Fw: Black Screens For Unauthorized Copies of Windows

URL:
http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/377520572/article.pl
arcticstoat writes "In a bid to deter people from using pirate versions
of Windows XP, Microsoft is now updating its Windows Genuine Advantage
(WGA) tool to introduce a few uncomfortable niggles for users of
pirated versions of Windows. These include replacing the desktop
wallpaper with a black screen every 60 minutes, although you can still
replace it with your wallpaper of choice in the intervening period. As
well as this, copies of Windows deemed to not be genuine will also have
a translucent watermark above the system tray, which Microsoft calls a
'persistent desktop notification.'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

--

Fw: Microsoft corrupts the ISO

URL:
http://www.stallman.org/archives/2008-may-aug.html#20%20August%202008%20%28Microsoft%20corrupts%20the%20ISO%29
20 August 2008 (Microsoft corrupts the ISO)

Microsoft consummated its corruption of the International Standards
Organization, which dismissed an appeal by several countries against
the approval of OOXML.

However, I think the EU's criminal investigation of this corruption is
still live. (Is it?)

--

Fw: The sky isn't falling: a look at a new Vista security bypass

URL:
http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/361897715/20080811-the-sky-isnt-falling-a-look-at-a-new-vista-security-bypass.html

Last week, researchers described ways to bypass the buffer-overflow
security features in Vista. Some analysts are calling the exploits
proof that Vista's security is worthless; we explain why it isn't.

Read More...

--

Fw: Vista's Security Rendered Completely Useless

URL:
http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/359389470/article.pl
scribbles89 sends in a story that originally ran in SearchSecurity; it
sounds like it could be a game-changer. "While this may seem like any
standard security hole, other researchers say that the work is a major
breakthrough and there is very little that Microsoft can do to fix the
problems. These attacks work differently than other security exploits,
as they aren't based on any new Windows vulnerabilities, but instead
take advantage of the way Microsoft chose to guard Vista's fundamental
architecture. According to Dino Dai Zovi..., 'the genius of this is
that it's completely reusable. They have attacks that let them load
chosen content to a chosen location with chosen permissions. That's
completely game over.'" Update: 08/08 14:23 GMT by KD : Changed the
link, as the story first linked had been lifted without attribution.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

--

Fw: Kill Bill? It Will Open New Vistas

URL:
http://linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=2008-08-05-019-35-OP-MS-SW
Moneyweb: "How is it possible that the whole computer can be so
dependent on one little sys file? If it is so dependent on a single sys
file, why not duplicate it or reinforce it somehow. Put it in the damn
bios, if necessary. It's like Eskom complaining about wet coal. It
rains in January every year; did no one think of that?"

--

Fw: Vista gets crammed onto a PS3. It's as bad as you think.

URL: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/356508565/

Filed under: Desktops, Gaming

We can't in good conscious recommend trying this one at home for sake
of your own sanity, but one enterprising PS3 enthusiast has thankfully
gone the extra mile and installed Windows Vista on the console so you
don't have to. As you might have guessed, however, it's not a pretty
sight, with the OS running under emulation and requiring nearly 25
minutes to fully boot up. You can also add an extra five minutes and
thirty seconds on top of that to load the start menu, and about twelve
minutes to load up that most demanding of applications: Notepad. Head
on past the break to see it for yourself, and hit up the link below for
the installation instructions... if you dare.

[Thanks, Death_Coil]

Continue reading Vista gets crammed onto a PS3. It's as bad as you
think. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

--