Archive for February 2nd, 2007
According to security researchers, Windows Vista’s speech-recognition feature is flawed and hackers could use it to remotely force a PC to execute commands.Microsoft 
confirmed the vulnerability on Wednesday — a day after the consumer launch of the new operating system — when security researchers began offering details on how pranksters could exploit the speech technology. A malicious Web site, for example, could load an audio file that shouts commands to shut down the operating system without the user’s authorization.
While some security researchers believe Vista’s first public flaw is, in fact, serious, Microsoft is downplaying the risk, noting that a targeted system’s speech-recognition feature would need to be configured correctly for the attack to be successful.
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February 2nd, 2007
Vista continued to eclipse technology news headlines on Thursday as everybody from industry analysts to tech bloggers to home users chime in on the arrival of Microsoft ’s latest operating system.It seems few of Vista’s hundreds of features are left to review. News reports are focusing on almost every aspect of the operating system. Although Vista is getting high praise on many fronts, some reviewers are pointing out issues such as game glitches, problematic voice-command features, and DVD restrictions.
As Bill Gates continues his marketing blitz — the chairman of Microsoft even appeared on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” and unveiled a virtual version of his collection of Leonardo da Vinci’s scientific musings at the British Library on Tuesday — some analysts are concerned that consumers might be focusing too much on the wrong part of the computing experience.
Click here to read the rest of this story on NewsFactor.
February 2nd, 2007
Two technology heavyweights are going back to their corners this week, and might be preparing to call an early draw in what could otherwise be a lengthy trademark fight.On Wednesday, Cisco agreed to give Apple more time to respond to the trademark suit it filed against the Mac-maker on January 10, the day after Apple declared to the world that it had “reinvented the phone.”
Cisco took exception to Apple’s announcement, claiming its use of the iPhone name infringed on trademark rights Cisco had obtained with its purchase of InfoGear in 1996. The networking giant’s suit claims Apple’s use of the iPhone trademark will cause confusion among customers.
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February 2nd, 2007
The holiday shopping season might be over, but the game console war is still raging, with Sony calling the Wii an “impulse buy” and Nintendo bragging about shipment volumes that dwarf the PlayStation 3’s numbers.For all the industry trash-talking, though, hard data offers better insight into consumer buying behavior. Nintendo sold 1.8 million Wii consoles in the holiday quarter, while Sony shipped 750,000 PS3s, according to the NPD Group. It should be noted, however, that the PS3 has not yet launched in Europe.
The price tag of the new consoles might be giving Nintendo an upper hand in its battle against rival Sony. At $249, the Wii sells for half the cost of the lowest-priced PlayStation 3. Meanwhile, Microsoft ’s Xbox 360, which sells for $299 or $399, depending on the model, sold two million in the holiday quarter.
Click here to read the rest of this story on NewsFactor.
February 2nd, 2007
