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A pair of Masters students at the University of Konstanz in Germany have undertaken a study that uses Microsoft Kinect to give virtual sight to the blind. The study involves a number of strategically-placed tech devices in a given location, with ... Kinect overseeing every movement. Navigation for the Visually Impaired Originally designed for the Xbox 360 as a way for hands-free gaming, the Microsoft Kinect system has taken on new meaning -- now providing what could be virtual sight to the blind. Dubbed NAVI (Navigational Aids for the Visually Impaired), the system works by connecting Kinect to a ... (view more)

In taking advantage of a security loophole, hackers have hijacked as many as four million website pages over the past week. It's thought to be the biggest attack of its type, ever. The attacks have been dubbed LizaMoon, named after the first ... destination to which visitors of hijacked sites were redirected. The hijack campaign has proven to be incredibly successful: on the first day, security firm Websense estimated 28,000 web sites were affected, but within three days that figure had risen to 500,000. Two days later and the number of affected pages were estimated to be as high as three or four ... (view more)

Microsoft has announced that Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) supports two separate technologies for restricting access to information related to a user's online activity. One of the privacy features was recently prompted by the Federal Trade Commission ... (FTC). Both technologies involve the way websites share data with third-parties. The most prominent example is with advertisements that appear on a page; for example, rather than simply linking ads to the page content (such as a newspaper site running golf equipment ads alongside a golf match report), a site might pass on details of all the pages a ... (view more)

Microsoft has revealed that hackers have attempted to exploit a bug in Microsoft Word. The bug was fixed in a security update last month, but the company is also concerned that some users may not have installed the update. The bug involves the way ... MS Word handles rich text format (.RTF) files. This is a format used for text documents that have a very limited degree of formatting information compared to full-blown MS Word documents. The format is most commonly used as a way of moving documents from one word processor to another without altering the text's formatting. RTF Flaw Causes Memory ... (view more)

The next edition of Internet Explorer is said to include a new tool for users to restrict how their information is shared with websites. But it will likely mean that some web features and content will be unavailable to users if the special privacy ... feature is enabled. FTC Calls for "Do Not Track" Feature in Web Browsers Recently, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) called on web browser producers and website owners to make it easier for users to avoid having their online activity shared with other web sites. For example, a site might share what a user reads with an advertising agency ... (view more)

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is promoting a new campaign that would enable users to stop advertisers from tracking their online behavior. Similar to having your telephone number appear on the "Do Not Call" registry, the FTC believes that ... having your web browser set to "Do Not Track" (DNT) would make for a safer online environment. In activating the Do Not Track feature, your web browser sends out a virtual message to the website, asking the advertiser(s) not to track you. The message is repeated on every website you visit. Activation Control at the Discretion of the User Do Not Track ... (view more)

Cloud-based security company "Zscaler" has launched a new Firefox web browser plug-in called "BlackSheep" designed to protect users against a recent browser hijacking tool that allows just about anyone to potentially hijack your web browser session. ... Firesheep: A 'Peculiar' Extension In order to explain the details of how "Blacksheep" came to be, we need to take a few steps back. In October of this year, a Firefox plug-in dubbed "Firesheep" was created. It was an extension put together by developer Eric Butler and demonstrated at the Toorcon security conference. ... (view more)

Google plans to bar other companies from accessing information in its Gmail service, even with user permission. There's suspicion the scheme is designed to increase competition between Google and social media services such as Facebook. Facebook is ... actually one the best examples of how the change will apply in action. At the moment, when a new user signs up to the site, Facebook asks if they want to import their contacts list from their email account. If they do so, Facebook then cross-references this list, finds anyone who is already on Facebook, and asks if the user wants to add them as an ... (view more)

Since 2004, Infopackets.com has recommended Acronis True Image to its readers as -the- ultimate backup and disaster recovery solution for Microsoft Windows. There are many new exciting changes to discuss with True Image 2011, but first, let's start ... with the basics. What Exactly is Acronis True Image? To put it in simple terms, Acronis True Image is a backup program on steroids. In order to explain how it's different compared to other run-of-the-mill simple backup programs, let me explain what True Image does. With simple backup programs, you can only archive your files onto another ... (view more)

Crimeware is a class of malware designed specifically to automate cybercrime. The term was coined by Peter Cassidy, Secretary General of the Anti- Phishing Working Group to distinguish it from other kinds of malevolent programs. Crimeware: ... Definition Crimeware is a form of malicious software. It is distinct from spyware, adware, and malware. Crimeware is designed through social engineering or technical stealth to perpetrate identity theft. Once an identity is stolen, it is used to access a computer user's online accounts at financial services companies and online retailers for the purpose of ... (view more)