Microsoft is currently busy working on its latest flagship operating system codename Longhorn, but for those running 32Bit hardware you may be left out when the OS is finally released.

According to sources, Microsoft Windows Longhorn will only be available for 64Bit processors and not for 32Bit. The purereason why MS would only compile a 64Bit and not swing both ways is rather unclear at the moment. We can only speculate that since Longhorn has a few years till its official unveiling, Microsoft thinks that by that time 64Bit will be the norm and 32Bit would have fazed out.

Source: spdrivers.net

cyber flash has discovered two vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer, which can be exploited by malicious people to bypass a security feature in Microsoft Windows XP SP2 and trick users into downloading malicious files.

1) Microsoft Windows XP SP2 has a security feature which warns users when opening downloaded files of certain types. The problem is that if the downloaded file was sent with a specially crafted “Content-Location” HTTP header in some situations, then no security warning will be given to the user when the file is opened.

2) An error when saving some documents using the Javascript function “execCommand()”, can be exploited to spoof the file extension in the “Save HTML Document” dialog.

Successful exploitation requires that the option “Hide extension for known file types” is enabled (default setting).

A combination of vulnerability 1 and 2 can be exploited by a malicious website to trick a user into downloading a malicious executable file masqueraded as a HTML document.

The vulnerabilities have been confirmed on a fully patched system with Internet Explorer 6.0 and Microsoft Windows XP SP2.

Solution:
Disable Active Scripting support and the “Hide extension for known file types” option.

Researchers at electronics giant TDK have developed a tough new coating that promises to make scratched DVDs a thing of the past and that will help usher in an emerging data storage format with 10 times the capacity of the current DVD standard.

In a test conducted by CNET News.com, a DVD treated with TDK’s coating survived a determined attack with a screwdriver and a Sharpie permanent marker with no effect on playability–a remarkable feat considering how easily standard DVDs can be damaged, for example, by children.

Earlier this year, Japan-based TDK began selling blank recordable DVDs treated with its patent pending polymer. The coating has also been endorsed by the industry group behind the next-generation DVD format known as Blu-ray Disc, which has faced significant concerns over its susceptibility to scratches. On Tuesday, Hewlett-Packard said it will include Blu-ray drives in its PCs starting in late 2005, thanks in part to improvements made possible by TDK’s technology. PC giant Dell is also supporting Blu-ray.

DVD-Rs coated with TDK’s novel polymer, billed as armor plated with UV protection, currently cost $5.99 each. That’s significantly more than the average $1 price for most standard DVD-Rs. But prices could fall quickly once manufacturing volumes kick up. Less than three years ago, uncoated DVD-R discs sold for around $6 each.

Source: News.com