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refer to PC GAMES for computer game news

Cablevision Systems Corp. is reportedly ready to offer unlimited local and long-distance phone calls, plus digital cable television and high-speed Internet access for $90 a month, a move reflecting the scramble among cable operators to grab and hold on to subscribers. Cablevision, which has 3 million cable customers in the metropolitan area, is offering the $90 service bundle for one year, with plans to continue with a discounted rate thereafter, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday. Cablevision officials did not return phone calls.

The offering is a reflection of cable companies' strategy of luring customers with low-priced packages that would make it difficult for subscribers to switch to competitors later.


"At the expense of short-term revenue, they're looking to increase the stickiness of their subscriber base," Vamsi M. Sistla, analyst for ABI Research said.


There's an assumption in the industry that prices will continue to drop among competitors, so Cablevision is "basically pre-trumping future price drops," Sistla said. "They're trying to stay a few steps ahead in capturing subscribers."


While cable companies have dangled Internet-based phone services in front of potential customers, telecommunication companies have also offered cable TV services. SBC Communications Inc., for example, is offering a similar package to Cablevision's for $105 a month, delivering TV through satellite provider EchoStar Communications Corp. Verizon Communications Inc.'s competitive bundle sells for $123.89 a month in New York.


Other cable companies planning to offer phone service include Comcast Corp. and Cox Communications Inc. All the cable operators are offering telephone service based on standards know as voice over Internet protocol, or VoIP, which sends voice over the Internet in packets similar to e-mail and other data services.


So what you think of that guys ?

Microsoft releases Windows XP service pack 2.

This pack includes, improved Internet Explorer security and a built-in pop-up ad blocker, new security features for Outlook Express, disables the Windows Messenger Service (used for some forms of spam) by default, adds the Windows Security Center and improves the Internet Connection Firewall (ICF), now dubbed the Windows Firewall among other things. The question is "is the Windows Firewall sufficient" though?

Read up on this at ----> http://netsecurity.about.com/od/firewalls/a/aa081804b.htm

Netscape releases version 7.2

Includes faster rendering speeds and startup, pop-up blocking, password manager, vCard support, a Flash 7 plug-in, and table editing support.

more information -----> http://www.internetnews.com/dev-news/article.php/3396821

Everything in the universe good, has an opposite bad.
Windows XP SP2 Firewall has reported errors and holes through which attackers could execute code. Available soon is the Windows XP hotfix for SP2 firewall. This, although temporary, does not fix the attacker problem, but the error problem.

Article http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1637696,00.asp
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Update

Microsoft has started to send out its latest major security patch to home PCs--but some people won't get it for a while.

http://news.com.com/Microsoft+sends+securi..._3-5316838.html
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Update
Holes found in Windows XP update
Barely hours after home users started securing their PCs with a key update for Windows XP, security experts have found ways around it.

SP2 CHANGES
-Pop-up ads blocked
-Revamped firewall on by default
-Outlook Express, Internet Explorer and Windows Messenger warn about attachments
-Origins of downloaded files logged
-Web graphics in e-mail no longer loaded by default
-Some spyware blocked
-Users regularly reminded about Windows Updates
-Security Centre brings together information about anti-virus, updates and firewall
-Protection against buffer over-runs
-Windows Messenger Service turned off by default


Article----> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3583860.stm
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Update

The "highly criticial" vulnerability affects Internet Explorer 5.01, 5.5, and 6 on fully patched PCs running either Windows XP SP1 or the newer SP2.

Article-----------> http://www.informationweek.com/story/showA...icleID=29116685

The Problem

Author: Mike Healan

There is a despicable trend that is becoming more and more common where the browser settings of web surfers are being forcibly hijacked by malicious web sites and software which modifies your default start and search pages.

Sometimes internet shortcuts will be added to your favorites folder without asking you. The purpose of this is force you to visit a web site of the hijacker's choice so that they can artificially inflate their web site's traffic for higher advertising revenues.

In some cases, these changes are reversible simply by going into internet options and switching them back. Not always, however. Sometimes it's necessary to edit the windows registry (gasp!) to undo the changes made. Sometimes there is even a combination of registry setting and files clandestinely placed on your hard drive that redo your settings every time you reboot the computer.

No matter how often you change your settings back, they are changed again the next time you restart. There have even been cases where internet options have been removed from the tools menu by registry hacking to prevent you from controlling your own computer!

Even AOL has become a browser hijacker by placing it's web site free.aol.com in Internet Explorer's trusted sites security zone, thereby bypassing the most frequently used security settings. This occurs after installing their AOL software, AOL Instant Messenger, Netscape 6.x, and ICQ2001b has reportedly done this. AOL then exploits this by downloading ActiveX components to your computer without your consent. The CWS trojan also does this.
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Warning, DO NOT GO TO THESE SITES, THESE ARE THE SITES THAT START HIJACKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The following web sites have been found in log files of people infected with this trojan. To our best knowledge, they are all affiliated with coolwebsearch.com

193.125.201.50, 1stpagehere.com, 66.250.130.194, adulthyperlinks.com, allhyperlinks.com, approvedlinks.com, bannedhost.net, bestcrawler.com, cantfind.com, carsands.com, cool-web-search.com, coolfreepage.com, coolwebsearch., coolwwwsearch., couldnotfind.com, defaultsearch.net, dev.ntcor.com, drvvv.com, ewebsearch.net, findloss.com, findwhat.com, firstbookmark.net, freebookmark.net, freebookmarks.net, global-finder.com, globesearch.com, gratis-porn-movie.com, hardloved.com, itseasy.us, jethomepage.com, jetseeker.com, kazaa-lite.ws, martfinder.com, mature50.com, mommykiss.com, mywebsearch.net, noblindlinks.com, nocensor.com, ok-search.com, pedo.ws, runsearch.com, search-2003.com, search.xrenoder.com, searchdesire.com, searchnow.ws, searchv.com, searchxp.com, sharempeg.com, sixroads.com, slawsearch.com, slotch.com, stopxxxpics.com, super-spider.com, super-websearch.com, the-exit.com, the-huns-yellow-pages.com, topsearcher.com, unipages.cc, web-search.tk, white-pages.ws, youfindall.com, youfindall.net, yourbookmarks.info, and yourbookmarks.ws

To delete the trojan, there is a self fix tool.
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/files/cwshredder.zip :: CWShredder

New worm hijacks web cams

A new worm can spy on users by hijacking their Web cameras, a security firm warned Monday.

Kinda Scary

Article---> http://www.internetweek.com/breakingNews/s...icleID=29116898

that's a definate problem, if you have a webcam *sigh* anytime you find something cool, someone goes and screws with it.

Google ups its GMAIL account size to 2 gigs.

WHOOHOO!

http://www.newsbug.net/news/2005-04-03/h.php

HOORAY! (Now all I need is an invite) ;)