Google Chrome OS: A threat to Windows 7?

Google OS has been warmly embraced by the anti-Microsoft crowd, but Davey Winder is less than blown over by the announcement.

Murdoch: a mogul in denial

Rupert Murdoch is not a stupid man, his business empire is evidence of that. For anyone to become a media mogul requires smarts, but those smarts seem to be deserting Murdoch as he continues to play the fool and deny that old monetisation methods do not work for the new online model that has so totally embraced news media.

Twitter finally gains academic approval

Having been a relatively early adopter of Twitter, my @happygeek account first saw the light of day in February 2007, you might expect me to say that I do not consider it a waste of time. However, you might imagine that the hallowed halls of academia would take a somewhat less enthusiastic view of 140 character networking.

IE6 and 7 hit by hack attack code

If like some 40% or so of Internet users you are still using Internet Explorer 6 or 7, now might be a good time to upgrade following news of the publication of some nasty exploit code over the weekend.

Apple voids Mac warranties for smokers, claims hardware is biohazard

This has to be the most bizarre excuse for voiding a warranty ever, but according to The Consumerist at least two Mac owners have been told their Applecare warranties are no good because they smoke.

Q&A: Why Conficker was a victim of its own success

Eric Sites is well known in the IT security business as CTO of Sunbelt Software. He’s also a member of the Conficker Working Group, which was established in February 2009 with a brief to combat the Conficker worm. With a collaborative and global approach from technology industry leaders and academia, the CWG was facilitated by Microsoft, but relies upon the collective expertise that has driven an unparalleled global security response. We asked him how the team dealt with the biggest threat to IT security in recent history.

Conficker's first birthday: how a year of havoc unfolded

21 November marks exactly a year since the Conficker worm was unleashed upon an unsuspecting world - and what a year it has been with an estimated 15 million infections. Davey Winder reveals how the Conficker worm became one of the world's biggest security problems and how the experts dealt with it.

OMG! Gumblar gets busy

I just had a Jaws moment. You know, you think it is safe to go back in the water and then a bloody great shark bites your legs off. Except in this case you can replace the sea with the Internet and the shark with the equally dangerous Gumblar.

Introducing the Linux OAPC (Old Age Personal Computer)

What do you get if you combine a computer company with a group of Vegans and someone who used to present a popular children's TV show? The less than obvious answer is a Linux computer designed especially for old people.

World Toilet Day - there's an app for that

Rather surprisingly, tomorrow is World Toilet Day. Once you’ve stopped sniggering there is a serious reason behind this: 40% of the world’s population have nowhere safe to go the loo, and 4000 children die every year as a result. But how the heck can an iPhone app help?

Are you a typical Twitter user?

Having been a member of Twitter (@happygeek) since Feb 2007 I'm not convinced there is a such a thing as a typical Twitter user. InSites Consulting begs to differ.

How to destroy a botnet

Botnets are, without any shadow of a doubt, one of the biggest scourges of IT security today. From sending spam to launching DDoS attacks and distributing malware, botnets can be found at the centre of most of the security problems facing computer users right now. So wouldn't it be fun if you could take down, knock over and destroy a botnet? The good news is that it seems you can, with a little determination and a lot of inside knowledge.