Spam, spam, spam!!!

Spam outsmarts Gmail filters:
Spam originating from Gmail accounts has doubled from 1.3 to 2.6 percent in February and not even the CAPTCHA technique is able to catch these 'creative' spammers. Google is the latest free Web mail provider to be victimized by spammers' efforts to create software to solve the codes, or at times, also employ people to solve the codes en masse. It is only a matter of time before CAPTCHA is removed from major web servers. Last month, security vendor Websense ascertained that spammers were using two hosts to crack Gmail's CAPTCHAs. The method appeared to be successful only 20 percent of the time. But if the procedure is repeated thousands of times, many new accounts can be generated and used to send spam.

Google is not alone. The CAPTCHAs of Microsoft's Windows Live Mail Service have been cracked too. Spammers use messages and links to advertise adult entertainment sites. So, next time you see a mail sent by a stranger having the message subject that arouses you, DON'T CLICK IT!!! If you do, then you can definitely say bye-bye to your email account.

CAPTCHA stands for Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart.

IBM and Hitachi team on chip research:
IBM and Hitachi, the giants of the chip business have decided to team up and share development efforts which will focus on making chip circuits even smaller that may extend to the atomic level. This will be a two-year agreement and the financial details were not enclosed. Researchers from the companies will try to accelerate the miniaturization of chip circuitry by researching at the atomic level for 32-nanometer and 22-nm semiconductors. Making chip circuits smaller should allow computing devices to deliver power savings and performance gains. By teaming up together, the companies hope to reduce the costs of developing advanced chip technologies.

Chip makers such as IBM, Intel and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) are constantly upgrading their chip technologies. IBM has achieved a 45-nm chips last year and AMD is expected to make such an announcement soon. IBM already has a strong profile in advancing technology and it has ties with several US universities to develop carbon nanotubes, smaller transistors that could deliver better performance than current transistors.

Apple and MS may have Blu-Ray soon:
Sony is talking with software giants Apple and Microsoft about offering Blu-Ray disc drives for their systems. A Blu-Ray disc has the same dimensions as a standard CD or DVD and can have a storage capacity of 25GB (single layer) or 50GB(double layer). It is mainly used for data storage, high definition video and to play PS3 games. Although many companies have already incorporated such drives in their systems, Apple and Microsoft preferred to stay on the sidelines till now. Microsoft can accept this offer considering that the rivals to XBox 360, namely Sony's Play Station 3 has included this feature. Apple generally doesn't comment about the features prior to their products' release. So, we will know whether Apple included the Blu-Ray disc readers, only after Apple releases a product that contains them.

P.S.
Do not forget to tell your views about the blog. There's a poll at the bottom of this page. Do vote and help me make the blog better.

IT is 'sexy' and other news

IT is 'sexy' says European Union:
IT industry in Europe is facing a shortfall of around 300,000 skilled professionals and European Union's idea to make up for it is by bringing in more women. According to Viviane Reding, information society commissioner of EU, women should be convinced that IT isn't just for geeks and IT jobs are very sexy indeed. Given the stats that 58% of graduates are women but only 19% of IT professionals are of fairer sex, the comments are justified indeed. Women bring in more skill, dedication and motivation to the work environment and we guys who sit in a very small cubicle that is half occupied by a computer, will have something to be happy about when we go to the office.

C'mon women, make IT industry more 'sexy'!!!

Windows hacked using Firewire:
Widows is found to have yet another security bug that Microsoft overlooked. A New Zealand researcher Adam Boileau has hacked a Windows system at a security convention in 2006 but decided not to release the code. But after seeing that no measures are being taken by MS in these 2 years, he decided to go public. According to him, the attacker needs to have a Linux system connected physically to a Windows one with Firewire cable, to run his tool.

The tool, called Winlockpwn, allows users to bypass Windows authorization, was originally demonstrated at Ruxcon in 2006 at a talk called "Hit By A Bus: Physical Access Attacks With Firewire".

The attack takes advantage of the fact that Firewire can directly read and write to a system's memory, adding extra speed to data transfer. According to Boileau, because this capability is built into Firewire, Microsoft doesn't consider the problem a standard bug.

Firewire has become common on Windows systems in the past few years, and is especially prevalent on laptops.

The problem can be remedied by disabling Firewire when not in use.

For more information about Firewire, check the link below.
http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FireWire

Apple buys patents for iPhone technology:
Apple last week purchased a patent for the iPhone from British Telecom. The patent (U.S. patent 6,956,564) covers sensing technology originally invented by Lyndsay Williams for BT in 1997. The technology was originally deployed in a touch-sensitive computer called SmartQuill. This was capable of handwriting recognition, and could be used to write documents on paper the computer would then remember and store.

As it applies to the iPhone, the patent covers the devices designation as a portable computer that's responsive to movement and produces an electrical output signal representative of such movement. SmartQuill carried a small screen that offered different views as the device was turned around. The patent purchase could be designed to protect Apple's iPhone's movement detection sensor, which moves the screen and changes the representation offered on screen when iPhone is moved around.

A futile travail

I realize
All I want
All I need
Always lies just out of reach
I've been coming up empty

I realize I've
Run as fast as I can run
Pushed as hard as anyone
Still, there's nothing for me

I've tried as hard as I can
I've taken all I can stand
But I am running a race
Against myself

Burning out, strung along
Now my sorrow is my song
My whole world is half hearted

For my pain, I have none
After all is said and done
Now I'm back where I started

I've tried as hard as I can
I've taken all I can stand
But I am losing the race
Against myself
Yeah, losing the race
Against myself.....

In The End

(Verse 1)

It starts with love
One thing, I don't know why
It doesn't even matter how hard you try
Keep that in mind
I designed this rhyme
To explain in due time
All I know
Time is a valuable thing
Watch it fly by as the pendulum swings
Watch it count down till the end of the day
The clock ticks life away
It's so unreal
You didn't look out below,
Watch the time go right out the window
Tryin to hold on
Didnt even know, I wasted it all
Just to watch you go
I kept everything inside
And even though I tried
It all fell apart
What it's meant to be
Will eventually,
be a memory, of a time


Chorus:

When I tried so hard and got so far
But in the end, it doesnt even matter
I had to fall, to lose it all
But in the end, it doesn't even matter

(Verse 2)
One thing, I don't know why
It doesn't even matter how hard you try
Keep that in mind
I designed this rhyme
To remind myself
How I tried so hard

Despite the way you were mocking me
Acting like I was part of your property
Remembering all the times you fought with me
I'm surprised it got so far
Things aren't the way they were before
You wouldn't even recognize me anymore
Not that you knew me back then
But it all comes back to me
In the end

You kept everything inside
And even though I tried it all fell apart
What it meant to be, will
Eventually, be a memory of a time
When I tried so hard,

Chorus:

And got so far,
But in the end, it doesn't even matter
I had to fall, to lose it all
But in the end, it doesn't even matter

(Verse 3)
I've put my trust in you
Pushed as far, as I can go
For all this
There's only one thing you should know

I've put my trust, in you
Pushed as far as I can go
For all this
There's only one thing you should know

I've tried so hard,
And got so far,
But in the end, it doesn't even matter
I had to fall, to lose it all,
But in the end, it doesn't even matter

Credit: Linkin Park (LP)

Pardon us, Busby Babes

February 6th, 2008 marked the 50th death anniversary of the Lost Babes. On 06-02-1958, the plane carrying the team of Manchester United crashed on the runway in Munich. The team was coming home after drawing 3-3 in European Championship quarter final match against Red Star Belgrade of Yugoslavia. On that fateful day, 7 of the first team players died in the crash which included Roger Byrne, Geoff Bent, Tommy Taylor, David Pegg, Mark Jones, Eddie Colman and Liam Whelan. After fighting for 21 days, Duncan Edwards succumbed and whole England mourned. But fortunately for United, Matt Busby survived. He built a young team comprising the deadly trio Bobby Charlton-George Best-Dennis Law often called The Holy Trinity. They won the coveted European Championship in 1968 and Busby's dream was fulfilled.

Special events were held at Old Trafford to mark the 50th anniversary of the Munich tragedy. The South End Tunnel was renamed The Munich Tunnel. A free exhibition of Busby era was opened. MUTV Online was available free to all the netizens on that day and telecasted the events live. 4 days later an EPL match was scheduled against cross-town rivals Manchester City. United's players wore the kit of the 1950s similar to the one worn by the Busby Babes. One minute silence was held prior to the match. Removing all the doubts that City fans may disrupt it, the Blues were well behaved and observed the silence.

From the word go, City showed the urgency and the will to win which brought them 2 goals in the first half. United were nowhere near their best. Rooney and Evra had to sit out of the game as they picked their 5th yellow card in the previous match. City's defence dictated the terms for most part of the match. Ronaldo, who is in ominous form this season had yet another off-day. Hargreaves and Carrick were brought on in 2nd half, but Utd couldn't get that elusive goal. Though Carrick got a goal in 90th minute, it was too late for the champions and the City were deserved winners on the night when nothing went right for the Red Devils.

Man Utd slumped to their 1st home defeat of the season. Red Devils including me were heart broken. The last time Utd lost to City at Old Trafford was in 1974 when Dennis Law's goal sunk the home team's hopes of avoiding the relegation. After 38 years, City did a double on United (they won the earlier derby 1-0 at Maine Road). Arsenal extended the lead on the top of the table to 5 points. With only 12 more games left in the League, it is extremely difficult for Man Utd to bounce back and retain the title. But what hurt the most is that Utd lost on the 50th death anniversary of the Lost Babes. Accepted that Utd played shitty football and was nowhere near its best, but at least the big occasion should have spurred the Reds to win. Though Ferguson refuses to admit it, the players were overwhelmed by the occasion instead of getting inspired.

R.I.P Busby Babes. We owe you an apology.

Long live Metallica!!!

Die, die, die my darling
Don't utter a single word
Die, die, die my darling
Just shut your pretty mouth

I'll be seeing you again
I'll be seeing you... in Hell

Don't cry to me oh baby
Your future's in an oblong box, yeah
Don't cry to me oh baby
Should have seen it a-coming on
Don't cry to me oh baby
I don't know it was in your power
Don't cry to me oh baby
Dead-end girl for a dead-end guy
Don't cry to me oh baby
Now your life drains on the floor
Don't cry to me oh baby

Die, die, die my darling
Don't utter a single word
Die, die, die my darling
Just shut your pretty mouth

I'll be seeing you again
I'll be seeing you in Hell

Don't cry to me oh baby
Your future is in an oblong box
Don't cry to me oh baby
Should have seen the end a-coming on, a-coming
Don't cry to me oh baby
I don't know it was in your power
Don't cry to me oh baby
Dead-end girl for a dead-end guy
Don't cry to me oh baby
Now your life drains on the floor
Don't cry to me oh baby

Credit: Metallica

Mr. Lonely

Lonely I'm Mr Lonely,
I have nobody,
For my owwnnn
I'm so lonely, I'm Mr. Lonely
I have nobody,
For my owwnnn
I'm so lonely,

Yo this one here goes out to all my playas out there ya kno got that one good girl whose always been there like ya
Kno took all the bullshit then one day she cant take it no more and decides to leave

I woke up in the middle of the night and I noticed my girl wasn't by my side, coulda sworn I was dreamin, for her I was
Feenin, so I hadda take a little ride, back tracking ova these few years, tryna figure out wat I do to make it go bad, cuz
Ever since my girl left me, my whole life came crashin

I'm so lonely (so lonely),
I'm Mr. Lonely (Mr. Lonely)
I have nobody (I have nobody)
To call my own (to call my own) girl

I'm so lonely (so lonely)
I'm Mr. Lonely (Mr. Lonely)
I have nobody (I have nobody)
To call my own (to call my own) girl

Cant belive I hadda girl like you and I just let you walk right outta my life, after all I put u thru u still stuck
Around and stayed by my side, what really hurt me is I broke ur heart, baby you were a good girl and I had no right, I
Really wanna make things right, cuz without u in my life girl

I'm so lonely (so lonely)
I'm Mr. Lonely (Mr. Lonely)
I have nobody (I have nobody)
To call my own (to call my own) girl

I'm so lonely (so lonely)
I'm Mr. Lonely (Mr. Lonely)
I have nobody (I have nobody)
To call my own (to call my own) girl

Been all about the world ain't neva met a girl that can take the things that you been through
Never thought the day would come where you would get up and run and I would be out chasing u
Cuz aint nowhere in the globe id rather be, aint noone in the globe id rather see then the girl of my dreams that made me
Be so happy but now so lonely

So lonely (so lonely)
I'm Mr. Lonely (Mr. Lonely)
I have nobody (I have nobody)
To call my own (to call my own)

I'm so lonely (so lonely)
I'm Mr. Lonely (Mr. Lonely)
I have nobody (I have nobody)
To call my own (to call my own) girrll

Never thought that id be alone, I didnt hope you'd be gone this long, I jus want u to call my phone, so stop playing girl and
Come on home (come on home), baby girl I didn't mean to shout, I want me and you to work it out, I never wished Id ever
Hurt my baby, and its drivin me crazy cuz...

I'm so lonely (so lonely)
I'm Mr. Lonely (Mr. Lonely)
I have nobody (I have nobody)
To call my own (to call my own)

I'm so lonely (so lonely)
I'm Mr. Lonely (Mr. Lonely)
I have nobody (I have nobody)
To call my own (to call my own) girll

Lonely, so lonely
So lonely, (so lonely),
Mr. Lonely, so lonely
So lonely, so lonely, (so lonely), Mr. Lonely

Credit: AKON