Latest news and stories from BleepingComputer.com http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/forum2.html Latest news and stories from BleepingComputer.com Sun, 08 Nov 2009 07:54:35 EST http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/forum2.html en Malwarebytesand#39; accuses IOBits of stealing their programs malware definitions http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic268858.html Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 EST http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic268858.html The Malwarebytes', or MBAM, team announced today that IOBit, a software developer located in China, has been purposely stealing their malware definitions and incorporating it into their Security 360 product. As IOBit has been marketing their new security product strongly lately, this accusation could make their Security 360 product short lived.

It started with the MBAM team discovering a forum thread at the IOBit forum with a user questioning the scan results from their new Security 360 product. The scan result is:

Dont.Steal.Our.Software.A, File, G:\Nothing Much\Anti-Spyware\Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware v1.39\Key_Generator.exe, 9-30501

The definition classification of Don't.Steal.Our.Software.A. is the exact same one that Malwarebytes' uses in their virus definitions for various MBAM serial code generators. The MBAM staff found it strange that IOBit would detect MBAM keygens and at the same time use the classification that they themselves made up. This led them to become suspicious and to dig deeper into the IOBit virus definitions. What they discovered was that this was not a unique incident and that there were other definitions that were copied directly from their database as well.

To finally confirm that they were indeed stealing their definitions, MBAM created a definition for a fake and nonexistent Rogue program called Rogue.AVCleanSweepPro and created fake and harmless test files to go along with this test. This is not a real infection and was made up by the Malwarebytes' development team in order to catch IOBit in the act. Therefore, the only place this definition should exist is in the Malwarebytes program definitions. Within two weeks, though, IOBit was flagging this same infection under almost the exact same names. So let's recap. A company makes up a program and two weeks later it appears in another company's program? Seems pretty obvious that they are stealing their definitions.

Malwarebytes` has also stated that they have discovered that IOBit may have stolen definitions from other competitors databases as well. At this time we do not who these other competitors are and what was stolen. This is not the first time that malware definitions have been stolen from competitors, but no matter how you look at it, this is a criminal act as the virus definitions are the intellectual property of the creators.

After the announcement, there has been a strong community outcry on the purported behavior of IOBit as seen by the Malwarebytes's announcement topic listed below. As IOBit is located in China, there has not been much of a response back from them as of yet. The only thing we have seen are threads being deleted from the IOBit forums when the subject is broached, and just recently, and new thread created by a IOBit staff member that is supposed to be used to post questions about the accusations by Malwarebytes'.

We will continue to cover this and provide any updates as we get them.

 

 Link: Malwarebytes' Announcement
 Link: IOBit's Accusation Thread
]]> 100 Core CPU Announced http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic267283.html Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 EST http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic267283.html
QUOTE
Forget dual-core and quad-core processors: A semiconductor company promises to pack 100 cores into a processor that can be used in applications that require hefty computing punch, like video conferencing, wireless base stations and networking. By comparison, Intel’s latest chips are expected to have just eight cores.


From: Wired]]> Windows 7 takes to the streets with a series of launch events near youand#33; http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic266419.html Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 EST http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic266419.html With the launch of Windows 7, Microsoft has taken to the streets of New York City and throughout the rest of the country with a series of launch events.

Starting on October 23rd, Microsoft and HP will be hosting a series of events located in stores around NYC. The stores will contains demos of new HP hardware running Windows 7 as well as contests and giveaways. The list of the stores where these events will take place is:

 

Store
Time
Location
Office Depot10 a.m. - 4 p.m.1441 Broadway
Staples10 a.m. - 4 p.m.5-9 Union Square Street
Best Buy1 p.m. - 7 p.m.60 W 23rd Street
Best Buy 1 p.m. - 7 p.m.1280 Lexington Ave.
Best Buy1 p.m. - 7 p.m.1880 Broadway

Microsoft and HP are also sponsoring events featuring NBA players over the next several weeks to promote Windows 7, including a sweepstakes promotion that will award six trips for two to the 2010 NBA Playoffs and one trip for two to the NBA Finals. Secondary prizing will include HP and Microsoft product and/or NBA-themed merchandise - including seven notebooks given away every week. The list of NBA players and locations can be found below:

Player
Location
Date
Time
Store
Address
Eric "Sleepy" FloydWashington DCOct. 24th1 p.m. - 4 p.m.Best Buy3401 Jefferson Davis Hwy,
Alexandria, VA 22305
BJ ArmstrongChicagoOct. 31st1 p.m. - 3 p.m.Best Buy1000 W. North Ave
Chicago, Il. 60622
Dominique Wilkins AtlantaNov. 7th12 p.m. - 2 p.m.Best Buy1875 Pleasant Hill Rd
Duluth, GA 30096
TBDPhiladelphia Nov. 15th1 p.m. - 3 p.m.Best Buy2300 S Christopher Columbus Blvd
Philadelphia, PA 19148
Earl MonroeNew YorkNov. 21st 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.Best Buy52 E. 14th Street #64
New York, NY 10003
Clyde DrexlerHoustonNov. 29th1 p.m. - 3 p.m.Best Buy5133 Richmond Ave
Houston, TX 77056
Kareem Abdul Jabbar Los AngelesDec. 5th1 p.m. - 3 p.m.Best Buy2909 Los Feliz Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90039
 

All in all, these events look like a lot of fun for both geeks and basketball fans.

 

 Link: HP “WIN IN 7” SWEEPSTAKES Information
]]> and#036;29.99 Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade for College students http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic260220.html Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 EST http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic260220.html Microsoft announced recently that they are offering a very good deal for college students in the United State and in the United Kingdom. This deal allows students to purchase a Windows 7 Home Premium license for $29.99 compared to the normal price of $119.99.


This promotion ends on January 3rd, 2010 and after that it will go back to normal pricing for college students. So if you are in college, this is too good of a deal to pass up. Even if you do not plan on upgrading immediately, it would be a smart decision to take advantage of this promotion in order to get Windows 7 at such a great price for a future upgrade.

The links to the related sites are below.


 Link: United States Windows 7 Promotion Site
 Link: United Kingdom Windows 7 Promotion Site
]]> Matteland#39;s Mindflex: One of the geekiest and coolest toys for the holidays http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic258469.html Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 EST http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic258469.html During the 2009 CES show, Mattel showed off a cool toy called Mindflex. What makes this toy so cool is that the toy is operated via mind-control. Using your mind, you will need to navigate a small ball through an obstacle course. How well you can train your mind to display certain emotions or thoughts will determine how well you are able to play the game.

To play the game you wear a headset that contains headbands with electrodes and clips for your earlobes. The headset and clips will read the electrical impulses from your brain, and using the strength of these impulses, lower or raise a ball on a small jet of air. You then use a dial to move the ball to the left and to the right. In order to successfully navigate the obstacle course you will need to be able to train your mind to deliver the required intensity to raise or lower the ball as needed. Videos I have seen show that this game is not going to be easy and you will need to workout, or flex, your brain in order to properly navigate the game.




Mindflex is expected to ship on October 1st, 2009 for a price of $80 USD and is already ranked #11 in Amazon's toy department. Though pricey, this is going to be a hit item for the holidays and will probably sell out fast.


Link: Mattel's Mindflex Site
Link: Mindflex at Amazon
]]> HP unveils a new line of products for 2009 http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic257783.html Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 EST http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic257783.html HP today announced a new line of notebook and PCs for the consumer that includes the introduction of the new HP sub-brand Envy, the world's thinnest full-performance notebook, and a new sleek all-in-one PC.

The new HP Envy brand consists of a 13" and a 15" notebook, with the 13" model containing the brightest display in its class and weighing in under 4 pounds The 15" is being touted as HP's fastest consumer notebook PC ever. These notebooks are not cheap by any means with the Envy13 starting at $1,699 and the Envy15 starting at $1,799, but they are packed with high-performance components. For example, the Envy13 comes with a Intel Core 2 Due SL9400 processor and a ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 video card with 512MB dedicated graphics memory. The Envy15 comes with an Intel Core i7 processor and can have up to 16GB 1066Mhz DDR3 memory.

The Envy brand also consists of metal laser etching on the case to provide an interesting feeling and look to the notebook. The Envy notebooks also provide concierge customer support that consists of 24/7 dedicated toll-free support number where you will be able to speak to a Envy support professional for any problems you may run into. All support emails will usually be answered within one hour.



Envy15
Images of some of the products announced today by HP. Click on the picture above to see all of the images.


Another notebook that was announced today is the HP ProBook 5310M. This notebook is the world's thinnest full-performance notebook at 0.9 inches and weighing in at 3.7 pounds. This notebook consists of a Intel Core Duo SP9300 processor and has up to 7 hours of battery life. This model stats at $699.

Last, but not least, the HP MS200 All-In-One PC was announced today as well. This computer resembles a monitor, but in fact includes all of the PC components directly within it. With the screen being 18.5" diagonal and with a 16:9 widescreen display you have plenty of visual space to work with. The PC is also uncluttered as it contains built-in wire management so that the cables are not visible from the front.

For a full listing of all the products announced today by HP you can visit the link below.

Link: HP 2009 Lineup
Link: MS200 All-In-One PC Data Sheet
Link: HP Home and Office Store Deals

]]> Microsoft Ordered To Stop Selling Word http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic249130.html Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 EST http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic249130.html
QUOTE
Judge Leonard Davis, of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, ordered a permanent injunction that "prohibits Microsoft from selling or importing to the United States any Microsoft Word products that have the capability of opening .XML, .DOCX or DOCM files (XML files) containing custom XML," according to an announcement by the plaintiff, Toronto-based i4i Inc.


Article
Complaint (PDF)
Injunction (PDF)

The ban takes effect in 60 days and applies to Microsoft Word 2007 and 2003. Microsoft is expected to appeal.]]> Microsoft and Yahoo http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic245251.html Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 EST http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic245251.html http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ss...e_on_longs.html]]> 10 ways you might be breaking the law with your computer http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic245077.html Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 EST http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic245077.html 10 ways you might be breaking the law with your computer
Date: May 16th, 2008
Author: Debra Littlejohn Shinder
TechRepublic

Are you breaking laws using your computer? I read this 2008 article and thought this might interest our members. TR's discussion was based on the following issues:
#1: Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)
#2: No Electronic Theft (NET) Act
#3: Court rulings regarding border searches
#4: State laws regarding access to networks
#5: “Tools of a crime” laws
#6: “Cyberstalking” laws
#7: Internet Gambling laws
#8: Security Breach Disclosure laws
#9: Community Broadband Act of 2007
#10: Pro IP Act]]> Windows 7 available for pre-order at significant discounts http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic236829.html Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 EST http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic236829.html Windows 7 is being released October 22nd, 2009 and as of today, you have ability to pre-order Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Professional upgrades at about half off the estimated retail prices. This pre-order promotion is available through July 11 while supply lasts.

If you are planning on upgrading when Windows 7 is released, then these are some great deals. The Windows 7 Home Upgrade has a pre-order price of $49.99, compared to the normal price of $119.99, and the Windows 7 Professional Upgrade has a pre-order price of $99.99, compared to the normal price of $199.99.

Each pre-order purchase also allows you to buy up to 3 licenses, so you can upgrade all of your computers, purchase as a gift, or even sell it someone else!

However you look at it, this offer is a great deal and for those who are planning to upgrade to Windows 7, it's a sure win.

 Link: Windows 7 Pre-order Information
 Link: Pre-order Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade Now
 Link: Pre-order Windows 7 Home Professional Upgrade Now
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