Yahoo Takes Video Search Out of Beta
Yahoo has deemed its new video search ready for primetime, shedding its beta trappings and boasting additional content from CBS News, MTV and more. The move follows the recent expansion of Google Video, still in beta, which has added 14 TV channels to its archive of searchable video content.
With broadband Internet connectivity becoming a staple of most households, search engines are looking for new ways to engage visitors. Video content that once took hours to download can be accessed in mere seconds, providing another avenue of content distribution for publishers and search providers.
Al Gore to Receive Award for Internet
While Al Gore may forever be the punch line of jokes for crediting himself with the creation of the Internet, not everyone is laughing. The Webby Awards plans to give the former vice president a lifetime achievement award on June 6 in New York to commemorate Gore's three decades of work promoting high-speed telecommunications.
The award will be presented by Vint Cerf, who is known as the "father of the Internet" for his work on the TCP/IP protocol. Cerf says Gore is owed thanks for his early contributions while in Congress. For younger generations, Gore's legacy will likely live on through the term he coined for the Internet: "The information superhighway."
Google App Speeds Up Web Surfing
Now that it's mastered loading search results in fractions of a second, Google has opened up its massive computing power to the masses with one goal in mind: to speed up Web surfing. The company has released the Google Web Accelerator, which routes browser activity through Google machines to make Web pages load faster.
Google Web Accelerator employs a number of different methods to speed up Web browsing, including caching frequently looked at pages to make them more accessible. Google will only refresh a Web page when it has been updated, saving the user from reloading content when unnecessary.
Apple Patches 20 Mac OS X Flaws
Apple has issued a major security update for Mac OS X 10.3, comprised of 20 patches for various applications and libraries. The advisory comes just days after the release of Apple's new OS, which is not affected. Security firm Secunia has given the vulnerabilities a cumulative rating of "highly critical."
Specifically, a flaw in the way Apple's AppKit handles TIFF images could lead to arbitrary code execution on an unpatched system.
Opera 8 Surpasses 2 Million Downloads
It may have a long way to go to meet Firefox's 50 million download mark, but Opera Software is touting the success of version 8 of its Opera Web browser, which has surpassed 2 million downloads since its launch two weeks ago. The number represents total downloads across all platforms and languages.
Although download numbers do not necessarily represent actual users, companies have increasingly begun to look to such tallies in order to gauge the success of a product launch. Microsoft has also used the amount of downloads to represent user adoption of Windows XP Service Pack 2.
Apple Refreshes iMac G5, Bundles Tiger
Apple has updated its iMac G5 line with faster 64-bit processors and improved graphics hardware to take advantage of the new capabilities in Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, which is now bundled. Apple has also added built-in Airport Extreme and Bluetooth wireless to the all-in-one Macs that integrate an LCD display.
The new iMac G5 offers a 17-inch or 20-inch widescreen display, which is powered by an ATI Radeon 9600 graphics processor with 128MB of video memory. The top of the line models include a 2.0 GHz G5 processor, with a lower-end model running at 1.8 GHz. Each system includes 512MB of RAM.
MSN Messenger Gets Enhanced Audio
Microsoft announced Tuesday a partnership with Level 3 Communications to enhance audio conversations within MSN Messenger 7, which launched last month. The feature uses voice over IP technology that traverses Level 3's network and works even if users are behind the Windows Firewall that is enabled by default in Windows XP SP2.
"We're pleased to expand our relationship with Level 3. This new technology significantly improves connectivity helping to navigate firewalls and enabling a more seamless experience for our customers," Phil Holden, director of MSN communication services. MSN Messenger 7 also adds video communication using technology developed by Logitech.
Gates Touts Xbox as Entertainment Hub
At the annual meeting of the Society of American Business Editors and Writers Monday, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates talked up the next Xbox as more than just a gaming console. He said the device, code-named Xenon, would serve as a complete entertainment "hub" capable of displaying music, video and pictures.
Although he wouldn't discuss specifics, Gates said Xenon would feature a menu-driven interface similar to Windows XP Media Center Edition. "If you're used to that menu, when you use this Xenon you'll see a menu a lot like that that lets you get photos, TV, music and all those different things," he told reporters.
600 Security Vulnerabilities in Q1 2005
According to a study published Monday by the SANS Institute, more than 600 new security vulnerabilities cropped up in the first three months of 2005. Although Microsoft leads the top 20 most critical security issues, hackers are turning their attention to third party software such as media players and databases.
Vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer, Windows Logon and Microsoft's PNG file handling topped the new list, although Computer Associates and antivirus software from McAfee, Trend Micro, Symantec and more were also susceptible to attack.
Time Warner Loses Employee Records
Time Warner disclosed Monday it had lost tape backups containing personal information of 600,000 employees, becoming the latest in a string of companies to face the potential of identity theft. The tapes were lost by a data storage firm during transport, and Time Warner has called on the Secret Service to investigate.
Time Warner said the tapes were misplaced on March 22 by Iron Mountain when the firm was moving them to an offsite storage facility. Former and current employees are potentially at risk from the loss, but the company said the tapes contained no customer data.
MS Taps Bloggers to Promote Longhorn
With Longhorn Beta 1 slated for June 30, Microsoft is restarting efforts to promote its next generation Windows release with a group of dedicated volunteers. Dubbed "Team 99," the evangelism effort will be composed of bloggers that will become Microsoft's voice to the masses and endeavor to bring the hype back to Redmond.
Team 99 was originally kept a secret, but with its rebirth Microsoft has decided to open the door for community nominations. Initially, about 20 individuals will be selected for the team ranging from developers to power users. The goal is to involve trusted, visible members of Microsoft's blogger community.
Microsoft Settles Nebraska Lawsuit
Microsoft announced Thursday it has settled a class action lawsuit that alleged the software company violated Nebraska's unfair competition and antitrust laws. Members of the class will receive vouchers to be used for software and hardware, with the total settlement amounting to $22.6 million.
Nebraska residents who purchased Microsoft operating systems or Office between February 28, 1997 and December 31, 2002 are eligible to receive the vouchers. Those who submit claims for up to five licenses will not be required to show proof of their purchases.
Skype Beta Released for Smartphones
Internet telephony company Skype has issued a beta client for use on Windows Mobile based smartphones, which could one day enable users to make voice over IP calls using a mobile phone. For now however, the beta release only supports instant messaging and no voice communication.
In a forum posting announcing the beta, Skype project manager Tarmo Tali explained, "CPU power and network connectivity of currently available phones is not sufficient to enable Skype voice calls." Tarmo also warned that the Skype client may use up a significant amount of network bandwidth due to its peer-to-peer capabilities. The company is working on lowering network usage.
What Phishers Know That You Don't
Today's headlines scream about phishing attacks that are stealing financial data, bilking billions from consumers, and contributing to identity theft. These news articles are soon followed by vendor press releases and dubious marketing propaganda seeking to capitalize on the buzzword hysteria.
Security professionals are left trying to separate the truth from the hype while looking to SSL, token authentication, e-mail encryption, A/V scanners, blacklist and take-down services for solutions. Each incident usually gets management very excited about protecting their customers and the brand.
Apple Releases New QuickTime Player
As Mac fans worldwide line up to be the first to receive the new release of OS X known as Tiger, Apple hasn't forgotten those not yet ready to don the stripes. The company has made available a release of QuickTime 7 for Panther users, which brings to the table a new video codec, live resizing and surround sound support.
Apple's H.264 video compression technology, which plays an integral role in Tiger, is an industry standard MPEG-4 codec that will be supported in HD-DVD and Blu-ray next-generation DVD formats. Whether creating video for mobile devices or high-definition playback, Apple claims its new codec provides "astonishing quality."
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