In just six months, image spam has become so prevalent that it now represents a hefty 35 per cent of all junk email, according to internet security firm F-Secure.
In ye olde days, spammers just used to send out bucket loads of text-based emails, but these were proving progressively less effective against smarter anti-spam software employing tricks such as dictionary-based content filters.
In an attempt to bypass content filters, spammers have taken to sending text displayed in a GIF image, coupled with random text content nicked from legitimate web sites.
All spam is annoying, but with its bundled images, this new technique adds a double whammy of gobbling up more precious bandwidth to deliver its spam-tastic cargo.
According to F-Secure, spam makes up 90 per cent of all emails worldwide, with image spam hogging 70 per cent of the bandwidth.
“Image spam is a serious and growing problem. It also is taking up 70 per cent of the bandwidth bulge, on account of the large file sizes every single one represents,’” commented Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer at F-Secure.
Sadly, the root of the problem with spam is the chumps who keep on responding and buying the dubious wares on offer (a bit like the mad fools who come down to Brixton to buy ‘drugs’).
“We will never rid ourselves of spam until people stop buying the products advertised in these mails. Spam obviously works, otherwise it would not be so prevalent,” said Hypponen.
Say it like it is, Mr Hypponen!
Measuring up at a pocketable 78.5mm x 123mm x 16.9mm, the flash-based player comes with a large 4″ widescreen display and can display photos up to 16 megapixels, making it handy for photographers on the move.
External storage options come in the shape of a slot for SD and the new SD High Capacity (SDHC) cards.
Skinnier than an anorexic stick insect in need of a snack, Casio has unveiled what it claims is the “slimmest digital camera with a 7X optical zoom lens” in the known universe, the Exilim EX-V7.
This is backed up by some software wizardry which works out the speed and vector of a moving subject and then sets the most appropriate ISO sensitivity and shutter speed automatically.
The EX-V7 comes with a 2.5-inch, 230k LCD screen, a max sensitivity of ISO 1600 (in High Sensitivity mode) and can take around 240 shots on a single charge of its Li-ion battery.
The open source Mozilla Firefox browser enjoyed a whopping increase of nearly 50% during 2006, according to Web measurement firm, Net Applications
For every winner there has to be a loser or two, and in this case it was Microsoft, who saw their market share slump to 79.6% from 85.1% at the start of 2006, despite the release of an update to Internet Explorer last year.
Elsewhere, Opera grew its share to match Netscape, up from 0.6% at the beginning of the year.
Samsung have gone new-camera bonkers, unleashing a veritable pack of seven new snappers, all set to be hitting the shelves this Spring.
Rather a sleek and seductive number in an all black finish with a saucy blue trim, the S1050 delivers impressive video functionality, managing to record movies up to 800 x 600 at a baby’s-bum-smooth 30fps.
First seen in 
Making up the septet of new snappers is the curious-looking i70, a multimedia-packed little fella with a sliding cover offering a
Nokia has announced an update to their 
Naturally, the thing’s stuffed full of multimedia gadgetry with stereo audio, media support and the ability to enjoy streamed content as you amble around your 
Software wise, Nokia are claiming “Internet enhanced navigation” with Navicore, support for RealNetworks’ Rhapsody music service and a deal with Skype to let users make Internet calls from Nokia N800s. They added 
“The Nokia N800 takes our offering to the next level combining speed, performance and mobility into a stylish, compact design,” he added, nearly running out of superlatives.
Designed for Palm Treo 600/650/680/700p users, Genius! gives you fast access to mobile-optimised sites, via a tabbed interface offering, ‘information,’ ‘shopping’ and ‘translation’ categories.
Devious cheating pub quizzers will like the ‘information’ tab which will quietly send your question to fact-filled sites like google, wikipedia and answers.com and bring up a Webpage with the answer already showing.
Although it’s not one of those programs that is likely to change your life, power users regularly accessing the Web via their Palm Treos may find this an invaluable addition to their handheld – and at around a fiver ($9.99), it’s well worth a punt.
As with the F30, the 6.3 megapixel F31fd comes with a 3.0x optical zoom, super-high ISO 3200 sensitivity at full resolution, long-life battery (up to 580 shots), VGA movie recording up to 30 frames per second and Aperture & Shutter priority shooting plus a shedload of scene modes.
Capable of handling up to ten grinning faces in a frame, the technology should put an end to out of focus pictures, even when documenting a heavy night of quaffing in the old Bull and Bush.
The lack of real manual controls was a bit frustrating and we continue to find Fujifilm’s interface a little less intuitive than some of its rivals, but point’n’shooters should have no problem getting to grips with the camera.
It may only be a few days after the New Year, but the party poppers and drinks cabinet have been rolled out at Chez BT as the company is poised to rack up its 10 millionth broadband connection this week.
The remaining 1.3 million lines are supplied to big names like Carphone Warehouse and BSkyB via BT Openreach.
The boffins at Samsung have developed a super long life fuel cell expansion dock that will keep laptops powered up for over a month.
Samsung’s dock clips on the back of the laptop and measures up around the same size as a regular laptop docking station.