Putting your virtual foot in it

In case you did not know, much of my time of late has been spent researching and writing a book for the Science Museum (Being Virtual, to be published by Wiley in 2008) covering the concept of identity in the digital age. It is going well, thanks for asking, and I might even have the manuscript finished in time to meet the deadline. One of the problems with writing about who we really are today, is that I have been spending a lot of time in the virtual world. Well, virtual worlds to be precise. While these are great places to go and escape from the reality of day to day existence, companies looking to exploit the massive market potential of emerging and immersive 3D environments cannot escape the realities of business risk management and brand security issues. IT research specialist Gartner has today warned companies that are sensitive to brand issues, as well as social and ethical positioning, to exercise particular caution in uncontrolled worlds such as Second Life.

Evesham Technology goes into administration

“I can confirm that Evesham Technology went into administration on Friday 3rd August” those are the sad words of Evesham Technology’s Chairman, Richard Austin, this evening.

Kittens are the HIP new anti-spam weapon

Just when you think you have heard every crackpot theory for fighting the spam menace, a new one comes along that makes you sit up and take notice. How does using pictures of kittens to foil spammers grab you?

Microsoft can get MOOFed

I got a press release from the Microsoft PR people this morning, suggesting that maybe now is the time I should start changing my work habits and get a little more flexible. Microsoft, it appears, wants me to get MOOFing.

Ah yes, that would be the Mobile Out Of Office thing, MOOF you see, that prompted Microsoft to build an office up a tree last month wouldn't it? Apparently some research or other concluded that 75% of people reckon the ability to work flexibly as being a deciding factor when looking for a new job, and 50% amazingly suggest work would be less stressful if they could have a tad more say in where that work was done. Listen up Microsoft, work would not be less stressful just because you were doing it up a bloody tree!

Premature Ajax-ulation

The Blackhat security conference in Las Vegas has come up trumps in the bad puns but good advice stakes, with SPI Labs warning business about the dangers of premature Ajax-ulation. What researchers Bryan Sullivan and Billy Hoffman were actually referring to was the threat of web developers relying too much upon their urge to use Ajax techniques. Techniques, the researchers claim, that can force far too much business logic over to the client side and as a result enable user manipulation leading to security breaches.

Microsoft: Naked and Exposed

There has been much online speculation about how Microsoft is going to head off the Google Apps free office software attack, much of it focusing on an advertising supported version of Microsoft Office. While this may, at some point, feature in the Microsoft strategy it is not going to appear any time soon. Microsoft Works SE9 most certainly will, in fact it is here already.

Googlephone could be powered by Linux and free of charge

Although Google itself refuses to budge from the official company line of confirming or denying nothing, it looks increasingly likely that a Googlephone is in the offing. Several sources are now claiming that prototype phone devices have been touted around the US mobile carriers in recent weeks (ironically you need just go Google to reveal the details) and the Wall Street Journal has reported that hundreds of millions of investment dollars have been poured into the project.

Malware cold war heats up

Forget all the Bush – Brown – Putin return of the cold war political rhetoric, the real action as far as the Russians are concerned is happening right here on the interweb. Trend Micro has warned that there is an imminent danger of a large-scale security attack heading our way from a Russian site.

Setting up shop in Second Life

Legality prides itself as being the first virtual law firm in the UK, having set up in business some five years ago now. So it seems fitting that it should be providing advice to those businesses looking to set up shop in the daddy of virtual worlds, Second Life.

Use an inkjet printer or die

That is the rather surprising apparent conclusion of research carried out by the Queensland University of Technology, which suggests that laser printing is just as bad for your health as smoking. The tests on more than sixty different laser printers revealed that a third were emitting potentially dangerous levels of toner micro-particles. Particles small enough to penetrate the lungs just by being alive in the same room, in the same way as standing in a room with a tobacco smoker leads to passive inhalation.