Analysis: Crime and punishment

Internet-based crime is growing in the corporate and public consciousness, and the problem is certainly given high billing by the government. It set up the National High-Tech Crime Unit (NHTCU) in April 2001 and after nearly two years' experience with technically savvy perpetrators and the businesses that have been targeted by them, the NHTCU has sent out a harsh warning - to the business community. It seems businesses have been less than willing to report security breaches, no matter how big or small, and one can see their point. ...more

Printers leak privacy info on every page

An Internet civil rights body has discovered that many printers add an arrangement of yellow dots to each page printed that can allow the authorities to identify the time and date of printing and serial number of the device. 'We've found that the dots from at least one line of printers encode the date and time your document was printed, as well as the serial number of the printer,' said Staff Technologist Seth David Schoen of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). The group looked at printers from many big name brands, such as Xerox, Canon, Epson, Dell and HP, and found that the printers printed these codes onto every page. ...more

Kodak comes over free and easy

Kodak has released the latest version of its photo software as a free download. The EasyShare software is geared to optimise your prints and features a 'One touch to better pictures' button, that automatically changes the print and ink settings on more than 70 inkjet printers to get the best results for photographic prints. It will also find all images on the system and organise them into a single album of thumbnails, allows you to name individual and groups of pictures for easy organising and offers one step image enhancements red-eye reduction, cropping and light correction. ...more

40GB iPod

Apple has boosted the capacity of its iPod line-up, with new 20GB and 40GB models at the same prices as the 15GB and 30GB players they replace. The 40GB iPod therefore costs ?399 and the 20GB is ?299. The 10GB model is unchanged at ?249. ...more

Online gambling ads face crackdown

The Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell warned online gambling companies to clean up their act when it came to advertising. Speaking at the Annual General Meeting of the British Casino Association she said that she was concerned by the increase in potentially illegal advertising for the online gambling operators and warned that any company caught flouting the laws would be prosecuted. Under the Gaming Act of 1968 it is illegal for an advert to offer any incentive, inducement or encouragement to gamble. ...more