Google is already working with several companies to develop devices around the new Chrome OS, including Hewlett-Packard and Acer, the company said in a blog post late Wednesday.
The list displays a vast regional spread among PC vendors, from the world's largest PC maker, HP, to China's biggest, Lenovo, and two of Taiwan's top vendors, Acer and Asustek Computer. Noticeably absent was Dell.
Google also listed three mobile phone chip developers in the posting, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments and Freescale Semiconductor. The world's biggest chip maker, Intel, was not on the list.
"The Google Chrome OS team is currently working with a number of technology companies to design and build devices that deliver an extraordinary end user experience," the Google posting says.
HP could not immediately be reached for comment.
The new Chrome OS will compete against Microsoft Windows in netbooks, laptop computers and desktops. Google is developing the Linux-based operating system for heavy Internet users, and it will begin appearing in netbooks in the second half of 2010, the company has said.
-pcworld
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Google to Launch Open-source Chrome OS this Year
Google to Launch Open-source Chrome OS this Year
Google is developing an open-source operating system targeted at Internet-centric computers such as netbooks and will release it later this year, the company said Wednesday.
The OS, which will carry the same "Chrome" name as the company's browser, is expected to begin appearing on netbook computers in the second half of 2010, Google said in a blog post.
It is already talking to "multiple" companies about the project, it added.
The Chrome OS will be available for computers based on the x86 architecture, which is used by Intel and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), and the Arm architecture.
Prototypes of Arm-based netbooks began appearing last month at the Computex show in Taiwan and Google's support for the architecture could give it a significant boost. Microsoft's mainstream Windows operating system doesn't run on Arm chips so many manufacturers were talking about using Linux or a version of Google's Android operating system. It's not immediately clear how much the two operating systems share in common code but Google said they are aimed at very different devices.
"Google Chrome OS is a new project, separate from Android," it said. "Android was designed from the beginning to work across a variety of devices from phones to set-top boxes to netbooks. Google Chrome OS is being created for people who spend most of their time on the Web."
While Google is initially looking at the netbook segment of the market it might compete with Microsoft and Apple on larger, Internet-centric machines.
Chrome OS is "being designed to power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-size desktop systems," said Google.
-pcworld
Google is developing an open-source operating system targeted at Internet-centric computers such as netbooks and will release it later this year, the company said Wednesday.
The OS, which will carry the same "Chrome" name as the company's browser, is expected to begin appearing on netbook computers in the second half of 2010, Google said in a blog post.
It is already talking to "multiple" companies about the project, it added.
The Chrome OS will be available for computers based on the x86 architecture, which is used by Intel and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), and the Arm architecture.
Prototypes of Arm-based netbooks began appearing last month at the Computex show in Taiwan and Google's support for the architecture could give it a significant boost. Microsoft's mainstream Windows operating system doesn't run on Arm chips so many manufacturers were talking about using Linux or a version of Google's Android operating system. It's not immediately clear how much the two operating systems share in common code but Google said they are aimed at very different devices.
"Google Chrome OS is a new project, separate from Android," it said. "Android was designed from the beginning to work across a variety of devices from phones to set-top boxes to netbooks. Google Chrome OS is being created for people who spend most of their time on the Web."
While Google is initially looking at the netbook segment of the market it might compete with Microsoft and Apple on larger, Internet-centric machines.
Chrome OS is "being designed to power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-size desktop systems," said Google.
-pcworld
Monday, April 13, 2009
Conficker's Back and Attacking More PCs
Security researchers say the Conficker worm has been reprogrammed to strengthen its defences while also trying to attack more machines.
Conficker, which takes advantage of a vulnerability in Microsoft's software, has infected at least 3 million PCs and possibly as many as 12 million, making it into a huge botnet and one of the most severe computer security problems in recent years.
Botnets can be used to send spam and attack other websites, but they need to be able to receive new instructions. Conficker can do this two ways: it can either try to visit a website and pick up instructions or it can receive a file over its custom-built encrypted P2P (peer-to-peer) network.
Over the last day or so, researchers with Websense and Trend Micro said some PCs infected with Conficker received a binary file over P2P. Conficker's controllers have been hampered by efforts of the security community to get directions via a website, so they are now using the P2P function, said Rik Ferguson, senior security advisor for the vendor Trend Micro.
The new binary tells Conficker to start scanning for other computers that haven't patched the Microsoft vulnerability, Ferguson said. A previous update turned that capability off, which hinted that Conficker's controllers maybe thought the botnet had grown too large.
But now, "it certainly indicates they [Conficker's authors] are seeking to control more machines", Ferguson said.
The new update also tells Conficker to contact MySpace.com, MSN.com, Ebay.com, CNN.com and AOL.com apparently to confirm that the infected machine is connected to the internet, Ferguson said. It also blocks infected PCs from visiting some websites. Previous Conficker versions wouldn't let people browse to the websites of security companies.
In another twist, the binary appears to be programmed to stop running on May 3, which will shut off the new functions, he said.
It's not the first time Conficker has been coded with time-based instructions. Computer security experts were bracing for catastrophe on April 1, when Conficker was scheduled to try to visit 500 of some 50,000 random websites generated by an internal algorithm in order to get new instructions, but the day passed without incident.
Also worrying is that the new update tells Conficker to contact a domain that is known to be affiliated with another botnet called Waledec, Ferguson said. The Waledec botnet grew in a fashion that was similar to the Storm worm, another large botnet that has now faded but was used to send spam. It means that perhaps the same group could be linked to all three botnets, Ferguson said.
Even though Conficker doesn't appear to have been used yet for malicious purposes, it still remains a threat, said Carl Leonard, a threat research manager for Websense in Europe. The P2P functionality indicates a level of sophistication, he said.
"It is evident they've put a lot of effort into gathering this suite of machines," Leonard said. "They want to protect their environment and launch these updates in a way they can best capitalise on them."
Not all computers infected with Conficker will necessarily get updated quickly. To use the P2P update functionality, a Conficker-infected PC must search for other infected PCs, a process that isn't immediate, Ferguson.
-pcworld news
Given that security experts differ vastly over how many computers may be infected with Conficker, it's difficult to say what percentage have the new update.
Trend Micro and Websense both cautioned their findings are preliminary, as the binary update is still being analysed.
Although Microsoft issued an emergency software patch last October, Conficker has continued to take advantage of those PCs which haven't been patched. In fact, some variants of the Conficker will actually patch the vulnerability after the machine is infected so no other malware can take advantage of it.
Conficker, which takes advantage of a vulnerability in Microsoft's software, has infected at least 3 million PCs and possibly as many as 12 million, making it into a huge botnet and one of the most severe computer security problems in recent years.
Botnets can be used to send spam and attack other websites, but they need to be able to receive new instructions. Conficker can do this two ways: it can either try to visit a website and pick up instructions or it can receive a file over its custom-built encrypted P2P (peer-to-peer) network.
Over the last day or so, researchers with Websense and Trend Micro said some PCs infected with Conficker received a binary file over P2P. Conficker's controllers have been hampered by efforts of the security community to get directions via a website, so they are now using the P2P function, said Rik Ferguson, senior security advisor for the vendor Trend Micro.
The new binary tells Conficker to start scanning for other computers that haven't patched the Microsoft vulnerability, Ferguson said. A previous update turned that capability off, which hinted that Conficker's controllers maybe thought the botnet had grown too large.
But now, "it certainly indicates they [Conficker's authors] are seeking to control more machines", Ferguson said.
The new update also tells Conficker to contact MySpace.com, MSN.com, Ebay.com, CNN.com and AOL.com apparently to confirm that the infected machine is connected to the internet, Ferguson said. It also blocks infected PCs from visiting some websites. Previous Conficker versions wouldn't let people browse to the websites of security companies.
In another twist, the binary appears to be programmed to stop running on May 3, which will shut off the new functions, he said.
It's not the first time Conficker has been coded with time-based instructions. Computer security experts were bracing for catastrophe on April 1, when Conficker was scheduled to try to visit 500 of some 50,000 random websites generated by an internal algorithm in order to get new instructions, but the day passed without incident.
Also worrying is that the new update tells Conficker to contact a domain that is known to be affiliated with another botnet called Waledec, Ferguson said. The Waledec botnet grew in a fashion that was similar to the Storm worm, another large botnet that has now faded but was used to send spam. It means that perhaps the same group could be linked to all three botnets, Ferguson said.
Even though Conficker doesn't appear to have been used yet for malicious purposes, it still remains a threat, said Carl Leonard, a threat research manager for Websense in Europe. The P2P functionality indicates a level of sophistication, he said.
"It is evident they've put a lot of effort into gathering this suite of machines," Leonard said. "They want to protect their environment and launch these updates in a way they can best capitalise on them."
Not all computers infected with Conficker will necessarily get updated quickly. To use the P2P update functionality, a Conficker-infected PC must search for other infected PCs, a process that isn't immediate, Ferguson.
-pcworld news
Given that security experts differ vastly over how many computers may be infected with Conficker, it's difficult to say what percentage have the new update.
Trend Micro and Websense both cautioned their findings are preliminary, as the binary update is still being analysed.
Although Microsoft issued an emergency software patch last October, Conficker has continued to take advantage of those PCs which haven't been patched. In fact, some variants of the Conficker will actually patch the vulnerability after the machine is infected so no other malware can take advantage of it.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Conficker Worm Gets An Evil Twin
The criminals behind the widespread Conficker worm have released a new version of the malware that could signal a major shift in the way the worm operates.
The new variant, dubbed Conficker B++, was spotted three days ago by SRI International researchers, who published details of the new code on Thursday. To the untrained eye, the new variant looks almost identical to the previous version of the worm, Conficker B. But the B++ variant uses new techniques to download software, giving its creators more flexibility in what they can do with infected machines.
Conficker-infected machines could be used for nasty stuff -- sending spam, logging keystrokes, or launching denial of service (DoS) attacks, but an ad hoc group calling itself the Conficker Cabal has largely prevented this from happening. They've kept Conficker under control by cracking the algorithm the software uses to find one of thousands of rendezvous points on the Internet where it can look for new code. These rendezvous points use unique domain names, such as pwulrrog.org, that the Conficker Cabal has worked hard to register and keep out of the hands of the criminals.
The new B++ variant uses the same algorithm to look for rendezvous points, but it also gives the creators two new techniques that skip them altogether. That means that the Cabal's most successful technique could be bypassed.
Conficker underwent a major rewrite in December, when the B variant was released. But this latest B++ version includes more subtle changes, according to Phil Porras, a program director with SRI. "This is a more surgical set of changes that they've made," he said.
To put things in perspective: There were 297 subroutines in Conficker B; 39 new routines were added in B++ and three existing subroutines were modified, SRI wrote in a report on the new variant. B++ suggests "the malware authors may be seeking new ways to obviate the need for Internet rendezvous points altogether," the report states.
Porras could not say how long Conficker B++ has been in circulation, but it first appeared on Feb. 6, according to a researcher using the pseudonym Jart Armin, who works on the Hostexploit.com Web site, which has tracked Conficker.
Though he does not know whether B++ was created in response to the Cabal's work, "it does make the botnet more robust and it does mitigate some of the Cabal's work," Support Intelligence CEO Rick Wesson said in an e-mail interview.
Also known as Downadup, Conficker spreads using a variety of techniques. It exploits a dangerous Windows bug to attack computers on a local area network, and it can also spread via USB devices such as cameras or storage devices. All variants of Conficker have now infected about 10.5 million computers, according to SRI.
-PCWORLD
The new variant, dubbed Conficker B++, was spotted three days ago by SRI International researchers, who published details of the new code on Thursday. To the untrained eye, the new variant looks almost identical to the previous version of the worm, Conficker B. But the B++ variant uses new techniques to download software, giving its creators more flexibility in what they can do with infected machines.
Conficker-infected machines could be used for nasty stuff -- sending spam, logging keystrokes, or launching denial of service (DoS) attacks, but an ad hoc group calling itself the Conficker Cabal has largely prevented this from happening. They've kept Conficker under control by cracking the algorithm the software uses to find one of thousands of rendezvous points on the Internet where it can look for new code. These rendezvous points use unique domain names, such as pwulrrog.org, that the Conficker Cabal has worked hard to register and keep out of the hands of the criminals.
The new B++ variant uses the same algorithm to look for rendezvous points, but it also gives the creators two new techniques that skip them altogether. That means that the Cabal's most successful technique could be bypassed.
Conficker underwent a major rewrite in December, when the B variant was released. But this latest B++ version includes more subtle changes, according to Phil Porras, a program director with SRI. "This is a more surgical set of changes that they've made," he said.
To put things in perspective: There were 297 subroutines in Conficker B; 39 new routines were added in B++ and three existing subroutines were modified, SRI wrote in a report on the new variant. B++ suggests "the malware authors may be seeking new ways to obviate the need for Internet rendezvous points altogether," the report states.
Porras could not say how long Conficker B++ has been in circulation, but it first appeared on Feb. 6, according to a researcher using the pseudonym Jart Armin, who works on the Hostexploit.com Web site, which has tracked Conficker.
Though he does not know whether B++ was created in response to the Cabal's work, "it does make the botnet more robust and it does mitigate some of the Cabal's work," Support Intelligence CEO Rick Wesson said in an e-mail interview.
Also known as Downadup, Conficker spreads using a variety of techniques. It exploits a dangerous Windows bug to attack computers on a local area network, and it can also spread via USB devices such as cameras or storage devices. All variants of Conficker have now infected about 10.5 million computers, according to SRI.
-PCWORLD
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Social networking sites could increase cancer risk
Social networking sites could increase cancer risk
London: Are you a frequent visitor to social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace? Then there is some bad news for you.
The habit can increase the risk of health problems as serious as cancer.
A report in a science journal has claimed that logging on these sites frequently could increase the risk of cancer and other major illness such as strokes, heart disease and dementia.
“Emailing people rather than meeting up with them may have wide-ranging biological effects,” said psychologist Aric Sigman in his report published in Biologist, the journal of the Institute of Biology.
“Increased isolation could alter the way genes work and upset immune responses, hormone levels and the function of arteries. It could also impair mental performance, which could increase the risk of problems as serious as cancer, strokes, heart disease and dementia,” the doctor was quoted as saying in his report by Daily Mail. Even though these sites are designed to bring people together, Sigman said they are making people more isolated. Research suggested that the number of hours people spent speaking to others face-to-face had fallen dramatically since 1987 as the use of electronic media increased.
“Interacting ‘in person’ had effects on the body not seen when writing emails. Levels of hormones such as the ‘cuddle chemical’ oxytocin, which promotes bonding, altered according to whether people were in close contact or not,” Sigman claimed.
“There does seem to be a difference between ‘real presence’ and the virtual variety,” the doctor added.
Some genes, including ones involved with the immune system and responses to stress, acted differently according to how much social interaction a person had with others, the news daily reported.
“Social networking sites should allow us to embellish our social lives, but what we find is very different. “It’s not that I’m old fashioned in terms of new technology, but its purpose should be to provide a tool that enhances our lives,” Sigman said.
Sigman said 209 ‘socially regulated’ genes had been identified, including ones involved in the immune system, cell proliferation and responses to stress. Their activity may account for higher rates of inflammatory disease and other health problems seen in socially isolated individuals.
“Social networking sites should allow us to embellish our social lives, but what we find is very different. The tail is wagging the dog. These are not tools that enhance, they are tools that displace,” the doctor added in his report.
Note:Information copied from Times of India.
London: Are you a frequent visitor to social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace? Then there is some bad news for you.
The habit can increase the risk of health problems as serious as cancer.
A report in a science journal has claimed that logging on these sites frequently could increase the risk of cancer and other major illness such as strokes, heart disease and dementia.
“Emailing people rather than meeting up with them may have wide-ranging biological effects,” said psychologist Aric Sigman in his report published in Biologist, the journal of the Institute of Biology.
“Increased isolation could alter the way genes work and upset immune responses, hormone levels and the function of arteries. It could also impair mental performance, which could increase the risk of problems as serious as cancer, strokes, heart disease and dementia,” the doctor was quoted as saying in his report by Daily Mail. Even though these sites are designed to bring people together, Sigman said they are making people more isolated. Research suggested that the number of hours people spent speaking to others face-to-face had fallen dramatically since 1987 as the use of electronic media increased.
“Interacting ‘in person’ had effects on the body not seen when writing emails. Levels of hormones such as the ‘cuddle chemical’ oxytocin, which promotes bonding, altered according to whether people were in close contact or not,” Sigman claimed.
“There does seem to be a difference between ‘real presence’ and the virtual variety,” the doctor added.
Some genes, including ones involved with the immune system and responses to stress, acted differently according to how much social interaction a person had with others, the news daily reported.
“Social networking sites should allow us to embellish our social lives, but what we find is very different. “It’s not that I’m old fashioned in terms of new technology, but its purpose should be to provide a tool that enhances our lives,” Sigman said.
Sigman said 209 ‘socially regulated’ genes had been identified, including ones involved in the immune system, cell proliferation and responses to stress. Their activity may account for higher rates of inflammatory disease and other health problems seen in socially isolated individuals.
“Social networking sites should allow us to embellish our social lives, but what we find is very different. The tail is wagging the dog. These are not tools that enhance, they are tools that displace,” the doctor added in his report.
Note:Information copied from Times of India.
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