Tech Thoughts Daily Net News – July 24, 2009

Windows 7 RTM Leaked to BitTorrent Last Week – Although even the best-connected users can’t get their hands on Windows 7’s final code until Aug. 6, people willing to pirate the new operating system can download it today from several file-sharing sites, searches show.

YouTube begins 3D experiment – YouTube 3D YouTube has appealed for members to film and upload their own 3D movies. The video-sharing site is now offering more options for making 3D videos on the site work from a viewer’s perspective, by letting them select how they want to watch the content.

Researchers to Unveil Browser-Based Darknet at Black Hat – HP security researchers are presenting a browser-based darknet at Black Hat. The darknet permits secure communication and file sharing, and could be accessed by any device with a browser – from a PC to an iPhone.

Mozilla Downplays New Firefox Bug – Mozilla is pouring cold water on reports of a severe bug affecting its Firefox browser. Reports of a new stack overflow vulnerability affecting Firefox surfaced not long after the company released a new version to patch a critical bug in the TraceMonkey JavaScript engine’s JIT (just-in-time) compiler. On Sunday, the SANS Internet Storm Center warned the vulnerability could be exploited by hackers to execute code. Mozilla, however, contends that is false.

Adobe Flash zero-day attack underway – Malicious hackers are have found a new vulnerability in Adobe’s ever-present Flash software and are using rigged PDF documents to launch exploits against Windows targets. The Adobe Flash Player flaw, which is currently unpatched, affects millions of Windows XP and Windows Vista users.

Wal-Mart Counting on Sales of Cheap Laptops – A new HP Compaq Presario will retail for under $300 as the retail giant looks to cash in on discount shopping.

Database Of Stolen Identities Contains More Than 40 Million Names – Lucid Intelligence lets users search against more than 120 million stolen records to see if their identities are at risk.

New KOOBFACE Upgrade Makes It Takedown-Proof – Even if C&C domains are shut down, bots can stay alive by hosting C&C updates themselves

Exposed: Repair Shops Hack Your Laptops – Investigation finds some computer repair shops illegally access personal data on customers’ hard drives, and hack into their bank accounts.

Off Topic:

Ten of the Worst Artery Cloggers in America – When it comes to eating out, America has no shortage of unhealthy options. While many of the artery-clogging, calorie-packing, and waist-expanding choices are obvious, other fast food items are deceptively deleterious. And although some can be enjoyed on occasion, most you’re better off avoiding – for good.

Online Poll: Jon Stewart Is America’s Most Trusted Newsman – Well, in a result that he will probably accept as downright apocalyptic for America, The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart has been selected, in an online poll conducted by Time Magazine, as America’s Most Trusted Newscaster, post-Cronkite.

Watchdogs: Feds buried data proving that handheld tech dangerously distracts drivers – The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) put politics above public safety in 2003 when it suppressed research estimating that cell phone use – both phone calls and text messaging – while driving had caused hundreds of thousands of car accidents and hundreds of crash-related deaths the previous year, the New York Times reports.

Never underestimate the power of a resume typo – Hiring executives apparently have a low threshold for resume bloopers. A recent study claims that one out of four executives will toss a resume into the wastebasket if they spot a typo. Here’s what to do to lessen the chances of that happening to you.

Today’s Free Downloads:

Weather Watcher Live – Weather Watcher Live allows you to check on conditions in that strange place called “outside” without actually exposing yourself to it. Weather Watcher Live provides a plethora of data about the local weather, including temperature, wind speed and direction, humidity, and much more.

John’s Background Switcher – Are you easily bored? Do you often look at your computer desktop and wish you could automatically swap out the pics? John Conners has made a nifty little app just for you. John’s Background Switcher collects images from Web sites like Flickr, Picasa, and more–or pictures from your own folders–and displays them as desktop wallpaper at intervals that you define. You can even subscribe to image sites that use RSS feeds.

FavBackup – A simple solution to backup and restore web browser settings and other data on Windows systems. Backup favorites, extensions, bookmarks, saved passwords, email accounts and more. Or just simply backup everything in one click.

Partition Wizard Business Edition – Free partition manager supporting both MBR and GUID partition table formats running on 32/64 bit OS including Windows XP, Vista, and latest Windows 7.

ClipX – Power up the Windows clipboard with this freebie.

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