Google released a new version of its toolbar with a three new features.

The 3rd version of the popular tool bar adds SpellCheck which check your spelling whenever you type in web forms, WordTranslator - Translate English words into other languages and AutoLink (US only) - Turn street addresses into links to online maps.

AutoLink
The online review of a great new restaurant has the place’s address but no map. You could type the restaurant’s street, city, and ZIP code into the search box, but why bother, when clicking the Toolbar’s AutoLink button will automatically create a link to an online map (US addresses only)? AutoLink can also link package tracking numbers to delivery status, VIN numbers (US) to vehicle history, and publication ISBN numbers to Amazon.com listings.

WordTranslator
Ever need to translate words on English web pages into another language? Don’t bother looking up words one by one - just hover your mouse cursor over an English word and Toolbar’s WordTranslator will tell you what it means in your own language. WordTranslator currently supports translation from English into Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), Japanese, Korean, French, Italian, German and Spanish.

SpellCheck
ARe yu a raelly bad tyipsst? Google Toolbar’s new SpellCheck button finds any spelling mistakes whenever you type into a web form, including web-based email, discussion forums, and even intranet web applications. The AutoFix option even corrects all of your text with a single click.

Microsoft Corp. has released an update for its flagship Windows Media Player to protect users from a known threat of spyware infection.

Microsoft said the update installs two components on end users’ computers and will add “additional integrity checks to the DRM [digital rights management] system.”

The company made no mention of a spyware infection, but a spokesperson confirmed the new version of the player was released after Microsoft confirmed that malicious hackers were using the copy-protection mechanism to install spyware, adware, dialers and computer viruses on unsuspecting PC users.

Security experts had earlier warned that .wmv files were being rigged to user the anti-piracy mechanism to shuttle users to Web sites hosting malicious programs.

The changes will also set up a mechanism for DRM license issuers to verify that each user’s computer has been updated before issuing or renewing licenses.

Microsoft urged users to update the Windows Media Format run-time components.

Source: eWeek

Blogs were buzzing Tuesday about the resurgence of an old technique for recording music on a computer, reapplied to Napster’s all-you-can-eat subscription music plan. Using software freely available from America Online’s Winamp division, it’s possible to turn Napster’s copy-protected downloads into unprotected files that can be burned by the hundreds or even thousands freely to CDs.

For now, Napster and other content providers are saying the “hack” isn’t dangerous to their subscription model, even though it can result in the creation of unprotected, fairly high-quality music files.

Source: News.com

Symantec this week officially joined the parade of security vendors taking on spyware in the enterprise, adding real-time monitoring and protection from spyware and adware and enhancing the company’s spyware removal capabilities.

Both Symantec Client Security 3.0 and Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition 10.0, available in March, will automatically detect and remove the malicious programs and provide repair tools for damage done by those programs.

As opposed to McAfee Inc.’s anti-spyware solution, which was announced yesterday and is offered as an add-on to existing products, Cupertino, Calif.-based Symantec Corp. will integrate the spyware capabilities directly into the company’s next enterprise AV (anti-virus) products.

Source: eWeek