First Cell-Phone Virus Just a Test

June 17, 2004 D. H. McKee
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Hacking

Cabir, the first virus to infect cell phones , was not designed to propagate massively, but rather to demonstrate that these kinds of devices can be infected by malicious code.
"This is a proof-of-concept worm," Patrick Hinojosa, CTO of Panda Software, told NewsFactor. "We won't see it spread very rapidly, because there are a number of physical limitations to keep it from mass replicating."
The Cabir code spreads to devices that run on the Symbian OS, which is used in many models of phones, including some manufactured by Nokia, Siemens and Sony Ericcson.

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Bush again insists Saddam had links to al Qaeda

June 17, 2004 D. H. McKee
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Politics

US President George W. Bush has insisted that Saddam Hussein had "connections" with al-Qaeda, despite an official report that found no credible evidence of operational ties between the two.
The link, frequently cited by President Bush and top aides as a reason for going to war to oust the former Iraqi dictator, has been called into question by the commission probing the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Mr Bush says Saddam was a threat because he was a sworn enemy of the US, with al-Qaeda connections and links to other terrorist organisations.
However, the national inquiry commission said there was no "credible evidence" that Iraq had helped al-Qaeda to attack the United States and no sign of any "collaborative relationship" between Baghdad and the group.

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No more Moore!

June 17, 2004 D. H. McKee
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Politics

While the White House and the Republican National Committee have taken an official "no comment" approach to Michael Moore and his new anti-Bush documentary Fahrenheit 9/11, some conservatives have mobilized a letter-writing campaign and crafted ads that slam the film and its maker.
Fahrenheit 9/11, which won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, attacks President Bush's rationale for the war in Iraq and accuses him and his administration of manipulating the Sept. 11 terror attacks and fostering fear for political gain.
It is set for release on June 25, debuting on at least 500 screens, with plans to expand to hundreds more in the coming weeks.
One of the organizations rallying against Moore is Move America Forward, a pro-Bush group that evolved months ago from the letter-writing campaign that led CBS to drop its controversial TV movie The Reagans.

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Selling Wi-Fi presents serious challenges

June 17, 2004 D. H. McKee
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Sci-Tech

Alas, wireless Internet may not be the technology sector's salvation after all.
Small companies, some publicly traded, are burning cash trying to turn Wi-Fi into viable business. Some have already shut down.
Faster than you can say "industry bubble," skeptics are asking whether wireless Internet connections will become similar to the wired Internet of the late 1990s -- hot but rarely profitable.

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New Intel chip to boost PC graphics

June 17, 2004 D. H. McKee
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Sci-Tech

Intel Corp., the world's largest chip maker, is set to launch Thursday a highly-anticipated new chip designed to sharply improve and expand the power of personal computers.
Intel is expected Thursday to officially mark the launch of its Grantsdale chip set, which will work in tandem with Pentium processors to give PCs more powerful sound and graphics, a speedier link for peripherals and memory, and give desktop PCs the ability to run a wireless data network.
Having those features built into the core components of a computer could be essential to Intel's strategy as it tries to turn the PC into the heart of home entertainment.

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Former diplomats call for Bush ouster

June 17, 2004 D. H. McKee
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Politics

The Bush administration's foreign policy in Iraq and elsewhere has been a "disaster," and President Bush should not be re-elected, a group of former diplomats and military leaders say in a newly released statement.
The group, called Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change, held a news conference Wednesday to explain why its members feel "the need for a major change in the direction of our foreign policy," and underscore that they believe their concerns are bipartisan.
A statement from the group notes its more than two dozen members include Democrats and Republicans who have "served every president since Harry S. Truman."

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U.S. hiding prisoner from Red Cross

June 17, 2004 D. H. McKee
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Politics

The U.S. military has been improperly holding a suspected Iraqi terrorist in a prison near Baghdad for more than seven months without informing the Red Cross, the Pentagon said on Thursday.
Defense officials confirmed that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld ordered military officials to hold the suspected member of the Ansar al-Islam guerrilla group last November at the request of then-CIA Director George Tenet without telling the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told Reuters the United States was now moving to end the shadowy status of the man, who was not identified, and allow access to him by the ICRC.
Both assigning a prisoner number and notifying the Red Cross are required under the Geneva Conventions and other international humanitarian laws.

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Wireless worm appears

June 16, 2004 D. H. McKee
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Hacking

A newly detected worm spreads among mobile phones using the Bluetooth wireless technology, according to security firm F-Secure.
Called Cabir, the worm targets phones that use the Symbian Ltd. Series 60 operating system, according to F-Secure officials. When a user unwittingly installs the worm on a phone, the malicious code activates and starts looking for other Bluetooth devices to infect. It sends itself as a file called caribe.sis, which the user must accept and install to activate the worm.
Cabir is the first mobile phone virus to be detected, according to F-Secure officials. Although it does not appear to cause any damage, it shows that virus writers have the ability to attack phones, said Matias Impivaara, business manager of mobile security services at F-Secure.

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German dogs get their own Lederhosen

June 16, 2004 D. H. McKee
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Weird

Dogs in the German state of Bavaria can now blend in with the local Alpine scenery wearing the same traditional attire worn by their owners -- lederhosen.
Dogwear designer Hildegard Bergbauer, who also makes Tyrolean mountain hats and rainwear for canines, said the leather outfits were best suited for dachshunds and other small dogs but also looked good on poodles, spaniels and boxers.
"There are lederhosen for the dogs and Dirndls for the bitches," she said on Wednesday.

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Gene cure found for cheating lovers

June 16, 2004 D. H. McKee
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Sex

What would you give for a simple injection that would stop your lover from cheating?
Well, at least it works for meadow voles.
A single gene inserted into the brain can change promiscuous male rodents into faithful, monogamous partners, scientists said on Wednesday.

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