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Compliance and Privacy News
ComplianceAndPrivacy.com is full of news and views of on Compliance, Privacy and surrounding legislation in the global marketplace from a European perspective
Saving Money With SFTP - Wick Hill:
Everyone is looking to cut costs in the recession, but there is one solution which many companies don't realise has the potential to save money for minimal investment and minimal disruption, which also can provide fast ROI.
A lot of organisations still have legacy systems and are happy to live with them, given the huge upheaval and potential expense which replacement would mean. But those legacy systems have some costly aspects to them, which can easily be improved and which offer the potential for savings.
FTP file transfer from legacy systems normally goes on in the background without anyone paying too much attention to it. It's the part of legacy systems which is below the surface and which gets taken for granted.
Many companies rely on FTP for file transfer, however there are a number of issues which make FTP ripe for improvement and offer companies the potential to cut costs and gain ROI. The solution to the problems of FTP is to use SFTP (secure file transfer protocol) inst...
UK Information Commissioner targets firm selling vetting data:
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has taken stringent enforcement action against a business that it believes has been selling data about construction industry workers to prospective employees.
The action against the Consulting Association is further evidence of the proactive enforcement activity being adopted by the ICO. It's an interesting case study of the range of powers that the ICO has to:
obtaining a warrant to obtain entry
issuing enforcement notice to effectively cease using the data
the threat of criminal sanctions because they had also failed to register with the ICO.
The impact may well be to close this business down, which is proof that the ICO is far from being a toothless tiger amongst regulators.
12 Key Steps to Internet Security - Wick Hill:
Your approach to internet security should begin with a risk assessment. If you don't know what threats are likely to be posed to your IT systems and networks, and their potential effects on your business should they occur, then you are not really in a position to put in place a series of measures to counter these threats.An effective anti-virus solution is absolutely fundamental to the security of any computer network.Equally, a firewall is one of the most basic security mechanisms and should form an integral part of your internet security defences.
Dechert - Telephone Monitoring: Dos and Don'ts:
It is widely (and incorrectly!) believed that it is unlawful in the UK in all circumstances to monitor and record telephone calls without drawing this to the attention of the parties to the call. There are in fact broad exceptions which are relevant to many businesses which do allow such activities without obtaining consent.
There are several reasons why businesses may wish to monitor or record telephone use for the purpose of its business. Often the rationale is quality control or even compliance by an employee with certain regulations, but the monitoring may also be useful for ensuring that employees are not calling friends in Australia at the businesses expense or otherwise using the system contrary to your policies. The law must however balance these goals against the need to protect employees as well as external persons from "snooping" and misuse of such data.
There are two principle legal areas of relevance; namely, the law on "interception" of communications stemming from t...
Firewall or Unified Threat Management System, UTM? Wick Hill:
Unified threat management systems (UTMs) have been growing in popularity for the last few years. Traditionally, they have been widely adopted by SMEs, but larger companies and enterprises are now also deploying UTMs, appreciating the benefits they can offer.
UTMs are designed to provide a range of security solutions in a single appliance, reducing costs and simplifying the whole process of security systems management, reporting and installation.
The minimum requirement for a UTM, according to IDC, is a firewall, VPN, antivirus and intrusion detection/prevention. Super UTMs (sometimes called extended UTMs or XTMs) have, however, evolved from this to incorporate additional capabilities which can include URL filtering, spam blocking and spyware protection, as well as centralised management, monitoring, and logging capabilities.
Information Commissioner's Office demands encryption of mobile devices - Eversheds:
emonstrating the increasing appetite of the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) to take enforcement action, Virgin Media Limited is the latest organisation to be held to account for a breach of the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA). The breach seems to have occurred earlier this year following the loss of a compact disc that was passed to Virgin Media by Carphone Warehouse. The disc contained personal details of various individuals' interest in opening a Virgin Media Account in a Carphone Warehouse store.
In this instance, the ICO has not gone straight to issuing an enforcement notice (by contrast to the treatment of the Liberal Democrat Party last week), but has instead obtained a formal undertaking requiring Virgin Media to undertake certain steps to improve its security measures. The breadth of the obligation to use encryption will surprise many organisations.
Virgin Media is required, with immediate effect, to encrypt all portable or mobile devices that store and transmit ...
Data loss - liability, reputation and mitigation of risk - Eversheds e80:
With an increasing number of security breaches hitting the headlines, there is, unsurprisingly, a growing awareness amongst regulators and the public alike of data security issues.
The risks to businesses of being involved in a data loss incident are high. Criminal sanctions under the Data Protection Act are well established, but other regulators like the Financial Services Authority (FSA) are also willing to flex their enforcement muscles. In the last three years, the FSA has levied substantial fines against several of its members for security breaches.
Bad publicity is another potentially lethal sanction. A recent study by Ponemon showed that 31 per cent of respondents terminated their relationship with an organisation on receiving notification of a breach of data security.
What does the British Computer Society think of Phorm?:
Phorm, Webwise, OIX and the BCS Security Forum
Phorm over function? Perhaps that's the challenge in relation to marketing desires clashing with privacy hopes. But given the starting point of the Phorm furore, in the Spring of 2008, we are now in the Autumn of 2008 and its been nothing but data breach after user faux pas exposing countless millions of individuals' personally identifiable information that has focussed the spotlight firmly upon the need to apply "privacy by design" principles from the outset - something that the ICO will be taking a very serious view of in the coming months. The BCS Security Forum is equally involved in keeping a watching brief.
Are you storing customer data properly? The challenges of PCI DSS compliance:
Data security breaches are hitting the headlines with alarming frequency. While the most recent breaches have involved the public sector and financial services industries, retailers are not immune from the rise of data losses. Cotton Traders, the UK leisurewear and casual clothes brand, for example, recently conceded that thousands of customer details had been stolen from the company's website. Last year saw perhaps one of the most publicised cases involving retail giant, TJ Maxx, which found that hackers had accessed internal systems used to process and store customer transaction data, including credit card, debit card, cheque and return transactions. The incident cost TJ Maxx $256 million1 and the company is now offering to pay Visa card issuers a further $40.9 million2 to compensate for costs connected to the data breach. With data security cases rising in number and severity, the various industries affected are pulling together in an attempt to reduce the risk of fraud. The Paym...
Data Vendor Sends SPAM about The Dangers of Prospecting Databases:
ComplianceAndPrivacy.Com received an email that appears to be from Harris Infosource, a D&B Company. Not a lot wrong with that, you may say. The email is a cold unsolicited email, or SPAM, What makes this amusing is that the SPAM has this subject line:
"Why Using Cheap Prospect Lists Can Cost You Big!"
Harris Inforsource, it seems, are the purveyors of fine prospect lists.
Harris addressed their SPAM to Milton Bennett at our domain. If Milton existed, if Milton had ever existed, if we had ever created, used, publicised an address for Milton, who is not now and never has been a member of our staff, then this would have been something we could pass off as "just one of those things". But we have never heard of Milton Bennett. He is a figment of Harris Infosource's database. We wonder if they are selling him as a part of their very fine data.
But this is SPAM with a cloned email address.
Bank Customer Personal Data Sold on eBay for £35:
An investigation is under way into how a computer containing bank customers' personal data was sold on an internet auction site.
The PC, which was reportedly sold for £35 on eBay, had sensitive information on the hard drive.
The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and its subsidiary, Natwest, have confirmed their customers' details were involved.
RBS says an archiving firm told it the PC had apparently been "inappropriately sold on via a third party".
It said historical information relating to credit card applications for their bank and others had been on the machine.
The information is said to include account details and in some cases customers' signatures, mobile phone numbers and mothers' maiden names.
Best Western Denies Report of Massive Data Breach:
A Scottish newspaper Friday ran a story that claimed to uncover a massive theft of data from Best Western's customer database, including personal information on all 8 million customers at the chain's 1,300 hotels in the past year.
After initially thanking the newspaper and doing its own investigation, however, the hotel chain now says The Sunday Herald's report of a massive breach at Best Western is "grossly unsubstantiated."
In its report, The Sunday Herald stated that "a previously unknown Indian hacker successfully breached the IT defenses of the Best Western Hotel Group's online booking system and sold details of how to access it through an underground network operated by the Russian mafia." The newspaper called the attack "the greatest cyber-heist in world history," alleging that it "scooped up the personal details of every single customer that has booked into one of Best Western's 1,312 continental hotels since 2007."
The newspaper stated that Best Western officials thanked...
Best Western Data Loss - Indian hacker alleged brain behind biggest cyber-heist:
An unknown Indian hacker is being 'charged' with the greatest cyber-heist in history for allegedly helping a criminal gang steal identities of an estimated eight million people in a hacking raid that could ultimately net more than 2.8 billion pounds in illegal funds.
An investigation by Scotland's Sunday Herald newspaper has discovered that late on Thursday night a previously unknown Indian hacker successfully breached the IT defences of UK's Best Western Hotel group's online booking system and sold details of how to access it through an underground network operated by the Russian mafia.
There are no details yet on how the hacker was identified to be an Indian and if a probe is on to identify the person. It is also not known if the hotel chain has alerted the police about the heist.
Vietnam introduces heavy fines for spammers:
Organisations and individuals who send spam mail and text messages or trade in e-mail addresses may be fined up to VND80 million (US$5,000), according to the newly-issued Decree on Anti-spam mail.
The decree bans organi-sations and individuals from using electronic means to deliver spam messages, exchange or trade e-mail addresses or deliver software products that collect e-mail addresses, according to the Ministry of Information and Communications.
Republic of the Phillipines can?t do without policy on data privacy, security:
Under no circumstances can the Philippines compete, let alone thrive, in the lucrative outsourcing market and the global marketplace without a fool-proof policy on data protection and security.
This was the clear message sent out by participants in a recent conference dubbed "Mapping the Future of Information Security Forum" organized by the Information Systems Security Society of the Philippines (ISSSP) at a hotel in Makati City.
Anthony Tuason, a director at consultancy firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers, said during his presentation that IT companies, most especially those in the BPO sector, cannot possibly institute "IT governance" ? the process of using technology as to management tool to run an organization ? in the workplace if security is being disregarded.
"Innovation, value, and performance can be derived from IT governance (and) data privacy and security is one area that helps organizations achieve their IT governance objectives," Tuason said.
National Gateway Security Survey 2008 Shows Interesting Changes in Threat Landscape:
The National Gateway Security Survey 2008, carried out for value added distributor and security specialist Wick Hill and sponsored by WatchGuard Technologies, leaders in unified threat management systems, has highlighted the increasing move toward remote and mobile use, as well as the concerns users have about this shift. In a survey of 341 of the top UK companies, by employee number and turnover, 48% had over 150 remote users and a further 11% had 50 to 100 remote users. 61% said that the number of remote users on their network was increasing. 45% reported that the number of VPNs was increasing and 43% that the number of SSL users was increasing.
Unified Threat Management (UTM) - Watchguard Technologies:
Unified threat management (UTM) spawned a new era of IT security. The promise of these integrated security appliances proved to be an exceptional and efficient way of securing commercial networks. However, businesses today face an inflection point, dictated by changing market trends and new technologies that demand more of today?s UTM. Hence the need is for eXtensible threat management (XTM) solutions, the next generation of UTM appliances. XTM is predicated upon the substantive expansion of three elements: more security, greater networking capabilities, and more management flexibility. This paper provides an overview of these issues and the WatchGuard Technologies perspective on ?extensibility? and XTM.
Transatlantic Events - Data Privacy Conference:
As a grand special offer to readers of ComplianceAndPrivacy.Com, Transatlantic Events has slashed the ticket price to £200 per day. Reach the special Compliance and Privacy booking page directly from here:
Special ComplianceAndPrivacy.Com Delegate Booking Page.
This event is a Must See for those planning cross Atlantic or International operations which involve passing data from location to location
Special Privacy Event Offer:
EXCLUSIVE READERS OFFER:
Dear Readers of Compliance and Privacy,
It's our pleasure to announce and invite you as a VIP Delegate to:
The 5th Annual Privacy & Data Protection UK 2008
3rd & 4th of September 2008
at The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London, United Kingdom The event is broken up into two separate days & two separate events:
"Data Protection: Global Compliance Management" 3rd of September 2008
"Data Protection: CRM, Privacy 2.0 & Social Networking " 4th of September 2008
This is a major Privacy & Data Protection event with more than 20 internationally renowned speakers. If there is one Privacy & Data Protection event to attend this year, this is it!
The full conference agenda for The 5th Annual Privacy & Data Protection UK 2008 is available at:
WWW.TRANSATLANTIC - EVENTS.COM Please note: All VIP Delegates who attend are entitled to a special VIP discount: VIP Delegates are able to attend this event for only £250.00 (either day) or £450.00 for both days. This invit...
Trust is not about SSL. It's about domains:
At ComplianceAndPrivacy we've been running a study on domains to trust. We don't mean "trustmydomain.com", we mean the domain suffic; the little thing that you choose when buying "myfabulousdomain".
Do you choose .com, or do you think, incorrectly "That is for the USA"? Do you choose .biz? Is .org for you? What about .info?
So we asked, on a pretty normal website, this question: "Some domains seem to feel more trustworthy than others. This survey is about the .com .biz .info .org and other domain suffixes and which put you most at ease. OK, there are iffy nations, but we are lumping all national style ones under one entry. Tick all that say to you 'Trust this domain'"
We expected nothing significant. After all it was a website for Joe Q Public, and this is what we got:
How Centralised Unified Threat Management (UTM) Can Help Companies Control Security At Remote Offices, Simplify Administration And Cut Costs:
In today's modern, distributed computing network, where companies and organisations need to secure IT not just for the head office, but for remote locations as well, the ability to control security for multiple sites from one single location is becoming increasingly important.
With some security systems, the tasks of configuration, updating, rebooting, etc. for remote sites might all have to be done separately and repeated for each location. Administrators could be faced with managing remote security appliances individually, possibly having to send someone out to a remote site to carry out certain tasks, such as configuration or establishing VPN tunnels. This can be difficult, time consuming, costly and complex and, in some cases, it is practically or financially impossible
It can be further complicated if there are multiple appliances, delivering multiple levels of security, such as firewall, VPN, spam blocking, gateway anti-virus, web content management and intrusion detection/p...
Mobile and Remote Working - Is it secure?:
Unstoppable move towards remote and mobile workingMobile working is not adequately secured.Organisations are concerned about security for mobile and remote workers and how to enforce company security policies outside the gateway.Companies want to protect against data leakage and data loss from such problems as stolen laptops.There is no one solution to securing remote working.The range of solutions includes strong authentication, end point security, remote unified threat management (UTM) systems, low-cost encryption and VPNs.
Olubi Adejobi and Robert Bentley, bothh Solicitors, fined for Data Protection Offences:
GrierOlubi and Bentleys - Individual solicitiors convicted for data protection offences
The Information Commissioner?s Office (ICO) has today successfully prosecuted two London solicitors for offences under the Data Protection Act. Olubi Adejobi of Grier Olubi Solicitors and Robert Bentley of Bentley?s Solicitors, both based in London, were each fined £300 and ordered to pay costs of £500 plus a victims? surcharge of £15 at Stratford Magistrates? Court. Each solicitor must pay a total of £815 in fines and costs.
Today?s prosecution follows the failure of both Mr Adejobi and Mr Bentley to notify as data controllers despite repeated reminders from the ICO of their obligations under the Data Protection Act.
Under the Act, organisations that process individuals? personal information may be required to notify with the Information Commissioner at a nominal cost of £35 per year. Despite being told to notify, both Mr Adejobi and Mr Bentley have failed to respond to any of the ICO?s corre...
ADC Organisation Prosecuted by UK Information Commissioner for Data Protection law breaches:
ADC Organisation prosecuted for data protection offences
ICO prosecutes debt company for breaching marketing rules
A Manchester debt recovery company has been successfully prosecuted by the Information Commissioner?s Office (ICO) for bombarding individuals and businesses with unwanted faxes. The action follows thousands of complaints from individuals and businesses to the ICO and the Fax Preference Service (FPS).
ADC Organisation Ltd (ADC) pleaded guilty to six charges under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations and has been fined £600 (£100 per charge). The organisation was also ordered to pay £1,926.25 in costs. ADC must pay a total of £2,526.25 in fines and costs.
UK Information Commissionr takes enforcement action against Marks & Spencer:
M&S ordered to encrypt all hard drives by April 2008
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has found Marks & Spencer (M&S) in breach of the Data Protection Act. This follows the theft of an unencrypted laptop which contained the personal information of 26,000 M&S employees.
An ICO investigation revealed that the laptop, which contained details of the pension arrangements of M&S employees, was stolen from the home of an M&S contractor. In light of the nature of the information contained on the laptop, it is the ICO's view that M&S should have had appropriate encryption measures in place to keep the data secure.
Mick Gorrill, Assistant Commissioner at the ICO, said: "It is essential that before a company allows personal information to leave its premises on a laptop there are adequate security procedures in place to protect personal information, for example, password protection and encryption. The ICO has issued clear guidance to help employers understand their obligations und...
Bereaved man sickened by marketing 'breach':
A consultant in data privacy has slammed a crematorium for its "tasteless" posting of marketing material, claiming that it broke the law.
Tim Trent, 55, cremated his mum Connie at North East Surrey Crematorium last November and thought that would be the end of the matter.
But three days later, he was stunned to find a glossy brochure on his doormat, advertising memorials, plaques, flowers and other services offered by the crematorium.
Mr Trent said: "It hit me in the face like a sledgehammer. We had a really good send-off for my mother, and thought that chapter of our life was closed. I didn't expect this at all, so it was gloriously distasteful."
European Data Protection Supervisor condemns data protection legislation:
The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) has condemned the inability of existing legislation to protect citizens against practices and proposals that amount to the creation of a state-sponsored surveillance society.
EDPS Peter Hustin called on the European Parliament to pass primary legislation to define and protect personal data. He also asked for specific laws to protect such data from abuse under new data collection and exchange proposals from law enforcement agencies.
He said agencies that collect, process and store the data should provide information that would allow individuals to modify their behaviour to avoid being "profiled" and to obtain redress for errors and abuses.
The recommendations were part of three opinions that the EDPS issued in December. The opinions are his response to practices and proposals related to the fight against terrorism and organised crime. Many of them have arisen since 9/11.
FBI eyes British identity data:
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation is seeking British co-operation in setting up an internationally accessible biometric database of known and suspected criminals and terrorists.
Dam Data Leakage at Source - a Wick Hill view:
Computer networks have become increasingly open and accessible by more and more users. Huge growth in the use of mobile, wireless and remote computingThese changes in computer networks have left confidential data at risk of being seen by those unauthorised to view it.Those wanting to view data without permission include employees and those outside an organisation. The motive may be non-malicious, or malicious, or criminal.Laptops are particularly vulnerable to data loss or theft, with laptop losses reported ever more frequently.Losing data damages a company's reputation, puts them in breach of the Data Protection Act and may by very costly, including the possibility of being fined.If sensitive information, such as financial details, is lost, it may leave customers or staff exposed to identify theft.Currently, the protection of data is mainly inadequate. Because of the rapidly changing structure of computer networks, companies should review the way they protect the security of data.T...
UK Information Commissioner does not regulate BlueSpam after all!:
Following discussions with the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and others the Information Commissioner?s Office has amended its guidance on the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003. The guidance previously stated that marketing messages sent using Bluetooth technology would be subject to PECR rules relating to the sending of unsolicited marketing.
IPv6 - Risks & Ramifications of a Potential Disruptor - Book your Webcast place:
While the various modifications and improvements to IPv4 have served the Internet well, these stop gaps can only go so far. Fortunately, IPv6 is finally maturing and provides some much needed functionality that will undoubtedly facilitate growth and innovation. Now that more products include IPv6 functionality, the technology is slowly becoming a reality. While this is a slow process, it will be moved along with the US Government's mandate that organizations implement IPv6 by 2008; the mandate even includes organizations that do not have external factors forcing an upgrade.
While delaying deployment may lead to missed opportunities, completely disregarding the technology can have serious security ramifications. Most networks are partially IPv6-capable whether or not network managers are aware of it, and IPv4 networks left unprepared are vulnerable to attackers. So, for those considering upgrading to IPv6, there are a number of issues to consider before taking the plunge. Organizat...
Predicting Disruptive Technologies over the next 5 years - Webcast replay:
Disruptors, understood as radical shifts in technological or behavioral trend-line trajectories, are considered "disruptive" largely because they are unforeseeable or else, if somewhat foreseeable, cannot be modeled precisely enough to facilitate control over the process. With this in mind this report analyses numerous and varied potential disruptors, some of which may never come to fruition. Thus, each section explicitly acknowledges the level of confidence with which analysts estimate each disruptor's potential impact; some will be almost sure to occur, others less likely and still others of uncertain likelihood. In this way, decision makers can allocate resources according not only to the potential impact, but also considering the likelihood of its occurrence.
Uncovering Online Fraud Rings: The Russian Business Network - Webcast Replay:
The Russian Business Network (RBN) developed into its current incarnation as "the baddest of the bad" Internet service provider (ISP) in June 2006. Before then, much of the malicious code currently hosted on RBN servers was located on the IP block of another St. Petersburg ISP, the now-defunct ValueDot. Like ValueDot before it, but unlike many ISPs that host predominately legitimate items, RBN is entirely illegal. VeriSign iDefense research identified phishing, malicious code, botnet command-and-control (C&C), and denial of service (DoS) attacks on every single server owned and operated by RBN.
Motives, Methods and Mitigation of Insider Threats - Webcast Replay:
Although security plans are usually designed to look outward to mitigate threats and attacks from the Internet, they often fail to address the more likely attack vector - the malicious insider. This report examines the anatomy of the insider threat - what makes the malicious insider tick, how they often hit and what organizations can do to prevent damage or loss. A heavy focus upon the impact to financial and retail organizations is included in this research.
Flash mobs - the next online threat:
Estonia has one of the most technologically advanced populations in Europe. Events in the last few months, though, have perhaps given the rest of Europe a taste of what might be the next real threat on the internet, flash mobbing.
Flash mobbing is where a group of people meet online to coordinate attacks on an organisation either by their physical presence (such as everyone turning up at one furniture shop) or online. Common attacks include sending emails to the same website at the same time or using the website for mass queries with the aim of taking the server down.
Flash mobbing has been headline news in Estonia as its government uses technology extensively, for example allowing widespread use of e-voting in the last elections. The government's servers were attacked in the summer by a flash mob thought to have had connections with neighbouring Russia.
Thales's Mobile VPN Solution Secures the Use of Public Wireless Networks:
Thales, a leading supplier of IT security products and solutions for all critical infrastructures , today (4 October 2007) announced a new version of its SafeMove Mobile VPN solution incorporating an innovative Hotspot Login Assistant. The enhancement makes untrusted public networks easier and much safer for users who require remote access to corporate networks. The Hotspot Login Assistant feature makes Thales's SafeMove the leading remote access solution, truly addressing all security dimensions, including critical human factor issues.
According to the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics, the number of people in the UK who work mainly from home doubled between 1997 and 2005 to 2.4 million workers. Supporting the desire for increasing levels of flexibility, the number of workers using multiple locations experienced the strongest growth, accounting for 6 per cent of all workers in 2005. These statistics reflect a worldwide trend that supports the need for advanced...
Full archive of Privacy Laws and Business UK Newsletters:
By kind permission of Privacy Laws and Business, ComplianceAndPrivacy.com is able to bring you the United Kingdom Newsletter Archive, up to the end of June 2007. New items will be announced individually
Full archive of Privacy Laws and Business International Newsletters:
By kind permission of Privacy Laws and Business, ComplianceAndPrivacy.com is able to bring you the International Newsletter Archive, up to the end of June 2007. New items will be announced individually
PL&B International E-news, Issue 57:
The Art. 29 Data Protection Working Party discusses SWIFT, search engines' retention policies and the definition of "personal data"Argentina appoints a new Data Protection Commissioner
PL&B UK E-news, Issue 60:
Orange and Littlewoods found in breach of DP ActThe ICO is getting tougher. The Information Commissioner, Richard Thomas will be launched his consultation on his "New strategy and new priorities for Data Protection and Freedom of Informationâ" at the PL&B Cambridge Conference on Monday, 2nd JulyICO publishes guidance on bankruptcy
PCWorld Latest Technology News
Tech news and updates by PCWorld. Focused on computers and consumer electronics, topics include computer hardware, software, wireless, digital entertainment, security and anti-virus and gadgets.
FujiFilm's Latest Camera Aims at Dogs, Cats:
FujiFilm's Finepix Z700 features recognizes canine and feline faces, and can snap a picture automatically when they look towards the camera.
Intel Wins Top Spots in SSD Storage Drive Ranking:
Intel won first place in two categories of a ranking of flash memory-based SSDs by DRAMeXchange, which pilloried the industry over quality issues.
Qualcomm Files Patent for a Foldable Touchscreen:
Tired being limited to one touchscreen at a time? Qualcomm has a possible solution.
India May Delay Mobile Number Portability Again:
The roll-out of mobile number portability in India may be delayed a second time, the government says
IPad Available for Pre-order at 5:30 Pacific, 8:30 Eastern:
If you're looking to be first in line to pre-order Apple's new iPad, then set your alarm, because Steve Jobs's latest creation is available for pre-order in the...
Sony, Panasonic Cameras Combine Small Size With SLR Features:
Panasonic and Sony have shown new cameras that mix compact size with interchangeable lenses.
Opera Mini 5 Beta Released for Android Phones:
Android phones now sing Opera! The newest beta of Opera Mini 5 now comes in an Android version.
Presented By::
iPad Goes on Pre-Sale Friday Morning:
Want an iPad? Now's your chance to place an order, starting at 5:30 a.m. Cupertino Time.
Five Great Apple iPhone and Mac Accessories:
Cool iPhone accessories aren't just for Apple fanboys. Herea re five cool new toys -- from crazy cases to a gizmo that turns an iPhone into a point-of-sale system.
Cisco Tries to Expand Video Calling With IME:
Cisco gave details of the IME, a platform for easily making IP video calls between enterprises.
Firemint Wins Four Pocket Gamer Awards:
On Wednesday, Firemint was honored with four awards from handheld gaming Website Pocket Gamer at a ceremony held at the annual Game Developers Conference. The...
GDC 2010: Sony's Playstation Move, Nintendo DSi XL, and Virtusphere:
At this year's Game Developer's Conference, we took a look at Sony's PlayStation Move, Nintendo's DSi XL, and the Virtusphere.
Xbox 360 Outsold Wii in February, Says NPD:
Microsoft's Xbox 360 outsold Nintendo's Wii in February, claiming the top spot in the U.S. monthly sales ranking for the first time in more than two years.
Wall Street Beat: Nasdaq Milestones Offer Lessons for Tech:
The tech sector passed two poignant market anniversaries this week on its way to what investors and vendors hope will be a sustainable recovery.
Safari 4.0.5 Offers Improvements to Top Sites, Plug-ins:
Whether you're a fan of Apple's Web browser, or just having some problems with its competition, there's now a new Safari update available just for you. Well, you...
Apple iPad: Poisoned Love Letter to Tech Industry:
Since the iPad is the new kid on the block, let's imagine it as the hunter. What technology will the iPad kill off?
Web Connectivity a Bigger Deal for HDTV Than 3D:
Sure, 3D is splashy, flashy and fun ? but it will take a back seat to Web services in the HDTV features war.
Creeped Out by YouTube:
Watch the most disturbing YouTube videos of all time ? if you dare.
It's Time to Finally Drop Internet Explorer 6:
Exploit code is now online for the latest zero-day vulnerability affecting Internet Explorer, highlighting just how important it is to upgrade off of IE6 finally.
Prepare to Die: 2010 Tech Industry Graveyard:
These IT companies, technologies and ideas are dead or doomed to disappear this year.
Intel Invests in Social Media Incubator Betaworks:
Intel tries to understand real-time social networks through an investment in Betaworks.
Easily Type Accented Characters:
Long-time Mac users know that you can type diacritical characters--for example, â, é, ì, ü, and ñ--by first typing the diacritical (which usually requires the...
Presented By::
More Details on Sony's Prototype Alpha Compact Camera With Interchangable Lens:
The unreleased Alpha-series model, has an interchangable lens and is designed for those who don't want to carry a bulky digital SLR camera.
Security Industry Faces Attacks It Cannot Stop:
UPDATE: Newest security products still might not protect customers from innovative hackers.
Bing for Motorola's Android Phones Is a Bad Idea:
If Motorola is pre-loading Bing services onto its Android phones in China, will we suffer the same bloatware on stateside units?
Why the FCC National Broadband Plan Should Include Public Wi-Fi:
Universal Wi-Fi could help reduce loading on cellular data networks, reduce the need for more radio spectrum, and extend broadband to more businesses and homes. It needs to become FCC policy.
Panasonic Unveils Its Lumix G2 Digital Camera:
Panasonic updates its Lumix G line of compact cameras with interchangeable lenses.
FCC Launches Broadband Test Site for Consumers:
The FCC adds broadband speed tests to the Broadband.gov Web site.
Namco Unveils New Cross Platform SDK:
On Thursday, Namco announced UniteSDK, its new propriety cross-platform technology. During a demonstration on Tuesday night at the Game Developers Conference...
Rumor: iPhone OS 4.0 Update Adds Multitasking:
With nearly five months until Apple is expected to release an update to the iPhone the rumors are beginning to pop up like weeds.
Consumer Reports: Apple Still Tops in Computer Tech Support:
I have the greatest respect for the men and women behind Apple's tech support. Despite having one of the toughest jobs in the industry, they've always been...
Playstation Move: Motion Control for Whom?:
Playstation Move is Sony's new motion controller for PS3 game console, expected to be out later this year and priced at $100.
Will Verizon 4G Mean the End of "All You Can Eat" Data?:
When Verizon Wireless brings its 4G network online, two things may change: Speeds will get faster and you'll pay based on the amount of data you use.
Novothink Debuts Solar Charging Case for IPhone:
Sure, the App Store has plenty of ways to help survivalists fend off a zombie apocalypse, or figure out what plants are safe to eat--but without electricity...
Intel Core i7 980x Brings Six-Core Power to Desktops:
The new Core i7 980x Extreme processors contain six physical, and twelve virtual processing cores, but most users will not see any benefit from the increased processing power.
Pink Floyd and ITunes Could Split After Court Ruling:
It's "A Great Day For Freedom"--at least for the members of Pink Floyd. As BBC News reports, the band has emerged victorious in a legal battle with record label...
Microsoft Tries to Lure NetSuite Users With New Deal:
Microsoft is going after NetSuite customers with a new migration offer.
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Google Bike Maps: A Cynical Cyclist Speaks Out:
Adding bicycling information to Google Maps is a great gesture, but doesn't accomplish much.
Khronos Group Unveils OpenGL 4.0 and 3.3:
The Khronos group has released versions 4.0 and 3.3 of the OpenGL spec, the latest version of the cross-platform, royalty-free 2D and 3D graphics API used on all...
Google Tests New Blogger Layout Design Tool:
Google is testing a new tool to give Blogger publishers more control over the layout of their blogs.
Star Wars The Forced Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition:
To say Star Wars The Forced Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition has had a bumpy road to the Mac is a bit of an understatement. It was delayed, then Aspyr had a...
Pirate Bay Appeals Looks Set to Start in September:
The case against the four people involved in the running of Pirate Bay is heading back to court at the end of September.
OnLive Gaming Service to Launch in June:
We've talked about the glory and promises of OnLive in the past--it's the online gaming system that promises to let you play your favorite games whenever...
Online Gripes: Why You Should Call First, Tweet Later:
When a company fails to deliver the goods or services you've paid for, social networking sites and tools amplify your complaint to a much larger audience, but they're not always effective.
Sony's PlayStation Move: What You Need To Know:
The highly-anticipated motion control system is coming soon. Here's everything you need to know about this device.
No Camera on Apple's iPad, After All?:
Apple's latest software development kit lacks references to video calling and chatting, creating uncertainty about the chances of a camera coming to the iPad.
9 Best Shooters on the iPhone:
From arcade classics like Space Invaders to first-person shooters like Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies, here are nine of the greatest shooters available on the iPhone today.
MySpace Extends Social Network to Microsoft Outlook:
The new MySpace leadership has an ambitious goal to rebrand and rebuild the once-dominant social networking site, and developing an Outlook social connector may be a key element of that strategy.
Poor Bill Gates: Mexican Telecom Tycoon Grabs Richest Man Title:
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is no longer the world's richest man according to the annual Forbes magazine list released this week.
Icon Software Aids Desktop Makeovers:
The need to customize our workspace--to enliven it and make it our own--extends well beyond colorless cubicles and dreary desks; we also feel compelled to...
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News for nerds, stuff that matters
China To Tap Combustible Ice As New Energy Source:
lilbridge writes "Huge reserves of "combustible ice" — frozen methane and water, have been discovered in the tundra of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China. Estimates show that there is enough combustible ice to provide 90 years worth of energy for China. Burning the combustible ice may be a far better alternative than letting it just melt, releasing tons of methane into the air."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
A Sad Day For the New Zealand Internet:
An anonymous reader writes "Another one bites the dust, as New Zealand's Internet filter stealthily goes live with two smaller ISPs, and three of the largest already rumoured to have signed up to do the same. However, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is apparently 'committed to helping people to circumvent government internet filtering,' so perhaps the USA will launch an invasion to free the poor downtrodden Kiwis from their own evil government?" Clever of one of the acquiescing ISPs to have named itself "Watchdog."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Best Pre-Paid Data Plan For a Visit To Germany?:
code prole writes "With two upcoming trips to Germany, and no readily available Internet (WiFi or otherwise) in the location where we'll be staying, I'm looking for a no-contract USB stick and pre-paid data plan. Vodafone has a huge selection of USB sticks but has proven to be unresponsive to questions about data plans. And the US-based T-Mobile Help Center was clueless about getting the device in Europe and using it there. Hopefully the Slashdot community has some suggestions. Any duds to avoid?"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Zeus Botnet Down But Not Out:
harryjohnston writes "The Register points out that the takedown of a significant number of Zeus command-and-control servers, which we discussed earlier, was a short-lived victory, as about one-third of the affected servers were back on the net in less than 48 hours." Adds itwbennet: "Just hours after network connectivity to Troyak was severed the ISP peered with a new upstream Internet service provider named Ya. The next step will be to 'de-peer' Troyak from its new service provider, either an ISP named Nassist or its upstream provider, Hurricane Electric, said a researcher familiar with the matter. 'We have taken some of their territory, they are trying to out flank us,' the researcher said via IM. 'We are going to win this one — we have 'em boxed in.'"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
MetaLab Accuses Mozilla of Ripping Off UI Elements In Mockups:
CWmike writes "Canadian interface design firm MetaLab has accused Mozilla of stealing user interface elements for a development tool in the browser maker's Jetpack project, which aims to simplify add-on making. MetaLab leveled the charges on Tuesday when the 11-person firm's founder, Andrew Wilkinson, blogged about the similarities between his company's designs and those posted by Mozilla for FlightDeck, a Jetpack editor. 'What they did was pretty ridiculous,' Wilkinson said on Thursday. 'There's a difference between inspiration versus ripping something off,' he said. 'The measurements of the graphic elements [Mozilla took from us] were the exact same, the very same pixels. When someone takes your images from the server hosting them, that's crossing the line.' Mozilla apologized to MetaLab on Wednesday, saying in a blog post, 'While the design direction being implemented does not utilize these design elements, we inadvertently included the early mockups in our blog post and video an...
William Shatner Takes On Social Networking:
nut writes "Everybody's favourite actor, author and starship captain is bringing some new ideas to the world of social networking. Myouterspace.com is, in the Captain's own words, '...a Sci Fi Social Network for those with a passion for the arts.' Facebook and Myspace should be worried. Sign up now. Go on, you know you want to."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Researchers Beam 230Mb/sec Wireless Internet WIth LEDs:
MikeChino writes "A group of scientists from Germany's Fraunhofer Institute have devised a way to encode a visible-frequency wireless signal in light emitted by plain old desklamps and other light fixtures. The team was able to achieve a record-setting data download rate of 230 megabits per second, and they expect to be able to double that speed in the near future. While the regular radio-frequency Wi-Fi most of us use currently is perfectly fine, it does have its flaws — it has a limited bandwidth that confines it to a certain spectrum and if you've ever had someone leech off of your connection, you know that it also leaks through walls. LED wireless signals would theoretically have none of these downsides."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
SolarPHP 1.0 Released:
HvitRavn writes "SolarPHP 1.0 stable was released by Paul M. Jones today. SolarPHP is an application framework and library, and is a serious contender alongside Zend Framework, Symphony, and similar frameworks. SolarPHP has in the recent years been the cause of heated debate in the PHP community due to provocative benchmark results posted on Paul M. Jones' blog."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Best Smartphone Plan Covering US and Canada?:
j00bhaka writes "I am a US citizen attending university in Nova Scotia, Canada. I currently have the Verizon America and Canada plan (also known as the North American plan). My bill is currently around $80-$100 per month. I chose this for a couple reasons. One, I have had my number for about 7 years. Two, I do not permanently live in Canada. I live in Canada for 8 months out of the year at school, then travel home for the summer months. Either way, I would be dealing with international roaming without having both countries in my plan. Currently, I obviously don't have a smartphone. Through Verizon, I could purchase one, and add their international unlimited data plan on top of my (already) hefty phone bill. I have looked into Telus and Rogers here in Canada and cannot find anything better. As a student, my budget is obviously limited. Is there any way to reasonably have (and utilize) a smartphone while I am living in both countries? If so, what do you suggest I do?"
Read m...
Pennsylvania CISO Fired Over Talk At RSA Conference:
An anonymous reader writes "Pennsylvania's chief information security officer Robert Maley has been fired for publicly talking about a security incident involving the Commonwealth's online driving exam scheduling system. He apparently did not get the required approval for talking about the incident from appropriate authorities."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Half-Male, Half-Female Fowl Explain Birds' Sex Determination:
Kanan excerpts from a BBC report out of Scotland: "A study of sexually scrambled chickens suggests that sex in birds is determined in a radically different way from that in mammals. Researchers studied three chickens that appeared to be literally half-male and half-female, and found that nearly every cell in their bodies — from wattle to toe — has an inherent sex identity. This cell-by-cell sex orientation contrasts sharply with the situation in mammals, in which organism-wide sex identity is established through hormones."
Kanan also supplies this link to some pictures of the mixed-cell birds.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
T-Mobile's First HSPA+ Modem Goes On Sale Sunday:
adeelarshad82 writes "T-Mobile announced that the webConnect Rocket USB Laptop Stick, the first HSPA+ device for the US, will be available beginning on Sunday, March 14. The device was originally announced at MWC in February. HSPA+ is interesting because it could enable 4G LTE-like speeds using existing 3G infrastructure and according to a hands-on, it smokes Wi-Max. Right now, it's still just for Philadelphia, although we should see several major cities light up with HSPA+ on both coasts well before the end of 2010."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
EMI Cannot Unbundle Pink Floyd Songs:
smooth wombat writes "Before the advent of iTunes and MP3s, EMI and Pink Floyd entered into a contract which stated that EMI could not unbundle individual songs from their original album settings. This was insisted upon by the members of Pink Floyd, who wanted to retain artistic control of their works, which they considered 'seamless' pieces of music. However, with the advent of digital downloads, EMI has been selling individual songs through its online store. Pink Floyd sued, claiming EMI was violating the contract, whereas EMI said the contract only applied to physical albums, not Internet sales. Judge Andrew Morritt backed the band, saying the contract protected 'the artistic integrity of the albums.' Judge Morritt also ruled EMI is 'not entitled to exploit recordings by online distribution or by any other means other than the complete original album without Pink Floyd's consent.'"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Bill To Ban All Salt In Restaurant Cooking:
lord_rotorooter writes "Felix Ortiz, D-Brooklyn, introduced a bill that would ruin restaurant food and baked goods as we know them. The measure (if passed) would ban the use of all forms of salt in the preparation and cooking of food for all restaurants or bakeries. While the use of too much salt can contribute to health problems, the complete banning of salt would have negative impacts on food chemistry. Not only does salt enhance flavor, it controls bacteria, slows yeast activity and strengthens dough by tightening gluten. Salt also inhibits the growth of microbes that spoil cheese."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
The 10 Most Absurd Scientific Papers:
Lanxon writes "It's true: 'Effects of cocaine on honeybee dance behavior,' 'Fellatio by fruit bats prolongs copulation time,' and 'Are full or empty beer bottles sturdier and does their fracture-threshold suffice to break the human skull?' are all genuine scientific research papers, and all were genuinely published in journals or similar publications. Wired's presentation of a collection of the most bizarrely-named research papers contains seven other gems, including one about naval fluff and another published in The Journal of Sex Research."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.