Ruiu observed more odd phenomena that seemed straight out of a science-fiction thriller. A computer running the Open BSD operating system also began to modify its settings and delete its data without explanation or prompting. His network transmitted data specific to the Internet's next-generation IPv6 networking protocol, even from computers that were supposed to have IPv6 completely disabled. Strangest of all was the ability of infected machines to transmit small amounts of network data with other infected machines even when their power cords and Ethernet cables were unplugged and their Wi-Fi and Bluetooth cards were removed.

Ruiu posited another theory that sounds like something from the screenplay of a post-apocalyptic movie: "badBIOS," as Ruiu dubbed the malware, has the ability to use high-frequency transmissions passed between computer speakers and microphones to bridge airgaps.

There is a trial currently in progress in which a British businessman is accused of fooling the military, the police, nay, even governments themselves into buying bomb detectors that were golf-ball finders.

The prosecution alleges that 56-year-old Jim McCormick persuaded many important people around the world that these things could spot bombs, ivory, drugs, and even bits of human bodies.

McCormick has pleaded his innocence in this trial. Still, as the case unfolds, one can only hope to discover how security professionals were fooled into buying the gadgets.

Police arrested Donald Wolfe, 55, after witnesses reported seeing him trying to revive a long dead possum, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Another reported seeing him give mouth to mouth resuscitation to the carcass on a highway north-east of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

"As I'd been paying for over two years to have non-existent cheques cashed, I thought I may as well have something for this outlay, so my last cheque was sent blown up on A3 cardboard."

"I've had my solicitor write them several letters, pointing out that they've been paid with a legal cheque, and it's up to them to cash it."

The current state of play is that David's solicitor has written to BT threatening to "take them to court if they didn't cash my cheque".

Using a doctored passport at a self-serve passport machine, the hacker was cleared for travel after just a few seconds and a picture of the King himself appeared on the monitor's display.

But Laurie and Van Beek insist that confidence in technology could be misplaced, because biometric passports can be faked, with pictures and chips that match.

Tens of thousands of fraudulent e-mails have been sent out ahead of Sunday's tax return deadline, officials say.

HMRC is expecting a massive upsurge in such correspondence following the 31 January deadline when many people will be waiting to hear about genuine tax refunds.

A vice principal saw the student showing it to other students at school about 11:40 a.m. Friday and was concerned that it might be harmful, and San Diego police were notified.

Luque said the project was made of an empty half-liter Gatorade bottle with some wires and other electrical components attached. There was no substance inside.

A MAST robot took pictures of the device and X-rays were evaluated. About 3 p.m., the device was determined to be harmless, Luque said.

The student will not be prosecuted, but authorities were recommending that he and his parents get counseling, the spokesman said.

A hoaxer pretending to be Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was interviewed by Portuguese-language radio stations before being found out.

BBC regional analyst Leonardo Rocha says the impersonator convincingly imitated President Lula's husky voice and informal style.

The Australian station has demanded the authorities open an investigation into the prank.

A barmy biker has been banned by police after converting a beer crate into a mini quad bike.

The biker tried to give them the slip by fleeing into dense woodland but was halted by thick mud.

"It only has a tiny one cylinder engine but somehow he managed to break the speed limit," they added.

The ATM looked like a working system, but when people would put their cards in the machine, it would scan their card information and record the PINs they entered. He didn't know how long the ATM had been at the Riviera.

The criminals probably didn't realize that they were installing their ATM in a hotel that was soon going to be flooded with more than 8,000 security professionals, he added.