Scareware launched from tech blog

Visitors to technology blog Gizmodo are being warned that they could have picked up more than tips about the latest must-have gadget.

According to security firm Sophos, the website was delivering advertisements "laced with malware" last week.
A statement on the Gizmodo website admits that it was tricked into running Suzuki adverts which were in fact from hackers.
It follows a similar problem on the New York Times website.
Last month the New York Times' website was targeted by a gang of hackers who purchased ad space on the site by posing as internet telephone company, Vonage.
In both cases the adverts served up fake anti-virus software - known as scareware.
Scareware attempts to convince users that their computer is infected with viruses and trojans, and tricks them into downloading "remedies" which are harmful and can be used by criminals to get at information such as credit card details.
Really sorry
Gizmodo gets a huge amount of traffic with more than 3.1 million page views per day.
It has issued an apology to readers.
"I'm really sorry but we had some malware running on our site in ad boxes for a little while last week on Suzuki ads. They somehow fooled our ad sales team through an elaborate scam.
"It's taken care of now, and only a few people should have been affected, but this isn't something we take lightly as writers, editors and tech geeks," it said in a statement on its site.
Blaming the fact that staff used Linux operating systems on their production machines for "not noticing sooner", it advised concerned users to load some up-to-date antivirus software and "make sure your system is clean".
"By hitting one of the biggest blogs in the world, these hackers are aiming high," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos.
"What is particularly audacious about this plot is that the criminals appear to have posed as legitimate representatives of Suzuki in order to plant their dangerous code on Gizmodo's popular website," he added.
According to security firm Symantec more than 40 million people have fallen victim to scareware scams in the past 12 months.
The firm has identified 250 versions of scareware and estimated that criminals can earn more than £750,000 each a year via such scams.

his Is It makes $20m in one day

The Michael Jackson concert documentary This Is It earned $20.1m (£12.1m) at worldwide box offices in its first day, the studio that made the film has said.

The movie, which is based on rehearsal footage for the star's ill-fated comeback shows, was premiered around the world on Tuesday.

Steve Elzer from Sony Pictures said the movie is a "reaffirmation of the global appeal of Michael Jackson".

The film made $7.4m (£4,4m) in the US and $2m (£1.2m) in the UK.

Oscar nomination

"The studio believes that the worldwide launch, with very strong performance across North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia, represents an amazing beginning for the film," Mr Elzer said in a statement.

He has also revealed that the studio will submit the movie to the Academy Awards for consideration this year in the best picture category.

To be a contender for Oscar shortlisting, the film must complete a seven-day run in Los Angeles County and film-makers would need to "submit the proper paperwork," Academy spokeswoman Leslie Unger said.

Director Kenny Ortega said the late star "deserves" to win an Oscar. Jackson's brothers attended the film's screening in LA on Tuesday and simultaneous premieres were held in 18 other cities around the world.

The movie was then released to cinemas on Wednesday for a two-week run only.

However, Sony has said the movie will be extended beyond its planned stint if ticket demand is high.

The movie, which runs to nearly two hours, features Jackson singing and dancing to his biggest hits, including Beat It, Black or White and Man in the Mirror.

Jackson, who died on 25 June aged 50, had spent the previous four months rehearsing in LA for the record 50 concerts which were to be held in London.

More than 800,000 tickets had been sold for the concerts, with organisers promising one of the "most expensive and technically advanced" live shows ever.

He was just two weeks away from the opening night at the time of his death.

By the weekend, it will be shown in 110 countries.

3G Apple iPod nano

Apple launched its third generation of the iPod nano. the new model features a larger, 2-inch screen with a 320x240 resolution that supports video playback as well as the high-quality games that first shipped with the fifth-generation iPod; Sudoku, Vortex, and one other game are included out of the box, according to Apple. The design completely eliminates the use of plastic end caps while becoming even thinner than before at 0.25 inches.

Significantly, the new model is also one of the first homes of Apple's new, click wheel-driven iPod interface. The higher 204 dots/inch resolution ( the most ever for an Apple-made device ) includes a new split-screen interface that shows album art and other content on one side while scrolling through menus on another. Cover Flow is now a part of the design and lets users brows music and videos by album covers or video previews, viewing track details after selecting the album.

Apple promises 24 hours of continuous music and 5 hours of video on the new models, which ship in black, cranberry, light blue, light green, silver, and silver colors alongside a new Product (RED) model. Models should be available in 4GB for $149 and 8GB for $249.

Nokia N96 SmartPhone

Nokia's long-awaited sequel to the N95 smartphone may have been spotted, according to a leak posted in Mobile-Review's forums. It looks like Nokia N81, though the form is close to Nokia N95: the numeric keyboard sliding from the bottom and the panel sliding from the top (it is empty on the photo, so we don’t know its destination, probably it carries sensor media player buttons). Taking into account the pictures, Nokia N96 is powered by S60 3rd Edition FP2 (Symbian OS 9.5), the platform hasn’t been announced yet. The rear panel hides a 5-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss lens and dual LED flash. The source hasn’t provided more details about the specs or the release date.

Nokia N96 Specifications:
* Networks - GSM/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz and UMTS/HSDPA 850/2100 MHz
* Symbian S60 3rd Edition FP 2
* Display – 2.8” QVGA, 16M colors
* Wi-Fi (802.11b/g)
* AGPS
* DVB-H Class C
* Camera - 5-megapixel, Carl Zeiss lens, video capture at VGA 30 fps (double LED flash at video shooting)
* Memory - 16 GB
* microSD-slot
* 3.5-mm jack
* microUSB port
* Battery - 950 mAh
* Dimensions – 103x55x18 mm
* Weight - 125 g