MS bows to pressure for fix

Microsoft has announced the release of an official fix for the latest Windows vulnerability ahead of schedule, in response to pressure from security experts and growing criticism fuelled by the release of an unofficial patch by an independent developer.

Red Herring says MS had planned to release the update on Tuesday (10 January) as part of its monthly security fix releases, but some security experts warned the delay could put millions of users at risk from viruses, worms, and spyware, resulting in the decision by MS to release and emergency patch.

eWeek reports the emergency fixes have been included in the MS06-001 bulletin and apply to users of Windows 2000 SP4, Windows XP SP1 and SP2, and Windows Server 2003 SP1. There are no free patches for Windows 98, Windows ME and pre-SP4 versions of Windows 2000.

On 27 December, security experts discovered a risk to users from programs that exploit a flaw in the Windows Meta File (WMF) code area of the Windows operating system. The vulnerability allows hackers to embed malicious software into image files on Web sites.

Yahoo is expected to announce today that its e-mail, instant messenger, photo and other services will be available on mobile phones and PC-connected TVs, as well as on PCs, without using a browser, reports News.Com.

Yahoo Go Mobile is a set of communications and media applications, including Yahoo Mail, Yahoo Messenger, Photos, calendar, address book, Web and image search, news, sports and finance that will be preloaded on Nokia Series 60 mobile phones and available in 10 countries worldwide.

The report says Yahoo Go TV will make entertainment-related services available on any PC-connected TV through a small downloadable application on the PC, bringing a suite of services to personal computers that do not rely on a browser.

Norwegian open-source consultancy Zegenie Studios has created an online quiz that helps new users decide which version of Linux to install.

Zegenie Studios says its quiz is attracting up to 40 000 hits a day, mainly from home users or company employees seeking advice on which Linux distribution best meets their needs, reports News.Com.

The quiz asks questions such as whether participants plan to use wireless devices, how they rate their technical skills and whether they are installing the operating system on a desktop or portable computer. Once the quiz is complete, the application recommends one particular Linux distribution and lists a number of alternative distributions, along with the criteria they failed on.

Researchers in Scotland are wiring up lampposts with solar panels and WiFi technology to provide renewable street lighting and solar powered wireless broadband. The Register says the pilot project at the University of Abertay in Dundee is based on technology developed for disaster recovery services in the Third World.

If successful, the scheme will provide a free energy source to light Britain`s streets, with any excess energy generated resold to the national grid.

With a wireless broadband box bolted on, it could also be a way to supply high-speed broadband services to homes and businesses. Developers say the new photovoltaic technology means that no local community needs to be without reliable, economic street lighting with the added benefit of WiFi technology.