siemens

Tests conducted by Nokia Siemens Networks confirmed that Apple has included support for the Network Controlled Fast Dormancy technology developed by Nokia to reduce network congestion and improve battery life in iOS 4.2.1.

The NCFD technology works by keeping smartphones in a perpetual "intermediate state" and "makes the network and the handset work together to create the best conditions for smartphones to work quickly, yet have a long battery life and minimize network congestion."

As smartphones continue to add functionality via Apps, the threat of constant signaling on networks from those Apps could cause … Read more

The Stuxnet worm has taken the computer security world by storm, inspiring talk of a top secret, government-sponsored cyberwar, and of a software program laden with obscure biblical references that call to mind not computer code, but "The Da Vinci Code."

Stuxnet, which first made headlines in July, (CNET FAQ here) is believed to be the first known malware that targets the controls at industrial facilities such as power plants. At the time of its discovery, the assumption was that espionage lay behind the effort, but subsequent analysis by Symantec uncovered the ability of the malware to control … Read more

A group of scientists and engineers in Norway are testing a flotation device that could support offshore wind turbines so that they don't have to be built on shoals.

StatoilHydro, a division of the oil giant Statoil, said Thursday its Hywind floating wind turbine installed about 10 kilometers off the coast of Karmoy, Norway, in June 2009 is a success.

As a result, the company is planning to test an entire farm of Hywind turbines in Norway, and is looking to install more test farms in rough-water areas like Scotland and Maine.

The Hywind turbine is not a completely … Read more

A worm that targets critical infrastructure companies doesn't just steal data, it leaves a back door that could be used to remotely and secretly control plant operations, a Symantec researcher said on Thursday.

The Stuxnet worm infected industrial control system companies around the world, particularly in Iran and India but also companies in the U.S. energy industry, Liam O'Murchu, manager of operations for Symantec Security Response, told CNET. He declined to say how may companies may have been infected or to identify any of them.

"This is quite a serious development in the threat landscape," … Read more

Microsoft plans to release a patch on Monday for a flaw involving how Windows handles shortcut files, after seeing the hole being used to spread a particularly nasty and fast-spreading virus, the company said Friday.

Initially, the Windows flaw was used to spread the Stuxnet worm via USB drives. The vulnerability, which is in all versions of Windows, is in the code that processes shortcut files ending in ".lnk," according to the Microsoft advisory from two weeks ago that included information on a work-around.

Now there are copycat attacks in which the .lnk hole, or "shortcut hole,&… Read more

The security world is aflutter over new malware that has been spreading via USB devices and is programmed to steal data from systems running specific software used in utilities and industrial manufacturing plants.

There are a lot of moving parts to this story so we've decided to break them down and tell you what is happening and how it impacts you.

What is the malware exactly? The attack involves several components: a worm that spreads via USB drives and exploits a previously unknown vulnerability in Windows and a Trojan backdoor that looks to see if an infected machine is … Read more

Siemens has advised its customers not to change the default passwords hard-coded into its WinCC Scada product, even though the Stuxnet malware that exploits the critical infrastructure systems software is circulating in the wild.

Changing the passwords could affect the operations of critical infrastructure organizations such as utilities companies and electricity suppliers, according to Siemens.

"We will be publishing customer guidance shortly, but it won't include advice to change default settings as that could impact plant operations," said Siemens spokesman Michael Krampe in a statement on Monday.

Read more of "Siemens warns Stuxnet targets of Scada password risk" … Read more

Nokia Siemens Networks will pay $1.2 billion for most of Motorola's wireless network equipment business, the companies announced Monday.

In striking the cash deal, Nokia Siemens hopes to improve its standing in the wireless equipment arena, both in the U.S. and across the world. The company said it expects the addition of Motorola's business will propel it to become the No. 3 wireless infrastructure vendor in the U.S. and the top foreign wireless vendor in Japan. It also expects to reinforce its No. 2 standing in the global wireless network market.

The deal is expected … Read more

With projected growth in offshore wind farms, turbine makers are adopting direct-drive generators, a technology that could help address concerns over cost and reliability of offshore wind.

Siemens Energy's first direct-drive turbine is now available for both onshore and offshore applications, the company said last week. Siemens has been testing a prototype since last year and the results have been good, according to the company.

Rated at 3 megawatts of capacity, the SWT-3.0-101 is a lower height and weight than Siemens' 2.3-megawatt machine and has half the number of parts. It's more compact than generators that … Read more