October, 2005 Issue

When is too much information way, way, way too much? When it's creepy.

The single-player is great fun, but the uninspired multiplayer leaves a lot to be desired.

BURLINGAME, Calif.--The simplicity of scripting language PHP means it will be more popular than Java for building Web-based applications, Internet browser pioneer Marc Andreessen predicted Wednesday in a speech here at the Zend/PHP Conference.

Really, what if you want to process your contacts, addresses or v-cards in the way unavailable in standard Outlook tools? It could happen when you need to obtain a Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Access file of your address book. But how to manage hundreds of records in the way you need (to sort them out according to criteria defined by you, for example)? IMI Contacts Exporter easily does that job for you.

A recent government order mandating that voice over internet protocol services must include the same government-approved wiretapping capabilities as traditional phone companies threatens to cripple peer-to-peer telephone innovation, according to new warnings from civil liberties groups and an internet telephony pioneer.

Google has made changes to its privacy policy that appear to be more stylistic than substantial.

Computer code has already been written to take advantage of Windows flaws that were disclosed Tuesday, a sign that a worm attack could be near.

Endowed foundation supports antipoverty programs, eduaction, grants, and more.

Companies interested in AOL's content holdings, reports claim.

Yahoo chat rooms are being closed to anyone under 18. That’s an announcement made today under an agreement between Yahoo and the New York State attorney general’s office.

Google's Web site was inaccessible for a brief time Saturday and some visitors reported being rerouted to another site, leading some to believe that the search giant had been hacked.

Google confirmed that an outage affected an unidentified number of Gmail users on Wednesday. "We are aware that a small percentage of Gmail users experienced issues earlier today. Access was quickly restored," Google said in an e-mail statement. Asked to elaborate, a company spokeswoman said: "We don't have additional details." The company experienced an outage to its Google Web sites in May.

Companies bury antitrust suit, agree to collaborate.

It took 12 years and more than $10 billion, but one of Microsoft's biggest dreams may finally be coming true: The company is close to becoming a major player in the television business. This is not about PCs that play video -- the company has done that for years -- but rather a whole new platform for delivering television over the Internet, through software that's mostly invisible to consumers." From the article: "Consumers will see cool new features -- imagine four live pictures on a screen at once -- instant channel changes and more options for on-demand video rentals, including high-definition content. Microsoft TV also merges phone services, so incoming messages, e-mail and caller ID can be displayed on users' television screens. Microsoft hopes its Internet protocol television system (IPTV) will also be used in India, China and other developing countries, where it could provide education and government services as well as entertainment via the television.

Monolith and VU Games discuss the music and audio that will be featured in this upcoming horror-themed shooter.

Google has announced that it plans to step up efforts to lobby in Washington, but it says that it would be working on behalf of the technology industry in general rather than in its own best interest.

Action game fans ought to be able to settle in and blast their ways through Total Overdose's relatively brief campaign with reasonable levels of enjoyment. Just be prepared for one extremely cheesy ride. Rarely has a game reveled in its own crapulence the way that Total Overdose: A Gunslinger's Tale in Mexico does.

Microsoft plans to release by year's end an initial test version of a new product to protect business desktops, laptops and file servers against malicious code attacks.

This is not the first time that Windows fanatics create their own "Service Pack" by collecting all available hotfixes in to one installable pack. I have posted articles about these packs over the years because I find those projects pretty cool, but am aware that it is obviouly not supported by Microsoft and should not be used in "production environments". The latest Windows XP SP3 pack caught some attention in the online press and now Microsoft have posted a statement in their newsgroups:

Google launched a test version of a new service on Friday that gathers reports from syndicated news sites and blogs across the Web.

At least nine security fixes are due for October release.

It could take 300 years to index all the world's information and make it searchable, Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt predicted on Saturday at the Association of National Advertisers annual conference in Phoenix.

Geri Agalia doesn't appear to leave less of a data trail than most Americans. She has a phone in her name, a bank account, utility bills, a mortgage and a credit card. But the stay-at-home mom and part-time student is among a select and ever-shrinking group of the digitally privileged -- her name does not appear on Google.

A serious security flaw in part of Symantec's antivirus products puts enterprise systems running the software at risk of intrusion.

SAN FRANCISCO--Will the next ''Star Wars'' kid please stand up?

Who knew? The rumors are actually somewhat true. Acclaimed (and fanboy loved) director Peter Jackson and collaborator Fran Walsh are tapped to executive produce the upcoming Halo adaptation from Univeral Studios and 20th Century Fox. Mary Parent and Scott Stuber will act as producers alongside Peter Schlessel.

Future of open-source software debated at LinuxWorld conference.

Microsoft Corp. said today that it's investigating a recently released Trojan horse program that targets a hole in its Microsoft Office software suite that was first identified in April.

Has the battle over document file formats forced Microsoft to blink?

It seems that every time I sit down with Microsoft to discuss Windows Vista, something has been changed or added, which is good. In some cases, something has been removed, which is bad. One and a half years from launch, I understand that beta code changes frequently. Here's my standard disclaimer: The following column is based on the last build from Microsoft, Windows Vista build 5219, released September 2005. It is one more semipublic build later than the Beta 1 currently in limited circulation, but Microsoft is careful not to call it Beta 2, although the code is based on code that will eventually be Beta 2 (got that?).

Stop the presses. Windows Workflow Foundation, the newest of the next-generation Windows infrastructure pillars, is running early.

It sought advice at the Hack in the Box Security Conference

University offshoot claimed IE violated its patent for embedding interactive content in Web sites.

Pair will share site, ideas on managing data and exploring technology.

The argument regarding the principle nature of hacking - be it an art or a science is not a new one. This paper hopes to discuss both the meaning of the term “hack” and the underlying arguments for it being defined as an art or a science in reference to the base principles and basic methodologies of the discipline.

Lawsuits will wear down peer-to-peer services or send them offshore, says eDonkey president.

When I started focusing my attention on Information Security, the only people who wanted to speak with me were cops and geeks. Four years later, information security has become a mainstream topic. Now anyone who hears what I do for a living wants to chat with me (though I still prefer the cops and geeks).