N Korea builds cyber-war arsenal

North Korea is reportedly building a military unit to handle online warfare with the US and South Korea, reports Computing.co.uk.

A report in South Korean newspaper JoongAng Daily claims the North Korean People's Army has built a new unit comprising 100 hackers. The hackers are said to be the biggest source of international attacks on US military Web sites.

The paper cited government sources in claiming the hackers are tasked with infiltrating enemy networks and stealing sensitive data. The unit is also thought to be working on malicious programs capable of taking down IT infrastructure in the event of a war.

A building at the heart of Apple's Cupertino campus was evacuated on Wednesday, after an employee discovered a mysterious envelope of white powder, says The Register.

As reported by The San Jose Mercury News, fire crews visited Apple's 4 Infinite Loop at 3.30pm, donning hazardous material gear before entering the building.

Sergeant Don Morrisey, of the Santa Clara County Sheriff's office, says the suspicious white powder was found in Apple's ritzy company cafeteria. He notes the lab has not yet determined what the powder is.

Video games firm Nintendo has posted an 8.5% rise in its net annual profits, reports the BBC.

The company said it made just under 279.1 billion yen for the financial year ending 21 March 2009, up from 257.3 billion yen the previous year.

However, this is far less than the 47.7% rise in net profits the firm posted in the last financial year.

According to a new survey by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, more US households are forgoing traditional landline telephones and going with only cellular service, says Information Week.

Twenty percent of homes surveyed only had cellular service, compared with 17% of homes that had a landline and no cellphones.

By comparison, the first survey, conducted in 2003, found only 3% of households relied solely on mobile phones.