Larger companies take more than their fair share of virus damage

Half of UK businesses suffered from virus infections according to a new survey from the DTI. Preliminary results from the biennial Information Security Breaches Survey show that last August's Blaster worm was the biggest headache in 2003, particularly for large companies for which the worm was the culprit in more than half of infections. In fact big business suffered unduly - of all companies one would expect the big players to take security the most seriously with latest in antivirus software and system security. ...more

Hackers claim to have cracked new "secure" Xbox

Two competing teams of hackers claim to have cracked the new 'secure' Version 2 of the Xbox in under a week. The teams claim that their modifications opens the door to allow the Xbox to perform a number of tricks that Microsoft and graphics chip designer Nvidia would prefer it didn't. Team Xecuter say that their device, which they expect to be selling shortly at around $45 will enable modifiers to run alternate operating systems like Linux and play 'homebrew' code as well as imports and code from all regions. ...more

Rogue Amoeba criticises triumph of style over substance in 'hypeware' Mac apps

A prominent Mac software maker has criticised the recent trend in development circles for 'hypeware' that has more to do with style than substance. Rogue Amoeba, which is responsible for applications including Audio Hijack and Airfoil, says that in the past 12 months or so Mac development has shifted from producing applications that provide new functionality to applications with 'flash and sizzle' and plenty of marketing hype. 'This had created something of a toxic atmosphere in the Mac development world,' writes Paul Kafasis on the Rogue Amoeba blog. ...more

Digital revenues split Hollywood and its writers

Growing resistance from writers and actors, who want a bigger slice from the sale of digital media, may slow Hollywood's rush to offer programs on the Web, iPods and cell phones. Compensation for digitally delivered media threatens to be among the more hotly debated topics in contracts talks with unions representing writers, actors and directors over the next two years and could hold up some studios' plans, industry experts said. 'There's a lot of confusion out there for the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), along with the other guilds, like the Writers and Directors' Guilds,' said Mike McNulty, national director of communications for SAG. ...more

Microsoft, IBM back AMD64

'The future is 64-bit computing', claimed AMD founder and chairman, Jerry Sanders. And with that pronouncement, his company's new CPU strategy was born. Gone are x86-64 and the codenames based around blunt instruments (Clawhammer/Sledgehammer). ...more