Could nanotechnology be toxic?

Experts say substances made using nanotechnology should be tested to ensure they do not pose a threat to human health, reports Associated Press.

A panel commissioned by the British government has identified major opportunities and hazards likely to arise from using nanotechnology, the science of manipulating matter at the molecular level.

The panel says research and regulation is required to address uncertainties about the effects of manufactured nanoparticles and nanotubes.

A security expert says the Google search engine is one of the handiest tools for hackers, reports ZDNet.

Johnny Long, a security researcher, said at the Black Hat Security Briefings in Las Vegas that Google`s ability to record Internet sites` content can be used to pinpoint those with weak security.

The ZDNet report says the exploitation of Google`s in-depth searching capabilities underscores how software with no malicious motive can be used to help online intruders.

Microsoft has demonstrated a search engine that looks for information on computer hard drives as well as information on the Web.

A Reuters report says the demonstration is the clearest signal yet that Microsoft intends to enter the local hard drive search space, which is considered the next battleground among search technology providers.

Microsoft VP Yusuf Mehdie said at the demonstration that the new search engine delivered the capability of searching beyond the Web. No launch date was given for the new technology.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has proposed that the Data Encryption Standard (DES) should lose its certification for use in software products sold to the government, according to a report by Computerworld.

NIST says the advent of massively parallel computing has rendered the popular DES encryption algorithm inadequate to protect federal government information. NIST is proposing that the government withdraw Federal Information Processing Standard certification for DES, which the Computerworld report says could have ripple effects throughout the technology sector and force a wide range of legacy systems into early retirement.