Sasser
worm zipping merrily through Windows
A new internet computer worm caused interruptions over the
weekend and might spread like crazy when businesses resume work today,
according to experts. The worm, named Sasser, began making its way through
the internet on Saturday. Unlike viruses that travel through emails or
attachments, this worm only needs an unprotected computer hooked up to the
internet to pass through. It attacks a flaw in recent versions of
Microsoft’s Windows, including Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003 and
Windows XP, then triggers the computer to shut down, then reboot,
repeating the process several times. However, it doesn’t seem to be
capable of permanent damage. Anti-virus company Panda Software said Sunday
a little over 3 percent of the world’s computers, about 18 million of
the estimated 600 million operating worldwide, were infected.
Tillman
merchandise overwhelms eBay
EBay is stocked with Pat
Tillman memorabilia, which is generating mixed reviews for the online
auction site. Some people have complained that sellers are trying to
capitalize on the untimely combat death of the former NFL player. The
majority of Tillman-themed items are NFL trading cards, photos and
magazines related to the war hero. Some sellers are also trying to sell
military paraphernalia such as patches and rings with Tillman’s Army
Ranger unit insignia, implying he wore them. The professional athlete died
April 22 in a firefight in Afghanistan. As of noon on Friday, there were
454 items related to the player who gave up his $3 million contract with
the Arizona Cardinals two years ago to become an Army Ranger. The NFL has
informed its jersey licensees not to sell Tillman’s Cardinals No. 40
jerseys in order to preserve its dignity.
Skies
not so friendly for Delta computers
A computer glitch kept some Delta Air Lines flights
grounded over the weekend. Flights to and from Atlanta were grounded for
approximately six and a half hours and created further delays. These have
since been solved, but the cause of the technological malfunction remains
a mystery to the airline. Liza Caceres, a spokeswoman for Delta, said they
are still looking into the problem, and they have yet to discover the
exact nature of the error. According to Caceres, 40 Delta flights were
canceled Saturday, and 32 were delayed early Sunday. The late-departing
flights were cleared by midmorning Sunday. Delta reported that it had a
problem with dispatch computers to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The computers calculate weight and balance and handle flight and gate
information.
Ah,
diplomacy: Germans helping Chinese chat
German company Siemens is ready to sign a deal with China
that will allow the technology giant to sell its mobile phones throughout
the country. Siemens will sign a contract tomorrow with Chinese
manufacturer Ningbo Bird during an official visit to Germany this
week by Chinese prime minister Wen Jiabao, who will be stopping through on
a European tour. Currently, Siemens is represented only in China’s
largest metropolitan areas. Following suit, other German companies such as
Bayer, Degussa and Infineon are expected to make partnerships with Chinese
firms during Wen’s visit. China hopes to double trade with Germany, its
largest European business partner, by 2010, and is looking to find closer
cooperation in the high tech field.
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