Identity theft is continually on the rise. Spyware has become cyberthieves’ method of choice for stealing personal and sensitive information. More and more people are connecting to the internet every day, yet most Internet users remain oblivious to how and why they should protect their computer and keep their personal information safe.

Power Integrations has announced a new, ultra-low-profile package for its TOPSwitch-HX family of AC-DC power conversion ICs. The small size combined with efficiency and high operating frequency of TOPSwitch-HX enables slim, compact, and lightweight power supplies from 20 to 100 watts. Applications include adapters for notebook computers and power supplies for LCD monitors and flat-panel TVs where slim form factor and high efficiency have become important design elements.

They claim to have jointly developed a single-layer cell (SLC) NAND flash device that provides a "five-fold increase" in data write/erase cycles over standard SLC flash. Though numbers aren’t provided that puts the technology at a healthy 50,000 read/write lifespan.

According to Samsung, the new flash memory is expected to deliver the highest endurance ever offered in high availability, mission-critical computing. The chip will also allow a 100x increase over conventional hard disk drives in the number of IOPS per watt.

A disgruntled network administrator pled not guilty Thursday to charges of computer tampering for allegedly setting up an unauthorized access system and holding much of the city of San Francisco’s computer network hostage.

ILX Group plc, the training services company, is launching a public training programme teaching PRINCE2 and ITIL courses to ILX clients in the North East and Scotland. The programme, due to begin in August 2008, offers organisations with high quality, cost effective training. The training is offered via a variety of learning options, including e-learning only, blended and pure classroom.

ForSaleByOwner.com (http://www.forsalebyowner.com), the nation’s leading "for sale by owner" website, today announced its listings will be included in the Cribfinder application on the Facebook Platform. With more than 60 million active users, Facebook is the sixth-most trafficked website in the United States. Cribfinder provides ForSaleByOwner.com customers with a free, innovative approach to marketing their home on Facebook.

Open registration for the .ME domain name extension will go live today at 4pm GMT. This public registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

Bloxx has announced its membership in the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF). Bloxx joins other members in their battle against illegal online content. With its knowledge of up-to-date web filtering technologies, Bloxx hopes to contribute to the remarkable success of the IWF in tackling online illegal content.

From Sept. 27 to Oct. 3, 2008 Big Nerd Ranch will hold a seven-day bootcamp in Santa Clara, CA. This is a convenient way to learn how to develop applications for the Mac. This intensive seven-day bootcamp prepares novice programmers to begin creating applications in Cocoa.

Ever wondered what name is behind some obscure gmail address? Maybe your preferred gmail address was taken and you’re wondering who took it?