Mozilla Admits Firefox Exploit Caused by Firefox Bug, Not IE
On July 10, engineers at Secunia issued a security advisory, rated "Highly Critical," warning Firefox users that their browser could be tricked into executing arbitrary JavaScript code. Soon afterward, Mozilla developers issued a statement saying the problem was caused by Internet Explorer, which could trick Firefox into executing that code. This morning, Mozilla security chief Window Snyder had to issue a retraction, stating Firefox could just as easily trick Firefox into doing the same thing.
The problem was first discovered by security engineer Thor Larholm, who gained recognition last month for having discovered a security hole in Apple's Safari for Windows pre-release two hours after having first obtained it. This time, Larholm reported his discovery as an "Internet Explorer 0day Exploit," by virtue of the fact that IE was the attack vector he originally discovered.
AllofMP3 Owner Faces Fines, Jail Time
Russian authorities are seeking jail time for Denis Kvasov, the owner of AllofMP3.com, along with paying restitution to EMI, Warner, and Universal. Kvasov could face up to three years in prison, plus fines of 15 million rubles ($590,000 USD) if the courts rule in the prosecutors' favor. AllofMP3 closed last month after Russian authorities clamped down on the site.
It's not clear, however, if AllofMP3 is completely out of business. Mediaservices launched a new site, MP3Sparks.com, which is essentially identical to that of AllofMP3. Russia has a vested interest in seeing AllofMP3 shut down: its entry into the World Trade Organization was predicated on cracking down on piracy. The site was even mentioned specifically in the list of milestones that the country would have to meet in order to be allowed into the trade body.
The YouTube Debates: Whose Platform Is It Anyway?
After a plethora of user-submitted videos that served as fuel for the banter among the eight Democratic presidential candidates at yesterday's CNN/YouTube political debate at the Citadel in South Carolina, the unasked question today remains this: Is it really a debate?
Granted, the task of situating eight candidates together for a two-hour political spectacle is in itself a logistical nightmare. In the interest of fairness, time has to be precisely allocated. Thus, producers measure the intervals they allot for candidates' responses in seconds rather than minutes. That fact alone prompts candidates to practice appropriate, attention-grabbing responses to questions well ahead of time. Spontaneity typically languishes after having been encapsulated within sound bites.
Visual Studio 2008 Beta 2 Coming Thursday
Microsoft will announce Thursday morning the release of Visual Studio 2008 Beta 2. According to Scott Guthrie, the general manager of Microsoft's Developer Division, the release will be nearly feature complete and will likely be the last major release before the product is released to manufacturing in preparation for its launch on February 27, 2008.
Beta 1 of Visual Studio 2008 -- code-named "Orcas" -- was released in April, and brings with it features aimed at development for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. Version 3.5 of the .NET Framework will accompany the release. "VS 2008 and .NET 3.5 Beta 2 (which will be out later this week) are pretty much feature complete," said Guthrie. "We'll do some small features additions/chanegs based on new feedback on Beta 2, but 99% of the features are all there."
Microsoft to Compete with Google Analytics
Microsoft has offered a glimpse of its upcoming competitor to Google Analytics, which currently goes by the code-name "Gatineau." The service promises to offer features beyond Google's and Beta 1 is expected to go live later this summer.
According to Ian Thomas, who works in Microsoft's Digital Advertising Solutions group, "Beta 1 will include the ability to segment data by both age and gender buckets, so you can get more of an idea of what kind of visitors you have." Thomas says the information is obtained anonymously through cookies, although privacy advocates will surely ask questions when Gatineau launches.
Palm Seeking Treo Beta Testers
Palm is seeking Treo smartphone users to help test out a new product that is designed for busy professionals that are constantly on the go and are looking for the best in communications tools. The company won't provide many details, but testers will need to be available for the next 3 to 4 weeks.
The only requirements of the beta are that participants currently use a Treo smartphone and have access to a computer they use for syncing. Palm typically beta tests many of its products before taking them to market, including new Treo phones as well as new software, including updates to Palm OS. Those interested can sign up to join the beta through Centercode.
Netlfix Site Fails Amid Customer Losses
Netflix took a double hit on Tuesday, as its Web site outage moved into a second day, and it reported the first quarterly customer losses in its history.
The online rental firm's site had been down since Monday evening due to "unanticipated problems," although the company declined to elaborate on the issue. A message on the site said the company expected the site to return by 4pm Eastern Time Tuesday.
AOL Buys Ad Targeting Firm Tacoda
AOL said Tuesday it had entered into an agreement to acquire Tacoda, a company that specializes in offering behavioral targeted advertising.
Tacoda, which was founded in 2001, will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of AOL. It follows the Dulles, Va. based company's acquisition of ad serving company AdTech earlier this year.
DRM-Free MP3s Coming to Yahoo, URGE
MusicNet, the company that powers the song libraries of Yahoo! Music Unlimited and URGE, said Tuesday that it will make available over 1 million tracks in MP3 format without digital rights management. The move follows Apple offering DRM-free songs in its own AAC format through iTunes.
Like Apple, MusicNet will offer the song catalog of EMI -- the only top record label currently willing to drop DRM requirements -- as well as several leading independent labels including Righteous Babe, Nettwerk, Madacy, Nitro, and others. By using the MP3 format as opposed to Windows Media, MusicNet will enable customers of Yahoo and URGE to transfer their songs to practically any portable media player they choose. Pricing and a specific launch date for the MP3 option has not been set, but MusicNet said it will happen this quarter.
146,000 iPhones Activated in First Two Days
Although Apple won't announce its quarterly earnings that will include the first two days of iPhone sales until Wednesday, AT&T said Tuesday that it had activated 146,000 iPhones on the 29th and 30th of June, far below analyst expectations.
Initial figures estimated weekend iPhone sales to range from 300,000 to upwards of 700,000 - with the majority falling around 500,000. Unless most activations came Sunday July 1 or Monday July 2, which is unlikely, those lofty expectations were not met. Apple's stock fell 5% in early trading Tuesday due to the news.
Acer: PC Industry Disappointed with Vista
In an interview with Financial Times Deutschland, the president of global #3 PC manufacturer Acer once again conveyed his overall disappointment with the lack of contribution he believes Microsoft's Windows Vista provides to PC sales. Though Gianfranco Lanci's comments were only briefly excerpted, for the first time, Lanci purported to speak not just for Acer but for his competitors as well, telling the paper, "Die gesamte Industrie ist enttäuscht über Windows Vista." ("The entire industry is disappointed with Windows Vista.")
Most likely, Lanci's comments were in Italian and translated into German. But a summary of his explanation by FTD points to two factors, the second being what he characterized as Vista's relative instability and lack of maturity. Lanci and other manufacturers had apparently hoped for a surge in sales comparable to what Windows XP and its predecessors provided.
Nokia Buys Media Sharing Site Twango
Nokia, which has tried to build its own mobile-oriented Web sites like Lifeblog, has acquired media sharing site Twango with the intention of making it easy for Nokia phone users to upload and access photos, videos and other documents.
Twango is similar to Flickr, but supports a variety of multimedia content types and uses "channel" terminology instead of the photo "sets." Nokia hopes users of its fancy N-Series multimedia phones will use the site as their primary social network. It is unclear if Nokia plans to change Twango's branding, although the company says, "As we grow Twango into a global service we may decide on a name that is more suitable."
$100 Laptop to be Sold Commercially
The One Laptop Per Child Foundation indicated Monday that it might begin selling a version of the "$100 laptop" it is now producing for educational use. The system would become available by the holiday season for a price of about $350 USD, according to representatives from the company. A commercial version of the laptop has long been talked about, but until now the group had dismissed the idea.
At that price tag, the laptop would cost approximately twice the amount it costs to produce. Although it is not explicitly said, the profits would likely go towards the production of the devices for the educational sector. Initially, the commercial launch of the laptop would be for around 3 million units, with production to begin in October. "Our whole goal is to maximize the number of units shipped," OLPC technology officer Mary Lou Jepsen told Reuters.
US, China Bust Huge Software Piracy Ring
Raids in the southern region of China have exposed a 2 billion dollar global software piracy syndicate, believed to be one of the largest in the world.
The FBI and China's Public Security Bureau led the investigation. Microsoft, as well as its customers and partners, also assisted in providing information, which led to the arrests and confiscation of the software of those involved.
$300 TiVo HD Officially Announced
TiVo on Tuesday confirmed the speculation: it is launching a $299 version of its high-definition digital video recorder that includes much of the same feature set found in its $799 predecessor. The new set-top box, dubbed "TiVo HD," goes on sale in August.
Instead of a 250GB drive, TiVo HD will include 160GB of space, which amounts to 20 hours of HD recording instead of 30 hours, and 180 hours of standard-definition recording as opposed to 280 hours. It also loses the original Series3's OLED display, THX certification, and glossy, backlit remote.
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