Bagle-A virus runs rings round the Net

A new virus - Bagle-A - is running rings round the Net, but will self-destruct on 28 January Bagle-A was first discovered yesterday. But MessageLabs says it has already received 45,000 reports of the worm, the first of which came from Germany, but the majority of those following emanating from Australia. Trend Micro issued an alert for Bagle-A, with its first reports arriving from the States, but having also seen large numbers from Japan, Australia and Germany. ...more

Adobe takes an Encore for DVD authoring

While the likes of Roxio supply basic DVD software, Encore will be aimed at the professional user. It is designed to produce interactive menus, multiple audio tracks and subtitles and will be integrated with Photoshop and other Adobe applications. 'Adobe Encore DVD opens the door for video professionals to take advantage of powerful DVD features and deliver their video projects in the format embraced by both consumers and professionals,' said Adobe's Bryan Lamkin, senior VP of Digital Imaging and Video Products. ...more

Saboteur discovered inside Instant Messenger

Instant Messenger, the popular chat application, has been hacked from the inside by one of AOL's own men, enabling users to delete adverts from the software. 21-year-old programmer Justin Frankel distributed the software on Internet music site Nullsoft, originally owned by himself but which was later bought by AOL for ?59.8m. ...more

UPDATED: EFF to compile chart of bad patents

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is to set up a bad patent chart - with a view to bringing its patent busting squad to bear on the top 10. In a kind of perverse Patent Idol contest, the EFF is asking the public to vote on the worst software and internet related patents to build up a chart of bad patents. EFF staff attorney Jason Schultz, who heads the project, said he can't wait to see what the contest turns up. ...more

Wii proves gamer's choice in next-gen console war

The anticipated battle between Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3 for the console crown has become a sideshow to the unprecedented rise of Nintendo's Wii as the next-generation gaming hardware of choice. Once a dark-horse contender, the Wii has outsold both its competitors in recent months. According to sales data from the NPD Group, the Wii sold 335,000 units in February to the Xbox 360's 228,000 and the PS3's 127,000. ...more