12.04.2008

IT News for 2008-12-04

Apple drops support document encouraging anti-virus adoption

Apple has taken down its recommendation that Mac OS X users deploy anti-virus technology.

http://www.scmagazineuk.com/Apple-drops-support-document-encouraging-anti-virus-adoption/article/121947/



Apple yanks antivirus advice from its Web site

Apple Inc. late Tuesday yanked a controversial support document from its Web site that had urged Mac users to run antivirus software because the recommendation was "old and inaccurate," a company spokesman said today.

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9122359&source=rss_news



Report: Nearly all computer users running insecure programs

Only two per cent of computer users are fully patched and the other 98 per cent are running at least one insecure, unpatched program, security firm Secunia said this week.

http://www.scmagazineuk.com/Report-Nearly-all-computer-users-running-insecure-programs/article/121946/



FireFox 'plug-in' harvests web passwords

BitDefender report discovery of a new type of malware, a trojan that collects web log-in passwords by masquerading as a FireFox plug-in. A significant number of UK banks are on the target list.

http://www.heise-online.co.uk/security/FireFox-plug-in-harvests-web-passwords--/news/112147



Koobface remains active on Facebook

A new variant of Koobface (a worm that spreads over Social Networking sites) was recently making the rounds on Facebook. When a user follows the link, they’re redirected to one of many different compromised hosts, which displays a fake error message that the version of Flash is out of date. Next the user is prompted to download/open flash_player.exe, a new Koobface variant.

http://www.avertlabs.com/research/blog/index.php/2008/12/03/koobface-remains-active-on-facebook/



Popular Home DSL Routers At Risk Of CSRF Attack

Researcher demonstrates ease of hacking home routers with insidious cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attack

http://www.darkreading.com/security/vulnerabilities/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=WOMLCPKO1BYSIQSNDLPCKH0CJUNN2JVN?articleID=212201777



Copper Thieves Threaten U.S. Infrastructure, FBI says

Copper thieves, sometimes acting as "organized groups," are threatening what the FBI said is "critical" U.S. infrastructure, from electrical sub-stations, cellular towers, telephone land lines to railroads and crops, the agency said in an unclassified report unveiled Wednesday.

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/12/copper-thieves.html



Valve says DRM is stupid, but Microsoft still doesn't get it

Valve's Gabe Newell calls most forms of DRM "stupid," but Microsoft's Randy Milller's response misses the point entirely. The war between PC gamers and publishers seems likely to continue.

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081203-valve-calls-drm-stupid-microsoft-still-doesnt-get-it.html



Nearly all Windows PCs are security risk

Nearly every Windows PC harbours at least one unpatched application, and nearly half contain 11 or more programs at risk from attack, according to a Danish security company.

http://www.techworld.com/news/index.cfm?RSS&NewsID=107943



Tech jobs down sharply but not out

Online job listings for technology workers are down sharply, but there are still plenty of openings for people with the right skills, or for those living in the right metropolitan area.

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9122358&source=rss_news



Americans are Ferengis, Europeans are Vulcans

It's that time of year again. The organization's training and travel budgets need to get spent, or they'll be reduced for next year. So, it's time to hurry up and pick out conferences to attend that are scheduled for the last three months of the year.

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9122238&source=rss_news



IT faces 'dire shortage' of core skills

The lack of core IT skills is a major impediment to modernizing key IT assets, according to a survey by application-management company Micro Focus.

http://news.zdnet.com/2424-9595_22-253449.html



Microsoft boosts OOXML compatibility

Microsoft on Wednesday announced several incremental enhancements to the compatibility of its Office Open XML document format.

http://news.zdnet.com/2424-9595_22-253622.html



IBM offers a 'Microsoft-free' desktop

IBM wants corporate customers to cut the cord with Microsoft. The tech pioneer is launching a Linux-based collection of virtual desktop applications that run on a server without the need for desktop hardware--or Microsoft software, according to a report Wednesday evening on The Wall Street Journal's Web site. The Linux-based software package, which is available now, runs on a back-office server and is accessible to customers on thin clients, the paper reported.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-10113197-92.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20



Online Money: Fidelity expands online news focus

Fidelity Investments is joining the rush to satisfy investors' growing appetite for news about financial market turmoil.

http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20081204/ap_on_hi_te/online_money_fidelity



NFL offers first live game broadcast in 3-D

In broadcasting the world's first live 3-D football game to theaters in Los Angeles, New York and Boston on Thursday evening, the NFL promises an "up close, personal, visceral" experience that could open a new revenue stream for the league.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081204/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/nfl3d



IDC sees decline in US PC market next year

U.S. shipments of personal computers are expected to drop nearly 3 percent next year, while demand in much of the rest of the world will slow down quickly as the financial crisis spreads, research firm IDC said Wednesday.

http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20081203/ap_on_hi_te/tec_pc_sales



Server Market Sees Largest Drop In Six Years

In the U.S., weak demand and intense price competition drove x86 server revenue down 12.2%, according to IDC's numbers.

http://www.informationweek.com/news/hardware/unix_linux/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212201824&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_All



Fun And Games Dominate iPhone App Chart

The success of the App Store has not gone unnoticed by Apple's rivals like Google, RIM and Microsoft.

http://www.informationweek.com/news/personal_tech/iphone/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212201822&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_All



eBay Holiday Contest Overrun By Automated Scripts, Honest Users Disgruntled

E-commerce juggernaut eBay is under fire because of a holiday giveaway contest gone awry. On Tuesday 25 November, eBay announced its $1 Holiday Doorbusters deals promotion, giving away 100 gifts ranging from jewelry, clothing, digital cameras, GPS devices to a brand-new Chevrolet Corvette for a $1 fixed price on a daily basis

http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/12/04/ebay-holiday-contest-overrun-by-automated-scripts-honest-users-disgruntled/



GoDaddy Uses Standard Tactics To Warehouse Domains

Having working in the domain name industry myself for a couple of years, I’ve always been intrigued by the fact that there’s such a big business formed around something as trivial as a bunch of letters and numbers used to ‘translate’ IP addresses. And when there’s a big business in something, you just know there will be a grey area as well where ethics are left at the door sometimes

http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/12/03/godaddy-uses-standard-tactics-to-warehouse-domains/



YouTube Uglifies Embedded Videos With A Search Bar

YouTube added (without warning) an fugly search bar to embedded videos. if you want to turn it off, simply add the parameter “&showsearch=0.

http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/12/03/youtube-uglifies-embedded-videos-with-a-search-bar/



Logitech Ships One Billionth Mouse

At nearly the same time as the world celebrates the 40th anniversary of the computer mouse, which occurs next week, Logitech announced that it has shipped its billionth one of the ubiquitous little devices.

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,2845,2335868,00.asp?kc=ETRSS02129TX1K0000532



AMD tweaks 2009 chipset roadmap

AMD updated its chipset schedule for 2009, adding plans for a new low-end, integrated graphics processor chipset based on the 780G architecture catering to budget DirectX 10 gaming.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/12/03/amd_releases_shanghai_in_shanghai/



2500 Theaters to go 3-D by April 2009

Jeffrey Katzenberg boldly predicted Monday that there will be nearly 2,500 screens ready for 3-D in time for the March 27 release of DreamWorks Animation's "Monsters vs. Aliens."

http://digg.com/movies/2500_Theaters_to_go_3_D_by_April_2009



Apple argues only a fool would believe its iPhone 3G ads

Apple isn't lying in television ads that tout the iPhone 3G as twice as fast as its predecessor, but customers would have to be fools to take those claims at face value, the company argues

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/12/03/apple_argues_only_a_fool_would_believe_its_iphone_3g_ads.html



Apple's unexpected iPod shortage spreading

Although Macs and iPhones were seen as Apple's ticket to a healthy holiday quarter, the electronics maker has reportedly been struck by surprising demand for iPods and is now scurrying to restock some of its reseller channels.

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/12/03/apples_unexpected_ipod_shortage_spreading.html



First superconducting transistor promises PC revolution

The world's first superconducting transistor, a long-standing goal for applied physicists, could lead to dramatically faster microchips.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20026856.600-first-superconducting-transistor-promises-pc-revolution.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news



Megathrust earthquake could hit Asia 'at any time'

A devastating "megathrust" earthquake could occur at any time off the Indonesian island of Sumatra, according to new research. Previous quakes have failed to release all of the energy that has built up over hundreds of years, leaving the fault zone vulnerable to another large earthquake.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16192-megathrust-earthquake-could-hit-asia-at-any-time.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news



Head-sized Meteorite Found From Canadian Fireball

Several more fragments have been found from the 10-ton asteroid that exploded over western Canada on November 20, including a head-sized piece weighing 13-kilograms (28 lbs). Imagine that landing on your house or car (or head!).

http://www.universetoday.com/2008/12/03/head-sized-meteorite-found-from-canadian-fireball/



Thousands of New Species Discovered on Tiny Island

An expedition to a tiny island in the South Pacific's Republic of Vanatu has yielded hundreds of new species, including possibly 1000 new species of crab.

http://scienceblogs.com/zooillogix/2008/12/thousands_of_new_species_disco.php


Alternative Currency


http://xkcd.com/512/


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