Kama Sutra worm to hit next week

Businesses have been warned to brace themselves for a possible traffic spike next week caused by the Kama Sutra worm, reports News.Com.

The virus, first reported on 16 January, is thought to have infected more than half a million PCs, which are now set to propagate the virus on 3 February.

The report says companies are unlikely to be directly affected if they are running up-to-date anti-virus software because the major anti-virus vendors have now released patches. However, security experts have warned that companies could experience secondary effects as the virus tries to propagate itself by harvesting e-mail addresses on an infected machine.

Linux kernel developer Linus Torvalds has made it clear that the Linux operating system is going to stay under the GNU General Public Licence (GPL) 2 and not migrate to GPL 3, reports eWeek.

In particular, the digital rights management provisions proposed for the new version of the GPL used by many open source projects have been rejected by Torvalds.

GPL 3 provisions prevent GPL-licensed software from being used in DRM copy-protection software, and Torvalds says the Linux kernel is unlikely to adopt GPL3 because the DRM provisions are too burdensome.

Microsoft has confirmed that it is considering plans to build its own portable music player to rival Apple Computer`s iPod, but says no official announcement has been made.

Information Week says Microsoft is reportedly working on plans to develop its own portable music device, rather than relying on partners to take on Apple, which is becoming a dominant player in Web-based entertainment.

Microsoft has introduced enhancements to its Windows Live portal for Web-based services, reports PC World.

The report says new features include a "gadget" or mini-application that recommends television shows and the integration of images into Live.com RSS feeds.

Microsoft also plans to unveil an update to Windows XP that will allow gadgets to be dragged and dropped between Live.com and the Windows desktop. This feature will also be available in Windows Vista, expected to ship by the end of the year.

Nintendo has announced plans to release a slimmer, lighter version of its hit Nintendo DS handheld video game system.

ZDNet says the device is to be known as the Nintendo DS Lite and is expected to be released in Japan in March.

Entertainment and video game analysts say the move fits with Nintendo`s recent history of releasing smaller and smaller versions of its handheld players. It is likely to provoke a similar move by Sony to come out with a smaller version of its PlayStation Portable.

A new report shows a growing trend toward seeking information about major life decisions online. Sixty million Americans say the Internet played an important or crucial role in making a major decision in the past two years.

Information Week says Internet users are more likely to turn to help from their social networks and sheds light on correlations between Internet use, relationships and how much people turn to others to solve significant problems in their lives.

Instead of showing that the proliferation of technology would cut people off from each other, the report shows communications technologies make it easier for people to maintain and cultivate social networks.