Gmail users protected from fake eBay, PayPal emails

Google is using the DomainKeys email-authentication tech to block phishing emails ostensibly from eBay and PayPal

07/09/2008 11:32 AM

Microsoft readies pay-as-you-go business web apps

Enabling telecommuting is likely to be a selling point for the productivity and 'deskless worker' tools in the Microsoft Online Services lineup

07/09/2008 11:12 AM

Fibre broadband demands more bandwidth

A study by the FTTH Council Europe has found households with fibre to the home currently drive three times more traffic than those with ADSL

07/09/2008 09:42 AM

Nokia urges users to recycle mobile phones

Research by the company claims only three percent of users recycle their old mobile phones, with most devices left at home unused

07/09/2008 09:35 AM

Microsoft pushes hybrid SaaS model

The company has told partners that customers will increasingly adopt hybrid models of on-site software and software as a service

07/09/2008 09:05 AM

Gov't ditches £10.8m e-passport scheme

The Identity and Passport Service has abandoned plans for any further investment in the troubled EPA2 scheme

07/09/2008 08:34 AM

Fix found for net security flaw
A patch is released to protect computers against a security flaw that could direct internet users to fake websites.
07/09/2008 03:58 AM

Hydrogen refuel station unveiled
UK firm offers greener way to drive and a home-brewed refuel station to keep the hybrid car going.
07/09/2008 10:52 AM

Divide on games industry ratings
A row develops between the games industry and the UK's content classifiers over who should regulate video games.
07/08/2008 06:23 PM

Europe votes on anti-piracy laws
Late changes to proposed European telecoms laws could see suspected copyright pirates banned from the net.
07/07/2008 05:42 PM

MEPs back contested telecoms plan
European politicians vote in favour of changes to a telecoms law which campaigners say could hit online privacy.
07/08/2008 11:28 AM

Cleantech money hits record
Despite a downturn in venture capital, the amount of money being ploughed into clean technology is on a roll.
07/09/2008 12:06 AM

Online risk due to browser flaws
Almost half of net users are at risk because their browsers have not been updated to the latest version, says a study.
07/08/2008 10:42 AM

Call for web to stay open for all
Sir Tim Berners-Lee calls on governments to make sure the web stays open and accessible.
07/07/2008 04:46 PM

Fans line-up in Asia 2 days before new iPhone launch
TOKYO/WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Seeking to be one of the world's first to grab the new-generation iPhone, fanatical Apple fans around Asia are queuing up two days before its launch, undiscouraged by rain or freezing temperatures.

07/09/2008 11:04 AM

Dreamworks to use Intel technology for 3-D movies
NEW YORK (Reuters) - DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc plans to use chips from Intel Corp for the creation of 3-D movies, the companies said on Tuesday.

07/08/2008 04:31 PM

"Rock Band" ready to roll out second edition
NEW YORK (Billboard) - "Guitar Hero" won't be the only music videogame to launch its sequel in time for the holidays.

07/08/2008 10:27 PM

Microsoft sets pricing, fee sharing for services
SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp introduced on Wednesday pricing for its suite of online services targeted at corporate customers and a revenue-sharing plan to encourage other companies to sell the software company's products.

07/08/2008 08:57 PM

LG Display Q2 net profit surges, faces slowdown ahead
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's LG Display Co Ltd's quarterly net profit more than trebled thanks to strong demand for flat screens, but future earnings will take a hit as the global economic downturn curbs consumer spending.

07/09/2008 10:30 AM

EA says has complied with FTC request on Take-Two
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Video game publisher Electronic Arts Inc said on Tuesday it complied with a regulator's request for more information on its Take-Two Interactive Software Inc bid, moving a step closer to buying its rival.

07/08/2008 11:02 PM

Microsoft Windows DNS Server RPC interface remote code execution vulnerability
Microsoft Windows contains a vulnerability that can allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code.
07/09/2008 12:00 AM

Microsoft Windows MsgBox remote code execution vulnerability
Microsoft Windows contains a vulnerability that can allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code and possibly take complete control of the affected system.
07/09/2008 12:00 AM

Microsoft Windows Animated Cursor remote code execution vulnerability
Microsoft Windows contains a vulnerability that can allow an attacker to execute remote code.
07/09/2008 12:00 AM

Microsoft UPnP HTTP Request arbitrary code execution vulnerability
Microsoft UPnP contains a vulnerability that can allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code.
07/09/2008 12:00 AM

Microsoft Agent URL Parsing remote code execution vulnerability
Microsoft Agent contains a vulnerability that can allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code.
07/09/2008 12:00 AM

Surviving Outsourcing?
An anonymous reader writes "As some of you may know, HP is negotiating with DPWN, parent company of DHL, to take on outsourced parts of DPWN's global IT Services business unit. As a worker in that business unit, I and my colleagues are part of what HP is negotiating for. I moved into my current position fresh out of university and so far haven't experienced corporate shake-ups or outsourcing initiatives. I enjoy my work and the opportunities that go with it, which is why this announcement was so distressing to me at first. Then I began hearing about the opportunities HP has internally. If you've been through a similar experience, what advice would you give for someone being outsourced? Should I 'ride the wave' and join the new company and culture, or dust off the old CV/resume?"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

07/09/2008 10:35 AM

"New" Words From the Geek Culture
thatskinnyguy sends news of Merriam-Webster's 2008 list of new words and, to no-one's surprise, a good number of them come out of geek culture: words like webinar, malware, netroots, pretexting, and fanboy are now official words according to M-W. The CNet article pulls out one "new" word for special appreciation — mondegreen — and, while the article gets the origin right, it ends with a lame call for readers to send in their favorite mondegreens. (CNet does have the good grace to link the Kiss This Guy site.) SFGate columnist Jon Carroll has been collecting readers' mondegreens since 1995 and his list is bound to be better. Quoting Carroll, in a prophetic mode: "This space has been for some years the chief publicity agent for mondegreens. The Oxford English Dictionary has not yet seen the light, but it will, it will." Would you believe, Merriam-Webster's?

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

07/09/2008 08:11 AM

Linguistic Problems of GPL Advocacy
Reader Chemisor advances a theory in his journal that a linguistic misunderstanding is at the root of many disagreements over different licensing philosophies, in particular BSD vs. GPL. The argument is that GPL adherents desire the freedom of their code, while those on the BSD side want freedom for their projects. "It is difficult to spend a week on Slashdot without colliding with a GPL advocate. Eager to spread their philosophy, they proselytize to anyone willing to listen, and to many who are not. When they collide with a BSD advocate, such as myself, a heated flamewar usually erupts with each side repeating the same arguments over and over, failing to understand how the other party can be so stupid as to not see the points that appear so obvious and right. These disagreements, as I wish to show in this article, are as much linguistic as they are philosophical, and while the latter side can not be reconciled, the former certainly can, hopefully resulting in a more civil and logical discourse over the matter." Click below for Chemisor's analysis of the linguistic chasm.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

07/09/2008 05:46 AM

The Handwriting of Type Designers
jamie found this blog post wherein an Australian Web technologist, Cameron Adams, wondered whether the handwriting of his favorite type designers encoded some sort of influence on their designs. So he wrote to them and asked for a sample. The result will make you slow down and appreciate the beauty and the aesthetics of type. Or else it won't.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

07/09/2008 03:57 AM

Sci-Fi Books For Pre-Teens?
o2binbuzios writes "I have two pre-teen boys who are avid readers, and I am going through my mental catalog for great sci-fi & fantasy books for them. What are some of the classics (and maybe new additions to the classics) that would be great for them to read? I am asking because some of the 'straight-up' classics I remember actually seem kind of dark & cynical for younger readers. Starship Troopers and some of the other Heinlein are definitely darker and more political than I remember... Foundation Trilogy and psycho-history maybe too dry. Road-trip reading season is upon us — what are the good reads for the kids in the back seat?"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

07/09/2008 02:08 AM

Kodak Unveils 50MP CCD Image Sensor
i4u writes in to let us know that Kodak has announced the world's first 50 million pixel CCD image sensor for professional photography (i.e., for medium-format cameras). Engineering-grade devices of the CCD, the KAF-50100, are currently available. Kodak plans to enter volume production in Q4 2008. "At 50 megapixels, the sensor captures digital images with unprecedented resolution and detail. For instance, with a 50 megapixel camera, in an aerial photo of a field 1.5 miles [about 2.5 km] across, you could detect an object about the size of a small notebook computer (1 foot by 1 foot)." Here's CNet's Crave blog with a few more technical details.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

07/09/2008 12:22 AM

Senate Scrutinizes Privacy Issues of ISP User Tracking
Hugh Pickens writes "As companies collect, use, and disseminate data regarding online users, there is concern that tracking individuals' Internet activity and gathering information from online users violates their expectations of privacy. The Senate Commerce Committee will hold a hearing Wednesday to look at the policy issues, and the hottest topic will be proposed systems by which ISPs can watch users and sell information about their surfing habits to advertising companies. The Center for Democracy and Technology has issued a report suggesting that these systems may violate federal law (PDF). 'Advertising per se is not the evil here,' says Leslie Harris from CDT. 'It's the collection of individuals' information, usually without their knowledge, always without their consent, creation of profiles and the complete inability of people to make choices about that.' On the other side NebuAd, the most active ad-targeting company, says its profiles are interest-based, and not personally identifiable. 'We have designed our entire company to make sure that we stay on the opt-out side of those laws and policies,' says NebuAd CEO Robert Dykes. Charter Communications announced last month that it would suspend a trial of NebuAd due to customer concerns about privacy."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

07/08/2008 11:30 PM

Online "Public" Spaces Don't Guarantee Rights
mikesd81 recommends an AP piece covering a lot of examples of the ways free speech and other rights don't exist on the private Web. One case featured was that of Dutch photographer Maarten Dors, who had this picture deleted by flickr. Without prior notice, Yahoo deleted the photo on grounds it violated an unwritten ban on depicting children smoking. While Dors eventually got the photo restored, after the second time it was deleted, the case highlights the consequence of having online commons controlled by private corporations. "Rules aren't always clear, enforcement is inconsistent, and users can find content removed or accounts terminated without a hearing. Appeals are solely at the service provider's discretion. Users get caught in the crossfire as hundreds of individual service representatives apply their own interpretations of corporate policies, sometimes imposing personal agendas or misreading guidelines. First Amendment protections generally do not extend to private property in the physical world, allowing a shopping mall to legally kick out a customer wearing a T-shirt with a picture of a smoking child." Reason.com has some more analysis on the issues brought up by the AP story.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

07/08/2008 10:41 PM