Exploits Surface for Windows Flaws
Hackers have been working overtime since Tuesday's disclosure by Microsoft of three critical holes in the Windows operating system. Less than 48 hours after the release of patches for the vulnerabilities, new exploit code turned up for at least two of the flaws.
Microsoft confirmed that code was now public to exploit the vulnerabilities within plug and play technology, and code was also circulating to exploit the Internet Explorer flaws as well. "Microsoft is disappointed that certain security researchers have breached the commonly accepted industry practice of withholding vulnerability data so close to update release and have published exploit code, potentially harming computer users," a company spokesperson said in a statement.
TiVo Download Service Shots Leaked
Looking for ways to draw in more subscribers to its platform, TiVo plans to offer a download service where customers with networked DVRs would be able to receive programming even before it is shown on television. However, the method in which the public has found out about the new service has TiVo executives upset and threatening to forego future public betas.
According to TiVo representatives, the company will transmit several of the Independent Film Channel's shows to TiVo devices equipped with broadband. A small group of subscribers are taking part in the beta test and will start to receive programming next week.
MS to Launch SMB Accounting Software
Microsoft said on Friday that it would launch its small business accounting software at a summit in Redmond on September 7. Analysts say that the company is hoping to directly challenge Intuit, the leader in the sector. The application will be part of a new version of Office aimed at small and mid-sized businesses (SMB), code named "Magellan."
Last November, the company released a beta of the software to the public. Over the past several months Microsoft has refocused on SMBs by launching new products aimed at the market. The company has already released customer relation tools, with a new version of that software due early next year.
MSN Enhances Spaces, Start.com
MSN has been busy making enhancements to some of its services based on the requests of its users. Two popular features of the service, Spaces and its new Start.com testbed, were tweaked to allow greater customization and mobility.
"PowerToys are special features in MSN Spaces designed specifically for you, the advanced users," Mike Torres, lead program manager for MSN Spaces, wrote in his Web log on Tuesday announcing the new features.
Intel to Detail New Chip Architecture
In today's computing world, everything must be being smaller, faster and better. Chipmaker Intel plans to address those factors in a new processor design to be unveiled later this month at a conference for developers in San Francisco.
According to documents released and statements by Intel, the shift is expected to be the biggest change in chip architecture since 2000, when the company introduced its Pentium 4 line.
Google Puts Library Project on Hold
Search giant Google said late Thursday that it would stop an ambitious project to scan and index the entire catalog of five libraries until November. The project originally launched in December and quickly came under fire from several groups, including one that accused Google Print of promoting a "unipolar world view."
Product Manager Adam Smith acknowledged the program's detractors in a post to the company Web log on Thursday. "As with many ambitious ideas, Google Print has sparked a healthy amount of discussion. And we've been listening."
Report: iPod a Failure in South Korea
While Apple may lead the market just about everywhere it sells the iPod digital music player, in at least one country it has a lot of ground to make up. In South Korea, Apple has a 1.8 percent market share, the smallest of any of its markets according to GfK Marketing Services Korea. iRiver leads the pack with 35 percent, followed by Samsung with 14 percent, and Cowon with 13 percent share.
Analysts say what is behind the iPod's failure in the South Korean market is its Western minimalist style. Consumers in Asian countries have traditionally opted for tech gadgets with more bells and whistles, and MP3 players are apparently no exception. In Japan, while the iPod still leads with 36 percent of the market, it is nowhere near the domination Apple has in the rest of the Western world.
A Keyboard for Uber-Geeks
Looking for a way to profess your uber-geekness to friends, family, or even your co-workers? Then the "Das Keyboard" may be for you. There's only one catch to this sleek-looking black keyboard: the keys are blank.
While some may see such a device as strange, inventor Daniel Guermeur considers it a stroke of genius. "Das Keyboard places me at the pinnacle of the geekness. The nice perk is that it improved my typing speed and accuracy," Guermeur said about his invention.
Move Over iPod, Here Comes Microsoft
In an interview with Bloomberg News on Wednesday, Microsoft's Digital Media Division chief Erik Huggers said the iPod would have stronger competition by the holiday season.
However supporters of Apple's iPod have pointed out that Microsoft made the same claim this time last year, yet the venerable music player continued to widen the gap between itself and its Windows-based competitors.
Creative Reports Wider than Expected Loss
Creative late Wednesday admitted that disappointing sales of its MP3 player line dragged down the rest of the company, causing a wider than expected quarterly loss. However, the Singapore electronics maker said it expected to return to profitability by years end with two new MP3 players with multimedia capabilities, and a refocus on its traditional computer hardware business.
Also bringing down profits was a decline in the value of Creative's inventory and downward price pressures from its rivals. Apple during the quarter ending June 30 was able to lower prices across its line, causing rivals like Creative to follow suit.
A Real Legal Problem For Harmony
A filing by Real with the Securities and Exchange Commission this week indicates that the company has acknowledged its Harmony software could put it in the legal crosshairs of Apple.
Originally reported by Macworld UK, the filing states, "if Apple decides to commence litigation against us in order to prevent interoperation with its products, we may be forced to spend money defending their legal challenge, which could harm our operating results."
CNET: We're 'Sorry,' Google
British CNET subsidiary ZDNet UK issued what appeared to be a sarcastic apology to Google this week, calling into question the search giant's decision not to talk with CNET reporters until July 2006. The open letter was not signed by anyone, only "Leader" whose e-mail directed to the site's general mailbox.
"Acting under the mistaken impression that Google's search engine was intended to help research public data, we have in the past enthusiastically abused the system to conduct exactly the kind of journalism that Google finds so objectionable," the site says in its letter.
MS: Google Docs in Lee's Recycle Bin
Call it electronic dumpster diving. According to papers filed by Microsoft in a Washington court, the company recovered one of the documents in its case against Google and former executive Kai-Fu Lee from the "Recycle Bin" of one of his computers.
The document apparently says that Google acknowledged possible legal troubles in hiring Lee. If accepted into the case as evidence, it could play a crucial role in proving that Google was fully aware of his contractual obligation to Microsoft, and that the search giant told him to break that contract. As with other matters involving the case with Microsoft, Google declined to comment.
XM Unveils Holiday Lineup
XM unveiled its lineup of fall 2005 products late Tuesday at a press event titled "Christmas in August." The showcase included two new radios from Delphi and Audiovox, a new solution to turn factory car radios with RDS capabilities into XM-capable systems, and a host of new accessories.
The products will begin to hit the market next month.
@Home Domains Go On Auction Block
At its height, @Home was an Internet darling. One of the first large scale high-speed Internet services, it controlled 45 percent of broadband connections at the beginning of the decade.
The company's January 1999 merger with search engine and Web portal Excite was thought to ensure cable Internet's dominance over phone-line based DSL, and would ensure Excite's success well into the next decade.
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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