 Microsoft and eBay Hook up to Catch Pirates
Microsoft and eBay are working together to stop the sale of pirated software on the online auction site. The companies said in a statement that over 21,000 suspect software sales were removed from the eBay UK site between August and October this year. Around half were sales of counterfeit copies of Windows, and 36 per cent were fake copies of Microsoft Office.
Microsoft claimed that the crackdown is working because eBay removed 11,535 suspected counterfeit sales from the site in August. This fell to 4,460 in September and 5,423 in October. But many sellers have insisted that eBay is not doing enough to tackle fraud. Richard Coleman, a regular eBay user from Luton, said: "I have been the victim of at least three fraudsters. One was a mobile phone that did not exist, another was a registration code for an online gaming service that was illegal, and the third was a pirated DVD.
News Posted by : GoogleFreak On
: December 9, 2005, 2:53 pm
News Source : Vnunet.com
 Google Desktop Tweaked to Avoid IE Flaw
Google Inc. has made an "adjustment" to its Google Desktop application to protect users from an unpatched design flaw in Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Explorer browser. The bug, which was discovered and reported by Israeli hacker Matan Gillon, provides malicious attackers with an easy way to use Google Desktop or other Internet-facing applications to covertly hijack user information.
"We have made an adjustment to the product to help protect users," said Google spokesperson Sonya Boralv. She declined to provide details on the extent of the Google Desktop modifications. Boralv said users aren't required to take any action to get protected because the changes were made "on our end" to block the remote access attack vector.According to Gillon's public advisory, which included a proof-of-concept exploit, the flaw exists on fully patched IE browsers with default security and privacy settings.
News Posted by : GoogleFreak On
: December 9, 2005, 2:53 pm
News Source : eWeek
Mozilla Firefox 1.5 Exploit Made Public
Code for a crippiling Firefox exploit was made available Wednesday allowing malicious users to create sites to disable Mozilla Firefox.
The flaw may be an "exploit" but as yet no 3rd party code gets executed via this particular bug so system security is unaffected. The latest Firefox vulnerability exists in the history.dat file, which stores information from Web sites users have visited with the Firefox 1.5 browser. If the topic of a page is crafted to be long enough, it will crash the browser each time it is started after going to such a page. Once this happens, Firefox will be unable to be started until you erase the history.dat file manually.
It is being suggested that if the topic was more tightly crafted than in the proof-of-concept code, a more malicious attack could be crafted that would install malware on the machine and would have much worse consequences.
The Mozilla Foundation has recognised the flaw but denies that there are any websites using the flaw for malicious purposes like installing malware on users machines. An update via Firefox's autoupdate feature is likely to follow once Mozilla have fixed the issue.
For the time being we recommend that users disable their history to ensure that they're not affected by this issue.
The following link below is a link to live code to demonstrate the exploit. Once you have closed Firefox down after visiting the Proof Of Concept, please ensure that you delete your history.dat from your Firefox profile. Thank you.
News Posted by : GoogleFreak On
: December 9, 2005, 2:50 pm
Download : Proof of Concept
 0 Day Excel flaw for sale on eBay
According to The Sydney Morning Herald today someone is selling code for an undiscovered bug in Microsoft's Excel application.
The code is "0 day", zero day means information that is not publicly available and is used to describe security vulnerabilities exploits which are unknown to security professionals. According to the seller the bug was found 3 days ago and the seller has made Microsoft aware of the issue.
"So, since I was unable to find any use for this by-product of Microsoft developers, it is now available for you at the low starting price of $0.01 (a fair value estimation for any Microsoft product). A percentage of this sale will be contributed to various open-source projects."
As a special offer, he said Microsoft representatives who bid would get 10 per cent off the price they offered. "To qualify, you
must provide @microsoft.com e-mail address and must mention discount code LINUXRULZ during checkout," the seller specified.
News Posted by : GoogleFreak On
: December 9, 2005, 2:48 pm
News Source : The Sydney Morning Herald Article
Mozilla Firefox 1.5 tweak guide
Mozilla Firefox is a great Internet browser, applauded by users and critics alike for its features, performance, usability, customisation and security. Firefox 1.5 builds on Firefox 1.x by adding an integrated auto-update system, improved pop-up blocker and improved standards support, not to mention thousands of bug fixes.
This updated guide will take you through all that Firefox 1.5 has to offer covering the options menu, about:config preferences, CSS, extensions and more.
News Posted by : GoogleFreak On
: December 9, 2005, 2:48 pm
News Source : Tweak Guide
Microsoft Patch Day: 2 Bulletins on Tap
Microsoft Corp. has announced plans to ship two security bulletins on Patch Tuesday next week, and security analysts say it's a safe bet that one will cover critical flaws in the Internet Explorer browser. As part of its advance notice mechanism, Microsoft said at least one of the two bulletins will be rated "critical," but details are being withheld until Dec. 13.
"I'd be shocked if they didn't issue a fix for IE," said Marc Maiffret, co-founder and chief hacking officer at eEye Digital security, a research company that regularly reports software flaws to Microsoft. Maiffret noted that at least one unpatched IE flaw was being exploited by malicious hackers to plant backdoors on vulnerable machines; he argued that Microsoft should act responsibly and ship an IE update. Even after Patch Tuesday, Maiffret said that several dangerous Windows flaws will remain unpatched.
News Posted by : GoogleFreak On
: December 9, 2005, 2:47 pm
News Source : eWeek
Blue screen of Mac
Microsoft Corp. today announced that McDonald?s Corp. has selected Microsoft? Windows? XP Embedded as the foundation for its new point-of-sale (POS) platform. McDonald?s selected Windows XP Embedded due to its exceptional performance and unique retail design, and the ability to work with a single vendor that can provide a wide breadth of solutions for its restaurants. To date, McDonald?s has deployed Windows XP Embedded to several thousand devices across Europe and Asia and plans to eventually roll out the Microsoft operating system for its worldwide standard POS platform. By standardizing on Windows XP Embedded, along with one POS application, McDonald?s will be able to further streamline operations and make restaurant crew training faster and more cost-effective while easily integrating and maintaining devices from multiple POS hardware providers.
?Our No. 1 priority remains to deliver the best restaurant experience to our customers,? said Dave Weick, chief information officer at McDonald?s. ?Windows XP Embedded is a great fit for McDonald?s as we look to provide our customers more convenient options ? from cashless payment to gift cards to whatever may come next".
"McDonald?s is a complex and dynamic global organization,? said Paula Paravecchio, global industry manager of stores and multichannel solutions in the Worldwide Retail & Hospitality Industry Unit at Microsoft. ?By using a flexible and open technology platform, McDonald?s will be well prepared to optimize its existing infrastructure and build a solid foundation for bringing the next generation of customer service innovations to its restaurants.?
News Posted by : GoogleFreak On
: December 9, 2005, 2:46 pm
News Source : MS Press Pass
 XFX GeForce 6800 GS XXX Edition Review
Nope ... not X-Rated at all, but this card is certainly very special. A couple of weeks ago we reviewed a GeForce 6600 from that wicked company called XFX. One week later NVIDIA however decided to throw in their Christmas release and lifted up the spirit by releasing yet another new graphics card, the GeForce 6800 GS. So since we like XFX so much and since this is going to be a hell-of-a popular graphics card for a lot of people in that Christmas spirit, we just had to take a peek at another GeForce 6800 GS, from XFX .. the XXX editon. At default it has extremely high clocks, so high that the card will beat a GeForce 6800 GT easily.
XFX did something really extraordinary with this "XXX Edition" product in two fold. First of all the higher core and memory clocks are just brilliant. It boosts the performance way beyond the 6800 GT for a better price. A default manufacturer overclock will always fall under the manufacturers warranty. This means at these lovely clock speeds you are two years safe of any defects. Secondly I just have to mention the inclusion of both Far Cry and Call of Duty 2, now that's just great value isn't it ? The 6800 GS from XFX simply is a fantastic choice, period.
News Posted by : GoogleFreak On
: December 9, 2005, 2:45 pm
News Source : Review @ Guru3D
 Unreal Tournament 2004 Retail Patch v3369
This patch is completely compatible with the retail version - servers and clients of any flavor can connect with each other.
This patch will not overwrite your ut2004.ini and user.ini files, except to update settings as necessary. This patch
includes all changes made in Patches 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,and 6. This patch should be installed *after* installing the Epic ECE Bonus Pack, as it updates some of the game code included with the bonus pack.
General Gameplay:
* Fixed DriverLeft() not be called when driver dies in vehicle without vehicle being destroyed. This fixes the vehicle not resetting, and fixes effects like the engine sound not being turned off.
* Fixed some vehicle weapon effects staying around when bots stopped firing them.
* Fixed spider mine layer incorrectly reducing mine count when a fired spider mine immediately explodes.
* Fixed manta and raptor spinning sometimes when player enters
* SPMA camera explodes if it hits water.
* Don't allow SPMA camera view to go outside world.
* Invasion HUD radar uses the viewed pawn's rotation rather than the spectator's rotation.
* Fixed low gravity not working properly in second and successive rounds of onslaught.
News Posted by : PCGamer On
: December 5, 2005, 2:39 pm
News Source : 3D Gamers
Download : Patch
EA Sued Over Feature in 'Madden NFL 06' Video Game
A video game developer has sued Electronic Arts Inc., charging that the world's biggest video game publisher stole an idea for a game feature he had and incorporated it in the popular football title "Madden NFL 06." "We have read the complaint and the allegations are completely without merit," an EA spokeswoman told Reuters on Friday.
In his lawsuit filed November 28 with the California Superior Court in San Mateo County, Virtual Jam owner Pernell Harris said he met with EA in late 2003 to discuss "Heart of a Champion," a football game he was developing in which players guide an athlete from high school to professional football. Among other things, players pick the athlete's parents and handle all kinds of daily experiences from sports practice to school homework.
News Posted by : PCGamer On
: December 5, 2005, 2:38 pm
News Source : Reuters
PSP update adds audio goodies
Today Sony released an update for PSP. This update boosted the system's audio funtions. The update can be installed directly through the PSP using System Update. When connected to the internet through your PSP, you can get the update from Sony's Website to a memory stick and then installed, or can be ran from an updated UMD disc.
Updates:
1) RSS (Really Simple Syndication v2.0) functionality has been added for audio streams. PSP owners connected to the Internet can now easily check through Web sites for updated streaming audio content such as podcasts. The RSS function works only for streaming audio files, and playback only.
2) Windows Media Audio files are now supported with Firmware 2.6. Copyright-protected files will not be playable, but all other WMA files saved on Memory Stick Duos can be heard through the PSP's Music menu.
Smaller additions include volume adjustment in the control panel of the LocationFree player, Chinese character font support for the Internet Browser, and copy-protected video content downloadable directly to the unit's Memory Stick Duo.
News Posted by : PCGamer On
: December 5, 2005, 2:37 pm
News Source : Gamespot
Intel Reaffirms Intention to Make Chips Using 32nm Process
Intel Corp. indicated at A.G. Edwards computer/microprocessor technology conference that transistor miniaturization is expected to proceed further and currently the company is on track to start making central processing units (CPUs) using 32nm process technology starting from 2009. It is not the first time when Intel reaffirms its clients and investors that it is able to start 32nm production in 2009. Due to very thin structures of transistors in case of 32nm process technology, special ? extreme ultraviolet lithography ? tools are needed for appropriate production. The main idea of extreme ultraviolet lithography is ability to ?draw? substantially finer circuits on wafers when making chips than it is possible today.
Development of such manufacturing tools is a very complex process that may slowdown deployment adoption of the new fabrication process. In early 2004 Intel provided Cymer, a leading supplier of deep ultraviolet light sources used in semiconductor manufacturing, $20 million in funding over the following three years to accelerate development of production-worthy extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography light sources.
News Posted by : Gumbo On
: December 5, 2005, 2:36 pm
News Source : Xbit Labs
Hynix debuts 512Mbit GDDR4 DRAM
Hynix Semiconductor announced the availability of its 512Mbit GDDR4 DRAM for graphics applications on December 2. Hynix will soon begin to sample its GDDR4 products to leading graphic chipset suppliers and the company plans to start mass production in early 2006.
GDDR is a high-speed graphics DRAM that processes moving pictures and graphic data in personal computers and game consoles. The fourth-generation graphics memory GDDR4, which improves data processing speed by close to two times than that of GDDR3, is ideal for 64-bit computer operating systems that manage vast amounts of data at once. The Hynix?s 16Mx32 512Mbit GDDR4 operates at 2.9Gbps and processes 11.6 Gigabytes of data in one second.
Rival Samsung Electronics announced its development of 256Mbit GDDR4 memory in late October. Samsung plans to introduce samples of 2.8Gbps GDDR4 by the end of this year with mass production to follow by the second quarter of 2006.
News Posted by : GoogleFreak On
: December 5, 2005, 2:36 pm
News Source : Digi Times
Microsoft Works on Comcast E-Mail Problem
Microsoft said Friday that some people who use its Hotmail and MSN e-mail services are not receiving e-mail sent from Comcast accounts and other Internet service providers. Brooke Richardson, a group product manager with Microsoft's MSN online division, said the problem appears to be due to an increase in e-mail volumes, which it is attributed in part to the Sober Internet worm.
She said the high volumes are causing e-mail to either be delayed or not make it to MSN and Hotmail users at all. Richardson said the problem began earlier this week. She would not name the other Internet service providers besides Comcast whose users were encountering the same problem. She also couldn't say when the problem would be fixed.
News Posted by : GoogleFreak On
: December 5, 2005, 2:35 pm
News Source : CRN
Promise of fuel cells turns out to be Fool's Gold
AS the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) approaches, there are five computer technologies goodies I am really hoping and praying to see work ? as in, built in working pre-production devices that will turned into real, on-my-Big-Box shelf gadgets by the 2006 holiday shopping season. Preferably before December 2006, thank you very much. I don't want to see breadboard gizmos or way-cool "engineering prototypes" that will take another two years to field. I want real things that I can spend real money on.
News Posted by : GoogleFreak On
: December 5, 2005, 2:35 pm
News Source : The Inquirer
Microsoft Tweaks Browser to Avoid Liability
Microsoft is changing the way its Web browser handles certain controls in an effort to shield itself from liability in an ongoing patent spat with a start-up backed by the University of California.
The software giant is notifying Web developers and other partners on Friday that it is changing the way Internet Explorer handles certain Web programs, known as ActiveX controls and Java applets. With the change, Web developers will need to slightly modify their pages or consumers will have to make an extra click to get to some content, such as for a Macromedia Flash-based advertisement.
"We think that the user experience impact is relatively modest," said Michael Wallent, a general manager in Microsoft's Windows-client unit. Microsoft will incorporate the new version of Internet Explorer into all new copies of Windows and also into the next version of the browser, IE 7, which will be available for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and as part of Windows Vista. Existing users may also get the new code as part of future security updates, Wallent said.
News Posted by : Gumbo On
: December 5, 2005, 2:33 pm
News Source : CNet
Gmail Virus Scanning Draws Some User Complaints
The virus-scanning feature Google Inc. added to its Gmail Web mail service this week has generated concern, bewilderment and disappointment among some users. The three main complaints being aired in Gmail discussion groups are: The virus-scanning feature can't be turned off.
Gmail's long-standing virus protection -- blocking all executable file attachments -- will remain in place. Finally, Google isn't saying which vendor is providing the antivirus technology. A Google spokeswoman said that, while Google gives thoughtful consideration to user feedback, for now it has no plans to make the antivirus feature optional, nor does it plan to stop blocking executables. She also declined to identify the source of the antivirus technology Google is using.
News Posted by : Frederic On
: December 5, 2005, 2:32 pm
News Source : InfoWorld
Microsoft Touts Vista's Restart Manager Feature
Microsoft Corp. is working on a significant new feature for Windows Vista, known as Restart Manager, which is designed to update parts of the operating system or applications without having to reboot the entire machine. Microsoft officials have not talked much publicly about this new feature, but Jim Allchin, the co-president of Microsoft's platform products and services division, recently told eWEEK that this is an example of just how important the reboot issue was to the Redmond-based software giant.
"If a part of an application, or the operating system itself, needs to updated, the Installer will call the Restart Manager, which looks to see if it can clear that part of the system so that it can be updated. If it can do that, it does, and that happens without a reboot," he said. "If you have to reboot, then what happens is that the system, together with the applications, takes a snapshot of the state: the way things are on the screen at that very moment, and then it just updates and restarts the application, or in the case of an operating system update, it will bring the operating system back exactly where it was," Allchin said.
News Posted by : Timbo On
: December 5, 2005, 2:31 pm
News Source : eWeek
Flaws Found in RealNetworks Media Player
Two flaws in RealNetworks' popular RealPlayer could let attackers commandeer Windows computers running the software, eEye Digital Security has warned.
The vulnerabilities affect RealPlayer on all versions of Windows, according to two short advisories that eEye published Thursday. To exploit the flaws, an attacker would craft a special media file and host it on a Web site or trick a user into opening it, Steve Manzuik, security product manager at eEye, said Friday.
"I don't think there is an immediate risk to users. We have no evidence of others knowing or exploiting the flaw," Manzuik said. Researchers at eEye told RealNetworks about one of the flaws on Nov. 16 and reported the second on Nov. 30, according to the advisories. eEye regards a patch as "overdue" 60 days after it has reported a vulnerability, so RealNetworks has some time to come up with a fix for the bugs.
News Posted by : DoDgEtHiS On
: December 5, 2005, 2:31 pm
News Source : CNet
Paint.NET 2.5
Paint.NET is image and photo manipulation software designed to be used on computers that run Windows 2000, XP, Vista, or Server 2003. It supports layers, unlimited undo, special effects, and a wide variety of useful and powerful tools.
It started development at Washington State University as an undergraduate senior design project mentored by Microsoft, and is currently being maintained by some of the alumni that originally worked on it. Originally intended as a free replacement for the MS Paint software that comes with Windows, it has grown into a powerful yet simple tool for photo and image editing. The programming language used to create Paint.NET is C#, with a small amount of C++ for setup and shell-integration related functionality.
News Posted by : DoDgEtHiS On
: November 28, 2005, 12:36 pm
News Source : Paint.NET
Download : Paint.NET 2.5
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