Monthly Archives: January 2008

Bank charges court test to open

Banks and their customers are awaiting the start of a High Court test case which could bring a fundamental change to UK High Street banking.

The outcome may decide how much banks can charge millions of account holders who go overdrawn without permission.

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is challenging seven leading retail banks and the Nationwide building society.

The regulator claims the banks’ overdraft charges are unfair, but the banks say they are entirely legal.

"We have always believed that what we are doing is correct and legal," said a spokeswoman for the British Bankers’ Association (BBA).

"We are confident and think the hearing is an important opportunity to bring some clarity to the legal position," she added.

News article continues here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7178766.stm

Facebook plans ‘User Profile Clean-up’ Tool

Don’t you just love how Facebook has an application for everything possible? Don’t you just love wading through your friends’ Facebook profiles with the simple goal of finding their Wall? Don’t you just love how Facebook is looking more and more like MySpace every single day? Fear no more, the Facebook Platform Team has a plan to unclutter profiles: a “profile clean-up” tool. Essentially, the tool will give users the option to move extra profile boxes to an “extended portion” of their profile. At the bottom of the profile page there will be a link to “Show Extended Profile” which expands the profile for viewing all of the user’s applications. This should mean a cleaner look, and faster loading pages. Personally, I would much prefer a “hide all 3rd party crap” feature, but this move seems to be a step in the right direction.

News source: Neowin.net

My view: About bloody time I say. I have to use some client side scripting in Firefox to hide the junk on various profiles and even then there are one or two that are so cluttered that the scripting times out and briefly locks up the browser.

Facebook Widget Installing Spyware

Fortinet Global Security Research Team discovered a malicious Facebook Widget (officially, a “Platform Application”) actively spreading on the social networking site which ultimately prompts users to install the infamous “Zango” adware/spyware.

Full article complete with screenshots here: http://www.fortiguardcenter.com/advisory/FGA-2007-16.html

Note: I too have been invited to install the formentioned “Secret Crush” application and thank god I decline such an invite like with every bit of tat that I get invited to install on my Facebook profile.

This application definitely a pile of crap to say the least in more way than one.

Rewards for grumbling Xbox users

Microsoft has apologised for the glitches that hit its Xbox Live online game system during the Christmas break.

The software firm said it was "disappointed" with its performance and promised a free downloadable game to all users as recompense.

It said the problems had been caused by a surge of people signing up and using the gaming service.

Microsoft said the growth in new users had been driven by sales of top titles such as Mass Effect and Halo 3.

Full article here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7171355.stm

Note: This appears to be what was causing me heartache in getting my brothers Xbox 360 to work behind my ISA 2006 Server as it’s working now.

Windows Server 2008 is in Escrow! RTM build planned January 16th

Windows Server 2008 has gone into the final test stages: Escrow. If all goes well it is expected the RTM build bits to be delivered on January 16th. After that all the teams working on Windows have to "sign off" the build (till Jan 23rd)

The week after that there will be "media verification" whatever that may be and then the Release To Manufacturing on February 6th.

We already know Windows Server 2008 build is in sync with Windows Vista Service Pack 1, so do the math.

February 27th is the worldwide launch of Windows Server 2008 together with Visual Studio 2008 and SQL Server 2008 in Los Angeles. There will be launch events around that day all over the world.

SQL Server 2008 has not yet RTMed yet on its launch day!

WSUS 3.0 sp1 can be expected in this time frame too.

News source: Bink.nu

Note: The bit I’m interested in I have marked in bold, so could we see Vista SP1 out sometime this month?