allegations the soldiers were sent to protect mining interests of South Africa's governing African National Congress. The ANC denies it has any business in the country rich in diamonds, uranium and gold.

Some have suggested that Zuma should be impeached for allegedly misleading parliament about the foreign military mission. Zuma has said they were training the Central African Republic soldiers.

___

Associated Press writer Michelle Faul in Johannesburg contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/c-african-republic-coup-leader-adds-roles-123140216.html

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Eton FRX3 American Red Cross Emergency Radio review

Unless I’m in the car, I don’t listen to terrestrial, broadcast radio anymore. ?At work I have satellite radio, and at home it’s an iPod in a dock. ?I haven’t had a dedicated “AM/FM” radio in ages, but since I live in earthquake country (San Francisco Bay Area), I’m overdue. ?Thank goodness the Eton FRX3 [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/03/31/eton-frx3-american-red-cross-emergency-radio-review/

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Visualized: Unreal Engine 4 'Infiltrator' demo gives an impressive peek at next-gen gaming

Just in case you missed it last night buried in our interview with Epic Games VP Mark Rein, the company showed off a new real-time demo at GDC 2013 this week, titled "Infiltrator." The nearly four-minute clip, showcases a sci-fi shootout created with its Unreal Engine 4, and remarkably powered by a single GeForce GTX 680. Now that we've piqued your curiosity a bit, check out this gorgeous display of futuristic espionage after the break, plus a bonus clip of the "Elemental" UE4 demo running on a PlayStation 4 dev kit in real-time.

Filed under: Gaming, Software

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/HPWuvhtq2ew/

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CBS halts replays of basketball player's injury

NEW YORK (AP) ? After two initial replays, CBS stopped showing footage Sunday of Louisville basketball player Kevin Ware breaking his leg during the first half of his team's NCAA men's tournament game against Duke.

The injury during the nationally televised game, and the shocked reaction of Ware's fellow players, called to mind the gruesome broken leg suffered by Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann in a Monday Night football game in 1985. During Sunday's game, Theismann tweeted his best wishes to Ware.

Ware had leaped to try and block a shot by Duke's Tyler Thornton. His leg landed awkwardly, buckled and flopped as he fell to the ground. The first hint that the injury was out of the ordinary came from Thornton, who put his hands to his face and had an anguished look as he ran back on defense.

CBS commentator Clark Kellogg described the injury was "gruesome."

"If you can bear to watch it, take a look but it's a gruesome-looking injury," Kellogg said.

CBS showed the replay twice in slow motion, although not with a close-up of Ware landing. The network also never showed a close-up of the injury.

CBS then concentrated on reaction shots. Three of Ware's teammates were on the ground near the basket. Wayne Blackshear cried, Chane Behanan knelt on his hands and knees and Peyton Silva sat, a hand covering his mouth.

The network aired a close-up of medical officials working on Ware, showing the player only from the face up.

CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus said that because of the graphic nature of the injury, the network decided not to show it after the original replays. People could quickly find replays on YouTube, anyway.

"We did not zoom in on the injury when he was taken off," McManus said. "We did not try to highlight it. I think we did the right thing."

At halftime, Greg Gumbel noted that CBS would not show the injury. Its highlight package again focused on the reactions, including Louisville coach Rick Pitino wiping away tears. Pitino answered questions from CBS during the game about Ware, noting the injured player was exhorting his teammates to win the regional final. A Louisville spokesman said Ware was "resting comfortably" at Indianapolis' Methodist Hospital.

As is often the case, the coverage quickly became a hot topic on Twitter. Sports writer Jason Whitlock tweeted that "CBS handled this curveball (Ware injury) masterfully."

The network's decision to stop showing the replay only goes so far. Right after the game ended, the CBS affiliate in Phoenix aired the footage of Ware being injured in a local sports report.

Coverage of the injury represented the second difficult call of the day for CBS. Earlier, the network cut away from the dramatic conclusion of the Sony Open men's final, switching to the tipoff of the NCAA tournament game between Michigan and Florida. The network did alert viewers that if the third set between Andy Murray and David Ferrer went to a tiebreaker, it would switch coverage of the Tennis Channel.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cbs-halts-replays-basketball-players-injury-233552593--spt.html

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