 Trojan Snags World Of Warcraft Passwords
Attackers hope to take over users' accounts, then make money by selling the players' in-game goods, such as weapons.
A new password-stealing Trojan targeting players of the popular online game "World of Warcraft" hopes to make money off secondary sales of gamer goods, a security company warned Tuesday. MicroWorld, an Indian-based anti-virus and security software maker with offices in the U.S., Germany, and Malaysia, said that the PWS.Win32.WOW.x Trojan horse was spreading fast, and attacking World of Warcraft players.
If the attacker managed to hijack a password, he could transfer in-game goods -- personal items, including weapons -- that the player had accumulated to his own account, then later sell them for real-world cash on "gray market" Web sites. Unlike some rival multiplayer online games, Warcraft's publisher, Blizzard Entertainment, bans the practice of trading virtual items for real cash.
News Posted by : GoogleFreak On
: May 4, 2006, 3:13 pm
News Source : Information Week
Oblivion Re-Rated M for Mature
ESRB bumps up game's rating from T for Teen, says Bethesda failed to properly report objectionable content in ratings submission.
Take-Two Interactive may not have a follow-up for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas yet, but it appears the publisher does have a pseudo-sequel to that game's Hot Coffee scandal on its hands.
The Entertainment Software Ratings Board today issued a parental advisory that it has changed the rating of Take-Two subsidiary 2K Games' hit role-playing game The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion for the PC and the Xbox 360. (Inital reports indicated that only the PC version of the game had been re-rated.) Originally released with a rating of T for Teen, the game has now been rerated M for Mature, due to "more detailed depictions of blood and gore than were considered in the original rating, as well as the presence of a locked-out art file or 'skin' that, if accessed through a third-party modification to the PC version of the game, allows the user to play with topless versions of female characters."
News Posted by : GoogleFreak On
: May 4, 2006, 3:12 pm
News Source : Gamespot
 Intel ViiV vs. AMD Live!
In the war to see who establishes a standard for digital entertainment computers archenemies Intel and AMD present their weapons: at one corner Intel with their ViiV platform ? which is the digital home concept that Intel is pushing for ages with a new name ? and at the other corner AMD with their Live! Platform. In this article you will learn the main specs for each platform and will see what you will be able to do with them.
A digital entertainment computer proposed by Intel ViiV and AMD Live! platforms is in charge of distributing digital content (data, music, movies, photos, etc) to other electronic equipment such as TVs, notebooks, MP3 players and PDAs. This digital entertainment computer should be able to record TV shows, videos, music and photos in DVD or CD. If you have this kind of PC at home it is possible for one person to watch a DVD movie being transmitted by it at one room of your house and, at the same time, another person listening to MP3 music at another room, also being transmitted by this computer, both using wireless communication.
News Posted by : GoogleFreak On
: May 4, 2006, 3:11 pm
News Source : Hardware Secrets
 Missing parenthesis causes 'critical' *nix flaw
An open-source security audit program funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has flagged a critical vulnerability in the X Window System which is used in Unix and Linux systems. Coverity, the San Franciso-based company managing the project under a $1.25 million grant, described the flaw as the "biggest security vulnerability" found in the X Window System code since 2000.
The X Window System, also called X11 or X, provides the toolkit and protocol to build GUIs for Unix and Unix-like operating systems.
Coverity Chief Technical Officer Ben Chelf said the flaw resulted from a missing parenthesis on a small piece of the program that checked the ID of the user. It could be exploited to allow local users to execute code with root privileges, giving them the ability to overwrite system files or initiate denial-of-service attacks.
The flaw was pinpointed during automated code scanning that formed part of the "Vulnerability Discovery and Remediation Open Source Hardening Project," a broad federal initiative to perform daily security audits of approximately 40 open-source software packages, including Linux, Apache, MySQL and Sendmail. The project will also pore over the code bases for FreeBSD, Mozilla, PostgreSQL and the GTK (GIMP Tool Kit) library.
The flaw, which affects X11R6.9.0 and X11R7.0.0, was fixed within a week of its discovery, and Chelf said Coverity has implemented a system to analyze the X Window System on a continuous basis to help prevent new defects from entering the project.
News Posted by : GoogleFreak On
: May 4, 2006, 3:09 pm
News Source : eWeek
AMD Quad-Core Opteron, Athlon 64 Processors Details Leak
Advanced Micro Devices has been relatively open in terms of its technology and platform roadmap, however, the firm is extremely tight-lipped about specifications or features of concrete products. Nevertheless, as web-site has published details concerning AMD?s quad-core processors be released within the next two years.
According to a part of a slide published at HKEPC web-site, they are code-named Deerhound, Greyhound, Zamora and Cadiz quad-core processors in AMD?s roadmap. Except the Greyhound, the chips are intended for dual-processor or multi-processor server as well as workstation markets.
News Posted by : GoogleFreak On
: May 4, 2006, 3:09 pm
News Source : Xbit Labs
Microsoft Granted Patent for Tracking Cookies
A patent for Tracking usage behavior in computer systems was granted to Microsoft Tuesday after the software giant explained how it can use invisible images and 'small sized cookies' to surreptitiously track visitors on its own and others' web sites."
Neowin member xpgeek who syndicated the story from Bink wrote "Unless I'm interpreting this wrong, sounds like a standard tracking cookie to me. And I'm a bit puzzled by this.
Why would Microsoft even want this patent? Obviously everyone is already doing it, could they be planning to enforce it and actually put a stop to malicious tracking cookies for good, is that their intention, or, are they just getting a patent on it, with no plans to enforce it, before someone else does and makes a long drawn out legal, and stupid, mess trying to enforce it."
Lets hope its for implementing a standard. Microsoft was not immediately available for comment.
News Posted by : GoogleFreak On
: May 4, 2006, 3:08 pm
News Source : Tech Dirt
 Draft 802.11n Standard Fails to Pass
A draft version of the 802.11n standard failed to pass a first ballot on May 2, leading existing 802.11n vendor Airgo to criticize existing "pre-802.11n" products that have already shipped. Although the 802.11n working group informally compromised on a draft standard in January, the 40-day letter ballot period closed May 2 without a formal 75 percent approval of the Draft Standard 1.0. Forty-six percent of the voters approved the draft, according to members.
The backward-compatible 802.11n standard was designed to gradually replace today's Wi-Fi, with theoretical throughputs of about 300 Mbits/s, far faster than the 54 Mbits/s that the current 802.11g standard offers today
News Posted by : GoogleFreak On
: May 4, 2006, 3:07 pm
News Source : eWeek
Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars official
The epic struggle between the Global Defense Initiative (GDI) and The Brotherhood of NOD continues...and the third Tiberium War is about to begin. Welcome back, Commander. Electronic Arts today announced that Command & Conquer, the groundbreaking series that put the Real-time Strategy (RTS) genre on the map, is returning in full force with Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars. This highly-anticipated next chapter takes the popular series back to its roots in the Tiberium universe and features the fast, fluid gameplay that Command & Conquer is known for and a gripping story that will redefine storytelling in RTS games.
It is 2047 and the stakes could not be higher. Tiberium; a self-replicating alien substance that has infected the Earth; is spreading like a radioactive ice age. The GDI, a high-tech alliance of the world's most advanced nations, is fighting to contain Tiberium, but Kane, the megalomaniacal leader of The Brotherhood of NOD has other plans for Earth. Kane's secret society turned superpower is bent on using Tiberium to take control and transform humanity into his twisted vision of the future. All-out war rages over Tiberium and the fate of the planet rests in the balance.
"Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars combines fast-paced gameplay with new ways to tell a story in an RTS game," said Mike Verdu, Executive Producer at EA Los Angeles (EALA). "We're building a next generation Command & Conquer game that is true to the spirit of this classic franchise, but is updated with state-of-the-art visuals, added strategic depth, and gameplay innovations that will move the genre forward. I am very excited to be working on this amazing game."
"We have been waiting to reveal this game for quite some time and are thrilled to bring the series back to where it all began," said Louis Castle, VP of Creative Development at EA Los Angeles (EALA) and co-founder of Westwood Studios, creator of the Command & Conquer series. "The Tiberium universe is a personal favourite of mine, and this saga's new direction will prove to be a worthy addition to one of the most celebrated RTS franchises."
Experience a revolution in RTS gaming with a breakthrough single player campaign that rewards you for your gameplay style. Add layers of strategy to your gaming experience by building mobile bases, wielding the power of terrifying Ion Storms on the battlefield, or customising your armies by combining units. Battle it out online with native voice-over IP, integrated clan support, and new spectator modes that let you play RTS games like a sport. Currently in development at EALA, Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars will ship in 2007 for Windows PC. This product is not yet rated by PEGI or USK.
News Posted by : GoogleFreak On
: April 25, 2006, 2:50 pm
News Source : GamesIndustry
Microsoft to Detail External HD DVD Drive for Xbox 360 at E3
Microsoft Corp, the developer of the popular Xbox 360 game console and the backer of HD DVD standard, said in an interview that it would detail its external HD DVD disc drive for the latest gaming machine at E3 trade-show in San Francisco, California next month.
In an interview with German Spiegel Online web-site Chris Lewis, vice president of the home and entertainment division for Microsoft Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region said that the company would unveil some new details concerning the already announced external HD DVD drive for the Xbox 360. He said that with the help of the drive users will be able to watch HD DVD movies and, probably, have some other benefits.
News Posted by : GoogleFreak On
: April 25, 2006, 2:50 pm
News Source : X-Bit
Steam gets more games
As per Valve's announcement a few weeks ago, it looks like Valve will meet its stated three games per month release schedule for its digital distribution service Steam. Just announced earlier today are two new games that should be releasing very soon on Steam.
The first game is a game that has been available for awhile but now joins the digital distribution age. Shadowgrounds, a Sci-Fi top-down perspective game that has been out in Germany and Finland for several months. They feel making it available to Steam's 8 million plus userbase would be a good marketing decision for them. Shadowgrounds offers upgradeable weaponry, a very well done lighting and shadow system, co-op play (only on the same PC however) and a destructible environment. Shadowgrounds will be made available on Steam in early May for a price of $24.95 US.
The second game announced is called The Ship and is actually a newly developed retail game based on the original Half-Life 1 modification of the same name. The Ship is quite unique to say the least, and it offers fairly original gameplay mechanics to say the least. The game takes place on a luxury cruise ship in the 1920's and your goal is to murder people without being caught by security and of course trying to keep away from the other hunter on the ship. Needless to say the mod has a cult following to this day and the game while certainly not everyones cup of tea will cater to those who want a different multiplayer game. No word on pricing yet, though as with other Steam releases it should be at a fairly low price point. The Ship will release sometime later this summer using the Source engine.
News Posted by : GoogleFreak On
: April 25, 2006, 2:49 pm
News Source : Neowin
Windows Vista Build 5365 Review and Screenshots
As most people will of heard, Windows Vista build 5365 was released to testers on Saturday, this build has not appeared on MSDN yet and has been tagged as an internal, so the chances of it being posted there are slim.
Initial reports are good, this build appears to be more stable and the dreaded UAP (User Account Protection) behavior has changed, allowing more simple tasks to be done without having to click away 3 different dialogs. There are a few reviews on the web, I've linked to one which I thought was quite good.
"After many falsepieces of information over the last few days regarding vista plus theanger being expressed by many Vista beta testers, Microsoft havefinally released what everyone has been waiting for, a new build. Itcomes in the shape of 5365, the same build Bill Gates showed off inJapan with screenshots being posted on WinFuture.de. I have finally gotaround to downloading and installing the latest vista build. In thisreview I will look at what has changed the improvements and anythingelse I feel like mentioning." Read on @ Bartys Blog
News Posted by : GoogleFreak On
: April 25, 2006, 2:46 pm
News Source : Neowin
Videogames help burn calories
A recent study says that playing games is a workout.
According to a study done by Dr. Arlette Perry from the University of Miami, playing videogames can be a physical workout. Dr. Perry gathered together 21 boys between seven and 10 years old and had them play Tekken 3 competitively against each other. The study reports that as the boys played the game their heart rates went up as well as their blood pressure. The level of exertion was compared to brisk walking or cycling.
Don't cancel your gym membership just yet. While the competitive game playing apparently showed an increased rate of calorie burn, it reportedly did not effect glucose and lactate levels. Dr. Perry stresses in her report in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine that, "Videogame play... should not be considered a substitute for regular physical activities." Still, Dr. Perry says that "if (gaming)... is used to replace time spent watching television or simply resting, videogame play can serve to more positively affect energy expenditure."
News Posted by : GoogleFreak On
: April 19, 2006, 3:52 pm
News Source : Gamespy
VR games pit pets against owners
If you've ever wanted to match wits with your pet hamster, Mice Arena could be the game for you.
As in a traditional video game, players navigate a virtual world in a bid to stay alive. The twist? Computerized movements in Mice Arena are mapped to and from the real world, where an actual predator (your hamster) gives chase to a digital avatar (you) by pursuing a real piece of bait. The avatar's movements in the virtual environment direct the bait around a small tank fitted with actuators that mold and twist an elastic latex floor into the changing terrain of the game map. The hamster's pursuit in the tank is monitored by infra-red sensors that relay its position to the computer screen.
Researchers at Emerging Art and Architecture Research Group, or RASTER, and Singapore's Mixed Reality Lab have so far developed a game engine for Mice Arena, and they're currently syncing it to actuators that manipulate the shape of the arena floor. They are also in the process of building a remote-control bait mechanism for the hamsters to chase. They expect to demonstrate a fully functional prototype by November.
"We want to enable pets to play games in a way very similar to the way human players' play," said RASTER's Vladimir Todorovi?, a collaborator working on the Metazoa Ludens project. "To play a computer game with your hamster would definitely make us think about where we have come with digital tradition now."
News Posted by : GoogleFreak On
: April 19, 2006, 3:52 pm
News Source : Wired News
Microsoft Game Studios Acquires Lionhead Studios
REDMOND, Wash. ? April 6, 2006 ? Microsoft Game Studios (MGS) today announced it has purchased U.K.-based Lionhead Studios, one of the world?s leading and most innovative video game developers and creators of ?Fable?,? the hit Xbox? and Windows? franchise.
Lionhead Studios will immediately begin creating content exclusively for the Xbox 360? and Microsoft? Windows platforms. The companies previously worked together on the popular role-playing games ?Fable? for Xbox and ?Fable: The Lost Chapters? for Xbox and Windows, which have collectively surpassed the 2 million global unit sales milestone, making ?Fable? the best-selling role-playing franchise on the Xbox platform. ?Fable? and ?Fable: The Lost Chapters? enable players to make decisions that affect their character?s skills, appearances and morality and the world around them.
?At Microsoft Game Studios we have worked hard to become the best partner for the best creative talent in our industry, and this acquisition underscores our commitment to excellence,? said Shane Kim, general manager of Microsoft Game Studios. ?Peter Molyneux is one of the few true visionaries in our industry, and his joining us is incredibly important to the future of both interactive entertainment and MGS. Lionhead is a shining example of the innovative and creative talent that has delivered some of the most influential and unique games experiences to date, and I am honored to welcome Peter and the incredible people at Lionhead Studios.?
News Posted by : GoogleFreak On
: April 7, 2006, 12:08 pm
News Source : Lionhead Website
Firefox Grabs 10 percent of Internet Browsers
Firefox, the free, open-source browser from Mozilla, quietly gained enough users in March to finally grab 10 per cent of the web browser market, according to a report released by web audience measurement firm Net Applications.
Firefox was used by 10.05 per cent of web surfers last month, up from 9.75 per cent in February. That compared to the 84.7 per cent of users on various versions of Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) in March.
Apple's Safari browser took third place with 3.19 per cent of the market, while Netscape grabbed fourth place, with 1.05 per cent of the market, followed by Opera with 0.54 per cent and Mozilla with 0.34 per cent.
News Posted by : GoogleFreak On
: April 7, 2006, 12:07 pm
News Source : Macworld
 Apple Becomes Windows PC Platform, Launches Boot Camp
It doesn't get much more clever. You've flogged consumers an expensive Intel PC, with OS X, and then let them pay for the privilege of running Windows XP on it. Welcome to 21st century Apple, and say hello to their latest software offering called Boot Camp.
? Apple has no desire or plan to sell or support Windows, but many customers have expressed their interest to run Windows on Apple?s superior hardware now that we use Intel processors,? said Philip Schiller, Apple?s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. ? We think Boot Camp makes the Mac even more appealing to Windows users considering making the switch.?
Despite the sickening smugness, Schiller is right. Apple's boxes amazingly seem to run Windows rather fast, making it a very attractive choice for end users. The software makes Microsoft, and frankly, its OEM PC partners, look decidedly dated - as their product page attests. " Macs use an ultra-modern industry standard technology called EFI to handle booting. Sadly, Windows XP, and even the upcoming Vista, are stuck in the 1980s with old-fashioned BIOS. But with Boot Camp, the Mac can operate smoothly in both centuries."
Boot Camp will simplify what has hitherto been a rather difficult and risky process of installing Windows, by creating a partition and creating a driver disk to make sure everything works. Previous efforts had been community driven, and involved raising a significant prize fund eventually won by two coders. But it's not just about making life easier for these users. It's about making the switch decision a lot easier. With Vista delayed, the much hyped Apple re-birth as more than just an iPod maker seems clear and solid.
Boot Camp will be fully available in the next version of OS X, code named 'Leopard', but a beta is available online now. It requires 10GB of free space on your hard drive, and a copy of Windows XP with SP2. Note that Apple makes it very clear it does not support users who install Windows XP on their Intel Macs. Just encourages it, and enjoys it.
News Posted by : GoogleFreak On
: April 7, 2006, 12:04 pm
News Source : Neowin
Download : Boot Camp Beta
UK Tech Store 'Dixons' to become Currys.digital
One of the UK's largest technology retailers, Dixons, is to rebrand it's stores as Currys.digital in the coming months. With both stores owned by DSG International, all 190 Dixons outlets in the UK will become part of Currys. The move is expected to save the firm ?3m annually, with a ?7m cost for the rebranding.
The Dixons brand has been operating in the UK for almost 70 years, selling new technology (such as VCRs and cameras) to the masses as it became available. Dixons will continue to operate as an online only retailer after the changeover. John Clare, DSG's chief executive, said: "I am very excited about the prospects for the Dixons brand as a pure play e-tailer."
Other stores owned by DSG International in Europe include The Link, PC World and Elkjop.
News Posted by : GoogleFreak On
: April 7, 2006, 12:03 pm
News Source : DSG International
McAfee Gobbles Up Web Ratings Security Startup
Anti-virus security specialist McAfee has wasted no time gobbling up SiteAdvisor, a 1-year-old startup that rates the Web to determine if a site's content includes spyware, spam, viruses, browser-based exploits or online scams. McAfee announced April 5 it is acquiring the tiny Boston-based company that counts respected anti-spyware activist Ben Edelman among its roster of backers.
Financial terms of the acquisition, which come just one month after the official launch of the SiteAdvisor browser plug-in service, were not released. McAfee, of Santa Clara, Calif., did not say how it would integrate SiteAdvisor with its existing product suite, but a source close to the company said the plan is to leverage SiteAdvisor's massive database of shady Web sites for use in consumer-facing and enterprise offerings. "In addition to the consumer benefits, SiteAdvisor offers great potential for our enterprise solutions as well," said George Heron, vice president and chief scientist at McAfee.
News Posted by : GoogleFreak On
: April 7, 2006, 12:02 pm
News Source : eWeek
 BBC Seeks HD-TV Volunteers
The World Cup is just around the corner, and with only Telewest and soon Sky offering High Definition content for some channels, those of us that have splashed out on a new TV set will be left disappointed come kick off. Thankfully, a lucky select few in London will be given the opportunity to receive High Definition broadcasts through Freeview.
The BBC led initiative will offer a handful of Londoners not only HD coverage of England?s World Cup matches, but ITV, Channel 4 and Five will also offer a High Definition service. The trial will only be possible because of the use of a low powered transmitter, which would cover some London areas, without interfering with normal Freeview broadcasts.
Participants wishing to take part in the trial will need to live in the London area and have a HD-TV already. The trial is planned to take place before the start of the World Cup finals.
News Posted by : GoogleFreak On
: April 7, 2006, 12:02 pm
News Source : BBC
Tomb Raider: Legend demo
Tomb Raider: Legend revives the athletic, intelligent and entertaining adventurer who won the hearts and minds of gamers worldwide. Lara comes alive with intricately animated expressions, moves and abilities. An arsenal of modern equipment, such as a magnetic grappling device, binoculars, frag grenades, personal lighting device and communications equipment, allows gamers to experience tomb raiding as never before.
News Posted by : GoogleFreak On
: April 3, 2006, 2:40 pm
News Source : 3D Gamers
Download : Demo
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