System to completely disable stolen handphones

By PAUL CHOO, News

CYBERJAYA: Handphone thieves and their fences may soon be out of business.

A national database for lost and stolen handphones will be set up and any handphone reported lost will be completely disabled. This means a stolen handphone cannot be sold to anyone to be used even with a new SIM card, said Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) chairman Datuk Dr Halim Shafie.

Similar schemes launched in Britain and Australia had proven to be successful. Statistics in Britain had shown that in the first six months following the launch of the programme in November 2002, almost 500,000 lost or stolen mobile phones were blocked.

In Australia, there was a 23% drop in mobile phone thefts within 12 weeks of the launch of the scheme.

Dr Halim said the Government was setting up the database to curb the alarming increase in handphone thefts in the country. Last year, some 100,000 handphones were reported lost; the actual figure could be much higher than that as most Malaysians are reluctant to report the loss of items like handphones.

The move will also incorporate a nationwide handset blocking service, meaning that those who lose their handphones will be able to render the devices useless upon reporting their loss to the database operators.

This includes barring the PIN Unblocking Key (PUK), which provides access to the SIM card.

With the system, consumers and handphone traders can also check if a handphone offered to them is stolen.

The service, however, will not be compulsory and it will not be free. There will be an affordable one-time registration fee.

The MCMC will gather all registered International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) codes from all telcos and govern the database.

A lost phone, which has been registered in the database, will be re-activated by the respective telcos upon verification of the handphone's IMEI code.

All handphones are assigned a unique 15-digit IMEI code in the factory. The code can be accessed by pressing *#06#.

The code is unique to every Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) handphone and is used by mobile service providers to identify the validity of the devices.

"It is imperative that an individual note down the IMEI code and keep it in a safe place.

"This is to enable one to present the code and verify that he is the actual owner of the stolen phone when it is recovered," said Dr Halim.

He described the move as a landmark collaboration between the MCMC, Malaysia's mobile service providers, the police, the Federation of Malaysian Consumer Associations and the Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation.

"With phone thefts in Malaysia growing rapidly from year to year, this database will certainly benefit the public and relevant authorities," he told The Star after opening the Seminar on Inter-Carrier Blocking of Lost or Stolen Handsets here yesterday.

In explaining its benefits, Dr Halim said it would reduce crimes such as snatch thefts and house break-ins, in addition to the enhancement of personal security – especially of children and the elderly.

"More importantly, we must take into account that the database would reduce the Government's revenue leakage because of unapproved and unpaid taxes on handphones smuggled into the country.

"Ultimately, our goal is to urge the public to alert the authorities of their losses and blacklist stolen devices, and eventually render mobile phone thefts as a useless business," he said.

TheStar TechCentral

Half-day cheque: Banks to have new clearance system soon

By JO TIMBUONG

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians will no longer have to wait several days for cheques to clear after a new electronic clearance system is introduced in August – every cheque, whether local or outstation, will clear in just about half a day.

Bank Negara has directed all banks to comply with the paperless Cheque Truncation and Conversion System (CTCS), according to Rototype International group chief executive officer Harres Tan. Rototype makes the cheque-clearing kiosks and scanners that support the system.

CTCS is expected to be in full operation by early next year.

With it, the cheques are scanned and images are transmitted into a bank's system. Bank personnel will verify the cheques on computer terminals.

The images of the verified cheques will then be transmitted to Bank Negara, and they will be cleared within 12 hours, said Tan, who spoke at the Bank Tech Asia 2007 conference here.

"If the cheque is deposited after banking hours, it will be cleared by 2pm the next day."

Images of the cleared cheques will also be stored in a central image archive operated by Bank Negara.

Tan said the system is already being used in the United States.

CTCS transactions can be done in two ways – either at a bank counter or via Rototype's self-service kiosks on the premises.

"Either way, the process will be the same," Tan said.

At the counter, he said, the cheques will be put through a desktop scanner that will capture its image and time-stamp it before sending it to be verified.

He said the kiosks work the same way, but are able to handle up to 35 cheques per transaction.

Tan said most banks would also be looking to better secure their automated teller machines (ATMs) in the near future.

He said they would likely be installing biometric security features in the machines to prevent unauthorised use.

"Customers will need to place their thumb on a reader at the ATM before proceeding with a transaction," he said.

A foreign bank in the country has already adopted this feature, said Tan.

TheStar TechCentral

New on the market

Samsung Malaysia Electronics' latest Ultra Edition II Series and Ultra Music F300 mobile phones promise the best in technology in sleek and attractive designs.

Ultra Edition II portfolio is available in three models – a stylish slider, a metallic clamshell and a candy bar handset – and boasts features that include 3.2 mega pixel camera, high-speed web connectivity and extensive multimedia and audio capabilities.

Touted as a complete music player phone with superb sound quality, Ultra Music F300 has dual LCD screens and other features packed in a 9.4mm slim profile.

Hewlett-Packard has introduced HP OpenCall Mobile Video Solutions that can help mobile operators make their 3G video services more attractive to subscribers, and also easier for them to use.

The three solutions includes the HP OpenCall Video Messaging, which allows mobile phone users to send and receive video messages as easily as voice messages.

HP OpenCall MMS Call Completion allows users to create call response messages that prompt the caller to leave a photo, video or voice message.

The other product in the portfolio allows users to access a range of video services, such as video blogging in community portals and interactive TV.

Intel Corp has announced a slew of new technologies, including faster IntelR CoreT2 Duo processors, for its latest-generation IntelR CentrinoR processor technology used in notebook PCs for consumers and businesses.

More than 230 Intel Centrino Duo and Intel Centrino Pro processor technology-based designs from PC manufacturers, resellers and integrators worldwide are expected to take advantage of these and other features this year.

Dell Linux PCs go on sale Thursday

Dell said on Wednesday night it will begin selling three models of PCs with Ubuntu Linux preinstalled on Thursday.

The company announced the models on its Direct2Dell Web site and said they'll go on sale at www.dell.com/open by 2 p.m. PST Thursday.

The three models are E520n desktop and the E1505n notebook, both with a starting price of $599, and the XPS 410n, with a starting price of $899. The move will fulfill a schedule the company committed to earlier this month.

Dell announced the Linux PC plan after being inundated with requests from potential customers. The Round Rock, Texas-based company has been trying to engage with customers as part of an effort to restore its flagging competitiveness.

Lionel Menchaca, digital media manager, touted the new systems as evidence of Dell's reform. "Thanks for giving us a chance to show what Dell 2.0 is about. While this is a milestone that a lot of us will remember, it's just the beginning--plenty more to come," he said.

Robots make you rich

We've seen the robots that mow your lawn, save your life, hit on your girlfriend, make you an omelet, dispense Kleenex, even make abstract artwork--but where are the robots that help make you filthy rich? We found two robot contenders today that should at least pay for themselves over time.

First off, John Corney from Wiltshire, UK has spent the past seven years perfecting a remote controlled metal detector. Inspired by robotic land mine sweepers, John adapted a wonderfully selfless and humanitarian idea into something far more personally rewarding. Although he spent approximately $3,800 to develop and build the robot, he claims to have already salvaged hundreds of antique coins.

Old valuable junk is great, but what about some serious dough. Well, the Tampa-based Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc. announced recently that they've used their own underwater robot (named Zeus) to recover over $500,000,000 worth of silver and gold coins from a colonial-era shipwreck. Zeus weighs in at 8 tons and uses 2 arms and 8 thrusters to explore and collect its ancient booty. The location of the shipwreck has been kept secret until the salvage effort is complete.

Crave.Cnet.Com

Prepaid iPhones? We'll see about that

The Boy Genius came across AT&T screen shots that show the Apple iPhone will be available to the carrier's Go Phone prepaid users once it launches next month. Such news is contrary to everything we've heard about the iPhone so far (and granted that isn't much) so we're a bit skeptical the screen shots are authentic. The iPhone's price with a plan is already sky-high at $499 for a 4GB version and $599 for an 8GB version so it's not far-fetched to suggest that the cost of an iPhone sans any service rebates would be astronomical. And since prepaid plans are typically marketed toward cell phone users that don't want to pay a monthly fee, it's hard to imagine a Go Phone customer forking over that much cash. It just doesn't make much sense but we suppose it could happen. Like everything with the iPhone, we'll have to wait and see.

Crave.cnet.net

Sonos offers new hardware bundle, adds Pandora compatibility

In the past, Sonos has offered two configurations of its multi-room Digital Music System--the original ZonePlayer 100 Bundle, and the more recent ZonePlayer 80 Bundle. The built-in amplifier on the ZP100 meant that you needed only to add speakers, while the amp-less ZP80 was designed to plug into a nearby stereo system, AV receiver, or boombox. As of today, the company is splitting the difference. The new BU130 bundle includes one ZP100, one ZP80, and--the key ingredient--the company's unique CR100 wireless remote, which offers complete control of the two-room system with its iPod-like scrollwheel and color LCD screen. The BU130 costs $1,000--that's a 20 percent savings versus buying the three components separately. The previous two configurations will fade away, but the individual components--the ZP100 ($500), ZP80 ($350), and CR100 ($400)--continue to be available, so you can mix and match Sonos systems to your heart's content. With support for up to 32 stations (ZP80 or ZP100) per household, your budget is the only real constraint.

In addition to modifying its hardware bundle, Sonos is also upgrading its system software. A free upgrade (available immediately to all existing Sonos owners with the push of a button) adds compatibility with the Pandora online music service. The online streaming service (which costs $36 a year after the 30-day free trial) can be controlled directly through the Sonos remote, so there's no need to have

Wireless mouse never needs batteries

What if someone claimed to have invented a wireless mouse that never needed batteries or a recharger? Yeah, we'd say they were nuts too. But Gizoo is offering one that does just that and even makes the claim in its name: the Battery-Free Wireless Mouse.

How? It draws its energy from the electricity in a companion pad that, unlike the mouse itself, does need a power cord that connects to the computer's USB port, according to Coolest-Gadgets. It may not sound all that useful at first--after all, you're still tethered by the pad's cord--but we've actually had RSI problems resulting from the use of wired mice, so this would make a lot of sense for us. Especially because we're too cheap to buy batteries.

Sony VAIO TZ series shipping in Japan

The rumored VAIO TZ that we previously reported on has arrived! Importer Dynamism.com has begun selling the Sony VAIO TZ90, the latest T series laptop currently shipping in Japan.

The TZ90 commemorates the launch of Sony's first ultraslim notebook, the VAIO 505, almost 10 years ago. That laptop sired a long line of tiny ultraportables , including the X505, T series, and TX series.

Back in the day, $2,000 would get you a 200MHz Pentium processor, 32MB of RAM, a 2.1GB hard drive, integrated modem, and external floppy. With the VAIO TZ90, you get considerably more, though the starting price has increased to $2,299: a 1.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo U7600 ultralow voltage processor (which means the TZ90 is not yet a Santa Rosa system), an integrated DVD burner, and your choice of a 160GB hard drive or a 32GB solid-state drive--or both, if you're willing to sacrifice the optical drive. The VAIO TZ90's 11.1-inch display incorporates LED backlights, which have helped extend battery life on previous VAIO models. The backlights also allow for thinner screens, which contribute to the TZ90's scant 2.3-pound weight.

As mentioned earlier, the TZ90 is available only in Japan and through Dynamism for the time being; we can't wait to see it on our shores.

T-Mobile Wing takes flight today

Finally! Ever since the release of Windows Mobile 6 back in February, we've anxiously awaited the arrival of supported devices, and we're not talking about software upgrades or smart phones of the announced-but-not-yet-shipping variety (a la Motorola Q 9). No, if you're anything like us, you want to get your hands on one now and you finally can.

Today, T-Mobile and HTC announced the immediate availability of the T-Mobile Wing (aka HTC Herald)--through select T-Mobile retail stores and online, for $299.99 with a two-year contract. As the successor to the T-Mobile MDA, the Wing runs the latest Windows Mobile 6 Professional Edition, sports a revamped design, and features an upgraded 2-megapixel camera. So why are we slightly disappointed? Read our full review to find out.

Chip choices confusing customers

Buying a PC is always confusing, and chip companies aren't doing as good a job with some important customers as they might like, according to a new survey from In-Stat.

Even early adopters of technology are having trouble associating the right brand with the right company, said Ian Lao, an analyst with In-Stat and author of the report. Some brands, like Via's Eden, are only recognized by half of early adopters, he said. (I'd actually say that's pretty good for a company as tiny as Via).

The most well-recognized brand is still Intel's Pentium brand, which has been in place for over a decade. But while Intel can take pride in that result, it creates a problem when the company is trying to sell its latest Core 2 Duo chips, which are far more powerful than the Pentium-era chips. Intel has backed off a bit from the so-called "platform" marketing espoused by CEO Paul Otellini in favor of more specific advertisements around the Core processors over the past six to eight months.

Graphics chip companies are actually doing a pretty good job reaching the public, even if the raw numbers don't suggest it, Lao said. Both Nvidia's GeForce and AMD's Radeon brand were recognized by just over 40 percent of early adopters surveyed by the market research firm, even though the majority of the PC market uses integrated graphics. Still, aren't the early adopters generally the ones who want souped-up PCs capable of running anything and everything?

ICFF Field Report: Light-up huggable pillows are soooo Crave

To those who stepped in late: here at Crave, we like things that light up. So when I saw these huggable light-up pillows at ICFF, I more or less concluded that no matter what they were, they had to be blogged. Turns out they're the inaugural product from designer Diana Lin, and they're called the Rei Huggables (pronounced "ray," you know, like sunlight).

Basically, a Rei pillow is a set of 12 LEDs encased in soft silicone cases that are stashed inside a fuzzy pillow cover. The ellipse-shaped silicone cases give each pillow a sort of amoeba-like look, and they're available in white, pink, and gold. They can be powered either by four AA batteries or an AC adapter, and they're warm to the touch so that they can help keep you nice and toasty when it's cold out.

Luminous pillows, I should note, are generally not among our favorite glowy items. And the Rei's eyebrow-raising price--$125 for a single pillow--isn't really our style. But they sure are cute!

Using high-tech security to beat fraud

By THEAN LEE CHENG, StarBiz

In a move to prevent fraud, 92 out of 100 Malaysians are prepared to give fingerprints and iris scans to verify their identity with banks, government departments and other organisations, says global technology services and solutions company Unisys.

Its vice-president and general manager for Asia South Scott Whyman says the result parallels findings in the latest Unisys Security Index for Malaysia in May that 77% of Malaysians aged between 18 and 64, living in Peninsular Malaysia are either extremely or very concerned about the threat of identity theft.

The two areas they are most concerned about are the unauthorised access to or misuse of personal information, and other people obtaining credit/debit card details.

The May 2007 survey was conducted by Synovate Malaysia on 903 Malaysians in four market centres and 12 urban/rural areas.

The previous one was done in September 2006. Two more surveys will be done in September and November this year.

Whyman says the overall security index for May 2007 went up six notches to 179 from 173.

Eight questions pertaining to four broad areas were asked. The four areas are national security, financial, Internet and personal security. The objective of the survey is to understand the public's concern about the different security issues.

The same security index is also rolled out across Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong.

"Those surveyed were most concerned about personal security," says Whyman.

He says "security" can broadly be divided into old world security and new world security.

Old world security, he says, essentially revolves around robberies, break-ins and theft. New world security moves in the realm of the digital. That is where technology and companies like Unisys come in.

Unisys provides technology and solutions to enhance security. Its clients are mainly governments, the banking sector and airlines and airports.

Unisys is the system integrator for MyKard, which is now used by 24 million Malaysians.

Whyman says the four areas are:

# National security, which includes war or terrorism and health epidemic;

# Financial, which involves other people obtaining and using your credit/debit card details and one's ability to meet essential financial obligations, such as housing, rental and other bill payments;

# Internet, which includes computer security in relation to viruses and unsolicited emails and e-banking and e-shopping and

# Personal security, includes unauthorised access to or misuse of personal information and one's overall safety over the next six months

Since Sept 11, 2001 (when terrorists flew planes into iconic sites in the US), things have been different. In the last five years, with the advances made in the digital age, things have occurred which we have never seen in our lifetime, he says.

Because credit card fraud has become a major concern for all banks, Whyman says it is up to the banking sector, and on a broader scale, the commercial sector to invest in security infrastructures to curb fraud.

"Malaysia has one of the most advanced systems in the world with the biometric MyKad, which has a chip containing all sorts of information about the carrier. But to a very large extent, it is used merely as an identity card.

"It can be very much more. Malaysia, both the government and the commercial sector, needs to think how this information can be used.

"The government has already invested in the infrastructure. It is now up to the private sector to take the system to the next level by leveraging on the infrastructure. It can begin with banking and financial institutions. They will need to spend on capital expenditure to take it to the next level. When they do this, they protect their own business."

He says Australia is watching what Malaysia is doing because they are mulling over having the same biometric system.

He says Unisys will continue to hammer the message home with their security index reading in the region.

"MyKad can be more than just an identity card. It has many other applications which up till now, remains untapped," he says.

Giving students the right skills

PUTRAJAYA: The Government wants the school curriculum to be more relevant to industry because this will help enhance human-capital development in the country.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the Government is developing an education curriculum that is dynamic and which can cater for the changing needs of the private sector.

"We should (also) not just concentrate on training students to be knowledge workers at the tertiary level but right from the secondary school level," he said at the 10th MSC Malaysia- International Advisory Panel summit here.

"We need to improve the knowledge infrastructure in schools — not just physically, but also to ensure that there are better teachers and courses."

Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein and Minister of Higher Education, Datuk Mustapa Mohamed, have been tasked to look into the matter.

"We will also seek recommendations from the private sector on what to include in the curriculum, so that we can equip students with the knowledge and skills that are needed," Abdullah said.

The Government also wants more collaboration between universities and the private sector in research and development.

He said this would help universities understand businesses and learn of the new developments in the industry, so that the students can be better prepared for the real world.

"We are now driven by a knowledge-based economy.

Malaysia needs to produce more knowledge workers because they are the ones who will move the country forward," Abdullah said.

Source : TheStar

Hundreds Click on 'Infect Me' Google Ad

Hundreds of users have clicked through to a Google AdWords advertisement offering to infect users with a virus, according to a blogger.


The experiment, run by Didier Stevens, a blogger who says he works for the consultancy group Contraste Europe, is the latest, if slightly puzzling development to reinforce the growing danger from drive-by downloads.

To see how easy it was to lure in users via Google's AdWords, Stevens bought the drive-by-download.info domain and placed an AdWords ad reading:

Drive-By Download

Is your PC virus-free?

Get it infected here!

drive-by-download.info

Stevens has run the campaign for six months now, with 259,723 ad displays, and says he has had 409 clickthroughs.

The ad has cost him only 17 euros so far, which by Stevens' reckoning adds up to €0.04 per potentially compromised machine. Most of the systems visiting the site, 98 percent, ran Windows.

"I'm sure I could get much more traffic with a higher Google Adwords budget and a better-designed ad," Stevens said in a blog posting.

Stevens said he deliberately made the ad look fishy, but encountered no problems from Google. Google might counter that it took no action because the site is not actually dangerous-- Stevens' site doesn't itself contain any malicious software.

Drive-by downloads, often placed on seemingly innocuous sites without the site owner's knowledge, exploit known vulnerabilities to place malicious software on a user's computer.

The sites are increasingly even making use of prominently placed advertisements on Google and elsewhere to lure in their victims.

Stevens' site is still running, but he decided to write up his results thus far because of recent publicity around the issue, including a Google study which found that hundreds of thousands of sites have now been infiltrated by drive-by download mechanisms.

3G operators scrabble for killer apps

SEOUL (Reuters) - Mobile operators around the globe are busy rolling out 3G services and upgrades, dreaming of a day when users casually make video calls and download movies, allowing companies to reap several times more revenue per phone.


But that rosy future remains elusive. Despite the billions of dollars spent on new networks and marketing, operators are still struggling to find the new features customers cannot live without that will finally make 3G pay.

"I've got a 3G phone but I don't use '3G features'," said Kang Hatan, a research fellow in a lab in Seoul. "Video calls are too expensive and it's hard to find time to watch mobile TV."

Analysts say many operators have neglected the development of content and services that their customers want in their headlong pursuit of new technology. Meanwhile users are still mostly just using their phones to make voice calls and send text messages.

"As of now, it's difficult to pinpoint the killer service for 3G networks," said Lee Bang-hyung, Chief Operating Officer at SK Telecom Co Ltd..

Peter Erskine, the chief executive and chairman of Telefonica O2 Europe, agreed: "Text is the big standout."

As well as the video and music downloads they hope will attract younger users, operators are looking at new features such as video conferencing and localised mobile search services that work with the GPS navigators now fitted in many high-end phones.

"I think that's going to change things, location services," said Barry Diller, chief executive and chairman of IAC/InteractiveCorp.

"The idea you can do this is going to make the arc of adoption of people using (mobile phones) for multiple things and particularly for search."

SK's Lee cited financial settlements and upgraded roaming services among candidates for must-have applications.

NEXT GENERATION

Operators in developed Asian markets have been quicker to roll out 3G than their counterparts in Europe and the United States.

More than 74 percent of Japan's 97 million-plus subscribers were signed up for 3G services at the end of April. South Korea also expects a boost in 3G users as the leading operators launch upgraded 3G networks this year.

And operators everywhere are shifting from voice-centric 2G services to 3G at a growing pace.

According to the Global mobile Suppliers Association, the number of subscribers to W-CDMA networks, the 3G upgrade of the most popular GSM standard, is nearly 100 million worldwide after growing by more than 4 million a month on average in 2006.

Top handset makers are in a race to offer low-priced 3G phones equipped with a range of functions such as high-speed connectivity and video calls.

LG Electronics Inc.'s low-cost 3G phones and latest devices Hewlett-Packard Co. unveiled in China are among the examples.

Todd Bradley, executive vice president at HP's PC division, said rather than focusing on pricey marketing to spur 3G uptake, firms should concentrate on migrating bread-and-butter office applications onto next-generation devices.

"There are lots of things you can solve with tech, but the usage model is challenging -- as we sit here today, the killer app for these products is email," he said on the sidelines of a recent product launch event.

RIVALS EMERGE

Operators saw margins squeezed and profits hurt as they spent heavily to build new 3G networks and market new services. Now they face a looming threat from rival technologies.

Mobile WiMAX, in which U.S. operator Sprint Nextel will invest $3 billion by 2008, claims to provide cheaper and faster services than 3G by blanketing entire cities with broadband-speed wireless connections.

China, which has yet to approve 3G services, has invested in trials for high-speed WiMax technology, according to China Business News. South Korea's KT Corp. launched a commercial mobile WiMAX service in the capital Seoul last month.

"Wibro has strength in upstreaming," said Yoon Jong-lok, KT's senior executive vice president, referring to its mobile WiMAX service. "Every day we get more than 150 new subscribers ... for Seoul area, Wibro is a cheaper option."

Operators are also holding talks to set a common standard for even faster "fourth-generation" technology, which will enable two-way mobile communications in voice, video and data at a speed and scale only possible over broadband lines today.

But analysts warn customers want more than faster networks alone.

"It's not like we have a new application to make the best of new networks. Simply increasing the speed won't change the picture much," said Suran Seong, a senior analyst at research firm Ovum.

EGO Waterproof Sound Case for iPod

CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: Jasmine France
Reviewed on 5/4/07

We've said it time and time again: There's no shortage of speaker docks for the iPod. However, a speaker-cum-case is a bit less ubiquitous, and one that's also fully waterproof is even more of a rarity. The EGO Waterproof Sound Case for iPod from Atlantic combines all of these features and adds shock protection for the player for a fairly reasonable price of $149.99. If you want to listen to your iPod poolside--or heck, in the pool--this speaker case is a perfect fit.

Because it takes four AA batteries, the EGO Waterproof Sound Case isn't as light as it looks, but it is pleasantly compact--just 9.8 by 6.5 by 1.8 inches--and it will float in your pool. The overall design is quite cool in a retro sort of way: it reminds me of those see-through telephones of the early 90s. The case is totally clear with white speakers, which gives it a clean look befitting of summers. The corners are protected by rubber bumpers, and the casing is made of shatterproof polycarbonate, meaning it's rugged enough for any outdoor use. Even the iPod compartment is shock-absorbing to protect the player inside from any abuse the speakers take externally. Plus, although the cradle is sized for the iPod (4G and newer only), the speakers connect via a standard 3.5mm jack, so you could use any similar-size MP3 player with the unit.

The EGO Waterproof Sound Case is light on extras. There's no remote, and it doesn't add an FM tuner to the player. It does feature a built-in kickstand for those times when you prefer not to have it floating in water. Atlantic also includes rubberized fittings for the iPod Nano and iPod Mini as well as a wrist strap--presumably so the thing doesn't float away from you while you're lounging. There's even a rudimentary (and very long) shoulder strap that can be attached to the speakers for carting them around, leaving your hands free.

Unsurprisingly, the EGO Waterproof Sound Case doesn't offer much in the way of bass, though it's not entirely lacking--just don't expect to get a truly thumping low end. All in all, the speakers sound pretty good, though not spectacular. They deliver sparkling clarity and nice mids but fail to offer the amount of warmth and depth I normally demand from my music. I was impressed with the openness of the sound, though. In the final analysis, these speakers are more than decent enough for use poolside, and the 30-hour rated battery life is nothing to scoff at, either.

The good: The EGO Waterproof Sound Case for iPod features an innovative design that successfully protects the player during submersion in water. It's also compact and durable, it features a handy kickstand, and the clear casing gives it a cool, retro look.

The bad: The Waterproof Sound Case doesn't include a remote, and the integrated speakers are lacking in bass.

The bottom line: The EGO Waterproof Sound Case lets you enjoy your iPod outdoors while protecting player from the harsh effects of the elements--and it does an excellent job of it.

http://reviews.cnet.com/carrying-cases/ego-waterproof-sound-case/4505-6510_7-32341327.html?tag=cnetfd.mt

No more rumors: Blizzard announces Starcraft 2

The wait is over. No more speculation and no more rumors. Just a few hours ago, Blizzard announced Starcraft 2 at the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational in Seoul. This will be the first sequel to one of the most popular PC strategy games ever. The Terrans, Protoss, and Zerg are all coming back, each with their own unique style of play. The game's trailer was already up on Youtube by midnight and got almost 27,000 views in just over four hours.

Starcraft 2's release date hasn't yet been announced, but it won't be alone when it hits stores. Supreme Commander and Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars have been out for a few months already, and both are very hot strategy games in their own rights. By the time Starcraft 2 comes around, these other two games might be getting stale, or they might be getting even more popular, perhaps with new expansions. Considering how long the original Starcraft stayed at the top of the charts, I wouldn't discount either option. Blizzard has a lot of work to do if it wants to reclaim the title as king of the real-time strategy game. We'll just have to watch what happens as the screenshots and preview videos come pouring in.

http://crave.cnet.com/

TV on the go, and nothing else

In this age of convergence and the uber-device, you'd think everyone was clamoring for the digital Swiss Army knife that has become such a cliche. But some of us are purists when it comes to electronic entertainment--especially when it comes to television. Not that we watch tons of TV, of course; we at Crave are strictly PBS types (cough).

For those who can't live without the same Seinfeld reruns they've already seen hundreds of times, Japan-based BlueDot has a mini-TV that's under 5 inches long and less than half an inch thick, with a 4-inch screen. Electronista says the BTV-400 won't weigh down your pocket either, at just over 4 ounces, for about $247. It even has an electronic programming guide--the only problem is that it'll be in Japanese, at least for the time being, unless it gets exported.

The most remarkable feature of all? It's just a TV. Nothing else.

http://crave.cnet.com/

The world's first (only?) vinegar robot

Just because there are robots that clean pools, dispense tissues and make omelettes (badly), you may have thought that they've come up with one for pretty much everything. But we're willing to bet you hadn't thought of this: a bot that's an expert on vinegar.

That's right, in Japan--land of the future human-free society--the Tamanoi Vinegar Corporation has just hired a robot made by Buildup to make presentations about its namesake product. The inspiringly named Tamanoi Vinegar Robot "has a mouth that moves in sync with its voice, as well as a fiber-reinforced plastic outer shell that is colored black--like Tamanoi's black vinegar--with an iridescent coating that changes hue according to the viewing angle," according to Pink Tentacle.

Its first assignment will be to greet guests at the company's "Cyber Trip" amusement theater. (Vinegar is apparently big in Japan.) We hope this place doesn't attract too many small kids, because this thing looks more like a Star Wars villain than a cooking expert. By the way, does this mean its natural enemy is an oil bot?

Can the TubeSurround Sound headphones make you look angelic?

As some of you may have noticed, I have somewhat of a history with ridiculous wearable gadgets. And who am I to let that legacy die? Enter the TubeSurround Sound Headphones, which are--to say the least--interesting-looking. You wear them halo-style around your head, and then adjust the two tube-style earbuds into your ears. There is a point to this not-so-low-profile design: it serves to position six mini speakers in different spots around your head, thus creating a true surround sound experience. The TubeSurround then uses a combination of bone conduction and traditional audio to create an immersive experience.

Naturally, I got to pop these things on my head and do some preliminary testing with a variety of action/sci-fi films, and the headphones did a decent job at offering the full surround sound experience. They seemed to do better than headphones that offer "virtual" surround sound. However, I don't think I'll be sporting these out on the streets anytime soon, despite the fact that you can get the headband covers in a variety of colors. I have no trouble making a fool of myself without the help of said gadget, although--surprisingly--the images on the TubeSurround Web site are even odder than the one of me sporting the headphones above.

Technology 'fingerprints' valid credit cards, flags bogus ones

The way the particles land on a given credit card magnetic stripe are as unique as individual snow flakes or human fingerprints. So says a Magtek, a company that has developed a product, MagnePrint, for recording the unique magnetic media signature for all credit and debit cards scanned through its readers. The first scan by a MagnePrint reader creates a template against which all subsequent scans are compared.

MagnePrint is designed to prevent "skimming." Online carders buy credit card information from a black market database then copy that information onto a blank physical card using a machine that costs around $250. The skimmed card is then used in an ATM or a retail environment as though it were the original card until the credit or debit limits are maxed.

Using MagnePrint, faux cards are identified quickly. Even if you were to rerecord the magnetic stripe information on your credit card a second time (say you damaged your first card and seek a replacement), the magnetic particles on the second card would not match the original and would be flagged. The results are given in percentages, with around 80% considered to be enough of a match. The bank always has the ability to accept or deny the recommendations.

http://crave.cnet.com/

Maxis expands coverage in east Malaysia

KUCHING: Maxis Communications Bhd will invest RM50mil to expand network coverage in Sarawak and Sabah where cheaper packages are being offered.

Senior general manager Tan Lay Han said RM10mil had been allocated to fund the Sarawak Plan, which was launched here on Tuesday.

The Sarawak Plan offers a flat rate of 35 sen per minute for all calls, be it to mobile or fixed lines, made within Malaysia.

"The new rate offers customers savings of more than 30% compared with past rates and to our current competitors' rates," Tan added.

A similar Sabah Plan was launched.

The Sarawak Plan was to mark the Dayaks' Gawai harvest festival and the Sabah Plan to celebrate Kaamatan Festival.

Tan, who is also consumer marketing head, said Maxis was mounting an aggressive media and outdoor advertising campaign aimed at doubling the number of its subscribers in Sarawak in the next seven months.

However, he declined to say how many of its 18 million subscribers in Malaysia now are from Sarawak.

He said to expand coverage in Sarawak, Maxis would add 103 new sites state-wide in the next nine months, on top of the 30 new sites in the first three months of this year.

The coverage includes the state's trunk road.

"By end of this year, Maxis will have some 350 sites in Sarawak. We are now providing full coverage in major towns, like Kuching, Sibu and Miri."

Tan said Maxis would be the official telco for the upcoming Rainforest World Music Festival, and would sponsor the top three winners of the state-wide Gawai festival beauty pageant.

The Star News Tech GadGet !! ( Orginal text From The Star )

Fujitsu's missing-link laptop

Where does a laptop end and a handheld computer--or even a really, really smart phone--begin? We have no idea, and we're not sure it really matters. But for those who care, Fujitsu is doing its best to blur the lines.

The "U series" addition to its "LifeBook" line of laptops features ultra-portable machines that are barely an inch thick and weigh less than 1.3 pounds. But you wouldn't necessarily know it by the specs: an 800MHz Intel chip, 20GB hard drive, 512 of memory and a built-in fingerprint reader. All of which beats a 2005 PC we bought by a country mile. The only real giveaway is the size of the U's screen, which measures 5.6 inches.

It's this diminutive size, however, that also allows it to be converted easily into a tablet. Similar to a lot of smart phones now on the market, its screen can swivel around and do a gymnastics-style backflip. The price, however, puts it distinctly in the computer camp, starting at $1,250 on the Japanese market. And one more thing that's similar to laptops is its claim to an 8-hour battery life; we'll be dubious of specs like that no matter what category it falls into.

Digital shower for lazy bathers

Are we the only ones who thought this was a ski rack? Never mind. Off the slopes, this is the latest in an ever-growing list of digital bathing controls or, as we prefer to call them, "showers for lazy people."

We will say, however, that the "Ondus" from Grohe definitely has the most unusual name we've come across. But ultimately, it's just a digitally controlled faucet that can pause the water TiVo-style and resume flowing at the previous temperature, as Gizmodo says.

The black finish is a definite plus, and we appreciate the Ondus from a laziness perspective. But frankly, if it doesn't have a golden remote, we're not interested.

Video games giant sees battle in Europe

PARIS (Reuters) - Electronic Arts, the video games giant that created the "Need for Speed" series is finding the race for entertainment will determine how the battle for gamers on consoles, computers and cell phones is won and lost.


Two key challenges in the industry are which gaming products Europeans single out as their top picks and what success firms have in improving technology. This will also influence how far cell phones go in driving revenues across the industry.

"I believe the biggest fight will be in Europe," Gerhard Florin, Electronic Arts' (Nasdaq:ERTS - news) international publishing head Gerhard Florin told the Reuters Technology, Media and Telecoms summit in Paris this week.

"Whoever wins the hardware war in Europe, most likely will be the overall winner," he said, referring to leading players such as Microsoft Corp., Sony Corp. and Nintendo Co., with their Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii respectively.

Major recent technological advances have radically improved the graphics on gaming consoles and personal computers, but technological hurdles still remain in cell phones.

Florin said the revenue prospects for cell phone gaming largely depends on what sort of new players get involved.

"If new consumers come in, they might not react to new hardware in the same way as the core gamers who go for bits and bytes and have to have the latest processor power," he said.

Florin thought technology had done so much to improve the quality of games on computers and consoles that the industry was now turning its attention elsewhere, namely the quality of story telling and bringing more emotion into gaming.

STORY TELLERS

"Everybody gets carried away with the technology. When the technology gets more usable ... then the story tellers get more to the forefront," he said. "My hope is, but I can't tell you when it will be, that we reach the peak in perfection so that the consumer doesn't see the difference in technology anymore -- then it is a pure race for entertainment."

This was one of the reasons why Electronic Arts and Dutch television production company Endemol (EML.AS) recently developed a virtual world avatar creator called "Virtual Me" that lets consumers create digital versions of themselves. These can then be integrated into shows in Endemol's virtual world, including "Deal Or No Deal," and "Fame Academy."

UBS analysts said in a research note on Tuesday that U.S. and European games markets could grow 50 percent from $12 billion in 2006 to $18 billion in 2009 with peak profitability in the current console cycle occurring in 2008-2009.

The broker said new revenue opportunities should come from games consoles moving from the living room onto the Internet.

"The risk is that the rising costs of developing games and industry changes could leave some players behind," UBS said.

Telecoms executives at the Reuters TMT summit in Paris said they saw the value in cell phone gaming, but were yet to be convinced of the industry's ability to ramp up its revenues.

"We have had flirtations with games, but the revenue was always deeply niche," Peter Erskine, head of Telefonica's non-Spanish European operations, O2 Europe, said on Thursday.

Sony Ericsson President Miles Flint said mobile services that bundle a lot of Java-enabled games get a lot of usage but technical challenges remain - namely the quality of graphics and speeds within networks, which is key for multi-player gaming.

"You need to have the network latency issue fixed so you can create a compelling consumer experience -- it is definitely there in our thinking," Flint said.

Companies like Sony Ericsson were continually dealing with issues such as phone power consumption, screen size, power use, functionality and the quality of services on them.

"There is a constant set of trade offs -- we haven't yet seen that gaming is quite there in terms of performance," he said.

Review: 3 ways to adjust your HDTV

NEW YORK - High-definition TV sets are big sellers these days, and no wonder, since the picture can be amazing. But a lot of people seem to care more about how cool the flat panels look on the wall than what the picture looks like: It's common to see the image stretched horizontally to fill the screen, giving even the most attractive anchor a bloated look, or the color is off, giving everyone the reddish skin tone of the recently boiled.


The fact is picture quality varies quite a bit among HDTV sets, and calibration is often necessary to make the image look the way it should.

I tried three different ways of doing this: two do-it-yourself methods, and one professional calibration.

Sadly, the DIY options were hit-and-miss. They helped a few sets, and screwed up others. A good calibration still seems to be the domain of professionals — a surprising situation in our age of smart machines.

Here's what I tried:

• "HDTV Calibration Wizard" DVD from Monster Cable Products Inc. and Imaging Science Foundation. This was the cheapest option, listing at $30, and the least thorough. It's simply a DVD that shows video loops with voiceover narration that tells you how to adjust your set's image using the basic controls accessed with the remote.

For example, it shows a man in a white shirt, and tells you to adjust the contrast so that you can make out the buttons and folds of the shirt. This got me into trouble with a plasma flat-panel set I tried it on. I couldn't get the details to show using the contrast setting, so I went into a more advanced menu and changed the "Input Level." That made the shirt look great, but when I later played a regular DVD, it was obvious that I'd reduced the contrast so much that everything looked gray and dull.

The DVD does get points for including scenes and instructions that help you adjust the image's sharpness, size and the ratio between length and width.

• SpyderTV color meter from Datacolor, which lists for $229. This is a kit that comes with a light sensor that attaches to the TV screen. It's connected by a cable to your computer. The cable is short, so a laptop is recommended. An accompanying DVD shows test patterns, which are measured by the sensor and recorded by software on the computer.

This is a considerably more technical method than the "HDTV Calibration Wizard," and it's tricky. My results were mixed. It improved the image on one LCD set, but didn't take away an unpleasant greenish tinge to dark areas.

On another LCD set, it correctly identified weak colors, but exaggerated the correction, giving everyone a sunburned look (I can't rule out an error on my part here — the calibration is quite complicated). When I pulled back the color saturation a bit, that still left the image much improved. In one scene in "The Holiday," what I previously saw as just colorless overcast sky was now clearly a sunset with pastel hues of peach and blue.

"I feel bad that I watched all those movies that way!" exclaimed my wife, when she saw the difference. (In my defense, let me say that the most recent movie I watched on that set was "Downfall," about the last days of Hitler, and it was quite reasonable for me to expect a bunkerfull of Nazis to look pale.)

The SpyderTV sensor doesn't correct problems with sharpness or the shape of the image, but there are images on the DVD that can be used for the purpose.

• Professional calibration by Lee Richman of New York-based Nu Sound Concepts, whose main business is home theater installation. He charges $275 and up for calibration, depending on the type of set (plasmas and LCDs are the simplest) and the complexity of the entertainment center.

I had Richman tackle a plasma set that the SpyderTV left looking quite yellow and low in contrast. His calibration also left it with a warm image, but a more natural-looking one, with cleaner colors. It wasn't a dramatic improvement over the default settings, but it was noticeable.

Richman said most sets are sold with the picture too blue and too bright, a setting known as "torch mode." It looks great in the store, because we perceive a blue image as being sharper and punchier.

Plasma screens in particular benefit from having the brightness turned down, because it extends their lifespan and cuts power consumption.

The professional calibrator has a number of advantages over amateurs. One is access to hidden menu settings for fine-tuning on some sets. Another is a signal generator that allows calibration for inputs other than a DVD, like a broadcast signal.

Just as importantly, the calibrator has experience with dealing with different sets. A real challenge for do-it-yourselfers is that the TV set user interfaces vary quite widely, even in the basic settings. For example, what some sets call "Contrast" is "Picture" on others.

Despite advances in screen technology and lower prices, it seems screen calibration is an area where the skill and equipment of a craftsman is recommended.

New study renews click fraud debate

SAN FRANCISCO - Deceptive clicks on Internet advertising links distributed by Google Inc., Yahoo Inc. and other online marketing vehicles are probably occurring far more frequently than the network operators acknowledge, according to a study by fraud detection specialist Fair Isaac Corp.


The chicanery involves automated computer programs or scam artists who repeatedly click on ad links with no intention of buying anything. The short ad links, which appear alongside search results and other content at thousands of Web sites, typically trigger a commission with each click — a financial formula ripe for mischief, Minneapolis-based Fair Isaac found.

The study's preliminary conclusions, scheduled to be discussed Friday during a Fair Isaac conference in San Francisco, threaten to revive suspicions among advertisers that they have been overcharged as part of a ruse known as "click fraud."

After reviewing a handful of Web sites since last August, Fair Isaac believes 10 to 15 percent of the advertising traffic is "pathological," indicating a likelihood of click fraud, said Joseph Milana, the company's chief scientist of research and development.

"It's still an early result," Milana said. "The question remains about how broad the problem is in the entire marketplace."

The culprits behind click fraud typically are either trying to make more money from the ads appearing on their own Web sites or maliciously trying to drain the marketing budgets of a competitor.

Google, which runs the Internet's largest ad network, maintains its engineers and filters identify all but 0.02 percent of the click fraud on its network. The Mountain View-based company says it doesn't bill advertisers for any of the flagged click fraud.

Yahoo, which runs the second-largest ad network, also maintains its preventive measures weed out all but a small portion of click fraud.

Fair Isaac's initial estimates fall in the same range as those made by Click Forensics, a San Antonio-based consulting service that compiles a quarterly index tracking click fraud rates.

Other studies have estimated click fraud rates as high as 30 percent, a figure implying advertisers have paid billions of dollars for bogus sales referrals during the past few years.

Google and Yahoo have consistently ridiculed double-digit click fraud estimates as the handiwork of search engine consultants trying to drum up more demand for their services by alarming advertisers.

On the flip side, Google and Yahoo have a powerful incentive to debunk the click fraud claims to preserve confidence in a system that generates most of their profits. Last year alone, Google and Yahoo sold a combined $16 billion in Internet ads.

Fair Isaac enters the debate with a track record for ferreting out fraudulent conduct in other industries.

Best known for a scoring system that rates the creditworthiness of consumers, Fair Isaac also has helped banks fight credit card fraud for 15 years. More recently, the company has sold anti-fraud tools to health care providers and telecommunications companies.

Now, Fair Isaac is trying to determine whether click fraud is a big enough problem to justify the company developing a potential solution that could help boost its own profits. "This is a problem that fits well in our sweet spot," Milana said.

Click fraud doesn't appear to be a major problem when the ads appear on Google's and Yahoo's respective Web sites, Milana said.

The trouble starts cropping up once Google and Yahoo deliver the ads to other Web sites that are part of their vast marketing networks.

"They just don't know what happens beyond their own firewalls," Milana said of Google and Yahoo.

Ads on other Web sites accounted for $4.16 billion, or 39 percent, of Google's revenue last year. Google shared $3.31 billion of that revenue with its advertising partners. Yahoo doesn't break out how much of its revenue comes from ads on other Web sites.

Print out a hard copy of the TV

Leave it to Haier--a brand better known for its refrigerators--to design a TV with a feature we've always wanted: a printer port.

If this yet-to-be-released HDTV does what SlashGear says, the 47-inch L47A18 model will be able to grab screenshots of your favorite Battlestar Galactica scenes and print them out. It also has two USB ports and a memory card reader, so you can display photos and play your own movies and music on the set.

The downside, of course, is the price: $2,742. Even though it has full 1080p resolution, Haier isn't exactly known for its high-quality TVs. Maybe it can come up with a fridge combo that can automatically print out a photo when you're down to the last Bud Light.

Google's search engine goes universal

http://news.yahoo.com

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - In its latest technological leap, online search leader Google Inc. will begin showing videos on its main results page Wednesday along with photos, books and other content previously separated into different categories.

Under a new "universal search" approach that Google began rolling out Wednesday afternoon, some requests will produce more than just a series of links and snippets pointing to other Web sites.

As an example, the results to the search request "I have a dream" will include an actual video showing Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous 1963 speech along with the usual assortment of Web links.

The videos will be shown on Google's results page if it's contained in the company's own database or the vast library of its YouTube subsidiary. A thumbnail will direct traffic to videos hosted on other sites like Metacafe.com.

Underwater robot tested at Mexican lake

MEXICO CITY - U.S. researchers have begun testing an underwater robot at a Mexican sinkhole lake as part of a NASA-funded project to develop techniques for exploring possible signs of life on other planets.


The bright orange, bubble-shaped vehicle was lowered Tuesday into the Zacaton lake in the Gulf coast state of Tamaulipas, which at about 1,000 feet deep is believed to be the world's deepest sinkhole.

It is designed to sense, adapt to and investigate its surroundings — without being connected to its operators — and is equipped with sonar sensors.

According to NASA's Web site, the project aims to create a comprehensive 3-D map of Zacaton and collect water samples to learn about its chemistry and biology — many of the same tasks it might perform on one of Jupiter's moons.

"We started the project in April 2004, but the NASA officials have been preparing for this part of the research for more than a decade," said project leader Bill Stone of Stone Aerospace of Austin, Texas, the manufacturer of the Deep Phreatic Thermal Explorer, or DEPTHX. "The main idea is to send a space vehicle to Europa, which is a moon of Jupiter."

Scientists believe a huge ocean lies beneath Europa's thick, frozen crust, and some say it may be capable of supporting life.

"With luck we could launch in 2015, and it takes two years to get there (Europa), another year of preparations to reach and map the deep sea," Stone said. "By 2019, we might have information on life beyond Earth."

Other autonomous underwater vehicles have been used to map the ocean floor, but DEPTHX is the first with the sensitivity and maneuvering ability to make detailed maps of irregular confined spaces like Zacaton, NASA said on its site.

The Colorado School of Mines, the University of Texas at Austin and Carnegie Mellon University also participated in the project.

Http://News.Yahoo.Com

Yahoo upgrades online mapping service

SUNNYVALE, Calif. - Yahoo Inc.'s online mapping service in the United States will begin giving driving directions in 34 European countries Wednesday as part of an upgrade aimed at luring traffic away from rivals AOL and Google Inc.


Besides guiding U.S. motorists around Europe for the first time, Yahoo said it also will feature more landmarks and other visual cues to help people find their way around neighborhoods. By relying on new software, Yahoo believes its maps will be more accurate, too.

The Sunnyvale-based company is hoping the improvements can help reverse a recent erosion in its share of the online mapping market.

In April, AOL's industry-leading Mapquest service attracted 49.2 million U.S. visitors, a 3 percent increase from last year, while traffic to Google's maps surged 49 percent to 30.8 million visitors, according to comScore Media Metrix.

Meanwhile, U.S. traffic to Yahoo maps declined 5 percent to 29.4 million.

Although they are free services, the online maps have become important advertising vehicles, particularly for local merchants.

http://news.yahoo.com/

PayPal Gets European License

http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20070516/tc_pcworld/131868;_ylt=AuM19IpPiy5O9F7__6pGpl4jtBAF

PayPal expects to accelerate the adoption of its online payment services in Europe now that it has obtained a banking license that will give it more freedom to market its services to merchants throughout the Continent.


The license, granted by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF) in Luxembourg, kicks in July 2. As a result of obtaining the license, PayPal will move its European headquarters to Luxembourg from the U.K., a PayPal spokeswoman said Tuesday.

Until now, PayPal has operated in Europe as an electronic money issuer, which prevented it from selling its services directly to merchants in individual countries due to regulatory restrictions. Instead, it has had to conduct its European sales efforts in cross-border fashion from the U.K., she said.

PayPal's announcement comes about a month after rival Google Inc. launched the competing service Google Checkout for merchants in the U.K. and announced its intention to continue rolling it out to merchants in other countries. Previously, it had only been available to U.S. merchants. Launched in June 2006, Google Checkout is seen as a viable competitor for PayPal, which was founded in 1998 and acquired by eBay Inc. in 2002.

The new license notwithstanding, PayPal has no plans to offer traditional banking services in Europe, but intends to simply take advantage of its new status to become more aggressive in its direct sales operations, she said.

Despite what it considers a successful run in Europe so far, PayPal sees a big growth opportunity as demand for online payment services increases in the European Union, she said. PayPal began operating in Europe in 2004 and has about 35 million accounts and 100,000 Web sites there, she said.

PayPal, based in San Jose, California, doesn't have a banking license in the U.S., where it instead operates as a licensed money transmitter on a state by state basis, she said.

Skype 2.6 touts Mac-only features

Skype on Wednesday announced the final release of Skype 2.6 for Mac. The VOIP communication software was previously available to Mac users as a public beta. It’s free to download and use for Skype-to-Skype communication; the company also sells plans that enable you to send and receive calls from landlines and cell phones.


Skype 2.6 for Mac is a Voice Over IP (VOIP)-based communication software application that supports text messaging, audio and video chat. Using SkypeIn and SkypeOut service, you can send and receive calls to and from conventional telephone land lines and cell phones, use voicemail and more.

New to the 2.6 release is a feature unique to the Mac version: Call Transfer, which allows you to transfer an ongoing call to another Skype user on your contact list.

Other enhancements to the 2.6 release provide feature-parity with other platforms, such as the ability to join public chats, a chat typing indicator that shows you when others are writing a message, Skype Prime service, automatic updates, and DTMF tons for automatic answer services.

Skype 2.6 for Mac also improves the way Skype handles birthday reminders and other notifications.

Skype 2.6 for Mac requires Mac OS X v10.3.9 or later and a broadband Internet connection.

Speakerphone isn't afraid to mouth off

If you've decided that you actually like creepy gadgets like eyeball-shaped speakers, you might find the following item a perfect accompaniment for you Addams Family household: a speakerphone with mechanical moving lips.

Going by the deceptively innocuous name of the "Hands-Free Desk Lips," this nightmare-inducing device clips onto any mobile handset and reacts accordingly when the caller begins to talk, according to Uber-Review. What makes it weirder still is its flat, eyeless head, which makes it look something like a miniature monster from Alien. Maybe that's why it goes so well with the eyeball speakers. If it needs repairs, does it take metallic ChapStick?

A gadget for germaphobes in space

http://crave.cnet.com/

It's just a guess, but something tells us that consumer gadgets promising to kill bacteria aren't quite strong enough for outer space. NASA apparently agrees, so it's developed its own microorganism detector to warn astronauts when alien bugs might be in the vicinity, according to Medgadget.

Technically named (of course) the "Lab-On-a-Chip Application Development?Portable Test System," it's a handheld device designed to detect bacteria or fungi on spacecraft surfaces far more quickly than standard culturing without the assistance of earth-bound labs, NASA says. This fall, an advanced prototype that can identify 130 microorganisms will be tested in the Arctic.

There's just one question: If we're still debating the existence of extraterrestrial life, how can we be sure what bacteria will thrive in outer space?

Apple updates MacBook with faster processors

Apple on Tuesday updated its consumer MacBook computers adding faster processors, 1GB RAM and larger hard drives in all models.


The new MacBooks come in three models — a white 2.0GHz and 2.16GHz, and a black 2.16 GHz model. All of the MacBooks include a built-in iSight video camera and the latest generation of 802.11n wireless networking. The notebooks also come with iLife ‘06 and Mac OS X 10.4.9 Tiger.

“Our Mac business is doing just great right now and the MacBook is a huge part of that,” Todd Benjamin, Apple’s director, Portables Product Marketing, told Macworld. Quoting data from market research firm NPD, Benjamin said that Apple now holds 10 percent of the U.S. notebook market.

The MacBook, which turns one year old tomorrow, has seen a significant speed boost since its introduction. The new models run between 24 percent and 37 percent faster than the original models. As Benjamin points out a lot of that performance boost has to do with the move to Intel Core 2 Duo chips.

The 2.0GHz 13-inch white MacBook costs $1,099 and comes with an 80GB hard drive and a slot-loading Combo drive; the $1,299 2.16GHz white MacBook comes with a 120GB hard drive and a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support; and the $1,499 2.16GHz 13-inch black MacBook has a 160GB drive and a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support. There are also several build-to-order options available from the online Apple Store, including larger hard drives.

“Our consumer users are big fans of iPhoto, iMovie and buying music on iTunes, so there is a big demand for more storage,” said Benjamin.

Apple explained that instead of moving to Intel’s new Santa Rosa chip for this update, the company decided to focus on the value of the MacBook line.

“MacBook already offers some of the technologies available in Santa Rosa,” said Benjamin. “We decided with this update that we would add more value with processor speeds, RAM and hard drive space. We feel this is the prefect line-up for the Spring.”

Can Ubuntu + Zimbra Take On Exchange/Outlook?

Zimbra tries to ride on Ubuntu's increasing popularity and offer enterprises a mail/collaboration alternative.

May 14, 2007 - By NWC News Desk

The Zimbra Collaboration Suite, an enterprise-focused open-source alternative to Microsoft Outlook and Exchange, is coming to the popular Ubuntu Linux distro. Those running Ubuntu on the desktop will also be able to take advantage of Zimbra Desktop, a complete Ajax-based collaboration client with offline capability.

Zimbra Collaboration Suite (ZCS) Network Edition now supports Ubuntu version 6.06 LTS (Long-Term Support) from Canonical. Ubuntu has garnered a great deal of attention for its sharp-looking, feature-filled and user-friendly desktop Linux distribution.

Together, Zimbra and Ubuntu offer enterprises a desktop/server OS/mail combo that could give Microsoft Outlook and Exchange a run for their money. While enterprises have largely defaulted to Microsoft's mail platform, an affordable and easy-to-use alternative could prove tempting.

The Zimbra Desktop alpha is now available as a free download from zimbra.com/desktop and works with ZCS 4.5.

Dell UltraSharp 3007WFP

Overall, text and graphics look great on this 30-inch LCD, but some colors were slightly muted in our review.

Kalpana Ettenson
PC World
Wednesday, April 25, 2007; 12:32 AM

Dell's UltraSharp 3007WFP turned in strong scores in the text portion of our image quality tests: True to the monitor's name, text in a Microsoft Word document was indeed sharp, and text in a screen of multi-sized fonts was crisp and easy to read, even at small font sizes.

The Dell didn't perform quite as well as the other displays when rendering color, though it did represent colors nicely overall. While colors in a screen of a Web site looked bright and accurate, some photos appeared slightly dark, with muted shades. The effect was not really distracting--just enough to be barely visible.

The 3007WFP has easily accessible media slots and USB ports--a four-in-one media card reader, a separate CF slot, and two USB ports reside on the left side of the display. Two more USB ports are situated on the back.

The only controls the 3007WFP includes are those for brightness--touch-sensitive buttons on the front let you turn brightness up or down. It lacks other controls because there are no on-screen components to support the display's high resolution of 2560 by 1600. Dell says that future versions of the display will include an OSD.

The 3007WFP has a smooth black bezel and a V-shaped silver stand. It tilts and swivels smoothly, though it does not pivot. It is height-adjustable and wall-mountable.

With a $1700 price tag, the 3007WFP is certainly not cheap, though it does cost in the same range as other 30-inch LCDs. But if you're looking for a big display on which to spread out a few open windows, then the 3007WFP could be a good investment.

Source : http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/25/AR2007042500078.html

Free tool offers 'easy' coding

A free programming tool that allows anyone to create their own animated stories, video games and interactive artworks has been launched.

Primarily aimed at children, Scratch does not require prior knowledge of complex computer languages.

Instead, it uses a simple graphical interface that allows programs to be assembled like building blocks.

The digital toolkit, developed in the US at MIT's Media Lab, allows people to blend images, sound and video.

"Computer programming has been traditionally seen as something that is beyond most people - it's only for a special group with technical expertise and experience," said Professor Mitchel Resnick, one of the researchers at the Lifelong Kindergarten group at MIT.

"We have developed Scratch as a new type of programming language, which is much more accessible."

Child's play

The explosion in broadband connectivity has fuelled the growth of websites that offer rich media experiences, including video and animations.

"These days, kids interact with all kinds of dynamic things on screen but it is usually a one-way street - they are usually interacting with things that other people have created," said Professor Resnick, who also invented Lego Mindstorms, a robotics toolkit often used in teaching.

With Scratch, our goal is to allow people to mix together all kinds of media... in creative ways
Mitchel Resnick


"With Scratch we want to let kids to be the creators. We want them to create interesting dynamic things on the computer."

The program works by making the act of creating a computer program more like building with Lego bricks.

"Kids make programs by snapping blocks together," said Professor Resnick, whose position is in part supported by the toy company.

Objects and characters, chosen from a menu and created in a paint editor or simply cut and pasted off the web, are animated by snapping together different "action" blocks into stacks.

"They don't have to worry about the obscure punctuation and syntax common in most programming languages," he said.

Each block contains a separate command, such as "move" or "play drum" and each action can be modified from a drop-down menu. Blocks can only be stacked if they fit together.

So, for example, if someone wanted to animate a cat walking across the screen they could modify the move block to tell the cat to walk forward 10 steps.

If they then wanted the cat to bang a drum as it walked, they could stack the play-drum block underneath, choosing a sound for the instrument and how long each beat should last.

Other actions, such as speaking, changing colour or triggering music, can then be added to complete the animation.

Mix and match

Scratch is inspired by the method hip hop DJs use to mix and scratch records to create new sounds.

Users can share their creations on the Scratch website


"With Scratch, our goal is to allow people to mix together all kinds of media, not just sounds, in creative ways," said Professor Resnick.

"We want people to start from existing materials - grabbing an image, grabbing some sound, maybe even bits of someone else's program and then extending them and mixing them to make them their own."

Digital creations can then be shared on a site where users can watch other creations and even borrow elements from other Scratch projects to act as raw materials for their own.

"Kids like to share stuff on the web and I think that is a very strong element of Scratch," said Professor Nigel Shadbolt, of the University of Southampton and President of the British Computer Society (BCS).

He believes that it will be a useful tool for teaching children about computational thinking and enthusing "the next generation" of IT professionals.

"The thing that's very difficult for children encountering programming for the first time is that it is very unforgiving," said Professor Shadbolt.

"A program doesn't congratulate you for the 90% that you got right. It fails for the 10% you got wrong. So an environment where you are essentially assembling components that can only be configured in set ways takes some of that hardship away."

And for those that want to get stuck into something that looks more like traditional code there are sites like HacketyHack.

The site teaches children to code in a language called Ruby. There are seven free lessons, including one that allows them to develop a blog with just six lines of code.

"All of these environments are about getting kids to approach the world in a systematic and a structured way," said Professor Shadbolt.

Scratch is now available to download for free and works with both Apple Macs and Windows PCs.

A version of the tool is also currently being developed for the XO laptop, designed by the One Laptop Per Child Project.
More information at: [url="http://scratch.mit.edu/"]/url]
By Jonathan Fildes
Science and technology reporter, BBC News

Pentax Optio A30

The Pentax Optio A30 is the newest addition to Pentax's flagship line of compact cameras. As the successor to Optio A20, the A30 boasts some new improvements to its design and features.

In terms of design, the A30 is compact enough to fit into any trouser pocket. The A30 is also scarce of buttons and knobs, giving it a very clean look.

It weighs only 150g with the battery so you can carry it anywhere with you.

On the back panel you will find a large 2.5in LCD screen, which is perfect for framing and reviewing pictures.

It packs a 10-megapixel CCD sensor, which makes it perfect for capturing lots of detail. The A30 has 3x optical zoom lens and is able to cover a 35mm equivalent focal range of approximately 38 - 114mm.

Aside from capturing images, the A30 is able to record VGA quality (640 x 480pixels) at 30 frames per second.

Some of the other features packed into the A30 include Shake Reduction to help photographers with shaky hands and face recognition Auto Focus (AF) & Auto Exposure (AE) for better portrait-taking.

Modes for everyone

The A30 is a good compact camera that caters to both amateur and semi-professional photographers.

More experienced photographers will appreciate the inclusion of common semi-pro functions like Program, Shutter Priority and Manual Exposure modes for them to express their creativity.

Those not so experienced with cameras will come to appreciate the pre-set scene modes like portrait, landscape, sports and night scene.

The auto-tracking feature certainly helps to a certain extent, but it does suffer from some drawbacks. The AF does take a while to track down the subject and, at times, completely misses the subject and focuses on the background instead.

Another plus point is the camera's face recognition technology that optimises exposure and focus for faces it detects in images.

Performance

The A30 is an easy compact camera to pick up and use, be it at a social function or family outing. It performs especially well on bright sunny days, capable of capturing good quality photos with lots of detail that turned out sharp and crisp.

Although it has a tendency of capturing slightly over-exposed pictures, it is not too much of an issue as this can be easily corrected with some minor adjustments to the exposure compensation.

Reviews > Digi/Video cams Thursday May 10, 2007

Quick on the draw

By CHONG JINN XIUNG

OPTIO A30

(Pentax)

Ultracompact digital camera

Sensor: 10-Megapixels (3,648 x 2,736pixels), 1/1.8in type

Lens: 3x optical zoom, f/2.8-f/5.4

Shutter: 4sec – 1/2000sec

ISO range: 64 – 1600, 3200 available in Digital SR Mode at 5-megapixels

Exposure modes: Mode selection with 11 scene modes, full auto and program, shutter priority and manual exposure.

Viewfinder: 2.5in TFT LCD

Battery: Rechargeable lithium-ion

Storage: SD, SDHC

Interface: USB 2.0, AV-out, DC-in, video-out NTSC and PAL

Other features: Face recognition, camera-shake reduction

Dimensions (w x h x d): 89 x 58 x 23mm

Weight: 130g (without battery)

Price: RM1,499

Review unit courtesy of Shriro (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, (03) 7874-9842.

The Pentax Optio A30 is the newest addition to Pentax's flagship line of compact cameras. As the successor to Optio A20, the A30 boasts some new improvements to its design and features.

In terms of design, the A30 is compact enough to fit into any trouser pocket. The A30 is also scarce of buttons and knobs, giving it a very clean look.

It weighs only 150g with the battery so you can carry it anywhere with you.

On the back panel you will find a large 2.5in LCD screen, which is perfect for framing and reviewing pictures.

It packs a 10-megapixel CCD sensor, which makes it perfect for capturing lots of detail. The A30 has 3x optical zoom lens and is able to cover a 35mm equivalent focal range of approximately 38 - 114mm.

Aside from capturing images, the A30 is able to record VGA quality (640 x 480pixels) at 30 frames per second.

Some of the other features packed into the A30 include Shake Reduction to help photographers with shaky hands and face recognition Auto Focus (AF) & Auto Exposure (AE) for better portrait-taking.

Modes for everyone

The A30 is a good compact camera that caters to both amateur and semi-professional photographers.

More experienced photographers will appreciate the inclusion of common semi-pro functions like Program, Shutter Priority and Manual Exposure modes for them to express their creativity.

BIG: The back panel features a large 2.5in LCD screen.
Those not so experienced with cameras will come to appreciate the pre-set scene modes like portrait, landscape, sports and night scene.

The auto-tracking feature certainly helps to a certain extent, but it does suffer from some drawbacks. The AF does take a while to track down the subject and, at times, completely misses the subject and focuses on the background instead.

Another plus point is the camera's face recognition technology that optimises exposure and focus for faces it detects in images.

Performance

The A30 is an easy compact camera to pick up and use, be it at a social function or family outing. It performs especially well on bright sunny days, capable of capturing good quality photos with lots of detail that turned out sharp and crisp.

Although it has a tendency of capturing slightly over-exposed pictures, it is not too much of an issue as this can be easily corrected with some minor adjustments to the exposure compensation.

PLENTY OF DETAIL: The Pentax Optio A30 has a good macro mode capable of retaining lots of natural details in its pictures.
It is also worth noting that the A30 has a very quick start-up time of 1.8 seconds. In fact, you can practically switch the camera on and start taking pictures in just 2.5 seconds.

The A30's AF system was very responsive and quick to focus on subjects in well-lit areas. The camera's continuous shooting mode was able to capture three pictures in succession in 2.1 seconds.

Having conducted some test on ISO sensitivity, the A30's performed surprisingly well. Noise levels were nonexistent below ISO100 though at ISO800, images maintained a higher degree of noise but are still usable even for large prints.

Needless to say, noise levels peaked at unacceptable levels at ISO1600 and above.

One thing we liked about the ISO setting on the A30 is the option to set the maximum ISO sensitivity. The feature comes in handy if you want to leave the camera to help you choose a certain range that you want the camera to use, like ISO64-200 or ISO 64-800, saving you the trouble of manually selecting the ISO.

In terms of battery life, the A30 is an average performer that is capable of taking just below 200 pictures on a single charge. While the charge may not be strong but it is sufficient if you make your shots count.

Video capabilities

The video recording abilities on the A30 is surprisingly good and I was pretty pleased with the quality of the videos. Another plus point going for the A30 is its MPEG4 encoded videos, which gives users longer periods of recording time.

One problem we encountered while recording with the camera was the fixed focus of the camera. If you were to focus on your subject from a certain distance, your subject will be out of focus as you move closer.

Still, aside from that one minor problem, the recorded videos were smooth and showed no signs of pixelation or jerkiness. Sound quality was average at best but it was good enough to hear the recorded voices over ambient noise.

Menu interface

The buttons (or lack of buttons) on the A30 takes some getting used to. While most cameras have dedicated buttons for functions like flash, mode changing and macro mode, the A30 combines them with the directional pad.

The interface for changing different camera settings like shutter speed and aperture felt a little difficult to work with, considering the number of button presses you have to go through.

However the A30 has a great photo indexing system that arranges pictures day by day in a calendar style format. Basically, you can "zoom" in and out of different days to view your pictures. It certainly is a useful feature if you take lots of photos.

Another user-friendly bit is the use of a check box system to delete multiple pictures at once, saving you the trouble of deleting your unwanted pictures one at a time.

Conclusion

Overall, the A30 performs well as both a digital camera and video recorder, producing sharp contrasting pictures and smooth videos. It also helps that the A30 has a good user interface to back up its enhanced features.

The camera's versatility and portability makes it a good camera to have around and definitely one you can rely on to take capture life's precious moments.

Pros: Very quick auto focus; good looking videos; small and lightweight.

Cons: Battery life could be better; changing camera settings requires too many button presses.

Source : http://star-techcentral.com/

Rival alliance talk doesn't worry Google

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - Internet search giant Google (GOOG) isn't worried about a potential matchup of rivals Yahoo (YHOO) and Microsoft (MSFT).


"It wouldn't change our strategy," CEO Eric Schmidt told reporters in a question-and-answer session Thursday. "It would change the competitive dynamic, but it wouldn't cause us to do anything different."

Microsoft and Yahoo, both losing market share to Google's rapid growth, recently met about possibly joining forces. Google surpassed Microsoft in March as the world's most-visited website, with more than 500 million monthly visitors, says measurement firm ComScore Media Metrix.

Google has been on a tear this year. It said it would acquire online advertising firm DoubleClick for $3 billion, and is expanding its suite of free software, including spreadsheets and presentation programs, putting the company in even greater competition against Microsoft.

But with Google's record growth, Schmidt acknowledged, the search giant is facing mounting criticism. "We should expect the criticism," he says. "It's healthy and makes us stronger. The only frustration is when the criticism is based on a falsehood."

Co-founder Larry Page compared the impact of Google to that of a small city. "But," he said, "we're pretty sub-scale, compared to the size of services we offer."

Schmidt and Page spoke to reporters as shareholders gathered for their annual meeting.

Google's search market share continues to grow monthly. This week, measurement service Hitwise said Google's share in April grew to 65% in the USA.

Page says the company still has a long way to go. "Our goal is to produce a search engine that understands what you want before you type it," he says. "Like a super-librarian. We're still a long ways from that, but we're closer. We get 1% closer per quarter."

Sake may power cars in the future

Mon May 14, 2007 1:41AM EDT

By Risa Maeda

SHINANOMACHI, Japan (Reuters) - Japanese motorists may one day pump their cars full of sake, the fermented rice wine that is Japan's national drink, if a pilot project to create sake fuel is a hit with locals in this mountain resort.

The government-funded project at Shinanomachi, 200 kilometres (124 miles) northwest of Tokyo, will produce cheap rice-origin ethanol brew with the help of local farmers who will donate farm waste such as rice hulls to be turned into ethanol.

"We want to present the next generation a preferable blue print -- a self-sustainable use of local fuels," said Yasuo Igarashi, a professor of applied microbiology at the University of Tokyo who heads the three year project.

If the project catches on with locals then it could pave the way for similar endeavours across Japan that will see Japanese cars running on Japanese-made biofuels in the future, he added.

Japan, the world's second largest gasoline consumer after the United States, is entirely dependent on crude oil imports and it has been hit by the surge in oil prices.

With hefty carbon emissions reduction targets to meet under the Kyoto protocols, Japan is turning to biofuels. Yet motorists in Japan are still far behind drivers in Europe and the United States in their consumption of green fuels.

Some analysts say Japan is at a major disadvantage as high prices for local farm produce mean locally-made green fuels are exorbitantly expensive.

Added to that is a lack of support from the country's powerful oil distributors and a failure by the government to provide policy incentives such as mandatory usage.

That is where Igarashi and his team come in. They hope to show that biofuels are feasible and inexpensive by developing a low-cost fuel and encouraging a local community of about 10,000 people to take part in producing that fuel.

SWEET AROMA OF BIOFUELS

Production has just begun at the facility at a former high school field in Shinanomachi and a sweet, sour aroma, similar to that of unfiltered sake, wafts into the air.

"We like the idea," said Shigehiro Matsuki, the mayor of Shinanomachi.

"The new fuels are renewable... instead of fossil fuels which are running out."

Unlike spacious sugar cane plantations in the No.1 ethanol exporter, Brazil, family farming is dominant in Japan, with a majority of farmers working regular jobs and growing rice, the staple food, on their weekends.

There is plenty of potential to develop biofuels from agriculture waste and abandoned farmland, Igarashi said.

The project will test its biofuel on a "flex-fuel vehicle", which can run on any mixture of gasoline and green fuels and which is gaining popularity in the rest of the world as the battle against global warming heats up.

But Japan has no flex-fuel vehicles even though Japanese car companies Honda Motor Co. Ltd. and Toyota Motor Corp. produce them for the market in Brazil. So the team imported a red Ford Focus from Britain for the project.

With one 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of rice needed to produce 0.5 litre of ethanol, the main challenge will be creating a low cost biofuel that can compete with ordinary gasoline, which is now sold at around 135 yen ($1.13) a litre, including gasoline related taxes of some 56 yen.

AMD Faces the Day After New Centrino

With Intel's fourth-generation Centrino platform formally launched Wednesday, and computer manufacturers climbing over each other to get Centrino Duo and Centrino Pro notebook PCs out the door, where does that leave Intel archrival AMD?


It leaves AMD protecting its turf in consumer notebooks, according to Steve Kleynhaus, an analyst with industry research firm Gartner. "With this release," he said, "Intel stays on top in corporate notebooks. AMD has had a hard time cracking that market because Centrino has been pretty strong there, and it's been that way since it was originally released in 2003."

In the business sector, he noted, characteristics such as performance, battery life, and administration -- all emphasized in the Centrino Pro platform -- make a difference in purchasing decisions. But AMD, he said, "is more competitive in the consumer notebook space. They've generally had a better price point, and they'll have to continue to sell competitively."


'A Few Check Marks'

Another Gartner analyst, Martin Reynolds, agreed that AMD's challenge at this point is "not the high-end business model" but guarding against Intel's possible moves further into the consumer market.

Both analysts noted that consumers are less concerned about such factors as battery life, which are critical to, say, on-the-go salespeople, and more about features. "The typical mainstream consumer doesn't care about the processor" or the chipset, Kleynhaus noted, except to the extent that the "chipset and processor performance change the feature set."

Consumers, Kleynhaus said, are generally looking for "a few check marks in features and a price point."

Intel has been pointing out that its new consumer-oriented Centrino Duo can provide up to twice the performance when doing processing-intensive tasks compared to the previous generation, and can deliver up to five times better wireless performance.

With Santa Rosa, Reynolds said, "Intel still holds its high ground and becomes more aggressive in the middle ground," the consumer area, where AMD has been more price-competitive.


More Flexibility in Pricing

Reynolds also said that AMD has more flexibility in pricing than Intel does, "because people are used to AMD sometimes losing money. They don't have to show the profits that Intel does."

But Intel's "tick-tock" strategy has hurt AMD, he said. "Tick-tock" is Intel's stated strategy of having enhanced chip performance one year, followed by a new micro-architecture the next. Before "tick-tock," he noted, cycles were on a three or four year basis, but the new pace plays to Intel's favor as the larger company.

However, Intel's size also can be a disadvantage. As with many large organizations, big size can mean slow-moving, and slow-moving in the chip world can be fatal. Reynolds noted that the innovative Core 2 Duo processor line itself initially emerged from Intel's Israeli branch, which at the time was largely operating separately from the main business.

"But where is AMD's next architecture coming from?" he asked. It's not Barcelona, he said, referring not to an AMD branch in that Spanish city, but to the family of 65-nm quad-core processors that AMD is planning to release later this year.

Hackers hijack Windows Update's downloader

San Francisco (InfoWorld) - Hackers are using Windows Updates' file transfer component to sneak malicious code downloads past firewalls, Symantec researchers said Thursday.


The Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) is used by Microsoft's operating systems to deliver patches via Windows Update. BITS, which debuted in Windows XP and is baked into Windows Server 2003 and Windows Vista, is an asynchronous file transfer service with automatic throttling -- so downloads don't impact other network chores. It automatically resumes if the connection is broken.

"It's a very nice component and if you consider that it supports HTTP and can be programmed via COM API, it's the perfect tool to make Windows download anything you want," said Elia Florio, a researcher with Symantec's security response team, on the group's blog. "Unfortunately, this can also include malicious files."

Florio outlined why some Trojan makers have started to call on BITS to download add-on code to an already compromised computer. "For one simple reason: BITS is part of the operating system, so it's trusted and bypasses the local firewall while downloading files."

Malware, particularly Trojans that typically first open a back door to the system for follow-on code, needs to sidestep firewalls to bring additional malicious software -- a key logger, for instance -- to the PC. "[But] the most common methods are intrusive [and] require process injection or may raise suspicious alarms," said Florio.

"It is novel," said Oliver Friedrichs, director of Symantec's security response group. "Attackers are leveraging a component of the operating system itself to update their content. But the idea of bypassing firewalls isn't new."

Symantec first caught chatter about BITS on Russian hacker message boards late last year, Friedrichs added, and has been on the lookout for it since. A Trojan spammed in March was one of the first to put the technique into practice.

"The big benefit BITS gives them is that it lets them evade firewalls," said Friedrichs. "And it's also a more reliable download mechanism. It's free and reliable, and they don't have to write their own download code."

Although BITS powers the downloads delivered by Microsoft's Windows Update service, Friedrichs reassured users that there was no risk to the service itself. "There's no evidence to suspect that Windows Update can be compromised. If it has a weakness, someone would have found it by now.

"But this does show how attackers are leveraging components and becoming more and more modular in how they create software. They're simply following the trend of traditional software development," said Friedrichs.

Florio noted that there's no way to block hackers from using BITS. "It's not easy to check what BITS should download and not download," he said, and then gave Microsoft some advice. "Probably the BITS interface should be designed to be accessible only with a higher level of privilege, or the download jobs created with BITS should be restricted to only trusted URLs."

Microsoft was unable to immediately respond to questions about unauthorized BITS use.