HardOCP

According to InformationWeek, Linux PCs are being attacked by a technique that uses stolen SSH keys to gain access to computers then, using a local kernel exploit, a rootkit is installed in order to steal other SSH keys and send them back to the attacker.

"Phalanx is a self-injecting kernel rootkit designed for the Linux 2.6 branch that does not use the now-disabled /dev/kmem device," explains computer security group Packet Storm on its Web site. "Features include file hiding, process hiding, socket hiding, a tty sniffer, a tty connectback-backdoor, and auto injection on boot."

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Apparently the Advertising Standards Authority in the U.K. banned an iPhone ad for being “misleading.” I watched the ad and, as odd as it may sound coming from me, I think it is a bit nitpicking to say the ad is misleading.

"You never know which part of the internet you'll need ... which is why all the parts of the internet are on the iPhone," ran a voiceover. The Advertising Standards Authority received two complaints that the claim was misleading because the iPhone did not support Flash or Java, which are both integral to many web pages.

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The FBI arrested a blogger for streaming nine songs from Guns N' Roses unreleased album.

FBI agents arrested 27-year-old Kevin Cogill on Wednesday morning on suspicion of violating federal copyright laws. Federal authorities say Cogill posted nine unreleased Guns N' Roses songs on his Web site in June.

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MSI today announces a new model to its line of notebook, the MSI EX300. The MSI EX300 has incorporated the concept of athleticism into the modern world of notebook computer, packing it with excitement and energy. The simple and yet fluid body design adapted the idealism of "Athletic DNA" and "Mobile Technology", making the EX300 the leader of fashionable styling.



The Dazzling Blue/Brilliant Red gives it the most definable character of sportsmanship, expressing true individualism. The EX300 features the latest Intel® Centrino® 2 Processor Technology, which uses Intel® Core™2 Duo processor and Intel® PM45 Express Chipset, to deliver innovative mobile solutions with unrivaled processor performance, stunning new HD capabilities, great wireless connectivity, and long battery life.

Microsoft has released the second beta of Internet Explorer 8, head on over to the official site and get your download on. Post your thoughts on the new beta in our comments section.

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For those of you that haven’t been following this for the last 5 years, here is the condensed version of what has transpired so far: Immersion sues over rumble feature in console controllers. Microsoft paid up, buys 10% interest in Immersion. Sony refused to pay up. Sony loses court battle, pays Immersion almost $100M plus $30M in licensing fees. Microsoft sues for its share of Sony’s money, Immersion pays $20M to Microsoft.

The companies agreed to resolve Microsoft's claim under a 2003 sublicense agreement, as well as Immersion's counterclaim that Microsoft breached a confidentiality agreement dated May 2007, Immersion said in a statement. Additionally, Immersion will be admitted to Microsoft's Certified Partner Program. Other terms of the settlement are confidential, Immersion said.

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Enjoy a breath of fresh air in the world of personal laptops and celebrate individuality with the ASUS F6 scented notebooks. The compact and stylish F6 engages the eyes with attractive motifs and for the first time, our sense of smell with infused scents*. Available in four captivating designs, these special edition notebooks not only look good, but are also expressions of the user’s taste and character!

Floral Blossom: In glorious pink, this design evokes the imagery of a summer party, leaving the somber feel of conventional laptop designs far behind with its cheerful, floral motif and a floral scent – the most attractive laptop for ladies!

A virus has been detected on several laptops being used at the space station. NASA is downplaying the incident but anyone that knows anything recognizes this as the beginning of a hostile invasion of our planet by an advanced alien race trying to destroy life as we know it…oh yeah, and they want to steal our WoW account information too.

NASA downplayed the news, calling the virus mainly a "nuisance" that was on non-critical space station laptops used for things like e-mail and nutritional experiments. NASA declined to name the virus, but SpaceRef.com, which broke the story, reported that the worm was W32.Gammima.AG worm -- a worm first detected in August 2007 that installs software that steals credentials for online games.

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A virus has been detected on several laptops being used at the space station. NASA is downplaying the incident but anyone that knows anything recognizes this as the beginning of a hostile invasion of our planet by an advanced alien race trying to destroy life as we know it…oh yeah, and they want to steal our WoW account information too.

NASA downplayed the news, calling the virus mainly a "nuisance" that was on non-critical space station laptops used for things like e-mail and nutritional experiments. NASA declined to name the virus, but SpaceRef.com, which broke the story, reported that the worm was W32.Gammima.AG worm -- a worm first detected in August 2007 that installs software that steals credentials for online games.

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Anger Management: A Review of Geometry Wars 2 @ Shacknews
Duke Nukem 3D XBLA Gameplay Movies @ VE3D
Far Cry 2 Console Movie @ FileShack
Wii Breaks One Million Mark In Canada @ Kotaku
Will Wright On Explicit Spore Creatures @ Seattle PI

Anger Management: A Review of Geometry Wars 2 @ Shacknews
Duke Nukem 3D XBLA Gameplay Movies @ VE3D
Far Cry 2 Console Movie @ FileShack
Wii Breaks One Million Mark In Canada @ Kotaku
Will Wright On Explicit Spore Creatures @ Seattle PI

We have posted our evaluation of the Gigabyte MA790GP-DS4H today for your viewing pleasure. Overall this feature rich board is rock solid, a decent overclocker and competitively priced as well.

The Gigabyte MA790GP-DS4 is an incredibly solid and stable workhorse of a motherboard that has all the features a new motherboard should have, and at a nice price. Running your DDR2 RAM at 1066MHz should not be an issue and we are seeing many folks around the Net returning overclocking results of 3.1GHz+ with “Black” processors.

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General Motors has developed a Reconfigurable Performance Display that can be configured to display a “gauge” for a number of different things like horsepower, temperature, boost and so on. The display is a dealer installed option and cost under $300.



GM's Reconfigurable Performance Display can illustrate a wide range of data in gauge form, such as boost, battery voltage, air fuel ratio, cam phase angle, timing, barometric pressure and even torque and horsepower (the later two likely calculated based on other parameters). The device even includes a g-sensor.

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Cooling
Cooler Master GeminII S @ InsideHW
NZXT Sentry LX Fan Controller @ OCIA
Thermaltake Bigwater 780e Liquid Cooling System @ Think Computers

Memory
Corsair XMS2 DHX DDR2 800MHz @ Overclockers Club

Motherboards
ECS P45T-A Black Series @ Legit Reviews

This article claims that studio executives are pushing for interoperability among digital rights management schemes. Well, if the big studios want a universal solution that works on all devices…why don't they simply ditch DRM altogether?

According to Michael Arrington, the plan calls for "a set of policy decisions and a software and services framework that will allow interoperability of various formats and DRM schemes that are currently splintering the market."

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Welcome to the Wednesday edition of [H]ard|OCP [H]otDeals! We have a Thermaltake Wing RS 100 mid-tower case for only $19.99. Deal ends today so you’d better get in on that one! How about 4GB Of OCZ SLI-ready PC6400 for $59.99? There are very few left so you’d better hurry. This Core 2 Duo E8400 is $164.99 and this EVGA GeForce 8600 GT is just $44.99, Both deals come with free shipping. On the subject of free shipping, we are still offering $5 off on all RatPadz GS and RatPadz XT and free shipping in North America.

Is the age old “Forgot Your Password” link actually be a security risk? Think about it, how much information is there about you on the web right now? Could your forum postings, Facebook or MySpace help someone get your passwords?

As an experiment, Herbert Thompson, chief security strategist of People Security, recently asked a few friends for permission to "hack" into their bank accounts. Using only information gathered from Web sites, Thompson found his way in within minutes. "This is a serious problem. It kind of blew me away," Thompson said.

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Two security researchers have demonstrated an exploit that would allow someone to intercept internet traffic anywhere in the world undetected. Attackers could even modify the intercepted information before it reaches its destination without anyone being the wiser. Thanks to Dave A. for the linkage.

"It's a huge issue. It's at least as big an issue as the DNS issue, if not bigger," said Peiter "Mudge" Zatko, noted computer security expert and former member of the L0pht hacking group, who testified to Congress in 1998 that he could bring down the internet in 30 minutes using a similar BGP attack, and disclosed privately to government agents how BGP could also be exploited to eavesdrop.

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It doesn’t matter whether it is security, a business or team sport, you are only as strong as your weakest link. When that weakest link sells a PC on eBay containing the banking info for several large financial institutions, things can get pretty scary. Thankfully the guy that bought the PC with all the info is helping the banks.

The information on customers of NatWest, the Royal Bank of Scotland and American Express included mobile phone numbers, bank account numbers, mothers' maiden names and signatures. The computer had belonged to Graphic Data, a company which stores information for financial organisations, and was used at the firm's archive in Shoeburyness, Essex. It was sold on the internet auction site by an ex-employee this month.

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If you are being sued by the RIAA, it is probably a good idea to seek legal representation before you start erasing stuff off your hard drive. The sad part is that things were actually going in this guy’s favor until he reformatted his hard drive.

"Defendant's intentional spoliation of computer evidence significantly prejudices Plaintiffs because it puts the most relevant evidence of their claim permanently beyond their reach," the RIAA reportedly argued. "The deliberate destruction... by itself, compels the conclusion that such evidence supported Plaintiffs' case."

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