Pc News

[Rasputin]

Intel Speeds Up Intro of Quad-core Server Chip

Intel today started shipping its Xeon 5335 processor two months ahead of schedule as an addition to its 5300 series of quad-core processors.

Intel says it rushed introduction of the new quad-core chip originally scheduled for next year to meet demand from server manufacturers for the processor.

Quad cores, which allow the microprocessor package to perform up to four functions simultaneously, were first introduced by Intel in November. Intel has been pushed by rival Advanced Micro Devices plans to launch a quad-core release in 2007.

Processor Specs
The 5335 is a 2GHz processor with a 1.333GHz front-side bus and 8M bytes of Level 2 memory cache. The front side bus is the connection between the central processing unit and the memory cache. The 5335's list price is $690 when purchased in quantities of 1,000 or more.

It is positioned above the 5320 model, which features a 1.86GHz processor, a 1.066GHz front-side bus, also selling for $690, and below the 5345, with a 2.33GHz processor and a 1.333GHz front-side bus for $851.

All three operate at 80 watts, compared to higher-end 5300s, which operate at 120 and 130 watts.

"The OEMs wanted these new processors. They said if there's anything you could do so we could get the products early, it'd help," said Jason Waxman, director of Xeon server platforms marketing for Intel.

Waxman declined to be specific about which Intel fabrication facilities globally were used to make the 5335, but said Intel has the capacity to gear up production ahead of schedule.

5335s Headed for Servers, Workstations
The 5335 will be installed in server and/or workstations from companies such as Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Silicon Graphics, and IBM.

"It helps deliver that improved performance and allows people to get more out of a quad-core on a dual-socket server," said David Lord, a spokesman for Dell, who added that the 5335 is available as of Monday for order in a Dell PowerEdge server.

Intel still has two other quad-core processors to introduce in the first quarter, including a low volt 50-watt version, said Erica Fields, an Intel spokesperson.

[Rasputin]

Network Storage Downsizes

Following a similar move by Hewlett-Packard, Fujitsu Siemens Computers plans to announce this week a packaged storage area network (SAN) product aimed at small and medium-size businesses.

The bundle will comprise Fujitsu Siemens' FibreCAT SX RAID storage devices, switches from Brocade Communications Systems and host bus adapters from Emulex. It will be priced under $10,566, Fujitsu Siemens said.

Storage on Budget
Business-class data protection has traditionally been expensive and difficult to deploy, so many smaller businesses have shied away from SANs. The bundled product, which customers can order under a single part number, aims to cut down on the complexity of choosing components to put together a SAN. It also aims to simplify installation and operation, Fujitsu Siemens said.

Businesses that buy the package will be able to expand their SAN as their needs change, according to the company.

The demand for greater security and compliance are driving growth in the market for SANs, Fujitsu Siemens said.

HP's Entry
In October, HP introduced a package SAN product also aimed at smaller businesses. It includes a blade storage device, a starter kit for simplifying the set-up and operation of SANs, and a virtual tape technology for data backup and recovery.

The HP StorageWorks SB40c blade storage device is the company's first c-Class line of storage devices using the blade form factor. It was accompanied by the StorageWorks VLS300 Enterprise Virtual Array (EVA) Gateway, virtual tape technology for data backup and recovery in a storage area network (SAN). HP says the VLS300 offers more than 500T bytes of storage capacity and can back up more than 8T bytes of data per hour.

HP's StorageWorks EVA-4000 SAN Starter Kit, a storage area network management package that simplifies SAN setup and operation. It also includes components from Emulex and Brocade.

They are intended to help small- to medium-sized businesses that have growing data storage needs but whose IT administrators may be intimidated by the complexity of a storage network, said Steve Gillaspy, BladeSystem group manager in HP's StorageWorks business.

[Rasputin]

Java Coders Team to Bug-Hunt

Fortify Software and the FindBugs project have launched a free service that will scan open-source Java software for bugs in the code.

The Java Open Review project (JOR) lets open-source projects run audits of their source code using Fortify's source code analysis software and the University of Maryland's FindBugs tool.

New Java Tools
With developers focusing on more secure software development practices, the Java community needs more advanced bug-finding tools like JOR, said Barmak Meftah, vice president of product and services with Fortify. "Everybody understands that the cheapest and easiest point to find and fix security bugs is at the time of implementation," he said.

Open-source developers will now get the benefit of Fortify's Source Code Analysis software, which is already used by commercial vendors such as Oracle and Adobe Systems. But the free JOR analysis is not as detailed as one done by Fortify's commercial product.

Fortify Source Code Analysis can find more than 120 categories of software security problems, Meftah said. The JOR analysis will detail about 40 categories, covering "the most egregious types of security vulnerabilities and the types that developers tend to understand most readily," he said.

The details of the free source code analysis will be made available only to project contributors so that JOR cannot be used as a hacking tool, Meftah added.

Service Opens to All
JOR has been working with a handful of open-source projects over the past six weeks and has discovered hundreds of bugs in applications like Tomcat, Zimbra, and Java Pet Store. Starting today, the service is opened up to any Java open-source projects that want to use it, Meftah said.

Sun Microsystems already uses FindBugs for its GlassFish open-source application server software, said Geoff Halliwell, a manager of application server quality engineering with Sun.

Though Sun has no immediate plans to audit its application server code with JOR, Halliwell said he would "certainly look at it."

"In my business, we're always looking to improve," he said.

[Rasputin]

[Rasputin]

Details on Today's Microsoft Patches

Microsoft today rolled out its monthly security updates for December, patching critical flaws in Internet Explorer, Windows Media Format, and the Visual Studio 2005 development software.

The seven security patches address 11 bugs, including two in the Windows Media Player software. However, no fixes were provided for two Microsoft Word flaws that have been used in a small number of attacks over the past week.

Media Player Patch Added
Microsoft had said it would release only six patches on Tuesday, but the company added the Windows Media Format update at the last minute after reports of attacks based on this vulnerability began surfacing. The Windows Media Format is used by Microsoft's Windows Media Player software.

In late November security vendors warned that a buffer overflow error could occur when the Windows Media Player processed ".asx" (Advanced Stream Redirector) media files, meaning that users would first need to be tricked into opening a malicious media file for the attack to work.

In its update Tuesday, Microsoft also patched a similar bug in the way the media player processes ".asf" (Advanced Systems Format) files.

IE Patch Details
The Internet Explorer patch fixes four bugs. It is also rated critical, and is noteworthy because some of these bugs will probably begin to be exploited by hackers by week's end, says Gunter Ollmann, director of IBM Internet Security Systems' X-Force threat analysis service.

Enterprise administrators should also pay close attention to an SNMP (Simple Network Monitoring Protocol) patch also issued today, Ollmann says.

Microsoft has rated this patch as important rather than critical because SNMP is normally blocked at the firewall and turned off by default on Windows systems. However, it is widely deployed as part of the network monitoring infrastructure in the enterprise, and is often used on critical servers, Ollmann says.

Ollmann believes this SNMP patch is the "most important" update for enterprise customers.

"Since the service is widely deployed in the enterprise and since it's commonly deployed on servers, we think this would be an important attack vector for enterprises," he says.

Visual Studio Patch
The remaining updates include a critical fix for Visual Studio 2005 and important updates for Windows and Outlook Express, Microsoft said.

Microsoft defines critical flaws as bugs that could allow the propagation of an Internet worm without any action on the part of the victim.

[Rasputin]

Vista Boosts Tech Industry

A new IDC report on the impact of Windows Vista on the industry claims Microsoft's business partners stand to benefit more financially from the operating system than Microsoft itself will in 2007.

According to the report on the U.S. economic impact of Vista, for every one dollar Microsoft makes on Vista in 2007, Microsoft partners that offer software, hardware, and services related to Vista will make $18.

New PCs Get Vista First
"If there's a surprising thing to people, it's how extensively a Microsoft piece of software ripples out through the ecosystem," said John Gantz, one of the IDC analysts who wrote the report. "Microsoft, as a software vendor, casts a bigger shadow than its revenues."

IDC analysts Al Gillen and Marcel Warmerdam co-wrote the report, released today, which was commissioned by Microsoft.

The report also says that 35 percent to 45 percent of new PCs that ship to enterprises in 2007 will run Vista. "Some thought [adoption] would move faster," Gantz said. "But to me, that's relatively quick."

However, he added that most of the Vista adoption in the enterprise will come from new PCs, not upgrades to enterprise computers that are running an earlier version of Windows. And 2008 will be the year Vista really takes hold in the enterprise, with about 80 percent of PCs being shipped to businesses running the OS, and nearly 40 percent of the enterprise installed base running Vista, Gantz said.

Vista Boosts Hiring
According to the report, Vista will be good not only for the wallets of Microsoft partners in 2007, but also for the technology industry in general. The operating system should produce more than 100,000 new jobs in 2007, according to the report.

IDC said that within the U.S. in 2007, as many as 200,000 IT companies that produce, sell or distribute products or services running on Vista will employ more than 660,000 people. Another 1.15 million will be employed at companies using the OS. And more than 60 percent of the growth in Windows-related employment will be driven by Vista, according to the report.

[Rasputin]

GeekTech: The Geek's Holiday Hardware Wish List

This year's annual GeekTech holiday wish list takes an aural bent, as sound--both at the PC and away from it--is my geek obsession du jour. Even if the techies in your life don't spend sleepless nights wondering which lossless codec to use when ripping their CD collection (again), they're bound to love something on this list.

Better Home Audio
In my last column I talked about the joys of using a USB DAC and headphones for top-notch audio bliss. But this month I'm generating sound from my PC the old-fashioned way, with a PCI-based sound card.

Creative introduced its X-Fi line of sound cards back in August 2005, and while they received generally favorable reviews, I always balked at buying them--mostly because of their high prices. The top-of-the-line Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro carried a whopping $400 price tag, while the entry-level X-Fi XtremeMusic card was a more reasonable (but still pricey) $130.

Those prices have come down some over time, but I really wasn't too interested in X-Fi until Creative recently launched several new budget cards. I picked up the SoundBlaster X-Fi Extreme Audio for about $60, and I very much liked what I heard.

The card produced a noticeable improvement in audio quality over that from my integrated audio chip. When listing to my lossless music rips, I turned off all of the processing bells and whistles in Creative's drivers, and the audio was sharp and crisp. Then I fired up Rhapsody to listen to some lossy streams, which sounded--as one might expect--a little bit thin. So I turned on Creative's X-Fi Crystalizer feature, which the company says "enhances music dynamics." I don't usually buy into that sort of marketing speak, but I have to say, the X-Fi Crystalizer did make the music sound better.

The Extreme Audio card doesn't have all the features of Creative's other X-Fi cards (its jack selection is particularly anemic). But if you're looking for a good, budget-priced audio upgrade gift, it's a great pick.

Your favorite geek can have the best sound card in the world, but if they're pumping the audio through a lousy set of speakers it's not going to sound very good. I tend to favor 2.1s over surround setups (where, exactly, does everybody put those rear speakers anyway?). My favorites aren't exactly new--they've been around for some time--but they're still in production, they sound fantastic, and they're reasonably priced. The Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 package goes for $150, and as long as you can find space for the giant-size subwoofer, it won't disappoint you.

The ProMedia 2.1's will handle just about anything you throw at them, but they take a little fine tuning. For example, I like some booming bass for games and movies, but when I listen to music I'd rather it be more subtle, so I adjust the subwoofer level right there on the right speaker. That's also where you'll find the volume knob, the headphone jack, and even an input jack (so you can plug in an MP3 player). I like this setup better than the separate control pod. I've been listening to everything from classical to blues, rock to techno, and the Klipsch handled it all with aplomb. Oh, and I don't think I've ever turned the volume control more than a quarter turn (these suckers can go loud).

Of course, sometimes it's nice to move to another part of the house--you know, not in front of the PC--to listen to some tunes. A number of streaming audio devices out there let you access music on your hard drive and play it through your stereo, but Slim Devices' elegant Squeezebox remains my favorite.

I've been testing the $299 wireless version (there's also a $249 ethernet-based unit), and it has consistently turned in a stellar performance. It supports numerous codecs (including lossless formats such as FLAC and Apple Lossless), and it delivers top-notch audio quality when paired with a good stereo rig.

Setup is simple, the free downloadable SlimServer software is straightforward to use, and the unit's slick design and bright screen look great in the entertainment center. The remote control is a little generic, but it does the job. (As we prepared to post this story SlimDevices announced a new remote.) And the whole setup is compatible with Rhapsody (sweeeet). Oh, and if you're looking to satisfy a true audiophile, and you have seriously deep pockets, you should check out the company's new $1999 Transporter.

[Rasputin]

Symantec Launches $15 Million Piracy Suit

Symantec has filed suit against an alleged software piracy ring that has been operating in North America since late 2003, the software vendor said.

The lawsuit, filed last month in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles seeks more than $15 million in damages from a network of U.S. and Canadian businesses that are alleged to have sold counterfeit versions of Symantec's products, including Norton AntiVirus, PCAnywhere, and Veritas Backup Exec.

These companies and their affiliates run a global counterfeiting organization that focuses on the United States and Canada, Symantec said.

The Allegations
The businesses, which have operated under eight different names--among them, Sili, Advanced Sales Productivity Solutions, and GT Micro--sent spam and posted online advertisements purporting to offer Symantec's software at cut-rate prices, said Cris Paden, a Symantec spokesperson.

Customers who paid for the software received disks bearing Symantec's logo but wrapped in plain white sleeves. The disks, which came without documentation, would not install or work properly and in some cases included malicious software designed to steal sensitive information from the purchaser's computer, Paden said.

Symantec began investigating the matter in early 2004, after receiving complaints from customers who had bought the bad software, Paden added. "The people who bought these disks thinking they were from Symantec would come to our customer service," he said.

Sle-business.com, one of the Sili Web sites named in Symantec's complaint, offers $6-per-user volume licensing deals on Symantec's Norton AntiVirus 2006, a product that typically sells for about $20.

Sle-business.com's Web site also offers software from McAfee, Intuit, Corel, Webroot Software, and others. Sili representatives could not be reached immediately for comment.

Symantec has worked with police to seize more than 100,000 copies of counterfeit disks, but Paden does not know whether criminal charges will be forthcoming in the case. "We are working with law enforcement," he said. "I can't tell you who because if I did that would tip our hands [as] to the extent of our investigation."

The Fight Against Unauthorized Copies
Like many other vendors, Symantec has become more aggressive in its fight against unauthorized copying. In 2002 and earlier, Symantec was losing about $500 million annually to software piracy, but it has now reduced those losses to less than $50 million per year, he said.

Customers worried that they may be buying phony software online should make sure that they are providing their credit-card information over a secure Web site, Paden said. When they are asked to enter a credit-card number, the Web address should begin with https://, and there should be a locked padlock displayed near the address to indicate that the browser is visiting a secure site.

"That's the smoking gun as to whether you're dealing with a legitimate outfit or not," Paden said. "Ninety-nine percent of the time these guys don't use this."

[Rasputin]

Hewlett-Packard Offers Some Free Upgrades to Windows Vista

North American customers who purchase certain Hewlett-Packard PCs can sign up starting today for free upgrades to Windows Vista once the new operating system becomes available on January 30.

In addition, HP will offer customers support during the Vista installation process if they qualify for a free upgrade, the company said. Customers can register for upgrades at this Web site.

To be eligible for free upgrades starting today, customers must purchase (or have purchased) between October 26, 2006, and March 15, 2007, a new HP Pavilion, Compaq Presario, or HP Digital Entertainment Center PC bearing the "Microsoft Windows Vista Capable" designation. Purchases must come direct from HP or from select retailers, and customers can upgrade only to the version of Windows Vista that corresponds to the version of Windows XP installed on their PC, HP said.

(Read PC World's opinion of Microsoft's Express Upgrade program.)

Background
Microsoft announced in March that it was working with hardware vendors to ensure that customers would know which PCs were capable of running or were optimized for Windows Vista. Microsoft had planned to have Vista available on PCs in time for the holiday shopping season now in progress, but delays pushed the OS's release back to January.

In October, after months of early press reports about the plan, Microsoft and its hardware partners announced that they would offer coupons for discounted or free Vista upgrades to customers who had already purchased Vista-ready PCs. Analyses of the plan at that time revealed hidden costs associated with the upgrades--costs that varied from one PC vendor to the next.

How HP's Program Will Work
HP's upgrade plan appears to be free to customers as long as they purchase an eligible PC and have access to HP technical support if they need it during the installation process. According to the vendor, customers who sign up for the free Vista upgrade will receive a kit containing the OS upgrade DVD once it is available, along with an additional DVD from HP that holds the drivers they will need to complete the installation process. The DVD also has a guide spelling out the correct upgrade procedure, HP said.

The company plans to make the necessary Vista drivers available on its HP Support Web site, too, so that customers who need them can download them. HP will upgrade that Web page as necessary so that customers will always have access to the most current versions of drivers for the OS.

Customer support for Vista is also available as part of HP Total Care, a service-and-support program that offers a variety of plans for its consumer products, the company said. Aside from the usual technical support, HP is establishing free online classes to help people install and use Vista, along with one-on-one classes with technical support agents.

[Rasputin]

Microsoft Updates Vista in Latest Piracy Crackdown

Microsoft today released an update to Windows Vista that will shut down unauthorized versions of the OS that allow users to skip the product's activation system.

The move comes as pirated copies of Vista are already making the rounds, mere weeks after the product was released to business customers.

The update, which Microsoft has dubbed "frankenbuild," detects tampering of Windows Vista code that would allow users of the OS to work around the product's built-in activation system, which requires users to validate their copy of Vista with a product activation key to use the full version of the product after 30 days.

How It Works
Frankenbuild mixes files from various test and final versions of the software. It will require only systems in which it detects specific tampering to go through a validation check for authenticity, according to a posting on the Windows Genuine Advantage blog.

If a version of Vista that has used a workaround to avoid product activation is detected, a user of that software will have 30 days before the OS goes into a reduced functionality mode, Microsoft said. In this mode, all users can do is access their existing files and surf the Web for an hour before having to log back on to the software.

Pirating Problems
The pirating of Windows has been a perennial problem for Microsoft, particularly in developing countries. The company began coming down hard against piracy last year with a widely criticized system it called Windows Genuine Advantage, which initially required users to validate their copies of Windows if they wanted to use Microsoft's update services.

Microsoft took its antipiracy campaign one step further with Vista by building the validation system directly into the OS. This system requires a Windows Vista user to validate the software through a product activation key within 30 days of using the OS to avoid having the software go into reduced functionality mode.

[Rasputin]

Need to Search Patents? Try Google

If you've ever dreamed up an ingenious new invention and then wondered if someone else has already made it, Google's new patent search offering is for you.

The new site lets anyone search for U.S. patents by keyword, patent number, inventor, and filing date. Users can view a scanned image of the original patent and zoom in on pages.

The main search page displays five different random patents each time the page is visited. Recent inventions that popped up include a toy skunk, a pocket protector, a toupee, and a doll having delayed wetting and crying action.

An Inventor's Take on the Site
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office already allows anyone to search its site for patent documents. But Google's offering may have some advantages.

"The existing Web sites have patents that you can view so it's not that the information isn't there. The problem is finding it and that's where Google's expertise comes in," said Mike Overy, secretary for the Wessex Round Table of Inventors, an inventors club in England. Overy formerly developed products for Nokia and is now a freelance inventor.

Google said that like its Web search technology, the patent search site uses a number of different signals to evaluate how relevant each patent is to a user's query and then determines results algorithmically.

The USPTO is not the only patent office to offer an online patent search facility. The European Patent Office also hosts such a service, covering patents from European countries, the U.S., Canada, and other patent authorities. Overy finds that database good but not very user friendly, he said.

Discovering existing patents is critical for inventors, whose ability to make money on an invention could be severely reduced by an existing patent, Overy said.

While Google's new offering may ease what is often an incredibly tedious job, it may not be able to fully solve the problem, he said. One issue inherent in new inventions is naming them. "If you've invented what you think is the first gizmo whatsit and you type that into a search engine, you won't find much because the other person who invented it called it something different," he said.

Database to Grow
Google's patent search covers 7 million patents. The database doesn't include patents issued in the last few months, but Google "looks forward to expanding our coverage in the future," according to the frequently asked questions section of its site.

Although Google's database only lists U.S. patents for now, the company said it hopes to expand the patent offices it includes and languages it supports.

Presumably the site will one day allow users to save and print patents too: A note at the bottom of a posting about the new service on the Google blog says that a reference to saving and printing has been removed since Google is still working on the capabilities.

[Rasputin]

HP, Microsoft Announce Enterprise Technology Deal

Hewlett-Packard is strengthening ties to Microsoft to provide a broadened portfolio of business software products to the enterprise market while delivering a competitive blow to rival IBM.

On Wednesday HP and Microsoft announced a joint $300 million three-year investment to sell five different types of enterprise technology:

Messaging and unified communications, including e-mail, instant messaging and video conferencing.
Collaboration and content management, software that allows geographically dispersed employees to collaborate on text, database, video and other files.
Business intelligence, the analysis of data to help drive business decisions.
Business process integration, which refers to the different processes enterprises use to run their businesses.
Core infrastructure, the management of an enterprise's computer systems.
The collaboration will generate 30 new products and services in the next year to 20,000 shared customers of the two companies.

Enterprise Market to Top $100 Billion
"Our customers, when they are looking for these solutions, are eager for what it brings to them, but they also want it at a very attractive cost," said Ann Livermore, executive vice president of the Technology Solutions Group at HP, during a news conference.

Although HP, a maker of computers, servers, and storage products, and Microsoft, a maker of operating systems and application software, have partnered for more than 20 years, the scale of this announcement makes it unique, said Livermore. "It pools Microsoft's whole portfolio to the enterprise and our whole portfolio...and that puts us in just a tremendous position."

"Customers want to hear: how can IT advance the business? How can IT drive value in the business? That's the nature of these five solutions that we have," said Kevin Turner, chief operating officer of Microsoft.

The combined market for business intelligence, collaboration, content management, and infrastructure software is estimated at $49 billion in 2007 and the market for communications hardware and services is estimated approximately $60 billion, said John Gantz, chief research officer with IDC.

United Against IBM
The HP-Microsoft deal gives both companies leverage over their joint rival, IBM, which also sells hardware and software to enterprises, said Rob Enderle, principal analyst with Enderle Group, a technology consulting firm. Although IBM hardware also runs Microsoft software, Microsoft is getting closer to HP, he said.

"Microsoft now views IBM as much more of a competitor going forward than a partner and it looks like they are shifting their attention away from IBM services and toward HP's," said Enderle.

HP is expected to surpass IBM in revenue this year. HP had $91.7 billion in its fiscal year, ended October 31, while IBM is expected to end its year on December 31 with $90.72 billion, according to a consensus from analysts polled by Thomson Financial.

"With HP now moving ahead of IBM, I think Microsoft feels comfortable partnering with HP more aggressively," Enderle said.

HP-Microsoft Collaborations
Current enterprise-level collaborations include HP support of Microsoft's new Office 2007 suite of business software and Exchange Server 2007 for data centers. HP provides technical briefings and proof-of-concept testing to customers and partners that are considering deploying Windows-based technology in their enterprises.

HP is also a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner for Learning Solutions, providing technical training on Microsoft systems at HP offices globally.

[Rasputin]

Russian Terrorists May Try Cyberattacks

A Russian computer security expert predicts that terrorists could seek to target his country's critical infrastructure through electronic warfare, a strategy that could raise the stakes in how Russia handles computer crime.

While terrorists aren't believed to currently have the know-how to disrupt critical infrastructure, it would be "very dangerous" if they start learning, said Valery Vasenin, head of the Computer Security Department at the Institute for Information Security Problems at Moscow State University.

"I think the phenomenon of terrorism will go in this direction," Vasenin said in an interview at his office. "This is probably the most important problem for the coming years."

Infrastructure Could Be Vulnerable
Russian's energy grid is a possible target, which could cause widespread blackouts. The air transportation or fuel distribution systems are other possible targets, Vasenin said.

Russia has experienced chilling episodes of terrorism. In September 2004, 331 people, more than half of whom were children, were killed when Chechen separatists stormed a school in Beslan. In October 2002, Chechen rebels took 850 people hostage in a Moscow theater; 117 died after Russian forces used a poisonous gas before entering the premises.

No major cyberterrorism incident in Russia has been recorded. However, the country's infrastructure is becoming more networked and less isolated than before, which could make it more vulnerable to cyberattacks, Vasenin said.

"Russia, at the moment, is average in terms of computer security, like the rest of the world," Vasenin said.

Challenges to Fighting Cybercrime
In the 1990s, the Internet in Russia was still viewed as something of a domain for academics, Vasenin said. But the rapid change of technology and emergence of threats has led to greater attention to security issues, he said.

Moscow State University's IISP was established in 2004 to study network security, the psychology of human behavior and the Internet, along with computer forensics and judicial issues.

Russia lacks laws that clearly define computer crime, he said, making it difficult for Internal Affairs Ministry agents to investigate and bring cases. IISP is studying other countries' computer crime laws and formulating recommendations.

"They [the Internal Affairs Ministry] are somewhat unarmed," Vasenin said. "We understand we [Russia] have these problems related to legislation, just as there are worldwide problems."

More Experts Needed
Through June, Russia recorded 8400 computer-related crimes, according to figures released by the Internal Affairs Ministry in October. Forty-three percent of the cases were related to online auction fraud, with the remainder comprising information theft, unauthorized access, child pornography violations, and others, the ministry said.

Boris Miroshnikov, who heads the cybercrime department in Russia's Internal Affairs Ministry, has called for more trained experts to handle criminal cases that often cross international borders. Miroshnikov's comments at a cybersecurity conference were published earlier this year by Moscow State University.

"Do we have today a school of experts in the field of cybercrimes?" Miroshnikov told conference participants. "Unfortunately, I do not think so."

[Rasputin]

Swing Your Wii Controller Wildly Without Worry

In an effort to duck criticism that its remote controllers can fly across the room when wrist straps break, Nintendo now offers free replacements for that part of its new Wii video gaming console.

Carefully avoiding the term "recall," Nintendo made the move before any regulatory agency could step in. The replacement could affect up to 3.2 million straps, according to the Associated Press. Nintendo did not return calls for comment.

Shortly after Wii consoles began selling on November 20, North American customers started to report failures of the strap that holds Nintendo's wireless gaming controls to players' wrists. Video of the straps breaking appeared on many video sites, including YouTube and WiiHaveAProblem.

More Physical Use of Controller
A key difference between Wii and its rivals, the Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3, is the physical motion that is involved: Players can use Nintendo's wireless remote to, for instance, virtually roll bowling balls or swat tennis balls.

"We have received some reports that when consumers swing the Wii Remote with the original version of the wrist-strap using excessive force and accidentally let go, the cord connecting the controller to the wrist strap can break, potentially causing the Wii Remote to strike bystanders or objects," Nintendo said in a statement on its Web site.

"For example, in Wii Sports bowling, the proper way to let go of the ball while bowling is to release the "B" button on the Wii Remote--DO NOT LET GO OF THE Wii REMOTE ITSELF. If you are having so much fun that you start perspiring, take a moment to dry your hands."

Nintendo's offer does not affect all of its Wii consoles, as the company had already begun shipping them with an improved strap by early December, the company said. Nintendo posted a photo showing the difference between the two versions.

Nintendo plans to begin shipping the replacement straps by December 21, and expects customers to receive them within five to nine days, the company said. Customer who have an original version of the part can request a free replacement through Nintendo.

The company added this new warning to a list of possible dangers for Wii users. Since the Wii has added a physical dimension to virtual games, many of the precautions could relate to any real-world sport or play. For instance, Nintendo warns Wii users to clear rooms of furniture before swinging the controller, and to beware of repetitive motion injuries and of console and TV screen damage.

[Rasputin]

Bribery Investigation Sets Back Nokia-Siemens Deal

The planned merger of network infrastructure units at Nokia and Siemens won't close by the end of this year as expected because the companies will execute a compliance review of Siemens, spurred by the corruption investigation currently shaking the German technology company.

Authorities across Europe have been investigating bribery charges at Siemens. Earlier this week, the former head of Siemens' telecommunications equipment group, the one to be merged with Nokia's networks unit, was arrested as part of the investigation.

Deal Depends On Compliance Review
The companies announced plans in June to merge the groups, creating a company called Nokia Siemens Networks that would have had combined revenues in 2005 of $20.9 billion.

They said at the time that the deal would close by the end of the year and that the new company would begin operations in January. They now say they expect to close the deal and begin operations in the first quarter of 2007, meaning possibly as late as March.

Closing the deal depends in part on the result of a compliance review of the Siemens unit, which Siemens plans to conduct in the first quarter. The review will also produce a compliance program that the new company will implement.

Antitrust authorities in the U.S. and the European Union have already approved the merger, and the companies have announced many of the executives who will lead Nokia Siemens Networks. As recently as mid-November the companies were saying they expected to begin their combined operations in January.