Today's topic may be a rather strange thing to be discussing on MusicEdMagic, but it potentially affects a large number of users of the site.  Many viewers of MusicEdMagic also use the online videoconferencing program Skype for giving music lessons or for simply making cheap phone calls.  Infoworld announced today that the first known Skype trojan horse virus has been seen "in the wild" as a piece of malware that allows an evildoer to intercept and record any calls made over Skype by an infected computer.  Apparently the virus started out as a program written for the Swiss government (WHAT???) to use for remote spying.

InfoWorld is saying that the virus is considered a very low grade threat, and anti-virus companies are sure to be writing new updates soon to capture the little bugger, but it is still just another reason to avoid visiting untrusted web sites.  For those that crave even more security for their computer think about installing something like NoScript for Firefox (a program that allows you to turn javascript on and off for individual web sites to prevent accidentally getting infected by a rogue web site).

Let's just hope that if one of MEdM's viewers does get hacked that the only thing the hacker gets is audio files of someone giving a beginner oboe lesson!

I recently finished a review of the new Rhythm Heaven video game for the Nintendo DS portable game system.  I was looking at it as a part of my research for an article on using portable devices in the music classroom (iPhones, Nintendo DS, etc).  What I expected to find was another Guitar Hero type game but what I was pleased to discover instead was that Rhythm Heaven is a game that I don't think I would mind letting my students play as a reward or as a put away activity.

If you are like me and love to go to Drum Corps International shows but there are none in your immediate area during the summer DCI has a wonderful alternative available.  Again this summer DCI is providing live big screen broadcasts of the world championship quarter finals from Indianapolis.