Software

TrustyFiles Claims First P2P Software to Report Child Pornography
The Internet! It’s stuffed full of evil kiddie fiddlers and dodgy geezers out to grab our children!
Well, that’s what some aspects of the media would have us believe, but there’s no denying that there is an unsavoury side to the Internet, and that peer to peer file swapping networks have made it easier for paedophiles to share their filth.
Well, thank goodness for the crime-busting heroes at RazorPop who have released their new TrustyFiles 2.4 High Performance File Sharing, billed as the “peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing industry’s first child-pornography file-reporting solution”.
TrustyFiles claims to makes it easy for file-sharing users to report child pornography by simply clicking on a dodgy file and selecting the “Report Child Exploitation” command. This then fires off an anonymous report to P2P PATROL’s child-pornography lead processing resource [http://cphotline.org].
TrustyFiles also keeps an eye on users’ Web habits, spawning a warning message when a user enters a search term known to be associated with child pornography.
“Razor who?” “Trusty what?” do we hear you say?
Well, that’s we thought too. They describe themselves as “the leading multi-network client with Kazaa, Gnutella, Gnutella2, and Bit Torrent search and download, as well as personal, private, and public file sharing” but we’ve never heard of them.
So we took a look at their Websites.
RazorPop’s homepage is a very weird affair, featuring a photograph of a woman in a doctor’s coat holding a CD aloft. A jagged line connects the picture to a woman unhappily holding a big picture of herself, which in turn connects to a guy frozen in an action pose trying to grab a CD. Most odd.
Suitably baffled, we clicked over to the TrustyFiles homepage, a garish affair festooned with glowing testimonials from conveniently anonymous customers – and some of those were a bit, well, strange.
Listen to what David V from who-knows-where has to say about the product, “If I’m posting this, it means my message has a real good meaning…its really easy to use ..I see why 100% users vote thumbs up”
Err, thanks for that, Dave.
5 star awards from obscure shareware sites are proudly plastered all over the homepage, although none of them were linked to the actual sites so we couldn’t check them.
So we looked up Trustyfiles on Usenet to see what people were people were saying about them. And the answer is: not a lot. Try as we might, we couldn’t find anyone even remotely as enthusiastic about the product as the mysterious David V.
By now you’ve probably worked out that we’re more than a little cynical about this release.
It’s not that we don’t feel that child pornography is a serious issue, but we’re concerned that companies who appear to be exaggerating and exploiting this issue for commercial leverage may encourage further legislation that will harm legal users.
We’ve never heard of RazorPop or the daftly-named ‘Trustyfiles’ software so, frankly, whatever they do isn’t going to make a tot of difference to the surfing habits of the Web world.
Now, we’re not saying that they’re not an honestly committed company, but we’re less than convinced about this product, and their unconvincing Websites don’t help their cause.
Without an industry-wide initiative, we don’t see the point in releasing restrictive P2P software that is unlikely to make users switch from far better-known programs, particularly when it’s hard to find much enthusiasm for the Trustyfiles product.
http://RazorPop.com
http://TrustyFiles.com
17 February, 2005
SIPassure, VoIP Firewall First from Borderware
BorderWare has unveiled a new application-level firewall, SIPassure, which it claims is the first firewall to protect against Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) security exploits.
As the take-up of VoIP increases, individuals or businesses that reply on VoIP for all of their phone calls potentially leave themselves open to being cut off from an inconsistent service from the ISP and potentially malicious hack attacks. SIPassure hopes to address the latter.
Announcing the product at the annual DEMO conference in the US, the SIP-based technology is designed to protect VoIP communications from hackers, spoofers, phishers and other malicious threats.
With VoIP proving attractive to both consumers and businesses (nearly one out of five US Internet users saying they are likely to upgrade their traditional phone service to VoIP), industry vendors and researchers have begun to sound the alarm bells that VoIP is vulnerable to a number of potentially disastrous security exploits.
“With SIP, your firewall is like a Swiss cheese,” says Jean-Louis Previdi, senior vice president and research director, EMEA Meta Group. “For SIP to work effectively, you have to open all ports of the firewall, so the protocol can browse and choose a port to initiate a session, which compromises security.”
In response, vendors have formed the VoIP Security Alliance (VOIPSA) to raise awareness, offer research and product security testing.
“As the VoIP revolution unfolds, users need to be aware of the many exploits that could compromise their next Internet call,” says Chris Shipley, DEMO executive producer.

“BorderWare’s VoIP security technology guards against many of the pitfalls associated with the adoption and deployment of this new communications technology. BorderWare’s SIPassure has the potential to make VoIP a safe option for everyone,” he adds.
BorderWare claims to protect users against Denial-of-Service (DoS) and Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks that can eat up large amounts of bandwidth in a VoIP network.
There’s also security against eavesdropping and “man-in-the-middle” attacks that allows hackers to become part of a VoIP call without the communicating parties knowing someone is listening.
The software also offers protection from Call Redirection, which enables a hacker to automatically call-forward a connection to their system as well as providing protection against Malicious Calling, VBombing and VoIP Spam, which are attacks that flood the receiver with hundreds of false voice mails within seconds.
Finally, SIPassure also claims to keep users safe Fake Caller ID, in which a hacker can masquerade as a trusted person making legitimate voice calls to an unsuspecting patron.
John Alsop, Chairman, BorderWare explains the risks:
“While the industry works to secure voice communications at the transport layer with VPN-type encryption, hackers are developing tools that attack Internet calls at the application layer, gaining unauthorized access to a VoIP connection.”

“To protect VoIP communications at the application layer you need a SIP firewall that is able to authenticate the user attempting to make a connection and to provide systems administrators with the ability to easily set and enforce their VoIP security policies.”
16 February, 2005
New PlayStation3 Cell Processor to be Revealed
The details of the Cell processor chip designed to power Sony’s PlayStation 3 console will be released in San Francisco today.
The result of a devilish melding of the minds of industry giants, Sony, IBM and Toshiba, the chip has taken three years to develop and is reported to be up to 10 times faster than current processors.
Triumphantly billed as a “supercomputer on a chip”, advance reports suggest that this beast of a processor is significantly more powerful and versatile than the next generation of micro-processors announced by their competitors, Intel and AMD.
Utilising several different processing cores that work on tasks together, the chip has been fine-tuned to be able to handle the detailed graphics common in games and the data-chewing demands of films and broadband media.
The Cell’s architecture is described as scalable from “small consumer devices to massive supercomputers” and when installed inside powerful computer servers, is expected to be capable of handling a breathtaking 16 trillion floating point operations, or calculations, every second. Phew!
IBM will start producing the chip in early 2005 at manufacturing plants in the US, with computer workstations and servers being the first machines off the line sporting the Cell processor.
A working version of the PS3 is expected to be previewed in May 2005 but the full launch of the next generation console is not expected to start until 2006.
High-definition TVs from Sony and Toshiba, a Sony home server for broadband content and the PlayStation 3 all featuring Cell are also due to appear in 2006.
“This is probably going to be one of the biggest industry announcements in many years,” boasts Richard Doherty, president of the Envisioneering research firm. “It’s going to breathe new life into the industry and trigger fresh competition.”
But it’s not all pat-on-the-back stuff with rivals publicly questioning whether Cell’s potential can be realised – while they hastily get to work on alternative multi-tasking methods.
IBM, Sony, Toshiba to reveal ‘superbrain chip’ (ft.com)
PS3 Portal News
PS3Land.com
PlayStation 3: The next generation (CNet)
PlayStation 3 chip to be unveiled (BBCt)
7 February, 2005

Skype Phone Review: Siemens M34 Wireless DECT Handset

Siemens have yet to release this in most of the world. If you’re interested in the combo, drop us a quick note to
Siemens.Skype(at)Digital-Lifestyles.info. We’d be happy to pass them on to Siemens, with the vague possibility that it might hasten their introduction in your country.

We all know that Skype is great. There’s a real thrill in speaking to people all over the world and knowing its not costing you anything at all.

The downside has been that you have to be around your computer when you’re speaking.

No more. The Siemens Gigaset M34 USB adaptor and one of a range of their handsets give you the freedom to walk around while chatting.

We’re testing the M34 with the Siemens Gigaset S440 wireless DECT handset that we first heard about back in November last year.

Here’s a sneak preview – we’re really impressed (may be even gushing) and think it marks a significant shift for the widespread acceptance of Skype.

First impressions

Siemens Gigaset M34 USB Adaptor Skype The Gigaset S440 is a handset fashioned more like a mobile phone. With a backlight colour screen and icons, it’s about the swankiest DECT handset we’ve seen. At 14cm (5.5-inches) tall, it sits comfortably in the hand.

The S440 is available as a ‘normal’ landline phone. It’s when it’s combined with the M34 USB add-on, that it starts to become extra special.

The M34 has a slightly rounded and swoopy look to it. It’s total length is about 10cm (4-inches), under 3.5cm (1.25-inch) at it’s widest point and a little over 1cm (0.5-inch) thick. There’s a thin strip of illumination at its end.

Handset performance

Siemens Gigaset M34 USB Adaptor Skype As mentioned, the Gigaset S440 is also a ‘normal’ phone and it retains this skill, giving you the ability to make both Skype and landline calls depending on your needs. Landline calls involve dialling as you would normally, and Skype takes a few steps more, which are detailed below.

Not only does the S440 handset look pretty sleek, but it’s performance matches its looks. We were hugely impressed with the wireless range. The Digital Lifestyles offices are on the second floor and were able to walk down into the cellar of our building and walk down the road and around the corner and still speak via Skype or landline. It’s worth bearing in mind that we’re in the centre of London too, and the airwaves are pretty congested.

It’s a strange feeling standing in the local sandwich shop queue and receiving a Skype call. It also feels a little naughty.

Process of making a Skype call

Siemens Gigaset M34 USB Adaptor Skype Enough of this background. How easy is it to use with Skype, I hear you call. Pretty simple.

The summary is – once you’ve got it configured (more later), you press a few buttons, make a menu selection or two, and then you’re chatting.

Here’s the detail. At the centre of the handset is a four-way selector. You use this, to select INT, which brings up a list of other handsets and services that you can connect to. By selecting the M34 USB adaptor, you’re offered a menu of applications that you can run through the M34 (we’ll detail the others below).

Simply selecting Skype, brings up the your Skype buddy list on the handset. How cool is that?

To speak to any of them, simply highlight the name, press the Green dial button and you’re speaking on a normal phone handset – via Skype!

Using the handset daily

Siemens Gigaset M34 USB Adaptor Skype We found it becomes completely natural to use the S440/M34 combo. You really notice how restricted you are when you’ve got to call without it.

When the pure thrill of Skyping on a handset wears off, we found ourselves wishing that switching between using the M34 for landline calls and Skype was a little quicker – just because we’re impatient. Don’t forget, this is an initial release and the handset wasn’t designed from the outset to make Skype calls. We’d imagine later generations will have a single key to take you to the list of your Skype buddies.

If you need to make calls to International landlines, you’re in luck, as SkypeOut is catered for too. When the handset is in Skype mode, simply dial the full international number and you’ll connect. Just like dialling from a mobile phone – but at Skype’s reduced prices.

So what happens when your yabbering away on a Skype call and you receive a legacy (landline) call? The S440 bleeps in your ear and you’re offered the option to disconnect from Skype. You can then take the call as normal.

Receiving a Skype call is as simple accepting a connection.

If you’re using the phone all day, and believe us when the calls are totally free, you’ll be chatting on it a lot. The battery lasts about a day, so you’ll need to recharge overnight.

Setting it up with Skype

Siemens Gigaset M34 USB Adaptor Skype The set-up needs to be done in the right order, but if you follow the instructions it will work without a problem.

Assuming you already have Skype running on your PC, install the M34 driver disk and plug the M34 in to an available USB port. After running the Gigaset M34 software and syncing the S440 base station with the M34, you’re away – with your Skype buddies appearing on your handset.

Beyond setting it up to run with Skype, the application that comes with the M34 lets you program the dialling memories of the handset, but from the comfort of your own PC keyboard. It can also integrate with MS Outlook.

It does more than Skype

And you thought Skyping was enough?

We imagine you’re pretty impressed with the ability to Skype on this handset, but there’s a world of extra features available too.

Here’s a brief run down.

Siemens Gigaset M34 USB Adaptor Skype Instant Messenger via Skype, AOL or MSN. We tried this, but didn’t make a habit of it. It’s okay for very brief messages, but the restriction of the keyboard makes you itch to get back on the QWERTY.

Remotely trigger applications on your PC from the DECT handset. We couldn’t actually think of any practical uses for this, but you might get excited about the idea triggering a CD compilation while you’re sitting in the garden.

SMS from your landline. This has been done by a couple of other handsets, and more likely to be used by people who don’t already own a mobile phone.

Conclusion

You should be able to tell, we’re impressed with the Gigaset M34/S440 DECT handset combo.

In our eyes it’s a Product Of Significance, as we had thought when we first heard about it.

It takes Skype out of the hands of the technically aware, directly into the hands of every consumer. There can be no-one in the developed world who doesn’t know how to use a phone handset. If you can do that, you can now use Skype.

No longer do you need to be tied to a computer to use Skype. You can wander free, while smiling to yourself that you’re not spending a penny, to speak to someone on the other side of the world.

We’re aware there are other Skype handsets around, but from what we’ve seen, none of them are as integrated as this Siemens solution.

Sure, to get this product to perfection it could do with single key to get you to your Skype buddy list, and the battery could last a little longer, but this is the first release.

While the M34 & S440 aren’t quite perfect … we’d recommend them to anyone.

7 February, 2005

Commodore is back! With ancient games! In a tiny box!
The most successful gaming computer of the 80s is back – this time in a teensy weensy new ‘Direct to TV’ (D2TV™) unit.
In a move sure to get thirty-something gamers blubbering with nostalgic tears of their lost youth, the new C64 D2TV™ box recreates thirty of the most well known games from the Commodore 64 home computer range, including games from legendary developers Epyx, the Bitmap Brothers and Hewson.
The chunky two-tone beige Commodore box of the 80s has been replaced by a small joystick-toting, handheld unit, which happily spares users the ‘go out for a bite’ long loading times of the original computer.
The C64 DTV™ was created by DC Studios in conjunction with Ironstone Partners and Mammoth Toys and has already proved a big hit in the US, with over 250,000 units being sold since Thanksgiving 2004. Such was the enthusiasm for the product that 40,000 boxes were shifted on the launch day alone.
Now Europe is to finally get its own custom version, specifically designed for European territories.
The DTV contains the classic games: Alleykat, California Games, Championship Wrestling, Cyberdyne Warrior, Cybernoid, Cybernoid II, Eliminator, Exolon, Firelord, Gateway to Apshai, Head the Ball, Impossible Mission, Impossible Mission 2, Jumpman Junior, Marauder, Maze Mania, Mission Impossibubble, Nebulus, Netherworld, Paradroid, Pitstop, Pitstop 2, Ranarama, Speedball, Summer Games, Super Cycle, Sword of Fargoal, Uridium, Winter Games and Zynaps.
Unfortunately, two of the finest Commodore games ever created are notable by their absence: the horribly compulsive Elite and Sensible Soccer, arguably the best football game ever invented.
Even with these omissions, a new generation looks set to enjoy the chunky graphics, pixellated screens and compelling gameplay that rightly made Commodore one of the true innovators of computer gaming.
4 February, 2005
Live TV Streamed Worldwide to Reporters Phones by GMTV
Video streaming specialists, Forbidden Technologies have announced a deal with GMTV to stream the breakfast programme live to its network of field reporters on location across the world.
GMTV trialled the broadcast application during the US elections, with international correspondents watching the show live via a standard (but secure) Web browser.
With the new streaming application offering the precise camera angles and comments made by studio guests and presenters, on-location correspondents can tailor their own pieces to reflect the mood in the studio.
This solves the problem of foreign correspondents having to deliver reports ‘blind’ to the debate in the studio, and should increase the consistency of reporting.
The technology uses Forbidden’s ground breaking FORscene live compressor, that utilises advanced digital compression techniques to deliver a live video feed to PCs, Macs and laptops via the Web.
The technology also allows news camera crews in the field, to hastily compress and publish digitised content directly onto the Web, in a matter of seconds – definitely useful if you’ve got some mad bloke with a gun coming your way demanding you hand over the tapes.
Nestled up like a pair of love birds, Forbidden and GMTV are full of praise for each other and have pledged to work together during 2005, with their union bringing forth “new innovative streaming projects”.
Forbidden Technology
GMTV
4 February, 2005
RSA to Secure Nintendo DS for Wireless Gaming
Games console maker Nintendo is adopting encryption technology developed by RSA Security to encrypt wireless traffic between its new Nintendo DS portable game console.
The game console is the company’s first major mobile gaming product since the popular Game Boy Advance, and contains the embedded messaging and communication tool, Pictochat with its wireless networking technology.
According to Nintendo’s press release, the DS’s wireless capabilities will initially allow up to four players to virtually blast the living daylights out of each other (and send taunting instant messages to their victims) on DS units up to 100 feet away.
The wireless feature uses both the standard 802.11 wireless technology and Nintendo’s own proprietary digital rights management protocol and will also allow certain games to be shared and played interactively among users.
Naturally, with all that expensive software flying through the air, game publishers and developers needed to be assured that their games wouldn’t be disappearing into the ether, so the RSA BSAFE technology has been brought in to protect the digital rights of game publishers for titles shared wirelessly.
The same technology has also been employed by Nintendo to protect game demos that are issued on a trial basis for play in retail stores and other demo environments.
Nintendo also intends to introduce an Internet ‘hub’ to allow users to challenge fellow DS gamers anywhere on the planet.
Nintendo
RSA Security
Nintendo DS portable game console
3 February, 2005
Gran Turismo 4 day – 22 February US, 9 March EU
The anticipation around the release of Gran Turismo 4 has been, to put it mildly, huge. Sony are hoping this Playstation2 only game will be their Halo2 type blockbuster.
Sony has announced that it will be releasing it in the US on 22 February. Europe will have to wait until 9 March, but will gain from having an additional 10 cars on top of the 700 or so that are in the Japanese version, which launched on 28 December last year. We’re not sure that an extra 10 cars will actually make up for the delay.
The Gran Turismo series has to date sold more than 37 million and this will be the first version that has networked play, which is one of the reasons we’re covering it. At release it will come with LAN play, the ability to play it between a number of machines on the same network. This will be followed ‘later’, possibly late 2005, by the full network play, letting people play across the world. This was knocked back after Sony experienced difficulties with inter-country gaming.
Reaction so far has been that it looks stunning, easily the graphically best title to appear on the Playstation 2.
You can tell that a game is going to make a big impact – and have a significant marketing campaign behind it, when a company like Nissan decides to launch a special version of a car to coincide with the launch. The 350Z Gran Turismo 4 Edition will be limited to 700 cars in Europe and feature things like extra power in the engine and specific wheels. The features we’d really like to see on this very quick car – a pause or reset button, if you get in to trouble when driving it – are unlikely to be provided.
Gran Turismo 4
Nissan launch 350Z Gran Turismo 4 Edition (PR)
3 February, 2005
Skype gets Mac and Linux versions
Skype today released their Voice over IP (VoIP) software for Linux and Macintosh.
Skype lets people make telephone-type calls to other Skype users, around the world for no cost.
Until now, only Windows-based versions of the software have been available, and the new platforms have been a long time in coming. We envisage it will significantly boost the 23m users and 56.5m downloads of the software to date.
Skype for Mac OS X V 1.0 and Skype for Linux V 1.0, to give them their full titles, will connect seamlessly to the current Windows and PocketPC versions. All of the current functions that Skype users know and love will also be supported on the new platforms.
Skpye user are also able to call ‘normal’ phones around the world, using the SkypeOut service, which offers reduced price calls.
The popularity of Skype is continuing to accelerate, and we are finding that it is spreading beyond the technical, early-adopter to many computer-owning members of the public. Many people are finding new ways to communicate with friends and family around the world, such as leaving the voice channel open while they walk around the house, treating the connection as an extension of the room.
Download Skype (all versions)
1 February, 2005
TiVo SDK: looking to influential new pals, new ideas, anything!
Squeezed on both sides by ever-competitive satellite and cable providers, TiVo is trying to woo third party developers into creating compelling new add-on services for their product.
The company has rolled out a Software Development Kit (SDK) in the hope that it will create a vibrant market in application for the TiVo. The SDK has been released on to SourceForge, a home for open-source software.
To stimulate the market, they’ve got the ball rolling with three initial add-ons: a weather information plug in, an RSS reader and a game, with users needing a Series 2 TiVo, a home network and broadband connection to take full advantage of the applications.
The move is part of a larger strategy, code-named Tahiti, which lets DVRs download information and content from the Internet. Howard Look, who regales under the magnificent title of ‘vice president of application and user experience’ at TiVo was heard excitedly exclaiming, “All the great ideas don’t have to come just from us.”
Some users may feel that there haven’t been enough great ideas coming from anywhere recently.
Although TiVo boxes are well regarded for their easy-peasy interface and excellent aesthetics, many feel that it’s being left behind by newer technologies. Sales haven’t matched expectations (only 2 million boxes so far) with the company racking up truly eye-wateringly large net losses (half a billion according to Om Malik).
Clearly something hugely impressive has to be pulled out of the bag to turn the company around, but posters on Slashdot weren’t exactly overwhelmed by TiVo’s announcement, but then Slashdotters are rarely overwhelmed.
If they’re represeantative, it seems that what many users really want – instant commercial skip, sharing recorded programs with other devices and free channel guide services – isn’t on TiVo’s horizon and barely anyone seemed excited by the somewhat less enticing prospect of bolt-on weather forecasts and an RSS reader.
TiVo does have a very enthusastic base of owners, many of whom are capable of developing software, so this could be a very wise move for TiVo. We wait with bated breath to see how many applications arrive.
The Developer Toolkit
Slashdot discussion: TiVo to offer SDK
1 February, 2005