Friday, February 27, 2015

Debian 7.6.0 AMD64 Gnome Desktop



Debian remains one of the most important projects in Linux. Debian 7 offers some significant improvements, and it certainly warrants an upgrade if you are using an older version of Debian.

No doubt that some folks will be disappointed by the lack of support for Secure Boot, but I don’t think that that should be a deal breaker. The support for UEFI in 64-bit PCs is a step forward that will be built on later, so I try to take the long view on this issue.

Some will take issue with my comments about the forced inclusion of the ad blocker in Iceweasel, but I think it’s something worth talking about since Debian 7 is such an important Linux project. I fully understand that some folks hate ads and will block them, that is their right. However, advertising remains the basis for free content like this review, so it’s worth noting and thinking about the ramifications of browsers having ad blockers installed by default.

Debian 7 is best suited to intermediate and advanced Linux users. However, I urge beginners to learn more about it. Don’t be afraid at giving it a try in a virtual machine or as a live distro. Understanding Debian can teach you a lot about Linux, and you’ll have the opportunity to learn why it is the foundation for so many other distros.



Download  :     debian-live-7.6.0-amd64-gnome-desktop.iso

       

Debian 6.x.x






Debian 6.0 includes the KDE Plasma Desktop and Applications, the GNOME, Xfce, and LXDE desktop environments as well as all kinds of server applications. It also features compatibility with the FHS v2.3 and software developed for version 3.2 of the LSB.


Debian runs on computers ranging from palmtops and handheld systems to supercomputers, and on nearly everything in between. A total of nine architectures are supported by Debian GNU/Linux: 32-bit PC / Intel IA-32 (i386), 64-bit PC / Intel EM64T / x86-64 (amd64), Motorola/IBM PowerPC (powerpc), Sun/Oracle SPARC (sparc), MIPS (mips (big-endian) and mipsel (little-endian)), Intel Itanium (ia64), IBM S/390 (s390), and ARM EABI (armel).


Debian 6.0 Squeeze introduces technical previews of two new ports to the kernel of the FreeBSD project using the known Debian/GNU userland: Debian GNU/kFreeBSD for the 32-bit PC (kfreebsd-i386) and the 64-bit PC (kfreebsd-amd64). These ports are the first ones ever to be included in a Debian release which are not based on the Linux kernel. The support of common server software is strong and combines the existing features of Linux-based Debian versions with the unique features known from the BSD world. However, for this release these new ports are limited; for example, some advanced desktop features are not yet supported.




Another first is the completely free Linux kernel, which no longer contains problematic firmware files. These were split out into separate packages and moved out of the Debian main archive into the non-free area of our archive, which is not enabled by default. In this way Debian users have the possibility of running a completely free operating system, but may still choose to use non-free firmware files if necessary. Firmware files needed during installation may be loaded by the installation system; special CD images and tarballs for USB based installations are available too. More information about this may be found in the Debian Firmware wiki page.


Furthermore, Debian 6.0 introduces a dependency based boot system, making system start-up faster and more robust due to parallel execution of boot scripts and correct dependency tracking between them. Various other changes make Debian more suitable for small form factor notebooks, like the introduction of the KDE Plasma Netbook shell.


This release includes numerous updated software packages, such as:



- KDE Plasma Workspaces and KDE Applications 4.4.5
- an updated version of the GNOME desktop environment 2.30
- the Xfce 4.6 desktop environment
- LXDE 0.5.0
- X.Org 7.5
- OpenOffice.org 3.2.1
- GIMP 2.6.11
- Iceweasel 3.5.16 (an unbranded version of Mozilla Firefox)
- Icedove 3.0.11 (an unbranded version of Mozilla Thunderbird)
- PostgreSQL 8.4.6
- MySQL 5.1.49
- GNU Compiler Collection 4.4.5
- Linux 2.6.32
- Apache 2.2.16
- Samba 3.5.6
- Python 2.6.6, 2.5.5 and 3.1.3
- Perl 5.10.1
- PHP 5.3.3
- Asterisk 1.6.2.9
- Nagios 3.2.3
- Xen Hypervisor 4.0.1 (dom0 as well as domU support)
- OpenJDK 6b18
- Tomcat 6.0.18
   more than 29,000 other ready-to-use software packages, built from nearly 15,000 source packages.




Debian 6.0 includes over 10,000 new packages like the browser Chromium, the monitoring solution Icinga, the package management frontend Software Center, the network manager wicd, the Linux container tools lxc and the cluster framework Corosync.


With this broad selection of packages, Debian once again stays true to its goal of being the universal operating system. It is suitable for many different use cases: from desktop systems to netbooks; from development servers to cluster systems; and for database, web or storage servers. At the same time, additional quality assurance efforts like automatic installation and upgrade tests for all packages in Debian's archive ensure that Debian 6.0 fulfils the high expectations that users have of a stable Debian release. It is rock solid and rigorously tested.


Starting from Debian 6.0, the Custom Debian Distributions are renamed to Debian Pure Blends. Their coverage has increased as Debian 6.0 adds Debian Accessibility, DebiChem, Debian EzGo, Debian GIS and Debian Multimedia to the already existing Debian Edu, Debian Med and Debian Science pure blends. The full content of all the blends can be browsed, including prospective packages that users are welcome to nominate for addition to the next release.


Debian may be installed from various installation media such as Blu-ray Discs, DVDs, CDs and USB sticks or from the network. GNOME is the default desktop environment and is contained on the first CD. Other desktop environments — KDE Plasma Desktop and Applications, Xfce, or LXDE — may be installed through two alternative CD images. The desired desktop environment may also be chosen from the boot menus of the CDs/DVDs. Again available with Debian 6.0 are multi-architecture CDs and DVDs which support installation of multiple architectures from a single disc. The creation of bootable USB installation media has also been greatly simplified; see the Installation Guide for more details.


In addition to the regular installation media, Debian GNU/Linux may also be directly used without prior installation. The special images used, known as live images, are available for CDs, USB sticks and netboot setups. Initially, these are provided for the amd64 and i386 architectures only. It is also possible to use these live images to install Debian GNU/Linux.


The installation process for Debian GNU/Linux 6.0 has been improved in various ways, including easier selection of language and keyboard settings, and partitioning of logical volumes, RAID and encrypted systems. Support has also been added for the ext4 and Btrfs filesystems and — on the kFreeBSD architecture — the Zettabyte filesystem (ZFS). The installation system for Debian GNU/Linux is now available in 70 languages.


Debian installation images may be downloaded right now via BitTorrent (the recommended method), jigdo or HTTP; see Debian on CDs for further information. It will soon be available on physical DVD, CD-ROM and Blu-ray Discs from numerous vendors, too.


Upgrades to Debian GNU/Linux 6.0 from the previous release, Debian GNU/Linux 5.0 (codenamed Lenny), are automatically handled by the apt-get package management tool for most configurations, and to a certain degree also by the aptitude package management tool. As always, Debian GNU/Linux systems may be upgraded painlessly, in place, without any forced downtime, but it is strongly recommended to read the release notes as well as the installation guide for possible issues, and for detailed instructions on installing and upgrading. The release notes will be further improved and translated to additional languages in the weeks after the release.
About Debian


Debian is a free operating system, developed by thousands of volunteers from all over the world who collaborate via the Internet. The Debian project's key strengths are its volunteer base, its dedication to the Debian Social Contract and Free Software, and its commitment to provide the best operating system possible. Debian 6.0 is another important step in that direction.


Download   :   debian-6.0.0-i386-CD-1.iso
                        

       
         
Downlaod  :     debian-6.0.5-i386-DVD-1.iso

                        



Download  :    debian-6.0.5-i386-netinst.iso

                         


Sunday, February 22, 2015

Windows 7 Sp1 Ultimate en-US (x86)



If you want to run Windows 7 on your PC, here's what it takes:
  • 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
  • 1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
  • 16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
  • DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver

Additional requirements to use certain features:
  • Internet access (fees may apply)
  • Depending on resolution, video playback may require additional memory and advanced graphics hardware
  • Some games and programs might require a graphics card compatible with DirectX 10 or higher for optimal performance
  • For some Windows Media Center functionality a TV tuner and additional hardware may be required
  • Windows Touch and Tablet PCs require specific hardware
  • HomeGroup requires a network and PCs running Windows 7
  • DVD/CD authoring requires a compatible optical drive
  • BitLocker requires Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2
  • BitLocker To Go requires a USB flash drive
  • Windows XP Mode requires an additional 1 GB of RAM and an additional 15 GB of available hard disk space.
  • Music and sound require audio output



Product functionality and graphics may vary based on your system configuration. Some features may require advanced or additional hardware.


PCs with multi-core processors:


Windows 7 was designed to work with today's multi-core processors. All 32-bit versions of Windows 7 can support up to 32 processor cores, while 64‑bit versions can support up to 256 processor cores.


PCs with multiple processors (CPUs):
Commercial servers, workstations, and other high-end PCs may have more than one physical processor. Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate allow for two physical processors, providing the best performance on these computers. Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic, and Home Premium will recognize only one physical processor.



Downlaod     Windows 7 Sp1 Ultimate en-US (x86)   (AlbDll.com)     3 G


                           

Password for Zip Archive is :   AlbDll.com

Windows 8.1 Preactived V2 Office 2013 Pro Plus



Windows  8.1 Preactived V2 Office 2013 Pro Plus

No Windows 8.1 Settings were harmed in the making of this ISO
No Programs are added to Windows
No Registry Settings were modified
No Unattended Settings were added to the ISO


Installation Indexes:
Windows 8.1 (Core) x64 / KMS-Activated
Windows 8.1 (Core) N x64 / KMS-Activated
Windows 8.1 (Core) Single Language x64 / KMS-Activated
Windows 8.1 Pro x64 / KMS-Activated



Tools used:
imagex for /flags "ProfessionalWMC" setting and index renames
dism for set-edition for ProWMC, KB integration, install.esd export
oscdimg for ISO mastering with MS's default -u1 option
Info folder added to Windows Setup folder to annoy credit theives


Features:
Non-Activated and Pre-Activated indexes. Take your pick.*
*Uses custom AutoKMS_VL_ALL folder in Windows directory. You can
uninstall the daily task there if you wish to use a different
activator later. I've included the uninstall script
Highly Compressed install.esd recovery compression format
UEFI boot information added to ISO boot data




Notes

v1 was missing the non-activated ProWMC index. Nothing else was wrong
with it. You don't need to download this if you don't want the ProWMC
index. Nothing is different except the additional index and a slightly
newer version of the activator. If you have v1, this activator will
likely not fix any issues you have with it
First proper Win81AIO with pre-activation
All indexes use original MSDN 9/9 Win8.1 isos with integrated hotfixes
Added ei.cfg to sources\ directory. You *HAVE* to extract the iso and
delete the file if you want to upgrade from a previous version of
Windows. Use the win81-pkeys.txt on the ISO for install keys



Office Professional Plus 2013 enables you to work together even better by
giving you more control over compliance, new tools for analyzing and sharing
data, and more possibilities for communication. Plus, Access, Lync and InfoPath
are included in the suite


Downlaod Windows 8.1 Preactived V2 Office 2013 Pro Plus (AlbDll.com)       4 G


                                 


Password for Zip Archive is :     AlbDll.com




Windows 7 Sp1 Ultimate en-US (x64)



If you want to run Windows 7 on your PC, here's what it takes:
  • 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
  • 1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
  • 16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
  • DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver

Additional requirements to use certain features:
  • Internet access (fees may apply)
  • Depending on resolution, video playback may require additional memory and advanced graphics hardware
  • Some games and programs might require a graphics card compatible with DirectX 10 or higher for optimal performance
  • For some Windows Media Center functionality a TV tuner and additional hardware may be required
  • Windows Touch and Tablet PCs require specific hardware
  • HomeGroup requires a network and PCs running Windows 7
  • DVD/CD authoring requires a compatible optical drive
  • BitLocker requires Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2
  • BitLocker To Go requires a USB flash drive
  • Windows XP Mode requires an additional 1 GB of RAM and an additional 15 GB of available hard disk space.
  • Music and sound require audio output



Product functionality and graphics may vary based on your system configuration. Some features may require advanced or additional hardware.


PCs with multi-core processors:


Windows 7 was designed to work with today's multi-core processors. All 32-bit versions of Windows 7 can support up to 32 processor cores, while 64‑bit versions can support up to 256 processor cores.


PCs with multiple processors (CPUs):
Commercial servers, workstations, and other high-end PCs may have more than one physical processor. Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate allow for two physical processors, providing the best performance on these computers. Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic, and Home Premium will recognize only one physical processor.



Downlaod     Windows 7 Sp1 Ultimate en-US (x64)   (AlbDll.com)  4 G


                           

Password for Zip Archive is :   AlbDll.com

Friday, February 20, 2015

Maximum Security - A Hacker's Guide to Protecting Your Internet and Network (e-book)



Now more than ever, it is imperative that users be able to protect their system from hackers trashing their Web sites or stealing information. Written by a reformed hacker, this comprehensive resource identifies security holes in common computer and network systems, allowing system administrators to discover faults inherent within their network- and work toward a solution to those problems.



Downlaod   Maximum Security - A Hacker's Guide to Protecting Your Internet and Network  (e-book) 


                 

Machine Learning For Hackers (e-book)



If you’re an experienced programmer interested in crunching data, this book will get you started with machine learning—a toolkit of algorithms that enables computers to train themselves to automate useful tasks. Authors Drew Conway and John Myles White help you understand machine learning and statistics tools through a series of hands-on case studies, instead of a traditional math-heavy presentation.

Each chapter focuses on a specific problem in machine learning, such as classification, prediction, optimization, and recommendation. Using the R programming language, you’ll learn how to analyze sample datasets and write simple machine learning algorithms. Machine Learning for Hackers is ideal for programmers from any background, including business, government, and academic research.



-  Develop a naïve Bayesian classifier to determine if an email is spam, based only on its text
-  Use linear regression to predict the number of page views for the top 1,000 websites
-  Learn optimization techniques by attempting to break a simple letter cipher
-  Compare and contrast U.S. Senators statistically, based on their voting records
-  Build a “whom to follow” recommendation system from Twitter data



Download Kingpin - Machine Learning For Hackers  (e-book)



                             

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Back | Track 5 R3




The time has come to refresh our security tool arsenal – BackTrack 5 R3 has been released. R3 focuses on bug-fixes as well as the addition of over 60 new tools – several of which were released in BlackHat and Defcon 2012. A whole new tool category was populated – “Physical Exploitation”, which now includes tools such as the Arduino IDE and libraries, as well as the Kautilya Teensy payload collection.

Building, testing and releasing a new BackTrack revision is never an easy task.Keeping up-to-date with all the latest tools, while balancing their requirements of dependencies, is akin to a magic show juggling act. Thankfully, active members of our redmine community such as backtracklover and JudasIscariot make our task that much easier by actively reporting bugs and suggesting new tools on a regular basis. Hats off to the both of you.



We would like to thank Offensive Security for providing the BackTrack dev team with the funding and resources to make all of this happen. Also, a very special thanks to




Downlaod      Back | Track 5 R3  32Bit(AlbDll.com).7z    3 Gb

              



Password for 7zip Archive is :   AlbDll.com

Back Track 4 R2



“BackTrack is a Linux-based penetration testing arsenal that aids security professionals in the ability to perform assessments in a purely native environment dedicated to hacking. Regardless if you’re making BackTrack your primary operating system, booting from a LiveDVD, or using your favorite thumbdrive, BackTrack has been customized down to every package, kernel configuration, script and patch solely for the purpose of the penetration tester.“



This is the official change log for the update:

-  Kernel 2.6.35.8 – *Much* improved mac80211 stack.
-  USB 3.0 support.
-  New wireless cards supported.
-  All wireless Injection patches applied, maximum support for wireless attacks.
-  Even *faster* desktop environment.
-  Revamped Fluxbox environment for the KDE challenged.
-  Metasploit rebuilt from scratch, MySQL db_drivers working out of the box.
-  Updated old packages, added new ones, and removed obsolete ones.
-  New BackTrack Wiki with better documentation and support.
-  Our most professional, tested and streamlined release ever.This release comes with faster Desktop       responsiveness, better hardware support, broader wireless cardsupport, streamlined work                  environment. It also has the new kernel.


This release comes with faster Desktop responsiveness, better hardware support, broader wireless cardsupport, streamlined work environment. It also has the new kernel.



Downlaod     Back Track 4 R2   (AlbDll.com).7z     2 G


                           

Password for Zip Archive is :   AlbDll.com

       

Kingpin - How One Hacker Took Over (e-book)


Former hacker Kevin Poulsen has, over the past decade, built a reputation as one of the top investigative reporters on the cybercrime beat. In Kingpin, he pours his unmatched access and expertise into book form for the first time, delivering a gripping cat-and-mouse narrative—and an unprecedented view into the twenty-first century’s signature form of organized crime.

The word spread through the hacking underground like some unstoppable new virus: Someone—some brilliant, audacious crook—had just staged a hostile takeover of an online criminal network that siphoned billions of dollars from the US economy.

The FBI rushed to launch an ambitious undercover operation aimed at tracking down this new kingpin; other agencies around the world deployed dozens of moles and double agents. Together, the cybercops lured numerous unsuspecting hackers into their clutches. . . . Yet at every turn, their main quarry displayed an uncanny ability to sniff out their snitches and see through their plots.

The culprit they sought was the most unlikely of criminals: a brilliant programmer with a hippie ethic and a supervillain’s double identity. As prominent “white-hat” hacker Max “Vision” Butler, he was a celebrity throughout the programming world, even serving as a consultant to the FBI. But as the black-hat “Iceman,” he found in the world of data theft an irresistible opportunity to test his outsized abilities. He infiltrated thousands of computers around the country, sucking down millions of credit card numbers at will. He effortlessly hacked his fellow hackers, stealing their ill-gotten gains from under their noses. Together with a smooth-talking con artist, he ran a massive real-world crime ring.

And for years, he did it all with seeming impunity, even as countless rivals ran afoul of police.

Yet as he watched the fraudsters around him squabble, their ranks riddled with infiltrators, their methods inefficient, he began to see in their dysfunction the ultimate challenge: He would stage his coup and fix what was broken, run things as they should be run—even if it meant painting a bull’s-eye on his forehead.

Through the story of this criminal’s remarkable rise, and of law enforcement’s quest to track him down, Kingpin lays bare the workings of a silent crime wave still affecting millions of Americans. In these pages, we are ushered into vast online-fraud supermarkets stocked with credit card numbers, counterfeit checks, hacked bank accounts, dead drops, and fake passports. We learn the workings of the numerous hacks—browser exploits, phishing attacks, Trojan horses, and much more—these fraudsters use to ply their trade, and trace the complex routes by which they turn stolen data into millions of dollars. And thanks to Poulsen’s remarkable access to both cops and criminals, we step inside the quiet, desperate arms race that law enforcement continues to fight with these scammers today.

Ultimately, Kingpin is a journey into an underworld of startling scope and power, one in which ordinary American teenagers work hand in hand with murderous Russian mobsters and where a simple Wi-Fi connection can unleash a torrent of gold worth millions.


Download   Kingpin - How One Hacker Took Over  (e-book)

             

iOS Hacker's Handbook Honest (e-book)



Discover all the security risks and exploits that can threaten iOS-based mobile devices
iOS is Apple's mobile operating system for the iPhone and iPad. With the introduction of iOS5, many security issues have come to light. This book explains and discusses them all. The award-winning author team, experts in Mac and iOS security, examines the vulnerabilities and the internals of iOS to show how attacks can be mitigated. The book explains how the operating system works, its overall security architecture, and the security risks associated with it, as well as exploits, rootkits, and other payloads developed for it.


Covers iOS security architecture, vulnerability hunting, exploit writing, and how iOS jailbreaks work
Explores iOS enterprise and encryption, code signing and memory protection, sandboxing, iPhone fuzzing, exploitation, ROP payloads, and baseband attacks
Also examines kernel debugging and exploitation



Companion website includes source code and tools to facilitate your efforts
iOS Hacker's Handbook arms you with the tools needed to identify, understand, and foil iOS attacks.



Downlaod   iOS Hacker's Handbook Honest  (e-book) .pdf



                                       

Hacking The Xbox 360 For Dummies (e-book)



This is the best guide i have found for hacking the 360. It tells you everything from hacking your firmware to backing up games.

Description
Finally updated the firmware tutorial with all the new stuff! Only included the .pdf this time, but navigation is very much improved. There is now bookmarks to the left that will make finding your place much easier - use the bookmarks!



Enjoy!




Downlaod Hacking The Xbox 360 For Dummies (e-book) .pdf


                                       

Nik Software - Silver Efex Pro 2 Review



Create Stunning Black and White Digital Photos

(You can now get 75% off of the original price of the ENTIRE NIK Collection from Google when you use Coupon code KENK)

While there are countless ways to create black and white digital photographs today, Nik software’sSilver Efex Pro 2 stands out as my preferred method of creating Rich and beautiful black and white images in the digital darkroom.

I spent many years in real darkrooms back at the beginning of my career in photography. I think that having that background allows me to have a deeper appreciation of what is possible to do with digital images today on a computer. We are living in a golden age of photography where the possibilities for creating incredible images is near limitless.

While programs like Lightroom, Aperture, and Photoshop are quite capable of creating excellent black-and-white images, Silver Efex Pro 2 offers incredible diversity along with simplicity for the user. Anyone who is serious about black and white photography needs to try this excellent plug-in.

Luckily, there is a 15 day free trial of the software that allows you to test the full version with no limitations.



Intuitive Flexibility and Versatility


This software can be as intricate or as simple as you would like it to be, making it a solid choice for both amateur and professional photographers.

Some of my favourite features of the software are the possibility to emulate types of film, adding filters, total control of “film” grain, controlling image structure, one-click toning, and Nik’s U Point® Technology. While I’m using Silver Efex Pro 2 as a Photoshop plug-in, you can also use it as a stand alone product or in Lightroom and Aperture.

Let’s take a closer look.



Open up a colour image in Photoshop





The Silver Efex 2 workspace

The workspace is divided into 3 basic parts:
  1-  The Presets
  1-  The Image Preview
  1-  The Adjustment Panel or Tools

While you get a somewhat passable result in the neutral, there is no one button solution to creating a striking black and white image. The quick and easy way is to test some of the presets. If you want a quick conversion then one of the dozens of presets may very well be all you need to use. If however, you are more like me, then starting with one of the presets is a good place to begin before fine tuning the image with the robust adjustment tools at your disposal.
Each preset contains adjustments in brightness, contrast, structure, tone, film grain, and more. The serious photographer can use some of these presets as a starting point but will want to edit and fine tune the image more specifically to his or her needs.


Silver Efex Pro 2 presets with a split before & after preview screen


Less is more

As with so many other image editing plug-ins (as well as in Photoshop itself) going to the extreme possibilities can lead to destructive results to your image. Knowing when to stop is one of the keys of producing high-quality digital photographs. The controls in Silver Efex Pro 2 are extremely in-depth yet simple enough to use.

                                                         Global Adjustments

Global Adjustments

In this panel you control the typical brightness and contrast within the image. Two excellent features within this panel our dynamic brightness and soft contrast.

With the dynamic brightness slider Silver Efex Pro 2 does some of the thinking for you. The unique algorithms within the software assesses the different areas of your image and takes that information into consideration to give you a much smoother blending of overall brightness.

The soft contrast slider also will intelligently assess the overall contrast of your image and allow you to make subtle yet striking changes to the photograph you are working on. You really have to play with this slider in order to fully appreciate what you can do for you. It is a great addition to the plug-in.

Structure is one of my favorite parts of this software. Partly a sharpening tool, partly a depth tool; structure adds that extra bit of “oomph” to a photograph that takes it to the next level in terms of image detail.

                                               Silver Efex Pro 2 control points

Control Points

I love this feature. Control points allow you to selectively manipulate global adjustments in specific areas of your image. You can add as many control points as you wish to the image you are editing and control the size of each one individually. The top slider is the size slider which controls the area that you wish to adjust. The adjustment area is represented by the circle you see in the photo above. Dragging the slider left and right allows you to increase and decrease the size of each control. Below that slider are the enhancement sliders that give you full control over global adjustments in each individual control point.

With pinpoint precision you can adjust everything from brightness, contrast, structure, and even add color back to specific parts of your image. The selective adjustment control point tool is a very powerful feature yet amazingly easy to use.


                                                             Original Image

Filter Efects

Filters

Back when we were all still using film cameras, it was customary to use coloured filters on our lenses in order to achieve certain books to our black-and-white images. The same effects can now be achieved in Silver Efex Pro 2 with the colour filter palette. In fact you have far more control now than ever before since you can manipulate these filters from 0 to 200% intensity as well as select any color in the spectrum by using the hue slider to choose any colour you could possibly want.

Once again starting with the presets is a good starting point but certainly not a one-button solution. Carefully selecting hue and strength allows you to have incredible control over the colour filter tool. In the thumbnails above you will see how each filter reacts to a vividly colourful photograph at 100% intensity. Using the colour filters in conjunction with global adjustments, selective control points, film grain, and toning allow you to make stunning black-and-white or monochromatic images.



                                                      Silver Efex Pro 2 Grain



Grain Engine

Like so many of the other features in Silver Efex Pro 2, the grain engine is extremely versatile and delivers near unlimited possibilities in terms of grain structure within your black and white images. When are used to shoot with film I was a big fan of high grain films from Kodak, Fuji, and Ilford. Today I gravitate much more towards high definition low grain images. There still is a place for grain in photography though, especially in black and white photographs. With precision control of the grain engine it has never been easier to create beautiful high grain black and white digital photos.


                                         
                                          Toning menu with drop-down presets



Toning

I’ve always been a big fan of sepia and selenium toning of black and white photographs but I sure never enjoyed the horrible chemical smells especially when working with sepia toners in a traditional darkroom. This is just one more reason why I love working on digital imaging which gives me far more versatility and is far better for the environment as well. Like the other tools in Silver Efex pro 2 the toning tools are quite extensive.

You can use any of the 24 different presets for toning your images or create your own unique tones and save those as presets as well.



                                          Sepia Toned Image with Custom Vignetting




Vignettes and Burnt Edges

Creating custom vignettes has never been easier. Using the vignette and burnt edges tool allows you to darken or lighten the edges of your photo with good accuracy. Once again you can start with one of several presets and fine tune the results quite nicely with the different adjustment sliders.






                                                      Image Border sample




Image Borders

This is one of the only parts of the software that I find lacking. Image borders are tricky and also very subjective in terms how people judge them. Is a border really necessary? I’d say that in 100% of commercial professional photography applications the answer would be no. They just risk looking tacky. While I do like the use of image borders in iPhone or Android photography, those are just fun and playful ways of sharing snapshots. If your professional images require a fancy border to make them good, then it’s not saying much about the images.

These borders are customizable to a degree . There are several standard presets that you can fine tune but you can’t save your favourites as custom presets. Even if I doubt that I’ll use this feature much, the borders are relatively well done and certainly fitting in style for use along with black and white photography. There is room for improvement here though.

Presets


Silver Efex Pro 2 allows you to use any of its already existing presets but you can also create your own. Once you achieve an overall look that you enjoy, clicking the “Add Preset” button at the bottom left of your screen will allow you to save and name your own custom presets. Now with one click you can re-create your favourite overall looks on any new image that you are working on.

Creating and naming your own custom presets by using the selective tools can be a great time saver for future projects.

Pros and Cons

If when you are reading this review you feel like I’m not finding anything wrong with the Silver Efex Pro 2, you’re close to being correct. While I don’t do a lot of black and white work anymore, when I do, this is my go to software.

On the plus side

 - Amazing Versatility
 - Speed
 - Ease-of-use and navigation
 - Pinpoint accuracy in adjusting select parts of your photograph with Nik’s “U point technology”
 - Excellent overall image presets and toning presets
 - Infinite possible end results
 - The intuitive history browser similar to Photoshop’s history pallet
 - Nik’s intelligent dynamic brightness, fine structure, and soft contrast sliders
 - Compatibility with Photoshop, Lightroom, and Aperture
 - Film Emulation with grain control

The down side

Image Borders don’t support transparency on PNG files
It isn’t possible to see the original colour file while Silver Efex Pro 2 is active*
*Editor’s note: You can see the original colour image as was pointed out to me by the Nik team. I find the solution to be complicated and would love to see a simple “See Original Image” button that would allow you to revert to the colour image you began with as a preview at any point during your editing.


Here is the solution as given to me from Nik Software:


How to see the original colour file


a. Go to the History browser.

b. Click Compare once, this will have the History State Selector show up (this may seem like an odd UI, but when we always displayed the history state selector in the single image view mode, everyone that tested the software got really confused since the control didn’t do anything. It’s always visible in the side-by-side and split-view modes).

c. Drag the History State Selector to Original Image

d. Press and hold the Compare button

Wrap up

Nik Software offers some excellent tools for digital photographers and Silver Efex Pro 2 to me is their flagship plug-in. Not only does it work well and offer high end results that top photographers around the world are using but it is a lot of fun to work with. I do not say that about most software I use for work.

I’ve been wanting to share my Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 review for a while now but I kew it would take some time to cover all the features properly. This is a powerful and robust piece of software aimed at professional photographers and proficient amateurs. If you’re looking to take your black and white photography to the next level, then this software is exactly what you are looking for. Try the full product with no limitations for 15 days to see if it’s right for you.
Explore, Learn, Grow

Nik Software also offers several ways to learn how to use their products more efficiently. They offer webinars hosted by top professional photographers, on demand video tutorials, and a blog full of valuable hints and tips. All of this material is available for free.



Nik Software - Silver Efex Pro 2 (AlbDll.com)         33 Mb




                    




Password for zip archive is :   AlbDll.com










Sunday, February 15, 2015

Hackers and Painters - Big Ideas from the Computer Age (e-book)



This 25th anniversary edition of Steven Levy's classic book traces the exploits of the computer revolution's original hackers -- those brilliant and eccentric nerds from the late 1950s through the early '80s who took risks, bent the rules, and pushed the world in a radical new direction. With updated material from noteworthy hackers such as Bill Gates, Mark Zukerberg, Richard Stallman, and Steve Wozniak, Hackers is a fascinating story that begins in early computer research labs and leads to the first home computers.

Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy The Many Faces of Anonymous (e-book)




Here is the ultimate book on the worldwide movement of hackers, pranksters, and activists that operates under the non-name Anonymous, by the writer the Huffington Post says “knows all of Anonymous’ deepest, darkest secrets.”

Half a dozen years ago, anthropologist Gabriella Coleman set out to study the rise of this global phenomenon just as some of its members were turning to political protest and dangerous disruption (before Anonymous shot to fame as a key player in the battles over WikiLeaks, the Arab Spring, and Occupy Wall Street). She ended up becoming so closely connected to Anonymous that the tricky story of her inside–outside status as Anon confidante, interpreter, and erstwhile mouthpiece forms one of the themes of this witty and entirely engrossing book.

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Hackers and Painters - Big Ideas from the Computer Age (e-book)



"The computer world is like an intellectual Wild West, in which you can shoot anyone you wish with your ideas, if you're willing to risk the consequences. " --from Hackers & Painters: Big Ideas from the Computer Age, by Paul Graham


We are living in the computer age, in a world increasingly designed and engineered by computer programmers and software designers, by people who call themselves hackers. Who are these people, what motivates them, and why should you care?


Consider these facts: Everything around us is turning into computers. Your typewriter is gone, replaced by a computer. Your phone has turned into a computer. So has your camera. Soon your TV will. Your car was not only designed on computers, but has more processing power in it than a room-sized mainframe did in 1970. Letters, encyclopedias, newspapers, and even your local store are being replaced by the Internet.

Hacker Techniques, Tools, and Incident Handling (e-book)




Hacker Techniques, Tools, and Incident Handling, Second Edition begins with an examination of the landscape, key terms, and concepts that a security professional needs to know about hackers and computer criminals who break into networks, steal information, and corrupt data. It goes on to review the technical overview of hacking: how attacks target networks and the methodology they follow. The final section studies those methods that are most effective when dealing with hacking attacks, especially in an age of increased reliance on the Web. Written by a subject matter expert with numerous real-world examples, Hacker Techniques, Tools, and Incident Handling, Second Edition provides readers with a clear, comprehensive introduction to the many threats on our Internet environment and security and what can be done to combat them.

New to the Second Edition:

-  Includes a completely new Chapter 13 on social engineering and what it means in the context of          cybersecurity, including a typical attack, identity theft, and best security practices
-  Provides new information on cryptography and encryption in network protocols
-  Updated references to Windows 8, Server 2008, Server 2012
-  Added information on Active Directory and Symantec Security Suite 10
-  Includes new material on using social networks, Wardriving and Warflying, detecting rogue access    points and WiFi Pineapple
-  New section material on cloud computing and cloud security issues.

Friday, February 13, 2015

Gray Hat Hacking, Third Edition (e-book)




Thwart malicious network intrusion by using cutting-edge techniques for finding and fixing security flaws. Fully updated and expanded with nine new chapters, Gray Hat Hacking: The Ethical Hacker's Handbook, Third Edition details the most recent vulnerabilities and remedies along with legal disclosure methods. Learn from the experts how hackers target systems, defeat production schemes, write malicious code, and exploit flaws in Windows and Linux systems. Malware analysis, penetration testing, SCADA, VoIP, and Web security are also covered in this comprehensive resource.


- Develop and launch exploits using BackTrack and Metasploit
- Employ physical, social engineering, and insider attack techniques
- Build Perl, Python, and Ruby scripts that initiate stack buffer overflows
- Understand and prevent malicious content in Adobe, Office, and multimedia files
- Detect and block client-side, Web server, VoIP, and SCADA attacks
- Reverse engineer, fuzz, and decompile Windows and Linux software
- Develop SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and forgery exploits
- Trap malware and rootkits using honeypots and SandBoxes


Download  Gray Hat Hacking, Third Edition (e-book)  .pdf


Thursday, February 5, 2015

Anti-Hacker Tool Kit, Fourth Edition (e-book)






Format: PDF
Genre: anti hacking/tutorial
Published: 2014


Book Description: Defend against today's most devious attacks
Fully revised to include cutting-edge new tools for your security arsenal, Anti-Hacker Tool Kit, Fourth Edition reveals how to protect your network from a wide range of nefarious exploits. You'll get detailed explanations of each tool’s function along with best practices for configuration and implementation illustrated by code samples and up-to-date, real-world case studies. This new edition includes references to short videos that demonstrate several of the tools in action. Organized by category, this practical guide makes it easy to quickly find the solution you need to safeguard your system from the latest, most devastating hacks.

Demonstrates how to configure and use these and other essential tools:

Gray Hat Hacking, Second Edition (e-book)






THE LATEST STRATEGIES FOR UNCOVERING TODAY'S MOST DEVASTATING ATTACKS
Thwart malicious network intrusion by using cutting-edge techniques for finding and fixing security flaws. Fully updated and expanded with nine new chapters, Gray Hat Hacking: The Ethical Hacker's Handbook, Third Edition details the most recent vulnerabilities and remedies along with legal disclosure methods. Learn from the experts how hackers target systems, defeat production schemes, write malicious code, and exploit flaws in Windows and Linux systems. Malware analysis, penetration testing, SCADA, VoIP, and Web security are also covered in this comprehensive resource.

EC-Council Certified Security Analyst 4.0 instructor slides





Course Description


ECSA/LPT is a security class like no other! Providing real world hands on experience, it is the only in-depth Advanced Hacking and Penetration Testing class available that covers testing in all modern infrastructures, operating systems and application environments.

EC-Council’s Certified Security Analyst/LPT program is a highly interactive 5-day security class designed to teach Security Professionals the advanced uses of the LPT methodologies, tools and techniques required to perform comprehensive information security tests. Students will learn how to design, secure and test networks to protect your organization from the threats hackers and crackers pose. By teaching the tools and ground breaking techniques for security and penetration testing, this class will help you perform the intensive assessments required to effectively identify and mitigate risks to the security of your infrastructure. As students learn to identify security problems, they also learn how to avoid and eliminate them, with the class providing complete coverage of analysis and network security-testing topics.


Who Showld Atend

Network server administrators, Firewall Administrators, Security Testers, System Administrators and Risk Assessment professionals.

Defense against the Black Arts - Honest (e-book)



Defense against the Black Arts - How Hackers Do What They Do and How to Protect against It

File type: PDF

Size: 11,5 MB

Number of Pages: 396

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Description:

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Computeractive Issue (e-book)


Description

Computeractive Issue 432 - 2014 UK

76 Pages | True PDF | English | 16 MB

The objective of Computeractive is to provide 'Simple Clear Advice In Plain English' on all matters of technology. Computeractive writes about technology issues facing general readers in their day to day life. From buying advice on computers, mobile phones, cameras etc. to increasing productivity on Microsoft Windows to troubleshooting computers and laptops.

Android Magazine (UK) (e-book)





Description

Android Magazine Issue 45 - 2014 UK

100 Pages | True PDF | English | 22 MB

Whether you’re a beginner wanting to get up to speed or an advanced user looking for tips, tricks and hacks Android Magazine is the ultimate guide to cutting-edge mobile and tablet technology.