Attachment in bogus e-mails contains same Trojan horse that stole 1.6M records from Monster.com last year
Several airlines, including Delta and Northwest, have warned customers that bogus e-mails posing as ticket invoices contain malware and urged them to immediately delete the messages.
A researcher at McAfee confirmed the campaign in a post to the company's blog.
The e-mails, which purport to be from an airline, thank the recipient for using a new "Buy flight ticket Online" service on the airline's site, provide a login username and password, and say the person's credit card has been charged an amount usually in the $400 range. An attachment claims to be the invoice for the ticket and credit card charge.
However, the .zip file format attachment is a Trojan horse that steals information, including keystrokes, from the infected Windows PC and transmits that data to a server hosted in Russia, according to McAfee's threat researcher Craig Schmugar. McAfee has pegged the malware as "Spy-Agent.bw," but other security firms have given it different names. Symantec, for example, has labeled the same Trojan as "Infostealer.Monstres."
Infostealer.Monstres first made a name for itself almost a year ago, when it was used to rip off more than 1.6 million customer records from Monster Worldwide, the company that operates the popular Monster.com recruiting Web site.
"Customers should be aware that these e-mails are not coming from the airline," said Northwest Airlines' vice president of e-commerce, Al Lenza, in a statement last week. "NWA itineraries are specific and contain information that a customer will recognize. If the format does not look familiar to you, and you have not recently purchased a ticket, do not open the attachment. Delete the e-mail right away."
Other airlines that issued warnings include Delta Airlines of Atlanta, Sun Country Airlines of Mendota Heights, Minn., and Midwest Airlines of Milwaukee. "Be assured that Sun Country did not send this email, and charged nothing to your credit card," an alert posted to the Sun Country site read. "We have reported these emails to Yahoo, Hotmail, and the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team."
Earlier last week, McAfee raised the alarm about a similar spam run of e-mails harboring the same Trojan. That campaign, however, sent messages posing as invoices from package delivery company United Parcel Service of America (UPS).
Source: http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/29/Airlines_warn_customers_of_infected_ticket_invoices-Computerworld_1.html?source=NLC-TB&cgd=2008-07-29
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Jalapenos The Latest Culprit In Salmonella Search
Talk of the Nation, July 22, 2008
On Monday government inspectors had a big break in their search for the elusive cause of a nationwide salmonella outbreak. They discovered a strain of bacteria on a single Mexican-grown jalapeno pepper in a distribution facility in south Texas.
David Acheson, associate commissioner for foods for the Food and Drug Administration, describes what goes into a food safety investigation, and why this recent outbreak of salmonella has been so difficult to figure out.
Your Health
How Salmonella Investigation Shifted To Jalapeno
by Allison Aubrey
When officials at the Food and Drug Administration announced they had found salmonella on a Mexican-grown jalapeno pepper, it meant investigators finally had a solid lead on a trail that seemed to have grown cold.
State health officials in New Mexico first picked up on multiple people getting sick from the same subtype of salmonella — called salmonella Saintpaul — back in April. They reported the cases to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
There, officials analyzing information coming in through an electronic surveillance system began to see that, in pockets around the country, many more states were seeing an unusual increase in cases of salmonella Saintpaul.
As soon as they knew they had an outbreak on their hands, investigators began interviewing sick people, asking them in detail what they had eaten before getting sick. In many cases, people reported eating tomatoes — and the sick people were eating them at much higher rates than their healthy neighbors, who officials also interviewed.
Now, three months later, with the first conclusive match of salmonella Saintpaul coming from a jalapeno pepper, not a tomato, the FDA's lead point person on the investigation, Dr. David Acheson, says it doesn't mean his agency got it wrong.
"The original part of the outbreak, the first scientific indications, showed a very clear association with tomatoes — and there is nothing to indicate that that association was incorrect or inappropriate," Acheson says.
Last week, when the FDA lifted its consumer warnings on eating tomatoes, Acheson explained that none of the farms harvesting tomatoes during the early part of the outbreak were still shipping their product and that all of the tomatoes in markets now had come from areas that were not implicated.
At this point in the investigation, Acheson explained that officials had learned more from a few clusters of people who had been exposed to salmonella at the same time and same place, presumably at a restaurant. They found that these people reported eating fresh jalapeno peppers.
When the FDA dispatched its team of investigators to various points along the distribution chain where the fresh peppers had passed, they knew they needed a direct match.
To make that definitive link, they had to find salmonella Saintpaul on a pepper, which is what happened Monday. Now that consumers have been warned to avoid eating fresh jalapenos, the job of the investigators continues.
One contaminated pepper doesn't solve the whole case. The goal is to continue following the production chain from the distribution center in Texas where the pepper was tested back to the farm in Mexico where it was grown.
"Because it enables us to ultimately, hopefully, pinpoint the source of the contamination which has caused the outbreak," Acheson says.
Since the outbreak began, a total of 1,251 people have gotten sick, and officials at the CDC say they do not believe the outbreak has ended.
Source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92781517&ft=1&f=1007
On Monday government inspectors had a big break in their search for the elusive cause of a nationwide salmonella outbreak. They discovered a strain of bacteria on a single Mexican-grown jalapeno pepper in a distribution facility in south Texas.
David Acheson, associate commissioner for foods for the Food and Drug Administration, describes what goes into a food safety investigation, and why this recent outbreak of salmonella has been so difficult to figure out.
Your Health
How Salmonella Investigation Shifted To Jalapeno
by Allison Aubrey
When officials at the Food and Drug Administration announced they had found salmonella on a Mexican-grown jalapeno pepper, it meant investigators finally had a solid lead on a trail that seemed to have grown cold.
State health officials in New Mexico first picked up on multiple people getting sick from the same subtype of salmonella — called salmonella Saintpaul — back in April. They reported the cases to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
There, officials analyzing information coming in through an electronic surveillance system began to see that, in pockets around the country, many more states were seeing an unusual increase in cases of salmonella Saintpaul.
As soon as they knew they had an outbreak on their hands, investigators began interviewing sick people, asking them in detail what they had eaten before getting sick. In many cases, people reported eating tomatoes — and the sick people were eating them at much higher rates than their healthy neighbors, who officials also interviewed.
Now, three months later, with the first conclusive match of salmonella Saintpaul coming from a jalapeno pepper, not a tomato, the FDA's lead point person on the investigation, Dr. David Acheson, says it doesn't mean his agency got it wrong.
"The original part of the outbreak, the first scientific indications, showed a very clear association with tomatoes — and there is nothing to indicate that that association was incorrect or inappropriate," Acheson says.
Last week, when the FDA lifted its consumer warnings on eating tomatoes, Acheson explained that none of the farms harvesting tomatoes during the early part of the outbreak were still shipping their product and that all of the tomatoes in markets now had come from areas that were not implicated.
At this point in the investigation, Acheson explained that officials had learned more from a few clusters of people who had been exposed to salmonella at the same time and same place, presumably at a restaurant. They found that these people reported eating fresh jalapeno peppers.
When the FDA dispatched its team of investigators to various points along the distribution chain where the fresh peppers had passed, they knew they needed a direct match.
To make that definitive link, they had to find salmonella Saintpaul on a pepper, which is what happened Monday. Now that consumers have been warned to avoid eating fresh jalapenos, the job of the investigators continues.
One contaminated pepper doesn't solve the whole case. The goal is to continue following the production chain from the distribution center in Texas where the pepper was tested back to the farm in Mexico where it was grown.
"Because it enables us to ultimately, hopefully, pinpoint the source of the contamination which has caused the outbreak," Acheson says.
Since the outbreak began, a total of 1,251 people have gotten sick, and officials at the CDC say they do not believe the outbreak has ended.
Source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92781517&ft=1&f=1007
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
The Former 'Pregnant Man' Debuts His Baby
It's been three weeks since his blue-eyed baby debuted in this world, but Thomas Beatie – better known around the world as the Pregnant Man – can already say this about his daughter's personality: "She's easygoing and mellow and intelligent."
On June 29 at 8:55 p.m., Beatie, 34, a former female beauty pageant contestant, made cultural history as perhaps the first legally transgender male to give birth, bringing into the world a 9 lbs., 5 oz. baby girl named Susan Juliette.
"She's so precious, I just can't stop staring at her," Thomas tells PEOPLE in his first interview since he and wife Nancy returned with their bundle from Bend, Oregon's St. Charles Medical Center. "Just holding her is the best feeling in the world."
Susan – named after Thomas's mother and conceived through artificial insemination with donor sperm – arrived after 40 hours of labor, with Nancy at Thomas's side acting as his coach.
"When Susan finally came out, it was like in slow motion," says Thomas. "I was full of wonder." Echoes Nancy: "There were tears of joy."
Both father and daughter came through the birth in perfect health. "I weigh two pounds less than I did before I got pregnant," adds Thomas. "And I don't have a single stretch mark!"
At home, the couple is adjusting to their new nightly schedule: Nancy breastfeeding (by induced lactation, a process using hormones and physical stimulation with a breast pump) and Thomas keeping company while watching TV.
Crows Thomas, "Susan is a miracle! And we're finally the family we've been dreaming of."
Source: http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20214360,00.html
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Bush signs new rules on government wiretapping
WASHINGTON - President Bush signed a bill Thursday that overhauls rules about government eavesdropping and grants immunity to telecommunications companies that helped the U.S. spy on Americans in suspected terrorism cases.
He called it "landmark legislation that is vital to the security of our people."
Bush signed the measure in a Rose Garden ceremony a day after the Senate sent it to him, following nearly a year of debate in the Democratic-led Congress over surveillance rules and the warrantless wiretapping program Bush initiated after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. It was a battle that pitted privacy and civil liberties concerns against the desire to prevent terrorist attacks and Democrats' fears of being portrayed as weak when it comes to protecting the country.
Its passage was a major victory for Bush, an unpopular lame-duck president who nevertheless has been able to prevail over Congress on most issues of national security and intelligence disputes.
Bush said the 9/11 attack "changed our country forever" and taught the intelligence community that it must know who America's enemies are talking to and what they are saying.
"In the aftermath of 9/11," Bush said, "few would have imagined that we would be standing here seven years later without another attack on American soil. The fact that the terrorists have failed to strike our shores again does not mean that our enemies have given up."
Even before Bush signed the legislation, the American Civil Liberties Union said it would challenge the new law in court.
The president said the bill gives the government anti-terror tools it needs without compromising Americans' civil liberties.
Bush was joined at the ceremony by Vice President Dick Cheney, Attorney General Michael Mukasey, Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell and more than a dozen members of Congress.
The ACLU's lawsuit was filed on behalf of several civil rights groups. It wants a federal judge in New York to rule that the law is an unconstitutional violation of free speech and the right against unlawful search and seizure. It also asks that the judge permanently block intelligence officials from conducting surveillance under the law.
"The new law gives the government the power to conduct dragnet surveillance that has no connection to terrorism or criminal activity of any kind," said Jameel Jaffer, director of the ACLU's National Security Project, in a conference call to reporters.
"A law like this is fundamentally inconsistent with the Constitution and with the most basic democratic values," he said.
Roger Atwood, communications director for the Washington Office on Latin America, a human rights organization for the region, said the new law will impede the group's work.
"The mere suspicion that information provided to us, to our staff, will be accessed by the U.S. government can seriously affect WOLA's credibility and our effectiveness in Latin America in moving our work forward," Atwood said in the conference call.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080710/ap_on_go_pr_wh/terrorist_surveillance
He called it "landmark legislation that is vital to the security of our people."
Bush signed the measure in a Rose Garden ceremony a day after the Senate sent it to him, following nearly a year of debate in the Democratic-led Congress over surveillance rules and the warrantless wiretapping program Bush initiated after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. It was a battle that pitted privacy and civil liberties concerns against the desire to prevent terrorist attacks and Democrats' fears of being portrayed as weak when it comes to protecting the country.
Its passage was a major victory for Bush, an unpopular lame-duck president who nevertheless has been able to prevail over Congress on most issues of national security and intelligence disputes.
Bush said the 9/11 attack "changed our country forever" and taught the intelligence community that it must know who America's enemies are talking to and what they are saying.
"In the aftermath of 9/11," Bush said, "few would have imagined that we would be standing here seven years later without another attack on American soil. The fact that the terrorists have failed to strike our shores again does not mean that our enemies have given up."
Even before Bush signed the legislation, the American Civil Liberties Union said it would challenge the new law in court.
The president said the bill gives the government anti-terror tools it needs without compromising Americans' civil liberties.
Bush was joined at the ceremony by Vice President Dick Cheney, Attorney General Michael Mukasey, Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell and more than a dozen members of Congress.
The ACLU's lawsuit was filed on behalf of several civil rights groups. It wants a federal judge in New York to rule that the law is an unconstitutional violation of free speech and the right against unlawful search and seizure. It also asks that the judge permanently block intelligence officials from conducting surveillance under the law.
"The new law gives the government the power to conduct dragnet surveillance that has no connection to terrorism or criminal activity of any kind," said Jameel Jaffer, director of the ACLU's National Security Project, in a conference call to reporters.
"A law like this is fundamentally inconsistent with the Constitution and with the most basic democratic values," he said.
Roger Atwood, communications director for the Washington Office on Latin America, a human rights organization for the region, said the new law will impede the group's work.
"The mere suspicion that information provided to us, to our staff, will be accessed by the U.S. government can seriously affect WOLA's credibility and our effectiveness in Latin America in moving our work forward," Atwood said in the conference call.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080710/ap_on_go_pr_wh/terrorist_surveillance
Monday, July 7, 2008
5 reasons to hold off on the iPhone 3G
Yes, I'm one of those guys who wait in line the day a shiny new gadget goes on sale, and the iPhone 3G is one of the shiniest gadgets of all. But while I'll be out there waiting in the wee hours of July 11 (it's my job, after all), the rest of you should think twice before losing sleep on launch day. Here's why.
1. Shortages are unlikely
Remember last year, when we all got in line early for the iPhone because we were afraid it would sell out? Well, that didn't quite happen. Yes, individual AT&T stores sold out quickly, but many Apple stores had plenty of iPhones in stock in the days and weeks after the big day. (Indeed, there weren’t any serious iPhone 1.0 shortages until just recently.) Also, word of hundreds of massive overseas shipments bound for Apple (which began arriving as early as March) leads me to believe that there's a healthy supply of iPhone 3Gs on hand. So if you're worrying about a Wii-like shortage of the iPhone 3G, well ... I wouldn't.
2. Chaos on Day One
Unlike last year, customers won't be able to activate their new iPhones over iTunes—instead, clerks will have to activate them in the store, contracts will have to be signed on the spot, and new AT&T subscribers will have to undergo credit checks. It could take a good 10-15 minutes per customer—and that's if things go smoothly. It'll be a new process for everyone—especially for Apple Store employees, who aren't accustomed to processing cell phone contracts—so I'm anticipating (dreading, actually) a train wreck next Friday. Even if you're dying to lay hands on the iPhone 3G, you might want to wait a week or so until they get the kinks worked out.
3. 32GB iPhone 3G on the horizon
I was keenly disappointed when Steve Jobs didn't unveil a 32GB iPhone last month—indeed, all we got were 8GB and 16GB versions, and I'd personally like an iPhone that I could cram with as much music and video as I can stand. Here's the thing, though—a 32GB iPhone 3G is probably coming within the next six months, if not sooner (well, that's my guess). If I wasn't buying the 16GB iPhone 3G for Yahoo! Tech, I'd probably sit tight and wait for the 32GB version to arrive.
4. Best new iPhone features are coming to the original iPhone
Yes, the iPhone 3G will be getting GPS and, of course, 3G—but for now, you can't download music tracks over AT&T's 3G network or access AT&T's streaming video service. For me, the most exciting thing about the new iPhone is the upcoming App Store, which will be stocked with scores of 3D games, chat clients, productivity apps, RSS readers, you name it—and the App Store will be available July 11 as a free upgrade to the old iPhone. That'll keep you busy till the 32GB iPhone comes out.
5. The HTC Touch Diamond
I've seen the future of cell phones, folks, and it's called the HTC Touch Diamond. With its gorgeous VGA screen, beautiful touch-screen interface, and compact, light-weight shell, the Diamond is the first phone to make me green-eyed with envy since … well, since the original iPhone. The Diamond is set to arrive in the U.S. in September, and spy shots of a Sprint-branded Touch Diamond are already circulating on the Web. You might want to give the Diamond a serious look before committing to a new two-year iPhone contract.
Source: http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/patterson/24397
1. Shortages are unlikely
Remember last year, when we all got in line early for the iPhone because we were afraid it would sell out? Well, that didn't quite happen. Yes, individual AT&T stores sold out quickly, but many Apple stores had plenty of iPhones in stock in the days and weeks after the big day. (Indeed, there weren’t any serious iPhone 1.0 shortages until just recently.) Also, word of hundreds of massive overseas shipments bound for Apple (which began arriving as early as March) leads me to believe that there's a healthy supply of iPhone 3Gs on hand. So if you're worrying about a Wii-like shortage of the iPhone 3G, well ... I wouldn't.
2. Chaos on Day One
Unlike last year, customers won't be able to activate their new iPhones over iTunes—instead, clerks will have to activate them in the store, contracts will have to be signed on the spot, and new AT&T subscribers will have to undergo credit checks. It could take a good 10-15 minutes per customer—and that's if things go smoothly. It'll be a new process for everyone—especially for Apple Store employees, who aren't accustomed to processing cell phone contracts—so I'm anticipating (dreading, actually) a train wreck next Friday. Even if you're dying to lay hands on the iPhone 3G, you might want to wait a week or so until they get the kinks worked out.
3. 32GB iPhone 3G on the horizon
I was keenly disappointed when Steve Jobs didn't unveil a 32GB iPhone last month—indeed, all we got were 8GB and 16GB versions, and I'd personally like an iPhone that I could cram with as much music and video as I can stand. Here's the thing, though—a 32GB iPhone 3G is probably coming within the next six months, if not sooner (well, that's my guess). If I wasn't buying the 16GB iPhone 3G for Yahoo! Tech, I'd probably sit tight and wait for the 32GB version to arrive.
4. Best new iPhone features are coming to the original iPhone
Yes, the iPhone 3G will be getting GPS and, of course, 3G—but for now, you can't download music tracks over AT&T's 3G network or access AT&T's streaming video service. For me, the most exciting thing about the new iPhone is the upcoming App Store, which will be stocked with scores of 3D games, chat clients, productivity apps, RSS readers, you name it—and the App Store will be available July 11 as a free upgrade to the old iPhone. That'll keep you busy till the 32GB iPhone comes out.
5. The HTC Touch Diamond
I've seen the future of cell phones, folks, and it's called the HTC Touch Diamond. With its gorgeous VGA screen, beautiful touch-screen interface, and compact, light-weight shell, the Diamond is the first phone to make me green-eyed with envy since … well, since the original iPhone. The Diamond is set to arrive in the U.S. in September, and spy shots of a Sprint-branded Touch Diamond are already circulating on the Web. You might want to give the Diamond a serious look before committing to a new two-year iPhone contract.
Source: http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/patterson/24397
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
iPhone 3G on sale 8 a.m. July 11; no-contract iPhone on tap
Looks like we'll have to get up bright and early to buy the new iPhone. Also, AT&T says a "no-commitment" iPhone is "coming soon."
First things first: The new iPhone 3G will go on sale at 8 a.m. next Friday at AT&T retail stores and Apple stores. So if you're planning on lining up, you'd better be ready well before sunrise.
Also, AT&T has finally clarified pricing for current AT&T subscribers who want the iPhone 3G.
In a nutshell, if you're "upgrade eligible" (log into your AT&T account to see if you are), you'll be able to buy the new iPhone for the discounted price of $199 for the 8GB version or $299 for the 16GB model. (AT&T is somewhat vague about the eligibility criteria, although your credit history and the time remaining on your contract are factors.) You'll also have to pay an $18 "upgrade fee."
If you're not eligible for the discount, you'll have to fork over extra for an "early upgrade"-$399 for the 8GB iPhone 3G or $499 for the 16GB model. Ouch.
AT&T also says that a "no-commitment" (read: no contract) iPhone 3G will be available soon, at $599 for the 8GB version and or $699 for the 16GB handset. Pricey, but hey-no two-year contract.
Unfortunately, AT&T won't offer the new iPhone on a prepaid basis, at least not at launch.
Some other items: You will have to get your new iPhone activated at the store, and that means a credit check. So bring a photo ID and your Social Security number (especially if you're not yet an AT&T customer). If you want to cut down on the wait, you can go to an AT&T store now and take care of the credit check early.
There have been some rumors that current iPhone users could simply register the IMEI number of their new iPhone with AT&T clerks-meaning they could finish activating their phones at home. It's a nice idea, but so far, there's no indication from AT&T that such a plan exists.
As for the newly detailed rate plans, there aren't any surprises. Each plan comes bundled with unlimited data; $70 a month gets you 450 minutes and 5,000 night/weekend minutes, while a 900-minute plan with unlimited nights/weekends goes for $90. A 1,350-minute plan will cost $110 per month. Family plans are available, and business data plans will cost $45 a month (versus $30 per month for standard data in the bundled plans). Text messages are extra, too. Individuals pay $5 for 200 texts per month, $15 for 1,500 a month, or $20 for unlimited texting. For family plans, you'll pay $30 a month for unlimited messaging.
AT&T also has a checklist of required documentation, fees, and rate plans. Download the PDF here.
Guess that $199 price Steve Jobs announced for the iPhone 3G should have come with a massive asterisk, huh?
Source: http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/patterson/23890
First things first: The new iPhone 3G will go on sale at 8 a.m. next Friday at AT&T retail stores and Apple stores. So if you're planning on lining up, you'd better be ready well before sunrise.
Also, AT&T has finally clarified pricing for current AT&T subscribers who want the iPhone 3G.
In a nutshell, if you're "upgrade eligible" (log into your AT&T account to see if you are), you'll be able to buy the new iPhone for the discounted price of $199 for the 8GB version or $299 for the 16GB model. (AT&T is somewhat vague about the eligibility criteria, although your credit history and the time remaining on your contract are factors.) You'll also have to pay an $18 "upgrade fee."
If you're not eligible for the discount, you'll have to fork over extra for an "early upgrade"-$399 for the 8GB iPhone 3G or $499 for the 16GB model. Ouch.
AT&T also says that a "no-commitment" (read: no contract) iPhone 3G will be available soon, at $599 for the 8GB version and or $699 for the 16GB handset. Pricey, but hey-no two-year contract.
Unfortunately, AT&T won't offer the new iPhone on a prepaid basis, at least not at launch.
Some other items: You will have to get your new iPhone activated at the store, and that means a credit check. So bring a photo ID and your Social Security number (especially if you're not yet an AT&T customer). If you want to cut down on the wait, you can go to an AT&T store now and take care of the credit check early.
There have been some rumors that current iPhone users could simply register the IMEI number of their new iPhone with AT&T clerks-meaning they could finish activating their phones at home. It's a nice idea, but so far, there's no indication from AT&T that such a plan exists.
As for the newly detailed rate plans, there aren't any surprises. Each plan comes bundled with unlimited data; $70 a month gets you 450 minutes and 5,000 night/weekend minutes, while a 900-minute plan with unlimited nights/weekends goes for $90. A 1,350-minute plan will cost $110 per month. Family plans are available, and business data plans will cost $45 a month (versus $30 per month for standard data in the bundled plans). Text messages are extra, too. Individuals pay $5 for 200 texts per month, $15 for 1,500 a month, or $20 for unlimited texting. For family plans, you'll pay $30 a month for unlimited messaging.
AT&T also has a checklist of required documentation, fees, and rate plans. Download the PDF here.
Guess that $199 price Steve Jobs announced for the iPhone 3G should have come with a massive asterisk, huh?
Source: http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/patterson/23890
Friday, June 27, 2008
No extension: Windows XP D-Day arrives Monday, June 30
After delays, delays, and rumors of more delays, the era of Windows XP has finally reached its final hours. Microsoft has made it official: Monday, June 30 will be the last day Microsoft sells XP to the masses. In fact, some companies have already stopped offering XP as an option on new machines as they prep for the switchover.
Earlier rumors that Microsoft might extend the sales date have proven untrue, as Microsoft has reiterated that, indeed, June 30 will be the final sales date cut-off for the product. That's it. It's a Vista world now.
Loopholes will remain for some PC makers for some months to come, namely those who are building ultra-low-cost computers that aren't powerful enough for Vista. (Though some machines in this class, like HP's Mini-Note, actually come with Vista anyway.) For at least the rest of the year, downgrades remain an option for many PC purchasers too, though you'll have to jump through some hoops, and possibly pay extra, in order to get XP.
As I've written several times (and reassured many of you in email responses), XP fans needn't panic about the loss of XP. Even if you don't have a copy on hand, the product will be available through many channels for years to come (and likely forever), through both retail outlets and the aftermarket. As I type this, nearly 1,000 copies of XP are on sale on eBay, where they usually sell for less than $100.
In other news, Microsoft has recently pledged to keep supporting XP, including the release of security updates, all the way through 2014. So XP users needn't fret that you'll suddenly be victimized by hackers due to unpatched security flaws. Updates should work exactly as you're used to them currently through the Windows Update system.
Source: http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/96295
Earlier rumors that Microsoft might extend the sales date have proven untrue, as Microsoft has reiterated that, indeed, June 30 will be the final sales date cut-off for the product. That's it. It's a Vista world now.
Loopholes will remain for some PC makers for some months to come, namely those who are building ultra-low-cost computers that aren't powerful enough for Vista. (Though some machines in this class, like HP's Mini-Note, actually come with Vista anyway.) For at least the rest of the year, downgrades remain an option for many PC purchasers too, though you'll have to jump through some hoops, and possibly pay extra, in order to get XP.
As I've written several times (and reassured many of you in email responses), XP fans needn't panic about the loss of XP. Even if you don't have a copy on hand, the product will be available through many channels for years to come (and likely forever), through both retail outlets and the aftermarket. As I type this, nearly 1,000 copies of XP are on sale on eBay, where they usually sell for less than $100.
In other news, Microsoft has recently pledged to keep supporting XP, including the release of security updates, all the way through 2014. So XP users needn't fret that you'll suddenly be victimized by hackers due to unpatched security flaws. Updates should work exactly as you're used to them currently through the Windows Update system.
Source: http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/96295
Thursday, June 26, 2008
3 Ada County residents charged with sexually exploiting teen girl, advertising her on Craigslist
Three Treasure Valley residents accused of taking sexually exploitative pictures of a 15-year-old girl and then using popular Web site Craigslist to advertise her for prostitution are all being held in jail Thursday morning.
Douglas A. Winberry, 50, of Meridian; Colby R. Watson, 36; and Lindsey J. McKeehan, 23, of Boise, are all charged with lewd conduct with a minor under the age of 16, sexual exploitation of a child, possession of sexually exploitative material, and inducing a person under the age of 18 into prostitution.
Watson and McKeehan are in the Ada County Jail. Winberry is being held in the Benton County Jail, near Prosser, Wash., where Meridian police say he fled to to avoid arrest after he discovered detectives were searching his home in the 2000 block of Cool Creek Avenue earlier this week.
Watson and McKeehan were arrested Wednesday at the Ada County Courthouse.
Colby R. Watson
Lindsey Jo McKeehan
Meridian police began investigating the case June 19 after getting a tip that Winberry had pictures of a girl, under the age of 16, in various sexual poses on a CD at his Cool Creek Avenue home. Police searched Winberry’s home and found evidence that he was engaging in sexual acts with the girl and that he advertised her for prostitution on Craigslist.
Detectives also found evidence that the girl previously had been used in the same way by McKeehan and Watson — that the couple had taken pictures and video of the girl engaged in sexual acts with both of them and advertised her for prostitution on Craigslist, a free classified advertising Web site.
When detectives searched their home in the 11000 block of West Raul Street, near Columbia and Cloverdale roads in south Boise, they found more evidence. An arrest warrant was issued Tuesday for Winberry, and officers arrested McKeehand and Watson as they developed probable cause in the case, police officials said.
Meridian Police Lt. Bob Stowe said detectives found evidence that McKeehan, Watson and Winberry all knew each other but did not disclose the nature of the relationship or whether they met through Craigslist.
Stowe also said detectives were still investigating how the adults knew the girl. There is no allegation that the girl was forced to have sexual contact with the three adults.
While there was definite evidence of advertising for prostitution in the case, Stowe said detectives were still working on whether any prostitution took place or where it may have happened. Stowe said there is evidence that at least some the exploitative images and videos found were recorded at the two homes.
Winberry was arrested in the Prosser area Tuesday night on the Meridian arrest warrant. Stowe said detectives figured out that was where he likely went and contacted Prosser police Tuesday once the warrant was issued. Winberry was arrested without incident and is being held in the Benton County Jail on a $1 million warrant.
McKeehan and Watson are being held in the Ada County Jail, each on a $750,000 bond, and will make their initial court appearance later Thursday.
The maximum possible penalty for lewd conduct with a minor under the age of 16 is life in prison.
Source: http://www.idahostatesman.com/235/story/425859.html
Douglas A. Winberry, 50, of Meridian; Colby R. Watson, 36; and Lindsey J. McKeehan, 23, of Boise, are all charged with lewd conduct with a minor under the age of 16, sexual exploitation of a child, possession of sexually exploitative material, and inducing a person under the age of 18 into prostitution.
Watson and McKeehan are in the Ada County Jail. Winberry is being held in the Benton County Jail, near Prosser, Wash., where Meridian police say he fled to to avoid arrest after he discovered detectives were searching his home in the 2000 block of Cool Creek Avenue earlier this week.
Watson and McKeehan were arrested Wednesday at the Ada County Courthouse.
Meridian police began investigating the case June 19 after getting a tip that Winberry had pictures of a girl, under the age of 16, in various sexual poses on a CD at his Cool Creek Avenue home. Police searched Winberry’s home and found evidence that he was engaging in sexual acts with the girl and that he advertised her for prostitution on Craigslist.
Detectives also found evidence that the girl previously had been used in the same way by McKeehan and Watson — that the couple had taken pictures and video of the girl engaged in sexual acts with both of them and advertised her for prostitution on Craigslist, a free classified advertising Web site.
When detectives searched their home in the 11000 block of West Raul Street, near Columbia and Cloverdale roads in south Boise, they found more evidence. An arrest warrant was issued Tuesday for Winberry, and officers arrested McKeehand and Watson as they developed probable cause in the case, police officials said.
Meridian Police Lt. Bob Stowe said detectives found evidence that McKeehan, Watson and Winberry all knew each other but did not disclose the nature of the relationship or whether they met through Craigslist.
Stowe also said detectives were still investigating how the adults knew the girl. There is no allegation that the girl was forced to have sexual contact with the three adults.
While there was definite evidence of advertising for prostitution in the case, Stowe said detectives were still working on whether any prostitution took place or where it may have happened. Stowe said there is evidence that at least some the exploitative images and videos found were recorded at the two homes.
Winberry was arrested in the Prosser area Tuesday night on the Meridian arrest warrant. Stowe said detectives figured out that was where he likely went and contacted Prosser police Tuesday once the warrant was issued. Winberry was arrested without incident and is being held in the Benton County Jail on a $1 million warrant.
McKeehan and Watson are being held in the Ada County Jail, each on a $750,000 bond, and will make their initial court appearance later Thursday.
The maximum possible penalty for lewd conduct with a minor under the age of 16 is life in prison.
Source: http://www.idahostatesman.com/235/story/425859.html
World of web names now wide open
Internet regulators voted to loosen restrictions on internet names, a move that could allow thousands of variations of suffixes beyond the basic .com or .ca.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) overwhelmingly approved the new guidelines on Thursday in Paris after weeklong meetings.
The guidelines represent one of the biggest changes to the internet in its 25-year history.
New names won't begin appearing for several months and ICANN won't be deciding on specific ones. The organization must decide how much the new domain names will cost. The names are expected to cost over $100,000 apiece to help ICANN cover up to $20 million in costs.
The new guidelines could allow for domain names that have been requested, and denied by ICANN, for years, such as .xxx for adult websites and .post for postal service websites.
Companies with well-known names like eBay, Apple or Google could also end up requesting domain names if the new rules are approved, snatching up names like .ebay, .mac and .goog.
"What this really looks at is opening up that domain-name real estate so that people can have choice. They could place [their address] in dot com, or they could make choices based on what's on the market," ICANN vice-president Paul Levins told CBC News.
Previous rules stringent
Currently, top-level domain names are limited to a few suffixes, such as .com (commerce), .org (organization) or country names, like .ca (Canada), .fr (France) or .uk (United Kingdom).
Organizations have fought hard to get around the restrictions. Television companies, for example, have been paying the Polynesian island nation of Tuvalu to use its rights to the .tv address.
Under the new rules, ICANN would allow any string of letters to be used in a domain name. The group is still considering a proposal that would permit addresses entirely in non-English languages for the first time.
There would be an arbitration process for people with objections to proposed names.
Arbitrators could also crack down on "cyber-squatters" — people who buy up domain names associated with well-known company brands so they can sell them back to the companies at high prices.
Source: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/06/26/internet-domain.html
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) overwhelmingly approved the new guidelines on Thursday in Paris after weeklong meetings.
The guidelines represent one of the biggest changes to the internet in its 25-year history.
New names won't begin appearing for several months and ICANN won't be deciding on specific ones. The organization must decide how much the new domain names will cost. The names are expected to cost over $100,000 apiece to help ICANN cover up to $20 million in costs.
The new guidelines could allow for domain names that have been requested, and denied by ICANN, for years, such as .xxx for adult websites and .post for postal service websites.
Companies with well-known names like eBay, Apple or Google could also end up requesting domain names if the new rules are approved, snatching up names like .ebay, .mac and .goog.
"What this really looks at is opening up that domain-name real estate so that people can have choice. They could place [their address] in dot com, or they could make choices based on what's on the market," ICANN vice-president Paul Levins told CBC News.
Previous rules stringent
Currently, top-level domain names are limited to a few suffixes, such as .com (commerce), .org (organization) or country names, like .ca (Canada), .fr (France) or .uk (United Kingdom).
Organizations have fought hard to get around the restrictions. Television companies, for example, have been paying the Polynesian island nation of Tuvalu to use its rights to the .tv address.
Under the new rules, ICANN would allow any string of letters to be used in a domain name. The group is still considering a proposal that would permit addresses entirely in non-English languages for the first time.
There would be an arbitration process for people with objections to proposed names.
Arbitrators could also crack down on "cyber-squatters" — people who buy up domain names associated with well-known company brands so they can sell them back to the companies at high prices.
Source: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/06/26/internet-domain.html
Airlines pay $504M to settle price-fixing scam
Justice Department calls fine against Air France-KLM one of the largest in history
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Four international airlines have agreed to pay $504 million in fines to settle charges they conspired to fleece consumers by driving up cargo shipping prices.
The Justice Department called the case one of the largest antitrust settlements in U.S. history.
Associate Attorney General Kevin O'Connor called the scam an "international price-fixing cartel" that cost consumers hundreds of millions of dollars between 2001 and 2006. In some instances, for example, fuel surcharges rose by 1,000 percent.
One of the four airlines -- Air France-KLM -- has agreed to pay $350 million of the total settlement. The other carriers are Cathay Pacific Airways, Martinair Holland and SAS Cargo Group
"American consumers and taxpayers pour billions of dollars each year into the pockets of these lawbreakers," said FBI Assistant Director Joe Persichini. "Let there be no mistake that people in corporations that take consumers and taxpayers in this way are thieves."
Authorities said executives from each of the airlines met repeatedly in the United States, Europe and Asia to cook up a price-fixing scheme that raised cargo rates, fuel surcharges and security costs for businesses and, ultimately, consumers. The cartel focused on goods shipped to and from the United States, including electronics, clothing, produce and medicines, O'Connor said.
The settlement agreement, filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Washington, still requires a judge's approval.
Thursday's announcement marked the latest in a series of cargo shipping settlements over the last two years. Earlier, British Airways, Korean Air, Qantas and Japan Airlines filed similar agreements as part of the investigation.
In all, airlines have agreed to pay $1.2 billion in fines -- what O'Connor called "the highest total amount of fines ever imposed in a criminal antitrust investigation."
The investigation is continuing.
Source: http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080626/airline_price_fixing.html
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Four international airlines have agreed to pay $504 million in fines to settle charges they conspired to fleece consumers by driving up cargo shipping prices.
The Justice Department called the case one of the largest antitrust settlements in U.S. history.
Associate Attorney General Kevin O'Connor called the scam an "international price-fixing cartel" that cost consumers hundreds of millions of dollars between 2001 and 2006. In some instances, for example, fuel surcharges rose by 1,000 percent.
One of the four airlines -- Air France-KLM -- has agreed to pay $350 million of the total settlement. The other carriers are Cathay Pacific Airways, Martinair Holland and SAS Cargo Group
"American consumers and taxpayers pour billions of dollars each year into the pockets of these lawbreakers," said FBI Assistant Director Joe Persichini. "Let there be no mistake that people in corporations that take consumers and taxpayers in this way are thieves."
Authorities said executives from each of the airlines met repeatedly in the United States, Europe and Asia to cook up a price-fixing scheme that raised cargo rates, fuel surcharges and security costs for businesses and, ultimately, consumers. The cartel focused on goods shipped to and from the United States, including electronics, clothing, produce and medicines, O'Connor said.
The settlement agreement, filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Washington, still requires a judge's approval.
Thursday's announcement marked the latest in a series of cargo shipping settlements over the last two years. Earlier, British Airways, Korean Air, Qantas and Japan Airlines filed similar agreements as part of the investigation.
In all, airlines have agreed to pay $1.2 billion in fines -- what O'Connor called "the highest total amount of fines ever imposed in a criminal antitrust investigation."
The investigation is continuing.
Source: http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080626/airline_price_fixing.html
Thursday, June 12, 2008
How the half-price iPhone 3G actually costs you more
Not mentioned in today's you-can't-get-away-from-it iPhone 3G announcement: AT&T's service plan jumps $10 a month. What's this? Did Apple finally figure out what the rest of the retail world did: That when you give away the razor you can charge through the nose for the blades?
Let's look at the math.
Old iPhone: $399 (for 8GB of storage), plus $60 per month for 450 voice minutes and unlimited data. Two-year total (since you'll be signing a two-year deal for either handset): $1,839.
New iPhone: $199 (for 8GB of storage), plus $70 per month for a basic voice plan (presumably the same 450 minutes) and unlimited data. Two-year total: $1,879.
That's $40 more over the course of your contract, which is really not that bad in the grand scheme of things. Had AT&T and Apple raised monthly fees just another $5 per month, the total cost of service would have hit almost $2,000 over two years (not including taxes and fees).
"Business users" get the shaft, big-time, with a minimum of $85 a month for service. That's $15 a month extra just so you can get email via Exchange. Boo. Other annoyances: iPhone 3G will have to be activated in stores instead of at home, like before, and the phone won't be available to purchase online at launch.
Still, like I say, this isn't too bad. Putting aside the business user issue, $40 extra over two years doesn't sound like much, considering all the extra features and services the new iPhone packs in.
In fact, on paper the iPhone 3G has addressed almost all of my complaints regarding the original model from a year ago. But then again, don't forget those accessories (a charging base, for example, is no longer included).
UPDATE: For those who've written regarding the time value of money, I did the math based on the present value of the iPhone to Apple at a 3% annual interest rate. The numbers: Original iPhone nets Apple/AT&T (and costs you) $1,795; new iPhone gets them $1,828. So the new phone still costs you $33 in the end if you invest that $200 you would have otherwise spent on the hardware.
UPDATE 2: Several readers write to mention that text messages are no longer included in the iPhone package, so add another $5 a month for 200 SMS messages. Upgrade to the 16GB iPhone and you're hitting $2,100!
Source: http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/94465
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Denver First Category X Airport to Have AT X-Ray at All Checkpoints
On May 15, Denver International became the nation's first Category X airport to achieve 100 percent Advanced Technology X-Ray screening in all lanes at all three passenger checkpoints.
"I'm very proud of our staff here, who worked day and night to get the new AT X-Ray up and running before the May 26 deadline," FSD David Bassett said of the 28 X-ray machines installed as part of TSA's Checkpoint Evolution initiative.
"We anticipate this new equipment will significantly reduce the number of bag searches, which will increase our efficiency here at Denver," said Project Manager Phil Mentesana, who oversaw installation of the new equipment.
Denver was also the first airport in the nation to achieve 100 percent electronic screening of checked bags with an in-line system.
Source: http://www.tsa.gov/press/happenings/den_category_x_airport.shtm
"I'm very proud of our staff here, who worked day and night to get the new AT X-Ray up and running before the May 26 deadline," FSD David Bassett said of the 28 X-ray machines installed as part of TSA's Checkpoint Evolution initiative.
"We anticipate this new equipment will significantly reduce the number of bag searches, which will increase our efficiency here at Denver," said Project Manager Phil Mentesana, who oversaw installation of the new equipment.
Denver was also the first airport in the nation to achieve 100 percent electronic screening of checked bags with an in-line system.
Source: http://www.tsa.gov/press/happenings/den_category_x_airport.shtm
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Report: Death toll in China quake exceeds 12,000
DUJIANGYAN, China - The toll of the dead and missing soared as rescue workers dug through flattened schools and homes on Tuesday in a desperate attempt to find survivors of China's worst earthquake in three decades.
The official Xinhua News Agency said the death toll exceeded 12,000 in Sichuan province alone, and 18,645 were still buried in debris in the city of Mianyang, near the epicenter of Monday's massive, 7.9-magnitude quake.
The Sichuan Daily newspaper reported on its Web site that more than 26,000 people were injured in Mianyang.
The numbers of casualties was expected to rise due to the remoteness of the areas affected by the quake and difficulty in finding buried victims.
There was little prospect that many survivors would be found under the rubble. Only 58 people were extricated from demolished buildings across the quake area so far, China Seismological Bureau spokesman Zhang Hongwei told Xinhua. In one county, 80 percent of the buildings were destroyed.
Rain was impeding efforts and a group of paratroopers called off a rescue mission to the epicenter due to heavy storms, Xinhua reported.
More than two dozen British and American tourists who were thought to be panda-watching in the area also remained missing.
Officials urged the public not to abandon hope.
"Survivors can hold on for some time. Now it's not time to give up," Wang Zhenyao, disaster relief division director at the Ministry of Civil Affairs, told reporters in Beijing.
Premier Wen Jiabao, who rushed to the area to oversee rescue efforts, said a push was on to clear roads and restore electricity as soon as possible. His visit to the disaster scene was prominently featured on state TV, a gesture meant to reassure people that the ruling party was doing all it could.
"We will save the people," Wen said through a bullhorn to survivors as he toured the disaster scene, in footage shown on CCTV. "As long as the people are there, factories can be built into even better ones, and so can the towns and counties."
State media said rescue workers had reached the epicenter in Wenchuan county — where the number of casualties was still unknown. The quake was centered just north of the Sichuan provincial capital of Chengdu in central China, tearing into urban areas and mountain villages.
Earthquake rescue experts in orange jumpsuits extricated bloody survivors on stretchers from demolished buildings.
Some 20,000 soldiers and police arrived in the disaster area with 30,000 more on the way by plane, train, trucks and even on foot, the Defense Ministry told Xinhua.
Aftershocks rattled the region for a second day, sending people running into the streets in Chengdu. The U.S. Geological Survey measured the shocks between magnitude 4 and 6, some of the strongest since Monday's quake.
Zhou Chun, a 70-year-old retired mechanic, was leaving Dujiangyan with a soiled light blue blanket draped over his shoulders.
"My wife died in the quake. My house was destroyed," he said. "I am going to Chengdu, but I don't know where I'll live."
Zhou and other survivors were pulling luggage and clutching plastic bags of food amid a steady drizzle and the constant wall of ambulances.
Just east of the epicenter, 1,000 students and teachers were killed or missing at a collapsed high school in Beichuan county — a six-story building reduced to a pile of rubble about two yards high, according to Xinhua. Xinhua said 80 percent of the buildings had collapsed in Beichuan alone.
At another leveled school in Dujiangyan, 900 students were feared dead. As bodies of teenagers were carried out on doors used as makeshift stretchers, relatives lit incense and candles and also set off fireworks to ward away evil spirits.
Elsewhere in Gansu province, a 40-car freight train derailed in the quake that included 13 gasoline tankers was still burning Tuesday, Xinhua said.
Gasoline lines grew in Chengdu and grocery stores shelves were almost empty. The Ministry of Health issued an appeal for blood donations to help the quake victims.
Fifteen missing British tourists were believed to have been in the area at the time of the quake and were "out of reach," Xinhua reported.
They were likely visiting the Wolong Nature Reserve, home to more than 100 giant pandas, whose fate also was not known, Xinhua said, adding that 60 pandas at another breeding center in Chengdu were safe.
Another group of 12 Americans also on panda-watching tour sponsored by the U.S. office of the World Wildlife Fund remained out of contact Tuesday, said Tan Rui, WWF communications officer in China.
Two Chinese-Americans and a Thai tourist also were missing in Sichuan province, the agency said, citing tourism officials.
Expressions of sympathy and offers of help poured in from the United States, Japan and the European Union, among others.
The Dalai Lama, who has been vilified by Chinese authorities who blame him for recent unrest in Tibet, offered prayers for the victims. The epicenter is just south of some Tibetan mountain areas that saw anti-government protests earlier this year.
Beijing Games organizers said the Olympic torch relay will continue as planned through the quake-affected area next month.
The Chinese government said it would welcome outside aid, and Russia was sending a plane with rescuers and supplies, the country's Interfax news agency reported.
But Wang, the disaster relief official, said international aid workers would not be allowed to travel to the affected area.
"We welcome funds and supplies; we can't accommodate personnel at this point," he said.
China's Ministry of Finance said it had allocated $123 million in aid for quake-hit areas.
The quake was China's deadliest since 1976, when 240,000 people were killed in the city of Tangshan, near Beijing in 1976. Financial analysts said the quake would have only a limited impact on the country's booming economy.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080513/ap_on_re_as/china_earthquake
Friday, May 9, 2008
HIV-Positive Man Used Craigslist To Find Rape Victims
DECATUR, Ga. -- DeKalb County police say a man accused of sexually assaulting two women by using the popular Web site Craigslist to lure them to a vacant apartment is HIV-positive.
Eighteen-year-old Allen Jamar McDowell is accused in two separate assaults at an apartment near his home in March and April.
Police spokeswoman Mekka Parish said Tuesday one woman was raped and the other robbed and sexually assaulted at the vacant apartment at 3527 Kensington Road.
Investigators think there are other victims and are urging them to call the the DeKalb County Special Victims Unit at (770) 724-7710.
McDowell was arrested April 19. He also is charged under a reckless conduct law which applies to people who know they have the virus which causes AIDS.
Parish says she does not know the extent of the victims' risk of infection. ,
McDowell remains in custody. It's not clear whether he has an attorney.
Source: http://www.wsbtv.com/news/16184165/detail.html
Eighteen-year-old Allen Jamar McDowell is accused in two separate assaults at an apartment near his home in March and April.
Police spokeswoman Mekka Parish said Tuesday one woman was raped and the other robbed and sexually assaulted at the vacant apartment at 3527 Kensington Road.
Investigators think there are other victims and are urging them to call the the DeKalb County Special Victims Unit at (770) 724-7710.
McDowell was arrested April 19. He also is charged under a reckless conduct law which applies to people who know they have the virus which causes AIDS.
Parish says she does not know the extent of the victims' risk of infection. ,
McDowell remains in custody. It's not clear whether he has an attorney.
Source: http://www.wsbtv.com/news/16184165/detail.html
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Surprise of Tanzania's albino MP
Tanzania's first albino MP has told the BBC of her surprise at being nominated by the president - and her determination to fight the discrimination that she and other people with albinism suffer.
Twenty people with albinism have been murdered in the past year in Tanzania, where there is a widespread belief that the condition is the result of a curse.
But a crackdown on the witchdoctors who encourage the killing of people with albinism was recently announced - and as part of this, 48-year-old Al-Shymaa Kway-Geer was appointed.
Al-Shymaa Kway-Geer (right) is a former airline clerk
"It was something very great for me - I didn't expect it," Ms Kway-Geer told BBC World Service's Outlook programme.
"I think the president chose me because he believed in me - I'm a very hard-working woman.
"The president chose me at this time, when albinos are being killed and abused."
The BBC's Vicky Ntetema in Dar-es-Salaam said that people were "amazed" when the president made the surprise announcement of Ms Kway-Geer's appointment.
'Zeru'
Instead of having dark skin and black hair, people with albinism are blond with pale skin, because their skin lacks pigment.
As well as the belief that albinism is a curse, witchdoctors in the country use body parts from albinos in magic potions they claim will bring people good luck or fortune.
Ms Kway-Geer was herself victimized when young.
"When I was at primary school, people used to laugh at me, tease me - some didn't even like to touch me, saying that if they touched me they would get this colour," she said.
"People used to abuse me on the road when I took the buses to school. They would run after me - crowds of kids following me - shouting 'zeru, zeru'."
"Zeru" is a Swahili word for albino. Tanzania's albino society says that traditionally, this is a word for ghost-like creatures and is derogatory.
Since the beginning to 2000, the word has been banned.
Ms Kway-Geer says she hopes to educate people about albinism to end the discrimination, and called for a census of albino people.
"First we must find out how many albinos there are all over Tanzania, so that they get education and health," she said.
Albinos are at particular risk from skin cancer and often suffer from poor eyesight.
"Many albinos are poor, and therefore they need help from the government," said the new MP.
Arrests
Our correspondent says that in some parts of the country, people think albinos bring bad luck to the whole community.
While there have not yet been any prosecutions regarding the recent spate of murders, 172 were last month arrested in connection to the cases - 71 of whom said they had been told by witchdoctors to bring them albino body parts.
They remain in custody.
"We are still waiting to find out how far these arrests will go, and how many people will be brought to book," our correspondent says.
She adds that the police don't want to talk about the case for fear of jeopardising their enquiries.
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7348528.stm
Twenty people with albinism have been murdered in the past year in Tanzania, where there is a widespread belief that the condition is the result of a curse.
But a crackdown on the witchdoctors who encourage the killing of people with albinism was recently announced - and as part of this, 48-year-old Al-Shymaa Kway-Geer was appointed.
"It was something very great for me - I didn't expect it," Ms Kway-Geer told BBC World Service's Outlook programme.
"I think the president chose me because he believed in me - I'm a very hard-working woman.
"The president chose me at this time, when albinos are being killed and abused."
The BBC's Vicky Ntetema in Dar-es-Salaam said that people were "amazed" when the president made the surprise announcement of Ms Kway-Geer's appointment.
'Zeru'
Instead of having dark skin and black hair, people with albinism are blond with pale skin, because their skin lacks pigment.
As well as the belief that albinism is a curse, witchdoctors in the country use body parts from albinos in magic potions they claim will bring people good luck or fortune.
Ms Kway-Geer was herself victimized when young.
"When I was at primary school, people used to laugh at me, tease me - some didn't even like to touch me, saying that if they touched me they would get this colour," she said.
"People used to abuse me on the road when I took the buses to school. They would run after me - crowds of kids following me - shouting 'zeru, zeru'."
"Zeru" is a Swahili word for albino. Tanzania's albino society says that traditionally, this is a word for ghost-like creatures and is derogatory.
Since the beginning to 2000, the word has been banned.
Ms Kway-Geer says she hopes to educate people about albinism to end the discrimination, and called for a census of albino people.
"First we must find out how many albinos there are all over Tanzania, so that they get education and health," she said.
Albinos are at particular risk from skin cancer and often suffer from poor eyesight.
"Many albinos are poor, and therefore they need help from the government," said the new MP.
Arrests
Our correspondent says that in some parts of the country, people think albinos bring bad luck to the whole community.
While there have not yet been any prosecutions regarding the recent spate of murders, 172 were last month arrested in connection to the cases - 71 of whom said they had been told by witchdoctors to bring them albino body parts.
They remain in custody.
"We are still waiting to find out how far these arrests will go, and how many people will be brought to book," our correspondent says.
She adds that the police don't want to talk about the case for fear of jeopardising their enquiries.
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7348528.stm
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