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Friday the 5th of March 2010

Welcome to the Helpforce Daily Briefing, on Friday the 5th of March 2010

1. Virus Warnings
2. Daily Technology News
3. Latest Shareware and Freeware
4. FAQ for the day
5. Advice of the day
6. Internet Advice

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1. Latest Virus Alerts From Sophos
---------------------------------------
Mal/EncPk-NP on 5 March 2010 10:34:54 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/malencpknp.html?_log_from=rss
Troj/Agent-MQE on 5 March 2010 10:34:54 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/trojagentmqe.html?_log_from=rss
Troj/Agent-MQT on 5 March 2010 10:34:54 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/trojagentmqt.html?_log_from=rss
Troj/FakeAV-AYQ on 5 March 2010 10:34:54 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/trojfakeavayq.html?_log_from=rss
Troj/FakeAV-AYR on 5 March 2010 10:34:54 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/trojfakeavayr.html?_log_from=rss
W32/Autorun-BAL on 5 March 2010 10:34:54 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/w32autorunbal.html?_log_from=rss
Mal/DelpBanc-A on 5 March 2010 05:35:46 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/maldelpbanca.html?_log_from=rss
Mal/Koobface-B on 5 March 2010 05:35:46 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/malkoobfaceb.html?_log_from=rss
Troj/Agent-MQS on 5 March 2010 05:35:46 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/trojagentmqs.html?_log_from=rss
Troj/DwnLdr-IBU on 5 March 2010 05:35:46 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/trojdwnldribu.html?_log_from=rss

2. Latest Technology News From Slashdot
-----------------------------------------------

-- Real Settles Lawsuits, Will Stop Selling RealDVD
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/dtHt-A4w-CQ/Real-Settles-Lawsuits-Will-Stop-Selling-RealDVD)
angry tapir writes "RealNetworks has agreed to pay $4.5 million and permanently stop selling its RealDVD software as part of a legal settlement with six Hollywood movie studios. The lawsuits date back to 2008 and Slashdot has previously discussed them. RealDVD is an application that lets people make copies of their DVDs."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- New Call of Duty Titles Announced, Fired Devs Sue For Name
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/mjChG9qxVfY/New-emCall-of-Dutyem-Titles-Announced-Fired-Devs-Sue-For-Name)
eldavojohn writes "Activision has announced new Call of Duty titles while fired Infinity Ward Developer leads Jason West and Vince Zampella sue them for the rights to the name. According to Activision, 'The company intends to expand the Call of Duty brand with the same focus seen in its Blizzard Entertainment business unit. This will include a focus on high-margin digital online content and further[ing] the brand as the leading action entertainment franchise in new geographies, new genres and with new digital business models.' Ars opines that Activision is set to over-saturate the market with tons of CoD titles similar to how it expertly brought down Guitar Hero."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- New Material Sets Stage For All-Optical Computing
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/emh51KVXni8/New-Material-Sets-Stage-For-All-Optical-Computing)
An anonymous reader writes with this excerpt from the International Business Times: "Researchers have made a new material that can be used to guide waves of light, a breakthrough that could lead to ultra-fast computing. Georgia Tech scientists are using specially designed organic dyes that can process and redirect light without the need to be converted to electricity first. ... 'For this class of molecules, we can with a high degree of reliability predict where the molecules will have both large optical nonlinearities and low two-photon absorption,' said [Georgia Tech School of Chemistry professor Seth] Marder."

According to the article, using an optical router could lead to transmission speeds as high as 2,000 gigabits per second, five times faster than current technology.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- NVIDIA Driver Update Causing Video Cards To Overheat In Games
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/FaWMjG1zpIs/NVIDIA-Driver-Update-Causing-Video-Cards-To-Overheat-In-Games)
After a group of StarCraft II beta testers reported technical difficulties following the installation of NVIDIA driver update 196.75, Blizzard tech support found that the update introduced fan control problems that were causing video cards to overheat in 3D applications. "This means every single 3D application (i.e. games) running these drivers is going to be exposed to overheating and in some extreme cases it will cause video card, motherboard and/or processor damage. If said motherboard, processor or graphic card is not under warranty, some gamers are in serious trouble playing intensive games such as Prototype, World of Warcraft, Farcry 3, Crysis and many other games with realistic graphics." NVIDIA said they were investigating the problem, took down links to the new drivers, and advised users to revert to 196.21 until the problem can be fixed.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- China's Human Flesh Search Engine
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/ePN-kXrsOLY/Chinas-Human-Flesh-Search-Engine)
Hugh Pickens writes "The NY Times has an interesting article about Human-flesh search engines — renrou sousuo yinqing — that have become a phenomenon in China: they are a form of online vigilante justice in which Internet users hunt down and punish people who have attracted their wrath. The goal is to get the targets of a search fired from their jobs, shamed in front of their neighbors, or run out of town. It's crowd-sourced detective work, pursued online — with offline results. 'In the United States, traditional media are still playing the key role in setting the agenda for the public,' says Jin Liwen. 'But in China, you will see that a lot of hot topics, hot news or events actually originate from online discussions.' In one well known case, when a video appeared in China of a woman stomping a cat to death with the sharp point of her high heel, the human flesh search engine tracked the kitten killer's home to the town of Luobei in Heilongjiang Province, in the far northeast, and her name — Wang Jiao — was made public, as were her phone number and her employer. 'Wang Jiao was affected a lot,' says one Luobei resident. 'She left town and went somewhere else.' The kitten-killer case didn't just provide revenge; it helped turn the human-flesh search engine into a national phenomenon. Searches have also been directed against cheating spouses, corrupt government officials, amateur pornography makers, Chinese citizens who are perceived as unpatriotic, journalists who urge a moderate stance on Tibet and rich people who try to game the Chinese system."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Toyota Black Box Data Is More Closed Than Others'
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/eUrv3_UzwbY/Toyota-Black-Box-Data-Is-More-Closed-Than-Others)
wjr writes "Many cars these days contain black boxes that record information (speed, accelerator position, etc) and can preserve information in the case of an accident. Ford and Chrysler say that they use 'open systems' so anyone can read out the data; General Motors has licensed Bosch to produce a device capable of reading its cars' black boxes. On the other hand, Toyota has only a single laptop in the US capable of reading its cars' black boxes, and generally won't allow the data to be read without a court order. Honda seems to have a similar policy. This is emerging as an issue in the investigation into unintended acceleration."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Ubisoft's New DRM Cracked In One Day
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/0U50Zhp9lYE/Ubisofts-New-DRM-Cracked-In-One-Day)
Colonel Korn writes "Ubisoft's recent announcement that upcoming games would require a constant internet connection in order to play has been discussed at length on Slashdot ('The Awful Anti-Pirate System That Will Probably Work'). Many were of the opinion that this new, more demanding DRM would have effectiveness to match its inconvenience, at least financially justifying its use. Others assumed that it would be immediately cracked, as is usually the case, leaving the inconvenience for paying customers and resulting in a superior product for pirates. As usual, the latter group was right. Though Ubisoft won't yet admit it, Skid-Row managed to crack the new DRM less than a day after it was first released."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Apple Removes Wi-Fi Finders From App Store
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/xRogCE-ltyc/Apple-Removes-Wi-Fi-Finders-From-App-Store)
jasonbrown writes "Apple on Thursday began removing another category of apps from its iPhone App Store. This time, it's not porn, it's Wi-Fi. Apple removed several Wi-Fi apps commonly referred to as stumblers, or apps that seek out available Wi-Fi networks near your location. According to a story on Cult of Mac, apps removed by Apple include WiFi-Where, WiFiFoFum, and yFy Network Finder."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- How To Play Poker With Your Rock Band Drum Kit
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/85PAPDkpgdg/How-To-Play-Poker-With-Your-Rock-Band-Drum-Kit)
SeanLind writes "After writing a similar article for converting your Rock Band guitar I got flooded with feedback and requests for a Drum Kit versions. So that's exactly what I did, three easy steps to converting your Rock Band drum kit into a wireless game controller, and using that to play online poker."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Charles Nesson Ruled Jointly Liable To Pay RIAA
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/KUg5FOKehm4/Charles-Nesson-Ruled-Jointly-Liable-To-Pay-RIAA)
eldavojohn writes "The highly anticipated Joel Tenenbaum trial ended in a disaster for Tenenbaum. But worse for his highly publicized lawyer, Charles Nesson, they are both liable for payment of the court's decision to the RIAA. Nesson's pro bono agreement with Tenenbaum may turn out to be a seriously expensive experiment for the Harvard Law Professor." As the Ars story points out, though, it's "some fees incurred by the RIAA during the trial" for which he'd be liable, not the whole judgment amount.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Venezuela Bans Hostile Videogames and Toys
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/DX5C3QIGWFI/Venezuela-Bans-Hostile-Videogames-and-Toys)
An anonymous reader writes "In an effort to 'help improve child education and prevent misconduct,' the Venezuelan government began enforcing a law on March 3rd banning war videogames and toys, imposing a fine and 2.5 years in prison on the production, distribution, sale, hiring and use of video games and toys inciting violent behavior. Alberto Federico Ravell, former director of opposing news network Globovision, has already come on twitter denouncing the authorities for seizing imported Gameboy, Wii and PlayStation 3 consoles, due to considering them violent."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Where Android Beats the iPhone
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/utVz5d_9HhU/Where-Android-Beats-the-iPhone)
snydeq writes "Peter Wayner provides a developer's comparison of Android and the iPhone and finds Android not only competitive but in fact a better choice than the iPhone for many developers, largely due to its Java foundation. 'While iPhone developers have found that one path to success is playing to our baser instincts (until Apple shuts them down), a number of Android applications are offering practical solutions that unlock the power of a phone that's really a Unix machine you can slip into your pocket,' Wayner writes, pointing out GScript and Remote DB as two powerful tools for developers to make rough but workable custom tools for Android. But the real gem is Java: 'The pure Java foundation of Android will be one of the biggest attractions for many businesses with Java programmers on the staff. Any Java developer familiar with Eclipse should be able to use Google's Android documentation to turn out a very basic application in just a few hours. Not only that, but all of the code from other Java programs will run on your Android phone — although it won't look pretty or run as fast as it does on multicore servers.'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- How MySpace Generates Enough Load To Test Itself
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/cjM8mQSqrvU/How-MySpace-Generates-Enough-Load-To-Test-Itself)
An anonymous reader points out this article about "...how a big site like MySpace uses thousands of cloud computing cores to do performance testing on its live site. There are some really great numbers in there from the performance tests, like generating 16GB/second of bandwidth and 77,000 hits/second during testing (not including the live traffic on the site at the time)."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Throttle Shared Users With OS X — Is It Possible?
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/RiZJRseJIk8/Throttle-Shared-Users-With-OS-X-mdash-Is-It-Possible)
whisper_jeff writes "I work in a design studio where the production director is also the owner's son (translation = he can do no wrong). He is fond of accessing a designer's computer via filesharing and working directly on files off of the designer's computers rather than transferring the files to his computer to work on them there. In so doing, he causes the designer's computer to grind to a near-halt as the harddrive is now tasked with his open/save requests along with whatever the designer is doing. Given that there is no way he's going to change his ways (since he doesn't see anything wrong with it...), I was wondering if there was a way to throttle a user's shared access to a computer (Mac OSX 10.5.8) so that his remote working would have minimal impact on our work. Google searches have revealed nothing helpful (maybe I should Bing it... :) so I was hoping someone with more technical expertise on Slashdot could offer a suggestion."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Typical Windows User Patches Every 5 Days
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/oOFR4-eNMK4/Typical-Windows-User-Patches-Every-5-Days)
CWmike writes "The typical home user running Windows faces the 'unreasonable' task of patching software an average of every five days, security research company Secunia said on Thursday. 'It's completely unreasonable to expect users to master so many different patch mechanisms and spend so much time patching,' said Thomas Kristensen, the company's CSO. The result: Few consumers devote the time and attention necessary to stay atop the patching job, which leaves them open to attack. Secunia says that of the users who ran the company's Personal Software Inspector in the last week of January, half had 66 or more programs from 22 or more different vendors on their machines. ... Secunia has published a white paper (PDF) that details its findings."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

3. Latest Shareware from Planet-Shareware
-----------------------------------------------

4. FAQ of the day from Helpforce
-----------------------------------------------

-- How do I remove programs from the startup?
(http://www.helpforce.com)

Question: When I go into Run/msconfg/settings , I have a large number of programs listed which I may have used in the past and no longer use or want to have listed there. Is it possible to remove the names of these programs from Msconfg/Startup? and if possible . How does one do this?

Answer: In msconfig, the only place it is safe to remove programs from is the list of Starting Programs. From this list, simply un-check the programs you no longer wish to start.Once un-checked, they are effectively "ignored" by your computer. There is no need to actually remove them, they have no effect on your PC's operation.I would advise against unchecking options from any of the other tabs in msconfig, e.g. autoexec.bat, config.sys, etc as un-checking these may cause problems with your PC unless you are exactly familiar with what these programs do.Removing programs from the startup page is safe, but by far the best way to remove programs from your PC is by using the Add/Remove control panel on your windows control panel.This safely removes a program and all it's peices from your PC.Hope this helps.For more information on how to use msconfig please visit: http://netsquirrel.com/msconfig/If you require any further assistance, please feel free to reply to this message. Please include all previous emails so that we may more easily track your problem.

5. Advice of the Day from ask-leo
-----------------------------------------------

6. Internet Advice
-----------------------------------------------

-- My Downloaded Movie Has No Picture! What's Wrong?(http://netforbeginners.about.com/b/a/257686.htm)

You've just downloaded an .avi or .mpg movie from the Internet. You double-click to launch it, but all you get is sound with no picture. Your media player lets you...

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