Google has developed a security feature for Chrome that lets the browser detect and stop malware downloads.
Browser hijacking and other browser-based malware infections are on the rise and Google needs to protect Chrome users with native security features, the company said. It is testing the feature in a pre-release version of the browser.
[ Find out how to block the viruses, worms, and other malware that threaten your business, with hands-on advice from expert contributors in InfoWorld's "Malware Deep Dive" PDF guide. | Keep up with key security issues with InfoWorld's Security Adviser blog and Security Central newsletter. ]
"Online criminals have been increasing their use of malicious software that can silently hijack your browser settings. This has become a top issue in the Chrome help forums; we're listening and are here to help," wrote Linus Upson, a Google vice president, in a blog post.
The security feature will trigger an alert, displayed in the download tray at the bottom of the screen, saying that Chrome blocked a malware file from being downloaded. Malicious hackers typically disguise these files as harmless applications, like screensavers and even security updates, to trick users into downloading them.
When installed, this type of malware software wrests control of the browser from users, changing settings, such as the default home page, and displaying unwanted ads.
Google has added the capability to Chrome Canary, a very early pre-release version of the browser that is intended for developers and tech-savvy end users because it "can sometimes break down completely."
Google didn't immediately respond to a request for more details about the way this feature works. Since antivirus products often step over each other when run simultaneously on the same computer, it remains to be seen if this new Chrome functionality will trigger conflicts for people who use other security software.
Chrome already lets users reset their browser settings and alerts them when they're about to visit a site that the company has identified as dangerous.
Juan Carlos Perez covers enterprise communication/collaboration suites, operating systems, browsers and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Follow Juan on Twitter at @JuanCPerezIDG.
Audio for this story from Science Friday will be available at approximately 3:00 p.m. ET.
In Einstein and the Quantum: The Quest of the Valiant Swabian, theoretical physicist A. Douglas Stone writes that whereas Einstein is best known for his theory of relativity, his truly revolutionary idea was the development of quantum theory — an idea that escaped many of the age's most brilliant minds.
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A California driver who received a ticket for wearing a Google Glass headset this week says the existing laws are unclear.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images
A California driver who received a ticket for wearing a Google Glass headset this week says the existing laws are unclear.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images
The Google Glass is a hands-free device, but that didn't stop a California driver from getting a ticket for wearing the headset during a traffic stop this week. Cecilia Abadie, who's in Google's Explorer program of people testing Glass before its official launch, got a ticket for speeding — and for wearing a device that could block her view of the road.
"The device was on, but the screen was off and I wasn't actually using it," Abadie tells San Diego's CBS News 8 TV Thursday. Abadie says she doesn't want to be a firebrand; instead, she says, the device is in a legal gray area right now — one that needs to be resolved.
"It's not like I am rebelling and saying I don't deserve this ticket. It's not about that. It's about, the laws need to be clear. And I am very confused right now," she tells CBS News 8.
Abadie says she had no idea the device might be illegal under California's laws. And she says the officer "was very annoyed." Abadie said. "And he kept asking me, 'Why, why would you wear a device like that while you're driving?' "
"I said, 'But it's not illegal, right?' " she recalls. "And then he said, 'It actually is illegal.' I was very shocked. I didn't expect that answer. I had never heard of that before."
Her story quickly captured attention online, after Abadie posted a late-night photo of her ticket with the message, "A cop just stopped me and gave me a ticket for wearing Google Glass while driving!"
In addition to writing Abadie up for allegedly driving 80 mph in a 65 mph zone on Interstate 15, the officer said she had broken the law by "Driving with monitor visible to Driver (Google Glass)."
In its help center for the new product, Google says that whether a driver or cyclist can use Google Glass "depends on where you are and how you use it." The company urges its users to learn about and follow local laws, noting "most states have passed laws limiting the use of mobile devices while driving any motor vehicle."
A Google Glass representative released a statement saying its users should put safety first. "More broadly, Glass is built to connect you more with the world around you, not distract you from it," the company says.
The California Highway Patrol says Abadie violated California Vehicle Code 27602, which states, "A person shall not drive a motor vehicle if a television receiver, a video monitor, or a television or video screen ... is operating and is located in the motor vehicle at a point forward of the back of the driver's seat, or is operating and the monitor, screen, or display is visible to the driver while driving the motor vehicle."
That law doesn't apply to video displays meant to show maps, GPS data, or views from backup cameras or other sensors to help drivers be aware of their surroundings.
Another law that could be brought to bear is Code 27400, which bans the "wearing of headsets or earplugs," especially those that cover both ears. Google Glass uses a speaker rather than an earplug, but a single earplug is expected to be included in a coming update. It remains to be seen how a judge might interpret that law when it comes to a headset that can also deliver video.
The Google headsets may face their strongest test in states such as Rhode Island, which has a general ban on wearing earphones or headsets, according to the American Automobile Association's list of state laws on headsets.
In California, Abadie's citation sets a possible court date of late December. As The Los Angeles Times reports, she pins her chances of winning a challenge to the ticket on whether or not the judge is a techie.
Two years ago, NASA engineer Mark Rober blew YouTube's mind with a video of his Halloween costume: a hole in his chest. Or at least it looked like a hole in his chest. In fact, it was an optical illusion made possible by two iPads, a little duct tape and a lot of ingenuity. Well, you won't believe what he's been up to since then.
Contact: Press Office pressoffice@epsrc.ac.uk 01-793-444-404 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Chickens could be the unexpected beneficiaries of the growing biofuels industry, feeding on proteins retrieved from the fermenters used to brew bioethanol, thanks to research supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
It has long been known that the yeasty broth left over after bioethanol production is nutritious, but it has taken a collaboration between Nottingham Trent University and AB Agri, the agricultural division of Associated British Foods, to prove that Yeast Protein Concentrate (YPC) can be separated from the fibrous cereal matter.
The researchers have also shown that YPC may be a cost-competitive substitute for imported soya-based and similar high-value protein feeds currently used in the diets of chickens bred for meat production.
The project was born out of the vision of biofuels pioneer Dr Pete Williams of AB Agri, who was convinced valuable material was being overlooked when cereals were fermented to make bioethanol.
With Dr Emily Burton of Nottingham Trent University, he was able to secure funding from the EPSRC for a CASE* studentship that allowed them to develop and analyse the process.
To establish the nutritional value of the concentrate, EPSRC CASE student Dawn Scholey examined the composition of the newly isolated, patented YPC in a series of experiments, which showed that it can be readily digested by chickens. A paper outlining this research is published in this month's issue of the journal 'Food and Energy Security'**.
Project supervisor, Dr Burton says the work is only just beginning: "Bioethanol is already a 60-billion-litre per year global market but this project shows the fuel itself is only half the story immense value lies within other co-product streams too. As well as the proteins, the yeast content provides important vitamins and other micronutrients."
Produced by distilling and fermenting wheat and other agricultural feedstocks, bioethanol has particular potential for use as a petrol substitute. Currently, the dried distiller's grains with solubles (DDGS) generated as a co-product are sold to the cattle-feed market but this is not big enough to absorb all material that would be generated if bioethanol production ramps up significantly in future.
Dr Burton believes the project helps address an issue often raised in connection with cereal-based biofuels: "One concern with bioethanol is the perception it will compete with food crops for limited farmland. Our new work shows how the two can live side by side."
The new, patented process separates DDGS into three fractions fibre, a watery syrup and YPC, allowing global production of almost 3 million tonnes of supplementary high-quality protein per annum alongside current levels of bioethanol produced. A project at a US bioethanol facility is now up and running, demonstrating the performance of the process at factory scale.
Every year, 800 million chickens are reared for meat production in the UK and 48 billion worldwide. As well as helping to feed these birds, YPC could partially replace the fish meal used on commercial fish farms.
Dr Pete Williams of AB Agri, the industrial sponsor of the work, says: "We couldn't have got this development started without the EPSRC CASE studentship that allowed us to establish the proof of concept, and to confirm the value-creation potential of our innovative separation process. By helping us to move to the next key stage of development, it has brought closer the prospect of full-scale industrial use that could deliver major benefits to the emerging 'green' fuel sector."
###
Notes for Editors
*CASE (Cooperation Awards in Science and Engineering) funding is provided by EPSRC for PhD students working with businesses on research projects of industrial relevance.
**The 'Food & Energy Security' paper can be viewed at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/fes3.30/abstract
The UK Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation stipulates that renewable fuels must account for an increasing proportion of fuel supplied on the UK's petrol station forecourts.
For more information on AB Agri: http://www.abagri.com
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is the UK's main agency for funding research in engineering and the physical sciences. EPSRC invests around 800 million a year in research and postgraduate training, to help the nation handle the next generation of technological change. The areas covered range from information technology to structural engineering, and mathematics to materials science. This research forms the basis for future economic development in the UK and improvements for everyone's health, lifestyle and culture. EPSRC works alongside other Research Councils with responsibility for other areas of research. The Research Councils work collectively on issues of common concern via Research Councils UK. http://www.epsrc.ac.uk
For more information, contact:
Dr Emily Burton Nottingham Trent University Tel: 0115 848 5346 E-mail: emily.burton@ntu.ac.uk
Dr Pete Williams AB Agri Peterborough Tel: 01733 422744 or 07912 669200 E-mail: Peter.Williams@ABAgri.com
Images are available from the EPSRC Press Office, Tel: 01793 444404 or E-mail: pressoffice@epsrc.ac.uk
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Chickens to benefit from biofuels bonanza
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
31-Oct-2013
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Contact: Press Office pressoffice@epsrc.ac.uk 01-793-444-404 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Chickens could be the unexpected beneficiaries of the growing biofuels industry, feeding on proteins retrieved from the fermenters used to brew bioethanol, thanks to research supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
It has long been known that the yeasty broth left over after bioethanol production is nutritious, but it has taken a collaboration between Nottingham Trent University and AB Agri, the agricultural division of Associated British Foods, to prove that Yeast Protein Concentrate (YPC) can be separated from the fibrous cereal matter.
The researchers have also shown that YPC may be a cost-competitive substitute for imported soya-based and similar high-value protein feeds currently used in the diets of chickens bred for meat production.
The project was born out of the vision of biofuels pioneer Dr Pete Williams of AB Agri, who was convinced valuable material was being overlooked when cereals were fermented to make bioethanol.
With Dr Emily Burton of Nottingham Trent University, he was able to secure funding from the EPSRC for a CASE* studentship that allowed them to develop and analyse the process.
To establish the nutritional value of the concentrate, EPSRC CASE student Dawn Scholey examined the composition of the newly isolated, patented YPC in a series of experiments, which showed that it can be readily digested by chickens. A paper outlining this research is published in this month's issue of the journal 'Food and Energy Security'**.
Project supervisor, Dr Burton says the work is only just beginning: "Bioethanol is already a 60-billion-litre per year global market but this project shows the fuel itself is only half the story immense value lies within other co-product streams too. As well as the proteins, the yeast content provides important vitamins and other micronutrients."
Produced by distilling and fermenting wheat and other agricultural feedstocks, bioethanol has particular potential for use as a petrol substitute. Currently, the dried distiller's grains with solubles (DDGS) generated as a co-product are sold to the cattle-feed market but this is not big enough to absorb all material that would be generated if bioethanol production ramps up significantly in future.
Dr Burton believes the project helps address an issue often raised in connection with cereal-based biofuels: "One concern with bioethanol is the perception it will compete with food crops for limited farmland. Our new work shows how the two can live side by side."
The new, patented process separates DDGS into three fractions fibre, a watery syrup and YPC, allowing global production of almost 3 million tonnes of supplementary high-quality protein per annum alongside current levels of bioethanol produced. A project at a US bioethanol facility is now up and running, demonstrating the performance of the process at factory scale.
Every year, 800 million chickens are reared for meat production in the UK and 48 billion worldwide. As well as helping to feed these birds, YPC could partially replace the fish meal used on commercial fish farms.
Dr Pete Williams of AB Agri, the industrial sponsor of the work, says: "We couldn't have got this development started without the EPSRC CASE studentship that allowed us to establish the proof of concept, and to confirm the value-creation potential of our innovative separation process. By helping us to move to the next key stage of development, it has brought closer the prospect of full-scale industrial use that could deliver major benefits to the emerging 'green' fuel sector."
###
Notes for Editors
*CASE (Cooperation Awards in Science and Engineering) funding is provided by EPSRC for PhD students working with businesses on research projects of industrial relevance.
**The 'Food & Energy Security' paper can be viewed at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/fes3.30/abstract
The UK Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation stipulates that renewable fuels must account for an increasing proportion of fuel supplied on the UK's petrol station forecourts.
For more information on AB Agri: http://www.abagri.com
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is the UK's main agency for funding research in engineering and the physical sciences. EPSRC invests around 800 million a year in research and postgraduate training, to help the nation handle the next generation of technological change. The areas covered range from information technology to structural engineering, and mathematics to materials science. This research forms the basis for future economic development in the UK and improvements for everyone's health, lifestyle and culture. EPSRC works alongside other Research Councils with responsibility for other areas of research. The Research Councils work collectively on issues of common concern via Research Councils UK. http://www.epsrc.ac.uk
For more information, contact:
Dr Emily Burton Nottingham Trent University Tel: 0115 848 5346 E-mail: emily.burton@ntu.ac.uk
Dr Pete Williams AB Agri Peterborough Tel: 01733 422744 or 07912 669200 E-mail: Peter.Williams@ABAgri.com
Images are available from the EPSRC Press Office, Tel: 01793 444404 or E-mail: pressoffice@epsrc.ac.uk
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
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