P2P-Zone - View Single Post - The Newspaper Shop -- Tuesday edition

walktalker · 21-08-01, 05:09 PM

This newspaper is 100% compatible with the nearest recycle bin.
But you should read it first...

(my paper, not the bin, mind you)

Napster crackdown fails to spur CD sales

U.S. music product shipments fell 4.4 percent to $5.9 billion in the first half of 2001, the Recording Industry Association of America said Tuesday, despite the industry's success in stifling its nemesis Napster. Shipments in the first half of 2000 totaled $6.2 billion. Hilary Rosen, chief executive of the RIAA, said that although consumer loyalty to physical music products still dominates, the industry is working aggressively to embrace new forms of online distribution. "Our companies recognize the fact that more consumers are looking to get music online and are experimenting with a number of approaches, including legitimate subscription services," she said.
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/ne...kpt=zdnnp1tp01

Microsoft sews up Hotmail hole
The day after Microsoft acknowledged a security hole in Hotmail, its popular free e-mail service, a representative for the software giant said it had fixed the problem. Details of the hole, which could have allowed any user the ability to read another user's e-mail, were originally publicized by hacker and security site Root-Core four days ago. Mark Wain, product manager for the Microsoft Network, acknowledged the problem Monday, but he downplayed the threat, calling it a "computational infeasibility." To exploit the flaw, a user would have had to know the target's username, the time the e-mail was received and a random two-digit number, he said. Most would-be attackers would know only the target's username and might be able to guess the time a particular message was received, making the technique hard to implement.
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/ne...kpt=zdnnp1tp02

XP gold code release just days away
Microsoft Corp. is expected to release the gold, or final, code for Windows XP to PC makers on Friday, the same day its antitrust case is returned to the District Court in Washington, D.C. Sources at several top PC makers, who all asked not to be named, told eWEEK that Microsoft is planning to announce the release of the Windows XP code at a news conference in Seattle on Friday. Once the code is released, computer makers will test its compatibility and stability on various proprietary platforms before pre-installing it on the new PCs and laptops and shipping it to customers. By publicly announcing the release of the gold code, Microsoft may be seeking to quell criticisms voiced privately by PC makers over perceived preferential treatment given to some computer manufacturers.
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/ne...kpt=zdnnp1tp02

Virus fighters form anti-DDoS alliance
Recent threats such as the code Red and Leave worms are proof that virus writers and hackers are pooling resources to produce hybrid weapons that can cause tremendous damage. Now, a group of security companies is following suit, hoping that by combining their efforts, they'll be better able to combat the new, sophisticated attacks. McAfee, a division of Network Associates, this week will announce a research and development partnership with three anti-DDoS (distributed-denial-of-service) vendors — Arbor Networks, Asta Networks and Mazu Networks Inc. — with the goal of developing innovative technologies and techniques to detect and prevent DDoS attacks.
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/ne...pt=zdnn_nbs_hl

Pressure grows for wireless dead-spot data
Weaver is one of countless mobile phone buyers who have signed up for service -- often for up to a year -- only to find out that their wireless gadgets are practically useless from home, the office, or during their daily commute. "Typically, you can't take a cell phone out for a test drive to see if you have coverage inside your house," said David Butler of the Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports magazine. The lack of information about these so-called dead spots could change as proposed federal legislation and grassroots efforts work to pressure major carriers such as Verizon Wireless, AT&T Wireless, Cingular Wireless and Nextel Communications to disclose such data.
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1004-200...html?tag=tp_pr

Digital cameras zoom in on accessories
On the stage of digital imaging products, the digital camera solo act is becoming an accessories ensemble. On Tuesday, consumer electronics giant Sony unveiled the portable DPP-MP1 digital photo printer. The introduction of the printer is indicative of the new markets cropping up around digital cameras and is expected to help push such cameras toward more mainstream consumers. "As consumers can do more with the cameras, they will be further tempted to take the next step toward digital imaging and buy a camera," said Greg Young, a general manager of digital imaging at Sony. Market researcher IDC estimates that 15 percent of U.S. households with PCs own digital cameras. But in order for the digital cameras to become ubiquitous, manufacturers will need to make them more tempting.
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200...html?tag=mn_hd

'Spin' Could Be Quantum Boost for Computers

Electronic devices like radios and computers work by shuttling around the electric charge of electrons. Hence, the "electron" in "electronics." But besides their electric charge, electrons also have a less exploited property: "spin," an angular momentum that makes electrons act like tiny bar magnets. Researchers are beginning to tap into electrons' magnetic side as part of an emerging field known as spintronics. Already, spintronics has yielded a couple of uses and may eventually provide the underpinning for computers that employ quantum mechanical efforts to perform calculations. (Free reg. required)
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/21/sc...al/21RESE.html

Computer game helps dyslexics
Psychologists in Finland have developed a computer game to help children with dyslexia. They say it improves reading ability by training a specific part of the brain. The Helsinki-based team hopes to make the software available worldwide. The game is suitable for four-to seven-year-olds and could be used at home under parental supervision. Team leader Teija Kujala of the Cognitive Brain Research Unit at the University of Helsinki, Finland, told BBC News Online: "This program is very simple and easy to use and it can be applied in any language." She said: "We observed improvement in reading generally. The brain started to process auditory information better."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci...00/1496709.stm

Your fingerprint is the password
Biometric technology is rapidly becoming a crucial element of business security solutions. Long the province of spy films and popular fiction, devices that can identify people by scanning their fingerprints, retinas, or even the shape of their faces, are now being used to do something much more mundane: to cut costs. Maintaining appropriate levels of security for a broad variety of business applications within a large corporation or financial institution is expensive. Strict rules are put in place to ensure that security is not compromised - particularly where identification and passwords are concerned. Users are often required to maintain separate ID and password combinations for different applications, as well as being required to change passwords regularly. One financial institution in Canada recently decided to use biometrics as a way to achieve higher security while reducing security support costs.
http://news.ft.com/ft/gx.cgi/ftc?pag...H7C&Collid=Any

The Magic Bus
It has always been the commuter's ride of last resort, the chariot of the plebes. But thanks to an infusion of 21st-century technology, the humble bus may soon be the fastest way to get you to the office. Are you ready to climb aboard?
http://www.business2.com/articles/ma...,16664,FF.html

More news later on

21-08-01, 05:09 PM	#1
walktalker The local newspaper man Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Montreal Posts: 2,036	The Newspaper Shop -- Tuesday edition This newspaper is 100% compatible with the nearest recycle bin. But you should read it first... (my paper, not the bin, mind you) Napster crackdown fails to spur CD sales U.S. music product shipments fell 4.4 percent to $5.9 billion in the first half of 2001, the Recording Industry Association of America said Tuesday, despite the industry's success in stifling its nemesis Napster. Shipments in the first half of 2000 totaled $6.2 billion. Hilary Rosen, chief executive of the RIAA, said that although consumer loyalty to physical music products still dominates, the industry is working aggressively to embrace new forms of online distribution. "Our companies recognize the fact that more consumers are looking to get music online and are experimenting with a number of approaches, including legitimate subscription services," she said. http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/ne...kpt=zdnnp1tp01 Microsoft sews up Hotmail hole The day after Microsoft acknowledged a security hole in Hotmail, its popular free e-mail service, a representative for the software giant said it had fixed the problem. Details of the hole, which could have allowed any user the ability to read another user's e-mail, were originally publicized by hacker and security site Root-Core four days ago. Mark Wain, product manager for the Microsoft Network, acknowledged the problem Monday, but he downplayed the threat, calling it a "computational infeasibility." To exploit the flaw, a user would have had to know the target's username, the time the e-mail was received and a random two-digit number, he said. Most would-be attackers would know only the target's username and might be able to guess the time a particular message was received, making the technique hard to implement. http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/ne...kpt=zdnnp1tp02 XP gold code release just days away Microsoft Corp. is expected to release the gold, or final, code for Windows XP to PC makers on Friday, the same day its antitrust case is returned to the District Court in Washington, D.C. Sources at several top PC makers, who all asked not to be named, told eWEEK that Microsoft is planning to announce the release of the Windows XP code at a news conference in Seattle on Friday. Once the code is released, computer makers will test its compatibility and stability on various proprietary platforms before pre-installing it on the new PCs and laptops and shipping it to customers. By publicly announcing the release of the gold code, Microsoft may be seeking to quell criticisms voiced privately by PC makers over perceived preferential treatment given to some computer manufacturers. http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/ne...kpt=zdnnp1tp02 Virus fighters form anti-DDoS alliance Recent threats such as the code Red and Leave worms are proof that virus writers and hackers are pooling resources to produce hybrid weapons that can cause tremendous damage. Now, a group of security companies is following suit, hoping that by combining their efforts, they'll be better able to combat the new, sophisticated attacks. McAfee, a division of Network Associates, this week will announce a research and development partnership with three anti-DDoS (distributed-denial-of-service) vendors — Arbor Networks, Asta Networks and Mazu Networks Inc. — with the goal of developing innovative technologies and techniques to detect and prevent DDoS attacks. http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/ne...pt=zdnn_nbs_hl Pressure grows for wireless dead-spot data Weaver is one of countless mobile phone buyers who have signed up for service -- often for up to a year -- only to find out that their wireless gadgets are practically useless from home, the office, or during their daily commute. "Typically, you can't take a cell phone out for a test drive to see if you have coverage inside your house," said David Butler of the Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports magazine. The lack of information about these so-called dead spots could change as proposed federal legislation and grassroots efforts work to pressure major carriers such as Verizon Wireless, AT&T Wireless, Cingular Wireless and Nextel Communications to disclose such data. http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1004-200...html?tag=tp_pr Digital cameras zoom in on accessories On the stage of digital imaging products, the digital camera solo act is becoming an accessories ensemble. On Tuesday, consumer electronics giant Sony unveiled the portable DPP-MP1 digital photo printer. The introduction of the printer is indicative of the new markets cropping up around digital cameras and is expected to help push such cameras toward more mainstream consumers. "As consumers can do more with the cameras, they will be further tempted to take the next step toward digital imaging and buy a camera," said Greg Young, a general manager of digital imaging at Sony. Market researcher IDC estimates that 15 percent of U.S. households with PCs own digital cameras. But in order for the digital cameras to become ubiquitous, manufacturers will need to make them more tempting. http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200...html?tag=mn_hd 'Spin' Could Be Quantum Boost for Computers Electronic devices like radios and computers work by shuttling around the electric charge of electrons. Hence, the "electron" in "electronics." But besides their electric charge, electrons also have a less exploited property: "spin," an angular momentum that makes electrons act like tiny bar magnets. Researchers are beginning to tap into electrons' magnetic side as part of an emerging field known as spintronics. Already, spintronics has yielded a couple of uses and may eventually provide the underpinning for computers that employ quantum mechanical efforts to perform calculations. (Free reg. required) http://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/21/sc...al/21RESE.html Computer game helps dyslexics Psychologists in Finland have developed a computer game to help children with dyslexia. They say it improves reading ability by training a specific part of the brain. The Helsinki-based team hopes to make the software available worldwide. The game is suitable for four-to seven-year-olds and could be used at home under parental supervision. Team leader Teija Kujala of the Cognitive Brain Research Unit at the University of Helsinki, Finland, told BBC News Online: "This program is very simple and easy to use and it can be applied in any language." She said: "We observed improvement in reading generally. The brain started to process auditory information better." http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci...00/1496709.stm Your fingerprint is the password Biometric technology is rapidly becoming a crucial element of business security solutions. Long the province of spy films and popular fiction, devices that can identify people by scanning their fingerprints, retinas, or even the shape of their faces, are now being used to do something much more mundane: to cut costs. Maintaining appropriate levels of security for a broad variety of business applications within a large corporation or financial institution is expensive. Strict rules are put in place to ensure that security is not compromised - particularly where identification and passwords are concerned. Users are often required to maintain separate ID and password combinations for different applications, as well as being required to change passwords regularly. One financial institution in Canada recently decided to use biometrics as a way to achieve higher security while reducing security support costs. http://news.ft.com/ft/gx.cgi/ftc?pag...H7C&Collid=Any The Magic Bus It has always been the commuter's ride of last resort, the chariot of the plebes. But thanks to an infusion of 21st-century technology, the humble bus may soon be the fastest way to get you to the office. Are you ready to climb aboard? http://www.business2.com/articles/ma...,16664,FF.html More news later on __________________ This post was sponsored by Netcoco, who wants cookies, cookies, cookies and, you guessed it, more cookies