04 December 2006

Credit card database hacked in US

Credit card machine

A computer hacker has got access to more than 5 million Mastercard and Visa credit cards account in the US.

The two companies said that none of the information obtained, which would include credit card numbers, was used in a fraudulent way.

But a UK-based business crime expert warned account holders could still be at risk if their cards were not reissued.

Visa and Mastercard said the hacker breached the security system of a company that processes credit card transactions on behalf of merchants.

Numbers of credit cards can be used to make payments, such as buying plane tickets or hiring cars.

Both Visa and Mastercard operate zero liability policies, which protect card holders from having to pay for any unauthorised or fraudulent charges.

Card holders at risk?

Peter Lilley, a fellow of the UK Chartered Institute of Banking and author of various books on hacking and business crime, said some hackers attack computer systems just to prove the point that the system is insecure.

But he told BBC News Online that account holders of the hacked credit cards could still be at risk.

"To gain access to 5 million different accounts is a lot.

"The bottom line is, when somebody has access to 5 million numbers, it puts those accounts at risk in the future.

"Strictly speaking, the only way to eradicate the risks would be to reissue all 5 million account holders with new cards."

But he also admitted that scenario posed all sorts of logistical problems.

The Visa and Mastercard credit cards are issued by numerous financial institutions.

"And each institution could end up taking a different approach," Mr Lilley said.

Banks warned

A spokeswoman for Visa in the UK could not comment on any plans to reissue the compromised cards in the US.

But a UK spokesman for Mastercard said that decision was up to the card issuers.

"Although fraud is at an all time low, high profile companies, government agencies, internet programs and websites will always be targeted by criminals - Visa and our vendors are no exception.

"It is for this purpose that Visa has global fraud prevention, detection and avoidance programs and is extending secure payments in the virtual marketplace," Visa said in a statement.

Immediate alert

More than 560 million Visa and Mastercard cards circulate in the US.

Mastercard said it informed its members two weeks ago that more than 2 million accounts had been hacked into.

Visa said about 3.4 million of its accounts were accessed by the computer hacker.

Both companies said they immediately alerted the affected banks that issued the cards.

"Visa's fraud team immediately notified all affected card issuing financial institutions, and is working with the third-party payment card processor to protect against the threat of a future intrusion," the company said in a statement.

The firms are also working with US law enforcement officials.

source: http://news.bbc.co.uk

Nokia Showcases Mobile of the Future

Nokia recently showcased an innovative mobile phone concept — at Nokia World — that makes use of a touchscreen interface rather than the traditional keypad. Video after the jump.

I really like touchscreen idea. And Macaca, I wouldn’t worry about the poles shifting too much. The last time it happened was 800 million years ago, during the Precambrian period. And it didn’t happen over night, rather over the span of 20 million years. And it didn’t completely switch, but rather shift by about 50 degrees.

In the future there’s a good chance there wont be anymore designer phones for some time because when the poles shift (maybe 2012) its a one-way ticket back to the stoneage.

The Future of MOBILES /CELL Phone

Mobile phone technology is advancing rapidly, but what can people expect to be using in 2015? What will their mobile be able to do and what will it look like? Nokia has collaborated with Industrial Design students from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London to come up with some ideas.

Daniel Meyer:The device was inspired both by the advent of video calling and the traditional practice of carrying pictures of family and friends with you. The handset is designed to sit as a picture frame wherever the user is, serving the dual purpose of communications device and a comforting familiar focal point at home, at work or when away.

Design your own phone

This is about stripping away technology and making your mobile phone more personal. You can chose a clear perspex case and put in it items that are individual and personal. Alternatively, you can buy attachments that say something about you, like a harmonica or a chess game.

Multi-sensory

The device works with the sense of smell, sight, hearing and touch. The user experiences communication on a multi-sensory level. It can detect, transmit and emit smell. It can also radiate colours, light and temperature from a caller's environment.


Get your friend

The aim was a user friendly product that gave an emotional relationship, like a friend. A new generation of mobiles with Artificial Intelligence will be able to express a user's feelings, such as anger. The phone will also automatically recognise the voice of the user, allowing communciation between them and their mobile.

source: http://news.bbc.co.uk

BT signs live football match deal

Footballers fighting over a ball
Broadcasters see football as a vital way of building their brand
UK phone company BT has announced a tie-up with Irish sports broadcaster Setanta that will allow it to broadcast live Premiership football matches.

The news comes as BT officially launches its new Vision television service, a move it hopes will turn it into a fully-blown multimedia company.

Setanta has rights for 46 Premiership matches for the 2007/2008 season.

BT's move will see its service compete against market leader BSkyB, which owns the rights to the other matches.

Sporting base

Focusing on sports such as football, rugby and cricket has helped turn BSkyB into one of Europe's biggest satellite TV broadcasters and the dominant provider in the UK.

According to BT, the tie-up with Setanta and an existing agreement to show nearly live football matches means that its service will give customers access to 75% of the 2007/2008 season's Premiership matches.

BT said it will also show Scottish Premier League and Nationwide Conference games, as well as European matches and other sports such as golf.

The company explained that it "will be offering Setanta's new sports channel, Setanta Sports, from next summer".

BT said that while it was entering a similar market, it would be looking to attract customers that did not want to pay a monthly subscription but wanted more services than were available through a simple Freeview box and package.

Slow start

BT's new service will function through a set-top box, which is linked to the user's aerial and to broadband.

Users will also be able to access more than 40 Freeview television channels and have access to a library of films, music videos and TV shows.

BT said that about 50,000 customers had signed up for its Vision service, but that it would only have "thousands" up and running by the end of this year.

It expected to have 200,000 customers using the Vision service by the end of 2007.

source:http://news.bbc.co.uk

Send messages via Bluejacking

Man with mobile phone, BBC

This involves sending anonymous text messages to other phone users via Bluetooth short-range radio.

Bluetooth works over a range of about 10 metres and phones fitted with it can be made to search for other handsets using it that will accept messages sent to them.

Mobile phone buffs have been bluejacking for months but it now looks set to become much more widespread.

Radio gewgaw

Bluetooth was created as a way for mobile phones to easily connect to other handsets as well as devices such as headsets, home computers and printers.

The radio technology only used to appear on more expensive phones but is rapidly becoming a standard feature in all kinds of handsets.

Research carried out for the Bluetooth special interest group, which oversees the development of the technology, suggests that more than one million Bluetooth-enabled devices are being shipped every week.

The idea of bluejacking originated on the message boards of the Esato website that is a favourite of many owners of SonyEricsson phones.

HOW TO BLUEJACK
Turn Bluetooth on
Ensure your phone is discoverable by other Bluetooth devices
Create contact using your message as the name
Choose to send this contact via Bluetooth
Phone searches for Bluetooth-enabled phones within range
Pick a victim from the phones within range and send the contact to them
Now a regular bluejacker has set up a site to tell others how to do it and to swap tips and stories about the phenomenon.

"I came across the idea of bluejacking at an online discussion forum and it immediately struck me as a fun thing to do," said Ellie, who set up and runs the bluejackQ (Bluejack You) website.

She said the "priceless" expression on the face of her first victim as he tried to work out what was going on has turned her into a regular bluejacker.

"This, mixed with not knowing whether the victim will react in an amused/confused or negative way gives me an adrenaline rush," she said.

Message Centre

Bluejacking involves creating a contact in your phone's address book using the message you want to send as the name for the entry.

On most Bluetooth phones it is possible to send this contact as a message or electronic business card.

Choosing to send this contact via Bluetooth makes a phone search for other Bluetooth-enabled devices nearby.

London Underground sign, BBC
Bluejacking works underground too
The contact bearing its message can then be sent anonymously to any Bluetooth phones within range.

To be bluejacked you must make sure your phone can be discovered by other Bluetooth devices.

The bluejacking craze seems to be catching on as numbers of page views of the bluejackq site are now averaging 8,000 per day.

It might be helped by the fact that sending messages this way is free.

Good spots for bluejacking are anywhere crowds of people gather such as railway stations, airports, pubs or busy shopping streets. Ellie said that mobile phone shops usually yield a few targets too.

Although Bluetooth is included on many phones, many people have it turned off because they do not use it.

However, bluejacking expeditions by BBC News Online technology staff have shown that in any decent-sized crowd, such as on a tube train or train platform, usually reveals several Bluetooth phones.

source: http://news.bbc.co.uk

LG Launches Dynamite Phones

After 'Chocolate' LG Electronics India, has launched its 'Dynamite Series'—the KG 300 and KG 200.

H. S. Bhatia, national product group head, GSM Mobile Phones, said, "With the sweet success of 'Chocolate' LG is now geared with an aggressive strategy for the GSM Market. India Markets are craving for stylish and feature packed phones. The Dynamite KG300 is extremely fascinating in terms of style, fully loaded with unique features and is available at unbeatable price."

The KG 300 features a 2 megapixel camera, 262K colour screen, Bluetooth, video caller ID, call conversation recording, intelligent call, inflight mode, MP3 player, FM recording. The phone also has 56 MB in-built memory, plug and play, external memory card slot, USB charging, MP3 Player, video recording and playback and speaker. The Dynamite KG 300 is available for Rs 9, 999 only and comes with a stereophonic headset kit & USB Data Cable, worth Rs 1500 absolutely free.


The KG 200 is features a 1.3 megapixel camera, 65K colour screen, 56 MB in-built memory, plug and play, external memory card slot, USB charging, MP3 Player, FM radio and recording, video recording and playback, video caller ID, call recording, speaker and In-flight mode. The phone is available for Rs 7, 999 only and comes with the free stereophonic headset kit and USB Data Cable too.

Tekken: Dark Resurrection

Tekken: Dark Resurrection for the PSP is an impressive graphical feat that also delivers everything that makes the Tekken series so great.
The Tekken series has always done well in arcades, but it truly came into its own as a home release on Sony's various video game consoles. The PlayStation and PlayStation 2 have received the brunt of Namco's Tekken series, but now it's time for the PlayStation Portable to get into the act with a port of the latest arcade upgrade for the series, Tekken: Dark Resurrection. This game builds on the content and characters from Tekken 5, adding more fighters, more moves, new backgrounds, new customization options, and more. Plus, it's one of those amazing portable games that raises the bar and resets your expectations about what a portable machine can do.

The largest factor in resetting those expectations comes from the game's graphics. While the PSP doesn't pull off a polygon-perfect port of the arcade game, the characters look and move as well as you could hope. The corners seem to have been cut in the backgrounds, which occasionally sport a grungy texture or two, and in the pre- and postfight animation, which isn't quite as smooth as the fighting. Those things aside--and they don't get in the way at all--Tekken: Dark Resurrection gives off a real "this platform shouldn't be able to look this hot" vibe. On top of that, the game's loading times are pretty manageable, averaging somewhere under 10 seconds between fights, and even less if it's a rematch on the same background with the same fighters. So the visual quality doesn't come at the expense of speed, which is great.
The gameplay in Tekken: Dark Resurrection is also spot-on with what you'd expect from the series. The controls are responsive, though the occasionally tricky diagonals on the PSP's D pad took an hour or so of getting used to before we could pull off combos and juggles without trouble. If you like, you can also use the analog stick to control movement. The fighting itself is right in line with previous Tekken games, though there are three characters here that weren't in Tekken 5. Armor King returns to the lineup, and there are two all-new characters. Lili is a rich girl with street-fighting skills, and Dragunov is a Russian special forces operative who fights in a sambo style with plenty of powerful strikes. Both of the new characters fit right into the lineup and seem as deep and interesting as the rest of the cast. Also, unlike most Tekken games, Dark Resurrection starts with the complete cast of 34 characters available, so you won't have to dig through story mode multiple times to get all of the fighters.

Players who are familiar with the Tekken series will be right at home with the available modes, many of which come from Tekken 5 on the PlayStation 2. In addition to the arcade mode, which lets you unlock crazy prerendered ending videos, there are plenty of submodes, including a robust practice mode, team battles, time attack, and a quick battle that lets you pick your first opponent. There's a versus mode that lets two players compete locally over an ad hoc connection, using the same sort of lobby system that has appeared in previous PSP fighting games. You can also merge your rankings with other players' rankings, so you can have something to compare your time-attack times against.

The best part of the game is the way it uses artificial intelligence profiles. This is something that appeared in Tekken 5, but the ghost recording system and online options make it more worthwhile here. Ghosts are profiles that are meant to replicate another player's fighting style. While it certainly isn't perfect, they do seem to make for more interesting and unpredictable fights than the average fighting AI. You mainly fight these profiles in the Tekken dojo mode. Here, you move from dojo to dojo, fighting your way to the top of each one by beating these ghost profiles. The game comes with plenty of ghosts already present, but you can also record your own play to make your own ghost and then share it with your friends locally. You can also get online and download packs of ghost players for use in the single-player game, which is cool. Getting online also allows you to upload your ghosts for use by other players. It's a shame that there isn't any online combat, but considering that the Tekken series has yet to go online on any platform, it's not an altogether surprising omission.

In most of the game's modes, you earn money for winning fights. You can take those funds and use them to customize the look of your characters, much like in Tekken 5 or Virtua Fighter 4. There are plenty of pieces and colors to purchase, and they range from standard changes, like new hairstyles and glasses, to weird stuff, like a dog that clings to the back of Paul's gigantic haircut. Your ghosts carry these items, so you can give them a custom look before you send them out into the world to do your devious bidding.

The game contains a lot of solid music that plays while you're fighting, and the theater mode serves as a sound test, letting you listen to any of the music at any time. Additionally, the game has the same sound effects that Tekken 5 had, which makes the hits sound nice and hard, though the relative lack of bass on the PSP's stock speakers means they don't deliver quite as well as a set of good headphones will.

With plenty of modes to mess with and the promise of ghost exchanging, Tekken: Dark Resurrection is a long-lasting game that impressively delivers quality 3D fighting to the PSP. It makes smart additions while retaining everything that makes the Tekken series so popular in the first place. Fans of portable fighting games can't go wrong with this one.

eBay: almost 15K PS3s auctioned off in first week

PS3 - Playstation 3

Official Playstation 3 + Controller

Popular online auction Web site says 14,675 PS3s were sold
for an average price of just under $1,200;
Wiis go for an average of $412

Some opportunists saw the recent launch of the PlayStation 3 as a chance to make a quick $1,000. Their plan was to rough it in front of a store for days in hopes of getting one of the hard-to-find consoles and reselling it to cash-flush gamers willing to pay a premium for the system.

Latest Playstation 3 Imagery

Popular online auction site eBay was the online marketplace of choice for most people looking to sell or buy a PS3, and the company revealed some of the numbers from the console's first week in North America.

eBay released data on its sales for Black Friday, the popular shopping day immediately following Thanksgiving, and tucked between the sales numbers of Tickle-Me Elmos and fruitcakes was information on sales of the PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360.

For the period between and including November 17 to November 24--the PS3's first eight days on sale--14,675 PS3s were sold through the online site for an average price of $1,186. eBay did not separate information for the PS3's two models; a 60GB version retails for $599 and a 20GB version sells for $499.

Those who hawked preorders fared slightly better. From October 19 to November 24, which included what eBay calls"pre-sale activity," 28,233 PS3s (or preorder rights to the machines) were sold for an average price of $1,370.

Numbers of the more readily available and cheaper Wii weren't too surprising. From the $250 console's debut on November 19 through Black Friday, 26,708 Wiis were sold on eBay for an average price of $412. Preorder madness wasn't as great for Nintendo's console--29,452 Wiis were sold for an average of $427.82 from October 19 to November 24.

The Web site also released information on sales of the Xbox 360, reporting that 331 systems were sold between November 12 and November 24 for an average of $421.

Prices for both the PS3 and Wii on eBay have been falling sharply since their much-hyped launches. A quick glance at listings on the site shows that most PS3 auctions (which still number more than 10,000) aren't exceeding $1,000, and most Wiis aren't going for more than $300.
Source: GameSpot

Found a Wallet? HUH! ha ha You know it has got AD in it

This is simply great. Just think, you are Walking in the park and suddenly you c a wallet on the ground. What will you do?
You pick it up and when you open it to look for the owner's info or you seek what it has got, you see the following message:

"You found the wallet. Now find out how to fill it up".


This was just a part of an incredible advertising campaign in Sao Paolo for the local edition of Wall Street Journal. Isnt it a great Idea to make ads. Cool na!

Well everybody is not of that type, some people don't pick up such wallets. But mostly guys can't stop them from picking up a lonely lying wallet.

Well what you say about this, what would you do in such situation please comment:

TryMicrosoftOffice.com - Office 2007 Trial Software - Download Free Trial

Microsoft office Professional 2007

Microsoft Office 2007 Trial versions can now be download from the Microsoft Office website. They have created a separate portal for distributing the 2007 Microsoft Office release trial programs.

The trial software can be used for a period of 60 days and they have all the features available in the retail Office 2007 software. During the download process, you will be given a Office 2007 serial number that will be required during the installation process.

There's no information whether these trial versions of Office 2007 can be coverted to full retail versions by purchasing a license. Atleast Office XP trial had that facility.

trymicrosoftoffice.com - Microsoft Office Trial Portal [via Patrick Schmid]

For those of you outside the US, you need to use the following URL's:

Canada: http://www.trymicrosoftoffice.com/canada
Japan: http://www.trymicrosoftoffice.com/japan
Germany: http://www.trymicrosoftoffice.com/germany
UK/Ireland: http://www.trymicrosoftoffice.com/ukireland
France: http://www.trymicrosoftoffice.com/france

for The Uber-Rich Kid - Extravagant Chrishtmas Gifts

chrishtmas-gifts_12

For the uber-rich kid who’s born with a silver spoon in his mouth, nothing less then extravagant would make a nice christmas present So, if you are low on options, then we are here to make things easier for you with perfect gift ideas for your born rich kid! Keisha Lamothe over at CNN has compiled a list of extravagant toys for the spoiled rich kids and the list features a few options, we have covered earlier including the Scallywag Sloop Pirate Themed playhouse, the $50,000 Robby Robot and Zoltar, the animatronic fortune teller apart from a few other luxury gifts like the $27,000 Lego Life-Sized Batman from FAO Schwarz that can guard your child from all that lurks in the night, the Home Pro Racing Video Game Simulation System and Junior Off Roader Gasoline-Powered Vehicle that sells for $32,350 among few others.


But, that’s not it, we too have got a few suggestions from our side. And, our list won’t just complete without:

1). The $250,000 Dance-On Piano

2). The $300,000 3-D Motion Simulator that has an eight-seat capacity and it comes equipped with a fully digital audiovisual system which makes it a perfect gift for your little Dexter.

3).And, $1.28 Million Golden Horse from Ginza Tanaka.


So, you have now options galore…so, get ready to shop!!
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