11.25.2008

IT News for 2008-11-25

Buffer overflow in Vista's TCP/IP stack

A buffer overflow in Windows Vista's TCP/IP stack can be exploited to overwrite kernel memory

http://www.heise-online.co.uk/security/Buffer-overflow-in-Vista-s-TCP-IP-stack--/news/112040



Wal-Mart is victim of phishing campaigns

US supermarket giant Wal-Mart has been the subject of recent phishing campaigns.

http://www.scmagazineuk.com/Wal-Mart-is-victim-of-phishing-campaigns/article/121409/



Guessing ahead of cybercriminals is crucial to prevent infection

Companies need to step up their ability to guess where cybercriminals will strike next.

http://www.scmagazineuk.com/Guessing-ahead-of-cybercriminals-is-crucial-to-prevent-infection/article/121407/



Symantec values market for stolen data at $276 million

The buying and selling of stolen credit card and account data on the black market is in the millions, according to a new report from Symantec.

http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid14_gci1339990,00.html



Browser Rider - Web Browser Exploitation Framework

Browser Rider is a hacking framework to build payloads that exploit the browser. The project aims to provide a powerful, simple and flexible interface to any client side exploit.

http://www.darknet.org.uk/2008/11/browser-rider-web-browser-exploitation-framework/



Europol to establish a centre to fight cyber crime

EU home affairs ministers have adopted a conclusion to establish an EU-wide platform for collecting information on cyber crime and child pornography

http://www.heise-online.co.uk/security/Europol-to-establish-a-centre-to-fight-cyber-crime--/news/112044



Feds Put Brakes On ID Theft Ring That Targets Home Equity Accounts

Four arrested in scheme to steal money using customers' home equity lines of credit

http://www.darkreading.com/security/cybercrime/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=I5SP1DN5MFJSIQSNDLPCKHSCJUNN2JVN?articleID=212200289



Cybercrime Servers Selling Billions of Dollars' Worth of Stolen Information, Illicit Services

New Symantec report puts dollar figures on full potential value of stolen financial data, malware, and pirated software

http://www.darkreading.com/security/attacks/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=I5SP1DN5MFJSIQSNDLPCKHSCJUNN2JVN?articleID=212200149



Dell Offers 'Black Friday' $349 Notebook

Dell also slashed the price of the Vostro 200 Slim Tower and the PowerEdge SC440 single-socket tower server on its Web site.

http://www.informationweek.com/news/hardware/desktop/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212200199&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_All



Best Buy cuts MacBook prices by up to $150

Best Buy has cut prices of Apple Inc.'s MacBook laptops by between $100 and $150, with the cheapest model now selling for under $900.

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9121339&intsrc=hm_list



Opera Mini 4.2 jumps into final release

Only yesterday Opera Mini 4.2 beta joined Google's Android Market. On Tuesday, the mini update to Opera's mobile browser for Java phones became the app's new benchmark

http://www.download.com/8301-2007_4-10107322-12.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20



YouTube videos get widescreen treatment

YouTube announced Monday that it has expanded the viewable width of all videos appearing on the site, creating an image that viewers will likely associate more with a movie theater screen or high-definition television.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10107536-93.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20



Program your DVR from the road with TiVo Mobile

TiVo is launching a cell phone-friendly Web site that will allow users to search programming and set their TiVo DVRs remotely. TiVo Mobile will be a free service available "with any Internet-enabled phone through any network, regardless of carrier," according to the company. Any user will have access to the program listings, but only TiVo owners (Series2 or Series3/HD) will be able to set their home DVRs to record programs they would've otherwise missed.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10107464-1.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20



LinkedIn unveils new search platform

Nearly a month after unveiling a new developer platform, business social-networking site LinkedIn took the wraps off a new search platform Monday night.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10107341-93.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20



Forecaster lops 10 pct off 2009 online ad estimate

A marketing research firm is dimming its Internet advertising outlook for the next four years, the latest sign of the more austere times looming for the high-tech sector.

http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20081125/ap_on_hi_te/internet_ad_forecast



Blockbuster to rent through new on-demand device

Blockbuster Inc. will start renting movies and television shows through a new gadget that may give consumers another reason to bypass the struggling video chain's 7,500 stores.

http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20081125/ap_on_hi_te/blockbuster_on_demand



Blockbuster takes on Netflix with new set-top box

Blockbuster Inc on Monday said it would roll out a new digital media player that brings fewer, but more recent titles from the Internet to consumers' televisions than a six-month old offering from rival Netflix Inc.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081125/media_nm/us_blockbuster_player



Windows Vista, Multimedia Codec Vulnerabilities Found

Certain administrative rights are required for the vulnerability to be exploited, making it a risk primarily for malicious insider scenarios.

http://www.informationweek.com/news/windows/operatingsystems/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212200255&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_All



MySpace App Shatters BlackBerry Download Record

In a sign that BlackBerry is gaining traction in the mainstream market, the social messaging app has been downloaded more than 400,000 times in its first week.

http://www.informationweek.com/news/personal_tech/blackberry/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212200265&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_All



Facebook Wins $873 Million Judgment Against Spammer

The penalty is the largest award yet under the 2003 Can-Spam Act.

http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/security/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212200205&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_All



BlackBerry Storm Sees Long Lines, Delays

Analysts estimate the first touch-screen BlackBerry sold more than 100,000 units over the weekend, but the demand may be outstripping supply.

http://www.informationweek.com/news/personal_tech/blackberry/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212200204&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_All



Lenovo ThinkPad Notebooks Will Use Text Messages for Additional Security

Lenovo is using text messaging to add an additional layer of security to the company’s line of ThinkPad notebooks. Starting in 2009, Lenovo ThinkPad notebook users can use an SMS text message to shutdown a laptop that has been stolen or has been lost. This new feature, called Lenovo Constant Secure Remote Disable, was developed in conjunction with Phoenix Technologies to work with the ThinkPad’s BIOS.

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Desktops-and-Notebooks/Lenovo-ThinkPad-Notebooks-Will-Use-Text-Messages-for-Additional-Security/?kc=rss



Phishers Increase Abuse of Specific Top-Level Domains

A study from the Anti-Phishing Working Group shows phishers are increasing the use of top-level domains in their campaigns to breach security through social engineering. According to the APWG research, the .hk and .th domains lead the way with the most phishing attacks per 10,000 domains.

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/Phishers-Increase-Abuse-of-Specific-TopLevel-Domains/?kc=rss



Apple Sued over Tech That Helps iPhone Surf Web

A lawsuit claims the way the Apple iPhone lets users browse the Web infringes on a patent granted in October. The lawsuit was filed by EMG Technology in the U.S. District Court in Tyler, Texas, by Los Angeles real estate developer Elliot Gottfurcht and two co-inventors. The suit alleges that the technology the iPhone uses to navigate and display some Web sites designed for small phone screens infringes on a patent obtained by Gottfurcht and his co-inventors and assigned to EMG.

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Apple/Apple-Sued-over-Tech-That-Helps-iPhone-Surf-Web/?kc=rss



What Not to Buy in 2008

Powerful financial waves are buffeting the USS Economy in extraordinary and dangerous ways, making it clear that this will be a holiday buying season unlike any other. But if you think recession (some say depression) concerns are going to keep me from producing my fourth annual guidance report on what to buy, consider, and just plain avoid, you're sorely mistaken, my friends.

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,2845,2335366,00.asp?kc=ETRSS02129TX1K0000532



US utilities moot massive EV order to boost car biz

The idea of somebody picking up the phone and ordering 10,000 Chevy Volts should be more than enough to improve any General Motors executive's day - and it may not prove to be that hopelessly optimistic.

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/11/25/us_utility_ev_order_plan/



NASA's Juno set for Jupiter jaunt

NASA has confirmed a 2011 launch date for its Jupiter-bound Juno spacecraft, equipped to probe the planet's "formation, evolution and structure".

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/11/25/juno_launch/



Tax break phishing scam aims to harvest details

Fraudsters with their finger on the financial pulse have launched a scam designed to exploit interest in UK government tax breaks.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/11/25/tax_break_phishing_scam/



NASA's lost toolbag filmed from Earth

The tool bag lost by NASA astronaut Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper during an ISS space walk has been filmed sailing over Earth by a veteran satellite observer over the weekend.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/11/24/nasa_lost_toolbag_filmed_on_earth/



Security breach gives PayPal phish the personal touch

Skype users who use a piece of software dubbed Pamela to manage their online phone accounts should be on the lookout for customized phishing attacks following revelations that one of more user databases containing names and email addresses have been breached.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/11/24/pamela_security_breach/



Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince movie trailer

Warner Brothers has been delayed the new Harry Potter movie for a July 2009 opening. But to tide people over cable network ABC Family is hosting a weekend of the four “Harry Potter” films PLUS a “first look” at portions of “Half-Blood Prince” December 5-7.

Couple of teaser trailers for the movie

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809791044/video/10774936
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/3496905/Harry-Potter-and-the-Half-Blood-Prince-new-trailer-for-sixth-Potter-movie.html



Star Wars Parrot

The Japanese owner of this parrot is a huge Star Wars fan, and his love for the movies seems to have rubbed off on his pet. The bird is singing along with Star Wars music and imitating Darth Vader.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UttQ5Aa_lI



Apple updates Safari for second time in two weeks

For the second time in less than two weeks, Apple Inc. updated its Safari Web browser by issuing version 3.2.1 today.

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9121419&source=rss_news



HP results lifted by laptop PCs, EDS buyout

Hewlett-Packard (HP) reported a 19% jump in revenue for the October quarter, lifted by its EDS acquisition and strong sales of laptop computers and blade servers.

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9121418&source=rss_news



Bug allowed free access to Sirius radio service

Sirius XM Radio has quietly fixed a bug in its satellite radio system that since 2002 had provided a way for former subscribers to gain free access to the Sirius service, according to security vendor TippingPoint Technologies.

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9121386&source=rss_news



U.S. agency sees robots replacing humans in service jobs by 2025

A U.S. government intelligence agency thinks robots may be so capable by 2025 that questions such as "Would you like fries with that?" may be uttered by a smiling machine at the order counter.

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9121385&source=rss_news



USB flash drive gets eSATA port

Kanguru Solutions has announced the first USB flash drive that also has External eSATA connectivity.

http://www.techworld.com/news/index.cfm?RSS&NewsID=107561



Video demand fuels 40G demand

The 40Gbits/s market is moving into general deployment phase due to video-stressing network capacities, according to research firm Ovum.

http://www.techworld.com/news/index.cfm?RSS&NewsID=107560



Credit crunch hits Google workers

Google may be preparing to lay off thousands of workers, if a Silicon Valley information service is to be believed.

http://www.techworld.com/news/index.cfm?RSS&NewsID=107559



Teacher in porn popup case dodges jail but loses creds

Substitute teacher Julie Amero's life was hijacked along with her browser, but her long legal battle is finally over -- along with her teaching caree

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081124-teacher-in-porn-popup-case-dodges-jail-loses-creds.html



Americans hugely addicted to TV, but money doesn't follow

Internet usage isn't killing TV; in fact, TV watching has hit record levels in the US. So why aren't broadcasters rolling in fat autumn piles of cash?

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081124-americans-hugely-addicted-to-tv-but-money-doesnt-follow.html



Cell jammers still illegal, but may come to state prisons

In the US, cell phone jammers can only legally be used by federal law enforcement agencies. But a move is afoot to expand their use in state and local law enforcement, an effort promoted in part by a company that makes the hardware

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081124-cell-jammers-still-illegal-but-may-come-to-state-prisons.html



New Longevity Drugs Poised to Tackle Diseases of Aging

Cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, heart disease: All have stubbornly resisted billions of dollars of research conducted by the world's finest minds. But they all may finally be defied by a single new class of drugs, a virtual cure for the diseases of aging.

http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/11/two-mice-on-tre.html



Alien-Like Squid With "Elbows" Filmed at Deep Drilling Site

A mile and a half (two and a half kilometers) underwater, a remote control submersible's camera has captured an eerie surprise: an alien-like, long-armed, and—strangest of all—"elbowed" Magnapinna squid.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/11/081124-giant-squid-magnapinna.html



Amazon Kindle 2 Slated For “Early Q1″

Update on the Kindle 2: It was scheduled to be released in October in time for this holiday season, but Bezos himself reportedly pulled the plug for last minute changes to the software. Our sources now say it’s tentatively scheduled to go on sale in “early next quarter.”

http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/11/25/amazon-kindle-2-slated-for-early-q1/



2 comments:

Unknown said...

Microsoft Certified Robotics Engineer

Remember Microsoft Robotics are now "Three Laws" Safe! No more worry’s about killing sprees!

Unknown said...

I for one, welcome our new french fry serving robot masters..