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Microsoft: Please hack us

Redmond has released test copies of Vista to "3,000 security professionals" at Black Hat hoping they'll expose weaknesses, which the company can fix before release.

"They're going directly to the bear in the bear's lair," Jon Callas, PGP CTO told the AP. (Ed. - Got enough acros there?) "They are going to people who don't like them, say nasty things and have the incentive to find the things that are wrong."

Well, how come we didn't get a copy? And don't bears have dens?

Via My Way News

The one e-mail you must send

"Snakes on a Plane" is already Internet legend and it hasn't been released yet (Aug. 18).

If you've been living under a rock, it's about...snakes on a plane. And it stars Samuel L. Jackson, who has "had it with these (*&^%$@)(*&^% snakes on this !@&^%()*&^%@# plane!"

Click here to have SLJ send a personalized voice message to the person of your choice via e-mail or phone. It's a riot - and the best Web marketing we've seen.

Black Hat details VoIP vulnerabilities

The latest pants-on-fire headlines are out of Black Hat Las Vegas, where today's topic is VoIP security. Or lack thereof.

The Register reports on a session that covered the latest VoIP security threats and countermeasures, as well as the release of 13 new tools "designed to illustrate generic flaws on insecure VoIP systems."

The Reg notes the tools all target systems employing SIP and "illustrated how it might be possible to overload phones with spurious traffic, flood IP telephony phones with calls, force hang-ups, reboot phones or reassign devices to other users." Nifty.

Via The Register

Two geeks and a mic

It's Twisted Pair day!

Review the week that was with NW's most popular podcast as Jason and Keith talk about: the survey that says women prefer tech toys over shopping; the MacBook Pro getting hacked via wireless; Cingular's plan to charge $5 per month to TDMA and analog phone usrs; and how the Internet is killing the concept of the mega trade show.

Colleges warning freshmen about 'Net activity

College freshmen are getting the usual warnings at orientation this summer with a new twist - Don't post anything you may regret on the Internet.

Many universities across the U.S. are cautioning students about posting personal info (hello Facebook.com!), videos, photos, and salacious and/or professor-slamming blog posts as the Internet never forgets.

"The particular focus is the public nature of this," Tracy Tyree, Susquehanna University's dean of student life, told The AP. "That seems to be what surprises students most. They think of it as part of their own little world, not a bigger electronic world."

Many schools are running the equivalent of drivers' ed crash videos, featuring students discussing what they posted and how they wish they could take it back.

Via USA Today

Macs hacked at Black Hat

You know how Windows are holier than Swiss cheese and Macs are air tight? Not so much.

That's what security researchers at Ye Olde Black Hat Confab proved this week when they showed attendees how they took control of a MacBook by exploiting buggy code in wireless device drivers.

If you've got a friend who's an Apple zealot and keeps shouting "I'M A MAC!" at you, send 'em this link and enjoy.

And is that "I'm a Mac/I'm a PC" campaign akin to daring hackers? Perhaps says David Maynor, one of the researchers who found the vulnerability:

"I've got to be honest, those Mac commercials, they just jump right out at you."

Via Computerworld

UK bans Dell TV ad

The U.K. advertising watchdog council has banned a Dell TV ad claiming it's misleading consumers.

Nearly two dozen citizens of the Crown complained that a Dell TV ad offering an Inspiron notebook for £299 ($13.75 U.S.*) was misleading given the cost was listed as £349 ($21.47*) online. Two other customers say the price jumped to £349 once they selected it.

Dell defended the move by saying the new price reflected an "updated service package," which was "accepted industry practice." Well, you'll sure as hell need a service package if you buy a Dell.

Via The Inquirer

* No one getting the joke today? (Ed. - It wasn't that good)

Is SETI covering up alien signals?

There's a big interspace brouhaha going on as one "professional SETI watcher" claims the organization is covering up the discovery/detection of signals from outer space.

According to The Register: "Steven Greer, the CEO of Space Energy Access Systems, claimed that insiders told him that SETI discovered a high concentration of signals from space, and that another organization stepped in to block those signals. SETI, however, maintains that it has not seen any signals of note."

Greer, who says his secret source would be well-known to the public, shared his information on the Coast to Coast radio show hosted by Art Bell, a tin hat of the highest order.

Is Greer blowing smoke? And could his secret SETI source have an IT link? The Register thinks out loud.

Via The Register

Goof off at work without getting caught

Wanna leisurely read your favorite sites at work without getting caught?

Yet you've always got someone sneaking up behind you with unrestricted access to what's on your monitor?

This site may be for you. Happy procrastination.

Via Waxy

What Microsoft's Zune really looks like

So you know what everyone thought Microsoft's Zune looked like (see left)? They were wrong.

Now the "final design" is out and it's here. And, not surprisingly, it kinda looks like a Windows Media Player window. And, also not surprising, it ain't white.

Lots of debate over how big the drive will be and what bells and whistles it'll have. And there are claims Zune will be available before Thanksgiving.

But we know one thing: There won't be enough units to go around, which Microsoft will blame on a headphone shortage or something. But, we wonder, can you have a shortage of something no one wants?

Via The Register

Women prefer gadgets to shoes

A new survey by the woman-powered Oxygen Network indicates women prefer tech gadgets to more stereotypical fare, such as shoes. You go, girls.

According to USA Today: "[The] survey released Tuesday found that more than three out of four women said they'd choose the TV over a diamond solitaire necklace. Women preferred a top-of-the-line cell phone to designer shoes by a similar margin. And a little white iPod narrowly trumped a little black dress."

Sounds about right to us.

The story goes on to note that advertisers should not talk down to women when selling tech. Right on. And while you're at it - enough with the outdated and out-of-touch "stupid husband" commercials, too.

Via USA Today

IM won't signal death of English language

If you're concerned the proliferation of instant and text messaging is producing a generation of humans who speak in acronyms and don't know how to construct a good sentence, your fears are allayed.

Researchers at the University of Toronto studied 71 teens, comparing how they spoke and what they wrote in online conversations. The result was youth are mastering informal and formal language, shortchanging neither.

"[Teen-agers] are showing us that they have a really good command of the English language, so much so that I was really blown away by how fluidly they operate," Sali Tagliamonte, a professor of linguistics at the university, told EarthTimes.org.

YouTube knocks off MySpace

It seems like it had been months since we saw a plethora of "Most Popular Site on the Web" stories, now we can't swing Steve Ballmer's office chair without hitting one.

A few weeks ago we told you how MySpace bested Yahoo, Google, et. al. for the No. 1 site on the 'Net honors. Now research from "Internet analysis" firm Alexa claims YouTube is No. 1.

Writes The Guardian: "The video sharing site has taken a 3.9% share of global internet visits a day compared with 3.35% for MySpace."

And it looks like we'll soon have another No. 1 as YouTube may be considering an IPO, which will surely kill any momentum.

Best Web Department name ever

Lord knows we give AOL a ton of grief, but we've got to give credit where credit is due.

The beleaguered company has the absolute best department name ever: "Horizontal Consumer Experience."

And while it sounds like the group is HQ'd at the corner of 42nd and 8th, it's actually "the group that's, in part, building AIM Pages and other nifty things," reports Vallywag.

Man do we want that on our resume.

Homonyms trip up Apple

Oh, those wacky homonyms.

They're playing havoc with Apple this week in regards to a Chicago Tribune story on failing iPods.

The paper asked Apple spokesperson Natalie Kerris how long an average iPod would last. The Trib reported her answer as "four years." Kerris claims she said "for years."

Hmmm, whom do you believe?

Cingular to penalize TDMA, analog users

Hey, Cingular subscribers: Got an old phone? The carrier's gonna make you pay for it - literally.

Cingular will start charging $5 a month for you TDMA and analog foot-draggers who have not yet upgraded to GSM handsets.

The AP reports the new fee "will generate $23.5 million a month for Cingular" and hit 8% of its subscribers. Holy smokes.

Cingular is the only carrier to charge TDMA and analog users extra.

Via My Way News

DVR owners watching less TV

One would assume that those with DVRs watch more television, given that they're recording a plethora of TV, right? Well, you know what happens when you assume...

Research indicates DVR owners actually watch less TV than their non-Tivoing counterparts, a fact that is sending networks into a tizzy. Given the whole "skipping the ads" aspect of DVRs, the only thing networks like about the damn boxes is the possibility America is spending more time with their boob tube.

Upon hearing the news, CBS is deploying the 'ol "La, la, la, la, I can't hear you!" defense.

Wonder if Tivo will lose its Emmy over this.

Via tvtattle

New contest starts today

Not sure what we like most about this photo: that it has a "Project Runway" feel or that the guy looks like a slightly better-preserved David Lee Roth.

Either way, it's up to you to share your best by sending your wittiest words to layer8@nww.com by end of day Friday for your chance to win.

Latest contest winner

"Surf's up! Wait, now the surf's up! OK, the surf will be up early next year. Really."

It's always a tough go when it's a Microsoft-related photo and this week was no exception. Liam Dolan of Cincinnati came out on top, beating a fun field of entrants. See what the runners-up had to say after the jump, then head back here later today for the start of the next tilt.

Go on, read the whole thing ...

Posted: July 31, 2006 | Comments (0) | Permanent link

Another Microsoft live demo disaster

At some point, Microsoft's gotta stop doing live demos. They're like Charlie Brown and the football with these things.

The latest oopsie, a live demo of voice recognition software that tanked in front of a bunch of financial analysts.

Reports USA Today: "Instead of typing, 'Dear mom, as [presenter] Shanen Boettcher had instructed, the computer spurted out: 'Dear aunt.' "

That could have been much worse.

The story's actually pretty funny. Click here to see what the software did when given the "delete" command. And you can see the video here.

Via USA Today

Your summer TV guilty pleasure

Have we got a show for you this summer. There's something to appeal to the tech crowd, the nerd crowd and just plain 'ol freaks.

Who Wants To Be A Superhero? premiered on the Sci Fi Channel last Thursday and will debut another new stunner every Thursday at 9 p.m. The techie in us is rooting for Cell Phone Girl, who actually looks like American Idol's Katherine McPhee. Why? Her cell phone shoots fire, among other things. And her she's vulnerable to "areas with no cell-phone service (i.e., valleys, tunnels); [and] must recharge daily." Awesome!

We're also partial to Feedback, a software engineer who couldn't get time off from work to compete, so he just quit. Sweet. Plus he hysterically tanked the first challenge in the first episode.

If they're not your style there's also the guy who looks like Vin Diesel, the woman Martin Lawrence will probably sue for copyright infringement, the man who stole Magneto's helmet, and several more.

It's "so bad it's good" TV.

And if that wasn't enough, you've got Camera Hog Extraordinaire Stan Lee, who communicates to the superheroes via BlackBerry, but never calls it a BlackBerry. Sweet.

Tivo wins an Emmy

Tivo's done something we hope Jim Belushi will never do: win an Emmy.

Variety reports that the landmark DVR and ABC.com have both scored awards in the Interactive TV Emmy category. ABC.com won for its very popular streaming player, which let viewers watch recent episodes of hits "Desperate Housewives," "Lost," and "Grey's Anatomy" online - a move net admins across America no doubt thank them for.

Via tvtattle

Contact NetworkWorld.com Managing Editor Melissa Shaw

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