If you think you've seen all there is to see when ti comes to crazy stuff that people do with the Wiimote, you're mistaken. Now, it's not only hackers who are making their own motion-sensing controller variations. Full-blown companies are getting into the act as well. Motus has announced its Darwin controller and it uses technology more accurate than Nintendo's innovative device. See the full details after the jump.

Sony has confirmed the vulnerability found by F-secure on the company's new MicroVault line of USB memory sticks and fingerprint reader. The security flaw lies in the memory stick's function to write a hidden folder in PCs that hackers can exploit.

The case is similar to the case Sony faced in 2005 when their music CDs were found to also write software into the PCs that were hackable.

F-secure and McAfee, which also took part in the investigation, found out that the memory stick wrote an undetectable folder in the hard drive.

While not reachable by normal means, hackers can break into it and spread malicious code through the folder. Since even some popular anti-virus software can't detect the folder, it's danger is even more alarming.

The two security companies who found the flaw were surprised at the similarities between this case and Sony's 2005 case, but the latest security flaw is not as serious. The 2005 case involved anti-piracy software in Music CDs that wrote a rootkit into the PC to prevent the user from ripping the tracks. They said there is a major difference between the two cases:
 

Sony is attempting to protect the user's own data [with the bundled third-party software]. In the DRM case, Sony was attempting to restrict you - the user - from accessing the music on the CD you bought. So their intent was more beneficial to the consumer in this case.

The USB storage has been discontinued in stores but is still available online. A Sony spokesperson explained that the program was outsourced and was developed by a third-party manufacturer. They will address the issue by releasing a downloadable fix by the middle of September.

Security is a major issue, even for Microsoft's established programs. Although Microsoft releases one patch after another, the hackers still get their way around. Just this Tuesday, the biggest software company released four patches to relieve some troubled customers.

Windows Vista, which MS boasted to be the most secure, gained critical updates from a couple of these patches. Other Windows that get attacked when users visit websites with malicious code or open e-mail with similar content using Outlook Express or Windows Mail also got something to fix holes from three of these patches.

Another patch counters a specific program that allow hackers to gain remote access, while one more also fixed some problems on the Visio program. Seven other non-security, high-priority updates were released to improve service such an update tool that takes away dangerous software from PCs.

It's good that Microsoft addressed the problem of hackers quickly, even breaking their monthly-update ritual, but Vista is supposed to be secure in the first place. Looks like the cat and mouse game won't end anytime soon.

Technology Business analyst Allan Krans has expressed his concern over Microsoft's new Windows Vista operating system. He says the steep system requirements and the high price point it carries may make it less of a global success than its predecessors.

Compounding the situation, Krans points out that the inability of users in developing countries to acquire legitimate copies may result to an even bigger piracy problem. China, in particular, is the biggest area of concern.

Reports two weeks after the release of the new OS say that only 244 copies of the installer discs have been sold in the entire nation. Consumers have been downloading the software for cracked Vistas in the internet and installing them for free. Still, the rest of the world has caught on to Linux, and Chinese users are leading the charge in experimenting with alternatives.

Measures have been taken by Microsoft to curb the piracy issue. Among the steps taken is the selective retail policy wherein Microsoft chooses which countries to sell discs in, a Windows Vista Starter option which allows governments to purchase cheap copies with restrictions, and software security measures to prevent pirate hackers from cracking installers open.

Krans, however, says that these measures are proving insufficient so far. He suggests that Microsoft soften its pricing policy with respect to the nation's fiscal status, that way, an equitable solution can be utilized to solve the legitimacy issues of operating systems in problem regions.

There are two sides to this story. On one end, you've really got to give it to those guys who have managed to hack Windows Vista's registration features even before the said OS has been released. You guys are geniuses. On the other hand, Microsoft should really start waking up and start hiring the said hackers instead; then maybe they wouldn't have to worry about piracy so much, especially when Vista gets launched on January 30, 2007.

That's right, kiddies, you heard us right. As reported by the IDG News Service, Windows Vista's registration features have already been hacked, and a file is already being distributed which allows users of the corporate version of Vista to dodge those anti-piracy traps which Microsoft has painstakingly put into place.

Dubbed as the "MelindaGates Hack", it goes around the need for Windows Vista to be "activated" before it will work on your machine... and... well, at this point, Yahoo explains the technical
parts best:

To simplify the task of activating many copies of Vista, Microsoft offers corporate users special tools, among them Key Management Service (KMS), which allows a company to run a Microsoft-supplied authorization server on its own network and activate Vista without contacting Microsoft for each copy.

The software Microsoft.Windows.Vista.Local.Activation.Server-MelindaGates lets users spoof that KMS process, allowing them to activate copies of the enterprise editions of Vista, its creators say.

So... Can anyone say "Polly wants a cracker"?

A couple of weeks ago, several developers and publishers of MMOs did their job of crushing the emerging practice of website hacking. In our reports, we mentioned that there are actually different ways to pull this act. Most common of all is third party sites offering in-game items for a hefty sum of money. Final Fantasy XI Online and Hero Online are just some of the games that encountered this modus operandi.

Then you have the much more blatant style, hackers attacking the very domain registry of a gaming site. IGG is a classic example of this, when its site for free MMO Voyage Century Online was hijacked not too long ago. The company had to look for a temporary host just to continue their operations.

Usually, this is the part when we would say "Fortunately, it's all over now." Sorry to burst your bubble, but things got a little worse. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation came up with a warning today, saying a "handful" of Web sites were hacked and then defaced with a fake FBI seal. The report then went on by stating that the seal was accompanied by "an anti-piracy warning claiming that the site had been seized by the law enforcement organization."

FBI spokesman Paul Bresson tried to appease the gaming public by saying that the matter is not yet widespread. However, he expressed his concerns regarding the misuse and abuse of FBI's name. When asked about the possible reasons for such attacks, Bresson commented, "I'm not sure if it's financially motivated. I'm not sure what their motive would be."

We all know most homebrew developers mean no harm and just want to contribute on the gaming front. While they are considered to be good hackers, there are still a few misguided ones who are fond of wearing the black hat. Just two days ago, these good-for-nothing scums have published a code that allows attackers to disable the Windows Firewall on certain XP machines.

While Microsoft reports that they are still to receive word regarding any attacks or customer impact, the company admits and knows well an attack is highly imminent. nCircle Network Security Research Engineer Tyler Reguly agreed but added that that scenario is a bit unlikely for now. "For example, the attacker would have to be within the LAN in order to make the attack work, and, of course, it would only work on systems using ICS (Internet Connection Service), which is disabled by default," said Reguly.

Accordingly, the code is an instrument to disable the Windows Firewall of a fully patched Windows XP unit. Any attacker then could send in a harmful data packet to another PC using ICS. This then would cause the defense service to bog down.

Secure Network SRL Chief Technology Officer Stefano Zanero suggests an easy solution may be for ICS users to simply move their networks onto a router. Otherwise known as Network Address Translation, Zanero adds these offer better protection and are relatively cheap.