Verizon broadens Microsoft hold on internet broadcasting
by brian_turnerVerizon Communications have joined the growing list of ISPs who will be using Microsoft software to support the ever building foundations for internet broadcasting.
Other telecommunications companies have already been developing important close working relationships with Microsoft for the development and deployment of internet video broadcasting.
BellSouth has already been trialling Microsoft’s software, and SBC Comminications [...]
Cisco triple router vulnerabilities in IOS
by brian_turnerA triple whammy in Cisco IOS could hit companies who don’t upgrade their router software.
The issue revolves around Denial of Service (DoS) attacks originating from the the processing of malformed protocols – namely IPv6, Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) and Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) packets.
A report on the exploits is available at Multiple Denial-of-Service Vulnerabilities in [...]
MySQL worm goes on rampage – is shut off at source
by brian_turnerA worm that exploited Windows installations of MySQL wraeked havoc yesterday as it spread rapidly across the internet.
Known as the MySpooler worm, it attempts to force its way in with a database of potential passwords, and once in it uses the the MySQL UDF Dynamic Library exploit to upload malicious code from an IRC channel [...]
BBA: 5 year low on mortgage lending
by brian_turnerThe British Bankers’ Association (BBA) has reported in 2004 annual mortgage lending was similar to 2003 that the increases in lending for 2003 have been effectively matched by an equivalent downturn in 2004.
The BBC also points out in Mortgage approvals plummet by 38% that this is the seventh month’s in fall in lending in a [...]
January 27, 2005
Allders in administration
by brian_turnerShopping chain Allders went into administration late yesterday.
Efforts continue to find a buyer for the chain, which has been forcing losses despite a management shake-up 2 years ago.
With a rich string of developments, a deal of sorts is almost inevitable, though staff at the company can only be worried.
January 26, 2005
Sun Solaris goes open source
by brian_turnerSun Microsystems, a niche competitor to Microsoft in software applications for desktop computers and servers, as well as the developer of Java, has announced that the latest version of its Solaris operating system will be released as open source.
The code is due in the second quarter and will be releasewd under the Common Development and [...]
Google censors staff?
by brian_turnerIn a move being widely interpretated as censorship of staff, a critical blog started by a new employee at Google has been removed.
As covered by The FULL Mark Jen Google Blog – The Blog Google tried to Gag, Mark Jen was – until recently – employed by Microsoft, working as a Software Development Engineer on [...]
Linux Mandrake patches released
by brian_turnerA raft of patches for Linux Mandrake and its software applications, including a kernel fix, have been released today by Mandrakesoft.
The patches include no less than 5 deemed “highly critical” to prevent remote user access to a vulnerable machine.
However, despite the need for the patches, Linux machines remain better protected than Windows machines.
According [...]
W3C issue XML & SOAP standards guidelines
by brian_turnerThe W3C consortium, a body that develops internet accessibility standards, has released a new set of standards guidelines for use with XML and SOAP applications.
XML-binary Optimized Packaging (XOP), SOAP Message Transmission Optimization Mechanism (MTOM) and Resource Representation SOAP Header Block (RRSHB) are all designed to help bridge the use and development of binary data with [...]
MovableType 3.15 patches exploit
by brian_turnerMovableType have released MT 3.15, which addresses a serious exploit that could leave all versions as old as 1.0 vulnerable.
The vulnerability allows a third-party to use the popular blogging software to send out mass e-mail spam.
The vulnerability does not affect their online Typepad service.
January 25, 2005
Firefox developer moves to Google
by brian_turnerFirefox project development manager, Ben Goodger, announced in the simply titled Changes that he is now employed by Google – but that he will continue work on Firefox.
The move will inflame continued speculation that Google are planning to release their own browser based on Mozilla technology.
A Firefox 1.1 release is expected to be a [...]
Video search launched
by brian_turnerGoogle and Yahoo! both released beta versions of video search today, starting what will ultimately be a very hard run race to conquer internet video & digital media.
Google video search comes in the form of a subdomain, while the Yahoo! video search exists as a tab on the usual Yahoo! search bar.
Interestingly, both search companies [...]
US budget deficit to $367 billion
by brian_turnerUS Federal officials announced today that the government’s budget deficit is already expected to reach $368bn (’197bn) for the year.
This is worse than market expectations, and is compounded by that fact that planned tax breaks, pension reform, and increased spending for Iraq, have not yet been factored into the existing figures. When accounted for, these [...]
January 24, 2005
Google preparing to release AdWords API
by brian_turnerTom Foremski explains in Google to provide AdWords API to Advertisers how Google are about to announce major changes in the Google AdWords program, that will allow AdWords marketers far more control over their advertising.
According to the report, these new features should allow far greater publisher control of the delivery, timing, and pricing of ads, [...]
Google search: now 32 words counted
by brian_turnerGoogle recently – and without announcement – increased the number of words counted in a search query from 10 to 32.
This change applies to Google’s web search, image search, and Froogle, and also has applications for the Google API.
However, the 10 word limit remains in force for Google Groups.
Google to offer internet phone services?
by brian_turnerIn Google gears up for a free-phone challenge to BT Elizabeth Judge at the Times speculates that Google could be building up a communications infrastructure that at some point could be opened up to launch a free internet telephone service.
The ideas arise primarily from a job advertisment for the company for a ?gstrategic negotiator?h to [...]
January 22, 2005
Muslim activists target tasteless advertising
by brian_turnerThe advertising proclivity towards greater and greater nudity in advertising has crashed into Muslim sensitivities.
With public nudity often frowned upon within Islam, advertising hoardings that display nudity within disinctly Muslim areas are being repeated vandalised, with advertising messages being defaced or simply torn down.
East London, Birmingham, Luton, and Bury, are all areas where advertising hoardings [...]
Apple explodes mass marketing
by brian_turnerSPECIAL REPORT
After decades of developing a reputation for class – at a price – IT company Apple are finally breaking into the mass consumer market. Today, at 9am, shops will open up Apple’s newest point of attack: the Mac Mini.
Forcing their way on products such as the Mac Mini, iPod, and iPod shuffle, the ultimate [...]
Google Gasoil connection?
by brian_turnerGasoil Inc, by its filings, could be expected to be just another small Texan pretro-chemicals company listed in the Texas Oil & Gas records of the RRC.
In reality, the company is own and run by the giants of Google in what is mostly a mirror of their own executive board:
company President is filled by [...]
House prices beyond first-time buyers
by brian_turnerThe Halifax reports that first-time buyers cannot afford property in nearly 95% of the UK.
The study covered 597 main UK postal towns, and defined a town as unaffordable for first-time buyers if the average property price was more than 4.37 times the average salary.
The problem was particularly serious in the south and south-east, while Scotland [...]