A cruel Gruel virus is stalking Windows

A virus writer with an anti-Windows agenda is trying to cause havoc with the Gruel virus. Described by Sophos as a mass-mailing worm, Gruel also causes damage to your Windows installation. It deletes files from the system folder, changes the default association for . ...more

Virus writers pledge a poisoned love for Valentine's day

Virus writers are already gearing up for Valentine's Day, with a couple of early mass-mailers. According to UK security company Sophos, Kipis-H and VBSWG-D are already running amok, playing on hopes that inboxes will be filled with impassioned admissions of desire, come next Monday. Kipis-H is a regular mass-mailer with the message: 'With the coming Valentine's day! I very much love you. ...more

Apple determined to keep control over iPhone software

Steve Jobs is determined that Apple will retain tight control over the software that can be loaded on an iPhone and has no plans to open the handset to third-party developers. The Apple CEO told the New York Times that he does not want users to be able to load software from all and sundry only for the phone to cease to function. 'We define everything that is on the phone,' he said. ...more

Music downloading pumps up the volume, again

Unauthorised P2P music downloads are on the up again, after six months of steady decline, according to the latest figures from the NPD Group. The news will undoubtedly disappoint the record industry, which welcomed the effect that the RIAA's legal pursuit of file sharers had on the volume of swapped MP3s. The RIAA has certainly succeeded in widening public awareness, particularly in the US, that sharing copyrighted content could result in prosecution and fines, and it would seem that the total number of people sharing music has declined. ...more

UPDATED: Pioneer admits to faulty DVD-R drives

A number of Pioneer-manufactured DVD-R drives "may cause damage to both the loaded disc and to the drive/recorder" if used with new, faster DVD media. The company has issued a statement detailing which drive mechanisms and DVD players are affected, which PC manufacturers use them and where you can download the fix. The problem is not with the 4x DVD-R or 2x DVD-RW media, but with the drive itself. ...more