Latest news from the world of science and technology.
The manufacturers’ material of choice for mobile phones and consoles is killing the countries it's being plundered from… Before 1998 columbite-tantalite, coltan, was an obscure natural resource. It is a mixed ore containing niobium (formerly columbium) and tantalum. In eight years its necessity and value has increased due to rapid advancements in technology. Without coltan […]
Continue ReadingSky’s HD service – due to launch on 22 May, with a package of high-definition channels – will be unavailable to most World Cup fans… Live coverage of the World Cup in HD on BBC channels is one of the new service’s biggest attractions, along with other HD channels like Sky One and Discovery. But […]
Continue ReadingWhile Microsoft's Xbox 360 steals a march over Sony's delayed PS3, Nintendo is set to gain universal attention with a revolutionary announcement… Did you look at the Nintendo Revolution TV remote-style controller with some bemusement and wonder how you're supposed to play complex, next-gen games with it? You weren't alone. Half of it appears to […]
Continue ReadingTo many it represents little more than a colourful Excel spreadsheet, but to fans of Sega’s new football management game, it is an all-encompassing lifestyle… On a typical day in my house, at any given time, one is liable to find five guys with five laptops, sitting around a TV, each laptop blasting out hot […]
Continue ReadingForget viruses, 419 email fraudsters and server meltdowns. The biggest potential threat to your online security could come from the growing menace of ‘click’ kiddies, a leading security firm warns… A growing legion of semi-computer-literate teens short of something to do could be the biggest danger to security on the web. Where traditional hackers go […]
Continue ReadingAttacks are becoming more sophisticated and no matter what size your business is, sooner or later you’re likely to get hacked. But take heed from an expert, and minimise the risks… Firms of all descriptions know all too well what an attack can be like. Those who were not adequately prepared or did not handle […]
Continue ReadingSometimes security dangers aren’t as clandestine as you may think. One of the most serious threats to your firm’s security could be sitting next to you… in the airport departure lounge… Engineers from the global security consultancy Scanit have found documents and emails that could bring some global companies to their knees, on public access […]
Continue ReadingWhen new media meets old: Rupert Murdoch adds the blog site myspace.com to his media empire after buying up its parent company, Intermix… Visitors to the myspace.com homepage at any one time can be expected to be introduced to “cool new people” under aliases such as Flake88 and ShawnBrown4eva, encouraged to listen to a garage-funk […]
Continue ReadingGlobal security consultancy ScanIT shows Microsoft’s Internet Explorer was "unsafe" for 98% of 2004, while rival browser Mozilla was "unsafe" for only 15%… The figures come from 195,000 internet users who checked their systems for vulnerabilities using ScanIT’s free online Browser Security Checker in 2004. The checker’s findings showed surfers using Mozilla’s Firefox browser enjoyed […]
Continue ReadingUsers of Apple Macs are being treated as second-class customers when it comes to internet banking in Ireland… Since the development of internet banking thousands of people have taken to managing their money from home. And with branch closures becoming an increasingly common cost-cutting measure, Irish banks have been encouraging their customers to manage their […]
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