ToDi1010's WebBlog

Porn-To-Go Starting To Take Off

2006-02-13T21:55:00.000-05:00

Call it pocket porn, mini-porn, even porn-to-go. I am sitting in an edit suite completely dazzled by the cultural trend that is racing across the screens in front of me.

When the video iPod debuted back in October, there was great acclaim over the idea that we could download music videos, prime time television shows, and even movies, and carry them with us and watch them when and where we liked. Four months later, we're downloading alright. But on iPods, video cell phones and PDAs, some of the hottest content by far is pornography.

People in the porn industry, and even some major communications companies, say they've never seen anything like it. Since the dawn of the Internet, people could bypass adult video stores or hotel movie rentals in search of pornography. But now, they don't even need to have the stuff stored on their computers. So people are loading up the little hard drives on their hips with, well...hips...and a whole lot more.

It's intriguing, titillating, even a bit amusing. But I'm left wondering how I'm going to feel the first time I'm with my kids and we run up on someone watching a pod full of porn.

Russian Hackers Responsible For Selling WMF Exploit

2006-02-04T20:51:00.000-05:00

Do you remember the WMF exploit? If not it means that you got lucky. The flaw was discovered at the end of the previous year and was known as the WMF (Windows MetaFile) vulnerability. The vulnerability allows hackers to embed malicious software into image files. The so-called malware can insert viruses, worms, and spyware that can steal sensitive information or damage a user’s computer.

To make a long story short, Microsoft finally managed to patch the flaw in January this year. But now the WMF exploit comes again in the spotlight, because the experts from Kaspersky Labs, the Russian anti-virus company, have discovered that the Russian hackers had soldl the exploit code for for $4,000.

According to a Kaspersky quarterly report released this week: "One of the purchasers of the exploit is involved in the criminal adware/spyware business. It seems likely that this was how the exploit became public." "As the vulnerability was present in all versions of Windows, the situation threatened to spiral out of control."

According to Kaspersky, the situation was mitigated by the holiday season, when internet use was much lighter than normal.

Apple shares hit record high after Intel tapped for desktop PC market

2006-01-12T00:04:00.001-05:00

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Apple Computer Inc. shares leaped to an all-time high Wednesday, boosted by its decision to use Intel Corp. microprocessors to help it grab a bigger share of the desktop PC market.

Apple is tapping not only the latest chip technologies that rival makers of Windows-based computers will use but also the vast marketing power that Intel, the world's largest semiconductor company, delivers.

Apple unveiled its first two machines with Intel's Core Duo - an IMac and new laptop - on Tuesday and said it would not thwart users who would seek to run Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating system on the machines. With Intel processors inside the new Macs, their owners could run Microsoft Windows and software designed for it at full speed.

The move to Intel chips will boost Apple's sales and erase the perception that Macintosh computers lag behind Windows-based PCs in performance, analysts said.

"Now consumers can buy a Mac that is three times faster and for the same price," said Nathan Brookwood, an analyst with Insight 64 research firm.

Apple shares soared $2.62, or 3.2 per cent, to a split-adjusted record high of $83.48 soon after the Wednesday trading session opened on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

With the success of its IPod players and flashy retail stores, Apple has already begun siphoning customers from the Windows camp. After years of hovering around three per cent, Apple last year cracked 4 per cent of the U.S. PC market.

Apple's historic shift to Intel microprocessors came months earlier than expected as CEO Steve Jobs debuted Tuesday an IMac desktop and a notebook based on the chipmakers' new two-brained processor, the Intel Core Duo.

When it first announced plans to switch in June, Apple said it expected to begin making the transition by mid-2006. On Tuesday, Jobs was joined at the Macworld Expo by Intel CEO Paul Otellini to unveil the new jointly designed computers.

Jobs said its entire Mac line will be converted to Intel by the end of 2006.

The shift comes as Apple's hugely popular iPods continue to enthrall the public. Apple brought in a record $5.7 billion in sales during the holiday quarter as it sold 14 million IPods - nearly three times as many units as it did in the same period a year ago, Jobs said. Meanwhile, Apple's online ITunes store has sold more than 850 million songs and eight million videos to date, he said.

The company's stock shot to a 52-week high on the news.

But Tuesday's focus was on computers.

For years, Apple shunned Intel, which has provided chips that power a majority of the world's PCs, along with Microsoft's Windows software. In the late 1990s, Apple even ran TV ads with a Pentium II glued to a snail.

But Apple became increasingly frustrated in recent years as its chip suppliers, IBM Corp. and Motorola Corp.'s spinoff, Freescale Semiconductor Inc., failed to meet its needs for faster more energy efficient chips.

Of particular concern was IBM's apparent inability to develop a G5 chip that would work well in notebook computers.

Intel, on the other hand, has been focusing on developing chips specifically tailored for notebooks. During last week's International Consumer Electronics Show, Intel unveiled its latest, the Core Duo, which features two computing engines on a single piece of silicon. It was that chip that Apple decided to fit into the new IMacs and MacBooks.

AOL Nears Major Deal With Google

2005-12-16T15:37:00.000-05:00

Time Warner Inc. is negotiating exclusively with Google Inc. to broaden a lucrative advertising partnership with Time Warner's America Online unit, abruptly ending negotiations early Friday with Microsoft Corp., officials close to the negotiations said.

Shutting out Microsoft sets the stage for a high-profile agreement among two titans of the Internet. Among other terms of a deal expected to be announced as early as next week, Google will highlight Time Warner Web properties as sponsored links and AOL will continue to provide Google's search engine to its own subscribers.

Officials described the negotiations on condition of anonymity, because no agreement has yet been formalized.

AOL is effectively Google's biggest customer. It accounted for about $420 million, or about 10 percent, of Google's revenue during the first nine months of this year, according to regulatory filings.

Most of the $420 million came from the ads Google distributes on AOL's Web site. The two companies first began working together in 2002 when Google wrestled away AOL from another online advertising network currently owned by Yahoo Inc.

Microsoft, which increasingly views Google as a fierce online rival, has been negotiating with Time Warner since January but did not propose any cash investment in AOL, officials said.

Microsoft Sues Companies for Pirating Software

2005-12-16T06:59:00.000-05:00

Microsoft has filed its first-ever breach-of-contract lawsuits against several members of a software subscription service.

Microsoft Corp. said Thursday it had filed its first-ever breach-of-contract lawsuits against several members of a software subscription service.

The Redmond-based company alleges that nine people in California, Maryland, New York, Texas and Virginia obtained Microsoft Action Pack Subscriptions, then tried to sell the software on Internet auction sites.

Microsoft, the world's largest software maker, said the alleged abuses involved falsifying information to receive program benefits and software titles multiple times.

The MAPS program provides partners with discounted Microsoft software for product evaluation and internal use, not for resale.

"Our honest partners have asked us to intervene to help protect those who abide by laws and rules governing software use and distribution," Mary Jo Schrade, a senior attorney at Microsoft, said in a statement released Thursday. "We want to protect the business of honest resellers and try to ensure a level playing field for our partners."

Microsoft also sued three companies, in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, accusing them of pirating software.

Google Offers Secure WiFi VPN

2005-09-20T15:59:00.000-04:00

For years and years we've been wondering why the market for WiFi VPNs was so small. By now, most people should know that WiFi isn't the most secure connection, but that a VPN can encrypt and protect most of your data. In fact, for a while, it seemed like the only player in the space was HotSpotVPN -- who offered a service for $9/month.

I use it (and am using it right now, in fact), but it's always seemed like a space that could use some more entrants. A few months ago, JiWire got into the act as well, but it still seemed pretty small time.
Now, apparently, that market is going to be shaken up. Someone who prefers to remain anonymous just pointed out that Google is now offering what appears to be their own wireless VPN offering.
However, unlike these other offerings, Google's VPN offering is going to be free. Of course, how long will it be until the conspiracy theorists start screaming about this one? I'm willing to bet that Google is being "non-evil" about this, but someone is going to complain that this means Google can see where your surfing, since your connection will run through their VPN system.

Either way, assuming it works, it's great to have a free VPN solution out there that can encrypt data while surfing WiFi.

Microsoft Introduces New Security Tool

2005-09-19T20:05:00.000-04:00

Microsoft on Monday introduced the final version of a new security tool for locking down computers that operate in shared environments. The Shared Computer Toolkit for Windows XP enables administrators to restrict users from changing system settings and running unauthorized software.

The toolkit, which is specifically designed for Internet cafes, school computer labs and libraries, can also keep out viruses and spyware by resetting a hard drive to a "clean" state each day. By removing advanced features, the desktop is also simplified to improve the end-user experience, Microsoft says.

The three primary features of the program include: User Restrictions, Windows Disk Protection and Profile Manager.

A beta version of the toolkit went live in June, and over 60,000 customers have downloaded it since that time and provided extensive feedback, Microsoft told BetaNews. "Customer Involvement in our public newsgroup has been terrific."

Changes in the 1.0 release include new restrictions added to the User Restrictions tool, which has been renamed from "Windows Restrictions." Customers with Active Directory domains can also now apply the toolkit's user restrictions to domain accounts with a Group Policy template.

In addition, many international issues have been resolved and the user interface of the toolkit was improved based on usability feedback, Microsoft says.

Shared Computer Toolkit for Windows XP 1.0 has been released as a free download, with a hard copy book and CD set to be available for purchase starting October 1.

Microsoft Rethinks the Software Assurance Offering

2005-09-18T21:44:00.000-04:00

Microsoft unveiled the updates of its Software Assurance licensing program in response to customer feedback that the scheme was too expensive, complex and restrictive.

The new benefits, scheduled to be available to customers in March 2006, demonstrate Microsoft’s commitment to extend the value of SA beyond that of a typical maintenance offering, which includes only support and upgrades, to a more comprehensive offering that helps ensure customers have access to support, new version rights, technology and comprehensive resources throughout the life of their software.

The Software Assurance licensing model grants users the rights to receive any upgrade released during the lifetime of the contract. In exchange, Microsoft receives a regular licence payment.

But the scheme proved to be controversial when it was unveiled in 2001, with users fearful that the new subscription service would be more expensive than purchasing upgrades as and when required.

The new Software Assurance will includes 18 benefits across five phases of the software life cycle: planning, deployment, usage, maintenance and transition. Several new and significantly enhanced benefits will further help customers stay connected with Microsoft for support assistance and take advantage of services that help assess business value, deploy Microsoft Office applications and the Microsoft Windows operating system, train IT professionals, and better integrate the capabilities of the Windows platform.

Windows to Release in 7 Vistas

2005-09-12T21:12:00.000-04:00

According to reports, Microsoft plans to release the next version of its Windows Vista (previously codenamed Longhorn) in 7 different editions.

The forthcoming version of Windows Vista will come in 2 categories i.e. Home and Business. Under the Home category, Microsoft will release 4 product editions; Windows Vista Ultimate Edition, Windows Vista Home Premium Edition, Windows Vista Home Basic Edition and Windows Vista Starter Edition.

In the Business category, the company plans the release of 3 product editions; Windows Vista Enterprise Edition, Windows Vista Professional Edition and Windows Vista Small Business Edition.

Each of the 7 product versions are aimed at different market segments. The Windows Vista Starter Edition is for beginners who can afford only a low cost PC and is limited to 3 applications. This edition will be available in a 32-bit version in emerging markets. The other editions in the Home category have enhanced security features and multimedia capabilities.

The Windows Vista Professional Edition in the Business category will feature Tablet PC functionality, Encrypted File System (EFS), IIS Web server, Remote Desktop, compatibility with non-Microsoft networking protocols such as SNMP, Netware etc and domain and management functionality. The Windows Vista Pro is more or less similar to XP Pro.

The Windows Vista Enterprise Edition meant for enterprises, includes unique features such as Secure Startup/full volume encryption security technologies i.e. Cornerstone, multi-language user interface (MUI) and Virtual PC.

Microsoft maintains that the Windows Vista Ultimate Edition is the best operating system ever offered for a personal PC. The Ultimate Edition targeted at high-end PC users, is a combination of the Windows Vista Home Premium Edition and the Windows Vista Professional Edition and incorporates other benefits like on-line services.

In a parallel development, Microsoft has released its preliminary Windows Vista user interface guidelines. A set of 12 rules; the guidelines advocate usage of the new system font "Segoe", built-in controls, Aero Wizards instead of Wizards 97, new icons and dialog APIs, new search features, Explorer style interfaces etc.

The top rule figures as the usage of the new Windows Vista font called "Segoe UI" in Vista applications. These interface guidelines are meant for software developers to create Windows Vista software, that has a consistent look and feel about it.

Users can access http://msdn.microsoft.com/windowsvista/experience/ for additional information.

Update: Microsoft Cancels this Tuesday's Patch

2005-09-11T10:32:00.000-04:00

Microsoft has decided to cancel the security patch which was announced for this Tuesday. This month's security update was rated as critical and Microsoft said it will also launch an updated version of Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool.

But Microsoft discovered an unspecified quality issue with the software patch it had planned to release next Tuesday.

"It was a quality issue," said a Microsoft spokesperson. "They found something that made them realize that it was best not to release [the patch] this month,"

"Microsoft is committed to only releasing high quality updates that fix the issue(s) in question, and therefore we feel it is in the best interest of our customers to not release this update until it undergoes further testing.", officials noted on the site.

No further details were given, but Microsoft’s officials said they will still release an updated version of its Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool, which can be downloaded through Windows Update, Microsoft Update, Windows Server Update Services or the company's download center. The non-security high-priority patch for Windows will be also available.

Firefox 1.5 has been released

2005-09-10T02:02:00.000-04:00

FireFox 1.5 Beta 1 is now available for download. This is the first Beta release of version 1.5 for the next generation Firefox browser.

Firefox 1.5 Beta 1 is a preview of our award-winning Web browser. Firefox 1.5 Beta 1 is available for our early adopter community, Web site and Web application developers, and our Extension developers.

Here's what's new in Firefox 1.5 Beta 1:

Automated update to streamline product upgrades. Notification of an update is more prominent, and updates to Firefox may now be half a megabyte or smaller. Updating extensions has also improved.

Faster browser navigation with improvements to back and forward button performance.

Drag and drop reordering for browser tabs.

Improvements to popup blocking.

Clear Private Data feature provides an easy way to quickly remove personal data through a menu item or keyboard shortcut.

Answers.com is added to the search engine list.

Improvements to product usability including descriptive error pages, redesigned options menu, RSS discovery, and "Safe Mode" experience.

Better accessibility including support for DHTML accessibility and assistive technologies such as the Window-Eyes 5.5 beta screen reader for Microsoft Windows. Screen readers read aloud all available information in applications and documents or show the information on a Braille display, enabling blind and visually impaired users to use equivalent software functionality as their sighted peers.

Report a broken Web site wizard to report Web sites that are not working in Firefox.

Better support for Mac OS X (10.2 and greater) including profile migration from Safari and Mac Internet Explorer.

New support for Web Standards including SVG, CSS 2 and CSS 3, and JavaScript 1.6.

Many security enhancements.

List of notable bug fixes since Deer Park Alpha 2

Download: www.mozilla.org

Google Hires Vint Cerf as Chief Internet Evangelist

2005-09-09T01:37:00.000-04:00

Google Inc. has hired Vinton (Vint) Cerf, the technologist who is widely known as a "founding father" of the Internet, as Chief Internet Evangelist.

"Vint Cerf is clearly one of the great technology leaders of our time," said Google CEO Eric Schmidt of Cerf, who co-designed the TCP/IP protocols that were used to develop the Internet's underlying architecture. "His vision for technology helped create entire industries that have transformed many parts of our lives. We are honored to welcome him to Google."

Cerf will continue his leadership in the Internet community, and help Google build network infrastructure, architectures, systems, and standards for the next generation of Internet applications.

"Google has already made tremendous strides in making access to information on the web a reality for users across the globe, but we're still in the Internet's early innings," he said. "This medium will enjoy wider-spread use than television, radio or phones, and will ultimately expand beyond planet Earth. Google has always believed in doing things differently, and I believe that places us in a unique position to help bring even the wildest Internet visions into reality."

Cerf joins Google from MCI, where he led technology advancements since 1982, with a break to return to research at the Corporation for National Research Initiatives from 1986 to 1994. On his return to MCI in 1994, he helped to put MCI on the Internet map. With Robert Kahn, he recently received the ACM's A.M. Turing Award, considered "the Nobel Prize for computing," for his achievements in computer networking.

Cerf is also working on the Interplanetary Network, a project of NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab, which aims to extend the Internet into outer space for planet-to-planet communications. He will also continue in his role as the Chairman of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

Microsoft Aims at Mid Size Firms with Centro

2005-09-08T00:10:00.000-04:00

Software Giant Microsoft is expected to announce a specially tailored server software package for small and mid size firms code named Centro. The said software will combine Windows Server operating system, Exchange e-mail server as well as other network management tools.

The company is also expected to make a series of product announcements, detailing plans to launch future versions of its Microsoft Business Solutions products under the common name "Dynamics."

The Office division will launch its new Small Business Accounting 2006 software during the event. It’s Microsoft’s latest bid to take on Intuit, which makes competing products including QuickBooks.

The broader event represents Microsoft’s latest bid to turn things around in an area where it has struggled. The Microsoft Business Solutions division, formed through a series of acquisitions, offers such products as customer relationship management and enterprise resource planning software. It remains one of Microsoft’s unprofitable divisions.

"Midmarket has been one of the hardest segments to serve for Microsoft," said Microsoft senior vice president Bob Muglia, who heads up Microsoft’s server division.

Typically, computer administrators overseeing businesses with anywhere from 25 to 500 employees will spend most of their time fixing and trying to make server, or networked computer, software work together to store data, keep accounts, manage e-mail and perform other business tasks, Muglia said.

Microsoft executives said Centro will be a group of software products that can be installed across multiple servers that can be configured for a particular business with the necessary applications and settings, freeing up system administrators to find ways to improve business tasks, rather than fixing daily computer problems.

"We think the mid-size market is still underserved," said John Lauer, Microsoft’s vice president in charge of marketing for mid-sized businesses.

Microsoft estimates that there are more than 1.4 million mid-sized businesses across the globe and that they will increasingly need to use computers connected to the Internet to compete effectively. Together with small businesses with less than 25 employees, Microsoft hope to sell more than $10 billion in software to such companies by 2010.

Apple launches new iTunes phone, Smaller iPod!

2005-09-07T17:45:00.000-04:00

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Apple Computer Inc. CEO Steve Jobs introduced a music-playing phone Wednesday that is capable of storing about 100 songs, as well as a pencil-thin version of the iPod, the company's ubiquitous digital music device.

The iPhone, made by Motorola Inc. and loaded with iTunes software, can store podcasts as well as music. Users can transfer songs to the device from their PC or Macintosh computers and make calls through Cingular Wireless.

"It's an iPod shuffle right on your phone," said Jobs, Apple's chief executive officer, who noted that both the iPhone and iPod shuffle both randomly sort music, hold about the same number of songs and have display screens.

Jobs also introduced the pencil-thin iPod Nano, which will replace the iPod Mini. It is one-third the size of the Mini and holds 1,000 songs.

"It's impossibly small," Jobs said at the Moscone Convention Center. "It's thinner than a No. 2 pencil."

The Nano can store music, games, photos and a calendar. It also has a "screen lock" feature that allows no one except the user to access content.

A 4-gigabyte Nano will retail for $249, and a 2-gigabyte model will sell for $199. Both versions will be available in stores this weekend, Jobs said.

Music-playing cell phones could emerge as a competitor to the iPod, some analysts predict. By branching into phones, Apple would hope to secure its place as the kingpin of digital music regardless of what device is used to listen.

Shares of Apple rose 21 cents to $49.01 in afternoon trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

Microsoft unveils new hardware

2005-09-06T22:35:00.000-04:00

SEATTLE, Washington (Reuters) -- Microsoft Corp. unveiled Tuesday new computer keyboards and mice aimed at users looking for easier ways to type and for high-precision gaming and photo editing.

In its annual refresh of its computer input hardware, the world's largest software maker introduced two new keyboards and six new mice.

One keyboard featured a split configuration keyboard for more ergonomic typing that also includes a zoom slider bar to shrink or enlarge digital text or photographs. The second keyboard featured a new, concave design for the keys aimed at making it easier for users to type without straining their arms, fingers and wrists.

Three new mice were introduced with laser-based optical components, which allows them to track movement with more precision and more smoothly, a feature that Microsoft says will be popular for games and graphics applications. The other three mice, which use optical tracking, featured new designs and technology improvements.

Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft said it will continue to design, build and sell hardware for users' specific needs.

"As people start to use their PCs more, they start to identify ways in which they want to use peripherals for different tasks," said Tom Gibbon, general manager at Microsoft's hardware group.

Such specialization has helped keyboard and mice sales to outpace PC sales, Gibbons said, because users tend to replace such hardware over the course of a computer's lifecycle and also because they are buying keyboards to do specific tasks.

The new keyboards are expected to retail for between $25 and $65, while the mice are expected to sell for $35 and $105, depending on their form and function, Microsoft said.

iTunes phone due to launch

2005-09-05T15:46:00.000-04:00

The BBC report that Apple is poised to unveil a mobile phone that plays music just like its best-selling iPod.

Made by Motorola the handset will have Apple iTunes onboard and will be available via the US Cingular phone service.

The news was broken by analyst Roger Entner who said the information was based on conversations he had had with various industry executives.

Microsoft Delivers Early WinFS Beta

2005-08-29T22:53:00.000-04:00

Best known as the one of the most anticipated Longhorn components that won't be shipping with Windows Vista, Microsoft decided to let developers take WinFS for a spin with the release of the file system's first beta today.

MSDN subscribers can download the Beta 1 of the relational file system, a version that currently works with Windows XP according to Quentin Clark, leader of the WinFS program management team.

In his post to the newly-launched WinFS Team Blog, Clark explains that while Beta 1 supports XP, the final decision of which operating systems to support has not been reached. Reason being that "there are a set of difficult tradeoffs in terms of features that WinFS can support on each platform."

Despite the early release, the file system still won't be part of Windows Vista when it launches next year. WinFS team member, Tom Rizzo writes that "the end game for WinFS stays the same which is that WinFS will be in beta when Windows Vista ships."

As part of the launch, MSDN's Channel 9 is planning to host a video demo.

Once considered an important pillar of Longhorn, WinFS will at least be in beta when the OS, now Windows Vista, launches next year.

Apple slows move to Intel

2005-08-29T14:54:00.000-04:00

Apple's controversial move to Intel chips might take a bit more time than Chipzilla hoped.

Apparently the Cappuccino outfit has inked a deal with its old friend Freescale to supply it with Power PC processors until 2008.

The deal, which has been logged with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, seems to mean that either Jobs' Mob is hedging its bets on any Intel deal or thinks it will take a long time to do it.

Under the deal, Apple does not have to actually buy any Freescale chips “other than work in progress that was in place at the time the agreement was executed.” This seems to mean that it is pretty much wide open to buy what it likes and when it likes.

It would also seem to fly in the face of Apple’s gushing June announcement that X86 microprocessors would “permeate the entire Macintosh product line by the end of 2007”.

Put down your iPod, iTunes is calling

2005-08-29T12:39:00.000-04:00

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes may be available on cell phones sooner than you might expect, according to the New York Post Thursday.

The Federal Communications Commission posted pictures and the manual for Motorola's iTunes-equipped E790 phone on a government Web site, indicating that regulators have approved the new iTunes-capable phone for use on U.S. mobile networks, the paper said.

According to the report, Apple and Motorola officials confirmed the phone would roll out in the near future, but declined to say how revenue from phone-based sales of iTunes songs would be split among Apple (Research), Motorola (Research) and cellular service providers.

The i-Phone, as it is referred to, will have a VGA-quality camera, stereo speakers, and will be able to hold a gigabyte of songs or more on removable "mini-SD" flash storage cards, the paper said.

Nokia may not be far behind, click here for more.

IBM Unveils Data Protection Software for Smaller Enterprises

2005-08-28T16:20:00.000-04:00

US computer giant, International Business Machines Corp., is all set to launch Tivoli, a data protection software which provides real time data protection to small enterprises as against its rivals which take backups several times in a day.

The software, called IBM Tivoli Continuous Data Protection for Files, automatically copies data as soon as it’s entered or changed, allowing users to quickly retrieve lost information such as text or customer lists.

IBM plans to start selling the program Sept. 16 at $35 per laptop or desktop and $995 for each server processor, the chips which run high-powered computers typically used by businesses.

Computer servers used by small businesses of up to 100 employees typically have two to four such processors, an IBM spokeswoman said.

The software, which targets a growing segment of the $2.6 billion backup and archive software market, tracks real-time changes of a computer’s data and saves records of these changes locally as well as on remote servers, offering more protection than traditional once-a-day backups.

"This is really a whole new world," said Ron Riffe, IBM’s director of storage software strategy.

With each change to a file, a new backup is made. This lets users see earlier versions of the file. Even if a user is traveling and disconnected from a data network, the software will wait until the computer goes back online, then immediately transmit the backup. The entire process is designed to happen in the background, with no intervention by the user after the initial setup.

The software involves more than 10 patents pending on technologies for capturing continuous changes to data in tandem with remote scheduled back-up. A beta version of the software has been available to developers via IBM’s alphaWorks site for emerging technologies. By providing developers with early access to emerging technologies, alphaWorks has become a breeding ground for IBM products and initiatives that have turned into market-leading solutions.

Two Suspected in Computer Worm Attacks Are Arrested

2005-08-27T01:12:00.000-04:00

Two men were arrested overseas on Thursday on charges of unleashing a computer worm that infected networks across the United States nearly two weeks ago, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Microsoft announced yesterday.

The men, Farid Essebar, 18, of Morocco, and Atilla Ekici, 21, of Turkey, were said to be responsible for the Zotob worm, which hampered computer operations at more than 100 companies, including news organizations like CNN, The New York Times and ABC News. The computers were running a version of Microsoft's Windows operating system, prompting the company's Internet crime investigations unit to collaborate with the F.B.I. to locate the source.

"The swift resolution of this matter is the direct result of effective coordination and serves as a good example of what we can achieve when we work together," Louis M. Reigel III, assistant director of the F.B.I. Cyber Division, said in a news release.

In a conference call with reporters, Mr. Reigel said Mr. Ekici, who went by the online alias Coder, paid Mr. Essebar, operating under the name Diabl0, to create Zotob and another worm, called Mytob. But he would not comment on whether they were part of a broader operation.

"They certainly knew each other via the Internet," Mr. Reigel said, but it was not clear whether they had met in person.

The state news agency in Morocco reported that the motive was financial and that Mr. Essebar acted in league with groups involved in bank card forgery. Some computer worms can be used to compromise computer security and make it easier to steal passwords, identification data and financial records in ways that are hard to trace.

Mr. Reigel declined to specify yesterday whether any data was compromised in the Zotob episode.

The Zotob worm was notable for how quickly it was released after Microsoft's announcement of a flaw in its Windows 2000 operating system. Within days of Microsoft's releasing a security patch in early August, the worm was infecting computers that had not installed the update.

Bradford L. Smith, Microsoft's general counsel, said in an interview yesterday that the company was able to help authorities as the attack was going on by monitoring its path and then charting its trail and dissecting the code behind the worm.

"You learn things in real time that you just cannot reconstruct later," he said.

In the earlier conference call, he was asked why Microsoft's operating systems have been so prone to attack.

"The reality is that any company that has popular products has to recognize that it's a fact of life," he said. "Security remains our highest priority."

Microsoft to release new phishing filter

2005-08-25T23:48:00.000-04:00

REDMOND, Wash. -- Microsoft plans to release a new security feature for Internet Explorer, faster than promised. A preliminary version of Microsoft's new "phishing filter" will be released in the coming weeks as a free add-on to its MSN Toolbar.

Microsoft had previously discussed the filter only as a feature of the upcoming Internet Explorer 7, still in development.

In a common phishing attack, people receive e-mails purporting to come from legitimate banking or e-commerce operations that point to Web sites where identity thieves ask for personal information.

Microsoft's phishing filter detects known and potential phishing sites and alerts users before they enter personal data.

Google Talk all set to match wits with AOL, Yahoo and MSN messenger services

2005-08-25T06:46:00.000-04:00

A week that marked a big bang for Google, re-iterated its stance to expand beyond the realm of web searches, adding over and above its earlier offering of the raved Desktop 2, an instant messaging service equipped with voice-over-IP dubbed Google Talk. In doing so, Google also lived up to industry speculations that it would compete with AOL, Yahoo and MSN on more consumer-oriented program platforms.

The new program that is closely integrated with Google’s free webmail service, requires users to have a Gmail account, and is expected to be seen as a compelling alternative to other such services with a whole range of complementary applications. A Gartner analyst prophesied, "At a high level, this indicates that…Google is officially a Web portal and a media company". Built on the XMPP (Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol) framework, Google Talk elements are understandably based on the open sourceJabber project, which allows users to exchange messages with other services.

The basic features of the program include the ability for users to chat either through text or instant messages or voice-over-IP, besides offering functions such as buddy lists, (even from Gmail contact lists), blocking of unwanted messages or visibility, access to Gmail inbox for sending or viewing mails all using the Google Talk interface. But the program lacks the rather cool emoticons and sound effects that other major services proffer, which Google hopes to add as users take to its service. But moot point for Gmail users is that their Gmail contacts will automatically be added into their Google Talk interface, making it possible to switch to messaging easily. Like in the case of Gmail, Google Talk users could also invite their contacts to download the instant messaging program.

However, the biggest drawback in Instant Messaging is the lack of interoperability between the world’s three largest messaging networks, which though Google says it would not interfere with, is expected to change in the years to come. Currently according to ComScore Media Metrix, AOL leads with its messaging base in US is about 41.6 million, followed by Yahoo with 19.1 million and MSN with 14.1 million. But for Google, largely dependent on advertising for its revenue, the new messenger service though currently free of publicity, offers yet another important platform for featuring advertising. As the 900K download for Windows 2000 and above, targets the MSN users, its Mac and Linux versions will soon be made available. However, for Google Talk to really talk to users of other messenger services needs to be malleable enough taking on aspects of the popular internet phone services Skype to support calls to the regular phone system. Right now Google plays safe in making clear its intentions of not trying “force other networks to interoperate….not going to arbitrarily break into their protocols".

Download Google Talk [HERE].

Intel Details New Microprocessors

2005-08-23T17:23:00.000-04:00

SAN FRANCISCO - Intel Corp. showed off three microprocessors Tuesday based on a next-generation technology that tries to maximize performance and power efficiency while minimizing electricity bills. The new chips, expected to become available in the second half of 2006, are partly based on the design in the Pentium M — the processor component of the company's popular Centrino technology for notebook computers. It also will share some features with the Pentium 4 underlying architecture.

AMD Launches Two New Mobile Processors

2005-08-22T23:28:00.000-04:00

In an attempt to offer same desktop performances to notebook gamers, AMD launches two new mobile processors within AMD Turion 64 family.

The processors will be included in two notebooks, ENVY Featherweight and ENVY Middleweight, produced by VoodooPC, a company specialized on gaming systems production. The two notebooks belong to thin and light categories.

The AMD processors MT-40 and MT-37 offer a high compatibility to the latest graphics solutions and wireless connection. They also guarantee a diminished power use, which determines more battery time. MT-40 and Mt-37 offers also a higher level of security. By introducing the new models, AMD makes available over 8 versions of Turion.

The MT-40 and MT-37 will be available for sale on VoodooPC site and soon, for the entire distribution network in North America.

The MT-40 is priced at $359 for a thousand pieces and the MT-37 processor - $268 for a thousand pieces.