Apple's fix for major DNS security hole finally arrives
Nearly three weeks after Microsoft patched its Windows operating system to protect against attacks exploiting a flaw within the DNS system, Apple has delivered its own fix.
The DNS flaw, discovered by security researcher Dan Kaminsky, allows attackers to divert traffic to Web sites of their choice through an issue with BIND, software that powers DNS servers.
Sun releases preview of Silverlight, Flash competitor JavaFX
Sun Microsystems has released a preview version of its JavaFX technology for building rich Internet applications, which it announced last year would compete with Microsoft's Silverlight and Adobe's Flash-based AIR.
As its name implies, the platform utilizes a scripting language that is a subset of Sun's Java called JavaFX Script. But as BetaNews' Scott Fulton noted last year, the language JavaFX resembles JavaScript (which was originally developed outside of Sun, for Netscape) more than it does Java.
Sun's stock drops sharply after 73% drop in profit
A slowing economy has led computer server and software manufacturer Sun Microsystems to post a 73 percent drop in net income for its fourth fiscal quarter. So far in 2008, the company's stock has lost almost half of its value and most recently dropped 13 percent down to $9.24 per share.
Sun's share price hit a high point in October at $25.04, but has suffered a sharp decline since then. It bottomed out at $8.63 in the middle of last month, but had climbed to nearly $11 before Friday's earnings call.
Bill to ban in-flight mobile phone calls goes to House
A bill that calls for a ban on all in-flight cellular voice calls will be put up for vote before the full House of Representatives after being approved by the House Transportation and Infrastructure committee.
Chairman of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit Peter DeFazio (D-OR.) introduced HR 5788, or the HANG UP (Halting Airplane Noise to Give Us Peace) Act in April of this year, and it was approved in the Transportation and Infrastructure committee on Thursday.
Apple pulls iPhone broadband sharing tool from App Store
2:30pm ET August 1, 2008 -The NetShare application is back up on the iPhone App Store for its $9.99 price point. BetaNews was able to purchase the tool and sync it to the iPhone. NetShare works as advertised, although when the iPhone turns the display off, it also shuts off the Wi-Fi unless the device is plugged in.
For a few hours, iPhone users got the chance to download an application called NetShare that could turn the devices into a broadband modem for a laptop.
Yahoo tries to make Delicious bookmarking site more mainstream
Yahoo's social bookmarking site Delicious (formerly del.icio.us) has received its long-awaited user interface overhaul, which the company hopes will attract more mainstream users and make the site less niche.
Since acquiring del.icio.us in late 2005, Yahoo has gradually moved the service into a more accessible realm. It has also been moved from its clever, but easy to mis-type .us domain to the much simpler Delicious.com.
China relents to critics, opens Internet to Olympic journalists
Several Internet news sites blocked by the Chinese government are now available once again following growing criticism about the country's censorship during the Olympic Games.
Those protesting the restrictions point out that both the International Olympic Committee and China itself had promised that it would not curtail net access during the games. Seeing a potential for a public relations nightmare, the IOC met with Chinese officials to work out a deal.
Amid controversy, Google Street View gets approval in UK
Despite strong apprehension from EU legislators toward Google's Street View mapping technique, the UK Information Commissioner's Office has reportedly found Google's privacy safeguards acceptable and will allow the company's roving 360 degree cameras to record British streets for its mapping service.
The level of detail captured on Google Maps Street View has caused a great deal of concern among UK privacy advocates, some of whom feel the service breaks data protection laws.
Apple's latest headache: some iPhones developing cracks
Posters to Apple's support forums are complaining of what appears to be a defect in the iPhone 3Gs casing, which is causing hairline cracks.
It appears from a search of the initial thread in question that the cracks are most commonly appearing around the headphone jack, ringer switch, and volume controls.
Is Microsoft's Mojave Vista experiment backfiring with users?
Is a new marketing campaign what Vista really needs? The first stages of it -- already under way with the Mojave Experiment -- are certainly drawing attention to Vista. But in ignoring Vista's problems, could the campaign also be backfiring?
In Mojave, Microsoft fooled some end users into thinking they were looking at a new OS, when, in fact, they were viewing Vista. Participants in the test -- consisting of Windows, Mac and Linux users who hadn't tried Vista -- supposedly liked what they saw, and were shocked to learn the video demo was actually of Vista.
Google's plans to invest more money into startups with VC arm
In mid-2005, Google began experimenting with venture capital investments in startup companies. Now, over three years later, the Wall Street Journal reports the search company has plans to start an arm dedicated only to this kind of investment.
Google's earliest investments were in startups providing unique solutions for connectivity. In July 2005, the company joined Hearst and Goldman Sachs in a $100 million investment in Current Communications, a group working on providing broadband connections over power lines. In 2006, Google invested in Wi-Fi startups FON and Meraki, which both aimed to provide wireless access to communities based upon affordable shared routers -- sort of organically creating a Muni Wi-Fi network.
Dish first to deliver 1080p HD television programming
Satellite television service Dish will be the first to offer live programming "full HD" 1080p resolution, while the return of an all-HD package hearkens back to the days of Voom.
Dish purchased the assets of Cablevision's Voom in 2005, and much of its content was folded into the satellite provider's offerings. None of the Voom HD channels exist on Dish any longer, as they disappeared in May. Now, however, it seems like the company is ready to try the Voom approach once again: a package of only HD channels.
Scrabulous returns to Facebook as 'Wordscraper' with circular board
After being officially removed from Facebook less than two days ago due to a legal threat from Scrabble maker Hasbro, Scrabulous has returned to the social network site with a new name and visual changes.
Dubbed "Wordscraper," the Facebook application is technically a new word game, but it retains certain similarities to the now defunct Scrabulous.
Microsoft files patent infringement complaint over Best Buy mouse
Microsoft announced yesterday that it had filed an action with the International Trade Commission against Primax Electronics of Taiwan over several technologies used in mice, which are sold in Best Buy under the Dynex brand name.
After reportedly attempting to "engage in meaningful licensing discussions" with Primax over the course of several years, Microsoft has resorted to filing a complaint with the International Trade Commission (ITC) for patent infringement.
LG's latest Blu-ray player adds streaming movies from Netflix
Much disagreement remains about what will succeed: HD movies on optical disc, or streaming movies over broadband on-demand. LG is hedging its bets with its latest Blu-ray player that can also access 12,000 movies and TV shows through Netflix.
The two companies first announced their plans at CES in January, when details of a set-top box to be developed by LG was released. It is not clear whether the Blu-ray player is the device that was described, or if the two companies still plan a standalone Netflix box like the one from Roku.
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