Microsoft to Patch Critical Office Flaw
This month's Patch Tuesday will be a light one in comparison with those before it, with only three updates due next week. However, Microsoft's patch for Office shouldn't be taken lightly; its rating will be "Critical," the company said Thursday.
Past Patch Tuesdays have been significantly larger: August's contained 12 patches, and July brought seven fixes. Last September, however, Microsoft released no patches, although it scrapped a scheduled update that month due to a "quality issue."
HTC Shows Off New Phone Lineup
Windows smartphone maker HTC released details of its holiday phone lineup, including a device that appears to be taking on the Motorola Q in both form and functionality. The devices are expected to begin shipping in September and October, however for now the phones will only be available in Europe.
The HTC S620 may be one of the hottest devices from the Taiwanese phone maker if the success of the Q is any indication. Motorola has so far only produced a CDMA version of the device available through Verizon, but the S620 is a quad-band GSM/EDGE phone.
AOL Opens Up AIM Phoneline Platform
AOL said Thursday that it would open up its voice over IP platform to developers in an effort to spur development of new functionality and hardware that utilizes its AIM Phoneline service. The company plans to release three APIs to share various features.
One would allow developers to create offerings that would permit AIM Phonline users to personalize the service through so-called "ringback" tones and personalized ring tones. Another would permit manufacturers to create USB devices that work with the service, while the third would allow for the creation of new call management features.
Mozilla Hires Microsoft Security Exec
Mozilla strengthened its commitment to security with the hire of a former Microsoft executive who was responsible for some of the security functionality within Windows XP SP2 and Windows 2003.
Window Snyder will head Mozilla's long-term security strategy planning, a job previously handled by engineering vice president Mike Schropfer. Mozilla said Synder's advocacy for an open security process played a large part in the decision to hire her.
Microsoft Bolsters Phishing Filters in IE
Microsoft's anti-phishing technology is about to get better thanks to technology from Georgia-based Digital Resolve. The company said Tuesday that its Trusted Server technology will make it into phishing filters in IE6 and IE7, as well as the Windows Live Toolbar.
The deal marks the first time the technology has been licensed, Digital Resolve says, which also claims a 100 percent success rate for sites in its database.
Google Launches News Archive Search
In its continuing quest to index more and more information, Google on Wednesday introduced Google News Archive Search, which aims to make searchable thousands of newspapers, magazines and publications. Some of the material dates back to the 1700s, the company says.
Unlike the scanning of books, the inclusion of periodicals into search engines is something the industry has been pushing for. Much of their content is considered part of the "dark Web," meaning modern search engines cannot index the material due to their structure or design.
Vivendi Buys BMG for $2.1 Billion
French media giant Vivendi said Wednesday its Universal Music arm had agreed to buy BMG Music Publishing in a 1.63 billion euro ($2.1 billion USD) deal. In return, BMG parent Bertelsmann AG has agreed to pay $60 million to settle litigation surrounding its support of Napster.
Vivendi's offer topped six others who were vying for the company, which owns the rights to chart-topping acts such as Justin Timberlake, Coldplay and Christina Aguilera. Warner Music Group and Viacom had also made bids for the publisher, according to news reports.
Apple Upgrades iMacs, Slashes Prices
Apple shocked insiders Wednesday, announcing its rumored iMac upgrade nearly a full week earlier than thought. While the upgrade to Core 2 Duo processors and the addition of a larger widescreen model was expected, the price drop on the entry-level iMac was not.
The Cupertino company cut prices on its cheapest model by $300 to $999 USD for a 17-inch widescreen 1.83GHz Core 2 Duo with a 160GB hard drive and 512MB of SDRAM. Another 17-inch model with a 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo with 160GB hard drive and 1GB of RAM will retail for $1,199 USD.
Apple to Hold Event Next Tuesday
Apple has confirmed that it will be holding an event at 10 AM PT on September 12. However, in true Apple style, the Cupertino company remains mum on details. Invites to the event feature the Apple logo surrounded by four spotlights with the text "It's Showtime."
The company has used its invitations in the past to give subtle clues as to what may be unveiled at that event. Rumors have surfaced over the past several months that Apple is planning to offer full-length feature films through the iTunes Music Store.
Microsoft Details Vista RC1, Pricing
Microsoft on Tuesday further elaborated on its plans for RC1 of Windows Vista, including a confirmation of its planned retail pricing for the next-generation operating system and plans to expand the Customer Preview program (CPP) to five million testers.
The long holiday weekend also gave testers and pundits a chance to pour over Redmond's latest build of Vista, and some of Microsoft's biggest supporters had harsh words for the software maker.
CBS Taps TiVo for Series Preview
Continuing to look for ways to differentiate itself from the myriad of DVR options now available to consumers, TiVo on Tuesday announced a partnership with CBS that will allow the service's subscribers to see one of the network's fall shows a full week before it airs on the network.
Broadband TiVo subscribers would be given the option to download the series premiere of "The Class." The show features a group of twenty-somethings who all met in the third grade, and whose lives are bound together, the company said.
Snocap, MySpace Ink Music Store Deal
Snocap, the legal peer-to-peer network created by Napster founder Shawn Fanning, said Tuesday it had penned a deal with social networking site MySpace that will allow artists to sell music directly to fans through their MySpace music pages.
The agreement is the first e-commerce partnership for either site. MySpace will now be able to provide tools to artists that will allow them, as well as the record labels, to set prices, create stores, and sell music in MP3 format. Additionally, the site will allow fans to grab HTML code to place the music stores on their own pages.
Office Depot to Sell $99 PC
Those looking for an ultra low-cost computer may be in luck -- as long as a paying a steep shipping and handling charge is not an issue. From September 3-9, Office Depot will offer a computer on its Web site for $99 USD, which includes a $100 USD instant rebate, and $230 USD in mail-in rebates. The system to be sold is a Hewlett Packard desktop with a Celeron D 352 chip, 80GB of hard drive space, and 256MB of memory. The system normally retails for $429 USD.
However, like all good deals, there is a catch. Unlike many past computer deals, no subscription to any online service will be required. However, the company will charge those who order the machine $99 USD to ship it, essentially making the final price of the computer just under $200 USD. Office Depot did not specify how many of the systems would be available.
Ready or Not, Here Comes 4G
While most consumers are just now warming to third-generation data services, wireless companies are already looking forward to 4G, which promises even faster speeds. The question remains, however, if faster speeds will equal greater interest that has so far failed to materialize.
Samsung is heading this effort, and held a 4G mobile conference in South Korea this week. The company claims its next-generation technology that would allow mobile data at 100 MBps, with fixed data rates exceeding one gigabyte per second.
Gateway Rejects Retail Buyout Offer
Gateway said Friday it had rejected a bid by the founder of the eMachines brand to purchase the retail portion of its business in a $450 million transaction. Lap Shun Hui had made the unsolicited offer in late August, saying separating the business would make the company more competitive.
Hui first expressed interest in acquiring Gateway's retail arm in a letter dated August 3. Gateway's board failed to respond, so the entrepreneur sent a second letter on August 21, restating his offer although criticizing the board for being too lax in solving the company's financial woes.
Ed's Bio
Ed Oswald is a freelance journalist from the Reading, PA area. Although he has written across a variety of subjects, Ed’s passion and focus has been on technology and gadgets. His work regularly appears on tech news sites BetaNews, PCWorld, and Technologizer, and has been syndicated to eWeek, Time’s Techland blog, VentureBeat and the New York Times.
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