Beware of 'Phishy' E-Mail From the Bank

Plus: TiVo competitors, wearable MP3 players, and roaming with Wi-Fi.

Contact Contributing Editor Steve Fox at steve_fox@pcworld.com.

1. Something Smells Phishy

The Buzz: The hot new scam works like this: You get an e-mail from Citibank asking you to change your password for security reasons. The message directs you to a "secure Web site," which bears a URL like "citibank-security.net" and a Citibank logo, and you dutifully follow the steps. Two weeks later, you discover that some scoundrel has set up a fraudulent bill-pay system and emptied your account. You've fallen for a phishing scheme, hook, line, and sinker. The current variation targets customers of credit cards and banks. The scammers don't have any client lists; they simply spew spoofed e-mail and eventually stumble on unsuspecting customers.

Bottom Line: Check those URLs carefully, and pick up the phone if you're suspicious. As for passwords and account info: When in doubt, don't give it out.

2. Move Over, TiVo

The Buzz: If you resisted the urge to plunk down the green on a TiVo digital video recorder last year, you may be glad that you waited. As if to reward your patience, cable giants Comcast and Time Warner are getting into the act, rolling out DVR-capable set-top boxes throughout this year. For about $10 per month (beyond your regular cable charges), you get a set-top box with a hard disk that holds at least 30 hours of programming. Some units will even offer high-definition recording.

Bottom Line: The price is nice, but the Comcast DVR won't automatically skip commercials. Shame on them! Now turn to the facing page and carefully examine the ad there before continuing, please.

3. Wearable Wares

The Buzz: You won't carry your next MP3 player--you'll wear it. Plummeting flash-memory prices and tiny new high-capacity drives are making it possible to build miniature, lightweight devices that fit on an armband or dangle from a neck chain. Aiwa, Creative, IRiver, RCA, and Rio have all introduced wearable players, and more are inevitable.

Bottom Line: Eventually vendors will sell articles of clothing with such devices built in. I would like that MP3 player in about a 32/30, please.

4. Hot Spots Get Hotter

The Buzz: Commercial Wi-Fi hot spots have one fatal flaw: They don't allow users to roam across providers. Cometa customers can use only Cometa hot spots, T-Mobile surfers are restricted to T-Mobile locations, and so on. But recent agreements between MCI and Boingo Wireless will allow customers to access either service while continuing to pay just one bill. A similar deal between corporate Wi-Fi provider IPass and T-Mobile could jump-start the Wi-Fi market.

Bottom Line: MCI says that more deals are coming. At this rate, hot spots are in danger of becoming useful someday.

Nagging Question: How Did Longhorn Get Its Name?

If you've ever wondered what product managers are drinking when they concoct those obscure product code names, consider that Longhorn, the version of Windows due in 2005, is named after a bar. A little history: Windows XP was code-named Whistler, after a ski area in British Columbia, Canada. A far-future version of the Microsoft desktop OS is called Blackcomb, also a B.C. ski spot. Just as the Longhorn Saloon & Grill sits between these two mountains, Microsoft's Longhorn will ship between Whistler and Blackcomb. Joey Gibbons, Longhorn Saloon general manager, confirms that the bar--a popular watering hole for moguling Microsofties--uses Windows XP. "But we'll have to upgrade to Longhorn when it comes out," he says.