A Hired Gun for Microsoft, in Dogged Pursuit of Google
Aug 31, 2009 Technology
An engineer who chased after Google for 10 years while at Yahoo is returning to his mission at Microsoft.
Challenging Microsoft With a New Technology
Aug 31, 2009 Technology
VMware is the leader in software that lets a computer run two or more operating systems at once. It is used mainly to cut costs in data centers, but that is changing.
All a Cub Reporter Needs Is a Scoop and an iPhone
Aug 31, 2009 Technology
Fwix, a local news site, will release an iPhone application to let users file news updates, photos and videos from the field.
Bits: VMware vs. Microsoft: It’s About More Than the Plumbing
Aug 31, 2009 Technology
The VMware-Microsoft battle matters because virtual machine software is a strategic technology that could shape broader markets.
Skype Trojan Can Log VoIP Conversations
Aug 31, 2009 IT
Slatterz writes “Security giant Symantec claims to have found the public release of source code for a Trojan that targets Skype users. Trojan.Peskyspy is spyware which records a voice call and stores it as an MP3 file for later transmission. An infected machine will use the software that handles audio processing within a computer and save the call data as an MP3. The file is then sent over the internet to a predefined server where the attacker can listen to the recorded conversations.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Spammers Use Holes In Democrats.org Security
Aug 31, 2009 IT
Attila Dimedici writes “According to Cloudmark, 419 spammers are using the democrats.org website to relay email and bypass spam filters. ‘The abuse, which dates back at least to the beginning of this month, helps evade filters that internet service providers employ to block the messages. … The messages were sent courtesy of this page, which allows anyone with an internet connection to send emails. The PHP script employs no CAPTCHA or other measure to help ensure there is a real human being behind each email that gets funneled through the service. The service allows messages to be sent to 10 addresses at a time and even provides a way for people to import contacts they have stored in their address book.’”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
The Story of a Simple and Dangerous OS X Kernel Bug
Aug 31, 2009 IT
RazvanM writes “At the beginning of this month the Mac OS X 10.5.8 closed a kernel vulnerability that lasted more than 4 years, covering all the 10.4 and (almost all) 10.5 Mac OS X releases. This article presents some twitter-size programs that trigger the bug. The mechanics are so simple that can be easily explained to anybody possessing some minimal knowledge about how operating systems works. Beside being a good educational example this is also a scary proof that very mature code can still be vulnerable in rather unsophisticated ways.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
The Climbing-Wall Fortress [Featured Workspace]
Aug 31, 2009 Software
We’ve featured a variety of offices here, but this is definitely the first time we’ve featured an office built into a rock-climbing wall.
Lifehacker reader Scott Mulder works at Tree Fort…
Use Your Car as a Food Dehydrator [Clever Uses]
Aug 31, 2009 Software
Keeping tasty dried fruit on hand doesn’t require buying a device off late-night TV. Using the sun as a free energy source, you can use your car’s sun-baked dashboard to get the job done.
Tom, of…
Ask the Commenters Roundup [Hive Mind]
Aug 31, 2009 Software
I’ve just started hand coding HTML. Any suggestions for an HTML-centric text editor?I want to increase my command prompt chops, any tips?I have an old dish washer without any sort of dispensor or…