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Researchers discovered a new variant of the Conficker worm Thursday whose mission is to cash in on unsuspecting PC users. Security companies are warning that the variant is attempting to download malicious code onto victims’ systems, possibly including copies of the Waledac Trojan, a spam-oriented application that has propagated through bogus e-mail messages.

The malware authors seem to be making headway after a false start on April 1. US-CERT said it’s aware of reports indicating a widespread infection of the Conficker/Downadup worm, which can infect a Microsoft Windows system from a thumb drive, a network share, or across a corporate network if the network servers don’t have the MS08-067 patch from Microsoft.

What Happens Next?

What happens next is up to the controllers of Conficker, according to Richard Wang, a manager at Sophos. There have been no significant updates since Thursday. The new Conficker variant, complete with enhanced features, is spreading, he said, and the malware authors are in a position to supply whatever updates they choose into the Conficker network.

One of Conficker’s early moves was to download rogue security software onto infected PCs. “The fake security software that is downloaded is very visible. It will display messages and fake security scan results to users, urging them to purchase additional protection software,” Wang said. “If it’s on your PC, it’s hard to miss.”

The scareware is called Spyware Protect 2009. The program displays a pop-up message that tells a victim the computer is infected and says software is available to remove the fake antivirus program for $49.95. The victim is then sent to a fake Web site to enter credit-card information. The cybercriminals walk away with the money and the victim gets nothing but the bill. Security researchers warn that Conficker could be used to launch further attacks that are likely to focus on…

This two ton fish is one of the largest and most bizarre animals found in the sea. Find out why! See All National Geographic Videos video.nationalgeographic.com

Ruby Falls is a 145-foot high underground waterfall located within Lookout Mountain, near Rock City and Chattanooga, Tennessee in the United States.

The cave which houses Ruby Falls was formed with the formation of Lookout Mountain. About 200 to 240 million years ago (in the Carboniferous period, at the end of the Paleozoic era) the eastern Tennessee area was covered with a shallow sea, the sediments of which eventually formed limestone rock. About 200 million years ago, this area was uplifted and subsequent erosion has created the current topography. The limestone in which the cave is formed is still relatively horizontal, just as it was deposited when it was below sea level.

The Lookout Mountain Caverns, which includes Ruby Falls Cave, is a limestone cave. These caves occur when slightly acidic groundwater enters subterranean streams and eats away at the relatively soft limestone, causing narrow cracks to widen into passages and caves in a process called chemical weathering. The stream which makes up the Falls entered the cave sometime after its formation.

The Falls are located at the end of the main passage of Ruby Falls Cave, in a large vertical shaft. The stream, 1120 feet underground, is fed both by rainwater and natural springs. It collects in a pool in the cave floor and then continues through the mountain until finally joining the Tennessee River at the base of Lookout Mountain.
While Ruby Falls Cave combines with Lookout Mountain Cave to form the Lookout Mountain Caverns, the two caves were not actually connected by any passage. Ruby Falls Cave is the upper of the two and contains a variety of geological formations and curiosities which Lookout Mountain Cave does not have.

Electric lights were installed in the cave, making it one of the first commercial caves to be so outfitted. Motorists travelling on I-75 in the 70’s were subjected to dozens – maybe hundreds – of billboards along their route with the words “VISIT RUBY FALLS” beginning hundreds of miles north and south of the falls itself. Ruby Falls remains a staple of Chattanooga tourism, operating daily. Ruby Falls is owned by the Steiner family of Chattanooga, Tennessee.

With anticipation high for a new iPhone this summer, rumors are rising after a recent Apple purchase from Samsung. Apple bought 100 million 8GB NAND flash chips, which DigiTimes says points to increased storage for the iPhone.

Flash-chip suppliers Hynix, Intel, Micron and Toshiba may also have had a part in the Apple purchase. The order fueled rumors that Apple is building a bigger-memory iPhone, likely with 32GB of storage, to share shelf space with the 8GB and 16GB iPhone 3G models already on the market.

Industry observers are expecting new Apple iPhone hardware to be announced as early as Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June.

Conflicting reports have surfaced, with some saying the storage chips in question are eight-gigabit chips with 1GB of storage each, while others say they each have 8GB of storage.

Ramping up storage to 32GB would help Apple boost its success with the iPhone and App Store, which has had more than 800 million downloads, according to Apple.

Summer Expectations

The extra storage, expected to be used for video capability, may come around the same time the iPhone OS 3.0 arrives, which is expected to be this summer. Apple’s iPhone OS 3.0 includes 100 new features, including search functionality; cut, copy and paste; and the ability to send photos, contacts and audio files via MMS. The new OS also allows users to read and compose e-mail and text messages.

The iPhone isn’t the only device expected to receive the extra storage. Apple is also rumored to be working on a 32GB NAND chip for the iPod shuffle.

“It’s all speculation right now, so it could be more storage for the iPhone, or even the iPod touch,” said Ramon Llamas, an IDC analyst.

Shortage and Competition

The timing of such storage and rumors of a next-generation iPhone are significant as app-store competition…

Elan Microelectronics is attempting to take a bite out of Apple. The Taiwan-based developer of multi-touch technology has filed a lawsuit, giving Apple a taste of its recent legal actions against Palm.

Elan says the touchscreen technology used in Apple’s MacBook, iPhone and iPod touch infringe on two of its patents. It is seeking an injunction that would stop Apple from producing, using and selling those products.

Elan owns the rights to technology that allows Apple’s products to detect the position of a finger on a touchscreen or touchpad, the company said. Palm recently came under fire from Apple, which sued Palm for using multi-touch technology in its Palm Pre smartphone.

Capacitive Touchpad is at the core of Elan’s technology and, since the release of Apple’s iPhone in 2007, Elan’s Multi-Finger touch interface has received much attention.

Proactive Protection

Elan’s suit against Apple comes just two months after Apple was awarded a multi-touch patent. Just after Apple was granted patent 949, Elan said the award would not have any bearing on Elan or its multi-touch technology, called Multi-Finger.

“Although [Apple's] patent comprises of 20 items covering software, firmware and memory storage, its scope is actually limited within the establishment of the one- and two-dimensional commands mechanism,” the company had said in a statement. “Simply speaking, it emphasizes more on one- or two-dimensional commands finger gesture recognition rather than about multi-touch technology. Hence, to make things unmistakably clear, having a multi-touch feature cannot be interpreted as an infringement of the 949 patent.”

Elan’s statement didn’t clear its own technology from patent infringement and it also sent out a quiet warning. “Aside from continuing to provide total solutions to its customers, Elan is also actively protecting its IP rights to safeguard the company’s and its customers’ interests,” the company said.

Elan’s February statement added that there was “no…

Apple managed a price increase for music Tuesday under the veil of a variable pricing model for its iTunes Store. Now Amazon, Lala, Wal-Mart and Rhapsody are adopting the tiered pricing scheme.

In the variable pricing model, new releases and top tracks are now selling for $1.29 instead of 99 cents. Wal-Mart is the exception, offering new releases for a market-leading $1.24. Apple and others are selling recent songs for 99 cents and older selections for 69 cents.

“It’s really not the retailers that are raising the prices. It’s the record labels. The retailers are just passing it along to the consumers,” said Phil Leigh, senior analyst at Inside Digital Media. “Retailers have no choice but to raise prices or sell below cost.”

Where Are the 69-Cent Songs?

Under variable pricing, classics are supposed to sell for 69 cents. But Leigh’s investigation on Amazon.com and other sites found older songs still selling for 99 cents. It’s not clear whether the companies have not yet updated their catalog or don’t plan to reduce prices on songs like Louie, Louie, Zippity Do Dah, and Beethoven symphonies. Amazon could not immediately be reached for comment.

Will consumers object to the price changes in the midst of a down economy? Leigh is betting consumers are going to be disappointed by the new pricing model.

“The record labels may find that the new pricing reduces overall demand and stimulates piracy,” Leigh said. “If the record industry can’t get away with this, it may cause the video industry to go back to the drawing board, because it is focusing on ways to restrict free access to videos at advertising-supported Web sites.”

As Leigh sees it, the record labels and the video industry — and the newspaper industry, for that matter — must find a way to make advertising work online. As it stands,…