27139040
submission
nut writes:
The much-hyped payment application from Google on Android has been examined by viaForensics and appears to store some cardholder data in plaintext. Google wallet is the first real payment system to use NFC on Android. Version 2 of the PCI DSS (the current standard) mandates the encryption of transmitted cardholder data encourages strong encryption for its storage. viaForensics suggest that the data stored in plain text might be sufficient to allow social engineering to obtain a credit card number.
16753060
submission
nut writes:
NZ's online marketplace Trade Me has been hit by "targeted" malicious software. It's not clear who is doing the targeting. Users with out-of-date operating systems, web browsers or antivirus software were presented with an ad that asked them to download a virus-removal program. The NZ Herald tells us nothing more specific than The virus has caused significant computer problems and some suspect it has stolen their credit card details.
12769486
submission
nut writes:
Apple has officially become the largest tech company in the world, surpassing Microsoft by a market capitalization margin of $2 billion. It's now also the second largest company Standard & Poor 500, behind Exxon Mobil.
Market capitalization is, of course, just a measure of what the market thinks a company is worth though — the total value of all the outstanding shares of a company. Apple shares closed at US$248.47 yesterday vs. Microsoft's US$25.49.
10333598
submission
nut writes:
Everybody's favourite actor, author and starship captain is bringing some new ideas to the world of social networking. Myouterspace.com is, in the captain's own words, "... a Sci Fi Social Network for those with a passion for the arts." Facebook and Myspace should be worried.
Sign up now. Go on, you know you want to.
6931398
submission
nut writes:
Visitors to an underwater aquarium in Auckland, New Zealand were stunned to see one shark give another shark an impromptu caesarean section. Staff were initially dubious when visitors came running to tell them there were baby sharks spilling from a wound in a female school shark's stomach — courtesy of a large bite by another shark.
It's not uncommon for sharks to take chunks out of each other, in the wild or in captivity, but in this case the bite probably saved the baby sharks' lives. Staff did not know the mother was pregnant and as sharks are commonly born at night they would most likely have been eaten before they were seen.
98456
submission
nut writes:
A new local tv station at the bottom end of New Zealand, 45 South chose a $10 wok over a $20 000 commercial transmission dish. They claim better performance than their previous commercial aerials, as the solid metal of the wok prevents interference from behind the dish that plagued earlier wire mesh aerials.
The technology was originally developed by computer programmer Ken Jones to get broadband access at his rural property. Instruction on build your own Wok wireless acess point can be found here.
5767
submission
nut writes:
The Press of Christchurch, New Zealand is reporting a huge explosion, somewhere near Ashburton according to the gossip I'm hearing. I believe that activity on this seismograph might be as a result of it. Hopefully more information will be available soon.
