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Security

Submission + - Symantec: it's dangerous to rely on free antivirus

Submitted by thefickler
thefickler writes: Clearly the rise of free antivirus is starting to worry Symantec, with a top Symantec executive warning consumers not to rely on free antivirus software (including Microsoft's Microsoft Security Essentials). "If you are only relying on free antivirus to offer you protection in this modern age, you are not getting the protection you need to be able to stay clean and have a reasonable chance of avoiding identity theft," said David Hall, Symantec's Product Manager Asia-Pacific Consumer Products and Solutions.
The Military

Submission + - Laser treated metal directs water uphill

Submitted by thefickler
thefickler writes: Dr Chunlei Guo at the University of Rochester in New York has developed a method of treating metals so they can redirect water, even to the point where the water will flow up rather than down. The method involves treating the metal with a femtosecond laser. The laser unleashes as much power as the entire electric grid of North America does, all focused onto a spot the size of a needlepoint. This changes the nanostructure of the metal. This technique can also be used to permanently change the color of metals, for example silver to blue. And in case you're wondering, the research is funded by the US Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the National Science Foundation.
Yahoo!

Submission + - Yahoo set to overwhelm with new widgets

Submitted by thefickler
thefickler writes: Yahoo is set to release a raft of new widgets to Yahoo Mail, My Yahoo, Yahoo Connected TV and Zimbra in coming months. For example, Yahoo mail will get widgets to Send payments with Pay Pal, Send large files with Zumo Drive, Add images to Photobucket, and Edit photos with Picnik. However, as one commentator said: 'While it is obvious that Yahoo is trying to gain back some of its market share it has lost over the past several years, I'm not positive that cluttering up their pages with more information is the way to do it.'
Displays

Submission + - New HDMI 1.4 spec set to confuse

Submitted by
thefickler
thefickler writes: "HDMI Licensing LLC, the company that determines the specifications of the HDMI standard, is set to release the HDMI 1.4 spec on 30 June. Unfortunately it could very well be the most confusing thing to ever happen to setting up a home theater. When the new cables are released, you're going to need to read the packaging very carefully because effectively there are now going to be five different versions of HDMI to choose from — HDMI Ethernet Channel, Audio Return Channel, 3D Over HDMI, 4K x2K Resolution Support and a new Automotive HDMI. At least we can't complain about consumer choice."
Google

Submission + - Could Google predict illness trends?

Submitted by thefickler
thefickler writes: With the Swine Flu pandemic scare not long past, Google is embarking on a study to test a theory that internet searches can predict illness trends. Users who search for keywords relating to illness and medicines may, in randomly selected cases, be asked whether their search was prompted by a medical condition (either their own or someone they know.) By doing this, Google should be able to extrapolated how many people actually affected by an illness are searching for information about that particular illness at any one time, allowing Google to track significant patterns.
The Internet

Submission + - Journalist's career wiped by The New York Times

Submitted by thefickler
thefickler writes: Reading about Peter Wayner and his problems with book piracy, reminded me of another writer Thomas Crampton, who has the opposite problem — a lot of his work has been wiped from the Internet. Thomas Crampton has worked for the New York Times (NYT) and the International Herald Tribune (IHT) for about a decade, but when the websites of both newspapers were merged two months, a lot of Crampton's work disappeared into the ether — much to the Crampton's horror. Links to the old stories are simply hitting generic pages. Crampton wrote a letter to Arthur Sulzberger, the publisher of the New York Times, pleading for his work to be put back online. But here's the hilarious part, according to one analysis, the NYT is throwing away money — at least $100,000 every month the links are broken.
Google

Submission + - Google advertising Chrome on TV

Submitted by thefickler
thefickler writes: Google has announced plans to advertise Google Chrome on the television, using one of the Chrome Shorts produced by the Google Japan team a couple of months ago. The advert will start to show on "various television networks starting this weekend." Some pundits are wondering why Google has decided to start using television when in past it has relied heavily on word-of-mouth promotion. Obviously Chrome is important to the overall startegy, and someone at Google doesn't mind spending some money to push it along.
Portables

Submission + - Lenovo on the future of the netbook

Submitted by thefickler
thefickler writes: Lenovo's Worldwide Competitive Analyst, Matt Kohut, recently spoke about his vision of the future of netbooks, which involves Windows 7, bigger screens, built-in 3G, touch integration, and lower prices. Linux fans will be disappointed to hear that Kohut thinks Windows 7 will dominate future generations of netbooks because it offers a better, more familiar solution, with the benefits of touch. We'll see...

Comment Take the money and don't look back (Score 1) 412

by thefickler (#27886037) Attached to: What To Do When a Megacorp Wants To Buy You?
It really depends on the amount of money being offered. I was once offered $500,000 for a business that was barely turning over that much. My business partner was reluctant, and the deal fell apart. With the benefit of hindsight, I should have jumped at the offer. Offers of money don't come easily. If the money is big enough to pay a big chunk of a home, jump at it, and then start planning your next venture.
The Internet

Submission + - Should online reading be called screenng?

Submitted by
thefickler
thefickler writes: "Do we need a new word to describe the act of reading digital content? One man passionately believes so. Danny Bloom, an American blogger based in Taiwan is waging a one-man battle to encourage the use of the word "screening". Bloom's argument is that reading online content is profoundly different to reading paper-based content, and therefore needs a new word to describe it. Personally, I think Bloom just wants to "be the guy who came up with the word screening", but hey don't we all want our 15 minutes of fame?"
Operating Systems

Submission + - Lenovo analyst: Linux on netbooks is doomed 1

Submitted by
thefickler
thefickler writes: "Lenovo's Worldwide Competitive Analyst, Scott Kohut, has predicted that Linux will only ever be a niche player as an operating system for netbooks. Kohut cited a number of factors that have led to the demise of Linux as a netbook operating system, but his main criticism is that Linux is still too hard to use compared to Windows. He suggests that some members of the Linux community even "like the fact that [Linux] is a little difficult and that it isn't accessible to the average user"."
Social Networks

Submission + - Kutcher & CNN dual for 1 million Twitter follo

Submitted by thefickler
thefickler writes: While the rest of the world worries about the GFC, piracy off the Somali coast, and other assorted problems, Hollywood actor Ashton Kutcher is locked in a furious battle with CNN to get to one million Twitter followers. At the time of writing, Kutcher had 945,389 followers, while CNN had 961,878. However, Kutcher is currently the favorite, as it's believed he's attracting followers at a quicker rate and should actually beat CNN quite comfortably. The only other potential candidate is Britney Spears on 928, 374. I know who I'm rooting for.
Earth

Submission + - Solar power to be cheapest energy by 2010 (blorge.com)

Submitted by
thefickler
thefickler writes: "The CEO and founder of California-based Akeena Solar, Barry Cinnamon, has gone out on a limb to predict that by 2010, photovoltaic(PV) solar power would be the cheapest way to generate energy, at least in California. Cinnamon said: "The solar PV market in California will explode once people discover that they can generate their own rooftop power for less than it costs from their utility." As you would expect, the prediction has attracted its fair share of sceptics. Best summarised by one commentor, who simply said: "That's bull.""
Microsoft

Submission + - Microsoft PowerPoint hit by security flaw

Submitted by
thefickler
thefickler writes: "Microsoft is warning users to take particular care when opening suspicious PowerPoint documents. A vulnerability in the 2000, 2002 and 2003 editions of PowerPoint for Windows plus Office 2004 for Macs could allow a hacker to gain remote control of a computer. Microsoft has confirmed it's aware of "limited and targeted attacks" that attempt to exploit the vulnerability. The firm is still deciding how to plug the security gap: it could issue a patch in the next scheduled Windows Update on April 14, or issue an out-of-cycle update (an emergency patch) beforehand."
Power

Submission + - MIT building batteries using viruses

Submitted by
thefickler
thefickler writes: "Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are now using viruses to build cathodes for Lithium Ion batteries. Three years ago these same researchers found they could build an anode using viruses. Creating both the anode and cathode using viruses will make batteries easy to build. This nanoscale battery technology will allow batteries to be lightweight and to "take the shape of their container" rather than creating containers for the batteries, which could open up new possibilities for car and electronics manufacturers."

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