LMD308 Collaborative Environments

1.5 million stolen Facebook IDs up for sale

orimarc — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 16:07:26 +0000

A hacker named Kirllos is offering to sell the accounts in an underground forum for 2.5 cents per account
A hacker named Kirllos has a rare deal for anyone who wants to spam, steal, or scam on Facebook: an unprecedented number of user accounts offered at rock-bottom prices.

Researchers at VeriSign’s iDefense group recently spotted Kirllos selling Facebook user names and passwords in an underground hacker forum, but what really caught their attention was the volume of credentials he had for sale: 1.5 million accounts.

read more on: http://www.infoworld.com/d/the-industry-standard/15-million-stolen-facebook-ids-sale-645

Leaked Docs Suggest Dell’s Plotting a Mobile Blitzkrieg

naitynai — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 02:49:06 +0000

Dell is the center of the latest leak to thrill the tech world, and whether or not the company intentionally allowed specs on seven as-yet-unreleased devices to find their way to Engadget, the result seems to be a lot of positive PR. “It seems as though Dell is going to explode onto the scene as a major mobile OEM,” said industry analyst Greg Sterling.

Microsoft Dishes Up New Flavor of SQL Server 2008

naitynai — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 02:47:59 +0000

The latest revision of Microsoft’ SQL Server 2008 includes two new features: StreamInsight and PowerPivot. One feature is designed for developers, the other for data junkies. Scalability was also a focus — now it can support up to 256 processors; the previous version maxed out at 64. Availability is slated for early next month.

Satellites Will Issue Speeding Tickets from Space

jathummaigu — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 18:47:19 +0000

UK drivers had better stay under that speed limit, because the traffic authorities are watching… from outer space. According to The Telegraph, an American company called PIPS Technology has developed a system that uses two cameras on the ground and one mounted on a satellite in orbit to catch speeders.

The system — called “SpeedSpike” — figures your average speed between two points, captures an image of your license place and reports you if you’re going faster than the law allows. Oh, and if you’re hoping Great Britain’s notoriously gray weather will save you, you’re out of luck; the system works even when it’s cloudy or dark.

SpeedSpike will be tested in two places: the London borough of Southwark, and along the A374 between Torpoint and Anthony in Cornwall. If the trial is successful, the tech may be used to enforce speed limits near schools, to reduce the need for speed bumps, and for “main road enforcement for traffic reduction.”

Apple: iPhone OS supports open standards; Flash is closed

orimarc — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:49:36 +0000

The back and forth between Apple and Adobe continues with Apple claiming Flash hinders the progress of new platforms

Apple doesn’t sound terribly broken up about Adobe’s announcement that it would stop developing its Flash-to-iPhone app building capabilities.

In response to a blog post from Adobe’s Mike Chambers, which derided Apple for not being more open with its approach to the App Store, Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller told CNet on Wednesday, “Someone has it backwards — it is HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, and H.264 (all supported by the iPhone and iPad) that are open and standard, while Adobe’s Flash is closed and proprietary.”

read more on: http://www.infoworld.com/d/mobilize/apple-iphone-os-supports-open-standards-flash-closed-494

Is Google the new Rome?

orimarc — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:47:57 +0000

Cloud computing may be leading to a federation-like worldview on data management, but national laws will be a major obstacle

In some ways, Google is a digital Rome. Instead of extending roads to connect its empire, it builds data centers worldwide and challenges local rule not with swords, but with tools and information.

It is a company that probes the perimeters of censorship in China and tests the limits of privacy laws in Europe, sometimes with consequence, as it expands its cloud computing empire.

read more on: http://www.infoworld.com/d/cloud-computing/google-the-new-rome-520

Hackers and Social Networking: A Love Story

naitynai — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:27:33 +0000

Trust is the nefarious hacker’s currency, and the trust implied in communications sent on social networks has proven to be a bonanza for them. “On a social networking site like Facebook, there’s an even higher level of perceived trust,” said Cloud Computing Alliance’s Wen Tseng. “You see [a friend's] picture next to the message or link they send you, and you think, ‘This is my friend, OK, he wants me to check this out.’”

Facebook Critics: Does Behavioral Advertising by Any Other Name Smell as Foul?

naitynai — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:25:42 +0000

With Open Graph, Facebook’s mission appears to be to insinuate itself into other parts of the Web by way of the network’s familiar — and now more powerful — “Like button, as well as through other apps and plug-ins. The developments will bring Facebook users information about their friends even when they visit outside sites, but privacy advocates are acutely concerned about the information advertisers are allowed to have.

What not to buy: Gold, crack shacks and the iPad

arm9arm — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 06:22:08 +0000

Welcome to the Globe and Mail Personal Finance Reader. I’m Rob Carrick, personal finance columnist at The Globe, and twice weekly I compile a list of articles, blog postings, videos and websites that represent the best of what the online world has to offer on money-related subjects.

So much of the financial outlook for Canada and the world depends on what happens to the U.S. economy. Luckily, things are looking up in the land of baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet (to quote an old ad slogan). In this edition of the Reader, you can check out the Newsweek article that dubbed the United States the “comeback country.” Be sure to read the accompanying blog post that points out the fallibility of splashy magazine pronouncements like this. Anyone remember the 1979 “Death of Equities” cover story in Business Week?

A financial blogger’s review of the new Apple iPad can also be found here, as well as a humorous look at the Vancouver real estate market and investing commentary on dividend stocks, silver and ETFs for global investing.

Found something on the Internet that your fellow investors might enjoy? Talk to me at rcarrick@globeandmail.com

Adobe Gives Up on iPhone App Development After CS5

mzangi — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:51:27 +0000

The saga of Adobe and Apple or, more precisely, Flash app development for the iPhone, is drawing to its inevitable conclusion.

It all started with Apple’s change to its iPhone Developer Program License Agreement – the notorious article 3.3.1 – which banned the use of the Flash-to-iPhone converter. In the simplest of terms, the article makes it meaningless for developers to create Flash apps that target the iPhone because Apple can ban them at any time.

Now Mike Chambers, the principal product manager for developer relations for the Flash platform at Adobe, has put a full stop to the story from Adobe’s side. In a lengthy blog post, he calls for developers of Flash apps for smartphones to focus on AndroidAndroidAndroid and stop developing apps for the iPhone. He also announces Adobe’s intention to stop working on the Flash-to-iPhone converter.