Security Alert: Windows Animated Cursor Flaw

This isn't the most timely security alert, but just in case you haven't already heard. Exploits for these vulnerabilities have been observed in the wild.

A flaw was discovered late last year in the way Windows handled animated cursor (.ANI) files. An attacker who successfully exploited the most severe of these vulnerabilities could take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.

For more information, please see Microsoft Security Bulletin MS07-017: Vulnerabilities in GDI Could Allow Remote Code Execution (925902).

If you have Windows automatic update enabled, then this patch should have already been applied. Otherwise, the patch for Windows XP SP2 is available from:
KB925902 - Updates for Windows XP

Now, chop chop! Go check that you do indeed have the update applied.

Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars

It is the year 2047. The Third Tiberium War is upon us. The long twilight struggle between the allied nations of the Global Defense Initiative (GDI) and the shadowy superpower known as The Brotherhood of Nod has flared into a planet-wide firestorm. Both factions fight over Tiberium, an enigmatic green crystal of alien origin that is both the ultimate resource and the worst environmental disaster in history. The stakes couldn't be higher---whoever controls Tiberium decides the fate of humanity and the destiny of the planet Earth. But this violent global war between GDI and Nod is just the beginning. Humanity is about to discover that it is not alone in the universe... and that it is not the only race fighting for Tiberium.

Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars is the second game I've purchased... ever. The first is Need For Speed Carbon. CNC3 was released at the end of March this year. It certainly has been a long time coming. I still remember the days when I used to play CNC2: Red Alert.

CNC3 is similar to CNC2. However, being set in the future, the military do have more advanced technologies. So far, the most impressive weapon that I've come across is the Ion Cannon---a weapon that fires supercharged ion beams from an orbital battle station. Apparently, by 2047, the human race would also have discovered alien civilisation. I don't particularly like this part of the storyline as I've always preferred CNC over WarCraft type of games because it only involved human civilisations. It just makes it that much easier to immerse yourself in the storyline, which some may argue is a bad thing.

The hardware requirement for CNC3 is quite typical for a recent strategy game. I don't own the flashes system and this is definitely pushing it to the limit. I'm running the game on the lowest quality settings possible. I could only wonder what the graphics would be like on the highest settings.