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Swine flu 'could infect up to half the population'
Health authorities told to set up testing and drug distribution centres in case of autumn outbreak
By Jonathan Owen
Sunday, 21 June 2009
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/swine-flu-could-infect-up-to-half-the-population-1711552.html
Primary care trusts are to set up anti-viral drug distribution centres and swine flu testing clinics amid fears that the infection could spread out of control.
The Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, wrote to health authorities last week urging hospitals to test all patients who show signs of flu-like symptoms. He wrote: "Transmission from person to person in this country is increasingly common. There is evidence that sporadic cases are arising with no apparent link either to cases elsewhere in the UK or to travel abroad."
The letter followed an earlier warning from Sir Liam that millions of Britons could fall victim to swine flu in the coming months. Government officials admitted last night that illness rates from the virus could reach 50 per cent.
...
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Wang's Happy Trading
http://www.wangshappytrading.com/2009/05/28/top-50-surging-stocks-with-high-volumes-528/
Top 50 Surging Stocks With High Volumes 5/28
From my spreadsheet.
Top 50 surging stocks today. (Surge = unusually high volume combined with large price gain)
Something happening with each of these. Determine cause before you buy.
—
OCLS — Oculus Innovative Sciences, Inc. — Up 24.91% — Rel Vol 5583%
CRGN — CuraGen Corp. — Up 16.35% — Rel Vol 1615%
WAVX — Wave Systems Corp. — Up 17.79% — Rel Vol 722%
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Waveduke, a google search (which only took 2 seconds)yielded no evidence of wave software that was uninstalled and then re-installed. ;)
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FYI: My place of employment has roughly 500 or so personnel. Security of information has been a #1 priority for quite some time (over last 12 months or so). I recently asked our computing department if they took advantage of TPMs and this was the response:
"Datasync was designed/implemented before TPM chips were included in all XXXXX machines so it does not take advantage of that level of encryption. As we move to Server 2008 and have the full fleet deployed we will take another look at EFS and using the TPM chip to provide some additional security. In the current implementation the local copy of your DataSync files is encrypted using Microsoft’s built-in offline cache encryption."
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Computer Spies Breach Fighter-Jet Project
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124027491029837401.html
WASHINGTON -- Computer spies have broken into the Pentagon's $300 billion Joint Strike Fighter project -- the Defense Department's costliest weapons program ever -- according to current and former government officials familiar with the attacks.
Similar incidents have also breached the Air Force's air-traffic-control system in recent months, these people say. In the case of the fighter-jet program, the intruders were able to copy and siphon off several terabytes of data related to design and electronics systems, officials say, potentially making it easier to defend against the craft.
The latest intrusions provide new evidence that a battle is heating up between the U.S. and potential adversaries over the data networks that tie the world together. The revelations follow a recent Wall Street Journal report that computers used to control the U.S. electrical-distribution system, as well as other infrastructure, have also been infiltrated by spies abroad.
View Full Image
HACKING VICTIM: Spies are said to have stolen data on the F-35 Lightning II fighter. Here, the plane undergoes flight testing over Texas.
US Air Force
HACKING VICTIM: Spies are said to have stolen data on the F-35 Lightning II fighter. Here, the plane undergoes flight testing over Texas.
HACKING VICTIM: Spies are said to have stolen data on the F-35 Lightning II fighter. Here, the plane undergoes flight testing over Texas.
HACKING VICTIM: Spies are said to have stolen data on the F-35 Lightning II fighter. Here, the plane undergoes flight testing over Texas.
Attacks like these -- or U.S. awareness of them -- appear to have escalated in the past six months, said one former official briefed on the matter. "There's never been anything like it," this person said, adding that other military and civilian agencies as well as private companies are affected. "It's everything that keeps this country going."
Many details couldn't be learned, including the specific identity of the attackers, and the scope of the damage to the U.S. defense program, either in financial or security terms. In addition, while the spies were able to download sizable amounts of data related to the jet-fighter, they weren't able to access the most sensitive material, which is stored on computers not connected to the Internet.
Former U.S. officials say the attacks appear to have originated in China. However it can be extremely difficult to determine the true origin because it is easy to mask identities online.
A Pentagon report issued last month said that the Chinese military has made "steady progress" in developing online-warfare techniques. China hopes its computer skills can help it compensate for an underdeveloped military, the report said.
The Chinese Embassy said in a statement that China "opposes and forbids all forms of cyber crimes." It called the Pentagon's report "a product of the Cold War mentality" and said the allegations of cyber espionage are "intentionally fabricated to fan up China threat sensations."
Question of the Day
The U.S. has no single government or military office responsible for cyber security. The Obama administration is likely to soon propose creating a senior White House computer-security post to coordinate policy and a new military command that would take the lead in protecting key computer networks from intrusions, according to senior officials.
The Bush administration planned to spend about $17 billion over several years on a new online-security initiative and the Obama administration has indicated it could expand on that. Spending on this scale would represent a potential windfall for government agencies and private contractors at a time of falling budgets. While specialists broadly agree that the threat is growing, there is debate about how much to spend in defending against attacks.
The Joint Strike Fighter, also known as the F-35 Lightning II, is the costliest and most technically challenging weapons program the Pentagon has ever attempted. The plane, led by Lockheed Martin Corp., relies on 7.5 million lines of computer code, which the Government Accountability Office said is more than triple the amount used in the current top Air Force fighter.
Six current and former officials familiar with the matter confirmed that the fighter program had been repeatedly broken into. The Air Force has launched an investigation.
Pentagon officials declined to comment directly on the Joint Strike Fighter compromises. Pentagon systems "are probed daily," said Air Force Lt. Col. Eric Butterbaugh, a Pentagon spokesman. "We aggressively monitor our networks for intrusions and have appropriate procedures to address these threats." U.S. counterintelligence chief Joel Brenner, speaking earlier this month to a business audience in Austin, Texas, warned that fighter-jet programs have been compromised.
Foreign allies are helping develop the aircraft, which opens up other avenues of attack for spies online. At least one breach appears to have occurred in Turkey and another country that is a U.S. ally, according to people familiar with the matter.
Joint Strike Fighter test aircraft are already flying, and money to build the jet is included in the Pentagon's budget for this year and next.
[Means of Attack]
Computer systems involved with the program appear to have been infiltrated at least as far back as 2007, according to people familiar with the matter. Evidence of penetrations continued to be discovered at least into 2008. The intruders appear to have been interested in data about the design of the plane, its performance statistics and its electronic systems, former officials said.
The intruders compromised the system responsible for diagnosing a plane's maintenance problems during flight, according to officials familiar with the matter. However, the plane's most vital systems -- such as flight controls and sensors -- are physically isolated from the publicly accessible Internet, they said.
The intruders entered through vulnerabilities in the networks of two or three contractors helping to build the high-tech fighter jet, according to people who have been briefed on the matter. Lockheed Martin is the lead contractor on the program, and Northrop Grumman Corp. and BAE Systems PLC also play major roles in its development.
Lockheed Martin and BAE declined to comment. Northrop referred questions to Lockheed.
The spies inserted technology that encrypts the data as it's being stolen; as a result, investigators can't tell exactly what data has been taken. A former Pentagon official said the military carried out a thorough cleanup.
Fighting online attacks like these is particularly difficult because defense contractors may have uneven network security, but the Pentagon is reliant on them to perform sensitive work. In the past year, the Pentagon has stepped up efforts to work with contractors to improve computer security.
Investigators traced the penetrations back with a "high level of certainty" to known Chinese Internet protocol, or IP, addresses and digital fingerprints that had been used for attacks in the past, said a person briefed on the matter.
As for the intrusion into the Air Force's air-traffic control systems, three current and former officials familiar with the incident said it occurred in recent months. It alarmed U.S. national security officials, particularly at the National Security Agency, because the access the spies gained could have allowed them to interfere with the system, said one former official. The danger is that intruders might find weaknesses that could be exploited to confuse or damage U.S. military craft.
Military officials declined to comment on the incident.
In his speech in Austin, Mr. Brenner, the U.S. counterintelligence chief, issued a veiled warning about threats to air traffic in the context of Chinese infiltration of U.S. networks. He spoke of his concerns about the vulnerability of U.S. air traffic control systems to cyber infiltration, adding "our networks are being mapped." He went on to warn of a potential situation where "a fighter pilot can't trust his radar."
—Evan Perez contributed to this article.
I may be barking up the wrong tree but are you sure Phyto didn't have a single bone to pick with your assessment?
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<(-'.'-)>
btw, I was not promoting this article. I just found it interesting that someone has placed us on their radar.
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Next Inning Technology Research Updates Outlooks for Semitool, National Semiconductor, Vicor, and Wave Systems
http://www.smartmoney.com/news/pr/?story=PR-20090309-001106-0955
Dow Jones
PRINCETON, N.J., March 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Next Inning Technology Research (http://www.nextinning.com), a subscription service focused on semiconductor and technology stocks, announced it has published a series of reports updating outlooks for Semitool (Nasdaq: SMTL), National Semiconductor (NYSE: NSM), Vicor (Nasdaq: VICR), Wave Systems (Nasdaq: WAVX), and more.
Throughout this challenging period in the market, Editor Paul McWilliams has helped his subscribers identify uniquely positioned tech sector opportunities. These include a specialty semiconductor stock that has returned 63% since McWilliams added it to the Next Inning model portfolio late last year.
By taking a free test drive of Next Inning, you'll receive real-time notification of Next Inning model portfolio buy and sell orders, the seven Next Inning Paradigm Papers covering key, long-term tech trends, and the exclusive "2009 Guide to Undervalued Tech Stocks." These reports cover nearly 100 technology companies and are chock full of charts and ratings that identify potential big winners for 2009 and which stocks investors should avoid. To accept this offer, visit the following link:
https://www.nextinning.com/subscribe/index.php?refer=prn789
In his earnings previews, McWilliams wrote, "In late November 2008, I expressed the view that we were likely to see some rallies, but that we would enter what I described as a 'fog' in February. In looking back at the chart for 2009, we can see that the last time the Nasdaq closed in positive territory was on February 9th. On that date, the Nasdaq closed up roughly 2% and the Next Inning portfolio was showing a gain slightly better than 12%. Based on what we've seen during the last month, I continue to believe there are only three ways to manage the market we're facing today..."
McWilliams also looks at these topics:
-- Semitool has surged about 25% since McWilliams' call to buy the stock on March 3rd. What factors led McWilliams to make a positive call on the stock, is there further upside in store, and what other stocks will benefit from the same trends that are currently favoring Semitool?
-- Is National Semi set to benefit from design wins with Research in Motion and good news coming out of China? Should investors be concerned about National Semi's balance sheet?
-- What event could lead to a quick 20% move higher for Vicor?
-- Does McWilliams believe that success is just around the corner for Wave Systems?
-- What two issues are making their way through Congress that could have significant positive impacts on the market and the economy if they become law?
Founded in September 2002, Next Inning's model portfolio has returned 103% since its inception versus 0% for the Nasdaq.
About Next Inning:
Next Inning is a subscription financial newsletter focused on technology stocks. Editor Paul McWilliams is a 20+-year semiconductor industry veteran.
NOTE: This release was published by Indie Research Advisors, LLC, a registered investment advisor with CRD #131926. Interested parties may visit adviserinfo.sec.gov for additional information. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investors should always research companies and securities before making any investments. Nothing herein should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.
waverider, why? only 87,000 shares traded. Not much selling. Or is there something else?
Edit: oh, I see! it was 19 hours since the last post. Everyone must be at the company picnic. Why wasn't I invited?
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The favorable "chatter" is spreading around.
Wave Supports New TCG Opal Storage Encryption Specification
http://www.storagenewsletter.com/news/security/wave-tcg-opal-storage-encryption-specification
This is a Press Release edited by StorageNewsletter.com on Fri, February 6th, 2009
The company has developed or is working on solutions with Fujitsu, Hitachi, Toshiba, and Seagate.
Wave Systems Corp. announced its support for a new industry specification to enable stronger data protection and help organizations comply with increasingly tough regulations aimed at preventing a data breach. The first public version of the Trusted Computing Group's Opal security subsystem storage specification was just announced, giving vendors a 'blueprint' for developing self-encrypting drives that secure data. Wave has developed or is working on Opal-compliant FDE solutions with Fujitsu, Toshiba and Hitachi, along with its currently shipping FDE solution with Seagate.
"The industry has responded to the growing need for robust data protection with a set of standards that can drive interoperability between FDE drives and in turn advance the market for hardware-based encryption," said Steven Sprague, Wave's CEO and president. "For businesses worried about protecting confidential data: employee social security numbers; customer credit card numbers; patient medical records; trade secrets -- it only makes sense that hardware FDE drives are included every time you buy a new PC. You wouldn't think of buying a car without air bags; don't buy a new PC without an FDE drive. There's never a question of whether encryption is on -- it's a 'set it and forget it' solution."
The use of encryption is growing rapidly in response to the escalating number of data breaches reported nationwide. The Identity Theft Resource Center recently reported a 47 percent increase in the number of data breaches in 2008 compared with the previous year; and identity theft is now the fastest growing crime in the nation, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Recently, Massachusetts and Nevada passed tough new data protection laws for businesses mandating encryption of all personal information stored on laptops.
"Aberdeen's research has shown that full-disk encryption reduces human error and enables consistent policies to be enforced across the organization, especially when it can be centrally managed," said Derek Brink, vice president and research fellow for IT Security, Aberdeen Group. "Given new data protection regulations such as those from Massachusetts and Nevada, and industry adoption of open standards such as Opal, adoption of full-disk encryption is simultaneously becoming more pragmatic and more cost-effective. We believe many organizations will see this as a real gift in this current time of broader compliance requirements and thinner IT budgets."
Hardware-based FDE Misconceptions Dispelled
Wave believes that open standards and more FDE choices should dispel many of the perceived drawbacks to hardware-based full disk encryption solutions.
* Myth 1: Most protection schemes embedded in hardware are incomplete and available through niche offerings. Wave is now the first ISV to announce and demonstrate robust policy management for a wide range of encryption technologies, including FDE drives from leading vendors Seagate, Hitachi, Fujitsu and Toshiba. For organizations that choose to adopt both hardware and software FDE, Wave's flagship management solution, EMBASSY Remote Administration Server (ERAS), now provides robust policy management for SafeNet's award-winning ProtectDrive software FDE. Now businesses can roll out a single, universal policy management server that is designed to work seamlessly across heterogeneous FDE client applications.
* Myth II: FDE drives are not universal solutions for all platforms and applications; businesses may not be able to integrate these systems into their plans. The Opal specification is designed to facilitate broad adoption of FDE solutions by creating an open, industry standard that offers improved interoperability across storage vendors, encryption technologies and platforms. Both PC OEMs and end-user organizations can now implement 'off the shelf,' factory-installed, and interoperable hardware encryption solutions.
* Myth III: Enterprises will be challenged to attempt large-scale adoption of FDE drives across all of their platforms. ERAS supports native integration with existing directory structures and policy distribution mechanisms are scalable. Assigning users and associated policies within the directory framework can significantly simplify deployment. Unlike most software encryption, this integrated solution takes only minutes to configure and deploy. And because encryption is turned on 'out of the box,' there is generally no learning curve for the end user or IT support staff. Enterprises will also appreciate a single management server solution for streamlined administration and policy management capable of supporting both leading hardware and software FDE.
* Myth IV: No hardware subsystem can stand alone as a complete solution. No software-based encryption is a complete solution unto itself, requiring policy management for keys, users and access rights. FDE hard drives provide the native encryption while ERAS provides all of the credential, key and user management that enterprises require, including secure remote data destruction.
Hardware FDE: Advanced, Industry Standard
and One Management Solution
Among ISVs that offer management solutions for FDE, Wave's unique solutions offer cross-technology support for the leading hard drive vendors.
"For the past year Wave has worked closely with us to build advanced security features into our FDE disk drive based on the TCG OPAL specifications," said David James, vice president of advanced product engineering at Fujitsu. "By combining our advanced, hardware-based encryption technology with Wave's EMBASSY client and server software, we are able to deliver a highly secure and fully managed mobile-computing solution."
"Toshiba and Wave Systems are working closely to develop secure, interoperable hardware and software solutions that support the emerging TCG Opal-SSC specification for encrypting hard disk drives," said Maciek Brzeski, vice president of marketing at Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. Storage Device Division. "Wave's close involvement in the TCG community enables HDD manufacturers such as Toshiba to design stronger storage-based security features in compliance with the TCG Storage Work Group specifications."
"Hitachi is pleased to have participated in the TCG Opal effort to provide standards for data security in hard drives, which now provides the industry with a clear path for the mass adoption of hardware-based encryption," said Brendan Collins, vice president, Product Marketing, Hitachi GST. "It's clear that the future of data protection is hardware-based; encrypted hard drives operate at media speed with no impact to the CPU and no reliance on operating system software for the security of encryption keys and access credentials. Hitachi and Wave are working together to provide a complete, managed encryption solution."
Wave products are available through a number of PC manufacturers.
Fullmoon, thanks - the chatter is sure piling up. My wife use to think I was a complete idiot for investing in wavx. Now she thinks I am only crazy. More articles like this and I might move up a couple more favorable grades.
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It's nice to see chatter popping up at various IT sites.
New Storage Encryption Standards
http://www.littlefishsupport.com/news/hardware-amp-software/20090131/new-storage-encryption-standards
The Trusted Computing Group (TCG) has put forward specifications for three new storage encryption standards. The specifications outline encryption standards for storage in PCs and datacentres along with a third proposed standard for the SCSI and ATA protocols used by hard disks and other storage systems.
"TCG's approach to trusted storage gives vendors and users a transparent way to fully encrypt data in hardware without affecting performance so that data is safe no matter what happens to the drive," said TCG chairman Robert Thibadeau.
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Titlewave and New Wave, agree strongly. I invested in this company about two years ago after listening to SKS during a conference call. I liked what I heard back then (and still do). SKS is honest to a fault. That's what I like about him. I have never gotten the impression that he was hiding anything. I'm guessing Intel, Dell, Seagate, etc. all feel the same way.
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thanks!
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JKIRK57, and added as a "Strong Buy". Nice way to start 2009.
Great find!
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424B5 Prospectus Filed
http://moneycentral.msn.com/investor/sec/filing.asp?Symbol=wavx
eSignSystems may benefit from this
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Mortgage activity surges at US banks
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/66961434-d05b-11dd-ae00-000077b07658.html
By Saskia Scholtes in New York
Published: December 22 2008 19:37
US banks are having trouble handling a surge of mortgage applications spurred by dramatically lower interest rates, after record loan defaults and thousands of job cuts have stretched mortgage industry resources to the limit.
Applications for home loans more than doubled in the two weeks after the Federal Reserve said it would buy mortgage bonds to help stabilise the market, prompting mortgage rates to fall by more than three-quarters of a percentage point.
With average rates for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage now at about 5.2 per cent, growing numbers of borrowers have an incentive to refinance to bring down their mortgage costs.
But tighter underwriting standards for prospective borrowers, combined with funding and staffing difficulties for mortgage originators, are likely to restrict the supply of new mortgages.
“The mortgage industry is collectively unprepared to deal with a cascade of business; staffs were pared to the bone as the market for mortgages shrank over the past year,” analysts at HSH Associates wrote in a note to clients.
Mahesh Swaminathan, mortgage analyst at Credit Suisse, said that as a result, lower rates would not necessarily create a wave of mortgage refinancing on the scale that was seen in 2003, when credit markets were healthy.
“There is a lot of pipeline congestion. Originators don’t have the staffing or the credit lines to fund a lot of loans,” said Mr Swaminathan. “You have more due diligence which requires more staffing. It is not something that can be changed overnight.”
Part of the problem is that banks have directed the bulk of their manpower toward their servicing arms in a bid to stem the tide of mortgage defaults and foreclosures.
While banks have pledged to use capital they have received from the US Treasury to boost consumer lending, they are also under intense political pressure to modify loan terms for struggling borrowers. Loan modifications have continued to grow more quickly than other strategies such as subsidy programmes or refinancing into government loans, according to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.
The number of new loan modifications grew 16 per cent in the third quarter to more than 133,000, said the OCC. The rate of loan modification is likely to be even higher in fourth-quarter data, say analysts, as a result of recent initiatives by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two large mortgage financiers.
Weets, the 8k is not showing up at my online bank of America investment service. So most likely this news will hit tomorrow!
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mortgage fraud
http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2008/12/02/2008-12-02_it_took_90_minutes_for_daily_news_to_ste.html
It took 90 minutes for Daily News to 'steal' the Empire State Building
BY WILLIAM SHERMAN
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Tuesday, December 2nd 2008, 10:46 PM
Daily News reporter William Sherman in front of the Empire State Building. Egan-Chin/News
Daily News reporter William Sherman in front of the Empire State Building.
In one of the biggest heists in American history, the Daily News "stole" the $2 billion Empire State Building.
And it wasn't that hard.
The News swiped the 102-story Art Deco skyscraper by drawing up a batch of bogus documents, making a fake notary stamp and filing paperwork with the city to transfer the deed to the property.
Some of the information was laughable: Original "King Kong" star Fay Wray is listed as a witness and the notary shared a name with bank robber Willie Sutton.
The massive ripoff illustrates a gaping loophole in the city's system for recording deeds, mortgages and other transactions.
The loophole: The system - run by the office of the city register - doesn't require clerks to verify the information.
Less than 90 minutes after the bogus documents were submitted on Monday, the agency rubber-stamped the transfer from Empire State Land Associates to Nelots Properties LLC. Nelots is "stolen" spelled backward. (The News returned the property Tuesday.)
"Crooks go where the money is. That's why Willie Sutton robbed banks, and this is the new bank robbery," said Brooklyn Assistant District Attorney Richard Farrell, who is prosecuting several deed fraud cases.
Of course, stealing the Empire State Building wouldn't go unnoticed for long, but it shows how easy it is for con artists to swipe more modest buildings right out from under their owners. Armed with a fraudulent deed, they can take out big mortgages and disappear, leaving a mess for property owners, banks and bureaucrats.
"Once you have the deed, it's easy to obtain a mortgage," Farrell said.
Many crooks have done just that:
- Asia Smith stole her 88-year-old grandmother's house in Springfield Gardens, Queens, pocketing $445,000 in mortgages she took out.
"Her grandmother raised her," said Queens Assistant District Attorney Kristen Kane. Smith, 22, was arrested last December and is serving a one-year jail term for fraud.
- A man posing as someone who had been dead for 19 years deeded the dead man's property to himself. He then sold it to the scheme's mastermind, who took out a $533,000 mortgage and vanished with the cash.
- Toma Dushevic managed to steal seven dilapidated city-owned buildings in Brooklyn 10 years ago.
He got renovation permits, fixed up one of the buildings, and rented out apartments. He sold another building for $250,000 and ran his scam for nearly two years until he was caught. Dushevic returned the buildings and did 18 months behind bars.
The FBI says financial institutions filed 31% more Suspicious Activity Reports involving mortgage fraud last year than in 2006. Nationwide, lenders' losses totaled $813 million, and New York was one of the top 10 mortgage fraud states.
Employee count currently at 110 going down to ~85 by years end. This is what I have in my notes from the call.
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I also thought I heard Steve say that revenue from licensing for the 4th quarter will double that of the 3rd quarter.
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Mass: Get ready for data privacy regs
Friday, November 7, 2008
By Galen Moore
http://www.masshightech.com/stories/2008/11/03/weekly14-Mass-Get-ready-for-data-privacy-regs.html
Companies and lawyers are working overtime to comply with new data-privacy regulations that will take effect on Jan. 1, giving Massachusetts what observers say are the nation’s strictest rules governing sensitive customer and employee information.
The new regulations, announced in September by the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, will require companies to safeguard with firewalls all personal data belonging to any Massachusetts resident, and encrypt it whenever it is transmitted or saved on a portable device such as a laptop or a flash drive.
Noncompliance could leave a company more vulnerable to a class-action lawsuit in the event of a data breach, said David J. Goldstone, a litigator at the Boston law firm of Goodwin Procter LLP.
Until now, judges have been reluctant to send such lawsuits to trial, Goldstone said. “If in addition to a brief, there’s an actual violation of a state regulation, particularly for a Massachusetts entity, the court may say that cause of action shouldn’t be dismissed,” he said. “That should go to a jury.”
Companies may find it difficult to comply by the January deadline, said Brian E. Burke, Northeast director of state government affairs at Microsoft Corp.
“Even for companies with mature security and privacy programs, there are many challenges in meeting the requirements mandated in the (Massachusetts) data privacy regulations and it will likely require years of effort to comply with this regulatory framework,” Burke wrote via e-mail to Mass High Tech.
State Consumer Affairs general counsel David Murray said companies have had time to prepare for the regulations.
“We have had extensive contacts with all kinds of interested industry parties,” he said, citing a public input process that began last November. “The scope of these regulations — at least the proposed regulations — has been known for almost a year.”
Any vigilant enterprise is already “95 percent there,” said Michelle Drolet, CEO of Towerwall Inc., a Framingham-based security software and services company.
“What this regulation is going to do is, it’s going to make organizations figure out what information is really important to protect,” she said. “You can’t protect everything.”
Steven K. Sprague, CEO of Wave Systems Corp. (Nasdaq: WAVX), recommended companies protect against device theft by looking for encrypted hard drives when buying new laptops. The Lee-based company makes encryption software. Hard-drive encryption doesn’t require a pile of passwords and makes a laptop as easy to use as a handheld device that requires a pin to operate, Sprague said.
But Kent Summers, managing partner at Waltham-based Practical Computer Applications Inc., said sensitive data shouldn’t be stored on a laptop in the first place. He suggested companies should keep that information on the network.
For now, uncertainty remains regarding companies based outside of Massachusetts that work with customers or employees in the commonwealth. The Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation has left it up to the Attorney General’s Office to determine whether the regulation would be enforced against such entities.
A spokeswoman for Attorney General Martha Coakley declined to comment beyond saying the office is reviewing its enforcement role.
Costs
The state estimates compliance will cost $3,000 upfront, plus $500 a month, for a small business employing 10 people, with three laptops, seven desktops and one network server.
Requirements
Every business handling Massachusetts residents’ personal data must:
• Build firewalls and encrypt data whenever it is transmitted or stored on portable devices
• Develop a security program, designate an employee to manage it, and discipline employee violators
• Train employees regarding security
wavoid4e, Here's another related article.
http://browser.grik.net/news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10079593-83.html
At the bottom of the article Steven Sprague makes the following comment with replies following.
************************************************
Comment by skswave October 31, 2008 6:38 AM PDT
To eliminate the risk to Trojans all that needs to be done is to have the banks enable support for the Trusted Platform Module. TPMs have been shipped on over 275 million PCs and the volume is still increasing. This technology would allow for a secure bonding between that PC and the bank that is based on highly reliable technology. The PC industry has provided the capability but it is now time for the Financial services industry to join the parade. Once a PC is bonded to the service provider ,the consumer will have a secure channel to conduct business. The secure authentication is based on secret keys held in hardware that are specifically created for that individual account. The user gets a better experience and the bank has a high level of assurance that the user is who they say they are. It is impossible for a trojan to Steal the secret keys held in the TPM as the hardware would have to be compromised which is not possible with software. Ask your financial institution when they will begin supporting the TPM and ask your employer as well. There is no reason to continue to rely on Username and Password. With over 140 companies supporting the TPM as an industry standard hardware component, it is a great vendor neutral Standards based solution to security.
Steven Sprague
Wave Systems Corp.
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Following are replies (warning: ignorance abound)
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by Vegaman_Dan October 31, 2008 7:53 AM PDT
TPM's are an interesting idea, but hardly the solution. They already have forked in versions which are not backwards compatible. If you have your account locked to one TPM, then you cannot access it with another computer. If you ever have your system board changed, you lose access as well as the TPM is part of that system board. Even doing things like updating the BIOS can wreak havoc.
It's a nice idea, but the real world practicality just isn't there yet.
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by Hunnter2k3 October 31, 2008 7:57 AM PDT
This is simply delusional.
There is no such thing as a 100% secure system.
If a trojan gets onto a computer, it is capable of getting any information from any device wired to it.
The only way to prevent something like this would be a embedded OS that takes control over the OS below whenever something tries to access the TPM hardware, and whether to allow or disallow.
No chance in that happening any time soon.
******************
by Imalittleteapot October 31, 2008 8:13 AM PDT
Wait, like so how does that work exactly? Like, if my computer breaks and then I get a new one it's a different TPM, but I can't log into the website with my old TPM to switch over to the new TPM because my old TPM is broken and I can't authenticate. How do I log in at work and my mom's house if the bank only trusts my TPM? What about my laptop? How do I get my gigantic desktop PC in that little slot in the ATM machine? What if I don't even have a computer but just want to check my balance at a friend's house?
Anyway, the way this trojan works, I don't think it'll help. With a slight mod it could just serve up another page that looks almost like your bank's website and just do a standard phishing attack. Even though your bank may not normally ask for account information or pin number the fake site may anyway. Many people will still fall for it. Just like when your ISP says we will never ask for your password, but as soon as people get a fake email asking for it they reply back with their password. It's just stupid human nature.
Now it's another form a security. Yes it would stop some attacks, but people will never use it because people will lose the ability to log in from any machine. Is it dumb for them to be logging into their bank account from just any old machine? You betcha! Will stupid people complain anyway if they can't do that? You betcha! If people lose convenience they will not use it. The best we could probably ever do is use smartcards that plug into the computers USB port to auth websites and a USB port on ATM machines and cash registers. It's different, but it's similar enough to what people already do. They could be authenticating with public/private key technology where the private key never has to leave their handheld device.
Now, maybe I just don't get TPM, but that's the problem. Apparently TPM isn't very intuitive either let alone it's other flaws. Like when it started out as another failed DRM technology to restrict what I can and can't do with my own machine. Not so I could trust it, but so big companies could trust my machine to take orders from them instead of me in case I'm pirating their stuff. I really don't want anything to do with that even if it's simply because of how it got started in the first place.
***************************
by Imalittleteapot October 31, 2008 8:17 AM PDT
Oh and one more thing, even if we all had and used smart card devices instead of credit cards and username/password, even though I might trust that technology, I still wouldn't use it on a machine I knew had a trojan because once it's compromised it's compromised. You can no longer trust anything that machine tells you.
Many new Windows 7 features hinted from Microsoft Privacy Statement
Monday, October 27, 2008 22:39
Posted in category Windows 7 News
http://windows7center.com/windows-7-news/many-new-windows-7-features-hinted-from-microsoft-privacy-statement/#tpms
The Windows 7 Privacy Statement is like any other privacy statement - it helps users understand how data is collected and its use practices. Being the snoops that we are, we’ve decided to read the entire document and list out the main new features we were able to pick out. You can see the full list here. But we’ve summarized the main or notable features of Windows 7 that we were able to pick out.
* Driver Protection
* Dynamic Update
* Gadgets
* Home Group
* IME Learning
* Internet Printing
* Online Print Wizard
* People Near Me
* Plug and Play Extensions
* Program Compatibility Assistant
* Trusted Platform Module (TPM) Services,
Driver Protection is a new feature that helps prevent Windows 7 from starting drivers that are known to cause stability problems. This means all drivers that are to be run are checked against a Driver Protection List database stored on the computer before the are run. Unlike previous versions of Windows that just warned you for installing any unsigned drivers, the Driver Protection List is constantly updated through Windows Update. When a driver listed in the DPL starts, a process similar to Error Reporting occurs where you can choose to report the problem or check for solutions online.
Strangely enough, I was able to find an entire page on the feature for XP, but nothing on Vista.
Dynamic Update allows you the computer to communicate with Windows Update servers while Windows is being installed, so when you are done with installing Windows 7, it will contain all the latest security patches, driver updates, service packs, and any other updates.
Gadgets
Gadgets are programs that run on the desktop and provide at-a-glance information, and easy access to frequently used tools.
Home Group is a “better way” for Windows 7 computers to share files and devices. My guess is that Microsoft is going to borrow the idea of the Sharing Folder from MSN and incorporate it with Windows 7.
A HomeGroup allows you to easily link Windows 7 computers on your home network so that you can share pictures, music, videos, documents and devices. It also makes them ready to stream media to devices on your home network such as a media extender. You can help protect your HomeGroup with a password, and you can choose what you want to share.
Input Method Editor (IME) Learning seems to be a new feature added to IME. In Windows 7, IME for East Asian languages will be able to record word or word pairs to improve character selection. IME learning seemed to on previous versions of Windows but the memorization of words would erase after a reboot. In Windows 7, these words will be recorded into the user dictionary so you won’t have to suffer through re-teaching IME after each restart.
The IME learning feature records a word or word pair and their associated scores as a result of user operations. This information (excluding any digit/symbol character sequences) is stored in the user dictionary for each user on the computer.
Internet Printing makes it possible for computers running Windows 7 to use printers located anywhere by sending print jobs using the the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).
When you print using this feature, you must first connect and authenticate yourself to an Internet print server. The information that you will need to submit to the print server will vary depending on the level of security that the print server supports (for example, you might be asked to provide a user name and password). Because the print job is unencrypted, it may be possible for others to see the content being sent. Once you are connected, you are presented with a list of available printers. If your computer does not have a print driver for your selected printer, you may choose to download a driver from the print server. If you choose to use a print server hosted by Microsoft, Microsoft does not use the information that you provide to identify you or contact you.
Online Print Ordering Wizard allows you to send pictures to an online photo service of your choice. Depending on the service, you can have your pictures delivered to an address, or you can pick them up at a local store.
The Online Print Ordering Wizard enables you send digital pictures stored on your computer or network drive to an online photo printing service of your choice. Depending on the service, you can have your pictures printed and then delivered using postal mail, or you can pick up the prints at a local store.
People Near Me is a service that identifies nearby computers in your local network and allows people to send you invitations for programs. If an invitation is sent to you, you must have the program already installed on your computer. I am quite surprised they have decided to keep this feature - I can’t remember the last time someone I know used it.
People Near Me is a service that identifies people nearby on your local network who are using computers and allows those people to send you invitations for programs. They can only invite you to participate in programs that are installed on your computer. To use People Near Me, you have to sign in to the service.
Seeing that you have to sign-in, this is no doubt one of the services that will be part of Microsoft’s online Live Program. Microsoft is stripping many of Windows traditional built-in apps from Windows 7 and requiring users to sign in online through its Live service to use those apps.
Plug and Play Extensions (PnP-x) allows you to share or connect to a PnP-x supported device on your local network.
Plug and Play Extensions (PnP-X) provides the same experience for network-connected devices as Plug and Play does for devices that are connected directly to your computer. In addition, this feature allows your computer to discover and connect to devices on your local network, and it allows devices that support PnP-X to broadcast their presence on a local network. After you install a PnP-X enabled device, the driver is configured and loaded whenever you use the device, typically without requiring your input.
Program Compatibility Assistant is something that should have been part of Windows Vista. It’s a great feature that warns you if you run an incompatible program that will cause stability problems. If you still want to run it, it will offer you the option of checking online for more information or solutions. Good job to Microsoft for adding this one.
Trusted Platform Module (TPM) Services works with computers that contain a microchip that enables the computer to take full advanced security features such as BitLocker Drive Encryption.
The Trusted Platform Module (TPM) security hardware is a microchip built into some computers that, if present and initialized, enables your computer to take full advantage of advanced security features such as BitLocker™ Drive Encryption.
More information on the service here.
I’m sure what’s listed in the privacy statement are still only a few of the features to be revealed tomorrow morning. But for what we know now, it seems that one of Microsoft’s big objectives for Windows 7 is system stability. This was one of the biggest issues in Windows Vista Pre-SP1 and Microsoft seems to have addressed many big issues on their part with features such as Driver Protection, Dynamic Update, and Program Compatibility Assistant.
Dynamic Update is probably one of the more important ones because it addresses the more popular stability problems that stem from old device drivers and missing updates and patches before Windows 7 is even installed.
Driver Protection is also a very good idea assuming that Microsoft is able to keep up with new hardware that gets pushed into the market everyday.
All-in-all the list shows a couple services that are worth noting, but none too impressive as they are seen as features that should have been incorporated into Vista. Ballmer said that Windows 7 is Vista, but better. But Microsoft needs something unique that will affect the user during everyday use of the computer, particularly the typical Windows interface that has yet to see any major improvements over the past decade. It will be an interesting to see how Microsoft will manage to pull this off as a major release.
We just hit 0.60 on good volume.
cooler
If the economy tanks, will subscriptions become a panacea?
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10787_3-10059901-60.html
Posted by Charles Cooper
Chalk it up to happenstance, but Zuora founder Tien Tzuo couldn't have timed it any better.
The company on Tuesday morning announced Z-Payments, an online payment service for subscription-based businesses. Interestingly, the product will also accept payments from PayPal.
Along with the announcement, PayPal's president, Scott Thompson, has joined Zuora's board of directors.
What with the stock market in a funk and companies acutely concerned about the impact of a slowing economy on their bottom lines, the pitch Tzuo plans to make is that Z-Payments can handle the job of collecting recurring payments more efficiently and at a lower cost than doing it themselves--especially compared with paper-based payment processes. So the question becomes: If the economy tanks, will subscription services like Zuora's benefit?
In an interview, Tzuo made the case for the subscription model. In a post he wrote a few days ago, he laid out the same argument:
For one, the cost to subscribe is much more affordable than it is to buy. Look at Zipcar, for instance. It's far less expensive to subscribe to an entire fleet of cars vs. purchasing your own. Not to mention, many can't get the credit they need to buy a car or other goods right now, making subscriptions the only option. Likewise, it's more cost effective for businesses to use SaaS applications. Companies operating under this model have an advantage to win more business for that reason alone. Salesforce.com, as an example, thrived during the recession from 2001 to 2002.
Also on the subject of cost savings, it's less expensive for companies to offer their apps as a subscription. Building a Web app can be very inexpensive compared to a desktop app or one that you buy off the shelf. Paying for server space vs. manufacturing and shipping is also a consideration that many businesses are taking into account as they build out their products.
This marks the company's second product in the online subscription segment. In the spring, Zuora introduced Z-Billing.
I kidded Tzuo about the PayPal arrangement, suggesting it may be the prelude to a marriage between the companies. But it's not so far-fetched. PayPal doesn't do billing, and in an interview with ZDNet's Phil Wainewright, Thompson gushed about the extension of Zuora's pay-as-you-go model.
"All these enterprise software vendors sell you a chunk of stuff, most of which you don't want," he said--and it becomes a burden, he added. "Your business is slowed down because you're dragging along this big anchor."
Reply:
skswave October 7, 2008 10:33 AM PDT
Both companies should look to the Trusted Platform Module on the PC to secure the users access to the services they subscribe to. The TPM is now on 250 million PCs and brings the kind of access control that we enjoy on Cell phones and set top boxes to The PC model. Subscibe to a service and your PC is given a secret Key held in hardware that will automatically log you on next time your PC needs to communicate with the service. So the user is still in control but there is no need for a password every time to access a service. Service based computing is an incredible opportunity but we need all of the parts Billing and Access Control.
Steven Sprague
CEO
Wave Systems Corp.
ifish1, I think here's where you want to look. Hope this helps??
http://www.wave.com/support/TPM/
11) Will the TPM send my private information to third parties without my knowledge?
No. The TPM is meant to store passwords, keys, certificates and biometric information, keeping them private for each individual user who is enabled to use the TPM on that system. Any time the TPM is accessed by a software request, you should be prompted for your user access password that you created during the TPM setup wizard so this way you will know when an application is interacting with the TPM. There is no inherent functionality in the TPM to periodically send information to a third party such as a government agency or your company’s IT department.
http://www.wave.com/support/PIM/
8) How do I manage passwords in Private Information Manager?
When using Private Information Manager, users will be prompted for a Password to login. The Password is used to access data that is protected by the PC's TPM.
It is important that users do not forget the Password as they will not be able to access the Private Information Manager data without it.
Users can configure ESC so that a single password (the user's Windows account password) or fingerprint biometric is used for all TPM-protected applications, including Private Information Manager.
cooler
I sure like the Wave Key Transfer Manager picture on page 36! However, when you click on the "http://wavesys.com/products/ktm.html" link just below the picture it takes you to a dead link. Here's the correct link, I believe,
http://wavesys.com/products/_ktm.asp
cooler
Card Use Can Stem ID Theft, Microsoft Says
9/23/2008
By Jabulani Leffall
http://www.campustechnology.com/articles/67825/
Microsoft this week released a white paper on identity theft with the aim of starting a "vendor-neutral" discussion on the use of "information cards" as an Internet security solution.
In its call to arms, "Online Identity Theft: Changing the Game" (PDF), Redmond said it wants to advance its "vision" in conjunction with government entities, law enforcement agencies, industry peers and ordinary consumers.
Information cards are generated by software -- they are not physical cards such as credit or ATM cards. Microsoft's white paper considers them to be "an interoperable, neutral framework" and a cost-effective answer to alleviating identity theft. The cards are "a basic tool to reduce online identity theft and increase confidence in e-commerce and other online services," according to the report.
The appeal for collaboration comes as Microsoft is already well into implementing its Windows CardSpace technology. CardSpace is Microsoft's current information card technology. It's a client application for Windows operating systems that stores digital identities.
Some security and IT pros are giving Redmond kudos for reaching out to the larger community and agree that a streamlined framework for personal identifiable information is needed.
"A vendor-neutral plan is essential. Absolute power corrupts absolutely," said Randy Abrams, director of technical education for ESET.
"This is one area that is critical to the future of commerce as it is currently taking shape," Abrams added. "The critical element to look closely at is if the technology can be implemented without also causing unacceptable incursions on privacy. That will be a difficult balancing act to pull off.
Microsoft bolstered its identity security expertise by acquiring Credentica's U-Prove technology this year. U-Prove is said to allow authentication while preserving anonymity. Microsoft is currently integrating U-Prove into CardSpace and other software.
Many authentication technologies exist, and new business PCs are typically including them, according Steven Sprague, president and CEO of Massachusetts-based security software firm Wave Systems Corp.
More than "250 million PCs now have now been delivered to users with hardware to facilitate strong authentication," Sprague estimated.
"Should [information cards] be where Redmond is focusing its security efforts?" Sprague asked. "I'd say yes, the time is now to begin to address the authentication problem at scale. As Microsoft has stated, it is time to turn it on and get everyone to play."
Sprague sees two components to identity security.
"One can think of it as two key pieces: the differentiation between the trustworthiness of fellow users and the identity provider; and second, the question of whether one is truly associated with the data that is provided, and whether that person is properly authorizing its release."
Jabulani Leffall is an award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in the Financial Times of London, Investor's Business Daily, The Economist and CFO Magazine, among others. You can contact Jabulani at editor@entmag.com.
Cite this Site
Jabulani Leffall, "Card Use Can Stem ID Theft, Microsoft Says," Campus Technology, 9/23/2008, http://www.campustechnology.com/article.aspx?aid=67825
copy text (above) for proper citation
Recommended Reading
* IBM Releases Virtual Storage Optimizer
IBM has unveiled a new storage solution designed to help organizations take advantage of cloud computing technology in order to significantly reduce their virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) storage needs.
* Furman U Chooses ADT's Select Link Emergency Notification System
Furman University in Greenville, SC has gone public with its installation of ADT Security Services' Select Link, an emergency communications system that can simultaneously send text or voice messages to cell phones, desktop and laptop computers, PDAs, and digital pagers.
* Microsoft's HPC 2008 Now Live
Microsoft Corp. announced this morning that the High Performance Clustering (HPC) Server 2008 has been released--both to manufacturing and the general public.
* Universities Adopt CoWare Processor Designer as Teaching and Research Tool
Two universities have recently gone public with their use of CoWare Processor Designer for teaching application-specific processor architecture. Both École Polytechnique de Montréal in Canada and RWTH Aachen University in Germany have adopted the tool, which enables developers to program chips for specific uses.
* Microsoft To Expand Security Lifecycle Expertise
Microsoft is crossing the aisles to see the security process through from start to finish--not just internally, but for outside software developers too. The company plans to export its Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) process to a greater extent by releasing tools and support to IT pros later this fall, Redmond said this week.
* VMware Launches vClient, Aims To Create Desktops That Follow Users Anywhere
In an announcement at VMworld last week, VMware unveiled plans to deliver a portfolio of solutions intended to turn virtualized desktops into "universal clients." The initiative, dubbed vClient, begins with a series of products called VMware View.
The SC Magazine Newsteam Blog
What can we learn from the Palin email hack?
Author: Dan Kaplan
http://newsteam.scmagazineblogs.com/2008/09/19/what-can-we-learn-from-the-palin-email-hack/
After word spread that a hacker leaked the contents of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s Yahoo email account by knowing a couple of pieces of background information about the Alaska governor, I could hear the collective mouse-click of panicked web mail users, from Wasilla to Worcester.
If it was that easy for someone who’d never met Palin to break into her email account, what did that mean for the millions of users of Google Talk, Yahoo, MSN Hotmail, AOL, etc. whose identities could be just as easily impersonated.
Here’s what went through my mind:
“What does my account require to retrieve a forgotten password? What’s my ’secret’ question? Darn it, everyone knows who my childhood best friend was….Why did I pick that as my question?”
Well you get the idea. But this is a real risk for so many people who rely on personal emails to transfer back and forth a lot of critical information about their lives.
Seriously, I doubt I was the only one who after hearing about the Palin incident, had flashbacks of that crazy ex who knew a lot about you and wouldn’t mind using that knowledge to excavate your email account in hopes of confirming her wild suspicions of where you really were on that night when you swore you were working on an all-night project at work…I digress.
But I’m a curious guy, so I decided to try it out myself. With the permission of my twin brother, I tried to access his Gmail account.
So I entered his username and clicked on the “I cannot access my account” link, then the “I forgot my password link.” What I learned was that my brother set up his account so the proper password would be sent to his AOL account.
Hmmm. Well, I’ll try there then. So I go to AOL.com, enter in his username, some annoying CAPTCHA and then it asks me: What is your favorite movie? Bingo, I’m almost there.
Well I tried three films that I was certain would get me in - and they didn’t work. So I tried one or two more. No luck. Then it said the account would be locked for 24 hours due to too many attempts at this. Oops. Sorry, Dave.
Turns out, the guesses I made were the ones my brother thought they’d be. Either way, I’m assuming that if I would’ve correctly answered that “secret” question, it would’ve been pwnage.
(My little experiment sounds cool, but not nearly as well-documented as our friend Hugh Thompson wrote here in an article he did for Scientific American).
Since the Palin hack, my inbox has been predictably flooded with a number of requests to speak with vendors who claim to be able to solve this weak web mail authentication issue. From the Trusted Platform Module to outright blocking, there’s a lot of of ideas out there.
But one thing is for sure: While we can never expect personal email accounts to undergo the same scrutinies and protections as corporate accounts, the burden is on the web mail providers to offer users some more comprehensive security.
Something beyond what someone’s favorite movie is or where a husband and wife originally met…These answers are easily discoverable on the internet.
Didn’t the Yahoos and Googles of the world ever hear of social networking sites or, better yet, internet searching?
Oh, right.
Barge, I had text searched the article for TvTonic but forgot to look at the pictures. Nice graphic!
Cooler
CEDIA 2008: Microsoft's Media Center Starts Anew
By Jose Fermoso
September 03, 2008, 3:41:11
http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/09/cedia-2008-micr.html
Denver, CO - At this week's CEDIA 2008 conference, Microsoft is coming clean with one of the most disappointing aspects of its Vista OS, the Windows Media Center.
Microsoft is expected to announce a new Media Center alliance and partner directly with custom installation hardware companies (some outside the mainstream), in order to push the entertainment system into more devices and better compete with other media centers. Microsoft has been criticized in the past for a hands-off approach with its software integrations.
Lifemedia_streamer_2 According to industry insiders, the Media Center Integrator Alliance intends to provide users with best practices on how to make the best of the Media Center in their Windows-based PCs. More often than not, Media Center users get stuck on the fact that they can't set a TV tuner preference for an individual channel or that it lacks a record HD content-only feature.
The recent release of Media Center's new TV pack update enables such requests, but it's a Media Center-enabled device like the just-announced Lifemedia (streaming) Server from Lifeware that shows its full potential.
The Lifemedia comes with customizable UI's, support for the iPhone (to make it a useful remote control), and a fully integrated wireless connection. Basically, the promise is that if every Vista owner had one of these boxes, the 'Vista Sucks' jokes would be hard to come by. OK, maybe not. But it does seem to be a step forward.
OnlinemediaOther companies, like Niveus and even Samsung and Sharp, are expected to come out with Media Center extenders that will easily tie their new media players to the PC.
When it was first released, Microsoft's Windows Vista OS was expected to accelerate the transition of the PC into the main home media entertainment center. You were supposed to be able to watch all of your digital movies and shows on your computer (through any satellite or cable service), stream them to big TVs, and record anything you wanted, easy.
But a funny thing happened: Windows Media Center, while pretty to look at, got caught up in the wars between content providers, different TV tuners couldn't be lined up natively, and people didn’t want to buy an extra TV tuner anyway. For most, the whole thing turned out to be more complicated to set up and maintain than a regular box with better options (like TiVo's HD box.)
The fact that some hardware makers are setting up their own content deals will make it harder for Microsoft to establish a strong presence with Media Center, but no one has the OS penetration of MS. It recently showed that it can learn from its mistakes while giving Media Center a big marketing boost -- the recent deal with TV Tonic for the Olympics gave the Center its biggest role ever.
So Microsoft just might just learn how to make a technically strong Media Center package easy enough for it to be useful for everyone.
Google Chrome Screenshots
http://blogoscoped.com/archive/2008-09-02-n72.html
Samsung X360 Laptop is Super Skinny
http://www.techgadgets.in/laptop/2008/30/new-samsung-x360-laptop-lighter-than-macbook-air/
It's pretty clear where Samsung is going with the X360 laptop when you notice it's branded it as "lighter than air" and say it's the "lightest notebook in its 13.3 inch class" since it weighs just 1.27 kg. Inside there's a 45nm Core 2 Duo mobile processor, mated to a 1280 x 800 pixel LED-backlit screen, and the machine has no internal DVD drive: instead it comes with an external one. Sounds a little familiar, no? But the battery life is claimed to be 10 hours, by Samsung, and it's got a full array of ports, including an RJ45 socket for wired LAN, a mic-in, three USB 2.0 sockets, a PCI express card slot and a HDMI socket. Somewhat strangely it's also been "sprinkled" with nano silver ion powder to keep the keyboard bacteria-free. It'll be available in September in some European countries, and Russia, China and Hong Kong, but there's no info on the US release or pricing. Extensive press release below.
Berlin, Germany, August 29, 2008 - Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a
market leader in consumer electronics and world leader in IT
technology, today lifted the lid on the most innovative addition to
its ever expanding notebook range – the ultra-lightweight Samsung
X360. Capable of meeting the extreme performance and connectivity
needs of the new aristocrats of the mobile world, the X360 sets a
completely new standard in mobile computing – offering a comprehensive
set of features unlike anything of its kind on the market.
Even though it is the lightest notebook in its 13.3 inch class,
weighing a miniscule 1.27 kg*,
the Samsung X360 incorporates all of the extensive functionality
demanded by ultra mobile and results-driven professionals. Unlike the
claims of some other "light" notebooks, the X360 is fully featured
without compromise, including 3 USB ports, a built-in HDMI (High
Definition Multimedia Interface) connection, a 34mm express card slot
and VGA output. For fast and easy transfer of documents, images, video
or music it incorporates a highly flexible 7 in 1 memory card reader,
Bluetooth 2.0+EDR* (Enhanced Data Rate) and super-fast 802.11n
wireless technology. It also boasts an integrated digital motion
camera, so it's easy to stay in touch with colleagues or friends using
video-conferencing or live messaging. But there is more, for business
and home office users the X360 incorporates a 10/100/1000 Ethernet LAN
connection and support for Samsung P-Dock, docking station – which
simplifies cabling and provides a 'single click' connection and easy
access to a wide variety of ports..
"The X360 pushes back the boundaries of form and function to deliver
real style with substance," said HS Kim, Executive Vice President of
Samsung Computer Systems Division. "It offers a tremendous reduction
in size and weight but without compromising on functionality, so users
have everything they need for life on the move," Mr. Kim added.
The X360 will be available from September this year in European
countries including UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy, and also in
Russia, China and Hong Kong.
For non stop productivity on the move, the X360 incorporates a
removable 6 cell battery that enables up to 10 hours continuous use –
making all day mobile computing a practical reality. Its efficient
power consumption is supported by the use of Intel(R) Centrino(R) 2
Ultra Low Voltage processor technology and an innovative 13.3" WXGA
(1280x800) LED screen, whose backlight technology consumes
significantly less power but delivers around 33 percent improved
brightness over a traditional LCD screen, so it is easier to work in a
range of conditions. And with security at a premium, it even has a
secure biometric fingerprint and trusted platform module
authentication system to ensure that your data is always fully
protected.
With its captivating craftsmanship, the X360's Protect-O-Edge casing
is built using durable magnesium alloy to provide amazing strength and
superior reliability coupled with enhanced ergonomics and premium
styling. And, wherever possible, Samsung uses its own components from
memory, batteries and screens. This focus on manufacturing excellence
means Samsung mobile computers have one of the best reliability
records in the industry, lowering the total cost ownership.
The X360 also features the option of an ultra-fast and reliable 128GB
Solid State Drive (SSD)*, which significantly enhances performance
compared to a typical hard disk drive (HDD), with a boot time that is
25-50 percent faster and data access times that are 300 percent faster
(53 MB/s) for reading and 150 percent faster (28 MB/s) for writing.
With no moving parts SSDs also weigh less, uses significantly less
power and are less prone to errors and damage - in fact, the X360 is
equipped to withstand twice the impact of the hard-drive-enabled
model. So, the notebook will perform faster and last even longer.
Finally, the X360 features an amazing Samsung innovation - Silver Nano
Technology. By sprinkling incredibly small, nano-sized silver ion
powder on the keyboard your system will remain "bacteria free" for
even longer.
FEATURES:
World class mobile performance
Featuring state of the art Intel(R) Centrino(R) 2 Ultra Low Voltage
processor technology, which delivers unrivalled performance, energy
efficiency and connectivity too keep you working longer. The X360
comes with the all new 45 nano-meter sized Intel(R) Core™2 Duo mobile
processor, which literally puts the power of two processors into one,
so you can open up all of your favourite applications with no
compromise on performance.
Sharper display
Its 13.3" wide display provides up to 30% more viewing area than
traditional screens and allows you to enjoy photo-like image quality,
greater viewing angles and better text legibility, reducing eye strain
and therefore increasing productivity. Using LED technology also means
that the screen is thinner, up to 33% brightness, and uses much less
power than traditional LCD screen. Even the durability of the system
is better, because there are fewer breakable parts.
Light Weight and Durable
Despite being ultra lightweight and slim at just 1.27kg, the X360 is
built to last. It's durable Protect-o-Edge(c) casing provides amazing
strength and superior reliability. As a result, the X360 is more than
capable of withstanding the inevitable hardships of life on the move,
which all translates into a measurably lower Total Cost of Ownership.
Simple data sharing
Incorporating a 7 in 1 memory card reader (MS, MS Pro, SD, SDHC, MMC,
MMC plus, xD) and 3 x USB ports, it lets you to seamlessly move data
from your digital camera, camcorder, MP3 player or PDA straight to the
notebook. Alternatively you can use the Bluetooth 2.0+EDR* (Enhanced
Data Rate) capability to quickly connect to other Bluetooth devices at
speeds that are 3x faster than previous generations.
Wireless World
Featuring the super fast 802.11a/b/g/n wireless, delivering up to five
times the performance and up to twice the range of previous-generation
technologies.*
*Based on Factory specification
Your connection to the Digital World
For the ultimate in viewing experiences simply connect it to your HD
monitor, Television (HDTV) or home theatre system using the X360's
built-in HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) connection, which
allows 100% transmission of visual and audio digital signals, and
experience richer colours, beautiful rendering and perfect image and
sound reproduction.
Smile, you are on camera*
Featuring an integrated 1.3 mega pixel digital motion camera, it
offers a simple way to keep in touch with friends or family, using
video-conferencing or live messaging.
Optimised graphics, premium experience
Featuring the new Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator X4500 graphics
core, which dynamically allocates system memory to provide incredible
visual quality, faster graphics performance and flexible display
options.
Revolutionary Battery Life
The battery life is vastly improved. It can deliver battery powered
performance of up to 6-10 hours based on usage scenario. The longer
battery life is guaranteed by the LED display and the flash-based SSD
which require less power to run.
Huge 128GB Solid State drive
Its Solid State Drive (SSD) has a boot time that is 25-50 percent
faster than systems that employ a traditional, rotational hard disk
drive (HDD). Overall system performance is also significantly
enhanced, as the SSD is capable of reading 300 times faster (53 MB/s)
and writes 150 percent faster (28 MB/s) than typical HDDs, and the
seek time (the amount of time required to find information in the
system memory) is also greatly reduced. Having no moving parts means
that power consumption is reduced dramatically, extending battery
life, and it is capable of withstanding much greater impacts, so there
is no loss of data.
Bacteria free
By sprinkling incredibly small, nano-sized silver ion powder on the
keyboard your system will remain "bacteria free" – for even longer.
Total security
For complete peace of mind, the X360 incorporates a secure biometric
fingerprint authentication system and a trusted platform module, so
your valuable information will always remain safe from prying eyes -
and you may never need to remember another password!
Fast docking
Is compatible with Samsung's P-Dock docking station, which simplifies
cabling and provides a 'single click' connection and easy access to a
wide variety of ports, including Serial, 5 x USB, LAN, HDMI, SIO,
e-SATA and DVI (Digital Video Interface) to deliver outstanding
digital image quality on large displays and projectors.
ECO friendly
Samsung's own certification mark (ECO), which guarantees ECO-friendly
features, including removal of hazardous substances and material,
optimised energy efficiency and effective material usage for a more
environmentally friendly product.
Warranty, On Time, On Us
All this is backed up with the peace of mind that your notebook is
protected by Samsung's class leading warranty service. In the unlikely
event that something goes wrong with your notebook, the Samsung
International warranty infrastructure will provide you with a fast
track collection repair and return service for your notebook in order
to minimise disruption and get you back working as quickly as
possible.
X360 Specifications
* based on factory specification, Subject to change. Errors and
omissions accepted. Battery life based on mobile Mark test scores that
will vary based on configuration
Processor
Intel(R) Centrino(R) 2 ULV Processor Technology (FSB 800MHz)
Operating System
- Genuine Microsoft Windows(R) Vista(R) Home Basic
- Genuine Microsoft Windows(R) Vista(R) Home Premium
- Genuine Microsoft Windows(R) Vista(R) Business
Memory
- DDR3 1066MHz 1GB ~ 4GB
LCD
- 13.3" WXGA (1280 x 800) SuperBright(c) LED backlit
HDD
- 64/ 128 GB Solid State Drive
- 120 GB (5400 rpm S-ATA)
Optical Drive
- External DVD Super Multi Dual Layer Writer
Graphics Processor
- Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator X4500 graphics core
Wireless LAN
- Intel 802.11 a/b/g/n
- Bluetooth 2.0 + Enhanced Data Rate*
LAN
10/100/1000 Ethernet
I / O Ports
- 7-in-1 Card Reader (MS, MS Pro, SD, SDHC, MMC, MMC plus, xD)
- 3 x USB 2.0
- 1 x PCI Express Card Slot (34 mm)
- 1 x HDMI
- 1 x Headphone-out
- 1 x Mic in
- 1 x Integrated Mic
- 1 x VGA Port
- 1 x RJ45 (LAN)
- 1 x Docking Port
Multimedia
1.3 Mega Pixel Web Camera*
Battery Life
Up to 10 hours
Personal data of 1m bank customers found on secondhand computer sold on eBay for £35
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1049121/Personal-data-1m-bank-customers-secondhand-sold-eBay-35.html
cooler
OT: Taekwondo was just added to the list of events. I was glad to see that they added table tennis and the marathon. My wife and children enjoy and prefer watching the Olympics on TVTonic. Have had no problems. Very impressive picture quality.
I am sure glad I upgraded to Vista. Personally, I like it better than XP.
cooler
barge, just viewed the video for a second time. Now that we know wave is involved it sounds all the better. For those interested, cut to the 4-minute mark if you want to get to the good part. Thanks for the link.
cooler
NBC's Olympics Online Player Reviewed (Verdict: A Necessary Evil
Saturday, August 9, 2008
http://uuunews.blogspot.com/2008/08/nbc-olympics-online-player-reviewed.html
...
NBCOlympics.com garnered 70 million page views on 8/8/08, an increase of 900 percent and 10 times more than the opening day of the Athens Games in 2004 (7 million). - The 70 million page views are nearly 50 million more page views thanNBC Universal is touting its TV and online numbers from day one, Friday, at the Beijing Olympics, but at least online the numbers ring hollow. On TV, it was the best overnight rating ever for non-US Olympic Opening Ceremony earning aIf you use the Connect as an EXtender, you can now watch highlights of the Summer Olympics. First, start Media Center on your PC, go to NBC Olympics and follow the instructions to download the TVtonic software.NBCs Olympic dream of ratings fireworks has come true. The networks coverage of the Summer Games got off to a...The 2008 Olympics have already started, but those of us stuck here in America and not lucky enough to own Vista must deal with NBC's often delayed event broadcasts. Sure, if it's American basketball or track you're looking for,Video editors and shot selectors for NBC Universal's massive US coverage of the Olympic Games will have to rely on their coworkers for Beijing souvenirs, because they'll be staying home thanks to Cisco Systems' WAN acceleration ...Looks like Wavexpress heard your complaints, adding a 64-bit version to its free NBC Olympics on the Go Windows Vista Media Center application. Personally, we'd have been checking out the Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Olympic... but they're what advertisers care about. Meanwhile, NBCOlympics.com clocked 4.2 million unique visitors for the day. It's a big day for 30 Rock. Permalink | post a comment | Add to del.icio.us | Digg Post tags: NBC, Olympics, Ratings.We are pleased to announce we are launching NBC Olympics On the Go in Windows Media Center, an Internet-delivered catch-up TV service from NBC Universal powered by Wavexpress TVTonic platform. This free download-and-play serviceThere are some heated messages flying around in the Ubuntu forums because NBC has announced that it will offer its online video coverage of the Beijing Olympics to Internet Explorer and Firefox users on the Mac and Windows,
Posted by Klelnona Mnone at 10:10 PM
Windows® Vista 64-bit editions for TVTonic
64-bit is available!
Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 11:37 pm
_________________
Tim Whidden - TVTonic Team
http://www.tvtonic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=815&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=
or
http://www.tvtonic.com/install/
Beijing Olympics: Will They Be A Media Game Changer?
Posted By:Julia Boorstin
http://www.cnbc.com/id/26077495
The Olympics which kick off Friday are bring in over $1 billion in revenue to NBC Universal, by some measures itself justifying GE's
But the Olympics are far more than just a boost for NBC Universal, they're also an unprecedented experiment with online content distribution, bound to transform the way media companies distribute their content.
Today NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker sent an internal company-wide email calling the Olympics "the most ambitious broadcasting event ever attempted." It's huge. The company is presenting 3,600 hours of coverage, which Zucker says is more than the combined total of every Summer Olympics ever televised in the US.
Perhaps most importantly in terms of the way the Olympics will change the media landscape, 2,200 hours will be streamed LIVE on the internet. Just two years ago the Olympics made just one hockey game available live online, so think about how far consumers have come in getting control over when, where, and what they watch. Here's what really surprises me: while all this content will be distributed online along with ads, potentially stealing eyeballs from TV broadcasts, it hasn't hurt advertising prices at all. TV commercial ad prices are continuing to rise consistently, with a 30 second spot going for $750,000 this year.
To measure exacly how many people are watching on all its platforms NBC has created a new metric, the "Total Audience Measurement Index," or "TAMI," which combines research from Nielsen, Omniture, Rentrak and other measurement systems. With this data it'll be able to tell advertisers exactly how many viewers or users are watching Olympic coverage, on mobile, cable, online, and broadcast TV. With advertisers demanding more information about measurability and targetability to justify return on investment, I'm guessing that metrics like TAMI will become a must-have.
Then there's the new technology the Olympics are encouraging. People using Microsoft's Vista operating system on their computers can subscribe to events via a service from a company called TV tonic. IF you leave your TV on overnight everything will be downloaded to your desktop by morning. Now Vista has gotten a bad rap for a lot of reasons, but if you've got it, this sounds pretty cool.
One nice benefit for NBC: it's using access to the 200 million people watching Olympics coverage to promote its new fall lineup, which could give it a big advantage in attracting viewers. And if people tune into NBC's cable networks like Oxygen to watch specific sporting events, the channels may end up attracting some new viewers.
If viewership on the web is huge, and if it doesn't cannibalize broadcast ratings I think the entire media industry will take note. That would prove that it simply generates more revenue to persue aggressive online distribution. So we shall see.