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February 2006 News

  • More time for Hackers
  • Dual-core and improved batteries
  • In search of the truth
  • Lloyd's abandons £70m trading system
  • NTP and Blackberry still unsettled

 

More time for Hackers

Announced changes in the Computer Misuse Act (CMA) could result in convicted hackers spending up to 10 years in prison if they maliciously impair a computer. Unauthorised access could bring up to two years incarceration. The previous six-month time limitation will no longer apply so more criminal investigations will be possible. Interesting (D)DoS attacks are now considered an offence (although proof is still a problem).

The UK National Hi-Tech Crime Unit (NHTCU) advises businesses to have technology in place to counter attacks especially on their websites.

Dual-core and improved batteries

The US Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2006 in Las Vegas unveiled a number of laptop-focused technology developments. These developments included improved portability, wireless computing and power requirements. New HD 1080p format screens were also on show as well as HD-DVD. The Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (DMFC) will enable the laptop-user to work for longer, have a faster dual-core CPU and even have flat 3D images -without special glasses.

In search of the truth

Search applications will change the way that organisations treat their information assets. In the future search systems will be a major component in the armoury of a company. Mission-critical applications will rely on search capabilities as they have previously relied upon data warehouses which they will probably replace.

Lloyd's abandons £70m trading system

Due to low usage Lloyd's of London have decided to close down their electronic trading system. Introduced in 2001, the Kinnect central electronic hub system allowed for documents to be shared online. A small number of major brokers signed up whilst the others set up their own independent trading and compliance system. So the idea was good but few people wanted to play.

NTP and Blackberry still unsettled

The NTP intellectual property legal wrangling with Research In Motion (RIM) continues. NTP tabled a settlement proposal last year which was countered by a ca. $450M from RIM. This is all very disturbing for the Blackberry addicts who could all get cold turkey when their fix gets turned off. The next service shut down decision point is the 24th February. RIM have said that they have a software workaround ready should the decision cause a forced closure.

Snippets

  • Oracle fixes 82 security vulnerabilities  in database software and application suites. This is the fifth scheduled release of patches since Oracle started quarterly patching.
  • Doubts over returns on investment (ROI) hinder RFID take-up. The concern is how to identify the real costs, coverage and implementation opportunities. Current bar-code capabilities are still adequate and the cost of change is quite high.
  • Dell plans to integrate 3G mobile data connectivity into corporate notebook PCs.
  • Online banking risks are causing internet banking users to abandon the services because of fraud. Consumer confidence is fragile and the banks are under much pressure to address.
  • The House of Lords voted against the governments proposal to make it compulsory to provide biometric data when applying for a passport. Maybe RFID has an implementation opportunity after all.
  • Adobe embeds 3D models in PDFs. Acrobat 3D can capture from CAD systems which can be manipulated by Adobe Reader 7.0 (7.07).
  • If you want to improve your chances of getting mugged wear your iPod on the street. Statistics indicate that it could be as good as 12% better!!!

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