Matsushita lets you feel the music

And how is the music sir? Like a traditional sommelier would recommend the best wine to go with your food, so Matsushita's Musicsommelier technology suggests the best music to go with your mood. In an attempt to let the user make sense of the huge resource of music available online, the Musicsommelier interface technology classifies music according to its emotive feel. The system evaluates a piece of music through five emotive qualities: how soft, simple, refreshing, dynamic and exciting it is, and to what extent. ...more

Next-gen phishing threats loom large in 2007

Experts warn of new type of phishing attack that acts as a middle man between victim and genuine site. Encryption company RSA discovered a 'universal' phishing kit that can be easily configured by phishing gangs to target new victims quickly. Fraudsters who want to start a phishing attack do not have to purchase or prepare a bespoke phishing kit for each target. ...more

Javascript disclosure vulnerability claims Netscape

Netscape has been added to the list of browsers suffering the javascript engine information disclosure vulnerability. The flaw was revealed earlier this week and also affects Firefox, Camino and Mozilla. Described as moderately critical, the vulnerability could be exploited to access potentially sensitive information. ...more

Nintendo online future still shaky

Online gaming is set to be 'fairly niche for a long time' - that's the damning verdict of Nintendo's US vice president of corporate affairs Perrin Kaplan, speaking at a press event in Las Vegas recently. Kaplan reiterated Nintendo's stance, namely that online gaming, so enthusiastically seized upon by Sony and Microsoft, does not appeal to a wide enough audience to make for a profitable business model. 'I think some of our interests instead lie in building community on the wireless play front as opposed to the online one,' said Kaplan, when questioned on the future of online games. ...more

AI to aid astronauts in search for life on Mars

NASA researchers are developing new tools to help them look for life on Mars. Scientists working in Spain are testing new sensors that will help future astronauts to look for the telltale signs of life. The BBC reports that the tools have artificial intelligence built in to explore the Martian landscape. ...more