Spyware, Viruses and Mad Aussies

Three new stories for you all. Now don't say I'm not good to you...

[size=16]Microsoft sets sights on spyware[/size]

Windows users could soon be paying Microsoft to keep PCs free of spyware.

Following the takeover of anti-spyware firm Giant, Microsoft said it would soon release a toolkit that strips machines of the irritating programs.

Although initially free, Microsoft has not ruled out charging people who want to keep this toolkit up to date.

Surveys show that almost every Windows PC is infested with spyware programs that do everything from bombard users with adverts to steal login data.

Microsoft said that a beta version of the toolkit to clean up Windows machines should be available within 30 days.

Source: BBC News - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4104129.stm

[size=16]Virus poses as Christmas e-mail[/size]

Security firms are warning about a Windows virus disguising itself as an electronic Christmas card.

The Zafi.D virus translates the Christmas greeting on its subject line into the language of the person receiving infected e-mail.

Anti-virus firms speculate that this multilingual ability is helping the malicious program spread widely online.

Anti-virus firm Sophos said that 10% of the e-mail currently on the net was infected with the Zafi virus.

Source: BBC News - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4101325.stm

[size=16]Gamer buys $26,500 virtual land[/size]

A 22-year-old gamer has spent $26,500 (£13,700) on an island that exists only in a computer role-playing game (RPG).

The Australian gamer, known only by his gaming moniker Deathifier, bought the island in an online auction.

The land exists within the game Project Entropia, an RPG which allows thousands of players to interact with each other.

Entropia allows gamers to buy and sell virtual items using real cash, while fans of other titles often use auction site eBay to sell their virtual wares.

Earlier this year economists calculated that these massively multi-player online role-playing games (MMORPGs) have a gross economic impact equivalent to the GDP of the African nation of Namibia.

Source: BBC News - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4104731.stm

And I thought Runescape fanatics were obsessed...

Dont updates.....dont get bugs......use the firewall(properly traceroute/whois block the sites that are driving you mad.will the net exist???NO!! ....fight fire with fire.....its amazing that  msoft are all these years.......are listen...or are they placing backdoors in the source code.<easter eggs>......and are blaming black hats..and its just one big scam...if the user ignores some of these...you should this /that....and uses a takes note of their own pc......and think....whats that do in there? get the ridddle./0:| what happened to the win..........x......p........earance... ...use mac ......

One of these days... I'll make my own operating system.... and that'll show those newbies at Microsoft how it's done...

unless I forget or can't be bothered.

 Money speaks...labels/volumes........bill adolf hold the fate of  this world  .....or is it bills world ......forget ted.....and the adventures

One of these days... I'll make my own operating system.... and that'll show those newbies at Microsoft how it's done...

Linux? Open source and easily modified through friendly 'wizard' style options. One of those is a lie.

I wanted to get Linux but on their website I couldn't actually find where to buy it...

There were however millions of free ones to download. Too good to be true?

I wanted to get Linux but on their website I couldn't actually find where to buy it...

www.cheeplinux.com

There were however millions of free ones to download. Too good to be true?

No, actually. The main reason Linux is so popular is because it is free. The Kernal (the heart of the OS, if you like) was coded by Linus Torvalds while he was at University because he couldn't find an OS to suit his needs or his budget. He released this onto the net and allowed people to modify it all they liked, so long as they posted their modifications to be downloaded and used freely.

It still goes on today.