Another little spamhead just got served.

Good show, Microsoft – it’s about time you did something right. On Tuesday Microsoft said they struck a major blow against cyber crooks by busting a spam-sending network of virus-infected computers.

Along with taking down a “botnet” believed to have been used for nefarious activities including spam, stock scams, and sexual exploitation of children, Microsoft sued the owner of an online domain used to control operations.
This is bloody brilliant, because I have to delete around a hundred spam messages a day on this blog – which (annoyingly) increases as my blog becomes more popular. Grrr.

Right above me in the Czech Republic, Dominique Alexander Piatti was served a fat juicy notice on Monday, according to Microsoft. Microsoft said that naming owners of online venues (cybercafes and the like) used to control armies of “zombie” computers infected with malicious software helps to expose just how cybercrime is enabled when domain providers and other cyber infrastructure providers fail to know their customers.

The disrupted network was referred to as “Kelihos” and was suspected of being a reincarnation of the first botnet Microsoft took down with a combination of legal and technical tactics. “The Kelihos takedown is intended to send a strong message to those behind botnets that it’s unwise for them to simply try to update their code and rebuild a botnet once we’ve dismantled it,” Microsoft said.

Microsoft went through a US federal court to get an order clearing the way for the software colossus to sever connections between a group of domains owned by Piatti and ranks of “zombie computers” infected with viruses.

As well as the snotty little Czech turd Dominique Alexander Piatti, the suit (which was filed in Virginia, USA) also names 22 anonymous “John Doe” defendants. Let’s hope they get all the slimy little buggers and wring them out to dry.

I now live in Slovakia, and am only about 60 kilometres (35 miles) from from the Czech republic’s border, and considering I endure a never ending onslaught of spam each day, I sincerely hope Microsoft lets me know if a public flogging is to take place. I’ll be there with a bucketful of rotten fruit ready to throw – plus a dog turd or two.

Now, back to removing all that spam. Sigh.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner proves that Carbon Fibre isn't just for long-range electric cars.

The dream becomes a reality: Boeing make a carbon-fibre aircraft for $200 million USD which will set the standard for low-cost passenger haulage.

After a century of flying machines being manufactured from metal (and most recently aluminum) it’s time for that era to come to an end. The sky is about to fill with Boeing aircraft built from composite materials such as plastic & carbon fibre.

The aircraft bears the name of the 787 “Dreamliner” and due it’s lightweight make-up, has a range of up to 15,700 kilometers (9,780 miles). It’s also much quieter than other models thanks to the most advanced technology Boeing could scrape together.

It hasn’t been cheap though. Several years of project delays means that the manufacturer has been out of pocket to the tune of $32 billion USD, and the first test flight of the aircraft was pushed back month after month until now it’s two long years behind schedule. Still, like the delays with the Airbus A380 – when it comes to safety it’s better to bring your product late to the market, rather than kill your customers.

Each plane now sells for $200 million, and for that each passenger gets a computer with a touchscreen and Android OS. Not surprisingly, the interior has been composed of the lightest possible materials also, meaning that the total economy per passenger is the lowest possible in this size of commercial jet.

Deliveries officially start today, but not everyone’s convinced Boeing can do it at the scale they promise. The Wall Street Journal questioning the words of Boeing that in 2013 they’ll be able to produce up to ten aircraft a month.

Even so, according to both the creators and test pilots of the aircraft, the Dreamliner has a much simpler design than many rival machines and offers much more interactivity and manageability.

Some interesting specs:
The internal pressure of the 787 will be raised to the equivalent of 6,000 feet (1,800 m) altitude instead of the 8,000 feet (2,400 m) on conventional aircraft. According to Boeing this will improve passenger comfort. This higher difference in cabin pressure is possible in part because of better properties of composite materials.

Higher humidity in the passenger cabin is also possible because of the use of composites, which do not corrode. Cabin air is provided by electrically driven compressors using no engine-bleed air. Naturally this adds to economy, which means less cost.

An advanced cabin air-conditioning system provides better air quality: Ozone is removed from outside air; HEPA filters remove bacteria, viruses, and fungi; and a gaseous filtration system removes odors, irritants, and gaseous contaminants. Not sure if they’ll remove the smell of the guy’s socks who’s sitting next to you though.

Forget Global Warming, Google+ is the new hot topic.

You know you’re in the 21st century when the world spends more time & energy debating the changes to a social network, than the demise of the US space program or Global Warming, yet that’s what’s currently happening thanks to two different things happening at the same time.

Firstly, Facebook has undergone some major changes to the “Feed” (what information gets displayed for each user when they log on), and Google has made their social network – named “Google+” – free to use (having previously been an invitation only service).

Facebook’s opinion on the new changes are explained by Mark Tonkelowitz, an engineering manager: “When you pick up a newspaper after not reading it for a week, the front page tells the most interesting stories. In the past, our News Feed hasn’t worked like that. Updates always slid down in chronological order,” he said.

However one of the largest complaints against this change has been how Facebook determines what is interesting, and what isn’t. Reactions are coming in quickly. Web Pro News has listed some comments:

“Facebook really needs to stop trying to figure out what I consider ‘important’ information….”

“Just when I was thinking about dumping Google+, all this happens. Procrastination pays.”

“ok i gotta agree with everyone else…what is up w/ fb?! i don’t need to know what everyone is doing every second they are on.”

At the same time – and hardly a coincidence – the new Google+ social network went public to all users on Tuesday. According to USA Today, Google+ has improved its search function and expanded its Hangouts feature.

Facebook should be concerned, because these new moves are only the beginning of Facebook’s changes. Expected in the next few weeks are new ways to share photos, videos and music plus along with the “like” button, users will have “read”, “watched”, “listened” and possibly a “want” button, though many Facebook users are asking for a “dislike” button right now.

I’ve seen Google+ described as “Like Facebook when it was new” with no in-page advertising (for now) or, games, or perhaps most importantly for the web-wary out there; no confusing privacy settings.
But will it be enough for Google to sponge Facebook’s seemingly change-resistant users to their service? Time will tell, and probably quickly too.

It sounds a bit dramatic, but it’s true: Everything comes to an end, and I mean everything. Just have a look at the previously unstoppable social media sites Myspace, and Bebo.
They’re both still functioning, but their user numbers have plummeted and they’ve become the yard stick for how fast moods change. In fact many consider it embarrassing to still have an account with such a dated social network platform.

Facebook should be prepared for a gentle but steady exodus if the new changes become unpalatable enough.

Ford decided to show off something different at the Frankfurt Motor Show, with a new electric bike concept with “Technology harvested from Formula 1 race cars”, which Ford didn’t elaborate on, so I’m a long way from giggling with excitement just yet.

The bike, which is known only as the Ford “E-bike Concept”, features a front-hub mounted motor and a lithium ion battery, with a frame made from carbon and aluminum to keep the bike lightweight. With a suggested range of around 85 kilometers, the bike is coming dangerously close to actually being very useful which is a pleasant surprise from an automotive manufacturer.

The bike also features “Magnetostriction sensor technology”, which converts magnetic energy into kinetic energy. It sounds utterly epic, but it’s just a form of regenerative braking when activated.

Surprisingly, this bike looks good for a concept. It’s practical, it’s useful, and most importantly of all, it could actually be a very viable replacement for an internal combustion engined vehicle. That’s probably why Ford aren’t interested in ever making or selling it.

“Um, what?”, I hear you say?

Yes, that’s right. Ford have invested several million dollars in this impressive electric-assisted pushbike without ever having the intention to make it. The concept was created to “Showcase how Ford’s technology could translate into a two-wheeled vehicle”.

“The e-bike market is growing very, very rapidly, with some 30 million units sold globally last year,” Ford Europe’s Axel Wilke, said. “We see e-bikes as an important element of urban electric mobility.” He also went on to say that, “More and more people are using e-bikes for short distance commuting and they are becoming comfortable with the concept of electric mobility.”

So, in a nutshell; Ford are aware of the rising popularity of e-bikes, and have engineered an ideal product for that hungry market, yet they’re never going to sell it. Ford’s slogan of “Built for the road ahead” implies a road with a lot of vehicular traffic and gas stations.

Well done, Ford. Pat yourselves on the back. No, that’s your front. No, that’s your knee. Almost. No, try again. Ah, OK, never mind.

A vice chairman of Hyundai Motors said South Korea’s biggest car maker has no plans for any pure electric vehicles, and even expressed skepticism about the future of this much-touted technology. Well, someone had to I suppose.

Instead of trying to lead the pack, the Korean carmaker has decided to dive back into the 20th century to focus on diesel vehicles, and then later, plug-in hybrids.

While Hyundai has chosen the oily path of diesels and hybrids, it’s affiliate Kia Motors, plans to sell a pure electric car in South Korea by the end of this year.

While General Motors, Toyota Motor and Nissan Motor are betting big on electric or hybrid electric cars, Hyundai and Kia, which together rank fifth in global car sales, have been slow in tapping into the segment, focusing more on fuel-efficient gasoline & diesel models.

Having test-driven their new diesel vehicles I would be lying if I said I wasn’t impressed. You get many people who drive their diesel clunkers in denial, stating, “You can’t tell it’s a diesel” – always lying through their teeth of course, but in Hyundai’s case you really can’t tell it’s a diesel.

Their engines are reasonably economical (for internal combustion engines) and quite quiet (again, for internal combustion engines). Compared to an all-electric vehicles however they cost an arm & a leg to run, and sound like tractors – but in such a comparison so do all internal combustion engined vehicles.

Yang Woong-chul heads the research and development centre at Hyundai and Kia, and said that it would be difficult for electric cars to replace those equipped with internal combustion engines, citing limited battery technology and infrastructure, reports said. He obviously doesn’t have electricity at his home.

In an attempt to not be left behind completely, Hyundai this year started selling an hybrid version of its Sonata sedan in the United States, its first overseas hybrid model, as well as South Korea.

A Kia Motors spokesman has also said the company plans to roll out an A-segment all-electric car in South Korea but not overseas, which is almost useful. It sounds to me as if they have invested heavily in ICE technology and need to make it work at any cost.

Kia’s upcoming electric car, code named “TAM”, can travel a completely predictable range of 160 kilometers (100 miles) per charge. A stunted range which all oil-burning car makers limit their electric cars with in order to channel more sales to the more labour intensive (and hence more profitable) ICE-powered vehicles. Nothing new there, then.

I expect it’ll be up to the start-ups with nothing to lose when it comes to long-range all-electric cars, such as the Tesla Roadster, the Model-S, and the upcoming Coda Sedan.

Lloyds predict $200 USD per barrel of crude oil by the end of next year, thanks to global demand starting to outstrip supply. This means car makers still investing in ICE technology will be left behind. This simple theory rests on the premise that the price of oil will keep rising, which is a complete certainty, so keep your eyes peeled for a rapidly changing vehicle market in 2011 & 2012.