News around the world

Five-year-old finds Xbox security flaw

A five-year-old boy found a very important security flaw in the Xbox gaming system and has been named one of Microsoft's “security researchers.” Kristoffer Von Hassel of San Diego, California was trying to get on to his dad's Xbox Live account, which was blocked with a password because it had a lot of child-unfriendly games on it. Von Hassel didn't know the password, but that didn't stop him from trying to gain access. He simply pressed the space button a few times and hit the enter button to see what would happen. That wasn't his dad's password, but a flaw in the security system allowed him to access the account anyway.

Robert Davies, Von Hassel's father, works in computer security and even he didn't discover the glitch! He is very proud of his tech-savvy son.

Davies told Microsoft about his son's discovery and he has been listed as a “security researcher” on their site along with others who have discovered security flaws.

Von Hassel also won four games, $50, and a free one year subscription to his own Xbox Live account.

Today is mother's day

Mother's Day is celebrated in April and May around the world. The celebration of Mother's Day began in the United States. It is celebrated on April 11 in Sri Lanka. On this day you can show your love and gratitude towards your mother. A mother is a very special and unique person.

On this day you can show your love to her and make her happy by giving her a gift. A small hand-made card or a bouquet would be ideal to make her happy.

H.I




 

'Lord Of All Horses' passes away

The horse that played “Shadowfax” in Lord of the Rings has sadly passed away. The horse's real name was Blanco and he was owned by Cynthia Royal, who had to make the difficult decision to end Blanco's life.

Blanco had issues with his intestinal tract and liver, although lots and lots of tests weren't able to pinpoint what those exact issues were. “This left the exact nature of his illness, as well as the best method of treatment, an illusive guess at best,” Royal explained on The One Ring Lord of the Rings fan website. “As a result, a host of supportive therapies –from conventional to alternative –were provided, in addition to an outpouring of healing energy, prayers, and blessings that came in from his fans and supporters all over the world.”

Royal knew Blanco's time had come when his veterinarian called to tell her he was getting worse. When she got to Blanco's stall at the veterinarian, his body was shutting down and he seemed to be in distress – “a situation I know well from recent experience with my own life-threatening illness,” she wrote. “After stepping into his stall, I laid my head on his back and placed my hand over his heart for a few moments of meditative connection. Then, while kneeling down by his side, I asked Blanco if it was his ‘time.’ Without a second of hesitation, he turned his head to me, looked me straight in the eye and at that moment, I knew he was ready.”Royal convinced the equine hospital to allow her to stay with Blanco as he was being put to sleep.

“Although my heart was breaking, as my final gift to him, I stayed strong, balanced, and focused, gently repeating, ‘Relax Blanco. Let go. Walk into the light.

Relax and let go’ as the Blanco I've known so well and loved so deeply slipped away.