NOTE: The following is the script from the "Technophilia" section of the latest weekly Sunday It's Komplicated webcast on the Geekweek Network. These summaries are posted (hopefully) on Mondays.
THE BEST MAC DEFENSE IS OFFENSIVE:
In "hell freezing over" news, Mac users are shocked and frightened, bringing malfunctioning machines to their Genius Bars with the first piece of actual malware to hit Mac OS X in years. There's a trojan horse called Mac Defender, a web pop-up containing a spoof message that tells customers their machines are infected by a virus and they must install anti-virus software. If customers agree to install the software, the program sporadically loads porn websites on their computer.
Apple's Mac Genius staffs have been told to not fix these machines — the possibility of liability is too big — and instead to point these terrified users, under attack for the first time in their memory — towards instructions online and their own determination. Sure, it's not as bad as Windows, where 1 in 14 downloads are bad. Still, it's worth noting that it's happening … and no web page can tell you that you have a virus.
UPDATED: Apple explains how to get rid of this malware.
[Source: Wired, Gizmodo]
ALL YOUR EMAILS ARE BELONG TO US:
Sony's not the only company to fail in the security department. Square Enix, parent company of Eidos Interactive, said that hackers might have accessed up to 25,000 email addresses and 350 resumes. Eidos is well known for games like Deus Ex, Tomb Raider, Hitman, Fear Effect and Legacy of Kain. Their breaching makes the online gaming world look even less secure. There's no conclusive word whether or not the infamous group Anonymous, whose rogue members took down Sony, have anything to do with this.
[Source: Wired]
DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK FOR JACK(IE):
Fans of the Top Cow comic The Darkness will be excited this October when The Darkness 2 hits shelves. Set two years after the original game, mobster Jackie Estacado is now the boss, but it's not easy to be the king when subordinates are planning a coup. You'll get to play quad wielding both firearms and Jackie's "demon arms" in this first person game for PS3, Xbox 360 and PCs. No sign of the Witchblade or any other artifacts but we'll try to check in with the team at Top Cow for more details about this.
[Source: Komplicated]
AN ELEGANT GAME FOR A MORE CIVILIZED AGE:
Remember once upon a time when you could get things done? When you had free time and knew what sunlight was like? You can forget about that. Sid Meier's Civilization is coming to Facebook. Let me say that again. Civilization is gonna be on Facebook. You thought tending your crops on Farmville was a time suck? You were worried about making your way through the ranks on Mafia Wars? Try getting to work on time when the Russians are marching on your capital city and there's Roman archers right behind your last group of settlers. It's a wrap, pal. This sentence may be the last thing you'll remember of what you used to call life, but you'll think about it when you discover metalworking. So you've got that going for you.
[Source: Komplicated]
SHALL WE PLAY A GAME?
An Android phone that runs PSP games on Verizon Wireless? This is happening. The Sony Xperia Play hits on May 26th for $200 (with a two year contract, of course) and you have to get a voice plan and a data package too. The phone runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread and comes with seven free games: Madden NFL 11, Bruce Lee Dragon Warrior, Asphalt 6: Adrenaline, The Sims 3, Star Battalion, Crash Bandicoot, and Tetris. 50 more games will be available through V Cast Apps at launch. If that sounds like it does it for you, we'll have a link to a hands on with the new toy.
[Source: Wired, Ars Technica]
NOT THE DROID YOU'RE LOOKING FOR:
While we're talking Android phones, you do know they're completely insecure, right? Researchers at the University of Ulm have determined that — brace yourselves — 99% of Android phones could be leaking data and cracking open the online information like a gooey Cadbury egg. The problem is that the phones treat the world like Gmail. They ask for a kind of digital ID card called an authetication token, which means you don't have to log in every five seconds. Problem is — like the Firefox security hole that people found a while back — these ID cards are sent over open signals in plain text. A smart guy could snatch your token from the air and freakin' be you! Calendar! Contacts! Web albums! The whole shebang! Android 2.3.4 and up have at least encrypted the data, but only 0.3% phones are running that software. Please update as soon as you can. Seriously.
[Source: BBC News]
PUTTING THREE STAR WARS HEADLINES WOULD BE TOO MUCH, EVEN THOUGH THIS ONE DESERVES IT:
With a hacked Kinect, some MP3s and a whole lotta crap from the UK-based Engineered Arts, the RoboThespian is a virtual C-3PO. LCD eyes for screens will get you emotional like Wall-E, he moves when you say move, and while this is a long way from Bruce Willis in Surrogates, this is an interesting start.
[Source: DVICE]
GOT YOUR GIGAFLOPS RIGHT HERE:
There's no need to wait for the United Federation of Planets to get yourself a quantum computer. A company called D-Wave is … well, they're doing some pretty complex things with quantum bits, quantum superposition and all kinds of other ideas that'd get your brain looking for a nice soft couch to lie down on. The whole thing works like Schroedinger's Cat, so you're not supposed to examine the whole thing too closely or it'll dissolve into a sham of bistromathematics. Sure, these computers only solve super specialized problems but … dude! It's cool!
[Source: DVICE]
WII'RE BACK:
Don't you love a good leak? There's an early look at the Wii 2, which has a controller with a touchscreen described by DVICE as "a GameCube controller on steroids." What difference will a touchscreen make? Well, there … honestly, I don't freaking know. What difference will that make? Well, it brings more information to you as a user — things like improved aiming on some games. We're staying on top of this story as best as possible, so you'll know when I know.
[Source: DVICE]
MERDE:
In "laughing at people" news, a firm employed by the French government to track down net pirates … has been hacked. Trident Media Guard monitors peer-to-peer networks, but got cracked open like a ripe casaba melon, exposing … what's the technical term here? Everything. The French government cut off their contract with these guys faster than … well, there's a lot of tasteless jokes about the French that we could make here, but we're a new site and we don't need to piss anybody off like that just yet. Except Tyler Perry. Screw that guy. Anyway, yeah, they're screwed.
[Source: BBC News]
