Sony to recall copy-protected CDs, according to the BBC: Sony BMG is recalling music CDs that use controversial anti-piracy software. The software was widely criticised because it used virus-like techniques to stop illegal copies being made. Widespread pressure has made the music giant remove CDs bearing the software from stores. It will also swap bought… Read More »
There’s a growing noise about Sony’s apparent attempt to install digital rights management software usually associated with bad guys trying to maintain control of a compromised computer: Mark’s Sysinternals Blog: Sony, Rootkits and Digital Rights Management Gone Too Far: The entire experience was frustrating and irritating. Not only had Sony put software on my system… Read More »
(See a more recent post on this for an update. ZoneAlarm no longer has this ‘feature’.) I’m a big fan, and user, of ZoneAlarm firewalls. Their interface is clean, clear and I like the system tray icon which doubles as a traffic monitor. But sometimes they do things that don’t, in my view, help educate… Read More »
A tip from a reader (thanks, James) indicates we’re back on the trail of the rogue dialers. (Rogue dialers are pieces of software usually downloaded without the user’s knowledge, which then disconnect existing Internet connections and dial fresh connections via high-cost usually international numbers. The user doesn’t know much about it until the monthly phone… Read More »
Claria, formerly Gator and allegedly the brief focus of Microsoft interest, has announced it is working on a new search engine technology which “goes far beyond analyzing links to pages and hypertext matching, and instead evaluates how consumers actually interact with search results when they are seeking information on the Web”. I don’t claim to… Read More »