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Sunday the 20th of June 2010

Welcome to the Helpforce Daily Briefing, on Sunday the 20th of June 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/TDSS-K on 20 June 2010 03:39:40 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/maltdssk.html?_log_from=rss
Troj/SalLoad-B on 20 June 2010 03:39:40 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/trojsalloadb.html?_log_from=rss
Troj/TDSS-DG on 20 June 2010 03:39:40 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/trojtdssdg.html?_log_from=rss
Troj/Zbot-RH on 20 June 2010 03:39:40 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/trojzbotrh.html?_log_from=rss
Troj/Mdrop-CQZ on 19 June 2010 22:09:59 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/trojmdropcqz.html?_log_from=rss
Troj/Zbot-RC on 19 June 2010 22:09:59 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/trojzbotrc.html?_log_from=rss
Troj/Dloadr-DAD on 19 June 2010 14:53:42 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/trojdloadrdad.html?_log_from=rss
Troj/Zbot-QX on 19 June 2010 14:53:42 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/trojzbotqx.html?_log_from=rss
Troj/Zbot-RD on 19 June 2010 14:53:42 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/trojzbotrd.html?_log_from=rss
Troj/Zbot-RE on 19 June 2010 14:53:42 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/trojzbotre.html?_log_from=rss

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

-- DHS Wants To Monitor the Web For Terrorists
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/53oFxzd2shE/DHS-Wants-To-Monitor-the-Web-For-Terrorists)
clustro writes "Under the belief that terrorists are 'increasingly' recruiting US citizens, Department of Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano says that increased government monitoring of the Internet is necessary to thwart them. It is believed that Fort Hood shooter Major Nidal Hassan and attempted Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad were inspired by radical internet postings. Speaking at a meeting of the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy, Napolitano said, 'We can significantly advance security without having a deleterious impact on individual rights in most instances. At the same time, there are situations where trade-offs are inevitable.'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- "Cumulative Voting" Method Gaining Attention
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/Wvw5s9AP1Oo/Cumulative-Voting-Method-Gaining-Attention)
Local ID10T writes "The AP reports on a system of voting, called 'cumulative voting,' which was just used under court order in Port Chester, NY. Under this system, voters can apportion their votes as they wish — all to one candidate, one to each candidate, or any combination. The system, which has been used in Alabama, Illinois, South Dakota, Texas, and New York, allows a political minority to gain representation if it organizes behind specific candidates. Courts are increasingly mandating cumulative voting when they deem it necessary to provide fair representation." Wikipedia notes that cumulative voting "was used to elect the Illinois House of Representatives from 1870 until its repeal in 1980," without saying why the system was abandoned.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- UK's RIAA Goes After Google Using the US DMCA
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/W7ZtIhVjHUc/UKs-RIAA-Goes-After-Google-Using-the-US-DMCA)
An anonymous reader passes along a DMCA takedown notice directed at Google and authored by the British Phonographic Industry, Britain's equivalent of the RIAA. P2pnet identifies the BPI as the outfit that "contributed to the British government's Digital Economy bill, complete with its ACTA Three Strikes and you're Off The Net element, with hardly a murmur from the UK lamescream media." Are there any precedents for a UK trade organization attempting to use an American law to force an American company to take down links to UK-copyrighted material?

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Potato-Powered Batteries Debut
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/M8AIh1R4v54/Potato-Powered-Batteries-Debut)
MojoKid writes "Yissum Research Development Company Ltd., the technology transfer arm of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has just introduced what they're calling 'solid organic electric battery based upon treated potatoes.' In short, it's a potato-powered battery, and it's as real as you're hoping it is. The simple, sustainable, robust device can potentially provide an immediate inexpensive solution to electricity needs in parts of the world lacking electrical infrastructure. Researchers at the Hebrew University discovered that the enhanced salt bridge capability of treated potato tubers can generate electricity through means readily available in developing nations."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Turning Attackers' Tools Against Them
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/IEnDv6ic9I0/Turning-Attackers-Tools-Against-Them)
Tasha26 writes "The BBC has an interesting Web security snippet from the SyScan 2010 security conference in Singapore. In a presentation, security researcher Laurent Oudot released details of bugs found in commonly used attack kits such as Neon, Eleonore, and Sniper. These loopholes could be exploited to get more information about the attackers, perhaps identifying them, stealing their tools and methods, or even following the trail back to their own computer."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Google Builds a Native PDF Reader Into Chrome
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/Pq5HIhgM_TY/Google-Builds-a-Native-PDF-Reader-Into-Chrome)
An anonymous reader writes "Google's latest Chrome 6 Developer Update comes with a few subtle GUI changes, but there is also a major update under the hood. As its ties with Adobe quite apparently grow stronger, there is not just an integrated Flash player, but also a native PDF reader in the latest version of Chrome 6. Google says the native reader will allow users to interact with PDF files just like they do with regular HTML pages. The reader is included in Chrome versions (Chromium) 6.0.437.1 and higher, and you can use the feature after you have enabled it manually in the plug-ins menu. That is, of course, if you can keep Chrome 6 alive — Windows users have reported frequent crashes, and Google has temporarily suspended the update progress to find out what is going on." The Register has some more details on the PDF plugin and a link to Google's blog post about it.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Apple Quietly Goes After Mac Trojan With Update
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/UK9IB-e7CY8/Apple-Quietly-Goes-After-Mac-Trojan-With-Update)
Th'Inquisitor was one of several readers to point out coverage of Apple's stealth security fix, included along with the recent Snow Leopard 10.6.4 update. Graham Cluley of Sophos first noticed the update to protect Mac computers from a Trojan, and the fact that Apple didn't mention it in the release notes. The malware opens a back door to a Mac that can allow attackers to gain control of the machine and snoop about on it or turn it into a zombie. "You have to wonder," writes Cluley, "whether their keeping quiet about an anti-malware security update like this was for marketing reasons." While he certainly has a point that Apple benefits by its users' belief that the platform is secure, you also have to wonder whether any such publicity from a security company has a marketing subtext, as well.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Getty's Flickr Sales, Money Spinner Or Ripoff?
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/tvQWzO01ovU/Gettys-Flickr-Sales-Money-Spinner-Or-Ripoff)
Barence writes "Photo-sharing site Flickr is offering photographers a new way to cash in on their work. The 'Request to License' scheme allows renowned photo agency Getty to sell photos on behalf of Flickr members. Once part of the scheme, all of the user's photos will carry a Request to License link (users can't select certain photos to license in this way). People wishing to buy the photos are directed to Getty's staff, who 'will help handle details like permissions, releases, and pricing,' according to Flickr. However, the last time Getty sold images on behalf of Flickr members, it led to complaints that photographers were being exploited, with commission on photos as low as $1. So who's doing best out of the deal, photographers or Getty?"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Why Google's Wi-Fi Payload Collection Was Inadvertent
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/B5n3qbY_1Zw/Why-Googles-Wi-Fi-Payload-Collection-Was-Inadvertent)
Reader Lauren Weinstein found a blog post that gives a good, fairly technical explanation of why Google's collection of Wi-Fi payload data was incidental, and why it's easy to collect Wi-Fi payload data accidentally in the course of mapping Wi-Fi access points. "Although some people are suspicious of their explanation, Google is almost certainly telling the truth when it claims it was an accident. The technology for Wi-Fi scanning means it's easy to inadvertently capture too much information, and be unaware of it. ... It's really easy to protect your data: simply turn on WPA. This completely stops Google (or anybody else) from spying on your private data. ... Laws against this won't stop the bad guys (hackers). They will only unfairly punish good guys (like Google) whenever they make a mistake. ... [A]nybody who has experience in Wi-Fi mapping would believe Google. Data packets help Google find more access-points and triangulate them, yet the payload of the packets do nothing useful for Google because they are only fragments."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- SpaceX Falcon 9 Relatively Cheap Compared To NASA's New Pad
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/J4Ql21_Cq3g/SpaceX-Falcon-9-Relatively-Cheap-Compared-To-NASAs-New-Pad)
An anonymous reader writes with this excerpt from Motherboard.tv:
"As debate over the future of spaceflight rages on — and as the axe all but falls on NASA's mission back to the moon and beyond — the successful launch of SpaceX's Falcon 9 two weeks ago proved at least one of the virtues of the private option: it's a heckuva lot cheaper than government-funded rides to space. In fact, the whole system was built for less than the cost of the service tower that was to be used for NASA's proposed future spaceflight vehicle (yup, the service tower is finished, but the rocket isn't, and the whole program may well be canceled anyway)."
CEO Elon Musk spoke recently about some of the ways SpaceX finds to cut costs in the construction of their rockets.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Struggling To Bridge the Casual-Hardcore Game Gap
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/HhoSNZTmuTc/Struggling-To-Bridge-the-Casual-Hardcore-Game-Gap)
With the advent of the Wii and the upcoming motion control systems from Sony and Microsoft, console makers are expanding the gaming population to include vast numbers of casual players. Their problem now, according to this editorial at Eurogamer, is that there doesn't exist a broad selection of games between the simple, introductory titles and the complex, hardcore ones, which tends to limit how deep new players will venture into the gaming ecosystem. Quoting:
"... it needs software that spans the gap between the two camps of offerings which are emerging on Xbox 360 — games that encourage players of Dance Central or Your Shape to move upstream and explore. It's unlikely, perhaps, that they'll ever end up curb-stomping crinkle-faced nasties in Cliff Bleszinski's latest, but we're a long way past the point of the Xbox being all about shooting and driving, even if the public perception hasn't quite moved with the software line-up. The long-term challenge for the games market must, ultimately, be to emulate the success which other mediums have had in creating markets where consumers routinely and happily move between genres, and where franchises which would be pigeonholed as 'hardcore' in the games world nestle comfortably in people's DVD collections alongside those which would be dismissed as 'casual.'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Spitzer Telescope Witnesses Star Being Born
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/Ads5YQShVb8/Spitzer-Telescope-Witnesses-Star-Being-Born)
Arvisp tips news of a discovery by astronomers using the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Submillimeter Array in Hawaii of the youngest known star in a nearby star-forming region. From the Yale press release:
"Astronomers think L1448-IRS2E is in between the prestellar phase, when a particularly dense region of a molecular cloud first begins to clump together, and the protostar phase, when gravity has pulled enough material together to form a dense, hot core out of the surrounding envelope. ... Most protostars are between one to 10 times as luminous as the Sun, with large dust envelopes that glow at infrared wavelengths. Because L1448-IRS2E is less than one tenth as luminous as the Sun, the team believes the object is too dim to be considered a true protostar. Yet they also discovered that the object is ejecting streams of high-velocity gas from its center, confirming that some sort of preliminary mass has already formed and the object has developed beyond the prestellar phase. This kind of outflow is seen in protostars (as a result of the magnetic field surrounding the forming star), but has not been seen at such an early stage until now."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Verizon Hints At Scrapping Unlimited Data Plans
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/tJnvHf4VBqw/Verizon-Hints-At-Scrapping-Unlimited-Data-Plans)
BusinessWeek reports that Verizon may be preparing to follow AT&T's example by eliminating unlimited data plans later this year. Quoting:
"'We will probably need to change the design of our pricing where it will not be totally unlimited, flat rate,' John Killian, chief financial officer of Verizon Communications Inc., the wireless unit’s parent, said in an interview at Bloomberg’s headquarters in New York today. The company anticipates 'explosions in data traffic' over wireless networks as new phones on 4G networks incorporate data-heavy applications, such as video downloads, he said. Verizon is working to keep its network running smoothly as more of its customers switch to smartphones that connect to the Internet. ... 'The more bandwidth that you make available, the faster it will be consumed,' said Craig Moffett, analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. in New York. 'From Verizon’s perspective, the last thing you want is for another generation of consumers to be conditioned to the idea that data is always going to be uncapped.'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- German Publishers Want Monopoly On Sentences
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/MyrHmNFMDyw/German-Publishers-Want-Monopoly-On-Sentences)
Glyn Moody writes "You think copyright can't get any more draconian? Think again. In Germany, newspaper publishers are lobbying for 'a new exclusive right conferring the power to monopolize speech e.g. by assigning a right to re-use a particular wording in the headline of a news article anywhere else without the permission of the rights holder. According to the drafts circulating on the Internet, permission shall be obtainable exclusively by closing an agreement with a new collecting society which will be founded after the drafts have matured into law. Depending on the particulars, new levies might come up for each and every user of a PC, at least if the computer is used in a company for commercial purposes.' Think that will never work because someone will always break the news cartel? Don't worry, they've got that covered too. They want to 'amend cartel law in order to enable a global "pooling" of all exclusive rights of all newspaper publishers in Germany in order to block any attempt to defect from the paywall cartel by a single competitor.' And rest assured, if anything like this passes in Germany, publishers everywhere will be using the copyright ratchet to obtain 'parity.'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Home Computers Equal Lower Test Scores
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/uk0TsVtiYuA/Home-Computers-Equal-Lower-Test-Scores)
An anonymous reader writes "Politicians and education activists have long sought to eliminate the 'digital divide' by guaranteeing universal access to home computers, and in some cases to high-speed Internet service. But a Duke University study finds these efforts would actually widen the achievement gap in math and reading scores. Students in grades five through eight, particularly those from disadvantaged families, tend to post lower scores once these technologies arrive in their homes."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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

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

-- I am building my own computer and it wont startup
(http://www.helpforce.com)

Question: Recently I built my own computer.The relevant specs (I think) are:CPU: AMD AthlonXP 2100Motherboard: Shuttle AK35GT2PS: Allied 400WRAM: Multiwave 512MB PC2700 DDRVideo card: PNY Geforce3 Ti200Sometimes my computer starts sometimes it does not. When it does work, everything works properly. When it does not work, there is nothing displayed on the screen and no beeps are made. All fans spin, the hard drive light lights and goes out, and the CD drive light lights and goes out. All connections are secure and were checked numerous times. Clearing the CMOS seems to help the computer work, but not immediately. The computer seems to work the least in the morning, and tends to stay working all day if it starts working. The video card is not the problem, as I tested it numerous times while the computer was down (both the new video card in an old PC, and an old video card in the new PC, the old video card failed in the new PC although it works in the old PC).

Answer: hi there, i have built many many computers and this is a common problem, generaly i think that will find that the problem is related to an earth loop, dont laugh or say 'I havnt changed anything' becuase i would put money on this being the problem, the solution is to take everthing back out the case (sorry!) and set it all up on a table (net metal :-) ) and try running the computer like that to see if it then works!If / when it does, check all the screw holes in the case to make sure that nothing is sticking up, then put everything back in again, dont screw the motherboard in to tight, but enough to hold it in place.Hope this helps and let us know if it works or you need more help.

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

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

-- What exactly is a 'hacker'? Is it the same as 'haxor'?(http://netforbeginners.about.com/b/2010/06/20/what-exactly-is-a-hacker-is-it-the-same-as-haxor.htm)

You've heard of "hackers", and seen sensationalized versions of them in movies. But what exactly is a hacker? And are they the same as "haxors"? Well, friends, there are actually...

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