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Security

Submission + - Can you trust Chinese computer equipment? (itworld.com)

Submitted by Ian Lamont
Ian Lamont writes: Suspicions about China slipping eavesdropping technology into computer exports have been around for years. But the recent Chinese spying attacks on Google and other Internet companies have revived the hardware spying concerns. An IT World blogger suggests the gear can't be trusted, noting that it wouldn't be hard to add security holes to the firmware of Chinese-made USB memory sticks, computers, hard drives, and cameras. He also implies that running automatic checks for data of interest in the compromised gear would not be difficult.
Intel

Submission + - Intel pushes out vPro for Core i5, i7 processors (goodgearguide.com.au)

Submitted by
angry tapir
angry tapir writes: "Intel on Thursday announced a new vPro platform for its Core processors to make remote maintenance and management of PCs easier in an enterprise. The vPro platform includes new hardware that can allegedly solve a larger number of problems than prior vPro platforms. For example, a technology called Anti-Theft 2.0 uses software and hardware technology to remotely disable systems and lock access to data if a PC falls into wrong hands, and Keyboard-Video-Mouse Remote Control makes remote access easier."

Submission + - Murdoch says Amazon e-book prices kill paper books (wired.com)

Submitted by hrimhari
hrimhari writes: The settlement between Amazon and Macmillian got the attention of a known dinossaur. Consistent to his views, Mr. Murdoch wants to defend his book editors by killing the cheaper solution.

"We don't like the Amazon model of selling everything at $9.99," Murdoch said. "They pay us the wholesale price of $14 or whatever we charge," he said. "But I think it really devalues books, and it hurts all the retailers of the hardcover books."
Earth

Spray-On Liquid Glass 293

Posted by kdawson from the smooth-move dept.
bLanark writes with news of a new substance that can be sprayed on for a durable, easy-to-clean film on almost any substance, hard or soft. The liquid glass is essentially pure silicon dioxide, and it goes on in a layer 15 to 30 atoms thick. It is breathable and flexible, but waterproof and resistant to bacterial growth. The patent is held by a German company, Nanopool, which is in discussion with many parties about a wide range of uses: keeping public spaces sanitary, keeping restaurants clean, and keeping cars or trains clean. "The spray forms a water-resistant layer, meaning it can be cleaned using only water. Trials by food-processing companies showed that sterile surfaces covered with a film of liquid glass were equally clean after a rinse with hot water as after their usual treatment with strong bleach."
Java

Submission + - Oracle unplugs Project Wonderland (itworld.com)

Submitted by Ian Lamont
Ian Lamont writes: Oracle has announced it is dropping support for Sun Microsystems' Project Wonderland. The Java-based virtual world developed some interesting features, such as voice communication with distance attenuation and phone-based access, but with Oracle's acquisition and integration of Sun, it seems that Wonderland didn't have a place in Oracle's strategic plans. An official blog post says a core group hopes to keep Wonderland going, and will be pursuing for-profit and not-for-profit options.
Communications

Submission + - Asterisk vishing attacks "endemic" (thestandard.com)

Submitted by Ian Lamont
Ian Lamont writes: Remember the report last year that the FBI was concerned about a "vishing" exploit relating to the Asterisk IP PBX software? Digium played down the report, noting that it was based on a bug that had already been patched, but now the company's open-source community director says that attacks on Asterisk installations are 'endemic.' There have been dozens of reported vishing attacks in recent weeks, says the article:

The victims typically bank with smaller regional institutions, which typically have fewer resources to detect scams. Scammers hack into phone systems and then call victims, playing prerecorded messages that say there has been a billing error or warn them that the bank account has been suspended because of suspicious activity. If the worried customer enters his account number and ATM password, the bad guys use that information to make fake debit cards and empty their victim's bank accounts.

The article adds that businesses can prevent many of these attacks by changing the port they use for SIP connections on their VoIP systems, by blocking connections after a certain number of failures, and by simply using better passwords on their voice systems.

Submission + - A Threat Analysis of RFID Passports

Submitted by ChelleChelle
ChelleChelle writes: Since the U.S. government first announced its plan to put RFID (Radio-frequency ID) chips in all passports issued from 2007 onwards, concerns have sprang up regarding the issues of privacy and security. As the RFID chips are used to transmit such identifying information as your full name, nationality and even a digitized photo, it is feared that anyone with a high-powered antenna will be able to gain access to such important information and potentially use it with malicious intent (for example to create a new passport with which to gain access to your social security number and finances). Today, the question still remains whether RFID passports really make us more vulnerable to identity theft.
In this article five Harvard University students, led by Jim Waldo (of Harvard and Sun Microsystems) provide a threat analysis of the new passports, examining the plausibility and possibility of such attacks successfully taking place as well as what is being done to prevent them.
Businesses

Submission + - The alternate reality of e-commerce for cars (thestandard.com)

Submitted by Ian Lamont
Ian Lamont writes: Even though the Web has been around for more than 15 years, when it comes to online auto sales in the United States, all roads lead still to local dealerships, at least when new car sales are involved. Many times during that period the auto industry and online players such as Amazon have created online sales models that incorporate local dealers, but none have been a great success. Consider the recent GM/eBay trial that managed to sell 13 cars in the last two weeks of operation. While 13 cars would be OK for a single dealership, the experimental program covered the entire state of California, and involved 21,000 listings. Is there any hope for the system to change, perhaps using a model from another country, or new technologies? Or will American consumers be forced to deal with real-world dealerships whenever they want to buy a new car for the foreseeable future?

Submission + - Eolas Sues Everyone for Infringing AJAX Patent (informationweek.com)

Submitted by somanyrobots
somanyrobots writes: A half-decade after it won a $565 million court judgment against Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) for patent infringement, University of California tech spinoff Eolas has filed another lawsuit based on the same technologyâ"this time against a virtual who's who of the tech industry's biggest players.

Named in the suit, filed Tuesday, are Adobe (NSDQ: ADBE), Sun Microsystems (NSDQ: JAVA), Yahoo (NSDQ: YHOO), Google (NSDQ: GOOG), eBay (NSDQ: EBAY), Amazon (NSDQ: AMZN), and Perot Systems. Also listed as defendants are several companies, including Blockbuster, Playboy, JPMorgan Chase, and J.C. Penney, that use the technology on their Web sites.

Towards the end of the article, it is noted that the suit is filed in the U.S. District Court of East Texas.
It's funny. Laugh.

Submission + - Fans Come Together to Complete Star Wars Uncut (starwarsuncut.com) 1

Submitted by
eldavojohn
eldavojohn writes: "Star Wars Uncut has taken a novel approach to remaking Star Wars IV: A New Hope. You merely sign up for a 15 second clip, film it and submit it. The trailer is now complete and I will suspect you might enjoy the high quality (and low quality) of some of the already accepted scenes. 251 scenes remain in need of claiming with 688 claimed and 291 finished. Do your part to remake one of the greatest movies by filming fifteen seconds of yourself and your friends!"

Submission + - MIT axes 500-word application essay (networkworld.com)

Submitted by netbuzz
netbuzz writes: No longer will those applying to MIT have to write the storied "long" essay — long as in 500 words. "We wanted to remove that larger-than-life quality to that one essay and take away a bit of the high-stakes nature of that one piece," says the dean of admissions. Not everyone agrees with the bow to brevity, including a current MIT student who penned a scathing critique in The Tech and offers up her own essay as an example of what the forum can provide both MIT and the applicant.
Desktops (Apple)

Submission + - 85% of Mac owners also own a PC (pcpro.co.uk)

Submitted by Barence
Barence writes: More than eight out of ten Mac owners also own a PC, according to a new piece of research. The NPD survey found that 12% of US computer-owning households have a Mac. However, 85% of those also own a Windows PC, suggesting that the Mac/PC divide is nowhere near as clear cut as both Apple and Microsoft suggest. Mac owners are also far more likely to have multiple computers in the house. Two thirds of Mac owners have three or more computers in the home, while only 29% of PC owners have two or more PCs.
Microsoft

Submission + - Microsoft: "Shame on us" for Vista rollout snafus (itworld.com)

Submitted by Ian Lamont
Ian Lamont writes: Microsoft has admitted that the way it handled previous operating system launches to business customers was flawed and says the company has learned from the botched rollout of Vista in 2006. A Microsoft product executive gave several examples, such as customers being forced to wait for independent software vendor support and a service pack release, and said "shame on us, we've learned our lesson." Not surprisingly, the same company official promised that Windows 7 will be a much better experience for business customers and urged them to start their migrations now, even before the official Oct. 23 launch. That's a six-week head start, which should be more than enough time to handle the reported 20-hour upgrade process that impacts even high-end hardware.
Businesses

Submission + - Zer01 service still vapor, distributors empty-hand (thestandard.com)

Submitted by
Ian Lamont
Ian Lamont writes: "Zer01's "unlimited everything" mobile phone service is looking shaky, after leadership changes at its parent company, Global Verge, and warnings from observers that had previously praised the planned service. There were signs of trouble last month, but the new developments cast doubt about whether the Zer01 service will ever see the light of day."
Bug

Submission + - Nokia N97 self-destroying its camera lens

Submitted by
barwasp
barwasp writes: "We are now well in the 100's of people who have purchased this latest flagship Nokia device, only to be disappointed with the main camera slider cover, which actually scratches the glass that covers the lens when slid open, and closed.
We have also found out, thanks to Nokiausers.net member, brkix in Croatia, that the blue pad that you see under the slider, is not in any way, shape, or form, there to clean the glass that covers the camera lense. brkis reports after dismantling his N97's Camera cover, exposes a very cheap, and tacky piece of hard plastic, with an embedded metal square magnet, which is used with a metal trigger in the N97, so it knows then the slider is open, or closed. This very blue pad, is the cause of all the scratches we are seeing. This is due to it being too close to the glass, but not close enough to prevent any foreign bodies getting trapped in between it, and the glass.

Do you own an N97? Is your camera glass scratched too? The poll, (with damage pictures), suggests the self-destruction rate is very high."

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