5 New Articles on MakeUseOf |  |
- Cool Websites and Tools [May 12th 2013]
- What Is a DDoS Attack? [MakeUseOf Explains]
- 12 Free Music Albums: The Rock Edition [Sound Sunday]
- 11 Critical Tips On How To Sell More On eBay
- Would You Pay To Watch YouTube Videos? [MakeUseOf Poll]
| Cool Websites and Tools [May 12th 2013] Posted: 12 May 2013 09:31 PM PDT
These are just half of the websites that we discovered in the last couple of days. If you want us to send you daily round-ups of all cool websites we come across, leave your email here. Or follow us via RSS feed. The post Cool Websites and Tools [May 12th 2013] appeared first on MakeUseOf. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| What Is a DDoS Attack? [MakeUseOf Explains] Posted: 12 May 2013 06:01 PM PDT
Perhaps most importantly, a lot of people don’t know what constitutes a DDoS attack. Despite its rising frequency, looking at the paper’s headlines, DDoS attacks can be anything from digital vandalism to fully-fledged cyber-terrorism. So what does a DDoS, or Distributed Denial of Service attack entail? How does it work, and how does it affect the intended target and its users? These are important questions, and this is what we’re going to be focusing on in this instance of MakeUseOf Explains. Denial Of ServiceBefore we tackle the issue of DDoS, or Distributed Denial of Service attacks, let’s look at the larger group of Denial of Service (DoS) issues. Denial of Service is a broad issue. Simply put, a website experiences DoS issues when it is no longer able to service its regular users. When too many people flock to Twitter, the Fail Whale pops up, indicating that the website has reached and passed maximum capacity. In essence, Twitter experiences DoS. Most of the time, these issues are instigated without malicious intent. A large website links to a small website, which isn’t built for the same level of traffic.
A Denial of Service Attack, then, indicates malicious intent. The attacker spends effort trying to instigate DoS issues. The techniques used here vary wildly – a DoS attack refers to the intended result of the attack, not the way it is executed. Generally, by hogging the system’s resources, it can render the system unavailable to its regular users, ultimately even crashing the system and taking it down entirely. Distributed (DDoS) AttacksThe difference between Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) and regular DoS attacks is the scope of the attack. Where a DoS is carried out by a single attacker using a single system, a Distributed attack is carried out across multiple attacking systems. Voluntarily Participating AgentsSometimes multiple attackers join up, each willingly participating in the attack. Software that’s used to stress-test systems, or software specifically designed to wreck havoc is installed on each system. For the attack to work, it needs to be coordinated. Coordinated through IRC chat rooms, forums, or even Twitter feeds, the attackers throw themselves en-masse on a single target, trying to flood it with activity to disrupt usage, or crash the system.
When PayPal, Visa and MasterCard started boycotting WikiLeaks near the end of 2010, WikiLeaks supporters carried out a coordinated DDoS, temporarily taking down the homepage of multiple websites. Similar attacks have targeted other banks and even national security agencies. What’s important to remember here is that the website storefront is flooded and crashed, whereas the bank’s and security agencies’ internal networks are usually left untouched, as explained in XKCD comic 932, shown above. Zombie Systems Or BotnetsA Distributed Denial of Service attack requires multiple attack systems. It doesn’t usually require multiple attackers. Often, large-scale attacks are not carried out through the attacker’s own computer, but through a large number of infected zombie systems. Attackers can abuse a zero day vulnerability and use a worm or a trojan horse to gain control over a large number of compromised systems. The attacker then uses these infected systems to mount an attack against its target. Infected systems used this way are often called bots or zombie systems. A collection of bots is called a botnet. Although the website targeted by the DDoS attack is usually portrayed as the sole victim, users with infected systems that are part of the botnet are similarly affected. Not only are their computers used in illicit attacks, their computer’s and Internet connection’s resources are consumed by the botnet. Attack TypesAs mentioned before, a DDoS attack only states the intent of the attack – robbing a system of its resources and making it unable to perform its intended service. There are several ways to achieve this goal. The attacker can hog the system’s resources, or even push the system over the brink and make it crash. In severe cases, a Permanent Denial of Service (PDoS) attack, also known as phlashing, wreaks so much havoc on its target that hardware components need to be entirely replaced before being able to recommence normal operation. We’ll take a look at two important attack methods. This list is by no means comprehensive. A bigger list can be found on Wikipedia’s DoS article. ICMP FloodThe ICMP (or Internet Control Message Protocol, but that’s less important) is an integral part of the Internet Protocol. An ICMP flood attack is carried out by bombarding a network with network packages, using up resources and crashing it. One type of attack is a Ping Flood, a simple DoS attack where the attacker effectively overwhelms its target with ‘ping’ packets. The idea here is that the attacker’s bandwidth is larger than its target’s.
A Smurf attack is a smarter way of ICMP flooding. Some networks let network clients broadcast messages to all other clients by sending it to a single broadcast address. A Smurf attack targets this broadcast address and makes its packages look as if they came from within the target. The target broadcasts these packages to all network clients, effectively serving as an amplifier for the attack. (S)SYN FloodA (S)SYN Flood relies on the essential operating principles of network communication. During normal operations, a client starts communication by sending the server a TCP/SYN package, essentially telling the server it wishes to communicate. The server, upon receiving the package, creates a connection to communicate with the client and sends back acknowledgement and a reference to the communication channel. The client sends back an acknowledgement in turn, and starts its communication with the server. However, if the client does not answer with that second acknowledgement, the server asumes it didn’t arrive properly (as happens reasonably often) and resends it.
A (S)SYN Flood abuses this mechanic by sending countless of TCP/SYN packages (each with a different, fake origination specified). Each package prompts the server to create a connection and keep sending acknowledgements. Before long, the server has used up its own resources with half-open connections. This principle is illustrated in the comic above, drawn and posted by Redditor verisimilarity. As explained above, DDoS attacks are varied but have a singular purpose: (temporarily) keeping authentic users from using the target system. Does this agree with your initial ideas on DDoS attacks? Let us know in the comments section. Image credit: Shutterstock The post What Is a DDoS Attack? [MakeUseOf Explains] appeared first on MakeUseOf. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 Free Music Albums: The Rock Edition [Sound Sunday] Posted: 12 May 2013 01:31 PM PDT
Note that name your price albums can be downloaded for free by entering 0 in the price field. That said, we strongly recommend you to donate a few dollars for music you enjoy! You are welcome to submit your music, send suggestions with free albums you have discovered, or request genres I haven't covered in a while. For all Sound Sunday related inquiries, please contact Tina @ this domain. EP: THE DEADSTATION. – Episode 01: Like Peering Into The Deepest Ocean Abyss.Genre: progressive rock, hard rock, power metal, progressive metal Picking up where we left last week, we are starting into this edition with a progressive metal band from Boston. From their Facebook page: “THE DEADSTATION is a finely-tuned mixture of heart-stopping vocals, progressive riffing/drumming, epic orchestral elements, and pitch-black ambiance. (…) They present their work to listeners as “episodes” from a fictional dystopian TV channel called “The Deadstation”, with each song title representing a different scene from that episode.” Episode 01: Like Peering Into The Deepest Ocean Abyss. is a free download from Bandcamp. EP: Tetrafusion – Horizons EPGenre: alternative rock, progressive rock, avant-garde, metal, progressive metal, jazz From their Bandcamp profile: “Tetrafusion is a Louisiana-based progressive metal band established in 2006. The band's mix of complex, technical metal blended with a highly-intellectual melodic structure offers an eclectic brand of progressive rock and metal pushing the edge of contemporary music today.” Horizons EP is a name your price download from Bandcamp. EndAnd – Mechanics & Energetics of Stilt-RunningGenre: alternative, rock, experimental rock, hard rock, hardcore punk, noise rock From their Facebook page: “Disarmingly human and emotionally charged noise/garage rock from the heart of Brooklyn, New York, EndAnd have been gaining feverish word-of-mouth lately thanks to the release of the uncompromising Adventures of Fi in Space, which saw the band getting recommended by publications such as Large Hearted Boy and Those Who Dig.” Mechanics & Energetics of Stilt-Running is a name your price download from Bandcamp. EP: Totem Provoc – SelftitledGenre: punk, rock The members of Totem Provoc discovered each other at a cultural center in Piracicaba, Brazil. Clandestino was the space where they started to experiment and founded Totem Provoc. The band band seeks a universal sound that gives rise to a gloomy and sensual energy. Mission accomplished. Totem Provoc is a name your price download from Bandcamp. The Dead Ends – Mind Your HeadGenre: alternative, indie, rock, emo, grunge This three piece alternative rock band formed in 2009. With roots in Auburn, Alabama and Nashville, Tennessee, they currently reside in College Park, Maryland. Mind Your Head is a free download from Bandcamp. Beaumont Livingston – Heavens & FantasiesGenre: rock, desert rock, psychedelic rock, stoner rock Stoner Rock straight from Italy. “Brilliant fuzzy guitar tones buzz around your head like a swarm of bees angry because you fucked with their hive. The cymbals crash and ride as the underlying rhythm spews you into the psychedelic vortex of riff-filled glory.” Heavens & Fantasies is a name your price download from Bandcamp. Across Tundras – Electric RelicsGenre: americana, drone, rock, psychedelic rock, blues, progressive rock From the album page: “Electric Relics is our humble offering placed at the crossroads of past, present, and future tense. Age-old energies and 3 phase electric power intersect to reveal hidden truths of bygone times, modern mysticisms, and sound the alarm for uncertain days to come. We walk through this shadowy land in search of a spark to light the fire and illuminate the depths of consciousness.” Electric Relics is a name your price download from Bandcamp. Grey Gordon – SleeplessGenre: indie, acoustic, folk, pop, punk, emo From Grey’s Facebook page: “I picked up a guitar and wrote some songs. Demoed them. They weren’t bad. I’m still playing them, plus some others.” Sleepless is a name your price download from Bandcamp. The Stormalongs – …they call me DestructionGenre: alternative, rock, rock & roll, garage rock From their Bandcamp profile: “The Stormalongs began like a mythical tale: they came from deep within the woods, and learned to forge their rock from pure inspiration. Years later, these talented young men convened in the urban sprawl and laid their fire down. The sound of human thunder slamming against the walls of modern life.” .?.?.?they call me Destruction is a free download from Bandcamp. EP: LAMBS – SelftitledGenre: rock, rock & roll, stoner rock, psychedelic rock, shoegaze LABS is a summer psych rock band from Cambridge, Ontario. LAMBS is their remastered 2013 demo EP. From their Facebook page: “For those of you who have already downloaded, thank you for the love and support! It means so much when you go for something different and people respond to your creative vision. Download the professionally mixed and mastered version by Kevin Carafa (Recording Engineer) now. What a difference a separate set of ears can make, it definitely has a larger, warmer feel with improved clarity. (…) Thanks for sharing & thanks for listening!” LAMBS is a name your price download from Bandcamp. EP: The Blue Stones – Selftitled EPGenre: alternative, blues, rock, soul, garage rock From their Facebook page: “The Blue Stones are a blues/rock/alternative duo from Windsor, Ontario, Canada. (…) Our goal is simple: To provide accessible material to a large demographic while continuously striving to create innovative, original, and enjoyable music that we are passionate about.” The Blue Stones EP is a name your price download from Bandcamp. Deep Elm – Sample Our BandsGenre: alternative, indie, emo, rock, post rock, punk rock From their Bandcamp profile: “With nearly 200 releases in its discography, fiercely independent Deep Elm Records continues to build a better label – one that operates for glory, not gold. We see our label being about people coming together, meeting, singing and sharing that experience with each other…those are the times that we remember forever. It’s about the power of music and the bands that create it. Indie ’til death…” Sample Our Bands is a free download from Bandcamp. And More…Enjoyed one of these albums? Pay it back and share this article or the albums you liked. If you really appreciated a particular album, please donate to the respective artist, so they can continue releasing great music. New to Sound Sunday? Past editions of Sound Sunday are available here. Are you using ifttt? Check out these recipes for receiving notifications of new Sound Sunday releases to GTalk and Pushover for mobile devices. Thank you @Vampie! Feel free to get in touch with me [tina at makeuseof dot com] to share free material, suggestions, and feedback or simply add your comments below. The post 12 Free Music Albums: The Rock Edition [Sound Sunday] appeared first on MakeUseOf. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 Critical Tips On How To Sell More On eBay Posted: 12 May 2013 11:31 AM PDT
But how about for the sellers? If you’re looking to just sell a few unwanted items or start your own store, we’ve got some critical advice to help you sell more. General TipsEncourage Feedback & Use An Established AccountIf you’re first learning how to sell on eBay and just starting out, you have zero reputation – so don’t go jumping in there trying to sell that $10,000 yacht. No-one is going to trust you – yet. Start small, selling cheap items that people are more likely to take a gamble on – then gather as much feedback and ratings as you can. Be sure to follow up on sold items with a message to the buyer requesting feedback – and give your own.
Remember: purchasing items will also get you feedback from the seller – and it’s important you reciprocate in kind too. A good mix of both feedback as a seller and buyer is the best. The only exception I would argue for starting a new account is if your choice of username was particularly bad; “IM_A_SCAMMER” for example.
Photos Are CriticalI still can’t believe the number of people who actually put items up for sale without a photo. Only slightly worse are horrendous low resolution blurry photos taken on a very old smartphone, but at least that’s something. The first photo is free - so use it! If you’re selling something expensive, then more photos may be viable, but otherwise consider making a photo montage with a free graphics app. That one free photo could double up as 4 smaller photos! It goes without saying that your photo should actually be of the one you’re selling, particularly if it has marks or defects – don’t just find a similar one on Google images.
ResearchFinal selling prices for common items don’t actually vary that much. Do your research beforehand and you’ll have a good idea of what bid your item should end at, regardless of a 99 cent starting bit. Use the advanced search feature, make sure completed listings is checked, and see what turns up. Items in green sold successfully, items in red did not.
Find Packaging BeforehandThere’s nothing wrong with charging the buyer for postage, but to minimize your losses be sure to measure and weigh your package before listing the item – don’t just estimate what it will cost, or you’ll either be shortchanged for low-balling it, or putting off potential buyers for charging more than everyone else. If you use PayPal integration, eBay even allows you to print off a prepaid postage label that you can then drop off at a post office. Offering free postage and packaging is certainly going to make your listing stand out, and many buyers will specifically search only for listings with free postage & packing, but consider your costings before choosing this. One thing to avoid is selling an item as collection only. By all means offer collection as well, but give an accurate shipping estimate. It doesn’t matter if you personally don’t think the postage is worth it - let the buyer decide! It’s incredibly frustrating to find “collection only” written on a listing – especially when the guy lives in some remote part of Wales – and gives the impression you’re just too lazy to go down to the post office. Know Your FeesFor the most part, you can list an item without any insertion fees – this means you pay nothing to just list it, so if the item doesn’t sell you haven’t lost anything. Once you start adding in featured services though, your insertion fees increase – even if it doesn’t result in a sale. These services include but are not limited to:
I’ve never felt the need to use these options, but if your item is particularly niche then you may wish to use reserve or buy-it-now prices, in the event that the auction expires and it is still priced at 99 cents. For most items, these are unnecessary and just eat away at your profits. Then there’s the flat rate final sale fee – 10% of the value. That’s on top of any listing fees you incurred. If you do a lot of selling in one month, these can really add up, and your bill at the end of month will be a lot higher than what you were expecting. Plan for this in advance or believe me, you will get a shock. TimingBy default, your listing will finish 7 days from when you posted it – but this isn’t always ideal. Sunday afternoons are said to be the busiest time for eBayers, so aim to either post at that time or pay a small fee to schedule the listing. Technical AdviceBarcodesUse the barcode / EAN lookup feature. eBay now maintains a huge list of consumer goods, especially electronics, so if you have the original box with a barcode listed – or are able to find the EAN from Amazon – be sure to add it into the listing.
This can be used to pre-populate the selling form with specifications and gives your listing added exposure to users searching for a specific item. It also avoids any confusion when it comes to correct categorization. The easiest way to do this is with the mobile app; use your iPhone or Android camera to scan the barcode.
Offer PayPal PaymentIf you don’t have a PayPal account, get one. It offers security and protection for the buyer – and if you refuse to use PayPal on some kind of moral grounds, you really shouldn’t be selling things online. A listing which specifically doesn’t accept PayPal is perceived at worst to be untrustworthy, at best more bother than it’s worth. UK sellers – you don’t have a choice anyway, PayPal is a requirement. Use a Template. MaybeFor power-sellers and companies, a branded template is a must. For personal users though, it may give off the wrong impression – I would actually not purchase from an individual using a professional template as it makes me think they’re not just “spring cleaning” and perhaps trying to make a genuine business of it. Even worse, the seller has chosen a nauseating design with comic sans font. If the details are in the slightest bit hard to read, I’ll move swiftly on to other choices. If you have used a template, at least make sure the images are working. I don’t want to see this:
Become a “Power Seller”If you sell $3,000 worth of goods in over 100 transactions yearly, and have 98% positive feedback – you’re eligible to become a “power seller”. These are respected, trusted sellers and items sold by them feature prominently in the search results. As a power seller, you also qualify for a reduction in fees. See here for the full requirements. Make a StorefrontThe ultimate in professional branding for your eBay presence, a storefront will make it easy for users to see all of your goods in one professional-looking place. Creating a storefront costs a small monthly fee – from $20 – and comes with a quota of free listings. eBay actually provides a few decent looking storefront templates for you to download – grab one from here - but of course you have full creative control if you want it. That’s all I’ve got for you – but I’d love to hear your tips on how to sell on eBay in the comments if you think I’ve missed something important. The post 11 Critical Tips On How To Sell More On eBay appeared first on MakeUseOf. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Would You Pay To Watch YouTube Videos? [MakeUseOf Poll] Posted: 12 May 2013 10:30 AM PDT
Out of 250 readers who voted, 1% own 0 devices (that’s 2 whole people!), 15.5% own 1-3 devices, 35.5% own 4-6 devices, 23% own 7-10 devices, and 25% of the readers who voted own more than 10 devices that can connect to the Internet. Take that, 90s! Full results and this week’s poll after the jump. Don’t forget to check out last week’s best comment by Vishal Srivastava, who won 150 reward points for his interesting comment!
This week’s poll question is: Would You Pay To Watch YouTube Videos? Want to make some extra MakeUseOf reward points? The most useful comment on the poll will be awarded 150 points! One of the biggest things that happened this week was the launch of paid channels on YouTube. While limited in number and availability to start, this is not something that’s going to stay small for long. YouTube is a video platform that’s always been completely free, and although ads are becoming more and more common, asking people to pay for channel subscriptions is quite a leap of faith from Google. Or is it? Would you gladly pay a subscription for a channel you like, or do you prefer watching ads? Should YouTube stay free forever, or is this a good step towards making it a better place? While the poll only includes three answers, you’re more than welcome to explain your views and full opinions in the comments! The post Would You Pay To Watch YouTube Videos? [MakeUseOf Poll] appeared first on MakeUseOf. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Check out some of the latest MakeUseOf discoveries. Most of the listed websites are FREE or come with a decent free account option. If you want to have similar cool website round-ups delivered to your daily email, subscribe 
The term DDoS whistles past whenever cyber-activism rears up its head en-masse. These kind of attacks make international headlines because of multiple reasons. The issues that jumpstart those DDoS attacks are often controversial or highly political. Since a large number of regular users are affected by the attacks, it’s an issue that plays with the people.
Your typical edition of 
eBay is one of the top 10 most trafficked sites on the entire Internet, so it’s no wonder that when that pang of consumerist desire hits us, we head straight to eBay. Auctions can be addictive, waiting for that final 10 seconds as you place you last bid (or, like a real pro - 
Last week we asked you 
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