Friday, December 08, 2006 05:00 PM PST
Mozilla today hit an early milestone on the road to the next version of its open-source browser, but the final product is still a year away, developers say.
The Mozilla team released its first alpha release of Firefox 3.0 today, giving Firefox and Web application developers an early look at the next-generation browser. This release is not intended for regular users, not even those who like to play around with early versions of a product, Mozilla said.
The software, code-named Gran Paradiso, comes just six weeks after Mozilla shipped version 2.0 of the browser, but it has already been more than a year in development, according to Mike Schroepfer, Mozilla's vice president of engineering.
3.0 Features
The final version of Firefox 3.0 is expected to be released by the end of 2007. Developers hope that it will be a major step toward making Web applications indistinguishable from programs that are installed on the desktop, Schroepfer said.
Gran Paradiso features better support for a number of graphics standards, such as the Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) language and the Canvas specification, Schroepfer said. "These are fairly major architectural changes to enable us to improve performance."
Firefox 3.0 also supports the Cairo graphics library, which aims to make Web pages look the same whether they are being printed or viewed on a Windows PC, a Macintosh, or a small-screen device.
The Firefox 3.0 plan calls for browsing, bookmarking, and privacy enhancements to be built into the browser, but Schroepfer said there is still a lot of time to work out new features. "It's a bit early to be talking about the user-facing features," he said.
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Blu-ray DVD Drive Annoys Some PlayStation 3 Buyers
Friday, December 08, 2006 04:00 PM PST
Gamers love Sony's new PlayStation 3 for its graphics capabilities and its firepower, but the advanced Blu-ray DVD drive is also annoying some of those same gamers with its steep cost, its production problems that have limited current availability, and its introduction of a format that they have not yet aligned with.
Sony's move to put a Blu-ray drive into the PS3 video game console is part of the Japanese giant's plan in a high-stakes next-generation DVD format war that recalls the fierce Betamax-VHS battle, which Sony's Betamax lost.
This time, Sony's Blu-ray is competing against a rival Toshiba-backed format known as HD DVD.
Strategy Backfiring?
Sony said Blu-ray is part of its long-term plan to position its machine as a home entertainment hub, but some experts say the strategy may be backfiring.
Yankee Group analyst Michael Goodman said that while die-hard gamers will buy the PS3 at any cost early on, buyers who come to the product later will be more price-sensitive.
"Blu-ray is adding $150 to $200 to the product. They've created something that is not for today's market. It's not a market driver, it's only driving the price higher," he said.
Watertown, Massachusetts-based Cymfony, which culls trends from posts on Internet sites, reported that positive discussions about HD DVD were 46 percent higher than for Blu-ray in a survey of almost 18,000 posts on blogs, discussion boards, and consumer review sites from October 1 to November 30.
"Negative Blu-ray conversation indicated a lack of consumer trust in Sony, as well as gamer displeasure with selling Blu-ray in association with PlayStation 3," said Jim Nail, a spokesman for Cymfony.
Hollywood studios and consumer electronics makers are hoping that high-definition DVDs, with better picture quality and interactive features, will reignite the slowing market for DVD sales. But the format war, technical issues, and the advent of digital video-on-demand services are creating hurdles for the new DVDs and players.
Turning Point?
Andy Parsons, a spokesman for the Blu-ray Disc Association, called the launch of the PS3 a "turning point" for the format.
"Blu-ray's here to stay. The likelihood of people using PS3s as DVD players is significant, particularly when you're talking about [the] millions of consoles Sony expects to sell," he said.
There is a good precedent for Blu-ray: Sony's PlayStation 2, currently the dominant game console with more than 106 million sold, helped push the standard DVD format. The PS2 came to market in 2000, about three years after the DVD was first launched.
"We think the same will happen with the PS3 and Blu-ray," Parsons said.
In the gaming console war this holiday season, Sony's PS3, priced at around $600, faces two main competitors in Microsoft's Xbox 360, which costs about $400, and Nintendo's Wii, costing about $250.
Microsoft and HD DVD
Microsoft recently added an optional HD DVD player and began offering full-length film and TV downloads in high-definition via its Xbox Live online gaming service.
Mark Knox, a spokesman for the HD DVD consortium, said offering HD DVD as an add-on was an important distinction.
"We know that every HD DVD drive being sold to Xbox users is being used to watch films. They're not being forced to buy it," he said. "Every PS3 includes a Blu-ray drive, but that doesn't mean every gamer wants to watch a movie on PS3."
John Davison, editorial director of 1Up Network, a gaming network with 13 million monthly unique visitors, said most gamers are not interested in viewing films on the PS3.
"PS3 will live and die by the games it plays. The fact it's a DVD player is a bonus, but not why people bought it," he said.
Security Hole Found in Windows Media Player
Friday, December 08, 2006 08:00 AM PST
Users are being advised to disable a certain type of file in Microsoft's Windows Media Player software following the discovery of a new security hole in the software.
Windows Media Player versions 9 and 10 are affected by the flaw, which could allow a malicious hacker to run unauthorized software on a victim's PC or cause a denial of service attack, according to security company FrSIRT, which rated the problem critical in an advisory Thursday.
The flaw is due to a buffer overflow error that can occur when Windows Media Player is used to run ".asx" media files, according to a warning from eEye Digital Security.
Such files open automatically in a Web browser, meaning a hacker would need only to post an infected .asx file in a Web page and then try to lure users to visit the page, eEye Digital said. An infected file could also be sent via email, in which case users would need to be persuaded to open it.
Reduce Risk
Microsoft said an initial investigation revealed that the "proof of concept" code could allow an attacker to execute code on a user's machine. It said it was unaware of any attempts to exploit the vulnerability, and it was unclear Friday morning if the proof of concept code it referred to was in the hands of hackers.
Users can protect against the vulnerability in Internet Explorer by preventing it from opening .asx files automatically. Turning off Active Scripting would also greatly reduce, but not eliminate, the risk, Microsoft said. FrSIRT also recommended that users upgrade to Windows Media Player 11, which it said is not affected.
Microsoft was still determining Friday whether it needed to issue an "out of cycle" security fix for the problem or patch it with its next monthly software update.
Zero-Day Exploit
The flaw was originally reported on Nov. 22, when it was identified only as a denial-of-service issue.
Some discussion boards described the problem as a "zero-day exploit," although it was unclear if that was the case. Zero-day exploits occur when exploit code is released on the same day that a flaw is uncovered, giving users no time to protect themselves.
It's been another busy week for Microsoft's security teams. On Tuesday the company warned of an unpatched vulnerability in Word that had been the subject of what it called "limited attacks." And on Thursday it said it was readying several patches for Visual Studio and Windows that it plans to release next week.
The patches currently due for next week do not address the problems with Word and Windows Media Player.
Users are being advised to disable a certain type of file in Microsoft's Windows Media Player software following the discovery of a new security hole in the software.
Windows Media Player versions 9 and 10 are affected by the flaw, which could allow a malicious hacker to run unauthorized software on a victim's PC or cause a denial of service attack, according to security company FrSIRT, which rated the problem critical in an advisory Thursday.
The flaw is due to a buffer overflow error that can occur when Windows Media Player is used to run ".asx" media files, according to a warning from eEye Digital Security.
Such files open automatically in a Web browser, meaning a hacker would need only to post an infected .asx file in a Web page and then try to lure users to visit the page, eEye Digital said. An infected file could also be sent via email, in which case users would need to be persuaded to open it.
Reduce Risk
Microsoft said an initial investigation revealed that the "proof of concept" code could allow an attacker to execute code on a user's machine. It said it was unaware of any attempts to exploit the vulnerability, and it was unclear Friday morning if the proof of concept code it referred to was in the hands of hackers.
Users can protect against the vulnerability in Internet Explorer by preventing it from opening .asx files automatically. Turning off Active Scripting would also greatly reduce, but not eliminate, the risk, Microsoft said. FrSIRT also recommended that users upgrade to Windows Media Player 11, which it said is not affected.
Microsoft was still determining Friday whether it needed to issue an "out of cycle" security fix for the problem or patch it with its next monthly software update.
Zero-Day Exploit
The flaw was originally reported on Nov. 22, when it was identified only as a denial-of-service issue.
Some discussion boards described the problem as a "zero-day exploit," although it was unclear if that was the case. Zero-day exploits occur when exploit code is released on the same day that a flaw is uncovered, giving users no time to protect themselves.
It's been another busy week for Microsoft's security teams. On Tuesday the company warned of an unpatched vulnerability in Word that had been the subject of what it called "limited attacks." And on Thursday it said it was readying several patches for Visual Studio and Windows that it plans to release next week.
The patches currently due for next week do not address the problems with Word and Windows Media Player.
IBM Sues Mainframe Company For Patent Infringement
Friday, December 08, 2006 07:00 AM PST
Platform Solutions, a company that makes a system that allows IBM mainframe operating systems to run on Itanium-based hardware, is facing a lawsuit from Big Blue.
IBM filed a federal lawsuit against Sunnyvale, Calif.-based PSI alleging patent infringements and breach of contract, according to the lawsuit filed late last month in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
The lawsuit cites letters between the two companies disagreeing over licensing issues. The correspondence extends back several years, but IBM said the dispute came to a head when PSI began lining up customers.
Beta users include Lufthansa Systems, and general product availability is planned for early next year, according to PSI.
Antitrust Threats
PSI technology allows z/OS and OS/390 operating systems and applications to run on Itanium systems. In its lawsuit, IBM said it is refusing to license its operating systems for that use.
"IBM has a strong interest in ensuring that z/OS is not used on computer systems with which z/OS is not fully compatible or used in ways that have the potential to undermine either the reputation of z/OS for accuracy, data integrity, and reliability or customers acceptance of z/OS for mission-critical applications," the company said in the lawsuit. IBM refers to PSI's product as an emulator, a characterization disputed by the company, which calls its system an open mainframe computer.
Christian Reilly, PSI's marketing director, said what his company brings is competition on the mainframe platform. "This market is pretty much a sole source for hardware in the z/OS market -- it's a $4 billion market, and customers have expressed a strong demand for choice," he said.
IBM said in its lawsuit that at one point, PSI threatened an antitrust lawsuit. Reilly said that he couldn't comment on the specifics of the lawsuit and that the company has not filed its response yet.
Software Costs A Problem
John Phelps, an analyst at Gartner, said PSI is trying to provide an alternative hardware platform to the mainframe, but "software costs have been the biggest problem in the mainframe space, and I didn't know how they were going to solve software costs."
PSI's executive team includes former Amdahl and IBM executives. Amdahl, which was acquired by Fujitsu in 1997, made IBM mainframe-compatible hardware but didn't produce a 64-bit system for the z/OS.
Platform Solutions, a company that makes a system that allows IBM mainframe operating systems to run on Itanium-based hardware, is facing a lawsuit from Big Blue.
IBM filed a federal lawsuit against Sunnyvale, Calif.-based PSI alleging patent infringements and breach of contract, according to the lawsuit filed late last month in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
The lawsuit cites letters between the two companies disagreeing over licensing issues. The correspondence extends back several years, but IBM said the dispute came to a head when PSI began lining up customers.
Beta users include Lufthansa Systems, and general product availability is planned for early next year, according to PSI.
Antitrust Threats
PSI technology allows z/OS and OS/390 operating systems and applications to run on Itanium systems. In its lawsuit, IBM said it is refusing to license its operating systems for that use.
"IBM has a strong interest in ensuring that z/OS is not used on computer systems with which z/OS is not fully compatible or used in ways that have the potential to undermine either the reputation of z/OS for accuracy, data integrity, and reliability or customers acceptance of z/OS for mission-critical applications," the company said in the lawsuit. IBM refers to PSI's product as an emulator, a characterization disputed by the company, which calls its system an open mainframe computer.
Christian Reilly, PSI's marketing director, said what his company brings is competition on the mainframe platform. "This market is pretty much a sole source for hardware in the z/OS market -- it's a $4 billion market, and customers have expressed a strong demand for choice," he said.
IBM said in its lawsuit that at one point, PSI threatened an antitrust lawsuit. Reilly said that he couldn't comment on the specifics of the lawsuit and that the company has not filed its response yet.
Software Costs A Problem
John Phelps, an analyst at Gartner, said PSI is trying to provide an alternative hardware platform to the mainframe, but "software costs have been the biggest problem in the mainframe space, and I didn't know how they were going to solve software costs."
PSI's executive team includes former Amdahl and IBM executives. Amdahl, which was acquired by Fujitsu in 1997, made IBM mainframe-compatible hardware but didn't produce a 64-bit system for the z/OS.
Pirates Hack Vista's Registration Features
Friday, December 08, 2006 06:00 AM PST
Hackers are distributing a file that they say lets users of the corporate version of Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system get around the software's anti-piracy mechanisms.
Windows Vista must be "activated," or authorized by Microsoft, before it will work on a particular machine. To simplify the task of activating many copies of Vista, Microsoft offers corporate users special tools, among them Key Management Service (KMS), which allows a company to run a Microsoft-supplied authorization server on its own network and activate Vista without contacting Microsoft for each copy.
The software Microsoft.Windows.Vista.Local.Activation.Server-MelindaGates lets users spoof that KMS process, allowing them to activate copies of the enterprise editions of Vista, its creators say. The hacked download is available online on sites including The Pirate Bay and other file sharing sites.
MelindaGates Hack
Microsoft's official KMS offering is available to customers with 25 or more computers running Vista. The machines activate the software by connecting to the KMS server, and must reactivate every six months.
KMS is not the only option that enterprises have for volume activation of Vista: they can also call Microsoft by phone or connect over the Internet to activate the software.
The MelindaGates hack allows users to download a VMware image of a KMS server which activates Windows Vista Business/Enterprise edition, its creators claim.
Microsoft did not respond to requests for comment on the hack.
Aimed At Reduced Piracy
Vista is the first Windows operating system that requires volume users to activate each product. The new activation processes are aimed at reducing piracy.
While one security expert said he isn't surprised that KMS has been cracked, he said the MelindaGates hack offers some insight into piracy.
"This also shows how piracy is not just about kids swapping games," said Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer of F-Secure. "The only parties that would need a KMS crack would be corporations with volume licensing."
Hackers are distributing a file that they say lets users of the corporate version of Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system get around the software's anti-piracy mechanisms.
Windows Vista must be "activated," or authorized by Microsoft, before it will work on a particular machine. To simplify the task of activating many copies of Vista, Microsoft offers corporate users special tools, among them Key Management Service (KMS), which allows a company to run a Microsoft-supplied authorization server on its own network and activate Vista without contacting Microsoft for each copy.
The software Microsoft.Windows.Vista.Local.Activation.Server-MelindaGates lets users spoof that KMS process, allowing them to activate copies of the enterprise editions of Vista, its creators say. The hacked download is available online on sites including The Pirate Bay and other file sharing sites.
MelindaGates Hack
Microsoft's official KMS offering is available to customers with 25 or more computers running Vista. The machines activate the software by connecting to the KMS server, and must reactivate every six months.
KMS is not the only option that enterprises have for volume activation of Vista: they can also call Microsoft by phone or connect over the Internet to activate the software.
The MelindaGates hack allows users to download a VMware image of a KMS server which activates Windows Vista Business/Enterprise edition, its creators claim.
Microsoft did not respond to requests for comment on the hack.
Aimed At Reduced Piracy
Vista is the first Windows operating system that requires volume users to activate each product. The new activation processes are aimed at reducing piracy.
While one security expert said he isn't surprised that KMS has been cracked, he said the MelindaGates hack offers some insight into piracy.
"This also shows how piracy is not just about kids swapping games," said Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer of F-Secure. "The only parties that would need a KMS crack would be corporations with volume licensing."
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