BBMF News around the web - Page 6 - VRForums - SITEX 2009

bbmf · Jun 23rd, 06, 06:33 AM

IPv6 is short for "Internet Protocol Version 6". IPv6 is the "next generation" protocol designed by the IETF to replace the current version Internet Protocol, IP Version 4 ("IPv4").
Most of today's internet uses IPv4, which is now nearly twenty years old. IPv4 has been remarkably resilient in spite of its age, but it is beginning to have problems. Most importantly, there is a growing shortage of IPv4 addresses, which are needed by all new machines added to the Internet.
IPv6 fixes a number of problems in IPv4, such as the limited number of available IPv4 addresses. It also adds many improvements to IPv4 in areas such as routing and network autoconfiguration. IPv6 is expected to gradually replace IPv4, with the two coexisting for a number of years during a transition period.
Some introductory information about the protocol can be found in our IPv6 FAQ. For those interested in the technical details, we have a list of IPv6 related specifications.
Where can I get an IPv6 implementation for my system?
There is software available for most operating systems in common use today. Find your favorite OS on our list of IPv6 implementations. We also have a collection of "how to install" documents for various systems.
What applications run over IPv6 today?
Many common Internet applications already work with IPv6, and more are being ported. See our list of IPv6 enabled applications.
How can I get help with IPv6? Or find out more about it?
A new mailing list for IPv6 users has been established. If you are interested in deploying IPv6 for your site, this could be a valuable resource for you. We've also compiled a list of other sites with IPv6 information.

For More Information, see: http://www.ipv6.org/

bbmf · Jun 23rd, 06, 06:52 AM

FYI: http://www.ipv6.org/specs.html

bbmf · Jun 23rd, 06, 08:12 AM

Security researchers have found a way to seize control of a laptop computer by manipulating buggy code in the system's wireless device driver.
The hack will be demonstrated at the upcoming Black Hat USA 2006 conference during a presentation by David Maynor, a research engineer with Internet Security Systems and Jon Ellch, a student at the U.S. Naval postgraduate school in Monterey, California.
Device driver hacking is technically challenging, but the field has become more appealing in recent years, thanks in part to new software tools that make it easier for less technically savvy hackers, known as script kiddies, to attack wireless cards, Maynor said in an interview.
The two researchers used an open-source 802.11 hacking tool called LORCON (Lots of Radion Connectivity) to throw an extremely large number of wireless packets at different wireless cards. Hackers use this technique, called fuzzing, to see if they can cause programs to fail, or perhaps even run unauthorized software when they are bombarded with unexpected data.
Using tools like LORCON, Maynor and Ellch were able to discover many examples, of wireless device driver flaws, including one that allowed them to take over a laptop by exploiting a bug in an 802.11 wireless driver. They also examined other networking technologies including Bluetooth, EvDO (EVolution-Data Only), and HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access).
Dramatic Description
The two researchers declined to disclose the specific details of their attack before the August 2 presentation, but they described it in dramatic terms.
"This would be the digital equivalent of a drive-by shooting," said Maynor. An attacker could exploit this flaw by simply sitting in a public space and waiting for the right type of machine to come into range.
The victim would not even need to connect to a network for the attack to work.
"You don't have to necessarily be connected for these device driver flaws to come into play," Ellch said. "Just because your wireless card is on and looking for a network could be enough."
More than half of the flaws that the two researchers found could be exploited even before the wireless device connected to a network.
Wireless devices are often configured to be constantly sniffing for new networks, and that can lead to security problems, especially if their driver software is badly written. Researchers in Italy recently created a hacking lab on wheels, called project BlueBag, to underscore this point by showing just how many vulnerable Bluetooth wireless devices they could connect with by wandering around public spaces like airports and shopping malls. After spending about 23 hours wandering about Milan, they had found more than 1400 devices that were open to connection.
"Wireless device drivers are like the Wild, Wild West right now," Maynor said. "LORCON has really brought mass Wi-Fi packet injection to script kiddies. Now it's pretty much to the point where anyone can do it."
Part of the problem is that the engineers who write device drivers often do not have security in mind, he said.
A second problem is that vendors also make devices do more than they really need to in order to be certified as compliant with a particular wireless standard. That piling on of features can open security holes as well, he said.

sa: http://www.pcworld.com/resource/arti...RSS,RSS,00.asp

bbmf · Jun 23rd, 06, 08:32 AM

Security researchers have found a way to seize control of a laptop computer by manipulating buggy code in the system's wireless device driver.
The hack will be demonstrated at the upcoming Black Hat USA 2006 conference during a presentation by David Maynor, a research engineer with Internet Security Systems and Jon Ellch, a student at the U.S. Naval postgraduate school in Monterey, California.
Device driver hacking is technically challenging, but the field has become more appealing in recent years, thanks in part to new software tools that make it easier for less technically savvy hackers, known as script kiddies, to attack wireless cards, Maynor said in an interview.
The two researchers used an open-source 802.11 hacking tool called LORCON (Lots of Radion Connectivity) to throw an extremely large number of wireless packets at different wireless cards. Hackers use this technique, called fuzzing, to see if they can cause programs to fail, or perhaps even run unauthorized software when they are bombarded with unexpected data.
Using tools like LORCON, Maynor and Ellch were able to discover many examples, of wireless device driver flaws, including one that allowed them to take over a laptop by exploiting a bug in an 802.11 wireless driver. They also examined other networking technologies including Bluetooth, EvDO (EVolution-Data Only), and HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access).
Dramatic Description
The two researchers declined to disclose the specific details of their attack before the August 2 presentation, but they described it in dramatic terms.
"This would be the digital equivalent of a drive-by shooting," said Maynor. An attacker could exploit this flaw by simply sitting in a public space and waiting for the right type of machine to come into range.
The victim would not even need to connect to a network for the attack to work.
"You don't have to necessarily be connected for these device driver flaws to come into play," Ellch said. "Just because your wireless card is on and looking for a network could be enough."
More than half of the flaws that the two researchers found could be exploited even before the wireless device connected to a network.
Wireless devices are often configured to be constantly sniffing for new networks, and that can lead to security problems, especially if their driver software is badly written. Researchers in Italy recently created a hacking lab on wheels, called project BlueBag, to underscore this point by showing just how many vulnerable Bluetooth wireless devices they could connect with by wandering around public spaces like airports and shopping malls. After spending about 23 hours wandering about Milan, they had found more than 1400 devices that were open to connection.
"Wireless device drivers are like the Wild, Wild West right now," Maynor said. "LORCON has really brought mass Wi-Fi packet injection to script kiddies. Now it's pretty much to the point where anyone can do it."
Part of the problem is that the engineers who write device drivers often do not have security in mind, he said.
A second problem is that vendors also make devices do more than they really need to in order to be certified as compliant with a particular wireless standard. That piling on of features can open security holes as well, he said.

sa: http://www.pcworld.com/resource/arti...RSS,RSS,00.asp

bbmf · Jun 23rd, 06, 09:27 AM

Of course, those

readers who are interested in the new generation Intel processors would hardly be satisfied with Kentsfield screenshots only. Everyone wanted to see some real overclocking results and the reports about some corresponding experiments have already hit the pages of XtremeSystems.org forums.
Before we start investigating the overclocking potential of this CPU let’s take a closer look at one very interesting peculiarity of this processor. Just like its dual-core predecessor it allows disabling “excessive” cores. Although in this case three cores out of four will be disabled. As you know, Conroe has shared L2 cache that is still available as a whole even if one of the cores has been disabled. Kentsfield consists of two Conroe dies, each featuring two cores and 4MB of L2 cache. By the way, the CPU-Z utility reflects L2 cache as 4MB, while it simply doesn’t see the second 4MB at all

So, if you disable three cores of the Kentsfield processor, then the remaining core will only work with 4MB L2 cache that remained in the active half of the CPU.
Maybe there will be a way to disable only two cores of the Kentsfield CPU. However, there will hardly be the need for that, mostly just to increase the overclocking potential.
With the nominal Vcore, the Kentfield processor overclocked from 2.4GHz to 3.2GHz with the air cooler. It is quite nice for a quad-core CPU, I should say. C1 core stepping sample should be able to go farther than that with higher Vcore settings and more powerful cooling solution.

sa: http://www.xbitlabs.com/web/display/20060622170734.html

bbmf · Jun 23rd, 06, 09:38 AM

World's Highest Capacity Stick Storage Devices Now Shipping to U.S. Retailers in Six and Eight GB Models

Setting an astonishing new standard for storage capacity in USB memory sticks, TrekStor, Germany's largest maker of USB storage products, has introduced the first USB memory stick with up to eight gigabytes of storage. Measuring about twice the width of current USB sticks, though thinner and shorter, the new TrekStor Model CS-D memory stick is available and shipping in six and eight gigabyte models. Both models meet USB 2.0 standards for high-speed data transfer and work with Windows, Mac, and Linux computers.
"This is a massive amount of storage in very tiny, very portable package," said Hana Arad, president of Data Station, the U.S. marketing arm for TrekStor. Arad said that for its size – 1.25 inches wide, 0.375 inches thick, and 2.5 inches long, including cover -- the new CS-D is the world's highest capacity stick storage device. "Our eight gigabyte stick weighs less than one ounce. It is a remarkable achievement," said Arad.
For durability and good looks, the TrekStor CS-D USB memory stick features an aluminum casing and connector cover with a brushed metal finish. Power is supplied through the USB connection; a red LED is illuminated when the stick is in use. A neck strap and USB extension cable are included. No software drivers are required, except for PCs using Windows 98. The CS-D can be plugged directly into a USB port or be connected to a USB port using the supplied cable.
"The CS-D must pass the same stringent manufacturing and quality control process as other TrekStor memory products," said Shimon Szmigiel, TrekStor CEO.
If used to store downloaded music, the eight-gigabyte stick would hold about 2,000 songs, Szmigiel said, or about the number of songs in a 200-CD collection.
Rather than using flash memory, the CS-D employs a miniature one-inch hard drive that is shock-mounted using an original, proprietary design. The CS-D is intended for same daily use as flash-technology memory products.
Now available at Amazon.com, the CS-D is backed by a one-year warranty. The manufacturer's suggest retail price for the 6GB model is $139.99; for 8GB, it is $179.99.
sale: http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASI...302094-7398961
sa: http://news.ecoustics.com/bbs/messag...81/241903.html

bbmf · Jun 23rd, 06, 10:45 AM

Toshiba pushes ever further forward with the HD DVD format, next month releasing the world's first consumer HD DVD player capable of writing to their next-generation recordable media, not to mention to a huge hard disk - the RD-A1 with 1TB drive, capable of holding 130 hours' HD content.
The RD-A1 features both digital terrestrial and satellite tuners, along with an analogue tuner and as you can see from the picture, a huge array of digital and analogue video and audio inputs and outputs, including HDMI and a network port. There's also HDCP copy-protection on the HDMI port, along with HD DVD's AACS anti-piracy technology.

sapw: http://www.techdigest.tv/2006/06/toshiba_announc.html

bbmf · Jun 23rd, 06, 02:54 PM

Intellectual property (IP) protection has become a primary challenge in today's highly competitive commercial environment, as well as in government and military applications, which have an inherent need for elevated security. In response, Altera has the availability of a comprehensive Stratix II FPGA design security solution to protect IP. The easy-to-implement Stratix II design security solution uses advanced encryption standard (AES) along with a 128-bit non-volatile key, and is ideal for applications requiring design flexibility and protection.
As FPGAs advance in density, functionality and performance with each new process generation, designers are increasingly using them to perform critical system functions that were traditionally filled by ASICs or ASSPs. The Stratix II design security solution offers benefits for a number of applications and market environments:
In areas where IP laws are not well enforced, the Stratix II design security feature enables IP protection, resulting in increased revenue retention.
The Stratix II design security solution allows different security keys to be programmed into different Stratix II devices, enabling product version control and customization.
The ability to encrypt configuration files in Stratix II FPGAs ensures royalty income for IP vendors, since they can track exact IP usage.
The tampering protection of the Stratix II design security solution prevents undesired modification of gaming machines.
The Stratix II design security solution allows military customers to protect core technology and information, and prevent tampering.
ASSP vendors can test market and adapt the functionality in their ASSPs via Stratix II FPGAs while protecting their IP.
Securing devices with the AES encryption key
Altera claim that Stratix II and Stratix II GX devices are the industry's first FPGAs to support configuration bitstream encryption using the 128-bit AES coupled with a non-volatile key. Selected by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and adopted by the U.S. government to protect sensitive information, AES is the most advanced encryption algorithm available today. A user-defined AES key can be programmed into the 128-bit non-volatile key stored in Stratix II devices. The same key is used by Altera's Quartus II design software to generate an encrypted configuration file stored in an external memory or configuration device. At power up, the memory or configuration device sends the encrypted configuration file to the FPGA and the device then uses the stored key to decrypt the file and configure itself. This Stratix II AES implementation is FIPS 197 certified. A comprehensive design security solution for Stratix II GX will be available in the third quarter of 2006.

sa: http://www.pldesignline.com/showArti...leID=189500276

bbmf · Jun 23rd, 06, 04:29 PM

Last week, we reported that AMD was planning to discontinue a large number of its processors in order to simplify its lineup. Now, DailyTech has grabbed an end of life roadmap that puts some dates on AMD's scheduled mass extinction. Apparently, AMD plans to discontinue twelve of its chips by the end of the year: the Athlon 64 X2 4800+, 4400+, and 4000+ for Socket AM2, the Athlon 64 X2 4400+ and Athlon 64s 4000+, 3700+, 3200+, and 3000+ for Socket 939, and the Athlon 64 3200+ plus Semprons 3300+, 3100+, and 2600+ for Socket 754. Retailers will only be able to order those chips until June 28, so they may disappear from store shelves rather quickly—the Socket AM2 contenders, for instance, are already gone from a number of online stores.
After the June 28 doomsday, the roadmap suggests AMD will stop selling Socket AM2 Athlon 64 3200+ and 3000+, Socket 939 Athlon 64 X2 4800+, and a couple of Socket 754 Sempron chips between the third and fourth quarters of this year. Last shipments will occur between the first and second quarters of next year, leaving AMD's lineup radically slimmed down, perhaps to make way for new products.

sa: http://techreport.com/onearticle.x/10231

bbmf · 10:33 PM

As many know the portable market is always pushing ahead with new technology, higher battery life, larger screens, higher resolutions, more RAM, greater expandibility and so on. It seems in the recent week though things have taken a turn for the worse.
Earlier this week the Inquirer reported on an exploding Dell during a conference. The system was caught on camera at the point of explosion, quite a sight indeed and a demonstration as to the potential of how hot things might get on your lap if you're not careful. The smoking book has yet to be idenified any further at this point though.
More recently has been the latest story going around of the swelling or bulging MacBook Pro battery found in the early shipments of the system. The bluge primarily being a bit of a hike in the center of the base plastic covering the battery.
Image: http://img.neoseeker.com/neo_image.p...=192&type=news
So far this is being labeled as a possible internal explosion that then fails out on the user entirely with random shutdowns. Luckily in this case there hasn't been anything near as large as what the Dell produced.
It's always interesting to see these things turn up, I mean for the most part everyone takes it for granted that the worst they might have for a situation is a bad lcd or other components, I don't think many really put thought into the explosion factor of their laptops when they purchased them. Maybe an index should be introduced for consumers to check out before they buy.

sa: http://www.neoseeker.com/news/story/5888/

bbmf · Jun 24th, 06, 10:22 AM

Intel, next week is introducing a client chipset that supports both the fixed and mobile versions of the wireless broadband technology known as WiMax.
Arguably WiMax's biggest cheerleader, the company is working to make the case for the technology with a chipset roadmap that targets devices ranging from video games to digital cameras -- the idea being that if the clients are there, the carriers will come.

For those of you just joining us: WiMax comes in two basic flavors -- one for fixed wireless and one for mobile. The fixed version, handily known as 802.16d-2004, was designed to be a replacement or supplement for broadband cable access or DSL. A more recently ratified version, 802.16e-2005, also can support fixed wireless applications, but it allows for roaming among base stations as well. Thus the two standards are generally known as "fixed WiMax" and "mobile WiMax."
Intel already sells a fixed WiMax chipset called Rosedale, for use in boxy residential modems. At the Wireless Communications Association International (WCA) 2006 conference in Washington next week, the company will unveil Rosedale 2, which has the capability of working both in the 802.16d and 802.16e modes. The chip is meant for use in residential gateways and modems, but the company also is exploring its use in picocell base stations. While Intel has a history of outsourcing its early wireless efforts, Rosedale 2 was "painfully designed in house," says Yung Hahn, general manager of the WiMax product division at Intel.
By the end of the year, Intel plans to introduce a single-chip radio called Ofer-R, which supports both WiFi and WiMax. A PowerPoint presentation touting Intel's WiFi/WiMax integration plans shows a parade of devices -- including a camera and an iPod. Clearly Intel's vision for WiMax is data and not VOIP.
"We're hoping that in the next five years you'll see much more experimentation on the device side, and we're hoping to show proof points of new business models that make WiMax unique," Hahn says. "We're not under the delusion that the cellular industry is going to go away any time soon. They've done a great job of delivering voice to consumers. We never thought mobile voice would be the fundamental application...
"We have a target. We would ultimately like to see WiMax modems get below $50. You hit that mark and magic things happen."
Still, regardless of what Intel does on the client side, service provider support is necessary to make WiMax fly. Unlike WiFi, WiMax is designed to run in licensed bands of spectrum.
“WiMax will be ready for prime time when carriers start billing end users for services that are running over a WiMax network," says Patrick Donegan, a senior analyst at Heavy Reading. "When all’s said and done, it’s going to be the WiMax infrastructure and terminal vendors that have to build and optimize that network together with integrated applications. Anything that others in the value chain have to say about commercial launches is almost immaterial”.
"We're not waiting for the carriers," Hahn says. "Each of the regional teams is engaged with a series of operators. We've engaged with all the major ones and are in various stages of technology, but also having a lot of deep discussion about structuring a new business model where we both win out of this process -- and also how Intel silicon can play a role. We're obviously interested in driving our platform solutions into the operator space."
Internationally, WiMax has been finding a home among emerging markets that don't have a decent wired infrastructure. In the U.S., several carriers -- wireless, wireline, and cable operators -- have voiced interest in WiMax. Some are in trials. But no major carrier has launched a major WiMax network. One potential candidate to do that is Sprint Nextel Corp., which has a swath of spectrum in the 2.5GHz range that it must use by 2009, per FCC regulations. WiMax is among the radio technologies that can operate in that range.

sa: http://www.unstrung.com/document.asp...WT.svl=news2_1

bbmf · Jun 24th, 06, 11:44 AM

Usually, you buy a television to look at the screen, but the back panel of the HP LC3200N is pretty impressive too, as it has an incredible number of ports to which you can connect other equipment; it even has FireWire ports for showing footage from a digital video camcorder or exporting to a digital-VHS deck. The one addition we'd like to see is a second HDMI port (something that, of the group of TVs we tested at the same time as the HP, only the Dell W3201C provided).
You'll find a large selection of on-screen colour controls, as well. Though this panel is made by Sharp and is very similar to the Sharp Aquos LC-32D6U, the HP set adds six-colour hue, saturation and image-value adjustments. (We couldn't take full advantage of those controls in our image-quality tests, however, because we use standard settings and a set calibration routine). The HP set trailed the Aquos unit in overall image quality, though it came very close in high-definition programming and in DVD playback. As with the Aquos, switching to this set's alternate picture modes (most of which are customizable) gave us a more attractive image.
The LC3200N's screen, which is surrounded by a shiny black bezel, sits on a humongous silver base that makes the set very stable but isn't elegant. The speakers can mount on the sides of the screen, making the panel look even wider than it is. The TV has a Dolby Virtual surround-sound mode that's somewhat effective, but the speakers' audio quality is merely adequate. The long, thin remote control has cheap-feeling buttons, though they are backlit.

sa: http://www.pcworld.ca/news/article/d...ea6ad3/pg1.htm

bbmf · Jun 24th, 06, 11:54 AM

Popular DVR (Digital Video Recorder) TiVo has announced it will be supporting video for the Sony PSP. With the new TiVo Destop 2.3 Plus upgrade for Windows, users will be able to "automatically convert your TiVoToGo transfers for iPod, PSP, Treo, Nokia, and other portable devices that support MPEG-4 or H.264 video."
What this means to consumers is that they will be able to TiVo their favorite shows, convert them to the correct file format, and watch them on their PSP. The service won't be free, however. TiVo is currently selling the upgrade on their site for $24.95. Not a bad price though to watch your TV shows on the go. The only downside is the low resolution of the video. The PSP supports 480x272 while the videos will be 320X240. Not really much of a problem since most shows are 4:3 and not widescreen anyways.

sa: http://www.gameshout.com/news/tivo_o...rticle7062.htm

bbmf · Jun 24th, 06, 12:19 PM

NVIDIA SLI-Ready components are backed by a rigorous testing and certification process to deliver an entire certified platform solution, ensuring unmatched system stability and platform compatibility.

Friday, June 23, 2006: Kingston Technology Company, Inc. is launching the NVIDIA SLI-Ready 800 MHz low-latency HyperX modules. Designated with an 'N' in the part number, the modules are available in 1- and 2-GB kits. These HyperX modules allow users to install NVIDIA SLI-ready components, without needing to tune the BIOS.
This new array of HyperX product is ideal for gamers and enthusiasts who want increased performance without manipulating the BIOS settings,” said Tawny Phan, sales director, APAC business division, Kingston.
"Kingston and NVIDIA are dedicated to engineering the latest in cutting-edge technology, and we are pleased to give certification to Kingston's NVIDIA SLI-Ready PC2-6400 low latency 800 MHz DDR2 modules," said Drew Henry, general manager of MCP products at NVIDIA. "Kingston has been working diligently on the NVIDIA SLI-Ready HyperX modules and we are fortunate to be working with world's largest independent manufacturer of memory products."

sa:http://www.efytimes.com/fullnews.asp?edid=12528

bbmf · Jun 24th, 06, 12:24 PM

If you have been thinking about building or upgrading an AMD system, now's the time. The CPU maker is putting some of its more popular CPUs out to pasture in the next few months, including all of its Socket 939 lineup.
It was just one month ago that the company launched its new Socket AM2 CPUs. Socket AM2 brings support for DDR2 along with a a couple of new chipsets from NVIDIA and ATI. When it launched, the company introduced two new flagship CPUs, the Athlon 64 X2 5000+ and the Athlon FX-62, along with a number of CPUs from the Socket 939 lineup such as the Athlon 64 X2 4000+ which were moved to the new pin-out.
Now that Socket AM2 is here, many parts of AMD's CPU lineup will be disappearing—some quite soon. The single-core Athlon 64 3700+ and 4000+ will be discontinued in early July, with only the higher-end Athlon 64 X2 4800+ lasting past the end of the year. In addition, a number of Socket 754 CPUs (e.g., Semprons) will be discontinued as well. The Semprons should be available through the end of 2006 at least, with the Sempron 3000+ to be manufactured through the first quarter of 2007.

sa:http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060623-7120.html