AES 256-bit encryption on Fujitsu hard drives

On Monday, Fujitsu Computer Products of America announced the Fujitsu MHZ2 CJ series for business notebooks that features full disk encryption. The new 2.5" 7,200RPM SATA hard disk drive (HDD) incorporates the AES-256 encryption standard at the hardware level without the need for additional software. Unlike encryption with Windows Vista BitLocker, which requires the operating system to be present, the new Fujitsu drive performs its encryption entirely within the BIOS during power on. Encryption performed within the BIOS prevents the keys from being stored in the clear anywhere on the drive. According to Fujitsu, "the key used to encrypt and decrypt data is cryptographically regenerated at power-on, and is not known even to the HDD when the system is powered off." Also, since all the encryption generation is done as the laptop is being powered up, there is virtually no performance hit whenever the 256-bit password key is generated. Fujitsu plans to ship the MHZ2 CJ series starting this summer. http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9924529-1.html

When USB security hangs by a thread

Not everyone has a USB flash drive outfitted with locks or alarms, but there may be a better deterrant anyway: deception. The aptly named Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories has devised a diabolical way to create a USB key that looks like a hastily severed cable. All that's needed is some epoxy glue, an old cord, and "almost zero technical know-how", according to Uber-Review. A step-by-step guide can be found here.) If that doesn't work, please proceed to the next level of deception.

Via Crave CNET

Shake your bootie with this Disco Ball Mouse and Pad!

Remember Janice Hosenstein in Friends, Chandler's some time ex with that nasal voice and horsey laugh, and a tendency to go "Oh… my… God! Chandler Bing! Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!"? Well, that's exactly how we feel with the kitschy Disco Ball Mouse and Pad (US$19.99)! As if it isn't bad enough there's a BuddhaPad and a Fingerdrum Mousepad out there, now here's one designed apparently to perk up your workplace, complete with flashing lights that somehow bring to mind pink flamingos and Austin Powers' psychedelic pants. The good news? If your colleagues haven't already hysterically thanked you for making their day, we guess everyday's an excuse now to shake your bootie and disco those work worries away! Yeah, baby.

Via New Launches

Stop spamming me, you *$^#%!

That's one way to ask someone to stop sending you unsolicited jokes, recipes, mushy stories and chain letters which threaten you with car accidents that will leave you paraplegic. On the downside, swearing at someone who could be your father/friend/colleague/guy you met once at a holiday is considered rude in most cultures. Therefore, the service from StopForwarding.us could be a great alternative solution.

This simple site lets you key in the spammer's emails address and name. An email will then be anonymously dispatched to the offender telling him/her to stop it--in a nice way. It's an interesting solution an age-old problem. We do see one problem. If the spammer-friend feels that only one person wants out of his mailing list, and doesn't know who sent the email, he may just do nothing about it. Perhaps it might be better to pluck up some testicular fortitude and tell him directly in a personal email--without the swearing, of course.

Via Notcot

Apple plugs security holes in Safari on Mac, PC

Apple released an update to the Safari browser that plugs security holes on Macintosh and Windows machines.

Safari 3.1.1 fixes two Safari vulnerabilities that affect Windows XP or Vista and two WebKit vulnerabilities that affect Mac OS and Mac OS X Server versions 10.4.11 and 10.5.2, as well as Windows XP or Vista.

One of the two WebKit vulnerabilities could put computer users at risk of a cross-site scripting attack that can inject malicious code onto a victim's computer. The vulnerability was discovered during the PWN to OWN contest at CanSecWest last month by Dan Charlie Miller, Jake Honoroff, and Mark Daniel of Independent Security Evaluators.

The other WebKit vulnerability could lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution. Apple credited Robert Swiecki of the Google Security Team and David Bloom for reporting this issue.

The remaining two vulnerabilities, which affect only Windows XP or Vista, could lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution, or control the contents of the address bar and spoof the contents of a legitimate site.

The Windows version of Safari 3.1.1 can be downloaded from CNET's Download.com here and the Mac version here.

Via CNET News.com

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