Technology Effect

Twitter came under attack on Tuesday as hackers exploited a security flaw to wreak havoc on the microblogging service. Computer security firms said thousands of users, or more, were affected by the “mouseover bug” bug, which automatically sent out or “re-tweeted” messages from a user's account simply by rolling over an infected link with the computer mouse. The San Francisco-based Twitter said on its status blog that it had patched the security problem at 6:50 am California time (1350 GMT).But not before thousands of users saw bizarre strings of computer code in their incoming message feed and inadvertently passed them on to other users in their list of followers. Those hit by the bug included Sarah Brown, wife of the former British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, who has over 1.1 million followers on Twitter, and White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, who has 97,000 followers. “My Twitter went haywire — absolutely no clue why it sent that message or even what it is... pag...

UN scientists have confirmed that the ozone layer is no longer disappearing and could be back to full strength by the middle of this century. The phasing out of nearly 100 substances once used in products like refrigerators and aerosols has stopped the ozone layer being depleted further, although it is not yet increasing, according to a new United Nations report released last week. And it claimed that efforts to protect the ozone layer have averted millions of cases of skin cancer worldwide. The ozone layer outside the Polar Regions is projected to recover to pre-1980 levels by 2048, although the annual springtime ozone hole over the Antarctic is not expected to recover until 2073, reports the Daily Mail. Ozone in the stratosphere is important because it absorbs some of the Sun’s dangerous ultraviolet radiation. The report was written and reviewed by 300 scientists and launched on the UN International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. The report has been published join...

This LED monitor from Samsung is the first to support 100 per cent RGB. At just 16.5 mm thin, it comes with features such as Magic Lux and Magic Angle. While Magic Lux corrects brightness by adjusting the intensity of illumination, thereby reducing strain on the eyes, Magic Angle offers the same picture quality from any viewing angle. The monitor is eco-friendly as well, with 40 per cent more energy efficiency compared to LCD monitors. It comes with a Magic Eco function which allows users to choose between 100, 75 and 50 per cent power consumption modes.

Bangalore: Japanese scientists claim to have created a two-legged robot which can carry a person, weighing up to 100 kgs. A team at the Chiba Institute of Technology has developed the robot which is 6 feet 2 inches tall, thoroughly modern, and in possession of a remarkable pair of legs strong enough to carry weights up to 100 kgs in its stride. The robot, called Core, is essentially just a pair of legs, which are able to bend and move around. Crucially, the legs are topped by a platform that can be loaded with weights of up to 100 kgs, the 'Daily Mail' reported. It comes complete with shock absorbers and weighs in at around 36 stone. At the moment the device is a prototype but the scientists believe that Core could be used on building sites or even to move disabled people around. Some bloggers have also speculated that the robot could have military purposes. The team at Chiba hope to have a fully finished mobility robot by 2012.

China is planning giant strides into deep space exploration by sending its first lunar manned mission by 2025, a probe to Mars by 2013 and to Venus by 2015, intensifying its space race with India which also plans Moon and Sun missions. China’s first step toward expected to orbit the Moon, land and return to Earth by 2020, said Ye Peijian, Commander in Chief of the Chang’e (lunar landing) programme and an academic at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Ye told a meeting Space scientists that China plans to launch its first manned moon landing in 2025, a probe to Mars by 2013 and to Venus by 2015. “China has the full capacity to accomplish Mars exploration by 2013,” Ye was quoted as saying by the state-run Global Times newspaper. The unmanned mission to the Moon was seen as a counter to India’s Chandrayan-1, which left its foot prints on the Moon by crashing on to the lunar surface with the tricolour, stealing a march over China by becoming the fourth country to do so after the U.S., R...

Yahoo’s coming attractions include facelifts for its e-mail service and Internet search results. The changes outlined on Thursday are part of Yahoo Inc.’s latest attempt to lure back Web surfers who have been spending more of their time hanging out at Internet hot spots such as Facebook and leaning more heavily on Google Inc.’s e-mail and search services. The e-mail upgrade is supposed to make Yahoo’s inbox twice as fast. It will also enable users to send the short messages known as “tweets” directly to their Twitter accounts from the mail service. The new features will be available sometime this fall. Yahoo will try to distinguish its search results from its technology provider, Microsoft Corp., by offering key information in a capsule that will be highlighted above links to other sites.

A pple announced on Thursday the launch of a wireless printing feature for its mobile products, allowing owners of iPhones, iPads and iPods to print directly to compatible printers over Wi-Fi networks.Apple said that AirPrint wireless printing would be made available in November and would work with iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad and iPod Touch’s third generation or later. “AirPrint automatically finds printers on local networks and can print text, photos and graphics to them wirelessly over Wi-Fi without the need to install drivers or download software,” according to Apple. AirPrint will be included in the release of an updated operating system, iOS4.2, which will allow Apple fans better multi-tasking capabilities and improved integration with YouTube and Apple’s Facetime video chat feature.Hewlett-Packard’s line of ePrint-enabled printers will be the first to support AirPrint. “AirPrint matches the simplicity of iOS — no set up, no configuration, no printer drivers and no software to d...