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Note: The following text is a quote: Pop-Up Security Warnings Pose Threats The FBI warned consumers today about an ongoing threat involving pop-up security messages that appear while they are on the Internet. The messages may contain a virus that could harm your computer, cause costly repairs or, even worse, lead to identity theft. The messages contain scareware, fake or rogue anti-virus software that looks authentic. The message may display what appears to be a real-time, anti-virus scan of your hard drive. The scareware will show a list of reputable software icons; however, you can’t click a link to go...

Ever find out one of your friends hasn’t read “Neuromancer” or doesn’t know what a Babelfish is or why it’s important to keep a towel handy at all times? Did you have that brief moment where you thought, “Man, it’s like I don’t even know you?” If you’re gonna work in tech, write code, or just spend way too much time on Engadget, Lifehacker, and BoingBoing, there’s a certain amount of reading that goes with the territory. And I’m not just talking about O’Reilly books here. Discovering “Snow Crash” or geeking out on crypto history teaches us part of the...

Intel has unveiled a prototype chip that packs 48 separate processing cores on to a chunk of silicon the size of a postage stamp. The Single-chip Cloud Computer (SCC), as it is known contains 1.3 billion transistors, the tiny on-off switches that underpin chip technology. Each processing core could, in theory, run a separate operating system. Currently, top-end chips for desktop computers typically contain four separate processors. Intel and Rival AMD will both launch six-core devices in 2010, allowing computers to simultaneously tackle a number of complex tasks, such as processing graphics. 'Tiny islands' The chip has won the "cloud"...

If you're starting a new business, hiring on a shoestring budget, or simply sprucing up your home office, you'll need some new office gear, and you probably won't want to spend much. Believe it or not, Craigslist isn't just for used couches and one-night stands; it's also exceptionally good for finding standard office furniture (cubicles, desks, chairs, and so on) at unusually low prices. However, Craigslisting is an art in itself, so we've got some tricks that will help you seal the deal on whatever used gear your new office needs. The Budget Buying a basic, no-frills office chair and...

Brain waves will replace keyboard and mouse, dial phones and change TV channel By the year 2020, you won't need a keyboard and mouse to control your computer, say Intel Corp. researchers. Instead, users will open documents and surf the Web using nothing more than their brain waves. Scientists at Intel's research lab in Pittsburgh are working to find ways to read and harness human brain waves so they can be used to operate computers, television sets and cell phones. The brain waves would be harnessed with Intel-developed sensors implanted in people's brains.

My thanks to @girlygeekdom on Twitter for highlighting what must be the most surreal Internet marketing plan ever - British girl band the Sugababes are being used to promote Windows 7. There is a website called 'sugababeslovewindows7' to announce it. I'm as flummoxed as anyone by this. Let's take to one side the fact that I'm a 44 year old man and not at all in the Sugababes' market - what exactly is this trying to say about the brand? That it's easy to use? OK, check - but surely it's no longer acceptable to dismiss young females as incapable...

Apple is set to files its brief on Monday detailing the damages and injunction details it wants to see imposed on Psystar for building and selling unauthorized Mac clones. Apple filed a lawsuit against Psystar in Northern California several months ago claiming the small PC maker was violating the Mac OS X end user license agreement, and that it was violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act with the steps it used to install the Mac operating system on PCs. Psystar claimed that it should be allowed to build and sell PCs with Mac OS X pre-installed and that Apple is...

Note: The following text is a quote: SPEAR PHISHING E-MAILS TARGET U.S. LAW FIRMS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS FIRMS 11/17/09—The FBI assesses with high confidence that hackers are using spear phishing e-mails with malicious payloads to exploit U.S. law firms and public relations firms. During the course of ongoing investigations, the FBI identified noticeable increases in computer exploitation attempts against these entities. The specific intrusion vector used against the firms is a spear phishing or targeted socially engineered e-mail designed to compromise a network by bypassing technological network defenses and exploiting the person at the keyboard. Hackers exploit the ability of...

LONDON (Reuters) -- Counterterrorism detectives said they had arrested five men in early morning raids today in northwest England. They were being held on suspicion of committing terrorism offenses including inciting an act of terrorism overseas. Police said the suspects, aged 21, 26, 27, 52, and 62, were detained after swoops at homes in Manchester and Bolton, and at a hotel near London's Heathrow Airport. The properties were now being searched.

Okay, so this may not be important breaking news about astronomy, but it may answer a burning question posed by most people who have watched or read "2001: A Space Odyssey": that is, why does the computer HAL-9000 sing the song 'Daisy Bell' as the astronaut Dave Bowman takes him apart? Well, Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke made HAL's final act in the world this song as a tribute to HAL's great ancestor, the first IBM computer to ever sing. Click below for more on this geeky topic! In 1962 Arthur C. Clarke, who wrote the novel – and...

I want to know how to get on the net with a P3.

When you buy an Apple device, you're often locked in to buying other Apple products that are compatible with it. Here are five examples, and some advice on what to do. Oh, wait--there's nothing you can do.Once you enter the Big Tent of Apple, it's exceedingly hard to find the exit. Over its 33-year history, Apple has consistently elected to limit consumer choice, creating a situation known as "lock in." As soon as you start buying stuff from Apple, you'll find it difficult to move to products made by someone else without losing everything you've already paid for. Of course,...

Note: The following text is a quote: West Coast Man Charged with Developing and Distributing Cable Network Hacking Tools BOSTON, MA—Charges were unsealed in federal court against an Oregon man and the company he founded, TCNISO, alleging that they developed and distributed products that allowed users to modify their cable modems and obtain internet access without paying for it. Acting United States Attorney Michael K. Loucks, Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer and Warren T. Bamford, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Boston Field Division, announced today that RYAN HARRIS, age 26, of San Diego,...

I have a computer that will not turn on.

Note: The following text is a quote: Beware of bogus websites! (30/10/2009) The UK Border Agency is the official UK Government authority providing information and guidance for visa applicants and for making decisions on visa applications for the United Kingdom. We operate through the following official websites: UK Border Agency corporate website: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk UK Border Agency Visa Services website: www.ukvisas.gov.uk UK Border Agency Online Application Service (Visa4UK): www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk Local websites operated by our commercial partners, CSC Worldbridge and VFS Global, and British Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates around the world. We would advise you to avoid all other websites claiming...

Related Story: Australia 'must prepare for cyber attack' SNIPPET: "More evidence is emerging of sophisticated attacks by criminals and foreign governments on Australia's computer networks. Government officials from the spy organisation ASIO, as well as federal police and computer security experts, have joined forces with the top-secret Defence Signals Directorate since July. The Cyber Security Operations Centre has found attacks on company information, apparently conducted by organised crime, which turn out to have national security implications."

Note: The following text is a quote: Former CEO of YouSendIt Charged with Denial of Service of Attack SAN JOSE, CA—Khalid Shaikh, a former CEO of YouSendIt Inc., was indicted by a federal grand jury yesterday with four counts of mail fraud, United States Attorney Joseph P. Russoniello announced. The indictment states that between December 2008 and June 2009 Shaikh used the ApacheBench software program to launch four denial of service (DOS) attacks against YouSendIt’s servers. Each DOS attack temporarily rendered the servers incapable of handling legitimate network traffic and deprived YouSendIt’s customers use of the company’s services. YouSendIt is...

I'm befuddled trying to find a good Partion management software app. I was looking at Acronis Disk Director, Paragon's app and Partitin Magic.Since this is such a criticl decision,I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions.I want to repartition a drive so I can install Win7 Ultimate (I know, I know.... but I have to try it for work purposes and try the virtualization features.)Many thanks in advance.

Sorry, folks, but all you techies just cannot convince me that the Internet is as permanent as a book. The information in books can have several thousands of years of life. But what of the Internet? In many cases info on the Internet is not even around for mere decades. A recent story in the L.A. Times about the now defunct web platform GeoCities is a perfect example of what I am talking about. Back in the mid 1990s in the early days of the web, when blogs had yet to get their eventual sobriquet, when there were no programs...

Time for some humor on the subject matter. I know my fellow IT Geeks will be good at this one. What does the "7" mean in Windows "7"? 7: The year it was supposed to be released (2007). 7: The number of hours it will take to upgrade. 7: How much companies will have to multiply their IT staff for support. 7: The average quantity of software you had that won't work in "7". 7: The number of crashes you will expect each day. 7: The months it will take Microsoft to patch half of the security leaks. 7: The...

A MAN who established a sophisticated network of peepholes and cameras to spy on his flatmates has escaped a jail sentence after police were unable to crack an encryption code on his home computer. Rohan James Wyllie, 39, yesterday pleaded guilty in Southport District Court to charges of attempting to visually record one of his flatmates when she was in a private place without her consent. But police were unable to prove his elaborate surveillance system had actually been used. Wyllie's three flatmates, two women and a man, grew suspicious that he was up to something when they noticed lights...

Tomorrow there will be free one year licenses for security software! Coiciding with W7 release of course. http://us.pandasecurity.com/windows7party/index.html http://usa.kaspersky.com/shakeitup/ I don't know panda security, but Kaspersky, cool! One day only, for one year free! I'll try to ping this tomorrow.

First Amendment: Diversity czar Mark Lloyd's FCC votes Thursday on the issue of net neutrality. Advertised as providing access to all, it will do to the information superhighway what Lloyd proposed for talk radio. Not much was said when $7.2 billion was included in the stimulus bill "to accelerate broadband deployment in unserved and underserved areas and to strategic institutions that are likely to create jobs or provide significant public benefits." The administration has big plans for the Internet — like controlling it. Susan Crawford, the so-called Internet czar, told the Wall Street Journal in April that the broadband billions...

Computer Weekly, in association with ResearchNow Business, surveyed 500 users to discover which web browser they use at work and at home. Over half of the panellists predicted IE 8+ was the browser that they will be using by the end of 2010, both personally and for their business.

Note: The following news brief is a quote: Turkey Arrests 50 Suspected al-Qaida-Linked Militants By VOA News 15 October 2009 Turkish police have detained at least 50 suspected al-Qaida-linked militants in raids across nine provinces. Local media say the militants, thought to be members of a group (the Islamic Jihad League) tied to al-Qaida, were planning attacks against U.S., Israeli and NATO targets in Turkey. They say the suspects may have had contact with al-Qaida's second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahri, and may have been trained in Afghanistan. Turkey's Hurriyet daily says police Thursday seized an unlicensed gun, documents, CDs and laptops during...

"The powerful online voice of jihad Shadowy cleric revered by disenchanted Muslim youths throughout West cited in Toronto 18 case" CAPTION: "A Facebook page for Anwar al Awlaki has 4,800 fans. He has been cited as an inspiration for extremist plots." FACEBOOK SNIPPET: "In a snowy field near Barrie, a group of young Muslim men listened intently to the eloquent voice emanating from the laptop. Anwar al Awlaki preached in perfect Arabic and flawless English about the need to fight in the name of religion, because the "world is united in fighting Islam." The time for jihad is now, no...

"Project Grey Goose and University at Albany SUNY to investigate major Power Grid blackouts caused by hackers" SNIPPET: "This is an open call for volunteers who wish to participate in a joint Project Grey Goose / University at Albany SUNY open source intelligence investigation into power grid blackouts caused by hacker attacks. The scope is global and includes the U.S. Interested parties should contact me from their work email address with an expression of interest, a brief bio, and your experience, if any, in SCADA systems in general or the power grid in particular. All respondents will be kept confidential....

I was checking my Twitter account today (@davidioxley) when I saw that the FBI Press Office (@FBIPressOffice) had just posted a lengthy series of tweets concerning wanted fugitives. Among these were terrorists, pimps, drug kingpins, and your regular run-of-the-mill scum of the earth. Alas, no one looked familiar. Guess I’m going to have to work for that $1,000,000 instead… What caught my attention, however, were three tweets that began with the words “Cyber Criminals.” Currently there are four cyber criminals profiled on the FBI site. It’s not quite “America’s Most Wanted,” but here’s our lineup (in alphabetical order). All pictures...

ISLAMABAD: SNIPPET: "Police found some objectionable literature, computers and some other stuff in the house and seized over 15 vehicles, including Sedan cars and sport utility vehicles. According to a senior police officer, the arrested people were booked under the Anti-Terrorism Act and produced in a court of law for further legal action. He said the activists were suspected of helping militants. He said the meeting was being held in a rented house and police were searching for the owner who would also face a legal action."

FIVE Sydney men have been found guilty of conspiring to plan a terrorist attack using high-powered guns and homemade bombs designed to cause mass death and destruction on Australian soil. A Supreme Court jury took four weeks and three days to find Mohamed Ali Elomar, 44, Abdul Rakib Hasan, 40, Mohammed Omar Jamal, 25, Moustafa Cheikho, 32, and his uncle Khaled Cheikho, 36, guilty of conspiring to do acts in preparation for a terrorist act or acts. The Daily Telegraph reports the men, all from Sydney's south-west, were accused of stockpiling weapons and chemicals for use in the pursuit of...

WASHINGTON — Wondering if swine flu's bad enough to require a doctor's attention? An interactive Web site may help you decide, using the same type of triage calculations that doctors at Emory University use. Microsoft Corp. unveiled the site Wednesday at http://www.h1n1responsecenter.com. Type in your age — it's only for people over 12 — and answer questions about fever, other symptoms and your underlying health.

The FBI on Wednesday announced that it had charged 53 defendants, the largest number ever charged in a cybercrime case, following a multinational investigation into a phishing scheme that operated in the United States and Egypt. Thirty-three of the 53 defendants named in the indictment have been arrested, the FBI said, and several others are being sought. The investigation, dubbed "Operation Phish Phry," began in 2007. Authorities in Egypt have charged 47 defendants linked to the phishing operation. Phishing is a form of social engineering that attempts to convince Internet users, via e-mail or other means, to provide online credentials...

Dell plans to close its Winston-Salem, N.C. factory and lay off about 905 employees by January, the company has confirmed. The first 600 employees will be released next month, the Round Rock company said. The company said the closure is part of an effort directed at "simplifying operations and improving efficiency."

Dell plans to close its computer manufacturing plant in Winston-Salem by January, and lay off 905 employees. Dell opened the assembly plant in 2005 and was offered a massive incentives package valued at $305 million if it met hiring and investment goals. The project was seen as a major economic development victory by supporters and a huge waste of taxpayer money by critics. About 600 workers at the plant will be let go next month, Dell announced this afternoon. The rest will be out of work by early next year. The closure of the Forsyth County plant is part of...

The Dell V305 printer came with my new Dell computer (Vista Home Premium OS). The printer works okay but there are times when it will not print documents from the computer. I get a pop up that says the computer is not communicating with the printer even though everything is plugged in properly and the settings have not been touched. I have heard that this happens with the V305. It has wireless capabilities but I use the USB option instead. If you had to choose another printer that does not fail you, what would it be? Would need a printer/copier/scanner...

Note: The following text is a quote: THE BRIEFING ROOM THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary ___________________________________________________________________________ For Immediate Release October 1, 2009 NATIONAL CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS MONTH, 2009 - - - - - - - BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION Americans are constantly adopting new and innovative technologies. This exposure has dramatically increased our thirst for computers, smartphones, and other digital solutions at work and at home. Our Nation's growing dependence on cyber and information-related technologies, coupled with an increasing threat of malicious cyber attacks and loss of privacy, has given rise...

Hi, sorry for the vanity. I am very Windows XP literate but not Mac literate and am posting this for a family member. She has a BlackBerry and uses a Mac. She wants to transfer songs directly from compact discs to her Blackberry (if possible), but I'm thinking she has to first extract the songs from the CDs to iTunes and from there (iTunes) transfer the songs to her BlackBerry. Couldn't she also just go to the iTunes store on her Blackberry and download the music directly to her BlackBerry that way? The only downside is that she would be...

SNIPPET: "I guess it was inevitable. With the growth in SaaS (Software as a Service), it was only a matter of time before we saw CaaS - Crimeware as a Service. Criminal gangs are now offering services such as DDOS attacks, botnet rental, malware creation and electronic money laundering. And then there are the more exclusive, targeted services such as whaling to attack high net worth individuals and organisations. CaaS is one of the emerging threats associated with organised cybercrime, which is at the top of the latest Information Security Forum (ISF) Threat Horizon 2011 report." Permalink: http://www.infosecurityadviser.com/view_message?id=138

The rise of cyber attacks - and the call for global collaboration on solutions that reduce the threat - has led the United States Secret Service to become the sixth government agency to join Transglobal Secure Collaboration Program (TSCP). The move reflects a growing awareness of the need for a united effort and common solutions to defend against the advanced persistent threat of cyber attacks against nations and commercial organizations alike. High-profile attacks, such as GhostNet and the U.S. electrical grid infiltration, create the imperative for government agencies and private industry to work together on viable and robust solutions that...

"EU funding 'Orwellian' artificial intelligence plan to monitor public for "abnormal behaviour" The European Union is spending millions of pounds developing "Orwellian" technologies designed to scour the internet and CCTV images for "abnormal behaviour"." SNIPPET: "A five-year research programme, called Project Indect, aims to develop computer programmes which act as "agents" to monitor and process information from web sites, discussion forums, file servers, peer-to-peer networks and even individual computers. Its main objectives include the "automatic detection of threats and abnormal behaviour or violence"." SNIPPET: "Project Indect, which received nearly £10 million in funding from the European Union, involves the Police...

“MI5 hiring Asian teenagers to fight cyber terror” London, September 21, 2009 First Published: 00:09 IST(21/9/2009) Last Updated: 02:44 IST(21/9/2009) SNIPPET: “MI5 head Jonathan Evans has told his staff that the recruits were essential to combat cyber terrorism which has been traced to China, Russia and Pakistan — the hackers have also intercepted messages from terrorists in Belmarsh maximum security prison, the newspaper said. In a report to Lord West, the Security Minister, Evans has revealed that during the summer over 1,000 hits were made on computers in Whitehall. Other targets have been air traffic control, power stations and the...

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Computer giant Dell announced on Monday it has acquired computer services firm Perot Systems, founded by Texas billionaire Ross Perot, for 3.9 billion dollars. "Dell and Perot Systems have entered a definitive agreement for Dell to acquire Perot Systems in a transaction valued at approximately 3.9 billion dollars," Dell said in a statement. Terms of the agreement were approved on Sunday by the boards of directors of both companies, it said. Dell, which is seeking to buy all ordinary shares of Perot Systems at 30 dollars a share, hopes to complete the deal by the end of...

BULLETIN -- NEW YORK POLICE AND FBI RAID HOMES IN QUEENS IN TERRORISM INVESTIGATION.6 minutes ago from BNO Headquarters

Note: See comments after the blog entry. Chinese researchers show how the PRC “owns” the U.S. Power Grid I had a head-slapping “What the F” moment when I read the New Scientist story “How to Short-Circuit the U.S. Power Grid“. Let’s start with the fact that the military strategy of the PRC ever since the U.S. speedily won the first Iraq war has been to find ways to mitigate our technological superiority by attacking its most vulnerable point - the network. That includes, as the Wall Street Journal so sensationally reminded us, the U.S. power grid. How fast do you...

I spend much of my time trying to read news articles and visit various web sites that have these new (expanding) advertisements. Some have click out boxes others do not. I spend a lot of time trying various techniques to get rid of those ads so that I can read the articles I am researching. Is there some technique to make them disappear? Better yet - Is there someone who one can complain to to get rid of that style of ad? Many are subscription only and I see no reason to subscribe just to complain that I can't read...

The free iPhone OS 3.1 Software Update includes some great new features, as well as all the features from previous updates. iPhone OS 3.1 gives you Genius recommendations for apps, lets you download ringtones wirelessly, offers a new way to organize apps on your iPhone, and more.

A computer hacker who was once a federal informer and was a driving force behind one of the largest cases of identity theft in U.S. history pleaded guilty Friday in a deal with prosecutors that will send him to prison for up to 25 years. Albert Gonzalez, 28, of Miami, admitted to pulling off some of the most prominent hacking jobs of the decade -- invading the computer systems of such retailers as TJX, BJ's Wholesale Club, OfficeMax, Boston Market, Barnes & Noble and Sports Authority. Federal authorities say tens of millions of credit and debit card numbers were stolen....

Teenagers’ obsession with mobile phones and computers is taking a toll on their education, suggests a new research. Andrew Kakabadse, professor of international management development, Cranfield School of Management, found that almost 60 per cent of teenagers were submitting coursework downloaded from the web without reading, rewriting, or understanding it. The survey also found that the students’ addiction to text messaging was also affecting the standard of English, reports Times Online. Three in ten respondents used text-message abbreviations, such as l8 (late) or RU (are you) in their coursework, with more than half of the 260 pupils saying they were...

We just got a new Dell Inspiron computer which has an internal modem for faxing but I am unable to make this work. I have no instructions as to how to hook up the phone line and I cannot seem to get a "fax" option when I hit the print option after typing a document. The modem is: Conexant D850 PCI V 92 Modem Attached to COM 3 I called Dell and they said I would need to pay someone over there to explain it to me. Of course I refused as I felt I do not need to pay,...

Everybody needs a break from time to time from our daily lives filled with the stress of the economy, politics and an onslaught of negative news. As a result and as an effort to rebuild brand loyalty, Hasbro has teamed up with Google maps to launch the worlds largest online monopoly game. Monopoly City Streets will incorporate google map technology to allow you to compete against your friends and a worldwide community in order to become the richest property owner in the world. Although the companies have released limited information about the game, what little has leaked out is creating...