19th May 2003 Archive

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Linux kernel DoS risk under the spotlight

Don't be too alarmed

There is a potentially troublesome denial of service risk linked to a vuln in the Linux 2.4 kernel, concerning the cacheing of routing information. A Red Hat advisory on the problem explains: "A remote attacker could send packets with carefully chosen, forged source addresses in such a way as to make every routing cache entry …

Security 19 May 2003, 08:54
Why did support @ microsoft send me a virus this morning?

A: Meet Palyh, the latest prolific Windows worm

Windows users everywhere are urged to update their anti-virus definitions following the discovery of a new worm, which poses as one of a series of odd messages from Microsoft. Palyh (AKA Mankx), got a strong start of the weekend and is spreading rapidly, at least if our own in-boxes are anything to go by. The pest is an email …

Anti-Virus 19 May 2003, 09:34
mmO2 preps market for 3G writedowns

Big Red

mm02's financial PR bunnies are softening up the press in advance of Wednesday's results in which the UK-owned network operator is expected to declare a massive loss. Stories in the Sunday Times, FT and The Guardian all say that mmm02 will write down, the majority of its £9bn investment in 3G licences (to be precise, former …

Mobile 19 May 2003, 10:24
1,000 pubs to get WiFi

Cheers

The Cloud - the UK-wide broadband WiFi network that's part of Inspired Broadcast Networks and Leisure Link Group - is to launch its service in more than 1,000 pubs in the UK later this week. The Sunday Times reports that a number of pub chains - including Punch Taverns, Mitchells & Butler and Greene King - will be offering the …

Wireless 19 May 2003, 10:31
Interview Talking pizza and packets with Samba's Tridge

Much in the same way that Cisco founders Sandy Lerner and Leonard Bosack invented the router so they could send emails to each other across the Stanford University campus, Andrew Tridgell just wanted the three computers on his home network to talk to each other. The three computers, a PC running DOS, a Sun workstation, and a …

Servers 19 May 2003, 11:28
Host Europe boardroom bust-up resolved

Hugs and kisses all round

A boardroom bust-up that went sour at Web hosting outfit - Host Europe - appears to have been settled. Last month a number of directors at the company issued a Stock Exchange statement alleging that chief exec Abby Hardoon Adulayavichit, had "displayed a lack of leadership skills, consistently poor management decision-making …

Business 19 May 2003, 11:28
Fast enough to overtake SMS and IM?

GR8

You've made good one-to-one use of short messaging services (SMS) and even sent the same message to several people when trying to get a group meeting organised, especially if you're under 30, writes Rob Bamforth, of Bloor Research. But it fares just as badly as email when you're trying to work collaboratively. The responses …

Mobile 19 May 2003, 11:54
Txt saves three from Davey Jones' locker

Coastguard helicopter scrambled after mobile SOS

A quick text message to his dad has saved one man and his two sailing companions from a watery grave, The Maritime and Coastguard Agency reports. Solent Coastguard co-ordinated the rescue of the three men from the upturned hull of their tri-maran after being alerted to the emergency by their counterparts in Falmouth. Apparently …

Mobile 19 May 2003, 11:55
Fancy yourself as a virtual interrogator?

"Interview" captured Iraqis in the comfort of your own home

If you fancy a new career quizzing captured Iraqis about the whereabouts of weapons of mass destruction, then look no further than Virtual Conversation Arabic Complete Series 4 CD. In this handy teaching aid "each of the programs allows the user to gather information through direct dialogue with a native Arabic speaker. Each …

Bootnotes 19 May 2003, 12:53
Comet to launch telco service

They're all at it

Comet is entering the telecoms game. The high street electrical retailer has teamed up with an outfit called Telco Global to offer the residential telephony service. Comet claims its the 2Talk4Less service - which goes live on Friday - could save punters up to £100 a year compared to BT's Standard rate. Said Comet MD Simon Fox …

Data Networking 19 May 2003, 12:56
Napster reborn! Roxio buys PressPlay

No file trading, from sound of it

Roxio is to relaunch Napster, on the back of today's $39m cash and stock acquisition of PressPlay, the download music service, from Sony and Universal Music. The company is the proud owner of the Napster name and P2P file trading technology, acquired for $5m last November. But from the sound of it, there won't be much in the …

Music and Media 19 May 2003, 13:27
Chinese PC giant sets new benchmark in branding banality

LogoWatch Legend + Latin = Meaningless Moniker

Well, the threat of immediate execution for anyone even thinking about spreading SARS has seemingly not been enough to keep Chinese rebranding operatives from gathering in distinctly unhealthy clusters around Powerpoint presentations and flip-charts. Proof of this determination to battle on regardless comes with the news that " …

Bootnotes 19 May 2003, 13:28
US arrests 130 in Net fraud crackdown

Operation E-Con

More than 130 people were arrested and $17 million in assets seized in a US crackdown in Internet fraud announced last Friday. Codenamed Operation E-Con, the bust is coordinated by 43 United States Attorney's Offices nationwide, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Secret Service, and Customs Enforcement and a number of …

Music and Media 19 May 2003, 13:43
Irish mobile charges too high

Never mind the customers, that's what the telcos say

Executives from leading Irish telecoms firms in Ireland questioned the lack of competition in the mobile phone sector. At a conference in Dublin today, the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators (ALTO) laid on speakers from Virgin Mobile, MCI (formerly Worldcom), IBEC's Telecommunication Users Group (TUG), Meteor and the EU …

Mobile 19 May 2003, 14:19
'Relax, It Was a Honeypot'

Opinion What is ISS playing at?

A security company cleverly tricks hackers into compromising one of its distribution sites. Really. Jim Fiebig once said that no one should be allowed to play the violin until they have mastered it. It is a humorous paradox, and for those who have been in the proximity of a fledgling violinist, one with merit. As clever as …

Security 19 May 2003, 15:17
‘I was a convenient scapegoat’ – Oftel boss

Curious reflections

Oftel has published a review of its work over the last 19 years - and it makes gripping reading. The best bit of this glossy publication are the personal "reflections" by Oftel's four director general's as they assess their time as BT's regulator. Take this, for example, from Bryan Carsberg, Oftel's first DG who served from …

Telecoms 19 May 2003, 15:26
US Price Cuts for PS2 and Xbox, Player bundle for Cube

Come on down, the price is right

Microsoft and Sony have both cut $20 off the price of their consoles in the USA, bringing them down to $179 - while Nintendo has announced plans to bundle the Game Boy Player accessory for free with the Cube. In Sony's case, the $179 price point is designed mostly as an inventory clearing inventory for the current PS2 model. …

Personal 19 May 2003, 15:28
MCI wins Iraq gig, shovels $500m to shareholders

Iraq saved for GSM

MCI has won the gig to build Iraq's mobile phone network. The value of the contract is undisclosed. Sensibly, the US Government ignored demands from Congressman Darrell Issa (R., San Diego) to ditch the outdated, 'French' GSM option, in favour of an All-American Qualcomm CDMA network. Technical considerations aside, the Middle …

Mobile 19 May 2003, 16:01
.org registry vanishes into thin air

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear

The registry for all .org domains appears to have collapsed - meaning that all the details of who owns any .org domain are unobtainable. We can't be sure when it vanished but it would have taken a few days to filter through the system so presumably whatever servers are hosting the registry went down at the weekend and no one …

Music and Media 19 May 2003, 17:42
You've got Scam! ID harvest scam targets AOL users

Early Warning

It used to be the worst that could come from a kiss was a cold sore or a song by Hot Chocolate. Now with the Net, we can get identity theft and stolen Internet access into the bargain. Scammers are sending out invitations targeted at AOL members asking them to click on a link, which states that recipients have seven unread …

Security 19 May 2003, 17:50
MS blesses SCO, licenses Unix

Money go round

Microsoft's decision to license UNIX code from the litigious SCO Group will do little to allay fears that SCO is but a beard for Redmond. "The announcement of this license is representative of Microsoft's ongoing commitment to respecting intellectual property (IP) and the IT community's healthy exchange of IP through licensing …

Software 19 May 2003, 19:38