Computer and internet briefs

Oct 30, 2011, 4:06 GMT

One password for all is invitation to thieves

Berlin (dpa) - Using one password for all your online access might be simple, but it's also risky. If the password ends up in the hands of a hacker, he would have access to data from any programme used, warns Germany's Federal Office for Information Security (BSI). Thus, users should be sure to make up new passwords for each online service they use.

An actual case shows why password safety is needed. Unknown parties managed to get into the accounts of 90,000 users of Sony's Playstation network this year, partially by using access data they had obviously lifted from other websites.

Passwords should be at least eight characters long; 20 if possible, with a wi-fi connection using WPA or WPA-2 encryption. Don't use words that can be found in dictionaries, nor names of family members or family pets, since they can be easily guessed. Ideally, the password should contain special symbols and numerals, advises the BSI. Pull data from your browser's cache

Berlin (dpa) - Any browser will automatically record details about any page to which it surfs, usually in its cache. You can use that cache for targeted searches for text, images or photos, provided you know how it works.

Every browser uses a special location - usually in PCs under Documents and Settings and then Local Settings, under the user name. In Firefox, type about:cache into the address window and then click on the link with the cache. If you know the size of the file, when it was saved or what file extension it uses, you can then pull it up and view it. iOS 5 update available for iPhones

Cupertino, California (dpa) - There's a new version of the iOS operating system - iOS 5 - available for running the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, both iPad models and the third and fourth generation iPod Touch.

The new iOS 5 lets Apple's mobile devices operate more independently of iTunes, which used to be necessary to set up the device and synchronize data. Now users can go straight online, without first connecting to a PC or Mac. Software also bypasses iTunes, with updates available via a wi-fi connection.

One major change seems inspired by competitor Android. Now the iPhone has a message central, which can be called to the centre of the main screen with the flick of a finger. Here you can store short messages, weather forecasts and stock market changes - perfect for those who want a short overview of things.

The new system also lets mobile devices use Apple's iCloud service, with the option to switch their email, address books, calendars, bookmarks, notes and tasks to Apple's servers, as opposed to needing software installed on one's own computer. There's also an option to turn all photos stored on an Apple device into a streaming photo show.