Large files delivered online

A web application has been launched that allows files of up to 2GB to be sent across the internet rather than by traditional email.
As an alternative to bouncing emails, courier services and FTP, 2Large2Email is a service that will cut out the hassle of copying material to CD.
By creating an online account, a user can click on the stored file to be emailed and enter the recipients' emails.
Large emails are then uploaded to 2Large2Email's servers where they are stored until the recipient downloads them via an emailed link.
Because the system is developed on cloud computing infrastructure, the file doesn't require additional IT support and the risk of crashes is less likely.
James Mackay, founder and President of 2Large2Email, said: "We developed 2Large2Email after friends all had a common complaint. It was too difficult, expensive and time-consuming to send the large files their businesses depend on."
The technology allows 2Large2Email to pass on important features, such as authentication mechanisms, file back-up and SLA backed reliability.
Mr Mackay says as a result of this faster service, companies can "focus on what they're good at, rather than wasting time with overnight couriers and unreliable email attachments."

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Britney Tops Most Searched-for List

Britney Spears has topped the chart for the most searched-for subjects on the internet in the UK, Yahoo has said.
The pop star is no stranger to the number one spot in the music charts, but her musical comeback has now propelled her to the top spot in Yahoo's list of the top 10 searches for 2008.
Her turbulent life over the past few years has been captured by the media and has taken centre stage over her music, but this is set to change with the release of her sixth studio album, Circus.
Other popular searches of 2008 have also been showbiz related. TV shows Big Brother and X Factor, the rock band Oasis, and Disney's hit High School Musical 3 have all made it into the top 10.
The only news story to make it onto the list was the US election.
Kristof Fahy of Yahoo! Europe said: "It is fascinating to look back over the last year and see the stories, personalities and subjects that have captured our imagination, some of which are almost distant memories now, and some of which continue to be the hot topics."

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Microsoft Issues Urgent Virus Fix

A virus affecting millions of computers world-wide has resulted in Microsoft rushing out an emergency fix for its Internet Explorer web-surfing software.
Criminals have been directing victims to websites that then infect machines with hijack code that leaves them open to having passwords and bank details stolen.
Microsoft has now issued a 'critical-rated' security update, which people with the Windows Update feature will get automatically.
Thousands of websites have already been compromised by the virus, which automatically infects machines that lack an earlier complicated Microsoft workaround.
Microsoft said it has seen attacks targeting the flaw only in Internet Explorer 7, the most widely used version, but has cautioned that all other current editions are vulnerable.
Microsoft rarely issues security fixes for its software outside of its regular monthly updates, the last two being in October and 18 months previously.

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Hackers Target Wireless Broadband

New research has revealed that a growing number of internet users in the UK are being targeted by hackers hijacking their wireless broadband connections.
A poll of almost 2,000 adults for comparison website moneysupermarket.com found that 11% of those surveyed had admitted to using someone else's wireless internet connection without permission in the past year, with a massive one in six (16%) of people failing to put a password on their router.
James Parker, commercial manager for broadband and mobiles at moneysupermarket.com, said: "This is a worrying trend and shows some people have no conscience when sitting in front of their monitor behind closed doors.
"The consequences can be severe. It's bad enough your neighbours can use your internet connection freely, but this becomes far more threatening if someone uses your connection for criminal or improper activity.
"This could be accessing your internet connection to download obscene material, gathering personal information to defraud you or even stealing your identity."
With many broadband deals imposing a download limit, web users are advised to protect their wireless internet connection with passwords and appropriate security software and firewalls.

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Wireless Routers are at Risk

Internet users are being warned that their wireless routers are failing to alert them to the most suitable security options available to prevent others using the device, putting many people at risk of having personal details stolen।
According to a study by Which? Computing, more than half of the wireless routers tested failed to alert users to the best settings available, which would secure their details and keep compuetrs safe from hackers.
The group tested 11 wireless routers, but the results found that the lack of security advice was making it easy for other people to hijack the connection, leaving laptops vulnerable to hackers.
The results show that 35% of wireless users had not secured their router at all.
Andy Woodward, a senior researcher for Which? Computing, warned that by leaving routers unsecured hackers can access the device and even block the owner from using it.
He added: "I think some manufacturers are not catering for less well-informed consumers who won't understand the steps they will need to take to make sure their network is secure.
"I think there's a responsibility for the manufacturers to make consumers aware of the pitfalls."
Which? Computing advises users to change passwords and network names and to only use wireless if necessary.

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Site Tests for Internet Crashes

A new website has been launched which allows internet users to check out the status of their favourite websites whenever they experience problems connecting.
The site, downforeveryoneorjustme.com, was created by San Francisco computer engineer Alex Payne after he tired of wondering whether connectivity problems were down to the web server or just his own machine.
Visitors can simply type in a web address to see whether the problem is a general one with the site, or whether the source is their own internet connection at home.
"Technology companies have branded the internet as a place that is always on and where information is always available," Mr Payne, 24, said. "People are disappointed and looking for answers when it turns out not to be true."
Former Amazon executive Jesse Robbins agreed, adding that it is understandable if consumers become frustrated over problems accessing sites. "When these sites go away, it's a sudden loss," he said. "When the thing you depend on to live your daily life suddenly goes away, it's trauma."

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Internet Beats Books For Homework

Nine out of 10 schoolchildren now use the internet instead of textbooks when completing homework, according to a survey commissioned by the online search engine Ask.com.
Almost seven of those children receive encouragement from their parents to use the web for help with more than half of homework searches relating to history, followed by English, geography and maths.
The YouGov survey found that 67% of parents believe the internet is a great tool for helping with homework, with 47% wishing they had had access to it when they were studying for exams.
Only 15% felt they would prefer them to use textbooks and worried their child was too dependent on the internet.
Nearly a quarter of parents with children aged eight to 11 said their offspring go online for homework help, with that figure rising to 60% for parents of 17 and 18 year olds.
Cesar Mascaraque, European managing director of Ask.com, said, the internet is a very dynamic and productive research tool but added it should be used together with established textbook classics.
The online survey questioned 1,227 mothers of children aged eight to 18.

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Google Apologises For Service Crash

Search giant Google has apologised for a technical error which made its GMail service go offline for hours, leaving business and consumer users unable to access their accounts.
Google said GMail was unavailable to all its users for "approximately two-and-a-half hours", but evidence suggests that many were left without the service for about four hours, one of the longest downtimes ever suffered by Google.
According to comScore, more than 113 million people use Google mail worldwide and it is the world's third most popular web mail service behind Hotmail, but problems with the service caused it to fail.
A statement on the official Google blog said: "We're really sorry about this, and we did do everything to restore access as soon as we could.
"We know how important GMail is to our users so we take this very seriously."
Engineers are investigating to find the "root cause" of the problem and users are being warned that they may have to fill in a "captcha" form that asks people to decipher and re-type some scrambled letters before getting access to messages.
Professional users, many of whom pay for a "premier edition" of GMail, are covered by a level agreement that promises the service will be 99.9% operational in any calendar month.

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Desktop Picture Tells Your Story...

You computer desktop reveals more about you than think - and not all of it is that flattering, according to a workplace study.
Trophy photos set as wallpaper? A big ego, someone who revels in past successes.
Icons strewn across the screen? Someone who is disorganised and tends to lose focus.
But it's not all bad news. Donna Dawson, a psychologist specialising in personality and behaviour, said: "Your desktop can also give off a positive message about who you are."
She said that personalities can be divided into categories: generic, specific place, goal-orientated, trophy, escapist, artistic and sociable. Other examples include:
:: Icons on each side? Balance, proportion and a cool head in a crisis. Organised and dislikes clutter.
:: Many rows of icons? Someone who needs everything to hand, likes to feel in control and on top of their life, but slightly disorganised.
:: Personal photos as wallpaper? Popularity, a useful skill in work environments where you need to get on with people.
:: Plain blue wallpaper? These are people who like to keep their personal lives private.

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Half Of Web Users Stealing Tunes

Illegal file sharing sites have been used by almost half of all internet users in order to download music, according to a survey.
Research, by telecommunications firm Tiscali, found that 46% of people had accessed a peer-to-peer site, while 53% said they had never knowingly downloaded tunes illegally.
Of those admitting to illegal file sharing, more than one in three (34%) said they had used the Limewire site, while 25% had used BitTorrent.
Of those who admitted to downloading illegally, around 10% said they rarely bought music as they could always get it for free, while 60% said they only downloaded because of a limited budget.
Tiscali's managing director of media services, Neal McCleave, said: "There's clearly a distinct trend for people topping up their paid music collection through free downloads. Only a hardcore of about 15% said that they wouldn't stop and they downloaded illegally because they didn't want to pay."
More than three quarters of the 1,000 people surveyed said they know what is legal and illegal in relation to music use, but at least half thought the music industry had failed to do enough to persuade them that illegal downloading was damaging.

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