Episode 092
Gmail – Important update: Delay to 17 June changes – thesecrethub@gmail.com
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The decision to delay these changes was made by eBay following the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) draft notice issued on Thursday 12 June 2008. eBay released a media statement on Friday 13 June regarding the ACCC's draft notice. Read eBay's statement and community announcement. Please note that some of our onsite communications will still refer to changes taking place on 17 June 2008. These communications are being updated and should reflect the new date of 15 July 2008 within the coming days. |
Australian finds vulnerability in his coffee maker: News – Security – ZDNet Australia
Australian finds vulnerability in his coffee maker
An Australian man has discovered security holes in his internet-connected coffee maker that could allow a remote attacker to not only take over his Windows XP-based PC but also make his coffee too weak.
The Jura F90 coffee maker
Credit: Jura.
Craig Wright, a risk advisory services manager at professional services firm BDO, found several security holes, including a buffer overflow in the internet connection software that links his Jura F90 coffee maker to his PC.
Once connected to the internet, the high-end coffee maker, which retails for nearly US$2,000 on Amazon, lets you do things like set the strength of your coffee and get remote diagnostic help over the internet without having to send the appliance in for service.
China develops prototype flying saucer – World – BrisbaneTimes
China develops prototype flying saucer
A Chinese company has developed a prototype flying saucer that can hover in the air and be controlled remotely from afar, state press said today.
The aircraft is 1.2 metres in diameter and is able to take off and land vertically and hover at an altitude of up to 1,000 metres, Xinhua news agency said.
The unmanned disc is driven by a propeller and can be controlled remotely or sent on a preset flight path, it said.
Its top speed is 80km/h, it added.
It took the Harbin Smart Special Aerocraft Co Ltd 12 years and 28 million yuan ($A4.36 million) to develop the prototype craft, which is designed for aerial photography, geological surveys and emergency lighting, the report said.
Totlol, an online video playroom for children – Breaking News – Technology – Breaking News
Totlol, an online video playroom for children
He used his own money to build a website where parents can join an online community that "scouts" Google's popular YouTube service for videos they deem suitable for children ranging from six months to six years old.
"You don't see the entire YouTube; you see just what parents think is good," Ilan said, noting that membership and recommended videos reflect cultures from around the world.
"It is a very diverse collection that is growing dynamically. I'm not sure what is going to come up next week, but I'm sure it will be interesting."
Video's featured on Totlol's home page Tuesday included an animated cartoon of music star Madonna singing "The Wheels on the Bus" song; dancing cartoon penguins, and an adorable slide show of animals comforting each other.
"I'm not coming from the 'let's block everything' crowd. I'm coming from the 'let's help parents find something' crowd. Because people already take their kids to YouTube and they can do it better, that's the whole idea."
Walt Disney Narnia domain name – Technology – BrisbaneTimes
Walt Disney Narnia domain name
A Scottish family has become embroiled in an intellectual property dispute with the estate of the author CS Lewis after it bought a Narnia internet domain name for their 10-year-old son as a birthday present.
Richard and Gillian Saville-Smith, who live in Edinburgh, Scotland, paid £70 ($A145) to purchase the domain name Narnia.mobi from the internet registration company Fasthosts in 2006 so their son could have it as an email address.
They were asked to return the domain name to the CS Lewis company, the owners of the author's estate, but they refused. The family then received a 128-page legal complaint filed with the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in Switzerland.
"We'd been saving it as a surprise for our little boy's birthday to coincide with the release of the Narnia film," said Mrs Saville-Smith, referring to the British release of Walt Disney's The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.
France to block porn, terror, hate websites – Wireless & BroadBand
France to block porn, terror, hate websites
The French state and internet service providers have struck a deal to block sites carrying child pornography or content linked to terrorism or racial hatred, Interior Minister Michel Alliot-Marie announced on Tuesday.
The plan, part of a larger effort to fight cybercriminality, is to go into effect in September when a "black list" will be built up based on input from internet users who signal sites dealing with the offensive material, the minister said.
The announcement comes on the heels of a similar deal in the United States, also announced Tuesday. There, three service providers – Verizon, Sprint and TimeWarner Cable – have agreed with New York state officials to block child pornography sites nationwide.
Alliot-Marie said all service providers in France have agreed to block offending sites but did not name them.
Among other countries that have already implemented similar measures include Britain, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Canada and New Zealand.
Windows XP: The end is nigh: News – Software – ZDNet Australia
Windows XP: The end is nigh
30 June marks the end of an era at Microsoft — that of Windows XP.
As of 30 June, large PC makers will no longer be able to sell Windows XP-based PCs on mainstream notebooks and desktops. Retailers will also have only until their current supply is exhausted to sell boxed copies of the operating system.Although XP will disappear as an option for most computer buyers, the operating system will live on in several key ways.
- XP will be available on PCs from smaller computer makers known as "system builders" until 31 January, 2009.
- XP will be available for so-called ultra-low-cost-PCs until 30 June, 2010.
- The low-end Windows XP Starter Edition will continue to be available in emerging markets until 30 June, 2010.
- Windows Vista Ultimate and Windows Vista Business come with downgrade rights. Some computer makers are using this option to offer machines that appear as Windows XP products but are "factory downgraded" to XP. The downside is that only pricier versions of Vista qualify, but the benefit is that the machines come with the option to eventually move to Vista for no added fee. Microsoft says it will continue to make XP discs available to computer makers to enable downgrade rights through at least 31 January, 2009.
- Microsoft is not ending support for Windows XP. Mainstream support continues until 2009, while extended support is not due to end until April 2014.
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