First StarOffice, OpenOffice Virus Found
Security researchers may have found the first known virus for StarOffice and OpenOffice.org. According to a Kaspersky Lab researcher, the exploit is known as a "macro virus," previously only known to infect Microsoft Office applications.
Kaspersky researchers have named the new virus 'Stardust.' "Stardust is the first virus I know of which is theoretically capable of infecting StarOffice and/or OpenOffice," researcher 'Kostya' wrote Tuesday. "It's written in Star Basic. It downloads an image file (with adult content) from the Internet and then opens this file in a new document."
Symantec Fixes Critical Security Flaw
UPDATED Symantec over the Memorial Day weekend began distributing a patch for a flaw that affected its Symantec AntiVirus and Client Security products. Highlighting the potentially serious consequences of the vulnerability, the patch came just days after eEye Digital Security warned of the issue.
The patch is now available for automatic download through Symantec's updating mechanisms, and may have come before any attackers had a chance to exploit the flaw. So far, Symantec claims it has not received any reports of malicious use of the vulnerability.
Apple Expands Recycling Program
Apple said Wednesday that it was expanding its computer take-back program by offering free recycling of old PCs when purchasing a new Mac. Starting today, the program would give its US customers the option of doing so regardless of the old PC's manufacturer.
The program is a fulfillment of a promise made by the company in April. Facing criticism by environmental activists, Apple struck back by announcing the program and saying it had been named a "Forward Green Leader" by the Sierra Club.
XM Stops Sales of Select Receivers
XM Satellite Radio disclosed late Tuesday in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it was suspending the sale of two of its radios, while reviewing others. The move comes as a result of a FCC notice that the units were not in compliance with signal strength laws.
The leading satellite radio provider first disclosed that it was under investigation for signal strength issues in its Delphi SkyFi2 receiver in late April. At the time, the FM transmitter in the device was said to operate outside of transmission limits.
AMD Counters 'VIIV' With 'LIVE!'
AMD introduced its first media center enabled PCs on Wednesday, the Sunnyvale, Calif., company's next move in its ongoing battle with competitor Intel. The AMD LIVE! PCs, which are built on top of Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processors, will include a collection of services and applications designed for the platform.
Intel introduced its VIIV line of computers in August of last year. Features of VIIV will be quick on-and-off similar to current entertainment devices, 5.1 surround sound with optional 7.1 surround sound support, and automatic transcoding of media files to ensure compatibility
DSL Leading Broadband Growth in U.S.
As the price of broadband falls, the middle class is increasingly turning to broadband. Faster adoption of high-speed Internet is being fueled by more competitive pricing plans, a study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project said Monday.
42 percent of Americans now have high-speed Internet, up 12 percent from last year. Adoption among those making under $30,000 a year increased 40 percent, and 59 percent for those making between $30,000 and $50,000 a year.
Apple Loses Appeal in Trade Secret Case
In a crucial victory for both online journalists and bloggers, a California appeals court ruled Friday that Apple enthusiast site AppleInsider was entitled to the same protections as traditional journalists. The ruling overturns a previous verdict that would have put online writers at a serious disadvantage to their mainstream media counterparts.
The original ruling, handed down by California Superior Court Judge James Kleinberg in March of last year, stated that journalist protections not apply to the sites, as trade secrets were revealed in violation of state law.
McAfee to Offer Integrated Security App
McAfee took the covers off a new integrated consumer security platform Tuesday, code-named "Falcon." Under development for the past year, the offering combines the company's antivirus, anti-spyware, and "threat watch" technologies.
The entire suite of products will be manageable from a single access point, which McAfee said was a common complaint in its research. Additionally, the "threat watch" capabilities would be able to proactively act on suspicious activity.
Nintendo Looks to Bring in New Gamers
Continuing a strategy by the game maker to expand the video gaming market, Nintendo said Tuesday that it was introducing a new brand to highlight games that are easy to play. Called Touch Generations, the label would be placed on any game that customers can play with little experience.
Nintendo made its first indications that it was not satisfied with marketing to the everyday gamer with its next generation console, the Wii. Both its price, under $250, and its features, such as the innovative controller, are aimed at attracting a broader demographic.
Watch an Ad, Get Some Airtime
Prepay provider Virgin Mobile USA launched a new program called "SugarMama" Tuesday that would allow its users to earn airtime by viewing advertisements. The user would view the online ad or text advertisement, and then provide feedback to the advertiser on what they saw.
Three national brands have initially signed on to the service: Microsoft's Xbox division; Pepsi-Cola, which would initially feature Diet Mountain Dew; and truth, the national youth anti-smoking initiative.
Net Neutrality Gets a Boost in House
Net neutrality supporters received a boost Thursday after the House Judiciary Committee approved a measure that would make it illegal for Internet providers to charge for priority access to their networks. All 14 Democrats were joined by six Republicans to pass the proposal 20-13.
"When this market power is utilized to violate the nondiscriminatory features that drive Internet innovation and consumer choice, an antitrust remedy is clearly needed," said Wisconsin Republican Rep, F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr., committee head and sponsor of the bill.
PUBPAT Scores Win in JPEG Patent Fight
The Public Patent Foundation claimed victory Friday after the US Patent Office ruled that the evidence of "prior art" supplied by the interest group was sufficient to invalidate a JPEG patent that Forgent Networks has been asserting against various companies.
Forgent acquired the rights to the data compression patent, which covers the JPEG image format, through a 1997 purchase of Compression Labs. It did not start enforcing the patent until about a year ago.
Serious Flaw Hits Symantec AntiVirus
Security research firm eEye warned Thursday that a high-risk vulnerability exists within Symantec's Norton AntiVirus 10.x that could allow for code execution. According to an advisory posted on eEye's Web site, the flaw does not require any user interaction to be exploited.
Especially troubling is the fact that that after the vulnerability is exploited, a hacker gains access to a command shell. This means that the attacker would be able to perform just about any action, and opens up the possibility of a worm automatically infecting systems.
EarthLink Wins New Orleans Wi-Fi Deal
EarthLink has won the right to build out a wireless network in the city of New Orleans, the company said Friday. The network will be free for the time being as the city continues to rebuild, however EarthLink plans to offer fee based services as well. The free service would be throttled at 300kbps, while paid users would be permitted to use up to 1mbps of bandwidth.
As in other cities, the company would allow open access to the network in order to spur competition. EarthLink has assisted the city in keeping its municipal Wi-Fi network running since March. For many in the city, it has remained the only method of communication: many areas are still without phone service some nine months after Hurricane Katrina hit.
Microsoft Unveils JPEG Alternative
Fresh off taking on PDF with its Metro specification at last year's WinHEC, Microsoft now has plans to take on JPEG with Windows Media Photo. Microsoft Watch reported from Seattle Thursday that the company is advertising the new format as a higher-quality alternative to the aging JPEG standard.
In half the size, a WMP file would produce higher quality images when printed and even when sent through e-mail, the company said in a Wednesday session at the WinHEC conference in Seattle. As a result, images saved in the format would require significantly less space to store.
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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