Monday, November 12, 2007

Hackers threaten MySpace users

Singer Alicia Keys’ MySpace account was recently hacked, and anyone who clicked on her page was in danger of having their computer overrun by malware.  When MySpace fixed the problem, the site was promptly hacked again.  To make matters worse, Keys’ site wasn’t the only one affected—a group of Russian hackers is targeting MySpace accounts belong to bands, thus exposing hundreds of thousands of fans to their exploit.

The hackers change the MySpace sites by placing an 8,000 by 1,000 pixel map over the main account page.  Any click which misses its intended target link automatically clicks the overlay, and the user is redirected to a site which prompts them to download a fake codec if they want to view videos.  The installation actually consists of a number of exploits, including rootkits and DNS changers.  Even users who don’t click on any links can be infected just by visiting a MySpace page if their browsers don’t have all the latest security patches.

While most of the MySpace pages have been repaired, some of the exploits have reoccured.  MySpace has made a public statement saying they’ve repaired hacked pages, but haven’t made any statements about whether they’ve repaired, or even detected, the vulnerability which allowed these hacks in the first place.

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 11/12 at 05:49 AM
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Sunday, November 11, 2007

Google sued for patent infringement

Northeastern University and a small company called Jarg Corp. are suing Google for patent infringement.  Jarg Corp. was established by one of the Northwestern’s professors, and together they claim Google’s core search technology is based on a method patented by Jarg in 1997, a year before Google was established.  A spokesperson for Google claims, not surprisingly, that the case is without merit.

Northwestern has wanted to sue for years, but didn’t have the finances to mount a lawsuit until Texas law firm Vinson & Elkins offered to work on contingency.  Any sort of decision against Google could be costly, as analysts believe 99% of Google’s income comes from selling advertising within the search engine.

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 11/11 at 09:27 PM
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Saturday, November 10, 2007

Parents soon in control of Xbox 360

Just in time for Christmas, Microsoft is releasing a new control for the Xbox 360 called “Family Timer”.  Details are sketchy, but it seems that it will be a firmware upgrade which will add some new options to the Family Settings already present in Xboxes.  The timer will allow a parent (or concerned friend, partner, or relative), to configure the amount of time the Xbox will work before it shuts down for the day.

Parents already have the ability to control what type of games are played on the Xbox, and whether the Xbox can connect to “Xbox Live”.  The new timer offered in response to research which revealed that 62% of parents wanted a way to limit the time their child spent playing videogames.  Not to be unduly snarky, but Microsoft could have offered this feature years ago, by simply showing parents where the “Off” button was located.

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 11/10 at 10:23 PM
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Friday, November 09, 2007

Epson makes move to stop ink cartridge competition

For the last few months, Epson has been busy in federal court and with the US International Trade Commission.  They’ve been filing lawsuits to stop third-parties from making “aftermarket” ink cartridges—those are the non-Epson brand cartridges you can buy in many retail stores and on the Internet.  In a bit of a surprise to observers, Epson is winning these patent-infringement cases, and the defendents are promising to stop the production and/or import of non-Epson cartridges for Epson printers.

There are going to be many unfortunate implications for consumers because of these lawsuits.  The most obvious is that consumers will have to spend more money for brand-name ink cartridges.  The second implication is for artists who use Epson’s printers with special inks for photo printing or dye sublimation; they may not be able to stay in business.  Epson printers are unique because their printheads are ideal for working with special dyes used in heat presses, and lightfast inks for professional photographers.  These inks are not manufactured by Epson, and along with printer modifications like Continuous Ink Systems, are some of the products which have been banned by Epson’s lawsuits.

Lexmark lost a similar case against a third-party manufacturer a few years ago, but they didn’t claim patent infringement.  Patent violations are the basis of Epson’s lawsuits, and the argument seems to be working.

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 11/09 at 01:47 PM
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Thursday, November 08, 2007

Another new planet discovered

Scientists have discovered a new planet… in another solar system.  That makes five planets orbiting the sun-like star called 55 Cancri.  55 Cancri is about 41 light years away from Earth, and it’s believed that its solar system contains a “habitable zone”, an area where water could be in liquid form.  The new planet is located in the habitable zone, and has a ring, similar to Saturn.  This is the largest known planetary system in the universe, other than Earth’s own.  The new planet doesn’t yet have a name.

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 11/08 at 01:27 AM
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