'World's sexiest hacker' to appear in court

Kristina Svechinskaya, 21, is accused of working as a "money mule" for the eastern European gang. She faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted.

Miss Svechinskaya, who was arrested in New York earlier this month, is one of 37 people charged over the alleged fraud, in which hackers allegedly broke into people's computers to steal their money.

It is alleged that they sent victims emails containing Trojan horses, pieces of software which, when clicked, allowed the sender access to the recipients files and passwords.

Miss Svechinskaya, who drew comparisons with the Russian spy Anna Chapman after pictures of her were found online, is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and the false use of a passport. She has been dubbed the "world’s sexiest computer hacker".

She is accused of helping to provide bank accounts for the hackers, into which $35,000 was fraudulently deposited and $11,000 withdrawn, in return for a ten per cent cut of the stolen money.

It is claimed she opened at least five accounts, some in her own name and others under the aliases Anastasia Opokina and Svetlana Makarova,
She is said to have been among a group of students from Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus studying in the US, who were recruited through newspaper advertisements and social networking websites.

Preet Bharara, a US Attorney in Manhattan, said: "The modern, hi-tech bank heist does not require a gun, a mask, a note, or a getaway car. It requires only the internet and ingenuity and can be accomplished in the blink of an eye, with just a click of the mouse." (www.telegraph.co.uk)
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Challenge Facebook, Twitter targeting 1 Billion Users

Twitter cofounder Evan Williams, who had just left the seat of the CEO to focus on product development, said the company’s target is able to capture 1 billion users. Through this goal, Twitter would like to challenge Facebook Inc, which is currently leading in the virtual world of social networking market.

"Twitter will attract one billion members," Williams said in San Francisco on Monday (10/11/2010). Unfortunately, Williams did not say when these targets will be achieved.

Along with the target setting, Twitter already provides a service that allows users to post photos, videos, and street maps last month. This step is done to attract more users.

Currently, Twitter, which has 165 million registered users, competes fiercely with Facebook to attract the users and advertisers. Based on ComScore Inc., Twitter is in the top three among social networking sites, beyond My Space. Facebook is in the first position and the second is Windows Live Profile.

Previously, the founder of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg said at the beginning of the year, the membership of the world's most popular social networking site would soon penetrate one billion users. That figure is equivalent to 14 percent of world population.(Photo: AP PHOTO)
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Android growth unstoppable

The market share of Google's smart phone platform, the Android, grew fairly rapidly than other platforms in the U.S.. This news is from the data released by comScore MobiLens, earlier this week.

For the period of three months as of August 2010, 234 million Americans are at least 13 years old to use Android-based phone.

In May to August 2010, Android market share in the U.S. grew 51 percent, from 13 percent to 19.6 percent. The growth of Android it's the only positive compared to other platforms that actually minus.
Compare with market control manufacturer of BlackBerry, RIM, which dropped from 41.7 percent in May 2010 to 37.6 percent in the same period. Meanwhile, Microsoft has also eroded the market from 13.2 percent to 10.8 percent.

Apple and Palm have fared the same, which just posted a decline in market share is slim. In May, Apple controls 24.4 percent or thin down in August 2010 to 24.2 percent. Palm also down from 4.8 percent to 4.6 percent

Image: Google
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Rumors circulating, Microsoft Acquisition Adobe

Adobe Systems Inc. stock price on Thursday (10/07/2010) as listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange, had jumped 17 percent to 30 dollars per share before closing at 28.69 dollars per share. Speculation that Microsoft may acquire Adobe's stock price surge triggers to the software maker.

Earlier, The New York Times reported that privately, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has been met with Adobe CEO Narayen Chantanu at Adobe offices in San Francisco recently.

Reportedly, the two talk about the dominance of Apple Inc. in the mobile phone industry and various options to deal with it. According to several employees and consultants involved in the discussion, one of the options they are talking about is the possibility of Microsoft acquiring Adobe.

Worth $15 billion!

If so happens, by referring to Adobe's stock price in the market today, the acquisition price could reach about 15 billion U.S. dollars. This action also will be one of Microsoft's most aggressive steps to master the Internet and mobile media markets platform.

With the acquisition of Adobe, Microsoft will master the Flash Player software that is very popular. Now, software has become one of the software required a website to display video and pictures.

Analysts on Wall Street rate, the news of this acquisition makes perfect sense. Because, in this way, Microsoft can integrate graphics and video capabilities in software application Adobe mobile phone or tablet computer product. In this way, the possibility of Microsoft has the opportunity to be able to offset the dominance of Apple's iPhone and iPad fib.

Not too surprising as well if Adobe accept Microsoft's proposal. Because, during Apple CEO Steve Jobs is always criticizing the quality of Flash Player. In fact, he did not recommend that software developers use Flash on the iPhone and iPad.

"It is very possibly. It could be a case of so-called enemy of my enemy is my friend. Microsoft and Adobe have a common enemy," said Toan Tran, Morningstar analyst, told Reuters.

However, until now, the good management of both Microsoft and Adobe is not willing to comment on this news.

Notes only, in fact, Microsoft already has a media player on a web platform called Silverlight that compete directly with Flash. However, this product is not too successful with users

Photograph: AFP
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