Mac OS X Is No More an Escape From Universal Online Crime Economy

Since the very dawn of binary history, Apple has remained a one to beat architect in sourcing out a caboodle of technological feats. But then with its state-of-the art attributes, Mac OS X has made Apple technology to earn its spurs. Coming laden with most techno-intense features, Mac OS X is slowly outpacing its nearest and all-time favourite competitor- Windows, which still holds a major chunk of acceptance among the techno-punters. Although, this may come as welcome news for hardcore Apple partisans but the leaping popularity of Mac OS X is also thrusting it to the edge from where that notorious malware landscape outshoots. As hackers have kept Windows users high on boots, in quite a similar fashion they are also looking for fresh prospects to launch their pilferage activities on the Mac OS X fuelled PCs.  

 

Know the Culprits

Although, it’s just a very beginning but slowly and steadily malware technology is buttressing to encompass whole of Mac OS X domain. So, switching from Windows to Mac OS X can be of little respite and that too only for a short time. The old wine in new avatar here is Mac Defender Trojan or Mac Protector Trojan or Mac Shield Trojan, which has played havoc with Mac PC users by spawning pop-ups that assure to be highly authentic one and then fool around with naive end-users. Driving jitteratis towards the brink of becoming edgy, the malware then unfolds its second line of action by forcing the users to purchase a fake antivirus programmes and set the endnote by encashing their credit card information. If that’s not enough, then there is this Koobface worm or trojan.osx.boonana.a, which has earned its notoriety for preying upon unwary Mac users by shrewdly posting the malicious links on their MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter accounts. If they can’t resist from being tempted to click on the link, they only end up finding themselves locked in a malware Shangri-La. 

 

Carving the Exit Door

If you’re a Mac user and nervy due to constantly shadowing Mac virus troubles, there is no need to give your apprehension horses a free run. Like in case of Windows, Mac virus removal seems to be the best feasible way to prevent your PC from being fizzling out completely. Nevertheless, here are some dos and don’ts which you can catch up with always to keep your Mac PC virus tight:

• Never be indolent in catching up with the recent updates of your Mac Operating System as this will assist you to cement the viable security fissures in the present version of OS X.
• Never feel like trying your hands on unsolicited emails, pop-ups and files as they are the potential abode of popular malware. In fact, Microsoft Office virus is the new kid on the bloc that promulgates through email attachments and is known for infecting Microsoft Office for Mac installation. Also, first of all known Mac malware- OSX/Leap-A is known to go for free run through unsolicited emails only.
• Say a complete no-no to download pirated material as they can act as hot bed for viruses and malware looking to get onto your system.

Despite following these recommendations, it is quite a large possibility that virus effect has surfaced some of the unanticipated consequences. To safely deal with out of the blue impasses is to go for Mac virus removal, and who better than PCCare247 has got a knack in it. PCCare247, a house of peerless tech connoisseurs, brings for you immaculate Macintosh virus removal services to assist you in dealing with malware trouble with iron hands.

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An ELT Glossary Acquisition and learning

Acquisition and Learning

Definition : Acquisition refers to the process of assimilating a language non-consciously through exposure to that language rather than by formal instruction, conscious understanding of rules etc (learning). 

Example : A child acquires, rather than learns, their L1. 



The Acquisition/Learning Hypothesis


One of the five hypotheses in the Monitor Model proposed by Krashen in his work in the 70s and 80s. Krashen  suggested that, in the L2 situation, acquisition and learning were two distinct neurological processes.  He also claimed (and this is where the hypothesis becomes most controversial) that only acquired language is available for fluent, spontaneous use and that acquisition cannot be affected by learning - ie "learning" the language will not replace or speed up acquisitional processes.  He suggested that the ability to acquire language is not lost at puberty, as advocates of the critical period hypothesis would claim, but remains possible throughout adulthood.  

Criticisms : Many writers would argue that, on the contrary, conscious "noticing" and deep cognitive processing is not only an aid to L2 acquisition but also essential for it. 

Further reading : Baker, C. and Prys Jones, S. Encyclopedia of Bilingualism and Second Language Acquisition

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An ELT Glossary Repair Strategies

A term used in conversational analysis to describe the way participants deal with mistakes, misunderstanding etc during discourse.


Repair strategies may involve :


a) Self repair  - the speaker recognises the problem and corrects/explains herself. Eg :

A: Go straight on to the end of the road and then turn right at the end, by that cafe. No sorry - it isnt there any more. Its a supermarket now. Turn right by the supermarket.


b) Other repair - a listener recognises theres a problem and queries it. Eg :

A : Go straight on to the end of the road and then turn right at the end,
B : Right? Are you sure? Isnt it left?
A : Oh yes, sorry - I meant left.

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Unlocking an iPhone

Unlocking an iPhone

http://www.macworld.com/2007/09/secrets/iphone_sim_unlocking/index.php
Take advantage of hacking techniques to use non-AT&T SIM cards
By Cyrus Farivar
If you’re one of the million people who’ve purchased an iPhone since the end of June, you probably signed up with Apple’s exclusive carrier in the U.S., AT&T, when you activated your phone. That means your iPhone identifies itself to AT&T’s network using an AT&T SIM card, a smart card that’s located in a small tray between your iPhone’s sleep/wake button and its recessed headphone jack.

But what if you’re planning a trip to Europe and rather than paying AT&T to use the networks of its European partners, you want to take advantage of the favorable rates and local phone numbers offered by replacing your AT&T SIM card with a pre-paid European card? Or what if you’d prefer to use T-Mobile as your cellular provider, rather than AT&T?
In the past month several groups have announced that they’ve found a way to “unlock” the iPhone, allowing it to use a SIM card from any provider. (Keep in mind that this is only half the story: the iPhone uses the GSM radio band for its communications, meaning that it’ll only work with providers that use the GSM network. In the U.S., that means T-Mobile and AT&T.)
In August, a group of hackers demonstrated a method for unlocking SIM cards and sold its software to resellers, who in turn began selling it to the public for as much as $100 last week.
But another group has came up with its own hack that, with the help of some free, open-source software, lets you unlock your iPhone in about an hour, free of charge. Below, I’ll show you how it works — and it does work, because I’ve used this technique to unlock my own phone. (One important caveat: Certain AT&T-only features, such as Visual Voicemail, will not work when you’re connected to other cellular networks.)
Before we get started, you’ll want to disable the iTunes helper application that may get in the way of the installation. Make sure iTunes is not running, then open OS X’s Activity Monitor in the Utilities folder of the Applications folder. Search for or scroll down to iTunes Helper, select it, and then click on the Quit Process button in the top left of the screen. You’ll also need your iPhone, your data cable, and a Wi-Fi connection to the Internet.
(If you haven’t already activated your iPhone with AT&T—and aren’t planning to—you need to conduct a fake activation. To do this, you’ll need to follow the excellent instructions at ModMyiPhone and download and install a program called iNdependence.)
Install AppTapp
Apple doesn’t support the installation of third-party applications on the iPhone, but the enterprising developers at NullRiver have created a program called AppTapp that will let you install including chat clients, games, and other pieces of software — including those that are needed to unlock your iPhone. (For more detailed instructions on using AppTapp, see our iPhone Hacking Kit.)
Download and install AppTapp. Once you run the program, the first thing it will do is ask what version of the firmware you’re running. If you’ve just updated your iPhone, you probably have Firmware 1.0.2—select that and click on Continue.
Assuming all goes well, you should get a screen that begins with the words: “Congratulations! You have successfully installed AppTapp Installer onto your iPhone.” You should then find a new application on the iPhone’s home screen called Installer.
The next instructions will require downloading some applications from the Internet to your iPhone—so make sure your iPhone is connected to a WiFi network. Launch the Installer program, and you’ll see a long list of various applications that you can install. Scroll down, then select and install—in order—Community Sources, BSD Subsystem and OpenSSH.
Perform the GSM Unlock
First, download and install Unlock.app, lockdownd, and Cyberduck.
Then go to the iPhone’s General settings and set Auto-Lock to Never. Next, you’ll need to get your iPhone’s IP address on your local network. To do this, go to Settings: Wi-Fi and click on the blue arrow next to the network that you’re connected too. Write down the IP address, as you’ll need it for later.
Now, open Cyberduck and click on the Open Connection button in the top left of the window. In the connection window, type the IP address that you just noted. Make sure that SFTP (SSH Secure File Transfer) is selected, and that you are using Port 22. For the username, type root, with the password of dottie.
Once connected, navigate from /private/var/root to the main directory by choosing the / item. Next, navigate to /usr/libexec and drag the file named lockdownd (the one you downloaded earlier) into it. It will ask if you want to overwrite the existing file—click on Continue to do so.
Now, in Cyberduck, drag the Unlock file from the Mac’s desktop into the /Applications folder at the top of the main window. Once that’s done, turn off your iPhone and remove the SIM card, then turn your iPhone back on and choose the application on your iPhone called Unlock.
Assuming everything went smoothly, there should be a white screen that says “All files found. Ready to go. Press Start.” Once you press start, it will take about 20 minutes for all the files to install.
The progress messages will appear at the top of the screen as it progress—once you see “Completed” then you’re finished. Insert a new SIM card of your choosing into your iPhone. Congratulations, you’ve just unlocked your iPhone!
(If you’re planning on using a T-Mobile SIM card in your iPhone, you’ll want to modify the iPhone’s settings. Follow the instructions at the bottom of the ModMyiPhone tutorial to make sure the settings you enter conform to your T-Mobile data plan.)
The aftermath
One Macworld editor tried this approach — minus the faux-activation step — on his iPhone and was able to insert a T-Mobile SIM card from a co-worker and get the iPhone up and running on the T-Mobile network, as if it were her phone.
(To swap SIM cards in your iPhone, insert an unfolded paper clip into the small hole in the top of the iPhone, next to the headphone jack. This will open the iPhone’s SIM card slot, allowing you to remove your AT&T card and replace it with a different one.)
We don’t know if future Apple iPhone updates will break this functionality. But if you’re about to embark on a European vacation, or if you avoid downloading those iPhone updates, this method will allow you to use the SIM cards of other cellular providers in your iPhone, provided that those providers also use the GSM cellular radio frequencies.
[Cyrus Farivar writes for MacUser, The Economist, National Public Radio, Slate, and others. He is proudly using his new iPhone on T-Mobile’s network in Oakland, California.]

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An ELT Glossary Caretaker speech

• Definition : The simplified form of speech used by eg parents talking to very young children, native speakers to foreigners,  etc, which will use eg short, simple syntax, a slow rate of delivery, concrete high frequency lexis, repetition, and frequent reference to the "here and now" situation to make meaning clear.

• Example : Mother to child - Wheres teddy? Oh look - theres teddy. Hes on the chair. 

•  A difference between caretaker speech directed to native speakers and to non-native speakers is that "foreigner talk" often includes ungrammatical items of the type the speaker believes the listener will use - eg "You no like?"

• Further reading : Van Patten and Benati,  Key Terms in Second Language Acquisition

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An ELT Glossary Beginner True beginner False beginner

The term beginner covers learners working towards CEFR Level A1 - ie learners who  are still developing  a basic command of the language, familiarity with everyday expressions and the ability to construct  simple sentences.

A true beginner is a learner who is starting to learn a language from scratch - ie they have never studied the language before.

Many learners who are placed in beginners classes are not, however, in that situation. They are learners who do have some knowledge of the language - for example because they studied it many years before. These are commonly called false beginners.

In a private language school, the composition of a beginners class will often be a mixture of the two types of beginner. This can sometimes cause problems as their rates of progress may be different : the false beginners only need to reactivate language that they previously knew, and may find it easier to assimilate the material covered on the course. This may be demotivating for the true beginners if they do not understand why they seem to have more difficulty than other students with the language.

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An ELT Glossary Scaffolding

Scaffolding refers to the preparation for an activity provided by the teacher because, without it, learners might find the activity too difficult to do. Although initially coined as a term by Bruner, and related to how an adult might talk to a child in order to help them with an activity, it now tends to be used in EFL for any preparatory activity done in the classroom. So, some examples of scaffolding for a speaking activity might be :

• the teacher feeds in vocabulary that s/he predicts the students will need in the activity, and checks they understand and can pronounce it.
• s/he gives the students the chance to plan what they want to say silently, thinking it through in their minds
• s/he gives them the chance to ask for any vocabulary they think they will need in the activity
• s/he lets them listen to an example of the activity as a model. Eg  if it is an anecdote telling activity she tells an anecdote of her own on the topic.

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An ELT Glossary Terms beginning with G and H

This section is currently under development. Links will be added gradually.

Gambit        

Gap-fill activities                   

Gender

Generative grammar

Genre

Gerund

Gist                               

Given – New information order

Global comprehension

Gloss

Glottal consonants
Glottal stop/plosive

Gradable antonyms

Graded language

Graded readers                       

Grammar Translation Method

Grammatical syllabus                            

Grice’s maxims

Group dynamics

Group work

Guided discovery

Guided writing

Hawthorn effect 
Head (conversational analysis)     

Head (grammar)      

Head (phonology)
Heavily pre-modified noun phrases

Higher-order questions

Holistic assessment
Holonym
Homograph

Homonym

Homophone             

Homorganic consonants

Horseshoe layout

Humanistic approaches

Hyponymy

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An ELT Glossary Process Writing

• Definition : An approach to teaching writing in which the emphasis is not on how "good" the final product is in terms of accuracy of grammar, vocabulary etc, but on the effectiveness of the processes (deciding objectives, obtaining ideas, organising ideas, drafting the text, proofreading etc) which occur while the text is being produced. 

• Example : A lesson might focus on the different ways ideas could be organised in a text and the effect of each on the reader and the success of the text in reaching its objective. 

• Proponents of an extreme process approach might argue that the correction of the final text is at best a waste of time and at worst counterproductive because demotivating

• Further Reading

          Gabrielatos, C.  EFL Writing : Product and Process

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An ELT Glossary Reliability

Definition : Reliability is the term used in testing to indicate whether the scores on a test give an accurate result - ie competent users of the language do well whilst those with less competence do less well.

Examples

There are two types of reliability :

1) Test-retest reliability (if the learner took the test twice would s/he get the same result?)

2) Mark-remark reliability (if the test was marked by two different people, would the result be the same?)

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An ELT Glossary Copulative verbs

• Definition : A copulative verb is a verb followed by a complement (adjective or noun phrase) which can be "equated" to the subject of the sentence. For example : be, become, get, grow, seem, appear, look, sound, taste, feel, smell, prove, remain, stay, resemble, turn

• Examples :  

        John is / became an architect  (John = an architect)
        Paula seemed / appeared / sounded /grew angry (Paula = angry)
        The roses smell / look  wonderful. ( The roses = wonderful)
        The hypothesis proved wrong. (the hypothesis = wrong)

In The Grammar of Contemporary English, Quirk et al. divide copulative verbs into two types :

a) Current copulatives express a state : be (happy) / seem (afraid) / stay (calm)                etc

b) Resulting copulatives indicate that the complement is a result of the event or                 process described by the verb :   The lights turned green  / They  grew tired  / He got         angry.

The verb be is often referred to as "the" copula in English. In many languages it is dropped in the present tense (eg Russian, Hungarian, Arabic) causing problems for speakers of those languages learning English. Other languages have more than one equivalent for be -  eg Italian essere/stare.


NB : It would be better to say that these verbs can be used copulatively rather than that they "are" copulative. They may also be used in other ways. For example, in the following sentences the verbs are used transitively (ie followed by an object) :

Paula smelt the roses.   /  David tasted the soup.

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An ELT Glossary Discrimination testing

The term discrimination, as used in testing,  refers to the extent to which a test distinguishes between strong and weak students. When a test is pre-tested, attention will be paid to each items item discrimination index. If all the members of the cohort get that items right, or if all get it wrong, the item will be rejected - it gives no evidence of the differing knowledge/ability of the members of the cohort and is therefore useless for testing purposes.  If, on the other hand, only 20% of the pre-test cohort get an item right, and are the same 20% who score highest on the test overall, then the item clearly discriminates between the "top" group and the rest. 

Davies (1999) suggests that, in general,  an item would be expected to have a difficulty index of 30-70% to be useful in discriminating between candidates. He points out, however, that this will vary depending on test purpose. In a placement test or diagnostic test, difficult items may be included because of the aim of the test - to find out the candidates exact level, or what they do and dont know.   For a test such as an achievement test, which expect a high pass rate, items which the candidates are expected to find easy may be included in order to give representative coverage to all the items taught on the course.

Bibliography : Davies, A. (1999) A Dictionary of Language Testing, CUP

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An ELT Glossary Authentic Materials

• Definition : The term authentic materials refers to texts not specifically written for language learning but originally intended for a native speaker audience 

• Examples : an article from a UK or US newspaper; a travel brochure; a film on DVD 

• Many writers distinguish between the authenticity of the text itself and the authenticity of the purpose for which it is used.  "Authentic" uses of texts may be eg reading/listening for pleasure (a film) or to get information (a travel brochure) while studying any of these texts  to focus on the language they contain would be a  non-authentic purpose.

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An ELT Glossary Antonyms

Definition : Words which are in some way "opposite" to each other. They can be divided into gradable antonyms, converse antonyms and complementary antonyms.

Click on the links for definitions,  examples  and further information for each type.

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An ELT Glossary Terms beginning with B

This section is currently under development. Links will be added gradually

Babbling

Backchaining             

Backchannel language                          

Backshift     

Back vowels       
Backwash     

Bare infinitive
Base form of the verb            

Behavioural objectives                         

Behaviourism     
Beginner                       

Bilabial consonants

Bilingualism
Binomial expressions

Blends

Bodily/kinaesthetic intelligence

Body language

Bottom up processing

Bound morpheme

Brainstorming

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An ELT Glossary EAP English for Academic Purposes

EAP (English for Academic purposes) is a branch of ESP, and describes courses which aim to prepare learners to study or work within (usually) the context of higher education. Typical EAP learners might be students applying for or about to start an undergraduate or postgraduate course at an English medium university. They would need to improve their ability to understand lectures, read academic texts, participate in seminars, write academic essays etc, and probably also to gain certification such as IELTS to show that their competence in academic English is at the required level to enable them to complete the course successfully.

Many institutions run IELTS preparation courses, and universities often offer their own pre-sessional EAP courses to meet the needs of these students, who form a large potential market. 

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An ELT Glossary Reformulation Discourse

Reformulation is a discourse relationship in which a second idea is seen as a restatement, using different words, of an earlier one.  It may be used...

a)  if the speaker feels they have not made their ideas clear, so that the listener(s) may not have understood - for example : Im researching into gastropods - that is, things like slugs, snails and winkles...

b)  if the speaker wishes to modify what s/he has just said in some way. For example :  He was really happy about it - or at least, he looked happy.

Common markers of reformulation include : in other words, namely, that is, or rather, or at least, or better, i.e., To put it another way, What I mean is... etc

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An ELT Notebook ELT TESOL

ELT : English Language Teaching (used especially in Britain)
TESOL : Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (use especially in the US)

These two acronyms are used as "umbrella" terms to refer to any situation in which English is taught to learners with a different first language, regardless of whether they are it as a foreign language, as a second language, for specific purposes or whatever.

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An ELT Glossary Procedural texts

• Definition - procedural text is text which explains "how to" do something 

• Examples -  a recipe; a section in a DIY manual; instructions on how to take cuttings in a gardening book.

• Genre features of procedural text include : division of the text into numbered steps, explained in sequential order; use of imperative verbs; use of adverbs of manner to modify the imperative verbs. Eg :   3. Lightly whip the cream...

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An ELT Glossary Blends

Definition :  Blend is the linguistic term for what are also called "portmanteau words" -  ie words which have been coined by using the beginning of one word and the end of another.

Examples :  

• Smog comes from smoke and fog
• Brunch comes from breakfast and lunch
• Motel comes from motor and hotel
• Emoticon comes from emotion and icon
• Podcast comes from iPod and broadcast

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