An issue with how QuickTime handles JavaScript in conjunction with a MySpace vulnerability is spreading through the popular social networking site, security firm Websense reports.

The video and the associated script will change links within the infected user's profile to links to phishing sites. In addition, it places itself on the profile in order to infect others. Viewing the video on another's MySpace profile would infect the viewers own, the firm said.

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In a clear sign that last year's restructuring of Linux' principal Open Source Development Labs hasn't yet stopped, another nine of the group's 29 full-time employees were let go, as first reported by Joe Bronkmeier of Linux.com.

Following them will be the group's CEO, Stuart Cohen, who told reporters today the purpose of his leaving is unrelated. However, in a statement first released to open source news sources, Cohen said one reason for the current round of OSDL reshuffling is in order for the labs to devote more resources for legal defense.

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As expected, Microsoft on Monday released a Community Technology Preview of WPF/E, the company's so-called "Flash killer." But perhaps more important than the implication for Flash is Microsoft's contention that the difference between Windows and the Web is disappearing.

Specifically, WPF/E is a subset of the Windows Presentation Foundation that utilizes cross-browser Web technologies and is designed to run on multiple operating systems and even mobile devices. Like Flash, WPF/E works as a browser plug-in and can display vector-based graphics, animation and video.

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A two-month stalemate among commissioners of the US Federal Communications Commission regarding the proposed merger of AT&T and regional provider BellSouth may be reluctantly broken by one commissioner who had earlier recused himself, having previously served as counsel for a firm that lobbied on behalf of AT&T's competitors.

It could be the largest merger in American history, currently valued at $82.2 billion. It could also be the most costly irony in history, as some government regulators, legislators, and the whole of the Dept. of Justice is actively behind a deal to sew back together what the 1984 divestiture order made the former AT&T Corp. tear from its ribs: the southeastern US service arm of the former Bell System.

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While many may have not understood exactly what the Windows Presentation Foundation meant for Vista, a new application from Microsoft to visualize RSS feeds may provide a glimpse into the future.

Several WPF features are shown off in the example, including 3D animation functionality, data binding and data visualization, While the current version uses the RSS folder in IE7, future versions would allow for feed management within the software

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Hoping to break into the nascent local search market, Ask on Monday introduced AskCity, an application that brings together several different search categories into a single service.

From the same interface, users would able to search for businesses, events, and movies. In addition, they would also be able to get directions to search results. The company is betting the integration will draw users away from its competitors, such as Google Maps, Yahoo! Local, and Microsoft's Windows Live Local.

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Microsoft's new development suite for designers became a reality Monday, with the final release of Expression Web, one of Expression Studio's four components. The other three -- Blend, Design and Media -- will follow in Q2 2007.

First officially announced at PDC 2005, Expression was built to usher in a new generation of applications both in Windows and on the Web. With the impending launch of Windows Vista, Microsoft wants to make sure developers have the tools to create the user experiences it hopes will draw customers to the new operating system.

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After a five-year absence, during which financial cable network CNBC provided occasional insights for a partner site generally judged to be less than competitive, the network has come back swinging this morning.

Along with it, CNBC.com brings back to the Web its trademark silver-and-blue stock ticker - although this time it actually works. In a prior incarnation, CNBC.com had been picked to help Microsoft premiere the concept of ActiveX controls, with a ticker geared for use only with Internet Explorer. At that time, Netscape Navigator was still a major force on the Internet. It was to have been one of the key selling features of Microsoft's original Active Desktop concept, but the stock ticker -- probably through no fault of its own -- ended up downgrading investors' opinions of ActiveX altogether, especially following numerous crashes.

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A spokesperson for the US Dept. of Homeland Security told the Associated Press this morning that the US-CERT preparedness team is monitoring a so-called "Jihadist Web site," following postings calling for online attacks on US financial sites sometime this month.

The US-CERT Web site has not been updated with more information than what was reported by the AP: essentially that the agency is now seriously monitoring a site that has called for online retaliation against the US' continued holding of Muslims in a holding facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

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One of the major contributors to the leading open source alternative to the Microsoft Office Suite announced early this morning it will be offering additions to OpenOffice enabling it to support Office 2007's new XML-based Office Open XML format, not as the default, but as an alternative for reading and writing .DOCX files.

For its share of this morning's statement, Microsoft began referring to its suite's format without the word "Office," using instead the designation "Ecma Open XML." Last Wednesday, a version of that format was submitted for general approval by the ECMA standards organization - the same one which helped Microsoft institute its version of Netscape's JavaScript as a standard. A vote on approval of Ecma Open XML is scheduled for this Thursday, and today's announcement of Novell's support most likely all but assures its passage.

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In an upcoming version of WordPerfect due in 2007, Corel announced this week, users will have the options of reading and writing in both Microsoft Office Open XML format (introduced in Office 2007) and OpenDocument Format (ODF). Will WordPerfect become the ODF word processor of record? Corel's answer was surprising.

Last year, Corel -- the manufacturer of WordPerfect Office X3 -- withheld its suite's support for the OpenDocument Format (ODF) for reasons which many at first failed to understand. Corel was, after all, one of the companies that catalyzed the very creation of the format, with its open and vocal support of the OASIS standards group that produced it. Some speculated that Corel's sudden reticence was merely a tip of the hat to Microsoft, which had earlier made a financial investment in the company.

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Microsoft said Friday that it had settled a patent infringement suit with peripherals maker Belkin. The Redmond company sued Belkin in August, saying it infringed on patents surrounding U2 technology, which allows peripherals to automatically determine if they need a USB or PS/2 connection. At the time, Microsoft complained to the International Trade Commission that Belkin was refusing to enter into licensing talks.

As part of the arrangement, Belkin would license the U2 patents in exchange for settling any litigation. Further terms of the deal were not disclosed, although the complaint asked for no financial damages. U2 has already been licensed to other manufacturers, such as Targus and Fellowes.

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Microsoft is providing a free virtualized copy of Windows XP SP2 to assist developers in migrating IE6 applications to IE7. However, it will only work until April 1, 2007.

The time-limited Virtual PC image would come with a pre-activated copy of Windows XP SP2, Internet Explorer 6, and the Internet Explorer 7 Readiness Toolkit. Microsoft says that the solution is the only supported method for running both versions of the browser side-by-side.

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UPDATE 2:45 pm December 1, 2006: A spokesperson with the US Dept. of Justice this afternoon confirmed to BetaNews the existence of an investigation into possible antitrust and anti-competitive practices in the graphics card industry. That statement is important, because some companies involved in the graphics component industry are not card producers - case in point, Intel, which may not be a party if the phraseology is accurate.

The spokesperson added that the DOJ is not willing to say how many companies are actually involved in the investigation, leaving open the possibility that other companies -- perhaps much smaller producers, perhaps suppliers to ATI and nVidia -- may be party to present or futute subpoenas. Beyond that, the spokesperson could give no further comment, nor has the DOJ scheduled any formal statement on the matter at present.

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In its response November 20 to a subpoena it received in October from Google, seeking information Google claims is relevant to its defense against two lawsuits concerning the legality of its plans for developing an electronic library of literary works, attorneys for Yahoo argue that their client is not actually developing a competing project.

Instead, the legal brief claims Yahoo is merely financially backing a project in which plaintiffs in the case against Google are involved, and does not exercise any authority over that project. Though the brief does not state so explicitly, language scattered throughout also implies that Yahoo is not necessarily the online host of this project.

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