Archive for May, 2007
A vulnerability that McAfee Avert Labs first warned about last week is now being exploited in the wild, according to VeriSign’s iDefense. At issue are embedded objects in Rich Text Format (RTF) files.Specifically, attackers are sending malicious RTF attachments via e-mail. The e-mail is designed to appear as if it is coming from the Internal Revenue Service. The file, named complaint.rtf, contains a hostile embedded executable called “The original document was not fully loaded. Please double-click to reload msword.exe.”
If the spam recipients, which are executives of major global companies, open the e-mail, the Trojan installs itself to steal sensitive information and upload data to three remote servers, according to VeriSign research.
Click here to read the rest of this story on Sci-Tech Today.
May 31st, 2007
On Wednesday, Apple launched two new elements within its iTunes Music Store: iTunes Plus and iTunes U. Analysts described the new features as an evolutionary move designed to broaden the iTunes user base.The new iTunes Plus offers DRM-free music tracks encoded in AAC at 256 Kbps for $1.29 per song. Plus launches with EMI’s digital catalog, including singles and albums from Coldplay, The Rolling Stones, Norah Jones, Frank Sinatra, Joss Stone, Pink Floyd, John Coltrane, and more than a dozen of Paul McCartney’s classic albums.
“Our customers are very excited about the freedom and amazing sound quality of iTunes Plus,” Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, said in a statement. “We expect more than half of the songs on iTunes will be offered in iTunes Plus versions by the end of this year.”
Click here to read the rest of this story on NewsFactor.
May 30th, 2007
Details of the Microsoft 
-Novell Linux deal inked last November became public this week as the Linux vendor filed its annual report and SEC 10K documents. The filings offer access to the agreement Novell signed with Microsoft to distribute SuSE Linux without any risk of Microsoft patent claims.The regulatory filings also suggest that changes to the General Public License (GPL) could put the kibosh on the distribution deal between the two technology titans. Specifically, Novell’s filing said that proposed revisions to version 3 of the GPL could force it to modify its relationship with Microsoft or “explore alternatives” to the deal.
Here’s the rub: The current draft version of the GPL’s third version clearly states that Linux distributors cannot “convey a covered work if [they] are a party to an arrangement with a third party that is in the business of distributing software” if the arrangement offers patent protection in exchange for cash. That caveat seems to describe the Novell-Microsoft deal perfectly.
Click here to read the rest of this story on CIOToday.
May 30th, 2007
When you think about heatmaps and virtual cities, you probably associate them more with spy games and online ‘worlds’, as opposed to business intelligence and Web analytics. But these days, some innovative developers are putting heatmaps and virtual cities to use to help companies analyze their Web site traffic and increase sales through e-commerce.A growing number of hosted application providers are translating complex concepts into easy-to-understand visual representations — ideal for those number-phobes whose eyes glaze over when confronted with pages of statistics, graphs and charts.
But do these visual applications for Web analytics offer the stats you need to succeed? Or do the charts and graphs leave out critical information that could cause you to miss the point altogether?
“Programs like VisitorVille and Crazy Egg offer eye candy that helps catch people’s attention,” said Bill Gassman, a principal analyst at Gartner. “There is a real demand for Web analytics at the small- to mid-sized business level where solutions offered by WebTrends and Omniture might be too complex — and too expensive.”
Click here to read the rest of this story on NewsFactor.
May 30th, 2007
Over the Memorial Day weekend, the two wayward humpback whales that spent the last two weeks in the Sacramento River Delta made progress toward the Pacific Ocean. The whales, a mother and her calf, traveled approximately 25 miles from Rio Vista to Benicia, according to the U.S. Coast Guard’s latest report.”We are very encouraged by the progress the whales have made in the last 24 hours, but they aren’t home yet,” Rod McInnis, southwest regional administrator for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, Fisheries Service, said in a statement. “They still have a third of their journey to go.”
Click here to read the rest of this story on Sci-Tech Today.
May 29th, 2007
The Federal Trade Commission has launched a preliminary antitrust probe into Google’s proposed $3.1 billion purchase of DoubleClick. The news comes as no surprise to tech industry observers, who expected an investigation into the search giant’s April bid to buy the ad management company.DoubleClick offers a range of digital-advertising solutions, including display advertising, optimization services, and affiliate marketing. The acquisition would give Google an even wider scope of influence in the online advertising world. It also would make Google a more formidable competitor to Yahoo and Microsoft .
The FTC has issued what’s called a “second request” for information, indicating that the agency saw something in the initial filing that warranted further scrutiny. In a published statement on Monday, Google Senior Corporate Counsel Don Harrison said the acquisition does not pose a risk to competition and should be approved.
Click here to read the rest of this story on Sci-Tech Today.
May 29th, 2007
“You must try to generate happiness within yourself. If you aren’t happy in one place, chances are you won’t be happy anyplace.” — Ernie Banks, Baseball Player
May 28th, 2007
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