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Thursday, September 28, 2006

Microsoft still having Internet Explorer security problems

Microsoft is warning that it is investigating new public reports of a critical bug in Windows comes more than two months after sample code showing how to take advantage of the flaw was posted to the Web.

The flaw that Microsoft warned about is in an ActiveX control used by the Windows GUI software. It was first disclosed on July 18 as part of a project by hacker HD Moore to expose problems in Internet Explorer.

Microsoft has only patched 2 of Moore's discovered flaws. Microsoft engineers haven't even been able to investigate close to a third of the vulnerabilities, Moore said.

Moore handed Microsoft another 70 bugs that he had not publicly disclosed.

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Monday, September 25, 2006

Internet for everyone by 2020

Key technologists and futurists have agreed that a low cost Internet will be available to the vast majority of the world's population by the year 2020.

Experts say the digital communications infrastructure would expand massively by 2020. By then it would cover regions and populations currently left out of digital society. It would also stretch far beyond today's personal computers to encompass billions of devices in every walk of life.

46% of the experts also had serious reservations about the spread of the net, including the loss of personal privacy and the danger that humans could lose control of the technology they create.

More than half of respondents disagreed that English would become so dominant as the lingua franca of the internet that it would displace other languages.

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Thursday, September 21, 2006

Anonymous Mozilla web browser

A group of computer security experts and human rights workers has released an anonymous, fully portable web browser based on Mozilla Firefox.

The Torpark browser comes pre configured and does not require installation. It can run off of a USB memory stick, and claims to leave no tracks behind on the browser or computer. The browser uses The Tor network to create an anonymous connection between the user and the websites being visited.

Normally when a user logs onto the internet, a IP address is assigned to manage the computer's identity. Each website the user visits can see and track the user's IP address. Hostile site owners and data thieves can monitor this interaction to correlate activity and pinpoint a user's identity.

The Tor network causes the IP address seen by the website to change every few minutes to make eavesdropping difficult and hide the requesting source.

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Saturday, September 16, 2006

Microsoft Zune Music Player

The new Zune music player will allow users to share music with each other. It is Microsoft's answer to Apple's iPod music player but shouldnt put a dent in iPod sales.

The first Zune player will be released in time for the holiday shopping season and hasa 30 GIG hard drive, come in three colors and feature a 3 inch color screen, which is a half inch bigger than the iPod.

Zune will play videos that users have stored on their computer depening on the format of the videos.

Microsoft hopes to build a community of musicians and fans who interact at the Zune Marketplace. At launch, Zune will include artist profiles, coming events, music suggestions and favorite playlists from musicians.

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Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Google Earth Gets New Featured Content

Google is planning to deliver an update to its Google Earth application that features areas overlaid atop other areas in a map so users can learn about their significance.

One feature will include before and after imagery provided by the United Nations Environmental Program, shoing areas of extreme environmental degradation around the world allowing users to see how the Earth has changed in the past 30 years.

Google says the initial list of content providers will be expanded and updated automatically over time.

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Friday, September 08, 2006

Intel releases vPro desktops

Intel has introduced the Intel vPro technology, a package of hardware and software solutions that utilizes the Intel Core 2 Duo processors to enable businesses to get better value and higher levels of computing performance from their PCs.

The vPro technology features the second generation of Intel Active Management Technology (Intel AMT). The features offer increased manageability and better security for large and small businesses, as well as potential costs savings.

vPro-based PCs also feature the latest Intel graphics which meet the requirements of Windows Vista.

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Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Windows Vista Pricing Released

Microsoft released the details of its plan to get Windows Vista Release Candidate 1 (RC1) into the hands of millions of new testers and released final pricing for its new operating system. The public test of RC1 will involve more than 5 million users and will increase the availability of Windows Vista to millions of new users.

The widespread testing of RC1 is being done to help Microsoft meet a January 2007 deadline for getting Windows Vista into the hands of consumers. The testing is expected to help Microsoft track down bugs and ensure that Vista works with as wide a range of hardware as possible.

Vista Prcing

Windows Vista Home Basic will have a suggested retail price for the full packaged product of $199, with a suggested upgrade retail price of $99.95.

Windows Vista Home Premium will have a suggested retail price for the full packaged product of $239, with a suggested upgrade retail price of $159.

Windows Vista Business, which includes a variety of tools and features for businesses, will have a suggested retail price for the full packaged product of $299, with a suggested upgrade retail price of $199.

Windows Vista Ultimate, which includes all the major features of Windows Vista Business and Windows Vista Home Premium, will have a suggested retail price for the full packaged product of $399. The suggested upgrade retail price for this version of Vista will be $259.

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Friday, September 01, 2006

TDK ships rewritable 50 GB Blu-ray media

TDK this week said it will begin shipping rewritable 50 GB Blu-ray discs. The company is already working on a 100 GB version and has plans for a 200 GB version capable of holding about 18 hours of high definition video.

The initial Blu-ray disc standard allows for 25 GB single-layer discs and 50 GB dual-layer discs. It is stable enough to achieve 6x recording speed on a 25 GB write once Blu-ray disc prototype.

TDK has also developed its own hard coating technology to protect the disc surface against common contaminants such as scratches and fingerprints.

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