Cybercriminals have changed their strategy during the global economic crisis by focusing on account takeover fraud, said online identity firm Garlick. This tactic, in which cybercriminals gain access to a bank account either as the result of phishing or banking Trojans, has risen by 207 per cent, Garlik said.
www.garlik.com
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Twitter short URL warning
Cybercriminals are using URL-shortening services to infect Twitter members. Sites such as TinyURL.com are being used to disguise links to sites that host malware. Symantec said that the criminals include keywords related to the most-discussed topics on Twitter to ensure that they have a good chance of finding victims.
symantec.com
symantec.com
Saturday, October 17, 2009
BEFRIEND GORILLAS ON FACEBOOK
You can now make friends with gorillas on Facebook, thanks to the Friend A Gorilla charity.
The Ugandan mountain gorillas, which are also found in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, are under threat of extinction, with only 700 left in the whole of Africa.
You'll need to donate $1 (about 61p) to make friends with the gorillas, who you can also follow on Twitter.
www.friendagorilla.org
www.facebook.com/friendagorilla
The Ugandan mountain gorillas, which are also found in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, are under threat of extinction, with only 700 left in the whole of Africa.
You'll need to donate $1 (about 61p) to make friends with the gorillas, who you can also follow on Twitter.
www.friendagorilla.org
www.facebook.com/friendagorilla
Sneak preview of Microsoft touchscreen device hits web
Details of a dual-touchscreen device made by Microsoft that can be operated with fingers or a stylus have emerged on the web.
Codenamed 'Courier', the handheld device has two screens facing each other that can be closed together when not in use, like a book.
A video demonstration posted on the Gizmodo website showed how it converts handwritten notes into text and integrates contact information with mapping and diary applications.
The design is rumoured to be in "late-prototype" stage, though Microsoft has made no official comment about the Courier, so whether it will even be released at all is not known for certain.
The Courier would provide a rival for the Apple iTablet, which is described as a larger version of the iPod Touch and is expected to launch in January.
http://gizmodo.com
Codenamed 'Courier', the handheld device has two screens facing each other that can be closed together when not in use, like a book.
A video demonstration posted on the Gizmodo website showed how it converts handwritten notes into text and integrates contact information with mapping and diary applications.
The design is rumoured to be in "late-prototype" stage, though Microsoft has made no official comment about the Courier, so whether it will even be released at all is not known for certain.
The Courier would provide a rival for the Apple iTablet, which is described as a larger version of the iPod Touch and is expected to launch in January.
http://gizmodo.com
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Mobile broadband providers defend speeds
Two mobile broadband providers have defended themselves after a broadband-comparison site accused ISPs of misleading customers over speeds.
A report from Broadband Expert found that most customers were only able to achieve speeds of around a quarter of the maximums stated in ads promoting ISPs.
Vodafone said it did as much as it could to communicate real-world speeds to customers. "We've been careful to communicate what customers will typically experience from mobile broadband. We're in the process of ensuring all our website information is consistent for customers so they can get details on network coverage, wherever they are," a Vodafone spokeswoman told Web User.
Rival ISP 3 conceded that more needed to be done to resolve the discrepancy between the speeds used in advertising and those that could be realistically achieved.
At 3 we have been pushing for clear and realistic messaging in the mobile broadband market. There is still much to Scam targets online Monopoly players
Surfers have been warned to be on their guard against spam emails inviting them to play the online version of the Monopoly board game.
Security firms Websense and McAfee both reported that they had intercepted tens of thousands of the emails.
Anyone responding to the invitation is directed to a fake website where their PC is prompted to download a Trojan.
The malware infects computers in two stages, the second of which consists of a virus that constantly changes its code in order to disguise itself against virus scanners.
"When the Trojan is activated on the victims' computers, it links to another computer and downloads the second stage of the malware, the piece that turns machines Into spam-sending zombies touting Canadian Pharmacy products," said Sam Masiello of McAfee.
The scam has been timed to coincide with the regional qualification rounds for the Monopoly World Championships which will take place in Las Vegas later this year.
www.scansafe.com
www.mcafee.com
A report from Broadband Expert found that most customers were only able to achieve speeds of around a quarter of the maximums stated in ads promoting ISPs.
Vodafone said it did as much as it could to communicate real-world speeds to customers. "We've been careful to communicate what customers will typically experience from mobile broadband. We're in the process of ensuring all our website information is consistent for customers so they can get details on network coverage, wherever they are," a Vodafone spokeswoman told Web User.
Rival ISP 3 conceded that more needed to be done to resolve the discrepancy between the speeds used in advertising and those that could be realistically achieved.
At 3 we have been pushing for clear and realistic messaging in the mobile broadband market. There is still much to Scam targets online Monopoly players
Surfers have been warned to be on their guard against spam emails inviting them to play the online version of the Monopoly board game.
Security firms Websense and McAfee both reported that they had intercepted tens of thousands of the emails.
Anyone responding to the invitation is directed to a fake website where their PC is prompted to download a Trojan.
The malware infects computers in two stages, the second of which consists of a virus that constantly changes its code in order to disguise itself against virus scanners.
"When the Trojan is activated on the victims' computers, it links to another computer and downloads the second stage of the malware, the piece that turns machines Into spam-sending zombies touting Canadian Pharmacy products," said Sam Masiello of McAfee.
The scam has been timed to coincide with the regional qualification rounds for the Monopoly World Championships which will take place in Las Vegas later this year.
www.scansafe.com
www.mcafee.com
Fire and plague hit the web
Details of deaths from the bubonic plague and the Great War Fire of London are among 18 million parish records now published online.
Ancestry.co.uk's archive, launched in partnership with the City of London's London Metropolitan Archives and Guildhall Library Manuscripts, claims to be the most comprehensive collection of parish records available online.
Other events covered in the archive, which spans London's history from 1538 to 1980, include the bombing of the capital in the Blitz during 1940-41 and the cholera outbreak of 1854.
One hundred thousand people, almost 20 per cent of London's population at the time, died from the bubonic plague between 1665 and 1666. Officials sometimes marked the burial records with 'plague' or simply the letter 'P', which can be seen in the scans of the original documents on the Ancestry site.
Other noteworthy entries in the parish records include the baptism of Samuel Pepys as well as the marriage records of Oscar Wilde and Thomas Hardy. Charles Dickens, John Keats and Michael Faraday can also be found in the archive.
Ancestry.co.uk costs 10.95 per month to access or 83.40 for a year's membership.
www.ancestry.co.uk/lma
Coming up...
Ancestry.co.uk's archive, launched in partnership with the City of London's London Metropolitan Archives and Guildhall Library Manuscripts, claims to be the most comprehensive collection of parish records available online.
Other events covered in the archive, which spans London's history from 1538 to 1980, include the bombing of the capital in the Blitz during 1940-41 and the cholera outbreak of 1854.
One hundred thousand people, almost 20 per cent of London's population at the time, died from the bubonic plague between 1665 and 1666. Officials sometimes marked the burial records with 'plague' or simply the letter 'P', which can be seen in the scans of the original documents on the Ancestry site.
Other noteworthy entries in the parish records include the baptism of Samuel Pepys as well as the marriage records of Oscar Wilde and Thomas Hardy. Charles Dickens, John Keats and Michael Faraday can also be found in the archive.
Ancestry.co.uk costs 10.95 per month to access or 83.40 for a year's membership.
www.ancestry.co.uk/lma
Coming up...
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Lily and the pirate bashers
Lily Allen's rant against file-sharing and her subsequent change of opinion illustrates perfectly how the piracy debate in the UK is going round in circles.
For several years, record labels and ISPs have bickered about how to tackle the problem, with the labels insisting that the ISPs should police their networks better and the ISPs arguing it's the responsibility of the labels to better protect their content.
Following warnings that if neither side could play nicely legislation would be introduced, the government finally intervened and the Digital Britain report was drawn up.
Miraculously, an agreement that both sides were happy with was reached and, for a while, the two sides concentrated their attention on fighting the pirates rather than each other. Then, Lord Mandelson scrapped.
If For several years the record labels and the ISPs bickered about how to tackle the problem 99 the proposals in favour of a draconian policy to disconnect suspected file-sharers and we were back to square one.
Lily Allen, along with other artists including Elton John and James Blunt, expressed support for Mandelson's plans -but it seems to me that these musicians had only just joined the debate.
After a lengthy meeting where the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) put the case for warnings and speed capping as a last resort, Allen's camp shifted their position into line with that of the original Digital Britain proposals.
It's great that Lily and her supporters were willing to listen and understand the burden that Mandelson's proposals would place on ISPs and people wrongly accused of piracy. However, it's simultaneously infuriating that people in a position to influence others unthinkingly adopt an unworkable opinion and join in the debate several months after settlements have already been reached.
By setting the debate back, Allen has only succeeded in delaying the application of realistic, practical solutions to piracy.
For several years, record labels and ISPs have bickered about how to tackle the problem, with the labels insisting that the ISPs should police their networks better and the ISPs arguing it's the responsibility of the labels to better protect their content.
Following warnings that if neither side could play nicely legislation would be introduced, the government finally intervened and the Digital Britain report was drawn up.
Miraculously, an agreement that both sides were happy with was reached and, for a while, the two sides concentrated their attention on fighting the pirates rather than each other. Then, Lord Mandelson scrapped.
If For several years the record labels and the ISPs bickered about how to tackle the problem 99 the proposals in favour of a draconian policy to disconnect suspected file-sharers and we were back to square one.
Lily Allen, along with other artists including Elton John and James Blunt, expressed support for Mandelson's plans -but it seems to me that these musicians had only just joined the debate.
After a lengthy meeting where the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) put the case for warnings and speed capping as a last resort, Allen's camp shifted their position into line with that of the original Digital Britain proposals.
It's great that Lily and her supporters were willing to listen and understand the burden that Mandelson's proposals would place on ISPs and people wrongly accused of piracy. However, it's simultaneously infuriating that people in a position to influence others unthinkingly adopt an unworkable opinion and join in the debate several months after settlements have already been reached.
By setting the debate back, Allen has only succeeded in delaying the application of realistic, practical solutions to piracy.
Friday, October 9, 2009
HP Envy laptop
HP normally uses functional nomenclature for its products but when you set eyes on this laptop, you'll immediately see why it's called Envy.
The sleek, rounded design of aluminium and magnesium is certainly eye-catching but the most impressive thing about the Envy is that it is incredibly thin - nearly as thin as the MacBook Air, in fact.
And it's not just a pretty face. A 15.6in version has the new Intel Core i7 processor and up to a whopping 16GB of memory, so it should be very fast (we didn't get the chance to run any benchmark tests on it, unfortunately). The 13.1 in version doesn't come with quite the same power but it still has a respectable specification and the advantage of weighing just 1.7kg.
One of the most useful features is that you can turn the touchpad off while you're typing. It might not sound like much but if you've ever tried to type for long periods on a laptop, only to have the cursor jump around and insert text into the wrong places, you'll realise how valuable this is.
Apple still sets the standard when it comes to stylish laptop design and, while imitating Apple's design is no bad thing, HP has clearly tried to distance itself from any Mac comparisons. The brushed metal finish of the Envy is darker than that of the MacBook and it has larger keys and a much brighter screen.
Where the Envy does match the MacBook is, unfortunately, with the price. You'll always pay a premium for the latest and greatest, but it's hard to justify that kind of spending when you can now pick up laptops for a fraction of the HP Envy's staggering 1,199-plus price tag. Then again, Envy really is such an impressive piece of kit that you might be able to convince yourself to remortgage the house to buy it.
Both Envy models run the Windows 7 operating system so you won't be able to get your hands on them until at least 26 October. But they'll soon be on the shelves of PC World if you want to take a look.
www.hp.com
The sleek, rounded design of aluminium and magnesium is certainly eye-catching but the most impressive thing about the Envy is that it is incredibly thin - nearly as thin as the MacBook Air, in fact.
And it's not just a pretty face. A 15.6in version has the new Intel Core i7 processor and up to a whopping 16GB of memory, so it should be very fast (we didn't get the chance to run any benchmark tests on it, unfortunately). The 13.1 in version doesn't come with quite the same power but it still has a respectable specification and the advantage of weighing just 1.7kg.
One of the most useful features is that you can turn the touchpad off while you're typing. It might not sound like much but if you've ever tried to type for long periods on a laptop, only to have the cursor jump around and insert text into the wrong places, you'll realise how valuable this is.
Apple still sets the standard when it comes to stylish laptop design and, while imitating Apple's design is no bad thing, HP has clearly tried to distance itself from any Mac comparisons. The brushed metal finish of the Envy is darker than that of the MacBook and it has larger keys and a much brighter screen.
Where the Envy does match the MacBook is, unfortunately, with the price. You'll always pay a premium for the latest and greatest, but it's hard to justify that kind of spending when you can now pick up laptops for a fraction of the HP Envy's staggering 1,199-plus price tag. Then again, Envy really is such an impressive piece of kit that you might be able to convince yourself to remortgage the house to buy it.
Both Envy models run the Windows 7 operating system so you won't be able to get your hands on them until at least 26 October. But they'll soon be on the shelves of PC World if you want to take a look.
www.hp.com
No Google Trends as yet for the UK
Google will not be bringing its Hot Trends technology to the UK any time soon, the company has said.
A new feature that lets searchers see various statistics about the topic of their searches using trends information from Hot Trends will only be available in Japan and the US, a Google spokesman told Web User.
The innovation is a significant step towards Google's goal of real-time search facilities in its search engine. "Now, when you search Google.com and your query matches one of the top 100 fastest-rising search terms, we'll show you a graph at the bottom of the page, with more information — like how popular the query is, how fast it's rising over time, and other useful data," said Aaron Wise, associate product manager at Google.
As Web User reported in Issue 222, Google covets the real-time search capabilities of micro-blogging service Twitter, which provides members with a list of 'trending topics' to show them what is being widely discussed at that moment.
www.google.com/trends
www.twitter.com
A new feature that lets searchers see various statistics about the topic of their searches using trends information from Hot Trends will only be available in Japan and the US, a Google spokesman told Web User.
The innovation is a significant step towards Google's goal of real-time search facilities in its search engine. "Now, when you search Google.com and your query matches one of the top 100 fastest-rising search terms, we'll show you a graph at the bottom of the page, with more information — like how popular the query is, how fast it's rising over time, and other useful data," said Aaron Wise, associate product manager at Google.
As Web User reported in Issue 222, Google covets the real-time search capabilities of micro-blogging service Twitter, which provides members with a list of 'trending topics' to show them what is being widely discussed at that moment.
www.google.com/trends
www.twitter.com
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
ВТ and supplier in l-Plate row
ВТ has rubbished suggestions that people should make DIY modifications to their master telephone sockets to improve their broadband speed.
Solwise, an online retailer and manufacturer of home-networking products, suggested that people could simply open up the phone socket and remove the bell-wire, rather than buy BT's solution, the l-Plate, which claims to boost broadband speeds by up to 1.5Mbps.
А ВТ spokesman said that the master telephone socket actually belongs to ВТ, not the homeowner, so tampering with it was illegal.
"We couldn't comment on whether Solwise's instructions would be a successful alternative. The l-Plate has been fully tested and we know it gets results, and it's more convenient than fiddling about in the socket yourself," the ВТ spokesman told Web User.
However, visitors to the Web User site were unimpressed with BT's claim of ownership. "I've paid for [the phone socket], it's on my property and if they're that worried about it, heck, we should charge ВТ rent as well. It's my socket and I'll do what I want with it," said one.
www.bt.com
www.solwise.co.uk
Solwise, an online retailer and manufacturer of home-networking products, suggested that people could simply open up the phone socket and remove the bell-wire, rather than buy BT's solution, the l-Plate, which claims to boost broadband speeds by up to 1.5Mbps.
А ВТ spokesman said that the master telephone socket actually belongs to ВТ, not the homeowner, so tampering with it was illegal.
"We couldn't comment on whether Solwise's instructions would be a successful alternative. The l-Plate has been fully tested and we know it gets results, and it's more convenient than fiddling about in the socket yourself," the ВТ spokesman told Web User.
However, visitors to the Web User site were unimpressed with BT's claim of ownership. "I've paid for [the phone socket], it's on my property and if they're that worried about it, heck, we should charge ВТ rent as well. It's my socket and I'll do what I want with it," said one.
www.bt.com
www.solwise.co.uk
Yahoo's new homepage
Yahoo has fully released its new-look homepage, which had been in beta since July. The full launch means that all visitors will now be able to customise the homepage to contain information from their social-networking profiles and favourite news sources. The relaunch comes at the same time as a $100m (about ?61m) marketing campaign including television advertising begins.
www.yahoo.co.uk
www.yahoo.co.uk
Botnet 'goes to sleep at night'
Security researchers have found that one of the biggest 'botnets' (armies of infected computers) takes an eight-hour break every day. Most botnets churn out spam around the clock but Rustock has predictable patterns and shuts down at OOOOBST, resuming its activities at 0800BST the following morning. Rustock is estimated to consist of between 1.3 million and 1.9 million infected PCs, and is responsible for around 10 per cent of all spam emails.
www.messagelabs.co.uk
www.messagelabs.co.uk
Microsoft's free security suite slammed
Microsoft has finally launched its free Security Essentials package but the product has been met with a torrent of criticism from rival security vendors.
Microsoft Security Essentials offers free anti-virus and anti-spyware functionality and doesn't cost anything to download and install.
But, as Web User first reported in Issue 223, some security vendors such as Symantec, maker of Norton Internet Security 2010 (see our review on page 50), have played down the significance of Microsoft's entry into the security market, saying that free software packages were essentially worthless.
F-Secure's Pekka Mettala has also said:
Microsoft claims that the motive for launching a free security product is partly to make security software available to millions of people in poorer areas of the world who can't keep up to date with subscriptions because they don't own a credit card.
However, Microsoft's initial launch of Security Essentials covers only 19 countries, all of them in the developed world. The company said that the package would be rolled out in all markets in a matter of months, but declined to name a specific date.
Security Essentials will support Windows 7, Vista and XP but not Windows 2000 or older operating systems. Julia Owen of Microsoft told Web User that this was "in line with Microsoft's support policy".
www.microsoft.com/security_essentials
Microsoft Security Essentials offers free anti-virus and anti-spyware functionality and doesn't cost anything to download and install.
But, as Web User first reported in Issue 223, some security vendors such as Symantec, maker of Norton Internet Security 2010 (see our review on page 50), have played down the significance of Microsoft's entry into the security market, saying that free software packages were essentially worthless.
F-Secure's Pekka Mettala has also said:
"The Microsoft software does not include many of the additional features that fully protect consumers against cybercrime".
Microsoft claims that the motive for launching a free security product is partly to make security software available to millions of people in poorer areas of the world who can't keep up to date with subscriptions because they don't own a credit card.
However, Microsoft's initial launch of Security Essentials covers only 19 countries, all of them in the developed world. The company said that the package would be rolled out in all markets in a matter of months, but declined to name a specific date.
Security Essentials will support Windows 7, Vista and XP but not Windows 2000 or older operating systems. Julia Owen of Microsoft told Web User that this was "in line with Microsoft's support policy".
www.microsoft.com/security_essentials
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