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| From the One Ping Only dept.:Computer scientists say they've discovered a "severe vulnerability"in the world's most widely used software encryption package that allows them to retrieve a machine's secret cryptographic key....The scientists, from the University of Michigan's electrical engineering and computer science departments, said the bug is easily fixed by applying cryptographic "salt"to an underlying error-checking algorithm. The additional randomization would make the attack unfeasible.An OpenSSL official, who asked that his name not be published, said engineers are in the process of pushing out a patch and stressed the attack is difficult to carry out in real-world settings. |
| 'Severe' OpenSSL Vulnerability Reported |
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| From the UI dept.:The new style of Ubuntu is driven by the theme "Light". We've developed a comprehensive set of visual guidelines and treatments that reflect that style, and are updating key assets like the logo accordingly. The new theme takes effect in 10.04 LTS and will define our look and feel for several years....We're drawn to Light because it denotes both warmth and clarity, and intrigued by the idea that "light"is a good value in software. Good software is "light"in the sense that it uses your resources efficiently, runs quickly, and can easily be reshaped as needed. Ubuntu represents a break with the bloatware of proprietary operating systems and an opportunity to delight to those who use computers for work and play. More and more of our communications are powered by light, and in future, our processing power will depend on our ability to work with light, too. |
| A Fresh Look for Ubuntu |
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| From the Competition dept.:Mozilla, faced with new competitive pressures, has begun work on three separate, significant changes to Firefox.First is a new JavaScript engine that--with a transfusion from the project behind Apple's Safari--should run Web-based programs at least 30 percent faster. Second is a new graphics engine for Windows that will take advantage of hardware acceleration for graphics and text. And third is a programming tool to help bring to fruition a new system for Firefox add-ons. |
| Elements of Firefox overhaul arrive for testing |
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| From the Share Our Pain dept.:A lawyer for Microsoft confirmed that the software giant told the US Department of Justice and the European Commission how Google?s business practices may be harming publishers, advertisers and competition in search and online advertising.Dave Heiner, vice president and deputy general counsel at Microsoft, wrote in a blog post on 26 Feb. that in meeting with government agencies to discuss its recently approved search deal with Yahoo, Microsoft officials explained how Google has tilted the mechanics of the search advertising business in its favor.?As you might expect, the competition officials asked us a lot of questions about competition with Google?since that is the focus of the partnership,? Heiner wrote. ?We told them what we know about how Google is doing business. A lot of that entails explaining the search advertising business, which is complex. Some of that inevitably gets into Google practices that may be harming publishers, advertisers and competition in search and online advertising.? |
| Microsoft Was Behind Google Complaints To EC |
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| From the Yeah, More Committees! dept.:The US government?s policy of leaving the Internet alone is over, according to Obama?s top official at the Department of Commerce.Instead, an ?Internet Policy 3.0? approach will see policy discussions between government agencies, foreign governments, and key Internet constituencies, according to Assistant Secretary Larry Strickling, with those discussions covering issues such as privacy, child protection, cybersecurity, copyright protection, and Internet governance. |
| US government rescinds 'leave internet alone' policy |
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| From the Enemy of Crap Software dept.:... the International Intellectual Property Alliance, an umbrella group for organisations including the MPAA and RIAA, has requested with the US Trade Representative to consider countries like Indonesia, Brazil and India for its "Special 301 watchlist"because they use open source software.What's Special 301? It's a report that examines the "adequacy and effectiveness of intellectual property rights"around the planet - effectively the list of countries that the US government considers enemies of capitalism. It often gets wheeled out as a form of trading pressure - often around pharmaceuticals and counterfeited goods - to try and force governments to change their behaviours. |
| When using open source makes you an enemy of the state |
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| From the Copy n Paste dept.:Xerox Corp has sued Google Inc and Yahoo Inc, accusing them of infringing the document management company's patents related to Internet search.In a lawsuit filed last Friday in the U.S. District Court in Delaware, Xerox said Google's Web-based services such as Google Maps, YouTube and AdSense advertising software, as well as Web tools including Yahoo Shopping, infringe patents granted as far back as 2001.Xerox seeks compensation for past infringement and asked the court to halt the companies from further using the technology. |
| Xerox sues Google, Yahoo over search patents |
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| From the Fractions dept.:The Linux kernel would cost more than one billion EUR (about 1.4 billion USD) to develop in European Union. This is the estimate made by researchers from University of Oviedo (Spain), whereby the value annually added to this product was about 100 million EUR between 2005 and 2007 and 225 million EUR in 2008. Estimated 2008 result is comparable to 4% and 12% of Microsoft's and Google's R&D expenses on whole company products. |
| The Billion Dollar Kernel |
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