Crave

This is me being enrolled by the Y430's Lenovo Veriface III authentication software to be a legitimate user of the computer.

(Credit: Dong Ngo/CBS Interactive)

Editor's note: CNET editor and Crave contributor Dong Ngo is spending the month of December in his homeland of Vietnam and plans to file occasional dispatches chronicling his impressions of how technology has permeated the culture there. Click here for more of Dong's stories from abroad.

HANOI, Vietnam--Regardless of what some people seem to think, we Asians do not all look the same. But according to the current face recognition algorithm used in laptops, our faces are all about as flat as a piece of paper.

That's according to BKIS, the Vietnamese Internetwork Security Center that makes the antivirus software I mentioned in a blog post Monday. At a press conference here Tuesday, the company demonstrated vulnerabilities in laptops' face recognition-based authentication mechanisms that let anyone log in to a computer easily with a "special" photo of the legit owner, even at the highest authentication level.

Using your face as the password to log in to a computer--an alternative to the fingerprint method or the traditional username and password--marks a new trend found in laptops from Lenovo, Asus, and Toshiba. As far as I know, only these three vendors currently offer this technology in their laptops. These computers come with a built-in Webcam that's used to capture and analyze faces.

I've been impressed by this new way to log in and have found it to be so much more convenient than the fingerprint reader of my Dell XPS 1330. The finger scanner is a pain when my finger is wet or dirty. Unfortunately, on Tuesday I discovered that this new and exciting technology may not be such an effective security measure.

I participated in a demonstration on a Lenovo Y430, running Windows Vista, and here's how it panned out:

Sony issued firmware upgrade 2.53 for the PlayStation 3 Tuesday, enabling full-screen flash video playback.

Full-screen flash video for the browser might seem like a minor upgrade, but it's been a highly desired feature for those who use their PS3s for online video services like Hulu and YouTube. We also noticed that the new flash upgrade enabled us to select the "480p" option in Hulu, which provides a significantly better image quality, especially on a big-screen HDTV.

The full-screen and 480p options are nice, but we couldn't help but notice that simply watching full-screen Hulu on our laptop looked better. While the resolution looked pretty close between the two screens, motion on the PS3 looked significantly worse, with dropped frames. For comparison, motion was completely fluid and natural on our laptop in full-screen mode--and that was with a wireless connection (the PS3 was wired).

Once we took Hulu out of full-screen mode on the PS3, motion was handled about as well as on the laptop and we were able to manually zoom the screen to get full-screen playback without the motion issues. We're not sure what's holding back flawless full-screen flash video playback in the browser, but given the PS3's powerful processor, we expect more.

The Acoustic Research HDP100 transmits HDMI signals over your home's AC power lines.

(Credit: CNET)

"Wireless HDMI" isn't here quite yet--aside from Belkin's $1500 yet-to-ship FlyWire and Sony's $800 proprietary wireless link module--but Acoustic Research's HDP100 promises the next best thing.

The $300 system, which consists of a pair of identical-looking boxes, one transmitter and one receiver, takes an HDMI signal from a source component, runs it through your home's AC wiring, and spits it out on the other side for your HDTV to display. AR says the system isn't designed to work from room-to-room, like Ethernet-over-powerline adapters, but in our tests we were able to get it to work between rooms.

Unfortunately, our tests also revealed that some video quality was lost in the translation. The signal on the other side was slightly degraded over what we expect from a true HDMI cable (i.e. perfection), showing lower resolution and some subtle choppiness, as if it was dropping frames.

On the other hand, some casual viewers might not notice the difference, especially on smaller screens. And if you're faced with the choice between degraded video and a fat installation bill to string a long HDMI cable run through your walls, you might want to audition the HDP100. Just make sure to get a solid return policy, since performance can vary depending on the state of your household wiring.

The player and page for Arrested Development on Sling.com.

(Credit: CNET)

Last week, we reported that Sling.com, the streaming site of Slingbox maker Sling Media, was moving from the private beta phase and launching to the public. Well, that move is now official, as Sling has sent the site live to the world--though the "beta" moniker remains.

Much has been written about the impending launch of Sling.com. A partial list of partners has been circulating the last few weeks, but Sling's PR reps wanted to use today's announcement to showcase the full list, which naturally is "growing each and every week."

I'd list all the partners, but it would make for one ugly blog post and it's easier to just give you these links if you're interested.

Full list of shows available on Sling.com

Full list of channels available on Sling.com

Those of you waiting for a review of the recently released SlingCatcher--we're working on it now. Unfortunately, that product was pushed onto the market a little early (we assume to hit some sort of self-imposed deadline) and was basically still in a beta state. We'd been waiting for a couple of key software updates/fixes to arrive before passing final judgment.

Comments anyone? Does Sling.com live up to the hype? How could it be better?

To be honest, I've never thought Dell's new Studio laptops did much to befit the Studio name. Dell trumpeted personalization when it launched the Studio line earlier this year, but aside from the standard rainbow of solid colors also found on lunch-pail Inspiron models, the Studio line offered only a handful of graphics patterns from Mike Ming (one of which, Sea Sky, is also an Inspiron option). Expanded feature set aside, Dell's Studio laptops looked like slightly more stylish versions of Inspiron laptops.

Today, the Dell Studio line further distinguishes itself from Dell's other laptop lines with the introduction of the Dell Design Studio. There, you'll currently find 58 options for personalizing the lid of your Studio 15 or 17 laptop. (Dell states its Design Studio "offers more than 100 exclusive and original works of art," so expect more to be added soon. Featured artists include Joseph Amedokpo, Jason Bacon, Tristan Eaton, Siobhan Gunning, Bruce Mau, Mike Ming, Brittany Waldner, Derek Welch, and Guillaume Wolf.

(Credit: Dell)

The artwork is permanently affixed to the lid of the laptop; the keyboard deck does not receive any accompanying art treatment. Each design costs $75. Solid colors are $25. Choose a (Product)Red design, and Dell donates $20 to Global Fund to help eliminate AIDS in Africa.

Hien Nguyen and her trusted love communicator: the Sony Ericson S500i.

(Credit: Dong Ngo/CBS Interactive)

Editor's note: CNET editor and Crave contributor Dong Ngo is spending the month of December in his homeland of Vietnam and plans to file occasional dispatches chronicling his impressions of how technology has permeated the culture there. Click here for more of Dong's stories from abroad.

HANOI, Vietnam--Love, or the lack thereof, is an ongoing global issue. I offer no solution, but if you want to look for the one here in Vietnam, a word of advice: learn to text and know your emoticons.

While online dating services are rampant in the States (personally, I believe many young Americans aren't really sure what to look for in a partner and being impatient as usual, think spending money somehow helps solve this), things are a little different in Vietnam--in the big cities that is.

Here, there are no dating services (at least none that my friends and I can spot), and young people still mostly meet the traditional way--through friends, school, family, work, and so on. Those who do meet online most often become friends through blogging, forums, or online social activities.

(In small villages like the one in Ha Nam where I was born, dating hasn't changed much in the past 50 years. Kids are sort of matched up at an early age, oftentimes jokingly, by relatives or friends. When they grow up, if neither goes away to find a job elsewhere, chances are they will marry each other.)

But it doesn't matter how a relationship here starts; it seems all of them go through something I'd call the "@ phase of love," in which the courtship continues via cell phone texts and Yahoo instant messaging. Unlike in the States, where couples tend to move in together, people in Vietnam generally only live together once married. In between, they rely on cell phones and the Internet to stay close.

Nokia N97

(Credit: Nokia)

Twenty-four hours after teasing us with news of a major product announcement, Nokia officially took the wraps off its mystery smartphone on Tuesday at the Nokia World 2008 conference in Barcelona, Spain. And despite some close guesses, no one got it quite right, so without further ado, let us introduce you to the Nokia N97.

Part of the company's high-end N series of multimedia computers, the N97 trumps all previous models with a slide-out full QWERTY keyboard and a tilting 3.5-inch touch screen (anyone else reminded of the AT&T Tilt or Sony Ericsson Xperia X1?). Yes, there's the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet, but the N97 includes phone capabilities and is designed for the "needs of Internet-savvy consumers."

For example, the smartphone provides easy access to a number of social-networking sites, and the Web browser supports streaming Flash videos. The N97 also introduces something Nokia calls "social location," which uses the capabilities of the integrated A-GPS sensors and electronic compass to automatically update users' social networks, or let them share their location via photos or videos with friends.

The Home screen can be personalized with widgets of favorite Web and social-networking sites. Finally, the N97 is fully compatible with Nokia's Ovi Internet services, which include the Nokia Music Store, Nokia Maps, and the N-Gage gaming platform--though these services have yet to fully launch in the United States.

The Symbian-based smartphone also features a music and video player, a 5-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, and a whopping 32GB of onboard memory that can be expanded with a 16GB microSD card.

The quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900) world phone is HSDPA-capable handset, but it currently supports only the 900/1900/2100MHz bands (AT&T's 3G network runs on 850/1900MHz, while T-Mobile runs on 1700/2100MHz). There is integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, however.

The Nokia N97 is expected to ship in Europe during the first half of 2009, with an estimated price of 550 euros ($695). As Crave reader UKStory1355 humorously and astutely noted in our blog post yesterday, "Like it matters to U.S. citizens; we won't see it for 18 months, anyway," there is no official word on when we'll see the N97 stateside. Heck, we're still waiting for the Nokia N96.

Of course, there's always the possibility of buying the smartphone unlocked, and who knows? Maybe Nokia will surprise us.

Obviously, the Nokia N97 takes a jab at other popular touch-screen smartphones, namely the Apple iPhone 3G, T-Mobile G1, and Research In Motion BlackBerry Storm, but will it succeed? It certainly has the substance and style to take on the big boys, but will it go the way of the Xperia X1, in which the lack of a U.S. carrier and a high price tag will severely limit its adoption in the States?

Either way, we think that the Nokia N97 looks like a pretty sweet device, and we're looking forward to having some personal hands-on time with it. Speaking of which, CNET Executive Editor David Carnoy was on hand at Nokia's flagship store in New York to get a sneak peek at the smartphone. He shot some video, which we'll upload tomorrow. For now, I'd love to hear your initial thoughts on the Nokia N97.

If you're looking for pop-happy, corny Auto-Tuned vocals, then The Revelations featuring Tre Williams is not for you. However, if you're a music lover with an appreciation for deep soul, then look no further. Simply put, this is pure, all-natural soul at its finest.

Download free MP3 now!

Updates December 2 to correct that Apple previously recommended antivirus software to Mac users last year. A follow-up blog will be posted that goes into more detail about the coverage.

Apple is recommending that Mac users install antivirus software.

But don't read this as an admission that the Mac operating system is suddenly insecure. It's more a recognition that Mac users are vulnerable to Web application exploits, which have replaced operating system vulnerabilities as the bigger threat to computer users.

On November 21 Apple updated a technical note on its Support Web site that says: "Apple encourages the widespread use of multiple antivirus utilities so that virus programmers have more than one application to circumvent, thus making the whole virus writing process more difficult."

The item offers three software suggestions: Intego VirusBarrier X5 and Symantec Norton Anti-Virus 11 for Macintosh, both available from the Apple Online Store, and McAfee VirusScan for Mac.

MacDailyNews unearthed the same note posted by Apple in June 2007 and published it on Tuesday.

Apple representatives did not respond to e-mails seeking comment on Monday, or to phone calls on Tuesday.

Brian Krebs, who first reported on the Apple antivirus recommendation Monday in his Security Fix blog at The Washington Post, said an Apple store employee told him he didn't need antivirus software when he purchased a MacBook three months ago.

Apple urges Mac customers to use anti-virus software.

(Credit: Apple)

This is why Dong Ngo has an obesity problem. Sad really.

No, no not that F-word, the other F-word. Dong and I discuss fat. Fat people, fat stories about fat people, fat wads, and pho. Yep, bowls of pho.

Speaking of pho, during this whole exchange Dong tells the story of his Worst Faux Pas Ever! If you've been following this podcast with any kind of regularity, you know that's saying something.

After that, we're back getting political with it (did I just type that?). Well maybe not political, but at least social. This is your fair warning.

Article referenced in the show
Tracking traffic the new-fashioned way

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