Apple boosts OS security

Apple has released a major security update to current and previous versions of its OS X operating system, reports InformationWeek.

Mac OS X 10.4.11 is a 70MB update for the Tiger version of its operating system that is available through Apple`s Software Update program, or as a standalone installer.

The update brings Apple`s Safari browser to version 3.0, which previously was available to Apple customers who upgraded to Leopard, or who sought out and downloaded the software.

Comcast`s network management policy is not sitting well with one of its Bay Area subscribers, says PCMag.com. Jon Hart this week filed suit against the cable provider over allegations that Comcast is blocking access to certain file-sharing Web sites.

Hart filed suit in Alameda County Superior Court on Tuesday, accusing Comcast of blocking customer access to peer-to-peer sites like BitTorrent and Gnutella via software that surreptitiously cancels file-sharing connections.

Comcast sends "hidden messages to computers that are running file sharing applications, [which] appear to the computer as coming from the other computers with which it is sharing files, telling it to stop communicating," according to the filing.

IBM plans to release new products next year that will allow organisations to make wider and more efficient use of the computing resources in their data centres, according to PC World.

The idea is to make the resources available in a virtual "computing cloud" so they can be accessed wherever they are needed.

That could mean on a distant server running an e-commerce application during a busy shopping season, or on a desktop in a laboratory that is trying to run a compute-intensive science application.

Microsoft has officially released Windows Live OneCare 2.0, which has been in beta testing since July, reports InformationWeek.

Windows Live OneCare is an online service that provides managed maintenance and security for consumers and small businesses. It offers protection from viruses, spyware and phishing, helps with firewall settings, and coordinates system tune-ups and data backup.

"Customers have told us they want an all-in-one solution for PC care that is simple and easy to use across all the PCs in their home," said Amy Barzdukas, senior director of Windows Live OneCare, at Microsoft, in a statement.