I won’t make the intro long. So here’s what’s I want to post. There are times before where I receive an instant message from an unknown Yahoo! ID. Well, simply, that was spamming. I suspect the spammers were able to get my email address from forums or at the Yahoo! Chatrooms. But then lately (I believe it started last year), I am receiving “wierd” IMs from my yahoo buddies (those are my friends). The first one, as I recalled, was in a different language (Korean or something). I then asked that friend if some one else was using here computer. She told me nobody’s using her PC aside from her, I suspected an account hacking.

I then asked some “pro” regarding this and they told me that most probably, this was caused by a malware or a “worm”. I asked my friend to do a virus scan. She wiped out her hard drive and made a fresh install. Since then, there were no more “spam” from her.

However, another buddy got “infected” by this and sends out IMs also on a different language. But lately, I was surprised because one of my buddies were sending me IMs (in English) regarding a “diet pill” (sample of the message below). I thought he was just promoting something. But when almost 5 buddies were sending the message, I was alarmed that they might be infected by a worm or malware.

Yesterday, I asked my brother if he was receiving messages like that and he said yes. I the asked if he received one from me, I believe he said no but when I came to office, he had sent me an email with a message coming from me. We talked in the morning and the message was timestamped at 10:35 in the evening.. I left home 10 in the evening.
Before the message reach you, your “buddy” will first “buzz” (hitting ctrl+g on yahoo messenger client will buzz or shake the other contacts IM window to get attention) you and then send out the message. If you could notice in the image, the buzz was made 10:35:01pm and the message was sent at the exact same second. With the length of that message, it is imposible to type it in split second, unless you copy – paste very quickly. The worst thing is, I am using Pidgin, an opensource, multi platform/protocol (you can have AIM, Gtalk, YM, IRC, multiple accounts on same protocol) instant messenging client. And this program doesn’t have the “buzz” feature. I am sure my wife didnt’ use YM cause she knew about Pidgin. (Thought I’m not going to make this long??)

So the question is, is my account being “hacked”. Was someone able to figure out the passwords of these users (including me) and then send spam to all our contact on our list? Or it is a worm the controls not the IM client, but the connection itself so it can send messages and command without opening an IM windows and execute a feature (the “buzz”) even if it is not supported by your client. Most probably it is a worm or malware.

I tried searching the net but not enough info. My brother gave me a link to a forum (on a different language). But when I try google’s transaltor, it is filtered in our office. So my resolution is to do a full system scan. Also run anti-malware/spyware scan. Then reformat and reinstall everything (which I will be doing anyway since my partitioning sucks), and delete any programs I downloaded from the net that I don’t need (well, those are clean programs, but I don’t need it).

Another question is, how did I get that malware/worm. Honestly, I don’t know. There are actually 3 computers at home. Two desktops and a laptop. The other desktop, is owned by my wife’s sister. I used to secure that computer but my wife’s nephew wants to do it “his way”. I turned of file and print sharing then. However the laptop was being used by my father-in-law and other people. File and print sharing is active on that one. In any case, some worm/malware can penetrate other computers on the network even if file and print sharing is off. And there are viruses, worms, and malware on the other desktop.

The laptop’s LCD is broken, and I already disconnected the other desktop from the network. Maybe this time, everything will be fine after reinstall.

Lesson to learn: Don’t trust everything on the net (websites/files/etc.) and always do a system scan (anti malware/spyware etc….) once in a while. And buy a good router with good firewall settings (that’s what I’m going to do).

The commissioner’s office didn’t announce the specific violation by Ramirez, but in a statement Thursday provided by Major League Baseball, Ramirez attributed the violation to medication he had been prescribed by a doctor.

“Recently I saw a physician for a personal health issue. He gave me a medication, not a steroid, which he thought was OK to give me,” Ramirez said. “Unfortunately, the medication was banned under our drug policy. Under the policy that mistake is now my responsibility. I have been advised not to say anything more for now.

Statement from Manny
“Recently I saw a physician for a personal health issue. He gave me a medication, not a steroid, which he thought was OK to give me. Unfortunately, the medication was banned under our drug policy. Under the policy that mistake is now my responsibility. I have been advised not to say anything more for now. I do want to say one other thing; I’ve taken and passed about 15 drug tests over the past five seasons. I want to apologize to Mr. McCourt, Mrs. McCourt, Mr. Torre, my teammates, the Dodger organization, and to the Dodger fans. LA is a special place to me and I know everybody is disappointed. So am I. I’m sorry about this whole situation.”

“I do want to say one other thing; I’ve taken and passed about 15 drug tests over the past five seasons. I want to apologize to [Dodgers owner Frank] McCourt, Mrs. McCourt, [manager Joe] Torre, my teammates, the Dodger organization, and to the Dodger fans. LA is a special place to me and I know everybody is disappointed. So am I. I’m sorry about this whole situation.”

After consultation with the Players’ Association and his personal representatives, Ramirez waived his right to challenge the suspension. He will lose nearly $8 million of his $25 million salary.

Ramirez’s test result was first reported by the Los Angeles Times.

Triple-A outfielder Xavier Paul has been told by the Dodgers that he will be promoted later today, according to The Times. Ramirez would be eligible to return to the Dodgers’ lineup for their July 3 game against San Diego.

In his first full season as a Dodger, Ramirez is batting .348 with six home runs and 20 RBIs. Los Angeles has bolted to a 21-8 record — best in the majors — and a 13-0 record at home that set the modern major league record for home winning streak to start a season. They lead the NL West by 6½ games.

This is the second major drug revelation to hit baseball in the last few months. In February, Alex Rodriguez admitted taking steroids while playing for Texas from 2001 to 2003. But that was before the start of testing with penalties under a program agreed to by players and management. The New York Yankees star doesn’t appear likely to be suspended.

Ramirez is the third player suspended this year under the major league program, following Philadelphia reliever J.C. Romero and Yankees pitcher Sergio Mitre.

Just two relatively low-profile players were suspended under the major league program last year, San Francisco catcher Elizier Alfonzo and Colorado catcher Humberto Coto.

In the past, the best-known player penalized was Baltimore’s Rafael Palmeiro, who received a 10-day suspension in 2005, the first year of penalties for first infractions. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Despite its early launch woes, the touchscreen BlackBerry Storm appears to be selling strongly, coming in a No. 3 on NPD’s list behind the Curve and the iPhone 3G.

After the Storm comes the ever-popular BlackBerry Pearl—which, like the Curve, is available on all four major U.S. carriers—followed by the Android-powered G1 on T-Mobile.

So, how did the Curve manage to overtake the iPhone 3G? Well, as the NPD group notes, availability on all the big carriers always helps (the iPhone is, of course, still only on AT&T), as well as its $99 (with a new two-year contract) price tag. Meanwhile, Verizon Wireless probably helped boost Curve sales with its “buy one, get one free” promotion, according to NPD.

And here’s a potentially worrying trend for Apple: the NPD found that RIM’s share of the smartphone market rose a solid 15 percent to a full 50 percent, while both Apple and Palm (which didn’t land a handset in the top 5) both saw their shares fall 10 percent.

Of course, it could be that smartphone shoppers are holding off on both iPhones (given that a new model might be announced as early as next month) and Palm handsets (seeing as the red-hot Pre will likely go on sale in a matter of weeks).

Then again, never underestimate BlackBerry, which still has some of the best smartphones in the business and has price and availability on its side, whereas the cheapest, AT&T-only iPhone 3G remains at a somewhat lofty $199 (with contract). By: Ben Patterson

It is miserable that after the first hi the context of the “China’s automobile market the sustainability of the rebound,” the critical juncture, the imminent Shanghai Motor Show has become the aim of mutual anxiety Pupil. Whether vehicles or standing in the eyes of buyers, as a constituent of the worldwide A-class auto display not long before the Shanghai auto display is a untainted promotion and new stage display, and became the top and smaller forecast follow-up in 2009 the development of China’s automobile market indicator. Therefore, the high wants of Chery Auto adept to stand representing the voice of the most of vehicle prices: The exhibitors do not play untrue wish to buyers in the auto display to glimpse the genuine goods, so as to stimulate utilisation, the new vehicle display will be recorded in the short period to achieve.

In latest years, Shanghai and Beijing Auto Show to buyers to purchase the issue of the marvellous effect of appealing the vigilance of auto manufacturers at dwelling and overseas, with full affray in the Chinese automotive market, the new vehicle has been running more than 100 will each year as numerous as are needed by the Motor Show the best arena for interaction and marketing. The more time in the doldrums, trading arena considerably more valuable. Thus this year’s Shanghai International Motor Show, the dimensions of a record annals, public displaying locality of 170,000 rectangle meters, an boost over the preceding 20%. Exhibitors in supplement to Fiat, Renault and a little number of businesses, the coefficient of the international automotive monster reached at the view, and conveyed an unprecedented 13 world’s first car. Six household automobile the “predators” accumulated for the first time. Show the stage has been set up, if from the virtual to genuine, automotive businesses in every corner of the stage of labour in secret.

First of all, in high-end auto show can help boost morale and sales and become the important demands of exhibitors. First quarter of this year, although car sales are bright spots, but the obvious characteristics of the structure of growth – sales growth has been largely affected by the policy model is the largest low-emission cars, high-end model compared to its profit and commercial vehicles is much lower, economic efficiency has not improved and therefore the industry. How to improve the “low-end models and selling high-end models in the sales downturn,” the state, is standing in the various vehicles on the main show. So many cars prices shown in the auto show “+ high-end products” of the face to Japanese car as an example, high-class Japanese cars are still at the Shanghai auto show Mitsuo focus Accord, Camry and the Angels will be the biggest rivalry Aspect.

Secondly, China’s vehicle charges have been came across bottlenecks – if to elaborate its own emblem vehicles market share, as well as how to accomplish higher whole margins from the low-end to high-end emblem transition will be a large-scale display on the household enterprises play a trading permit . Following self-reliance in 2008 after the down turn in emblem market share, sales capacity of engine vehicles throughout the first quarter did not convey up the corresponding share of China-made vehicles to improvement, its own emblem share proceeded to drop, and still more sales in the front strip is a more low-end brands. Therefore, the display displayed the identical number of manufacturers of high-end market for its own emblem vehicles, the collective dispute to the monopoly of joint-venture brands. Automotive Group is not only the first time in six household and commenced the Shanghai auto display has not ever taken part in preceding term paper, Changhe, Yong-yuan rate and other vehicles will furthermore be the first time exhibitors, proposes to display to conceive their own emblems to enhance its market place against Japan and Korea University, Germany and the United States Department of the best opportunities.

The Chinese market will have a protected haven for the winter, has become the agreement of the world’s vehicle charges to the Shanghai auto display vehicles at dwelling and overseas as an opening to rate the layout of a new around has started. We seem that display is not the significance itself, but in the backdrop engrossment and projection of the tremendous China market, particularly in this market has been the issue of the hardworking signal. Perhaps, a couple of days before, head individual of the localized vehicle businesses to comprise the very broad outlooks of the most of exhibitors: anticipate to be adept to drag a vehicle display, I am aghast that this wish was too high value. However, after the world’s foremost auto display of the position is not good, the sales of the mainstream market is very depressed. Show hardworking in China is distinct from the mainstream automobile market will be echoed in the vitality of the Chinese automobile market and promise, boosted by the household automobile commerce and buyer confidence. Valuable in the present buyer self-assurance in the market, occasionally more significant than money. By: Professional editor working for frbiz.

1. iPhone lite: This phone would be a cheaper and thinner version of the existing iPhone to target customers who doesn’t require all the features on the iPhone. This up to some extend explains why the Cupertino Company had been acquiring PA Semi, Arm and PowerVR licenses.

2. Media Pad: This new product could be something like the Amazon candle, but with a larger screen and would likely support the present functionalities of the touch and the iPhone. Media Pad in all probability have a virtual keyboard. Media Pad could possibly be the reason why Apple place orders for the 10-inch touchscreen.

This latest rumors ruled out the possibility of Apple developing a CDMA compatible version of the iPhone. Apple COO and Interim CEO  Tim Cook earlier did rule out the possibility of manufacturing CDMA compatible iPhone citing that the technology would be wiped out in a matter of years. These is all good news, but we have to wait for Apple to open its mouth.

One is “Similar Images” which uses the colors and shapes of one image to become the basis for a subsequent search on similar images. For example, I searched for “Jerusalem” and two clicks later on pictures that are closest to the view I want, and I have about 600 pics simply of the Temple Mount viewed from the Mount of Olives.

The other new release is Google News Timeline. It is mainly intended for more recent history, and one can specify a view (day/week/month/year/decade), a date, and then apply additional filters either by search term or news source. (Click on “Add More Queries” to include additional Wikipedia items, a number of newpapers [Pittsburgh Post and St. Petersburg Times] or magazines [Time, Baseball Digest, Popular Science, and Vegetarian Times: go figure!], and other options with varying degrees of accessible material.) It appears that one can only go back to 1400 to find material.

For more ancient events, the other option you have is to use one of the Google Labs Experimental projects and enable “Alternate views for search results.” Google also updated their Google Labs page, and you can have some fun checking out some of their other projects.

Less than four years later, the do-it-yourself social network site with a $500 million valuation has reached another major milestone — 1,000,000 Ning networks.

On their way to 1,000,000 social networks, Ning’s come along way from their early days, when they experimented with three distinct sites that let you build your own YouTube, Flickr, or MySpace. We’ve since seen these services rolled into the core product that now allows for video, photos, and groups to harmoniously coexist in one place.

Being at the forefront of the social web, Ning has also seen a myriad of direct competitors who’ve done little to throw the social network hub off its way to the top of the social food chain. Sites like Me.com (which no longer exists; the domain is now home to Mobile Me), Big Tent, and BricaBox (shutdown in summer of 2008) did their best to copy Ning’s style, but pretty much failed at replicating Ning’s success and popularity.

Now at 1,000,000 networks strong, you’re bound to find an active social group on any topic, cause, or event that strikes your fancy. Some examples include the very popular Twitter Moms group with upwards of 13,000 members, the This is 50 fully branded social hub for 50 Cent’s 400,000 adoring fans, and Ning’s MuggleSpace, where 15,000 plus Harry Potter fans gather together.

Slot machine maker International Game Technology says 38-year-old Rachael Renee Romanick hit the jackpot Sunday night at Terrible’s Rail City in Sparks.

Romanick says a friend persuaded her to join him at the casino that night. She says she had been playing the machine for about 10 minutes when she landed the big prize.

The largest jackpot ever won was $39.7 million at the Excalibur Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas in March 2003.

IGT says it’s pleased that the “life-altering prize” went to a local resident.

That’s the Washington mystery du jour.

The identity of the first puppy — the one that the Washington press corps has been yelping about for months, the one President Obama has seemed to delight in dropping hints about — leaked out yesterday. This despite White House efforts to delay the news until the big debut planned for Tuesday afternoon.

The little guy is a 6-month-old Portuguese water dog given to the Obama girls as a gift by that Portuguese water dog-lovin’ senator himself, Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts. The girls named it Bo — and let it be noted that you learned that here first. Malia and Sasha chose the name, because their cousins have a cat named Bo and because first lady Michelle Obama’s father was nicknamed Diddley, a source said. (Get it? Bo . . . Diddley?)

Bo’s a handsome little guy. Well suited for formal occasions at the White House, he’s got tuxedo-black fur, with a white chest, white paws and a rakish white goatee.

A really big story
Clearly, the identity of the dog was information too big to contain. A mysterious Web site called http://firstdogcharlie.com published a picture of a Portie yesterday morning, complete with a Q and A with the dog, which it said was originally named Charlie. The celebrity gossip Web site http://TMZ.comlinked to the picture. So much for the big White House unveiling.

For an Obama team that ran a famously tight-knit press operation during last year’s presidential election campaign, it was a sign of how tough it can be to keep a leash on information in Washington.

It’s not for lack of trying, though. Bo’s story starts sometime around the Ides of March. Word on the street was that the White House was going to plant a vegetable garden. Health gurus had been pushing the Obamas to plant seedlings for months, hoping it would set a good example for children everywhere.

A Washington Post food reporter was making calls, probing, pushing. But the White House was mum. Word filtered out that the exclusive had been promised to the New York Times. But the White House offered The Post, the newspaper that cracked Watergate, a mollifier: A puppy exclusive.

These kinds of arrangements get made all the time in Washington. For a while, the puppy deal seemed to be holding up. Sure, reporters here and there nipped at the story. There were hints that the puppy was a gift. There were reports that the Kennedys were involved — but the senator’s press people professed no knowledge.

Photograph surfaces
But then came yesterday morning. The FirstDogCharlie site included a photograph of a Portuguese water dog that looked exactly like the dog in a White House photograph — right down to the multicolored lei. (FirstDogCharlie was registered anonymously on Friday on the Web site http://godaddy.com. Will its creators surface to take credit?)

The White House dismissed the Web site picture as “bogus.” Both photos are reproduced here; you decide.  By: Manuel Roig-Franzia

Burress’ four-year tenure with the Giants was highlighted by a game-winning touchdown catch in the Super Bowl against the previously undefeated New England Patriots in February 2008, but it was also dogged by fines and suspensions.

Burress’ status has been uncertain since he shot himself in the thigh on Nov. 29 with an unlicensed gun he’d stuffed into his waistband. He faces a felony weapons charge that could put him in prison for at least 3½ years if convicted.

Burress’ case was adjourned on Tuesday while his attorneys and prosecutors worked on a possible plea agreement. He is due back in court on June 15.

The 31-year-old, who was suspended by the Giants for the final four weeks of the season for conduct detrimental to the team and fined after the shooting, also faces possible NFL sanctions for violating its personal conduct policy.

A senior Giants official told ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio it had become clear in January that Burress didn’t want to be in New York when agent Drew Rosenhaus sent an e-mail to the rest of the league saying Burress could be available in a trade.

Burress’ case was adjourned on Tuesday while his attorneys and prosecutors worked on a possible plea agreement. He is due back in court on June 15.

The 31-year-old, who was suspended by the Giants for the final four weeks of the season for conduct detrimental to the team and fined after the shooting, also faces possible NFL sanctions for violating its personal conduct policy.

A senior Giants official told ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio it had become clear in January that Burress didn’t want to be in New York when agent Drew Rosenhaus sent an e-mail to the rest of the league saying Burress could be available in a trade.

“It wasn’t to be, so now we have to move on. Like everybody else here, we want nothing but the best for Plaxico, and we are appreciative of the contributions he made to this franchise.”

The decision to release Burress might lead the Giants to look for a deep threat receiver in the draft later this month. The only player currently on the roster who might fill that role is Mario Manningham, a second-year player out of Michigan who did little in an injury-plagued rookie season. Steve Smith and Domenik Hixon have shown the ability to be a deep threat on occasion, but neither is as consistent as Burress at stretching a defense.

Burress caught 344 passes with the Giants, which places him 12th on the franchise’s career list, one catch ahead of Earnest Gray and three behind Aaron Thomas. Burress had 3,681 receiving yards and caught 33 touchdown passes for the Giants.

Burress’ Giants teammates had been supportive about his possible return. The Giants lost four of their final five games after Burress was suspended and placed on the non-football injury list, meaning he also could not appear in the playoffs.

The Giants finished 12-5, losing at home in the playoffs to the Philadelphia Eagles. New York lost four of its final five games without Burress, who provided the Giants with their lone deep threat.

“Plaxico’s contribution to our championship season in 2007 can never be underestimated or undervalued,” coach Tom Coughlin said. “He displayed tremendous determination throughout that season. Having said that, I have always been as concerned about Plaxico as a man as I have been about him as a player, and my hope is that everything that has happened over the past several months represents a turning point.

“He is a young man with a family who has a whole lifetime ahead of him, and I personally wish him and his family well.”

The Giants signed Burress to a five-year, $35 million contract extension in September. The team failed to play a $1 million signing after the shooting and the NFL Players Association filed a grievance on the player’s behalf.

The grievance, which contests whether teams can withhold guaranteed salaries and bonus money from players because of off-the-field conduct, was heard earlier this week by an arbitrator, Stephen Burbank at the University of Pennsylvania law school. His ruling is expected within a week.

Negotiations between the Giants and Burress on the bonus apparently had been going well, but Burress refused to compromise on the amount he would get back.

He wanted all of it returned while Rosenhaus, his agent, wanted to compromise. That forced the hearing, another reason the Giants concluded that they were getting nowhere with Burress.

“It was another indication to us that the player did not want to be here, did not want to be with the Giants” the team source told Paolantonio.

Asked about Tuesday’s events, when Burress’ preliminary hearing on gun charges was put off another 60 days, the source said nothing specific about how the adjournment impacted their decision but said it was another indication “Plaxico was not dealing in the real world and doesn’t want to go halfway on anything.”

The Giants just decided to move on, the source said.

Burress had caught a pass in 115 consecutive games, including 56 with the Giants, until he was shut out at Arizona on Nov. 23, his last game before the shooting incident. Burress started but left that game after one series with a hamstring injury and did not return.

Burress’ 23 postseason catches with the Giants leave him fifth on the team’s career list and his 310 postseason yards place him third. He had 35 passes for 454 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games last season.

His last Giants’ reception was an 11-yarder late in the second quarter in a victory over Baltimore on Nov. 16.

Burress joined the Giants as an unrestricted free agent March 2005.

Information from The Associated Press and ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio was used in this report.