Sun

Gillian Shaw
Sun

Armies of zombie computers are being mobilized to launch a global attack on computers in the latest virus outbreak that purports to send pornographic photo and video clips of Paris Hilton, or threatens users with FBI and CIA sanctions.

The virus, a variant of the earlier “Sober” computer virus, was initially assessed as a low risk to computer users, but security specialists upgraded the risk Wednesday as virus-loaded e-mails flooded computer in boxes around the globe in what some analysts are terming the worst outbreak of the year.

“This is tremendously widespread at the moment; it is spamming itself out on a wide scale,” said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant with the network security firm Sophos. “In terms of prevalence, this is by far the biggest e-mail virus we have seen in months.

“The reason it is so ferocious is because computers which were earlier infected by other versions of the virus have been automatically updated and told to spread the virus even further. It has an extraordinary launch pad.”

MessageLabs, a company that filters e-mails, reported it had intercepted more than 2.7 million copies of the worm, and Sophos said the new variant of the Sober virus was accounting for one in 74 of all e-mails sent around the globe. The virus has been given various names by security companies, including “Sober.Y,” “Sober!M681” and others.

The threats escalated as tens of thousands of hijacked computers, unbeknownst to their owners, were enlisted to send out millions of virus-infected e-mails.

F-Secure Security Labs escalated “Sober.Y” to its highest alert late on Tuesday.

“The numbers we’re now seeing with ‘Sober.Y’ are just huge,” lab staff reported in their weblog. “This is the largest e-mail worm outbreak of the year — so far!”

Alfred Huger, senior director of development for Symantec security response, said Wednesday he doesn’t expect to see the virus spreading more than it already has, but he added that the outbreak was severe.

“I would say this is probably the largest mass mailing worm that we’ve seen this year,” he said.

Huger estimated there are some tens of thousands of computers that are controlled in the bot network, a number that is constantly changing.

“This particular virus has been fairly sophisticated throughout its tenure,” he said of the numerous variants of the “Sober” virus. “It has been used for everything from sending right-wing German nationalist spam to sending regular spam, to downloading trojan [programs] to steal financial data.”

The U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team issued an alert Tuesday about the “Sober” variant, including an FBI release warning computer users not to fall for a bogus e-mail that purports to come from the FBI and in one version advises the reader:

“Dear Sir/Madam, we have logged your IP-address on more than 30 illegal websites. Important: Please answer our questions! The list of questions are attached. Yours faithfully, Steven Allison Federal Bureau of Investigation – FBI- 935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Room 3220 Washington, DC 20535, phone: (202) 324-3000.”

Other versions of the virus promise pornographic photos and video clips of Paris Hilton. Unsuspecting computers users open an attachment to the e-mail and then unzip the file to install the virus on their computers. Once installed, it runs undetected, propagating itself by mailing out to any e-mail addresses found on the computer’s hard drive.

The virus itself doesn’t cause systems to collapse, but rather transforms the machines into bots — the so-called robots that are then used as a giant sleeping network that can be turned on and off by the virus writers.

“This shows how well zombie bot networks can be used,” said Cluley. “First of all, it shows how quickly you can be infected by a bot and there is nothing to see.

“Your computer carries on as normal, but in the background it is sending out spam.”

The “Sober” virus and its variants are believed to be the work of a virus writer based in Germany.

© The Vancouver Sun 2005

Marc Saltzman
Sun

Rewind all the way back to 2003 and the big question among television shoppers was whether to invest in a HDTV-ready set.

After all, there was a significant price difference between high-definition TVs and those without, not to mention programming was, in a word, scarce.

Boy, have times changed.

Prices today are comparable between standard rear-projection and tube-based TVs and HDTV-compatible ones, while flat-panel television technologies are dropping in cost by about 45 per cent per year. And there’s plenty of high-def stations to choose from; Bell ExpressVU, for example, boasts 28 dedicated HDTV stations.

For the uninitiated, HDTV-ready televisions feature many more lines of resolutions (up to 1,080) than what older TVs display (525 lines). This results in a much sharper, more life-like picture. HDTVs also features a wider screen, which is more akin to a movie theatre (a 16:9 ratio, horizontal to vertical), opposed to the boxy 4:3 screens. Lastly, many HDTV programs also offer multi-channel surround sound (and in many cases, Dolby Digital) instead of mere left and right stereo audio.

So, today the new question isn’t whether to invest in a HDTV, but rather, what kind of HDTV to purchase? Plasma? LCD? Or rear-projection, such as DLP? The following is a brief look at the pros and cons for each decision, and recommended buys per category (note: prices may vary between retailers).

PLASMA TV:

What is it: Plasma TV panels contain an array of tiny cells, referred to as pixels, which contain phosphors corresponding to the colours red, green and blue; a mixture of trapped neon and xenon gases are then stimulated by an electrical current, thus producing a rich and vibrant picture to the viewer on the other side of the glass.

Pros: While some may disagree, plasma televisions produce the most lifelike image compared to competing technologies. Plasma TVs are also ideal for those looking for a big-screen experience (42-inches and higher), yet are still svelte enough to mount on a wall. These TVs enjoy a wide viewing angle (usually 160 degrees), so there’s not a bad seat in the room. Current-generation plasma HDTVs enjoy a long life at about 60,000 hours.

Cons: Compared to other TV types, plasma is usually the most expensive to invest in. Plasma TVs also suffer from phosphor “burn in” caused by static images left on the screen too long, such as a video game score that is always displayed. If this happens, you’ll forever see a “ghost” image burned into that part of the screen. Compared to LCD TVs, plasma televisions also use more power and tend to run hotter.

Our picks: Two award-winning 50-inch plasma TVs are Panasonic’s TH-50PX50 ($5,999; www.panasonic.ca) and the Pioneer PDP-5060HD ($6,999; www.pioneerelectronics.ca). A great value is HP’s new 42-inch PL4200N ($3,499; hpshopping.ca).

LCD TV:

What is it: Similar to your laptop computer’s monitor, LCD televisions use a “liquid crystal display” to produce a sharp picture. Liquid crystals are sandwiched between two panes of polarized glass, which are stimulated by an electric current and illuminated by fluorescent tubes housed behind the glass.

Pros: While generally smaller in screen size than plasma and rear-projection HDTVs, LCD televisions have its advantages: they are extremely thin (about 2-inches thick) and lightweight, so they can be easily mounted on a wall. They are also more energy efficient compared to other TV technologies. LCDs have exceptional contrast ratios and are ideal for rooms with ambient light (e.g. a family room with many windows). They also enjoy a wide viewing angle, at 170 degrees. They do not suffer from phosphor burn-in and enjoy long life-spans (roughly 60,000 hours).

Cons: Because big-screen LCD televisions are still very expensive, most consumers opt for the smaller-sized models (32-inches or less). Another downside is they often have a poorer refresh rate than plasma and rear-projection TVs, meaning they don’t typically handle motion very well — such as fast-paced sporting events — so be sure to try before you buy (rule of thumb: the lower the LCD TV’s response rate, the better).

Our picks: Sony’s 40-inch Bravia XBR LCD TV (model # KDLV40XBR1; $4,499; www.sonystyle.ca), Samsung’s 32-inch LN-R328W ($2499.99) and Sharp’s 32-inch Aquos LC32DA5U ($2,199).

DLP TV:

What is it: Based on the Digital Light Processing (DLP) technology from Texas Instruments, these rear-projection TVs offer a sharp and extremely bright display in a lightweight cabinet (less than 100 pounds). At the heart of every DLP projection TV is an optical semiconductor that can be considered the world’s most sophisticated light switch; this chip contains more than one million microscopic mirrors (each one less than one-fifth the width of a human hair) that sway back and forth to create the picture on the screen.

Pros: They’re not thin enough to hang on a wall like a picture frame, but with some as narrow as seven inches deep, they won’t take up too much space in the room, either. DLP sets are less expensive than their flat-panel counterparts, yet are usually larger in size and offer a brighter picture.

Cons: Aside from being thicker than the sleek LCD and plasma TVs, DLP sets contain a large lamp that will burn out after a few years (consumers must purchase and replace them). Also, viewers must sit farther back from DLP sets than flat-panel TVs or else the image may look pixilated; some DLP models may suffer from a “rainbow effect,” which can be best described as bursts of colour visible to some viewers.

Our picks: Go big or go home, as they say. Feast your eyes on the 61-inch Samsung HLR6164 ($3,799; www.samsung.ca) or 62-inch Toshiba 62HM85 ($3,499; www.toshiba.ca).

© The Vancouver Sun 2005

Picking the right screen is a matter of knowing what you need (and want)

Marc Saltzman
Province

The big question among television shoppers used to be whether or not to invest in a HDTV-ready set. Not anymore.

Prices today are comparable between standard TVs and HDTV-compatible ones, while flat-panel television technologies are dropping in cost about 45 per cent per year. And there’s plenty of high-def stations to choose from.

HDTV-ready televisions feature many more lines of resolutions (up to 1080) than what older TVs display (525 lines). This results in a much sharper, more life-like picture. HDTVs also features a wider screen more akin to a movie theatre. Lastly, many HDTV programs also offer multi-channel surround sound.

Today’s big question is what kind of HDTV to purchase: plasma, LCD, or rear-projection DLP? Here’s a brief look at the pros and cons of each and recommended buys (prices may vary between retailers).

PLASMA TV

What is it: Plasma TV panels contain an array of tiny pixels, which contain phosphors corresponding to the colours red, green and blue; a mixture of gases are then stimulated by electricity, producing a rich and vibrant picture.

Pros: Plasma TVs produce the most lifelike images. They are also ideal for those looking for a big-screen experience (42-inches and higher), yet are still svelte enough to wall mount. These TVs enjoy a wide viewing angle (usually 160 degrees), so there’s not a bad seat in the room. Current-generation plasma HDTVs enjoy a long life at about 60,000 hours.

Cons: Compared to other TVs, plasma is usually the most expensive. Plasma TVs also suffer from phosphor “burn in” caused by static images left on the screen too long. Compared to LCD TVs, plasma televisions also use more power and tend to run hotter.

Top picks: Panasonic’s TH-50PX50 ($5,999) and the Pioneer PDP-5060HD ($6,999). A great value is HP’s new 42-inch PL4200N ($3,499).

LCD TV

What is it: Similar to a laptop monitor, LCD televisions use a liquid crystal display to produce a sharp picture.

Pros: While generally smaller in screen size than plasma and rear-projection HDTVs, LCD televisions have their advantages: they are extremely thin (about 4-cm thick) and lightweight. LCDs have exceptional contrast ratios and are ideal for rooms with windows. They also enjoy a wide viewing angle, at 170 degrees. They do not suffer from phosphor burn-in and have a 60,000-hour lifespan.

Cons: LCD televisions are very expensive. They often have a poorer refresh rate than plasma and rear-projection TVs, meaning they don’t typically handle motion very well. Try before you buy. (The lower the LCD TV’s response rate, the better.)

Our picks: Sony’s 40-inch Bravia XBR LCD TV ($4,499), Samsung’s 32-inch LN-R328W ($2499.99) and Sharp’s 32-inch Aquos LC32DA5U ($2,199).

DLP TV

What is it: Digital Light Processing (DLP) technology TVs are rear-projection units offering a sharp and extremely bright display in a lightweight cabinet. At the heart of every DLP TV is an optical semiconductor (a sophisticated light switch) which contains more than one million microscopic mirrors (each one less than one-fifth the width of a human hair) that sways back and forth to create the picture.

Pros: They’re not thin enough to hang on a wall, but with some as deep as 20 cm, they won’t take up too much space, either. DLP sets are less expensive than their flat-panel counterparts, yet are usually larger in size and offer a brighter picture.

Cons: They contain a large lamp that will burn out after a few years (consumers must purchase and replace them). Also, viewers must sit farther back from DLP sets than flat-panel TVs or else the image may look pixilated; some DLP models may suffer from a “rainbow effect.”

Our picks: Go big or go home. Feast your eyes on the 61-inch Samsung HLR6164 ($3,799; www.samsung.ca) or 62-inch Toshiba 62HM85 ($3,499; www.toshiba.ca).

– – –

DO YOU REALLY NEED A HIGH DEFINITION TELEVISION?

High Definition Television is stunningly clear and sharp, even better than a real movie theatre or home DVD.

But be prepared to pay.

You will need an additional HD receiver and service from a cable provider or a satellite service.

And don’t be fooled by the direct cable card feature on the newest TVs — that’s years away in Canada and doesn’t work with satellite feed.

There are, however, the little things, like HDMI cabling between receiver and TV — for optimum quality — at $100 a metre.

There is also the issue of HD widescreen content, which is limited to half a dozen U.S. prime-time feeds and weekend sports or playoffs.

The rest of the programming is a mix of regular square TV and similar-sized digital-quality broadcasts.

If you still want something better than your present set, splurge several hundred bucks on a new tube and DVD player and rent movies for less than subscription pay-per-view . . . you will be pleasantly surprised.

© The Vancouver Province 2005

Peter Wilson
Sun

XM Canada began its 80-channel satellite radio service Tuesday, beating rival Sirius Canada to the digital punch.

All eight Canadian channels — four English, four French — are beaming across North America.

Whether anyone was listening, other than than some of estimated 100,000 Canadians who have grey market satellite radios, is another matter, because legal satellite radios haven’t yet been sold in this country.

“We’re taking our first subscribers today,” said XM Canada CEO Stephen Tapp in an interview. “Which means that all of our Canadian as well as the full grid of channels are available.

“Our commitment was to be first and XM is the first satellite radio service to launch in Canada. And that’s a great feeling because we know that Canadian consumers have been looking forward to this for a long time.”

Sirius Canada — six of whose 10 Canadian channels out of 100 are from the CBC and Radio-Canada — did not comment on the XM announcement. It has not announced the date for the launch, except to say it will be in time for the holiday season.

The first XM Canada radios, said Tapp, would be going to the 4,500 people who registered online with XM’s Founders Club during the past month.

They will be paying $79.99 for the $99.99 Delphi Roady XT, XM Canada’s lowest price radio.

“I’m not comparing it to the Xbox, but it’s our own Xbox,” said Tapp, of the offer.

XM Canada said radios would be available next week at prices ranging from $99.99 to $399.99 at such stores as A&B Sound, Best Buy, Canadian Tire, Dumoulin-Audiotronic, Future Shop, London Drugs, Sears Canada, The Source by Circuit City and Visions Electronics.

XM hopes 1,000 NHL games per season will be a big attraction.

© The Vancouver Sun 2005

National surveys show Canadian companies may be vulnerable to criminals

Sarah Staples
Sun

Two new national surveys have found disturbing admissions by Canadian companies of their vulnerability to hackers, and evidence that consumers fear personal information is at risk online.

A poll sponsored by a subsidiary of Capital One Financial Corp. and released Tuesday found 77 per cent of Canadians were concerned about identity theft, yet 45 per cent don’t regularly check credit reports.

A second telephone survey by Fusepoint, a Mississauga, Ont.-based IT management firm, Symantec Corporation and Sun Microsystems of Canada, Inc., found that eight in 10 Canadians worry about personal information stored in web-accessible databases.

In that survey of 565 Canadian consumers and business leaders, also released Tuesday, 14 per cent of Canadians admitted they had had their identity stolen by various means.

Some 57 per cent of companies answering the Fusepoint telephone poll admitted they were “only somewhat confident at best” in their IT department’s ability to withstand hackers.

The businesses admitted that both confidential corporate data and private customer data is threatened — even though 96 per cent of companies polled had established protections ranging from anti-virus and anti-spyware software to network firewalls or encryption.

“People haven’t been asleep in the wheel; they’ve invested in different types of technology and data security,” said George Kerns, president and CEO Fusepoint Managed Services Inc.

“But they’re still not confident they’ve got it licked.”

From January to October this year, there have been 9,034 victims of identity theft in Canada, totalling $7.2 million in losses, according to PhoneBusters, an RCMP-associated agency.

According to Kerns, company executives are more concerned that their employees might mistakenly download viruses, spyware or adware than they are about hacker intrusions.

One of the major sources of vulnerability are a new brand of malicious e-mails that specifically target employees, said Clemens Martin, professor of business and technology at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, a new, tech-oriented university.

People are becoming wise to the classic “phishing” scam, in which victims receive a spam e-mail featuring a link or attachment, or are enticed to a Web site and duped into revealing personal information.

But in a version called “spear phishing,” a perpetrator researches a company before sending fake e-mails to a few employees.

The e-mail, disguised as coming from an internal source, might ask employees to download a screensaver with the corporate logo, or request passwords and other sensitive information be sent to IT managers conducting “network upgrades.”

Downloads contain viruses or malware that afford hackers entry, where real damage can be done including stealing intellectual property, damaging the company’s reputation or cyber-extortion — demanding cash in exchange for protection against future attacks, said Martin, who leads the fledgling university’s hacker IT research lab.

Spear-phishing is lucrative and “astonishing easy,” he said, adding “Traditional phishing attacks cast a wide net to catch many fish; this [spear-phishing] only takes one [employee] to achieve the goal.”

Spear phishers are also targeting ordinary consumers, with e-mails that are addressed directly to them and pretend to come from relatives, friends or business acquaintances.

Canadians are increasingly willing to take a stand, said Kerns.

Thirty-seven per cent, or more than one in four, would consider a lawsuit against a company that left personal information open to attack.

His firm operates 24 hours a day and deflects up to 200,000 hacker attempts daily, he said.

The Capital One survey commissioned Ipsos Reid to poll 2,002 Canadians, yielding a margin of error of plus or minus 2.2 per cent.

Fusepoint’s survey, carried out by Leger Marketing, is considered accurate within 4.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

STEALING YOUR GOOD NAME:

Identity theft is a major concern for most Canadians, as excerpts from an Ipsos Reid survey done for Capital One Bank and released Tuesday shows:

77% of Canadians are concerned about identity theft.

10% feel that information available to guard against ID theft is fully adequate.

45% of Canadians do not review or monitor their credit reports on a regular basis.

21% feel that they are not well- or not at all informed on the issue of identity theft.

51% say “No” when asked if they keep unused credit cards locked in a safe place.

14% say they have been victims of “phishing”, which means they provided personal information online to a source posing as a legitimate institution, like a bank.

9,034* victims reported identity theft from January to October of this year.

$7.2 million* was the value of losses from those reported thefts.

Source: Ipsos Reid/*PhoneBusters

ON GUARD:

Tips on how not to become a victim of identity theft or fraud:

– If you are shopping online, only order on secure web sites — to ensure your information is protected look for an unbroken key or padlock at the bottom of your web browser.

– Streamline your wallet. Take only credit cards, cheques and/or cash that you need. This helps control spending and minimizes loss if the worst happens and your wallet is stolen.

– Protect your credit cards. Sign your card, and write that a merchant must “check ID” on the back of the card.

– Hold on to your receipts. When the clerk asks if you’d like to keep the receipt or “put in the bag,” keep it with you and get gift receipts that can be used for returns or exchanges. Store receipts in a safe place and shred them after you are certain the charges match those on your monthly bank and credit card statements.

– Beware of one of the newer credit card fraud scams known as “skimming.” Keep a close eye on your card while your purchases are being processed so that it is not swiped through alternative devices.

– Don’t leave valuables in your car.

Source: Capital One Bank

© The Vancouver Sun 2005

 

Gillian Shaw
Sun

More than a third of Canadians will steer clear of cyber shopping this Christmas over fears about a lack of Internet security, according to a survey released by the Canadian Alliance Against Software Theft.

Canadians are more anxious about Internet security than their American neighbours, and with some 55 per cent of Canadian businesses in a separate survey admitting their confidential data is at risk of attack, their anxiety may be well-founded.

In the United States, only 24 per cent of people avoid online shopping over security concerns, while 40 per cent of Canadians won’t shop online for that reason.

However, the survey results indicate some Canadians are shopping online despite their concerns, with 88 per cent saying that they feel some Internet retailers have not done enough to protect their online customers.

Consumers are reacting to the security threats, with 96 per cent saying they believe it is important to protect themselves online and 68 per cent of those Canadians who are online having at least three to five security software products on their computers. Anti-virus software is the most popular at 85 per cent, followed by: firewalls, used by 67 per cent of online Canadians; e-mail filtering at 64 per cent; and anti-spyware software at 60 per cent. Only 33 per cent of Canadians report they have web-content filtering or blocking software.

Some 81 per cent of Canadians aren’t confident of their ability to protect themselves from losing personal information to an online threat. Seventy-seven per cent worry about identify theft and 74 per cent say they are not confident they can protect themselves against unsolicited email or spam.

Sheila Luskin, western regional channel manager for AirMagnet, a California-based wireless security firm, who was in Vancouver for a security forum recently, said Canadians have good reason to worry. She said businesses here lag behind their U.S. counterparts in security.

Luskin said that while American businesses face stringent standards around the security of personal data, Canada isn’t as strict.

“Part of it is that compliance here in the U.S. is driving a lot of the need for our product,” she said of her company’s wireless- intrusion detection system.

While she was demonstrating the company’s products in Vancouver, Luskin said she was approached by a B.C. retailer that had discovered a hacker was outside a store wirelessly collecting credit card information on customers inside. She said companies that experience such breaches may be prompted to strengthen their security, but she said otherwise, it is not a high priority.

“There is not the same sense of urgency in Canada,” she said. “I think Canada is more lax with security and I think that is why people are concerned.”

© The Vancouver Sun 2005

 

Canadian firm helping study how cellphone signals can be used to increase traffic flow

Charles Mandel
Sun

An innovative Canadian project may ease commuting pains, reduce gridlock and make a compelling business case for reselling a little-heralded source of information — cellphone signals.

Delcan.NET, a Markham, Ont.-based information technology firm, is helping guide the State of Maryland in a study of how cellphone signals can be used to increase traffic flow. The new technology, developed by an Israeli firm and managed by Delcan.NET, is capable of monitoring several hundred thousand signals at once.

By studying signals from cellphones switched on in moving vehicles, transportation planners believe they can gain information about the flow and speed of traffic that could help alleviate potential traffic jams and be used to forewarn drivers of trouble spots.

“I think we’ll be able to manage traffic significantly better than we’ve been able to in the past and provide the public with much better information about alternate routes and travel times,” said Philip Tarnoff, director of the University of Maryland’s Center for Advanced Transportation Technology.

Delcan.NET is in the second year of a $5.7-million US pilot project using the technology in Baltimore, and is negotiating a contract with Missouri. The company says other states and provinces are interested in the system.

For the technology to work, Delcan.NET must obtain signal data from cellphone providers. With an algorithm developed by Israeli-based ITIS Holdings, Delcan.NET converts the signals from the cars into travel speeds and times. In Maryland, Delcan.NET is working with Cingular. The accuracy of the system is expected to be plus-or-minus 16 km/h, allowing traffic co-ordinators to watch in real time as traffic problems begin.

While initially the signals will be used to ease traffic problems, Richard Mudge, a vice-president with Delcan.NET, envisions someday downloading the traffic information to a car’s onboard computer or to drivers’ PDAs (personal digital assistants).

He also believes businesses with fleets of vehicles would buy the data to manage routing and travel times. “There’s a whole host of ways this data will be used,” he said.

Delcan.NET is creating a database for Maryland that will integrate cellphone signal information with existing fixed traffic sensors, cameras, the 911 emergency response system and public transit information. Such data would allow transportation departments to determine, among other things, whether buses are on schedule in real-time.

Michael Zezeski, a director with the Maryland State Highway Administration, said they are watching the project closely to see if it presents a compelling business case. “Up until now, when we’ve worked with these private-public partnerships, we have found the data has just not been good enough for people willing to subscribe or pay for it.”

But with what Zezeski calls “dynamic information” being fed into onboard car computers, people might suddenly want to subscribe to a traffic data service. Or an Internet service provider or public transport agency might wish to purchase the data to pass on to subscribers.

Not everyone is happy with the experiment. Kevin Bankston, a lawyer with the U.S.-based Electronic Frontier Freedom advocacy group, argues the project is turning cellphones into tracking devices. “This kind of project is just the first step in the building of a technical infrastructure for a surveillance society where the government knows your every move based on your cellphone,” he said.

Nor does Bankston accept that people might be willing to give up some of their privacy for a better morning commute. “None of these people are choosing this. It’s being chosen for them. At the very least the phone company’s customers should have a choice to opt out of this and not have their information be a part of this project.”

Tarnoff said Delcan.NET has gone to great lengths to ensure that the cellphone data remain anonymous. The phone information is not being shared with any legal agencies, and as soon as the data is collected any association between information and a particular subscriber is eliminated.

© The Vancouver Sun 2005

FRAUD I Young men troll the Internet looking for victims and their anthem is

CYBER TRAVEL: You can explore a destination before you get there

DEBORAH STOKES
Province

Fasten your seatbelts for a wild ride. Zoom from the White House to the former Republic Palace in Baghdad. Land in Moscow’s Red Square then fly over to Pyongyang, North Korea. And remarkably, you don’t have to leave home to do so.
   You can just sit at your computer and access an amazing new service called Google Earth, software that puts satellite images of almost every inch of the planet within reach of your mouse — for free. It is no exaggeration to say it is the ultimate armchair travel experience.
   You can zoom in from space to street level to explore cities, landmarks, buildings, road networks, mountains, lakes, valleys. You can key in the address of the hotel you’ll be staying at on your vacation and check out how long it will take you to walk to the nearest Starbucks.
   Yes, I’m gushing, because Google Earth represents a paradigm shift on the Internet. And I’m not alone in my praise.
   “This reminds me of the first days of e-mail. The idea you could send a message to France in an instant was so exciting,” says Internet consultant and author Rick Broadhead. “Normally, technology like satellite imagery was only available to large media organizations or institutions. Now, Google has made it available to pretty much anyone, for free.
   “Is it a huge leap for ward? Absolutely.
   “People are stunned when they see this. It’s so powerful, they almost don’t know what to do with the information.”
   The benefits for travellers are clear — or at least as clear as the resolution of images on Google Earth.
   What I’m saying is that some locations are clearer than others, because different areas are covered at different resolutions. (In technology terms, the resolution varies from one kilometre per pixel to six inches per pixel. At the lowest resolution, features such as mountains and lakes are visible. At the highest, you can see cars on the street, even people in Tiananmen Square.)
   The images are not live. Indeed, some are a year or two old. That’s how Google explains away the scarier aspects of this technology. Some nations, such as India, Thailand and South Korea, have complained that Google Earth exposes politically sensitive areas, leaving them vulnerable to terrorist attacks.
   “It is important to know that Google Earth is built from information that is already available from a wide range of both commercial and public sources,” says Eileen Rodriguez, spokeswoman for California-based Google.
   “The same information is available to anyone who flies above or drives by a piece of property.”
   There are all sorts of other bells and whistles on the downloadable program (go to http://earth. google.com), which at the moment is available only to Windows users and only in English.
   Three-dimensional mapping of 38 U.S. cities allows you to “walk” around actual buildings. And sophisticated video technology allows for “fluid, free-form” exploration. Users can zoom in, tilt and rotate around whatever they see.
   “You can literally explore a destination before you get there,” says Broadhead.
   That may take away some of the surprise factor for travellers, but sometimes that’s a good thing.