Word: spam
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...undoubtedly reading this article--will never know their machines are infected. It doesn't cripple your computer (and can be removed once identified), but the Storm Worm does give its authors the power to quietly control your computer. What do they do with this power? Mostly they send out spam. Back in the day, computer viruses were a relatively innocent affair, written as pranks by teenagers with too much time on their hands between Star Wars sequels. Now they're written by organized criminals looking to make money from fake offers...
...also clear that they've been pulling their punches. Right now the Storm Worm gang controls a massive amount of computing power, as much as some of the world's largest supercomputers, and all they do with it is send out spam and conduct the occasional denial-of-service attack (bombarding a specific server with traffic until it shuts down). We're lucky: so far they haven't gone in for more lucrative, damaging activities like online gambling, stock scams and stealing passwords and credit-card information. Is it possible that even a worm can have a conscience...
Beneath the bits and bytes that shape the character of Silicon Valley, there's a booming digital subculture committed to the art of self-improvement, geek style. It's known as life hacking, and it's all about sweating out the best ways to crank through e-mail, sabotage spam, boost productivity and in general be happier. British tech guru Danny O'Brien coined the term at a 2004 technology conference after studying how programmers come up with "hacks," or shortcut solutions for routine but time-consuming problems. The trick, he says, is not to worry about the entire problem...
...tinned goods. No nation on earth is as enthusiastic about preserved food, and one bar in Barcelona has raised tapas from a can to a modern art form. At Quimet i Quimet, all of the food is preserved in one way or another, but if you're envisioning Spam, you're in for a surprise. Producers like Ramón Peña and Paco Lafuente put out a high-quality product, canning everything from octopus to tuna belly. Some of their top tins can cost as much as $54 for almost as many clams. However, just because the ingredients...
...consumers, who could become hostile if their personal phones are suddenly barraged with pitches. Nearly four out of five Americans surveyed by market-research firm Forrester Research last year said they found the idea of ads on their handsets "annoying." Network operators, wary of getting caught up in spam wars like those that plague the Internet, say they're concerned about keeping subscribers happy. "Unwanted or unsolicited text-message spam to our customers' handsets is unacceptable," said Steve Zipperstein, a Verizon Wireless spokesman, after the U.S. carrier in February successfully sued tour company Passport Holidays for spamming. The U.S., Singapore...