SYDNEY – Wednesday 18 November 2009 – Sick of getting jocks and socks for birthdays and Christmas? Can’t tell Aunty Maude she’s already given you a foot spa? Are your parents stuck in a time-warp when it comes to choosing gifts? Fed up with returning gifts because your daughter-in-law is so fussy? Well, now your worries are over! It’s never been easier to give – and receive – the right gift!

Online selling site, The SOCExchange.com.au has officially launched a unique, new concept which enables site members to create their own customised wish list website for whatever occasion they ‘wish’. This new SOC feature takes the guess work out of gift giving as users can interact securely with their friends, family and colleagues who can instantly ‘gift’ them an item on their wish list.

“We identified what we see as a gap in the market and we’ve created a unique wish list platform, which can be used by any of our members to create their own, personalised wish list to share with family, friends and colleagues. We’ve made it easy and secure for people to give the perfect gift,” commented Franco Lagudi, Founder of TheSOCExchange.com.au.

“SOC members can create customised wish list pages for everything from weddings, engagements, anniversaries, christenings and birthdays, to graduations, buck’s or hen’s nights, Christmas, Easter, retirement parties, themed parties… you name it, the application for these lists is endless. These and lots of other new template themes are continually being added to the platform.”

“Now, when people join The SOC Exchange, they automatically get their own SOC Wish List site as well as membership to whichever of the four portals they join – buy & sell, careers, auto or real estate. This means that with The SOC Exchange, members get two fully loaded websites, with their own URLs, for a $10 per year site membership fee. Not only can you sell anything and everything online for just $10.00 per year, but now you can interact with family and friends in honour of any occasion,” Lagudi added.

All existing site members will now automatically have access to the new SOC Wish List functionality as part of their SOC membership.

SOC Exchange members can choose from a wide range of different SOC Wish List templates, many of which have cool flash features, or they can create their own banner from a photo of their favourite image. They can also add music or video, to tie in with their wish list theme, ie ‘Jingle Bells’ for Christmas lists.

Take the hassle out of ‘gifting’…

It can be incredibly hard to buy the right gift for people – even if you know them well. With the SOC Wish List, all you need to do is select the item you want to ‘gift’ from their wish list and then deposit the money via your credit card into their PayPal account. They can then purchase the chosen item themselves. It takes the guess work out of deciding which gifts are suitable. The days of store exchanging gifts are long gone!

The recipient receives a customised  e-card chosen by the ‘gifter’ that tells them whom has made the gift,  the amount that has been gifted and to what item the amount has been allocated. The person giving the gift also receives a copy of the e-card for their records. 

The SOC Wish List also enables ‘global gifting’, this means that people from anywhere in the world can make a gift to you in Australia. 

Another great feature is the fact that the gifter can choose to pay the PayPal charges, which means that the recipient gets the full amount for their gift spending spree.

“The introduction of our unique SOC Wish List portal in addition to the the range of other great user-add features like video and music, makes being a member of The SOC Exchange family even more valuable – and for the yearly membership fee of just $10, why wouldn’t you want to join in the fun?” Lagudi concluded.

To see what it’s all about, visit http://www.thesocexchange.com.au/biancapeter/wishlist 

OR 

http://www.thesocexchange.com.au/archer/wishlist 

(password is ‘patrick’)

AUSTRALIA – November 18, 2009 – Ubisoft announced today that players of Assassin’s Creed II on PlayStation® 3 and Xbox 360® will be able to use the in-game interface to connect directly to the Uplay beta. 

Uplay is Ubisoft’s online destination where gamers are at the center of a connected gaming universe that will be developed around four primary services: Uplay Win, Uplay Help, Uplay Share and Uplay Shop. The Uplay Beta is only launching with Uplay Win so far.

Uplay Win enables players to collect units based on their actions in the games and exchange them for rewards such as exclusive in-game content or goodies.  Uplay Win’s Units can also be gathered cross platform: PC,360, PS3.

In Assassin’s Creed II, a real Altaïr costume and exclusive in-game content such as access to the Auditore Family Crypt are among the rewards offered through Uplay Win. For those who don’t want to redeem their units right away, they can save them to use on other games such as the upcoming Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction and many more to come.

Players will also be able to access Uplay Share, Uplay Shop and Uplay Help from www.uplay.com.  

About Ubisoft

Ubisoft is a leading producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment products worldwide and has grown considerably through a strong and diversified line-up of products and partnerships. Ubisoft is present in 28 countries and has sales in more than 55 countries around the globe. It is committed to delivering high-quality, cutting-edge video game titles to consumers. For the 2008–09 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of 1.058 billion euros. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.

© 2009 Ubisoft Entertainment. All rights reserved. Assassin’s Creed, Ubisoft, Ubi.com, and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries. 

The “PS” family logo is a registered trademark and “PS3” is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. 

Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox Live, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft

Latest Norton Ghost is Windows 7 Compatible and Offers Blu-ray Disc Support

New Version Now Features Cold Imaging and ThreatCon Integration 

Sydney, Australia – November 18, 2009 – Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC), makers of Norton security software, announced today the worldwide release of Norton Ghost 15, one of the industry’s most advanced PC backup and recovery solutions. Windows 7 compatible Norton Ghost 15 now offers 25G and 50G Blu-ray Disc support. This version also introduces a new cold imaging feature that images computers without installing the product.  In addition, Norton Ghost uses Symantec’s powerful ThreatCon indicator to automatically back up PCs in the event of a severe security threat.  

Norton Ghost 15 is a robust and professional-grade backup solution for both home users and small businesses. With Norton Ghost, lost or damaged files can be recovered and restored in the event of a system failure, even if the computer’s operating system does not start. It also allows backup of an entire system or specific files and folders while saving recovery points to offsite locations using FTP.  Norton Ghost is also flexible, allowing users to decide when to back up their system, either on a schedule or based on an event. 

“Norton Ghost has been the essential imaging and recovery product since 1996,” said Dave Cole, senior director of consumer products, Symantec.  “Consumers PCs have never been more central to people’s lives, or more at risk due to cybercrime and critical failures. Ghost 15 not only is a powerful disaster recovery tool, but also it adds important features such as Windows 7 compatibility and Blu-ray Disc support to keep current with the way people are using their computers today.” 

In addition, Norton Ghost works with both 25G and 50G Blu-ray Discs and most storage drives, including external hard drives, networked drives, and recordable and rewritable CDs and DVDs.  It also includes a hot backups feature, which lets users back up their computers without having to shut it down first.  Norton Ghost is also supported by Windows 7 Bitlocker, providing enhanced data protection through drive encryption and integrity checking, keeping stored data safe and protected. 

Norton Ghost 15 now also includes cold imaging technology, which backs up files without installing the product, saving users time and money. After purchasing a new computer, users can image the PC immediately before any software is loaded so that factory settings remain intact.  Also, cold imaging allows easy back up of a system by simply booting to the recovery environment (a light version of the Windows operating system) from the Norton Ghost CD, and then initiating a backup.  

Backing up isn’t just about saving files from accidental data loss; these days computers can fall prey to damage from cybercriminals.  That’s why Norton Ghost 15 leverages Symantec’s ThreatCon, which uses intelligence from Symantec Security Response to automatically backup files whenever the landscape reaches a specific threat level.

Pricing and Availability

Norton Ghost 15 is now available for purchase through the Symantec Store at www.symantecstore.com.au, for AUS$99.99 and will be available in select retail locations in the coming weeks.  In addition, Norton offers other backup solutions including Norton Online Backup, which provides automatic protection for your important digital photos and files, and Norton 360, an all-in-one solution for protecting your PC and all your online activities. 

About Norton From Symantec

Symantec’s Norton products protect consumers from cybercrime with antivirus, anti-spyware and phishing protection, as well as bots, drive-by downloads and identity theft, while also being light on system resources. The company also provides services such as online backup and PC tuneup, and is a trusted source for family online safety. 

About Symantec

Symantec is a global leader in providing security, storage and systems management solutions to help consumers and organisations secure and manage their information-driven world.  Our software and services protect against more risks at more points, more completely and efficiently, enabling confidence wherever information is used or stored. More information is available at www.symantec.com.au.

Plantronics Wins Prestigious ‘Best of CES Innovations’ 2010 Design and Engineering Award  

Industry Accolades Continue for Plantronics Savi Office, Plantronics Discovery 975, Plantronics Voyager PRO and BackBeat 903  

Sydney, Australia – November 16, 2009 – Plantronics, Inc (NYSE: PLT) today announced that the Savi Office Wireless Headset System has been named a Best of International CES Innovations 2010 Design and Engineering Awards Winner in the Headphones category.  

Plantronics also announced that three of its latest Bluetooth products have been named CES Innovations Design and Engineering Awards Honourees in four competitive categories. The Plantronics Discovery 975 Bluetooth Earpiece was recognised in the Wireless Handsets Accessories and In-Vehicle Accessories categories, the Plantronics Voyager PRO Bluetooth Headset was recognised in the Wireless Handsets Accessories category and the BackBeat 903 Stereo Headphones in the Headphones category. 

Products entered in this prestigious program are judged by an esteemed panel of independent industrial designers, engineers and members of the media to honour outstanding design and engineering in cutting-edge products across 36 product categories. 

“Plantronics prides itself on developing products that promise innovative audio technology combined with usability, comfort and style that exceed our customers’ expectations,” said Graeme Gherbaz, Managing Director, Plantronics Australia and New Zealand. “To have the Savi Office Wireless Headsets and three of our Bluetooth products honoured at the ‘Best of CES Innovations’ 2010 Design and Engineering Awards’ is a testament to our commitment to breaking new ground in Unified Communications and audio technologies.  Winning these new awards will further enhance Plantronics’ leadership in our region.” 

CES Innovations Design and Engineering Awards

The prestigious Innovations Design and Engineering Awards have been recognising achievements in product design and engineering since 1976. They are sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)^®, the producer of the International CES, the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow. The awards are also endorsed by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA), the voice of industrial design, committed to advancing the profession through education, information, community and advocacy. 

All of Plantronics’ Innovations award winning products will be on display during the 2010 International CES, January 7-10, at the Las Vegas Convention Centre. The Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase will feature winning products by product category in the Grand Lobby of the Las Vegas Convention Centre and will also be featured at CES Unveiled: The Official Press Event of the International CES on Tuesday, January 5.

 The Innovations entries are judged based on the following criteria:

• Engineering qualities, based on technical specs and materials used
• Aesthetic and design qualities, using photos provided
• The product’s intended use/function and user value
• Unique/novel features that consumers would find attractive
• How the design and innovation of the product compares to other products in the marketplace 

Products chosen as an Innovations honouree reflect innovative design and engineering of the entries. Examples may include first time various technologies that are combined in a single product or dramatic enhancements to previous product designs. 

Innovations 2010 Design and Engineering honouree products are featured on www.CSweb.org/Innovations, which lists product categories, as well as each product name, manufacturer information, designer, description, photo and URL. 

Plantronics’ CES Innovations Honouree products for 2009 include: 

Plantronics Savi Office

Plantronics Savi Office is a multi-function wireless headset system for Unified Communications that enables calling from both desk phones and computer softphones (VoIP).  Savi Office supports softphone applications from leading providers, including Avaya, Cisco, IBM, and Microsoft, and other popular services, such as Google Talk and Skype with high-end wideband audio 

In addition to basic call switching, Savi Office delivers advanced call control that enables the audio from the desk phone and the computer to be put on hold, muted or mixed together for easy conferencing. The system supports leading multimedia players so users can also listen to music and videos without missing a call. Savi Office uses the DECT™ voice-dedicated frequency, providing users 100 meters of range from the base.  Savi Office features adaptive power, meaning the headset uses less battery power when it is closer to the base system. 

Plantronics Voyager PRO

The Plantronics Voyager PRO headset provides the industry’s most advanced noise-cancelling and wind noise reduction technology. Winner of the coveted Editors’ Choice awards from CNET and PC Magazine, the Plantronics Voyager PRO features AudioIQ², next generation digital signal processing (DSP) technology, to deliver superior noise and wind cancellation as well as rich, natural inbound audio so you can hear and be heard clearly. Ideal for mobile professionals, Plantronics Voyager PRO is extremely comfortable and the battery provides up to six hours of talk time before having to recharge.

Plantronics Discovery 975

The Plantronics Discovery 975 headset, also a CNET Editor’s Choice award winner, is the perfect blend of innovative design and advanced audio technology. It provides ingeniously simple one-touch controls and is perfect for quick on/off wearing. The sleek, elegant design houses sophisticated technology, including AudioIQ² DSP technology with dual-microphones to cancel background noise and three layers of WindSmart® technology to minimise wind noise. It comes with an innovative rechargeable carrying case with LCD screen that can triple talk time from 5 hours to up to 15 hours. 

Plantronics BackBeat 903

Designed for active lifestyles, the BackBeat 903 Stereo Bluetooth Headphones provide wireless stereo music listening and calls in a light, flexible, behind-the-neck wearing style. The BackBeat 903 Headphones combine audio and voice technologies from Plantronics to provide brilliant, full-spectrum stereo sound and call support for most music-enabled mobile phones, including the Apple iPhone 3GS, Palm Pre and new Verizon Droid. 

About Plantronics

Plantronics is a world leader in personal audio communications for professionals and consumers. From unified communication solutions to Bluetooth headsets, Plantronics delivers unparalleled audio experiences and quality that reflect nearly 50 years of innovation and customer commitment. Plantronics is used by every company in the Fortune 100 and is the headset of choice for air traffic control, 911 dispatch and the New York Stock Exchange. 

Please contact with your local Plantronics sales office to know those products’ local availability information. To learn more about Plantronics headsets, please visit: www.plantronics.com.au.

Intel Architecture Driving Future of Supercomputing

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

• 402 systems on Top500 list feature Intel processors, including three in top 10
• Intel announces that new HPC-optimised Nehalem-EX processor will be available in 2010
• Beta program for Intel’s Ct technology will be available by end of 2009

SYDNEY, Australia – Nov. 16, 2009 – More than four out of every five supercomputers on the TOP500 list are powered by Intel® processors. Intel Corporation today announced new technologies that will better equip scientists, researchers and engineers with the computing power to speed up science and engineering projects such as the development of new drugs and climate change research.

In the first half of 2010 Intel Corporation will launch a new High Performance Computing (HPC) optimised version of its forthcoming processor codenamed “Nehalem-EX.” The 6-core chip will run at higher frequencies than 8-core versions of the Nehalem-EX processors and will offer advantages on some HPC workloads. Customers will benefit from greater memory bandwidth and capacity compared to today’s solutions, and will be able to build supercomputers with up to 256 such chips; a supercomputer cluster may contain many such machines.

Intel also announced that a beta program for Intel’s Ct technology will be available by the end of 2009. Intel Ct technology makes parallel programming in the C and C++ languages easier by automatically parallelising code across multi-core and many-core processors. Additional information is available at www.intel.com/software/data-parallel.

The 34th edition of the TOP500 list shows that a record-breaking 402 of the world’s top 500 systems have Intel processors inside, with increased adoption in computers designed for geophysics, financial calculations and scientific research. According to the list, Intel chips power 20 of the top 50 systems. Systems using Intel® Xeon® quad-core processors lead the list, holding 379 spots. 

Only months after its arrival, the Intel® Xeon® 5500 series processor, previously codenamed “Nehalem-EP,” is already significantly impacting the HPC community, powering 21 systems in the top 100.  

“With the industry’s rapid adoption of the Intel Xeon processor 5500 series processor, Intel has more systems than ever on the Linpack benchmark-based Top500 list,” said Richard Dracott, general manager of Intel’s High Performance Computing Group. “We’re even more elated that customers are choosing our Xeon processor products not only for Linpack scores, but also because of the exceptional application performance delivered across a wide range of real-world workloads found in energy exploration, science research and 3-D Internet.”

The Xeon processor 5500 series is playing a pivotal role in supercomputers used for scientific research and discovery.  NASA and SGI have added servers containing 2,304 energy-efficient Xeon 5500 series processors increasing the “brainpower” of the Pleiades supercomputer by 35 per cent to handle NASA’s commitment to advance global climate change research. Pleiades now boasts a total of 14,080 Intel Xeon processors. 

At No. 10 on the list is the Sandia National Laboratories and Sun Microsystems supercomputer called “Red Sky.” Red Sky features more than 10,000 Intel Xeon 5500 series processors.

The semi-annual TOP500 list of supercomputers is the work of Hans Meuer of the University of Mannheim, Erich Strohmaier and Horst Simon of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center, and Jack Dongarra of the University of Tennessee. The complete report is available at www.top500.org.

About Intel
Intel (NASDAQ: INTC), the world leader in silicon innovation, develops technologies, products and initiatives to continually advance how people work and live. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom and blogs.intel.com.  

Exclusive footage from James Cameron’s blockbuster movie, AVATAR, coming to Movies on Demand on Xbox 360

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – November 16 – To celebrate its launch on Xbox 360 tomorrow, Movies on Demand is giving Xbox LIVE subscribers the chance to watch exclusive, never-seen-before film footage from James Cameron’s eagerly anticipated and ground-breaking sci-fi epic, AVATAR. 

The four minute film clip is a chase scene of epic proportions and will be available complimentary* and exclusively for Xbox LIVE subscribers to watch on Movies on Demand in Xbox LIVE from Tuesday 17 November until Saturday 21 November. 

Jon Landau, producer of AVATAR, commented: “With the fantastic video experience of Movies on Demand on Xbox LIVE, we are so excited to be able to give Xbox 360 users a sneak preview of one of the exhilarating chase scenes in the movie before anyone else. The clip will be exclusive to Xbox LIVE for five days, so don’t miss it.” 

The Movies on Demand service brings an exciting catalogue of films to the Xbox 360 platform. With instant on and smooth streaming, you can enjoy great quality video and 5.1 channel surround sound at the press of a button – no waiting for downloads or buffering**. With Xbox LIVE Movie Parties, you can share the experience with voice chat and through your avatars on the TV screen with up to 7 friends. 

Oscar-winning “Titanic” director, James Cameron, first came up with the idea for AVATAR 15 years ago when the technology did not exist to bring his idea to the big screen. Now, after four years in the making, AVATAR takes people to a spectacular world beyond imagination, where a reluctant hero embarks on an epic adventure to save the alien world which he has learned to call his home. AVATAR will be released in cinemas worldwide in December 2009. 

Please check the classification closer to release. 

* Download charges may apply as set by your ISP

**Broadband Internet service required (sold separately – some broadband services may not work with LIVE – performance may vary). Children under 13 years of age require parental consent.

Free content pack will double the number of levels in the game

HELSINKI, FINLAND – NOVEMBER 16, 2009 – Futuremark® Games Studio today revealed plans for the first content pack for Shattered HorizonT, their PC exclusive multiplayer first-person shooter. The “Moonrise” pack, which will be free to all players, will include four new levels effectively doubling the number of levels in the game. http://www.shatteredhorizon.com/

In Shattered Horizon, a catastrophic explosion on the Moon has filled near-Earth space with billions of tons of rocky debris. Teams of players fight in zero gravity to control the limited supplies that mean the difference between surviva and death in the cold of space. The Moonrise content pack includes four new levels set around the shattered Moon, taking the fight deeper into space and showing a new side to the conflict. 

Although a release date for the Moonrise pack has not been announced, players who pre-ordered Shattered Horizon will be invited to start play-testing the new levels this week.

“Selected players will help us test the new Moonrise levels from a very early stage,” said Antti Summala, lead designer. “Level design for zero gravity combat is a big challenge and we are looking forward to having real players help us create new experiences that cannot be found in other FPS games.”

About Shattered Horizon
Shattered Horizon is the innovative first game from Futuremark Games Studio that immerses you in the cold reality of zero gravity combat in space.

– Multiplayer first-person shooter set in near-Earth space 40 years from now.
– Experience intense zero gravity combat and complete freedom of movement. Use your rocket pack to fly freely through space then land on any surface.
– Join your friends in action-packed 32 player battles fighting to control hollowed-out asteroids, huge fragments of Moon rock and the ruined remains of the International Space Station.
– Dedicated servers hosted by Futuremark Games Studio with server code for the community coming soon.

Gaijin Entertainment announces the launch of the official website of Wings of Prey – a new PC combat flight simulator. The official website contains stunning in-game screenshots, game info, video, campaigns and planes description, forum and more. Enjoy!

“Wings of Prey” is based around the large-scale aerial combat and ground military operations of World War II. Players can participate in some of the war’s most famous battles piloting fighters, battle planes and bombers across a range of thrilling missions. There are six theatres of war to engage in – The Battle of Britain, Stalingrad, Ardennes, Berlin, Sicily and Korsun’ representing the main airborne battles of World War II in Europe.

“Wings of Prey” also boasts an all new damage effects engine as well as advanced environmental visuals enriching the game play. “Wings of Prey” features hundreds of airplanes taking part in air battles. The unique environmental engine also produces highly detailed, realistic landscapes that allow players to see breathtaking ground support actions.

Official site: http://www.airwargame.com

Interview with Nick FitzGerald, Emerging Threats Researcher, AVG Technologies and Impulse Gamer 

Before working AVG, tell our readers a little about your history? 

I worked in the computer centre at the University of Canterbury, in Christchurch, New Zealand for about ten years as a consultant.  I mainly covered PC support issues and was responsible for overseeing the Help Desk the last couple of years I was there. During this time I became quite interested in computer virus and antivirus issues and belonged to several online discussion groups and mailing lists sharing information on related issues.

1997 to 1999 I was editor of The Virus Bulletin, a UK-based journal that specializes in computer virus and antivirus issues at a fairly technical level.  Reflecting changes in the threat landscape, it now also covers broader malicious software (malware) and spam issues. VB also runs and publishes industry-leading antivirus product tests. 

Between VB and AVG, I worked on contract mainly for the antivirus team at Computer Associates.  

What is the best aspect of working with AVG? 

I mainly work with the LinkScanner team who are great to work with, and include some long-time professional friends.  Oh, and I get to work from home!

 How has the threat landscape changed? 

Recently, not that much, other than the sheer increase in volume of malicious sites.  But they’re mainly doing “more of the same”.  In the slightly longer-term, over the last year or so say, we’ve seen a otable up-tick in the use of social networking sites.  This reflects the obvious popularity of these sites and the bad guys’ recognition of them as increasingly valuable (and lucrative) targets.

What is the biggest threat or “uh-oh” moment in your career working with Internet Security? 

While at VB I commissioned the first detailed analysis of the CIH virus, which initially seemed very interesting for purely “virus geek” reasons.  As a result we were the first to recognize the full scope of its destructive payload — it would “fry” the victim PC’s BIOS making the machine entirely unbootable (leading to its later nickname “Chernobyl”).  We finally uncovered the full effects of this just a few days before one of the trigger dates for this payload.

What are the challenges in this industry? 

The biggest challenge is actually effecting change.  We see the results of the labour of a lot of organized crime groups, their minions and affiliate marketing schemes.  We can generally share a lot of data about these activities with relevant local and international law enforcement agencies and the like.  Much of this activity does not even require new law to criminalize it — for example, fraud is pretty much fraud regardless of whether the action takes place by real world letters and documents, phone calls, email, instant messaging or whatever.  The trouble we commonly run into in trying to bring the culprits to account is the lack of inter-jurisdictional co-operation between law enforcement groups, which often stems from different policing priorities in the different jurisdictions and/or differing evidential requirements.

Are there any downsides? 

If you want a family life, the 24/7 nature of this business may be seen as a downside…

And the frustration of seeing the same thing over and over again.  Well-informed computer security folk are probably the heaviest users of the Santayana phrase “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it”, but I often wonder why Marx’ “History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce” is not more widely used in these same circles.

What are your top ten tips for ensuring PC security for our users? 

Aside from the usual advice such as run good antivirus software and keep it updated, enable auto-updating in your operating system to keep it patched, ditto for your applications like Office (MS or Open), Adobe Reader, Shockwave Flash, etc, etc I’ve recently been telling people to always remember the following… 

• No-one in Africa wants to GIVE anyone their money or gold.

• Microsoft/Google/a Russian oil magnate/VW/BMW/etc certainly does not want to GIVE anyone money/a car/etc.

• A stunning Russian blonde DOES NOT want to marry you.

• You CANNOT win a lottery you did not enter.

• If it sounds too good to be true, IT IS.

• A web site, Email message, IM or tweet that tells you you need to install security software IS LYING.

• Just because it’s in a Google search result or an “ad by Google” does NOT mean it is safe.

• If the options seem to be “Click OK/Run/Install” or “turn off the computer”, TURN OFF THE COMPUTER.

• Did your friend REALLY send you that message?  In the age of Facebook, etc can you ever really tell?

• is your friend really as smart about computer security as you think?  
  A. No   
  B. Not at all   
  C. Well and truly not   
  D. ALL THE ABOVE

In your time in the industry, what are some of the worst stories that you have heard or reported? 

People being scammed by the Nigerian 419’ers deciding to go to Lagos to seal the deal once and for all, getting kidnapped when they arrive and then their family face having to pay the ransom demands.  There are reports of people eventually being murdered in these situations. 

Bots storing pornography, particularly child-porn, on the victim computer and this being found, reported to employers and/or law enforcement.  The PC owner/user is subsequently fired, convicted of child-porn charges and so on, when their only “crime” is not being particularly careful in their use of the computer. 

The Julie Amero case where a substitute teacher was left in charge of a classroom with poorly maintained and secured computers. It transpired that the PCs had spyware or adware installed on them, spawning a stream of pornographic site pop-up ads.  Between the pornographic images being displayed and the existence of the malware being uncovered following expert forensic examination after her initial trial, her life was ruined and arguably she miscarried due to the stress of living through all this. 

Will the internet ever be safe? 

If all the computers are turned off or disconnected from it, then maybe…    -) 

But seriously, security is a process rather than an endpoint.  As computer security guru Spaf [Prof Eugene [Gene] Spafford] once said “The only truly secure system is one that is powered off, cast in a block of concrete and sealed in a lead-lined room with armed guards – and even then I have my doubts.” [This is often misquoted with titanium and nerve gas featuring — see Spaf’s page on this and other notable quotes of his http://homes.cerias.purdue.edu/~spaf/quotes.html .] 

The point is that “securing your computer” is an exercise in risk management.  What level of risk are you prepared to face?  How much is achieving that (or a better) level worth to you in terms of money, time and effort, possibly reduced ease of use, etc? 

Where do these threats generally originate from? 

There are two main sources of Internet threats at the moment.  First is poorly configured and secured web servers, often due to the use or misuse of popular but badly written “web applications”.  Second is a large user-base that understands neither that they are each system administrators, nor why it matters that they should understand this in the first place.  Both these causes are due to massive over-selling of the notion that popular IT system components are “Internet ready”. 

A third major issue which is beyond the control of typical Internet users is that the mechanisms that, ummmm “govern” the Internet are as laughable as they are ineffective.

Why can’t the government or governments stop them? 

I can only answer this with my personal opinion which almost certainly does not reflect any official position of anyone else… 

Ignorance and protecting mostly little-understood vested interests. 

That is, the main reasons politicians seldom get anything major right first, second or even third time around.  For now, I’m just hoping that they start working on their first attempt…    

Thanks for your time Nick and all the best with AVG 

Cheers!

CompactFlash Memory Card from Lexar Media Boasts High-Speed Performance and Reliability for Improved Digital Workflow

Key features:

• Offers guaranteed minimum sustained write speed capability of 600x (90MB/s) when paired with a UDMA 6 enabled device
• Outstanding performance, reliability, and compatibility
• Includes valuable, downloadable software with the purchase of the card
• Significantly reduces workflow when paired with the new Lexar® Professional ExpressCard™ CompactFlash® reader
• Available in capacities of 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB

Multimedia elements:

• Lexar Image Gallery
• Supporting Product Info
• Data Sheet

Sydney, Australia – 17^th November, 2009:  Lexar Media, a leading global provider of memory products for digital media, today announced it will offer the Lexar® Professional 600x CompactFlash® (CF) card.  The new memory card provides enhanced speed and performance for professional photographers and advanced photo enthusiasts capturing high-definition images and videos on digital SLRs.

The Lexar Professional 600x CF memory card offers increased speed and performance, with a guaranteed minimum sustained write speed capability of 600x (90MB/s) when paired with a UDMA 6 enabled device. Available in 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB capacities, the Lexar Professional 600x CF card significantly improves in-camera performance by rapidly clearing a camera’s buffer and optimising the cameras speed potential so photographers can keep shooting.

In addition, the Lexar Professional 600x CF memory card increases workflow efficiency with minimum sustained read speeds of 533x (80MB/s), or faster when paired with a UDMA 6-enabled reader such as the new Lexar Professional ExpressCard™ CompactFlash Reader. The reader increases image transfer speeds from card-to-computer which helps reduce post-production time and enable shooters to focus on the business of photography.

“Photographers are constantly demanding more from their equipment, and an increase in image capture speeds paired with a decrease in image transfer times can mean the world to a professional shooter,” said Jeff Cable, director of marketing, Lexar Media and professional photographer. “The combined solution of our new Professional 600x CF card and Professional ExpressCard CompactFlash reader is the next step in CF memory technology and will provide photographers with the speeds and performance they need to capture the best shots and improve their imaging workflow. When shooting with newer cameras like the Canon EOS 7D, Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Nikon D3x or Nikon D300S, professionals can capture more images per second and hundreds of JPEG files without pausing to clear their camera’s buffers.”

When paired with the new Lexar Professional ExpressCard CompactFlash reader, the Lexar Professional 600x CF card significantly improves the digital imaging workflow by accelerating the download of captured images to a destination computer. Designed for photographers on the go, the Lexar Professional ExpressCard CompactFlash reader is a portable, high-performance reader that requires no cables and connects directly to a PC or Mac® laptop computer’s ExpressCard slot. The durable reader is compatible with all UDMA and non-UDMA CompactFlash cards and supports read/write speeds up to 133MB/s (886x). The Lexar Professional ExpressCard CompactFlash reader comes with free, dedicated customer support, backed by a two-year limited warranty and will be available later this month.

“With the introduction of the Professional 600x line, Lexar is producing a CompactFlash series for working photographers that provides class-leading read and write speeds,” says Rob Galbraith in a story published today on the Rob Galbraith Digital Photography Insights website. “In our test of the 600x 16GB card, it came out on top in several of the most popular digital SLRs – including the Canon EOS 7D – plus turned in the fastest card-to-computer transfer rates in FireWire 800 reader testing on the Mac and ExpressCard adapter testing in Windows.”

In addition to high speeds and high capacity options of the Lexar Professional 600x CF card, consumers also receive the reliability they have come to expect from Lexar. All Lexar memory cards are tested in the Lexar Reliability Lab, a facility with more than 800 digital cameras, to ensure quality, performance, and compatibility. Lexar performs this extensive testing in an effort to provide customers with a higher level of confidence, whether they are capturing once-in-a-lifetime memories, important events, or everyday occasions.

Customers can access Lexar’s Digital Photography website, a dedicated, online resource and tips destination (http://www.lexar.com/dp/), and can also leverage phone and live-chat tech support. Lexar provides these services and resources to customers to minimise the time required for troubleshooting card issues and to provide tools for photographers to optimise their shooting and focus on capturing great images.

“When taking photographs is your livelihood, having the most advanced, reliable equipment is essential. For years, I’ve trusted Lexar memory cards to protect my most valuable work,” said Lexar Elite Photographer, Rick Sammon. “The new Lexar Professional 600x CF card and Professional ExpressCard CompactFlash Reader are the latest innovations in Lexar’s long history of industry-leading solutions for professionals and I look forward to integrating them into my workflow.”

Availability and pricing

The Lexar Professional 600x CF memory cards are available now the recommended retail prices of:

–               8GB Lexar Professional 600x CF AU$250.80

–               16GB Lexar Professional 600x CF AU$376.20

–               32GB Lexar Professional 600x CF AU$627.00

All capacities will include a limited lifetime warranty and free downloadable copy of Image Rescue™ 4, the latest version of Lexar’s award-winning image recovery software. In addition, the cards will offer exclusive, money-saving promotions from Adobe on popular photo and video editing products, including the latest versions of Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom®, Adobe Photoshop Elements, and Adobe Premiere® Elements software.

Australian distributors of Lexar Media products include: WestGroup International– Ph: 1300 130 578 and Cellnet Group Limited – Ph: 1300 235 563.

For additional information about the Lexar Professional 600x CF card or Lexar Professional ExpressCard CompactFlash reader, visit www.lexar.com/au.

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About Lexar Media
Lexar Media is a leading designer, manufacturer, and marketer of NAND flash and DRAM memory products under the Lexar and Crucial brand names. Lexar offers products in all major flash and DRAM memory categories, including consumer and enterprise-level USB flash drives, industry-leading memory cards for photography, and all popular form factors of memory cards for mobile devices. For computers, Lexar also offers a full range of DRAM computer memory upgrades for PCs and Mac® systems, and solid state drives (SSDs). An industry leader in innovative, patented flash memory technology, Lexar is vertically integrated with Micron Technology, one of the largest semiconductor manufacturers worldwide.

For more information about Lexar, visit www.lexar.com/au. For more information about Crucial products, visit www.crucial.com, www.crucial.com/uk or www.crucial.com/eu. Lexar Media, Inc. is a subsidiary of Micron Technology, Inc. Lexar Media is a division of Micron Europe Limited, a division of Micron Semiconductor Asia Pte. Ltd., and a division of Micron Japan, Ltd.

Lexar. When Memory Matters.™

About Micron
Micron Technology, Inc., is one of the world’s leading providers of advanced semiconductor solutions. Through its worldwide operations, Micron manufactures and markets DRAM, NAND flash memory, CMOS image sensors, other semiconductor components, and memory modules for use in leading-edge computing, consumer, networking, and mobile products. Micron’s common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the MU symbol. To learn more about Micron Technology, Inc., visit www.micron.com.

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©2009 Lexar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Information is subject to change without notice. Lexar, the Lexar logo, and When Memory Matters are trademarks of Lexar Media, Inc. Micron, Crucial, the Crucial logo and Ballistix are trademarks of Micron Technology, Inc. Lexar Media, Inc. is an authorised licensee of the CompactFlash trademark. All other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.