February 03, 2006, 3:03 PM PST
Firefox 1.5 security update available
Posted by: Robert Vamosi

A new update from Mozilla for its popular Firefox Internet browser patches a total of eight security vulnerabilities. Computer security vendor Secunia rates the 1.5.0.1 update as critical for current and future Firefox users. Secunia reports the update includes fixes for the JavaScript engine and the ability to inject arbitrary XML and JavaScript code in "localstore.rdf."

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February 03, 2006, 11:46 AM PST
The Geek in Review: 1/30 - 2/3
Posted by: Tim Moynihan

• Between this year's Super Bowl and last year's, any remaining Steagles fans must be in heaven. Stillers vs. 'Hawks for all the marbles this Sunday. Plus, expensive commercials. Last chance to make a vat of seven-layer dip and get your TV ready.

• It's getting harder and harder to tell the difference between rappers and computer viruses. This week's big security threat, the Kama Sutra worm--a.k.a. MyWife, Blackworm, Nyxem, CME-24, GREW, and Tearec--has more aliases than the Wu-Tang Clan, Kool Keith, and MF Doom combined. But yo, CME-24 better bring its A game to the mic next time, aiight? 'Cuz its debut joint was mad overhyped, son. For real. Ain't even on the same page as Sober, MyDoom, Netsky, or Sobig, nawmsayin'?

• Somewhere in a Motorola factory lies a dusty box filled with unused vowels. The company released its new iTunes phone this week, the semi-pronounceable Slvr, and Kent German says it's not too shabby. The Slvr joins Motorola's other vowel-challenged handsets, the Razr, the Pebl, the Rokr E1, and the upcoming Rokr E2. This disturbing naming convention suggests that Motorola execs live in a world ruled by Pat Sajak...a world in which vowels cost extra.

• The latest public beta of Internet Explorer 7 is available, and it's already catching hell from pretty much everyone in the world. Despite the fact that it looks and acts like everyone's favorite browser pal, Firefox, it seems IE 7 leaves a few security stones unturned. With the possible exception of the New York Yankees and George W. Bush, does an entity exist that gets criticized more for everything it does than Microsoft? It's almost enough to make you feel bad for them, until you learn that a special computer is needed to count Bill Gates's mad $almon$.

• Everybody loves the idea of an instant-on computer, but it's sadly not a reality yet. Still, you can minimize the time you spend staring at that blinking cylinder-shaped light* while your PC gradually boots up. We have a few tricks to cut your bootup time down significantly. And while you're at it, you might as well defrag your hard drive, bulk up your graphics card, and upgrade those tinny PC speakers to big-time 7.1 surround sound.

* What is that cylinder supposed to represent, anyway? A can of data? If you know, please post a comment below.

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February 03, 2006, 9:59 AM PST
IE 7 Beta 2 flaws reported
Posted by: Robert Vamosi

If you've had trouble installing the public beta for Internet Explorer 7 for Windows XP SP2, you're not alone. Microsoft has admitted that the current beta release available for download conflicts with McAfee Security products, causing both products to crash (although McAfee insists that its protection continues to work despite the incompatibility. Microsoft says it is working to fix this and conflicts other unspecified antispyware apps. Meanwhile security researcher Tom Ferris reports a serious flaw that could be exploited against the beta release. For more details, see the News.com article.

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February 03, 2006, 9:47 AM PST
Dear music industry: here's a clue
Posted by: Molly Wood

So, it's common knowledge that music sales are on the decline due to digital copying and piracy. Right? Not so much. Witness this Ipsos survey: 75 percent of music fans say music is too expensive, and 58 percent say today's music kind of stinks. There's more, and the RIAA should read it. But they'd have to get their heads out of their...sand.

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February 03, 2006, 9:45 AM PST
Provocatively named worm turns out to be a tease
Posted by: Molly Wood

Despite a week of dire warnings, frenzied fury at Microsoft for not issuing a patch off its normal monthly release cycle, and of course, all the bad news headline puns (mine included), the Kama Sutra worm has apparently done...well, no serious damage whatsoever. See, I knew the Kama Sutra isn't all it's cracked up to be.

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February 03, 2006, 9:39 AM PST
DSL for $12.99 a month (uh, plus $10)
Posted by: Molly Wood

In their attempts to woo you over from cable, DSL operators are resorting to CRAZY BLOWOUT PRICES!!!! Sort of. AT&T just announced DSL for $12.99 a month for one year, although you have to subscribe to a $10-per-month phone service plan to get it. I did the math for you--that's actually $22.99 a month. Woo?

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February 03, 2006, 6:12 AM PST
Kama Sutra worm fizzles
Posted by: Robert Vamosi

This morning, February 3, 2006, antivirus vendors around the world are reporting that there are no large-scale reports of data loss as a result of the Kama Sutra worm. According to a News.com article most corporations are seeing the worm blocked at the gateway. Home users are another matter. Antivirus vendor F-Secure speculates that as people return home from work later today, we may see some instances of personal computers getting hit.

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