Opera 11.64 closes critical code execution hole
Version 11.64 of the Opera web browser has been released, closing a critical hole that could have been exploited by attackers to inject malicious code into a victim's system. According to the company, some undisclosed formulations of URLs caused the browser to allocate the incorrect amount of memory for storing the address. When the program attempted to store the address, unrelated memory could have been overwritten with an attacker's data, resulting in a crash and the execution of arbitrary code. Read more...
12 percent of younger moms use cellphone during sex: study
Some moms are more into romancing the phone than romancing their mates: 12 percent use their phones during sex, according to a survey.
It takes a bit of imagination — maybe too much, really — to picture that scene, much less the logistics. And it does beg at least a few follow-up questions: Are those moms texting, talking or playing "Words With Friends" during such intimate moments? And if they're talking, are they hands-free, er, that is, wearing a Bluetooth headset? Read more...
Better Late Than Never: Xbox 360 may finally get its own web browser
Of the three major game consoles of the current generation, the Xbox 360 is the only one without its own web browser. It seems like a curious omission, especially considering Microsoft knows a thing or two about surfing the information superhighway. That may all change very soon: The Verge is reporting that Microsoft is not only poised to release a version of its Internet Explorer software on the Xbox 360, but the new surfing tool will come complete with Kinect motion and voice controls. Read more...
Total Film rolls out new ‘fully interactive’ iPad magazine app
Movie magazine Total Film has rolled out an all-new version of its iPad app, featuring interactive pages, full-screen trailers and galleries.
The UK-based magazine is a property of Future Publishing, which owns a slew of other music, gaming and tech titles. The latest incarnation of its movie iOS app was created using its own proprietary FutureFolio software, which is an Apple-approved wrapper for digital products on the Newsstand. Read more...
Samsung launches low-end Windows Phone with 4-inch display
Samsung Electronics Friday unveiled the Samsung Omnia M, a Windows Phone with a 4-inch Super AMOLED display that will first become available in Europe.
Samsung isn't providing any pricing, but the phone's specification suggests it will compete with Nokia's low-end phone, the Lumia 610.
The Omnia M has 384MB of RAM, less than the 512MB found in most Windows Phones. The Lumia 610 has 256MB. Read more...
IllumiShare project connects physical desktops
Attendees at the Conference on Human Factors in Computer Systems (CHI) this week saw a device that looks something like a lamp shade and houses a projector and camera, designed to let a worker share a physical desktop with another, allowing the two to collaborate on a project in ways not otherwise possible.
In one example at the show, two attendees were able to draw a picture of a house, with a pen and paper, simultaneously with each person adding different components. On one side, IllumiShare, a project from Microsoft Research, used a camera to capture the desktop and a projector to display the other side's. That means that each person received real time video of what the other side was doing. Read more...
Mozilla and Google blast IE-only Windows on ARM
Mozilla and Google are crying foul over Microsoft restrictions blocking rivals from Windows 8 on ARM, due later this year.
Firefox-shop Mozilla has branded Microsoft's restrictions a return to the digital dark ages "where users and developers didn't have browser choices".
Harvey Anderson, Mozilla general counsel, accused Microsoft of restricting user choice, reducing competition and chilling innovation by only allowing Internet Explorer to run on Windows RT – unveiled last month by Microsoft as the new name for Windows on ARM (WOA). He said:
Only Internet Explorer will be able to perform many of the advanced computing functions vital to modern browsers in terms of speed, stability, and security to which users have grown accustomed. Given that IE can run in Windows on ARM, there is no technical reason to conclude other browsers can't do the same. Read more...
Facebook launches App Store Center
Facebook is launching an App Center to recommend mobile applications based on demographic preferences as well as user ratings, just as long as they're tied into users' Facebook credentials – with a view to monetising the process eventually, of course.
The App Center won't just recommend mobile apps, it will also showcase web-based applications embedded in Facebook and even other websites, as long as they are based around the Facebook logon. Listing will be free, and users will receive recommendations based on their demographic and history rather than blanket star ratings, so the Center will look different to every customer who enters. Read more...
Facebook file-sharing could be security, piracy nightmare
Facebook has started to roll out a new file-sharing capability -- and Dropbox shouldn't be the only worried party. The addition of a low-security file-sharing tool to the world's most popular social networking site could open a world of security pain on businesses and home users alike.
Facebook's new file-sharing feature enables members of Facebook Groups to upload and download files as large as 25MB, with only two file-type restrictions: no music files (such as MP3s) and no executables (files ending with ".exe"). Beyond that, everything is fair game. Facebook won't police the file swap either; it's entirely up to users to report content that's pirated or dangerous. Additionally, there are no security controls for permitting limited or full access, as you might find on Dropbox. Read more...
California moves to stop employers demanding Facebook passwords
The California assembly passed a bill on Thursday that prevents employers from demanding job applicants' passwords for accounts on Facebook or other social networking sites. The bill passed unanimously and will now head to the state senate. Similar legislation was introduced Thursday in the U.S. Congress.
The legislative moves follow reports that employers have demanded passwords for social sites from job applicants, demanded a walk-through of the content on those sites, or insisted applicants accept a friend request from a member of staff. Read more...