RSS FeedNews Portable Hacking Device in the Palm of Your Hand
2006
A portable hacking device equipped with hundreds of exploits and an automated exploitation system will go on sale in the United States in October.
The wireless handheld, called Silica, is the latest product to be developed by Immunity, a Miami-based security company that sells penetration testing products and services.
An early version of Silica, which supports 802.11 (Wi-Fi) and Bluetooth wireless connections, has been fitted with more than 150 exploits from Immunity's Canvas product to allow security professionals to conduct pen tests while walking through office cubicles.
Real Player will offer Windows Media on Linux by December
2006
Real Networks by December is preparing to launch a Linux version of its Real media player for Linux, enabling the users to play audio and video files in the Windows Media format.
The company's Helix player for Linux currently supports Windows Media, but the upcoming Real player has more advanced features, said Jeff Duchmann, Real's general manager for client and digital rights management technologies told vnunet.com.
Blu-ray Disc Software for Mac
2006
Sonic Solutions, the leader in digital media software, broke new high-definition ground today with the release of Toast 7 with Blu-ray Disc (BD) support -- the first application of its kind for the Mac. The software ushers in a new era of advanced optical disc recording providing Mac users with the ability to store as much as 50 GB of data on a BD-R (recordable) or BD-RE (rewritable) disc. The Blu-ray Disc capabilities extend Toast's long history of Mac-platform firsts and exemplify Sonic's commitment to helping the industry make a successful transition to next-generation formats. Toast 7 with BD support is available exclusively for original equipment manufacturers developing next-generation external BD drives. The first drives to feature Toast 7 with BD support are expected to be available later this quarter.
Making the recently impossible now possible for Mac users, Toast's Blu-ray Disc features include Toast Dynamic Writing, which for the first time enables users to record files simply by dragging and dropping files onto a disc in the same convenient way they would move or copy files to a removable storage device. The ability to store as much as 50 GB of data makes Toast an ideal solution for archiving extensive digital music collections or protecting critical files and precious memories too large to fit on a standard DVD. In addition to its Blu-ray capabilities, Toast 7 is now also a universal application that runs natively on both Intel-based and PowerPC-based systems.
AMD acquires ATI for $5.4 billion
2006
Sunnyvale (CA) and Markham (ON) - AMD bets $5.4 billion on its future: The company today announced that it will acquire ATI to "fight against the monopoly" and to create application specific platforms in the commercial, mobile and consumer electronics segments. AMD also said that, within two years, the company wants to offer processors that integrate graphics functionality.
Early Monday, AMD confirmed acquisitions rumors that circulated over the past few weeks on the Internet: During a conference call, AMD and ATI unveiled their plans to merge the two firms into a new "processing powerhouse." According to AMD chief executive officer Hector Ruiz, ATI is the "best partner for innovation and choice" for AMD and will enable the company to create platforms and solutions its "customers have been asking for."
Zune player, Microsoft's MP3 Player
2006
Microsoft's Zune player is designed to be a counterpunch to the iPod, but it could deliver a sharper blow to some of the company's longtime partners.
For years, Microsoft has been trying to combat Apple Computer's music system by offering a technology that can be used on an array of devices and be mutually compatible with several subscription and pay-per-download sites. Now, however, the software maker is singing another tune.
Confirming months of speculation, the software maker said Friday that it plans to enter the market with its own Zune-branded music player and software. It leaves one question up in the air, however: Just how much attention will now go to Microsoft's PlaysForSure program, which promotes the broad range of services and players that use its Windows Media technology?
Microsoft says it is not abandoning that 2-year-old effort. But it has not said whether its new player will support outside music services that use the Windows Media format, or whether any Zune service will work on outside players. On top of that, it has certainly not played up compatibility in what it has to say about Zune.
Apple's Wireless Mighty Mouse
2006
Apple today introduced the wireless Mighty Mouse, a new version of its popular multi- button mouse, now with the added freedom that only wireless connectivity can provide. The new wireless Mighty Mouse offers a reliable, secure connection to Macs and features a new laser tracking engine that is 20 times more sensitive than standard optical mice for better tracking on even more surfaces. Priced at just $69, Apple's wireless Mighty Mouse includes up to four independently programmable buttons and an ingenious Scroll Ball that lets users scroll in any direction.
We cut the cord on our popular Mighty Mouse to give consumers even more flexibility when using a Mac, said David Moody, Apple's vice president of Worldwide Mac Product Marketing. "A Bluetooth-enabled Mac desktop with an Apple Wireless Keyboard and Mighty Mouse is the ideal cable-free setup at home or in the office, and the wireless Mighty Mouse is the perfect travel companion for the MacBook user on the go."
Brain sensor allows mind-control
2006
A sensor implanted in a paralysed man's brain has enabled him to control objects by using his thoughts alone.
The experimental set-up allowed the man, who has no limb movement at all, to open e-mail, play a computer game, and pinch a prosthetic hand's fingers.
The US team behind the sensor hopes its technology can one day be incorporated into the body to restore the movement of paralysed limbs themselves.
Border patrol for Internet Explorer
2006
A security start-up is borrowing a technique from the research labs to try to give Internet Explorer PCs relief from Web-based attacks.
GreenBorder Technologies, a venture-backed start-up, plans to release on Tuesday a security tool that puts Microsoft's IE in a virtual sandbox. Called GreenBorder Pro, the product uses virtualisation technology similar to what researchers at antivirus companies have been using for years. In a virtual environment, malicious software is allowed to execute, but it can't touch the underlying operating system.
We provide a safe environment for running IE, said Jim Fulton, vice president of marketing at US-based GreenBorder. "You can literally go to any Web site, even if it is full of exploits, full of nasty stuff, (and) GreenBorder will keep it isolated from your machine."
Microsoft To Enforce VLK Compliance For Vista
2006
Enterprise customers can forget about the honor system Microsoft has in place for reporting Windows licenses they consume.
Starting with the release of Vista and "Longhorn" Windows server next year, customers will be required to register their volume license keys (VLK) with Microsoft within 30 days of acquisition and report their license usage on a monthly basis, executives said.
It's a very different system than what is in place today, sources said.
In the enterprise, there is no client activation. You get a master set of bits and a number of licenses. It's always been up to you and an external auditor to verify that you didn't deploy more copies than you had licensed, said one source familiar with the plan, who asked not to be named. "This is designed to formalize the process."
Three held over virus e-mail plot
2006
Three computer experts have been arrested over an alleged international plot to spread viruses via e-mail.
Police say the viruses run without the knowledge of the computer owner and allow criminals to access any stored private and commercial information.
The three men are alleged to have targeted UK businesses since at least 2005, and infected computers worldwide.
Those arrested are a 63-year-old in Suffolk, a 28-year-old in Scotland and a 19-year-old in Finland.
They are suspected of being members of an online group called M00P, delivering the viruses as attachments on unsolicited e-mails known as spam.
Microsoft's Plea: Don't Turn Off User Account Control
2006
A Microsoft security guru is pleading with Windows Vista beta testers to not turn off the User Account Control feature, regardless of how annoying it is.
Jesper Johansson, a senior security strategist in the Security Technology Unit at Microsoft, admits that the current implementation of UAC presents too many privilege escalation pop-up prompts, but he insists there is a method to the apparent madness.
Unless we get feedback on what works and what does not, we can't fix it. If you disable critical technologies that we are trying to get to work, we can't fix them, Johansson said in a blog entry. "That means that, yes, some things will be annoying and not work quite right in the final release, unless people work with us to fix them," he added.
Microsoft Offers Online Demo Of Office 2007
2006
Microsoft late Monday unveiled an online version of Microsoft Office 2007 that users can test drive without downloading the beta or ordering a DVD preview.
Office 2007, which is to roll out in November (for corporations) and January (for consumers), has been available in a Beta 2 preview edition for more than a month. Test Drive, however, is aimed at users who balk at installing pre-release software.
The online test-drive offers the perfect opportunity for everyone to experience an easier and better way to work, said Chris Capossela, vice president of the information worker group, in a statement.