Communications Technology

A NASTY bug has wriggled into millions of computers and continues to spread, leaving security experts wondering whether the attack is a harbinger of evil deeds to come.
US software protection firm F-Secure says a computer worm known as “Conficker” or “Downadup” had infected more than nine million computers and was spreading at a rate of one million machines daily.
The malicious software had yet to do any noticeable damage, prompting debate as to whether it is impotent, waiting to “detonate”, or a test run by cybercriminals intent on profiting from the weakness in the future.
“This is enormous; possibly the biggest virus we have ever seen,” said software security specialist David Perry of Trend Micro.
“I think the bad guys are field testing a new technology. If Conficker proves to work well, they could go out and sell malware (malicious software) to people.

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Google Earth is already pretty amazing but now not only can you zoom in on your front yard but also dive down underwater!
A new giant Google has been launched to let users explore the depths of the world’s oceans from the comfort of their homes on dry land.
The “Ocean in Google Earth” feature will allow users to “dive beneath the water surface, explore 3D underwater terrain and browse ocean-related content contributed by marine scientists”, Google said.
“Google Earth is equipping itself with a new dimension: depth,” Jean-Francois Wassong, an engineer at Google France, said.
Nearly four years after Google Earth enabled users to zoom in to view streets, and later explore galaxies in the sky, the latest version of the software allows virtual travellers to dart across miles of unchartered territory underwater.
“Oceans cover more than 70 per cent of the planet’s surface but only a little bit has been explored,” said Florence Diss, head of Google’s geographical partnerships, referring to findings that humans have examined just 5 per cent of world’s seas.

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Could a stranger invention be made!?!

ELECTRONIC cigarettes, which contain nicotine-flavored vapor, are being sold online despite being outlawed in Australia.

The devices, which look and taste similar to the real thing, are being sold on eBay for hundreds of dollars.
An eBay Australia spokesman said the website had a policy that prohibited the sale of tobacco products. He added that the relatively new devices may be included in this policy after an investigation.

E-cigarettes have attracted more attention since being demonstrated at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas last week.

They use battery-generated heat to create a flavoured vapour that users puff just like real smoke.
The devices – commonly from Chinese manufacturers such as Golden Dragon - even have tips that glow when the user inhales, simulating the ember of a real cigarette.

Yet this may not necessarily make e-cigarettes safer. While some devices can use flavoured capsules, they are mostly sold with nicotine.

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