Thu Sep 27, 2007. SHANGHAI (Reuters) - A Chinese woman who killed her lover with a rat poison-laced kiss when she suspected him of being unfaithful has been sentenced to death, a newspaper said Thursday.
Xia Xinfeng, from Maolou in the central province of Henan, passed a capsule with rat poison from her mouth to her long-time lover, Mao Ansheng, during a kiss, the Shanghai Daily said.
Mao swallowed the capsule and died soon afterwards.
"The couple had said that if either one of them cheated on the other, he or she would have to die," the paper said in explaining the mouth-to-mouth assault.
Xia found Mao had been "talking" with another woman and deemed that he had broken their promise.
© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved.
Friday, September 28, 2007
China bans "sexual sounds" on airwaves | Oddly Enough | Reuters.com
Reuters.com
Wed Sep 26, 2007. BEIJING (Reuters) - China has banned "sexually provocative sounds" on television and pulled the plug on a show reconstructing infamous crimes by women ahead of a major Communist Party meeting next month.
The order, issued by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, is the latest in a raft of measures which have included axing reality shows featuring sex changes and plastic surgery and banning talent contests during prime-time.
"Sexually suggestive advertisements and scenes showing how women are influenced into a life of crime are detrimental to society," it said in a statement posted on its Web site on Wednesday, referring to its decision to axe "Red Question Mark," a crime documentary.
"Commercials containing sexually provocative sounds or tantalizing language as well as vulgar advertisements for breast enhancement and female underwear are banned, effective immediately," said the SARFT notice.
The watchdog also ordered an end to programs with titles including the names of "sex-related drugs, products or medical institutions."
A total of 1,466 advertisements worth 2 billion yuan ($246 million) in revenues had been stripped from China's airways since August, SARFT said, citing department statistics.
Since launching a campaign to purify China's state-controlled airways earlier in the year, the media watchdog's edicts have gained fever pitch in recent weeks, ahead of a meeting of the 17th Party congress, a sensitive five-yearly meeting at which key government leaders are appointed and national policy set for the next few years.
It earlier urged the country's increasingly freewheeling broadcasters to forgo vulgarity and bad taste in the pursuit of ratings in favor of providing "inspiring" content for the masses imbued with "socialist" values.
© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved.
Wed Sep 26, 2007. BEIJING (Reuters) - China has banned "sexually provocative sounds" on television and pulled the plug on a show reconstructing infamous crimes by women ahead of a major Communist Party meeting next month.
The order, issued by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, is the latest in a raft of measures which have included axing reality shows featuring sex changes and plastic surgery and banning talent contests during prime-time.
"Sexually suggestive advertisements and scenes showing how women are influenced into a life of crime are detrimental to society," it said in a statement posted on its Web site on Wednesday, referring to its decision to axe "Red Question Mark," a crime documentary.
"Commercials containing sexually provocative sounds or tantalizing language as well as vulgar advertisements for breast enhancement and female underwear are banned, effective immediately," said the SARFT notice.
The watchdog also ordered an end to programs with titles including the names of "sex-related drugs, products or medical institutions."
A total of 1,466 advertisements worth 2 billion yuan ($246 million) in revenues had been stripped from China's airways since August, SARFT said, citing department statistics.
Since launching a campaign to purify China's state-controlled airways earlier in the year, the media watchdog's edicts have gained fever pitch in recent weeks, ahead of a meeting of the 17th Party congress, a sensitive five-yearly meeting at which key government leaders are appointed and national policy set for the next few years.
It earlier urged the country's increasingly freewheeling broadcasters to forgo vulgarity and bad taste in the pursuit of ratings in favor of providing "inspiring" content for the masses imbued with "socialist" values.
© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Bill Gates makes US$115m a week, tops rich list:...
Software - ZDNet Australia By:Michelle Nichols, AAP
21 September 2007 Microsoft founder Bill Gates is the richest person in America for the 14th year in a row, with Oracle chief Larry Ellison at number four and Google's founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page in fifth place.
Bill Gates fortune grew by US$6 billion in the past year (aprox US$115 million a week), according to Forbes. Second on the list was investor Warren Buffet -- who has pledged 85 percent of his net worth to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and family charities -- is worth US$52 billion.
Michael Dell, chief executive of Dell Inc, the world's second-largest PC maker, was number eight on the list with a fortune of US$17.2 billion.
Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson (US$28 billion), head of Las Vegas Sands Corp, and software tycoon Larry Ellison (US$26 billion), chief executive of Oracle Corp, remain at third and fourth on the 25th annual ranking of 400 rich Americans, which now requires a minimum net worth of US$1.3 billion for inclusion.
"The collective net worth of those listed on the 400 this year rose US$290 billion to US$1.54 trillion," Forbes said. "Despite market jitters, nearly half of the 45 new members come from hedge fund and private equity investments."
For the first time since 1989 there are no members of the Walton family, descendants of Wal-Mart Stores Inc founder Sam Walton, in the top 10. Four members -- Jim, Christy, Robson and Alice -- slipped to 12th and 15th place.
The Waltons were displaced by Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, who came in at number five with fortunes of US$18.5 billion, and brothers Charles and David Koch, who run Koch Industries, the world's second largest private company, and are each valued at US$17 billion, earning them 9th place.
Investor Kirk Kerkorian was the biggest gainer on the list, his fortune rising by more than US$9 billion in the past year to US$18 billion. He debuted in the top 10 at No 7 - up from No 26 last year.
Of the top 400 richest Americans, Forbes said 270 were entirely self-made, 74 inherited their wealth and 39 are women. There were 82 American billionaires who did not make the list.
The youngest member, and new to the list, is 33-year-old hedge fund manager John Arnold, who came in at number 317 with a US$1.5 billion wealth, while the oldest is 98-year-old John Simplot, valued at US$3.6 billion and 214th on the list.
21 September 2007 Microsoft founder Bill Gates is the richest person in America for the 14th year in a row, with Oracle chief Larry Ellison at number four and Google's founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page in fifth place.
Bill Gates fortune grew by US$6 billion in the past year (aprox US$115 million a week), according to Forbes. Second on the list was investor Warren Buffet -- who has pledged 85 percent of his net worth to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and family charities -- is worth US$52 billion.
Michael Dell, chief executive of Dell Inc, the world's second-largest PC maker, was number eight on the list with a fortune of US$17.2 billion.
Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson (US$28 billion), head of Las Vegas Sands Corp, and software tycoon Larry Ellison (US$26 billion), chief executive of Oracle Corp, remain at third and fourth on the 25th annual ranking of 400 rich Americans, which now requires a minimum net worth of US$1.3 billion for inclusion.
"The collective net worth of those listed on the 400 this year rose US$290 billion to US$1.54 trillion," Forbes said. "Despite market jitters, nearly half of the 45 new members come from hedge fund and private equity investments."
For the first time since 1989 there are no members of the Walton family, descendants of Wal-Mart Stores Inc founder Sam Walton, in the top 10. Four members -- Jim, Christy, Robson and Alice -- slipped to 12th and 15th place.
The Waltons were displaced by Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, who came in at number five with fortunes of US$18.5 billion, and brothers Charles and David Koch, who run Koch Industries, the world's second largest private company, and are each valued at US$17 billion, earning them 9th place.
Investor Kirk Kerkorian was the biggest gainer on the list, his fortune rising by more than US$9 billion in the past year to US$18 billion. He debuted in the top 10 at No 7 - up from No 26 last year.
Of the top 400 richest Americans, Forbes said 270 were entirely self-made, 74 inherited their wealth and 39 are women. There were 82 American billionaires who did not make the list.
The youngest member, and new to the list, is 33-year-old hedge fund manager John Arnold, who came in at number 317 with a US$1.5 billion wealth, while the oldest is 98-year-old John Simplot, valued at US$3.6 billion and 214th on the list.
Man hides sex toys in the wurst way...
Reuters.com
Wed Sep 19, 2007 BERLIN (Reuters) - Staff at a German butcher's shop were shocked to discover a customer had hidden two sex toys in their sausages for transport to Dubai, police said Wednesday.
"It was two latex dildos with a natural look," said a spokesman for police in the southwestern city of Mannheim.
After shopping there earlier in the day, the man, who spoke broken English, returned to the butcher's with two large "Schwartenmagen" sausages. He asked a shop assistant to wrap and cool them until he departed for Dubai the next day.
But the assistant noticed the goods had got heavier and alerted police. Officers discovered the man, who was about 50, had removed some of the meat and packed the dildos inside.
"He could have used a loaf of bread," the spokesman said. "It's not against the law here. But obviously I can't speculate on what customs in Dubai will have to say about it."
© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved.
Wed Sep 19, 2007 BERLIN (Reuters) - Staff at a German butcher's shop were shocked to discover a customer had hidden two sex toys in their sausages for transport to Dubai, police said Wednesday."It was two latex dildos with a natural look," said a spokesman for police in the southwestern city of Mannheim.
After shopping there earlier in the day, the man, who spoke broken English, returned to the butcher's with two large "Schwartenmagen" sausages. He asked a shop assistant to wrap and cool them until he departed for Dubai the next day.
But the assistant noticed the goods had got heavier and alerted police. Officers discovered the man, who was about 50, had removed some of the meat and packed the dildos inside.
"He could have used a loaf of bread," the spokesman said. "It's not against the law here. But obviously I can't speculate on what customs in Dubai will have to say about it."
© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Criminals' botnet more powerful than Bluegene?
News - Hardware - ZDNet Australia Liam Tung, ZDNet Australia
12 September 2007. Criminals behind the Storm worm have created a botnet containing millions of PCs, which have a combined computing power greater than the most powerful supercomputer in existence.
The Storm worm botnet has been estimated to control between one million and five million computers, which one researcher says makes it more powerful than IBM's BlueGene/L supercomputer.
Peter Guttman, a computer sciences security researcher wrote in an e-mail posted on insecure.org's Web site: "This may be the first time that a top 10 supercomputer has been controlled not by a government or mega-corporation but by criminals. The question remains, now that they have the world's most powerful supercomputer system at their disposal, what are they going to do with it?"
At the lowest estimate of one million computers, Guttman roughly calculated that using an army of 2.8GHz P4s, the group behind the Storm worm would have at least 1 petabyte of RAM, compared with BlueGene/L's "paltry 32 terabytes".
Guttman listed 10 supercomputers, comparing the total number of PCs required to achieve equivalent RAM. He estimated 128,000 PCs would be required to match BlueGene/L, while at the lower end, 10,000 PCs would be needed to match MareNostrum.
Is it comparable?
However, debate rages as to whether a million-strong cluster of computers is the same as a supercomputer.
IBRS security analyst James Turner told ZDNet Australia that comparing a botnet and a supercomputer is like comparing an army of snipers with a nuclear weapon.
"It takes more than a pile of CPUs and RAM to make a super computer … Any supercomputer like BlueGene has millions of dollars of R&D, tweaked I/O and an optimised operating system. In all, it’s a system with substantial differences to a botnet," he said.
However, Turner said that should the Storm owners want to start breaking encryption codes, they could do it in a similar fashion to the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence project -- or SETI@home.
SETI@home uses a distributed network of computers to decipher signals from an array of radio telescopes, which listen for signals from outer space.
The SETI@home network, at the time of writing, consists of 158,000 active users, utilizing 1.5 million active hosts in over 200 countries.
Bradley Anstis, director of product management at security firm Marshal, believes the botnet at the Storm gang's disposal is likely to be closer to five million strong.
"The SETI@home network is quite different because the owner has full knowledge of any use of their computer. When you start using your computer, its network will back off. This worm however seems to be working in the background so it doesn’t take all resources, so the average computer user does not notice," said Antsis.
"It has a very high number of distributed nodes, so it can scale faster and a lot larger than any super computer. It's certainly a lot of faster than for Cray to bring out its latest supercomputer," he said.
Paul Ducklin, head of technology at Sophos said a supercomputer differs drastically due to how CPU nodes are interconnected and the speed at which data can be pushed from one node to another.
"They [the Storm gang] don't need a 'supercomputer'," said Ducklin. "They just need a wide range of different computers to do their dirty work. It's not so much about CPU, and RAM, and disk space. It's about being able to operate from a widely-distributed and ever-moving target. Slim down the target and it becomes much easier to hit."
Besides CPU and RAM, Marshal's Anstis said, "The more worrying thing is bandwidth. Just calculate four million times a standard ADSL connection. That's a lot of bandwidth. It's quite worrying. Having resources like that at their disposal -- distributed around the world with a high presence and in a lot of countries -- means they can deliver very effective distributed attacks against hosts."
12 September 2007. Criminals behind the Storm worm have created a botnet containing millions of PCs, which have a combined computing power greater than the most powerful supercomputer in existence.
The Storm worm botnet has been estimated to control between one million and five million computers, which one researcher says makes it more powerful than IBM's BlueGene/L supercomputer.
Peter Guttman, a computer sciences security researcher wrote in an e-mail posted on insecure.org's Web site: "This may be the first time that a top 10 supercomputer has been controlled not by a government or mega-corporation but by criminals. The question remains, now that they have the world's most powerful supercomputer system at their disposal, what are they going to do with it?"
At the lowest estimate of one million computers, Guttman roughly calculated that using an army of 2.8GHz P4s, the group behind the Storm worm would have at least 1 petabyte of RAM, compared with BlueGene/L's "paltry 32 terabytes".
Guttman listed 10 supercomputers, comparing the total number of PCs required to achieve equivalent RAM. He estimated 128,000 PCs would be required to match BlueGene/L, while at the lower end, 10,000 PCs would be needed to match MareNostrum.
Is it comparable?
However, debate rages as to whether a million-strong cluster of computers is the same as a supercomputer.
IBRS security analyst James Turner told ZDNet Australia that comparing a botnet and a supercomputer is like comparing an army of snipers with a nuclear weapon.
"It takes more than a pile of CPUs and RAM to make a super computer … Any supercomputer like BlueGene has millions of dollars of R&D, tweaked I/O and an optimised operating system. In all, it’s a system with substantial differences to a botnet," he said.
However, Turner said that should the Storm owners want to start breaking encryption codes, they could do it in a similar fashion to the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence project -- or SETI@home.
SETI@home uses a distributed network of computers to decipher signals from an array of radio telescopes, which listen for signals from outer space.
The SETI@home network, at the time of writing, consists of 158,000 active users, utilizing 1.5 million active hosts in over 200 countries.
Bradley Anstis, director of product management at security firm Marshal, believes the botnet at the Storm gang's disposal is likely to be closer to five million strong.
"The SETI@home network is quite different because the owner has full knowledge of any use of their computer. When you start using your computer, its network will back off. This worm however seems to be working in the background so it doesn’t take all resources, so the average computer user does not notice," said Antsis.
"It has a very high number of distributed nodes, so it can scale faster and a lot larger than any super computer. It's certainly a lot of faster than for Cray to bring out its latest supercomputer," he said.
Paul Ducklin, head of technology at Sophos said a supercomputer differs drastically due to how CPU nodes are interconnected and the speed at which data can be pushed from one node to another.
"They [the Storm gang] don't need a 'supercomputer'," said Ducklin. "They just need a wide range of different computers to do their dirty work. It's not so much about CPU, and RAM, and disk space. It's about being able to operate from a widely-distributed and ever-moving target. Slim down the target and it becomes much easier to hit."
Besides CPU and RAM, Marshal's Anstis said, "The more worrying thing is bandwidth. Just calculate four million times a standard ADSL connection. That's a lot of bandwidth. It's quite worrying. Having resources like that at their disposal -- distributed around the world with a high presence and in a lot of countries -- means they can deliver very effective distributed attacks against hosts."
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
L'Oreal challenges eBay over sale of fakes ...
Technology Reuters.com
Mon Sep 10, 2007 6:55am ET PARIS (Reuters) - L'Oreal, the world's largest cosmetics group, has launched legal action against eBay, alleging the online auctioneer does not do enough to combat the sale of counterfeits, the company said on Monday.
The action by L'Oreal follows similar action taken against eBay by luxury groups LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton and its parent company Dior, and U.S. jeweler Tiffany's. EBay argues it clamps down on all cases of counterfeiting notified to it by the firms concerned.
"L'Oreal has been facing an increasing volume of illicit trade in fake fragrances and fake cosmetic products on some online auction sites," L'Oreal said in an emailed statement, confirming earlier French media reports.
"Consequently, L'Oreal has decided to take legal action to protect the consumers, preserve the quality of its selective luxury distribution network and defend the reputation of its trademarks."
French newspaper Liberation said L'Oreal estimated the damage done to its business from counterfeit goods sold via eBay at "probably several million euros". It said legal action had been started in France, Germany, Britain, Spain and Belgium.
"EBay is not a victim because it gets a cut from each transaction and advertisement, real or fake," the newspaper quoted L'Oreal's head of anti-counterfeiting, Xavier Herfroy, as saying.
A spokeswoman for L'Oreal confirmed legal action had been launched against eBay in all five countries but declined to say whether L'Oreal was seeking damages. "We are not at liberty to disclose that," she said.
EBay France did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment.
French industry, with the support of the government, is very active in fighting counterfeiting, which it estimates costs French firms some 6 billion euros in lost earnings each year.
The government said on Monday customs officers near France's border with Italy had stopped two lorries transporting 12,757 fake handbags and small leather goods with an estimated market value of 12 million euros, adding to a haul of 224 million euros worth of fakes in the first half of 2007.
© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved.
Mon Sep 10, 2007 6:55am ET PARIS (Reuters) - L'Oreal, the world's largest cosmetics group, has launched legal action against eBay, alleging the online auctioneer does not do enough to combat the sale of counterfeits, the company said on Monday.The action by L'Oreal follows similar action taken against eBay by luxury groups LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton and its parent company Dior, and U.S. jeweler Tiffany's. EBay argues it clamps down on all cases of counterfeiting notified to it by the firms concerned.
"L'Oreal has been facing an increasing volume of illicit trade in fake fragrances and fake cosmetic products on some online auction sites," L'Oreal said in an emailed statement, confirming earlier French media reports.
"Consequently, L'Oreal has decided to take legal action to protect the consumers, preserve the quality of its selective luxury distribution network and defend the reputation of its trademarks."
French newspaper Liberation said L'Oreal estimated the damage done to its business from counterfeit goods sold via eBay at "probably several million euros". It said legal action had been started in France, Germany, Britain, Spain and Belgium.
"EBay is not a victim because it gets a cut from each transaction and advertisement, real or fake," the newspaper quoted L'Oreal's head of anti-counterfeiting, Xavier Herfroy, as saying.
A spokeswoman for L'Oreal confirmed legal action had been launched against eBay in all five countries but declined to say whether L'Oreal was seeking damages. "We are not at liberty to disclose that," she said.
EBay France did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment.
French industry, with the support of the government, is very active in fighting counterfeiting, which it estimates costs French firms some 6 billion euros in lost earnings each year.
The government said on Monday customs officers near France's border with Italy had stopped two lorries transporting 12,757 fake handbags and small leather goods with an estimated market value of 12 million euros, adding to a haul of 224 million euros worth of fakes in the first half of 2007.
© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved.
Friday, September 07, 2007
China moves to stifle sexually explicit TV ...
Yahoo!7 News
Friday September 7, 2007. BEIJING (Reuters) - China has banned sexually explicit television shows, such as those featuring sex toys and contraceptives, as it tries to clean up its airwaves and imbue socialist values.
The order follows the axing of controversial "Beautiful Makeover," a reality program in the southern province of Guangdong showing plastic surgery operations, and the banning of shows featuring "public participation" in sex-change operations.
The State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television scolded provincial television stations in the western frontier city of Chengdu for broadcasting "lewd and obscene" footage, according to its online Web site (www.safrt.gov.cn).
"All levels of television broadcasters must not air any vulgar content involving sexual experiences or functions of sex toys and birth control devices, effective immediately," SARFT said in the notice.
China is worried about sexist and sexually suggestive adverts on screen, and recently instructed state broadcaster CCTV to rein in advertisers.
The administration has moved to crack down on increasingly free-wheeling TV broadcasters, urging them to reject "vulgarity" and "weirdness" in the pursuit of ratings.
"Happy Boys Voice," China's male-only take-off of U.S. talent show "American Idol," cut scenes involving contestants in tears, with wild hair or singing "unhealthy" songs in its first season to comply with the watchdog's demands.
Friday September 7, 2007. BEIJING (Reuters) - China has banned sexually explicit television shows, such as those featuring sex toys and contraceptives, as it tries to clean up its airwaves and imbue socialist values.
The order follows the axing of controversial "Beautiful Makeover," a reality program in the southern province of Guangdong showing plastic surgery operations, and the banning of shows featuring "public participation" in sex-change operations.
The State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television scolded provincial television stations in the western frontier city of Chengdu for broadcasting "lewd and obscene" footage, according to its online Web site (www.safrt.gov.cn).
"All levels of television broadcasters must not air any vulgar content involving sexual experiences or functions of sex toys and birth control devices, effective immediately," SARFT said in the notice.
China is worried about sexist and sexually suggestive adverts on screen, and recently instructed state broadcaster CCTV to rein in advertisers.
The administration has moved to crack down on increasingly free-wheeling TV broadcasters, urging them to reject "vulgarity" and "weirdness" in the pursuit of ratings.
"Happy Boys Voice," China's male-only take-off of U.S. talent show "American Idol," cut scenes involving contestants in tears, with wild hair or singing "unhealthy" songs in its first season to comply with the watchdog's demands.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Announcing Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Beta...
Posted by Nick White on Wednesday, August 29, 2007 7:10 AM
Windows Vista, Announcement, Featured News, Service Pack 1, SP1
The exec closest to the development process, Core Operating System Division (COSD) Sr. VP Jon DeVaan, gives his personal take on Windows Vista SP1 over at Press Pass -- check it out.
Now is the time and the time is now: let's talk about Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1).
Much has been made of what will or will not be included in SP1 and when it will be released (some accurate, some otherwise).
I'm here to set the story straight: we're in the process of developing and deploying a Beta version of SP1. This post will describe for you what to expect from that effort and how you can be involved in the process.
First, a note on service packs. As you are aware, service packs are part of our traditional software lifecycle; they’re something we do for most major products as a commitment to continuous improvement. But, the servicing situation has changed with the advent of Windows Vista, as we no longer rely solely on service packs as the main vehicle used to deploy system fixes and improvements.
The Windows Update online service is one new way to deliver many OS improvements. For example, yesterday in advance of SP1 we released via Windows Update two separate improvements to Windows Vista’s reliability and performance.
We did this prior to SP1 in lieu of requiring customers to wait for these fixes to be rolled into a single service pack. Beyond this, we improve the Windows Vista experience by continuing to work closely with software partners to ensure application compatibility.
We likewise align efforts with partners on the hardware side of the business to broaden the range of devices that work with Windows Vista and to constantly improve device driver quality.
What is SP1? What is it not?
In addition to updates we’ve previously released, SP1 will contain changes focused on addressing specific reliability and performance issues we’ve identified via customer feedback, supporting new types of hardware, and adding support for several emerging standards.
SP1 also makes additional improvements to the IT administration experience.
We didn’t design SP1 as a vehicle for releasing new features; however, some existing components do gain enhanced functionality in SP1.
More information on what’s included in SP1 can be found in the detailed white paper.
When can I get my hands on the Beta of SP1?
A Beta release of Windows Vista SP1 is slated for availability in the next few weeks. A small group of testers has been putting a preview of the SP1 Beta through its paces to help prepare for broader release.
We made the choice to start with a very small group of testers because we think it’s better for both our customers and for Microsoft to keep the beta program small at the start.
A later pre-release of SP1 will be available to a larger group of testers via MSDN and TechNet subscribers.
And what about SP1 itself -- when will that be available?
We're targeting releasing SP1 to manufacturing in the first quarter of 2008, but as always, we’re first and foremost focused on delivering a high-quality release, so we'll determine the exact release date of SP1 after we have reached that quality bar.
(FYI, in case you didn’t already know: the Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 engineering efforts are aligned, so the Server team also said on their blog today that they are targeting the first quarter of 2008 for their release to manufacturing.)
-----
That’s all for now. Expect more SP1 information here on the blog soon, as well as on MSDN and TechNet when the time comes. In the meantime, I’d encourage you to check out the Windows Vista SP1 white paper for more detail. Stay tuned!
AUG 29 Posted by Josh's Windows Weblog
Windows Vista, Announcement, Featured News, Service Pack 1, SP1
The exec closest to the development process, Core Operating System Division (COSD) Sr. VP Jon DeVaan, gives his personal take on Windows Vista SP1 over at Press Pass -- check it out.
Now is the time and the time is now: let's talk about Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1).
Much has been made of what will or will not be included in SP1 and when it will be released (some accurate, some otherwise).
I'm here to set the story straight: we're in the process of developing and deploying a Beta version of SP1. This post will describe for you what to expect from that effort and how you can be involved in the process.
First, a note on service packs. As you are aware, service packs are part of our traditional software lifecycle; they’re something we do for most major products as a commitment to continuous improvement. But, the servicing situation has changed with the advent of Windows Vista, as we no longer rely solely on service packs as the main vehicle used to deploy system fixes and improvements.
The Windows Update online service is one new way to deliver many OS improvements. For example, yesterday in advance of SP1 we released via Windows Update two separate improvements to Windows Vista’s reliability and performance.
We did this prior to SP1 in lieu of requiring customers to wait for these fixes to be rolled into a single service pack. Beyond this, we improve the Windows Vista experience by continuing to work closely with software partners to ensure application compatibility.
We likewise align efforts with partners on the hardware side of the business to broaden the range of devices that work with Windows Vista and to constantly improve device driver quality.
What is SP1? What is it not?
In addition to updates we’ve previously released, SP1 will contain changes focused on addressing specific reliability and performance issues we’ve identified via customer feedback, supporting new types of hardware, and adding support for several emerging standards.
SP1 also makes additional improvements to the IT administration experience.
We didn’t design SP1 as a vehicle for releasing new features; however, some existing components do gain enhanced functionality in SP1.
More information on what’s included in SP1 can be found in the detailed white paper.
When can I get my hands on the Beta of SP1?
A Beta release of Windows Vista SP1 is slated for availability in the next few weeks. A small group of testers has been putting a preview of the SP1 Beta through its paces to help prepare for broader release.
We made the choice to start with a very small group of testers because we think it’s better for both our customers and for Microsoft to keep the beta program small at the start.
A later pre-release of SP1 will be available to a larger group of testers via MSDN and TechNet subscribers.
And what about SP1 itself -- when will that be available?
We're targeting releasing SP1 to manufacturing in the first quarter of 2008, but as always, we’re first and foremost focused on delivering a high-quality release, so we'll determine the exact release date of SP1 after we have reached that quality bar.
(FYI, in case you didn’t already know: the Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 engineering efforts are aligned, so the Server team also said on their blog today that they are targeting the first quarter of 2008 for their release to manufacturing.)
-----
That’s all for now. Expect more SP1 information here on the blog soon, as well as on MSDN and TechNet when the time comes. In the meantime, I’d encourage you to check out the Windows Vista SP1 white paper for more detail. Stay tuned!
AUG 29 Posted by Josh's Windows Weblog
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Bank of India is hacked and dangerous:...
ZDNet AustraliaBy: Liam Tung, ZDNet Australia
31 August 2007. Security experts are warning Bank of India customers to steer clear of its official Web site because it is serving up several information-stealing Trojans.
Security firm SunBelt has reported that code on the site attempts to load 22 instances of spam-related malware and three information-stealing trojans -- "Pinch Trojan", TSPY_AGENT.AAVG and Trojan.Netview.
The Bank of India is yet to remove the malware and SunBelt warns users not to visit the site.
A variant of the Pinch Trojan was noticed earlier this year by Finnish security firm, F-Secure. Information the trojan collected included the version of Windows being used and its licence key, usernames and passwords from stored e-mail accounts in both Outlook and Thunderbird as well as passwords from Internet Explorer, Firefox and Opera.
SunBelt reported that Trojan.Netview is particularly dangerous in networked environments where infected users might have access to unprotected shared drives containing sensitive information. The Trojan is capable of uploading "interesting" files to an FTP server in Russia.
Nishad Herath, senior researcher at McAfee said the hacked Web site is "a very serious situation".
"Unfortunately, the problem is that if the actual site is hacked to host malicious content, there's very little that can be done to identify it before viewing the content," he said.
This method of distributing malware by exploiting browser vulnerabilities has gained momentum in past months. Sophos reported in August that the number of hacked Web sites had risen from just 5,000 to over 30,000 per day.
The Sydney Opera House Web site in June was hosting malware that could potentially exploit browser vulnerabilities.
"The good thing is that a lot of security software does protect against browser delivered malware," said Herath.
Herath said that while multi-layered security solutions can't protect against everything -- in particular unknown threats -- advances in heuristics-based defences do provide backup protection against these.
31 August 2007. Security experts are warning Bank of India customers to steer clear of its official Web site because it is serving up several information-stealing Trojans.
Security firm SunBelt has reported that code on the site attempts to load 22 instances of spam-related malware and three information-stealing trojans -- "Pinch Trojan", TSPY_AGENT.AAVG and Trojan.Netview.
The Bank of India is yet to remove the malware and SunBelt warns users not to visit the site.
A variant of the Pinch Trojan was noticed earlier this year by Finnish security firm, F-Secure. Information the trojan collected included the version of Windows being used and its licence key, usernames and passwords from stored e-mail accounts in both Outlook and Thunderbird as well as passwords from Internet Explorer, Firefox and Opera.
SunBelt reported that Trojan.Netview is particularly dangerous in networked environments where infected users might have access to unprotected shared drives containing sensitive information. The Trojan is capable of uploading "interesting" files to an FTP server in Russia.
Nishad Herath, senior researcher at McAfee said the hacked Web site is "a very serious situation".
"Unfortunately, the problem is that if the actual site is hacked to host malicious content, there's very little that can be done to identify it before viewing the content," he said.
This method of distributing malware by exploiting browser vulnerabilities has gained momentum in past months. Sophos reported in August that the number of hacked Web sites had risen from just 5,000 to over 30,000 per day.
The Sydney Opera House Web site in June was hosting malware that could potentially exploit browser vulnerabilities.
"The good thing is that a lot of security software does protect against browser delivered malware," said Herath.
Herath said that while multi-layered security solutions can't protect against everything -- in particular unknown threats -- advances in heuristics-based defences do provide backup protection against these.
Anxiety over pregnancy linked to premature birth...
Health Reuters.com
Mon Sep 3, 2007. YORK (Reuters Health) - Women who are particularly anxious about their pregnancy may be at increased risk of premature delivery, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that among 1,820 pregnant women, those with the greatest concerns about their pregnancy were nearly three times more likely than those with the least anxiety to deliver prematurely. The findings are published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.
Stress during pregnancy has been linked to a higher risk of complications in some studies, though not all. And those that have identified a link have not suggested any simple solutions to the problem.
For the current study, researchers looked specifically at women's worries related to their pregnancy -- including anxiety over labor and delivery, and worries about early pregnancy problems like bleeding and nausea. The goal was to see whether the risk of preterm birth was influenced by the types of anxiety that obstetricians can fairly easily address.
For example, a woman's fears about labor might be allayed by a thorough discussion with her doctor, according to the study authors, led by Dr. Suezanne T. Orr of East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina.
For their study, the researchers had 1,820 women complete a questionnaire on pregnancy worries during their first visit for prenatal care. The women were asked whether they were anxious about labor and delivery, the health of the baby, nausea, and pain or bleeding during early pregnancy.
They were then given anxiety "scores" ranging from 0 to 6.
Overall, Orr's team found, women who scored a 5 or 6 were at greater risk of preterm delivery than those with lower scores. This remained true when the researchers considered factors that could both fuel women's anxiety and raise the risk of preterm birth -- such as a history of problems in past pregnancies, or health problems during the current pregnancy.
The findings suggest that excessive anxiety itself may contribute to premature delivery in some women, according to Orr and her colleagues.
"If additional research confirms our findings," they write, "then this might suggest an avenue for intervention to reduce spontaneous preterm birth. Anxiety is a treatable condition."
They point out that pregnancy-related worries, in particular, can be addressed with education.
"Pregnant women could receive information from their healthcare providers about the signs and symptoms of a normal pregnancy and the process of labor and delivery to reduce their worries and concerns about pregnancy, and ultimately their risk of spontaneous preterm birth outcomes," the team notes.
SOURCE: Psychosomatic Medicine, July/August.
© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved.
Mon Sep 3, 2007. YORK (Reuters Health) - Women who are particularly anxious about their pregnancy may be at increased risk of premature delivery, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that among 1,820 pregnant women, those with the greatest concerns about their pregnancy were nearly three times more likely than those with the least anxiety to deliver prematurely. The findings are published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.
Stress during pregnancy has been linked to a higher risk of complications in some studies, though not all. And those that have identified a link have not suggested any simple solutions to the problem.
For the current study, researchers looked specifically at women's worries related to their pregnancy -- including anxiety over labor and delivery, and worries about early pregnancy problems like bleeding and nausea. The goal was to see whether the risk of preterm birth was influenced by the types of anxiety that obstetricians can fairly easily address.
For example, a woman's fears about labor might be allayed by a thorough discussion with her doctor, according to the study authors, led by Dr. Suezanne T. Orr of East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina.
For their study, the researchers had 1,820 women complete a questionnaire on pregnancy worries during their first visit for prenatal care. The women were asked whether they were anxious about labor and delivery, the health of the baby, nausea, and pain or bleeding during early pregnancy.
They were then given anxiety "scores" ranging from 0 to 6.
Overall, Orr's team found, women who scored a 5 or 6 were at greater risk of preterm delivery than those with lower scores. This remained true when the researchers considered factors that could both fuel women's anxiety and raise the risk of preterm birth -- such as a history of problems in past pregnancies, or health problems during the current pregnancy.
The findings suggest that excessive anxiety itself may contribute to premature delivery in some women, according to Orr and her colleagues.
"If additional research confirms our findings," they write, "then this might suggest an avenue for intervention to reduce spontaneous preterm birth. Anxiety is a treatable condition."
They point out that pregnancy-related worries, in particular, can be addressed with education.
"Pregnant women could receive information from their healthcare providers about the signs and symptoms of a normal pregnancy and the process of labor and delivery to reduce their worries and concerns about pregnancy, and ultimately their risk of spontaneous preterm birth outcomes," the team notes.
SOURCE: Psychosomatic Medicine, July/August.
© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved.
Men girdle up for battle of the bulge...
Reuters.com
Fri Aug 31, 2007. TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese men worried about bulging bellies now have another option to cutting back on beer -- slip into a boxer brief girdle or T-shirt with tummy-control panels.
Overweight adults are still far rarer in Japan than in the United States, but the trend is definitely up for men, especially the middle-aged. Many suffer from metabolic syndrome, a condition characterized by excess fat around the abdomen.
A fashion trend toward slimmer cuts in suits and form-fitting trousers is also making men -- even the relatively slender -- more worried whether their hips, bellies and thighs pass muster.
"We made our men's brand aimed at those in their 30s and 40s, but it has been selling well among younger guys too," said Asako Iwahashi, a spokeswoman for underwear maker Triumph International Japan, which introduced its line of girdles for men last year.
"Young men are wearing tighter trousers now and like women, they want a cleaner line."
Wacoal Holding's "Completely Nude" tummy-tightening briefs are also proving popular, as are Fukuske Corp's "Shapers for Men" line of shorts and T-shirts, company officials said.
How much men are willing to suffer for fashion, though, is still in some doubt.
"Lots of older men come to look at the support underwear," said a spokeswoman for a Tokyo branch of Tobu Department Store.
"But sales aren't growing drastically yet."
© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved.
Fri Aug 31, 2007. TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese men worried about bulging bellies now have another option to cutting back on beer -- slip into a boxer brief girdle or T-shirt with tummy-control panels.
Overweight adults are still far rarer in Japan than in the United States, but the trend is definitely up for men, especially the middle-aged. Many suffer from metabolic syndrome, a condition characterized by excess fat around the abdomen.
A fashion trend toward slimmer cuts in suits and form-fitting trousers is also making men -- even the relatively slender -- more worried whether their hips, bellies and thighs pass muster.
"We made our men's brand aimed at those in their 30s and 40s, but it has been selling well among younger guys too," said Asako Iwahashi, a spokeswoman for underwear maker Triumph International Japan, which introduced its line of girdles for men last year.
"Young men are wearing tighter trousers now and like women, they want a cleaner line."
Wacoal Holding's "Completely Nude" tummy-tightening briefs are also proving popular, as are Fukuske Corp's "Shapers for Men" line of shorts and T-shirts, company officials said.
How much men are willing to suffer for fashion, though, is still in some doubt.
"Lots of older men come to look at the support underwear," said a spokeswoman for a Tokyo branch of Tobu Department Store.
"But sales aren't growing drastically yet."
© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved.
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