IBM's Security Internet Systems, known as X-Force have posted some interesting statistics on the Conficker virus on their blog. Over the course of the past weekend they were able to assemble a method to detect the attempts of infected computers trying to access their networks and based on that information create a snapshot of the geographical locations of these infected systems. Their report suggests that only a small number of infections are here in North America, just 5.8% and that the majority of infected computers can be found in Asia at 44.6% and parts of Europe at 31%. Continue on for a detailed pie chart of their results. [More]

April 1st has already crossed the International Date Line and has moved into Sydney, Australia where it's now 1:30 am. In just 30 minutes it will be Tokyo's turn to greet the 1st of April and so far, there's been no reports of activity from the Conficker virus and its network of infected computers. The Internet Storm Center, which keeps track of viral activity across the net hasn't detected any change. I'll keep you posted.

Update: F-Secure is reporting that computers infected with the Conficker virus in countries that have switched over to April 1st have become active and are currently searching for public domains in order to receive further instructions. So far, the creators of Conficker have yet to issue any such instructions. 

Update 2: It is now April 1st in London, Paris, Rome, Tokyo, and Sydney.  Although an IBM report suggests that most of the infected computers are situated within Europe and Asia, and although security firms are reporting that these infected systems are actively looking for new instructions from Conficker's creators, there's still no sign of action. It's all quiet for now. Millions of enslaved computers are waiting, waiting for instructions to tell them what to do next. Will the writers of Conficker wait until North and South America transition over to April 1st? Will they act at all or is it one big bluff? 

Update 3:  April 1st has now arrived for Casablanca and Reykjavik. The Americas are all that's left and still no activity from Conficker. If IBM's statistics are right, more than 80% of the infected computers in the world are now active and waiting for instructions that have yet to arrive. St. John's, Newfounland, you're up next for the transition to April 1st. 

Update 4: 'Tis after midnight here in Toronto. Its now April 1st and all's well that ends well. No sign of any activity from Conficker and its network of infected computers. 

With Adamo, Dell aims to elevate themselves to the status of a fashion designer, to offer a luxury computer that by the very virtue of its high price tag delivers a sense of exclusivity, that only those who can afford one can have one. That only works if everyone wants one, and so the Adamo is adorned with etched patterns similar to those associated with Gucci or Louis Vutton, and immersed in an abstract ad campaign full of black and white photographs of models in haute couture while emphasizing concepts of love, admiration, and desire. The result is a computer that is not only tacky in cost, but impractical in design. [More]

No matter how old you are, you've managed to outlive someone who's interesting. That's the idea behind Dead.AtYourAge.com, a new website that uses your birthday to consult a database of distinguished lives and return those that are closest to your current years. The results can include not only notable individuals who you've "outlived" by weeks or months, but also of those who have outlived yourself by a fair margin. Younger users will be told about those who have so far lived lives twice or three times as long as their current years. In each case you'll leanr about the accomplishments of those pulled from the archives as well as how they met their end. Is it morbid or fascinating? I suppose its all in how you look at it.

Montreal-based animator Patrick Boivan is a one-man stop-motion miracle and his latest piece pits the action figures of two iconic legends against each other in a fantastic battle of blows and special effects. Who would win in a fight? Iron Man or Bruce Lee? The answer will surprise you. You can check out Patrick's portfolio of animated shorts at his YouTube channel, including an interactive dance-off between Batman and The Joker. 

After studying the Conficker virus, three security experts have developed special scanning software that will allow network administrators, those who manage computer systems for large organizations and corporations, to remotely identify infected computers that are owned and used by their companies. In the course of the current computer virus outbreak the focus of concern has been less on the computers used by consumers at home, most of whom have been diligent in applying the latest Windows updates and running anti-virus software, and instead on the large networks of office computers scattered where the sheer numbers of computers in use has allowed some to avoid receiving the latest updates [More]

To my mind arcade games are at their best when they are surreal, strange, or bizarre which is exactly the nature of Dandy, side-scrolling shooter game where you play a magician named Dandy who must battle in-coming hordes of strange creatures descending from the sky. As Dandy, you must fly through the skies on your magical lollipop and shoot away the creatures whose defeated bodies will give up candy. You unlock crates for special attack and open fairy orbs to have a monstrous friend join you. The illustrative imagery is a world unto its own and that alone is reason enough to play. Continue on to play. [More]

FeedingAmerica.org has launched an interactive site called The Bread Art Project where visitors can upload their own pictures or illustrations and transfer them onto a piece of virtual bread. If you have the artistic skills, there's also a full-on painting program where you can work the bread canvas completely from scratch. Completed work is hung onto the walls of a virtual gallery that is worth the stroll. Finally, there's a virtual library to visit with nutritional information about the virtues of whole grain, white flour, and fiber. 

Meet Lauren, an office manager and recent college grad. She was contacted by a market research firm through Craigslist and asked if they could send her out to research laptop purchases. If she allowed them to record the experience on camera, they agreed to pay for the laptop. Lauren agreed and when the experience was over, the market researchers revealed that they were, in fact, an advertising agency who wanted to use the footage to create a television ad for Microsoft. The results are below and make up the latest effort by Microsoft to respond to Apple. 

What do you call a miniature notebook computer that is designed specifically for accessing the internet? A Netbook. That’s the term that has been in use by the computer industry for the last couple of years and it’s a perfect fit. Just like “Desktop”, “Laptop”, and “Notebook”, it is a generic term, not a brand name, used by everyone, owned by no one. The Dell Inspiron Mini 10, Lenovo IdeaPad S10, Asus Eee PC, and HP Mini 1000 are all examples of Netbooks and the new class of computers, which are generally under 10” in size and less than $600 in price, are quickly rocketing in popularity, so much so that one company has emerged to claim that the term Netbook belongs to them and that they should be compensated for its wide use. [More]