Spyware and adware, as well as new and emerging potentially unwanted programs, are among the top 10 threats currently affecting businesses and consumers, according to Webroot Software, the maker of SpySweeper.

These findings are based on research conducted by the Webroot dedicated in-house Threat Research Team, which is overseen by Richard Stiennon, the vice president of threat research. “The people who write this stuff are gaining sophistication in their
coding practices as they attempt to evade detection and removal,” said Stiennon. “These 10 are the most insidious programs in terms of prevalence and effect.”

The 10 most significant emerging spyware and adware threats based on
detection as well as potential impact:
(more…)

Corsair Memory, Inc., a global leader in ultra-performance DDR memory modules for PC gamers and enthusiasts, today announced the company’s entry into the flash media market with new families of USB 2.0 flash drives and Secure Digital (SD) cards.

AMD will today begin shipping the 90nm incarnations of its Opteron 1xx, 2xx and 8xx processor lines, The Register has learned.

The availability of the chips, confirmed by an AMD spokesman, means the company has made good its promise to ship the processors by the end of 2004 - though it only has around three weeks to make that happen.

The news comes a day after AMD announced it intends to incorporate its PowerNow! power preservation system into upcoming Opteron chips. Those chips are due to ship during H1 2005, the company said, so it’s clear they represent a second generation of 90nm Opteron rather than the ones being made available today.

In what quantities the 90nm Opterons are shipping is now known. AMD’s roadmap dubs the new chips ‘Venus’, ‘Troy’ and ‘Athens’, for the 1xx, 2xx and 8xx series, respectively

Source: The Register

Memory-Tech Corporation and Toshiba Corporation today announced that they have jointly developed a dual-layer ROM (read-only) disc that can store content in both the HD DVD and DVD formats.

The newly developed ROM disc has a single-sided, dual-layer structure. The upper layer, closer to the optical head, stores data in the DVD format, and the lower layer stores HD DVD data. The DVD layer has a 4.7GB capacity, satisfying specification of current DVD discs, while the HD DVD layer can store 15GB capacity. The DVD layer can be played back on currently available DVD players.

The new disc makes it possible for consumers to view DVD content on standard DVD players and, after purchasing an HD DVD player, to enjoy high definition content on the HD DVD layer from the same disc. The new disc structure also increases options for content providers; they can provide the same content in two formats, or use the HD DVD layer for a feature movie and the DVD layer to store promotional videos or audio content, including the movie sound track.

The new disc can be produced on Memory-Tech’s existing manufacturing lines, which can manufacture both HD DVD and DVD discs. The disc’s manufacturing cost is expected to be comparable with that of single-sided dual-layer DVD-ROM or HD DVD-ROM discs, as it has the same physical structure as those discs.

Apple may announce a 5GB iPod Mini next month, alongside the anticipated Flash iPod, reports on the web suggested this week.

It’s certainly an obvious upgrade, given that’s the capacity offered by almost all Mini rivals on the market today, such as Creative’s Zen Micro.

Most of the alternatives to the Apple player are based on Seagate’s 5GB, 1in hard drive, with a lesser number of vendors opting for a Toshiba product of comparable spec. The iPod Mini is currently based on a 4GB, 1in drive from Hitachi, it is believed. Whether the Mini update should be read as a capacity improvement on Hitachi’s part, or Apple has turned to another supplier, is not clear. Apple sources regular iPod and iPod Photo drives from Toshiba.

That Apple is preparing such an update comes from “reliable sources” cited by AppleInsider. The report also points to suggestions of new colour casings, though it admits such rumours remain unconfirmed.

That also goes for the talk of an iPod with integrated satellite radio to be found over on MP3newswire. It claims Apple may be planning to release a device that can receive signals from the US-based Sirius satellite radio service.

Either way, the updated Mini is said to be lined up for an early 2005 introduction, the same timeframe previously forecast for the Flash iPod.

Source: TheRegister