MS confirms Word zero-day flaw

Microsoft's security response centre has confirmed unknown attackers are targeting a second zero-day vulnerability in its Word software program, reports eWeek.

The latest flaw comes days after the software maker issued a security advisory to warn customers against opening Word documents from untrusted sources. The two vulnerabilities are entirely unrelated.

The flaws were discovered during actual code execution attacks against select targets and highlight Microsoft's struggle to cope with gaping holes in one of its most widely used products.

Digital download service, Apple's iTunes, has experienced a collapse in sales revenue this year, according to analyst company Forrester Research, reports The Register.

Secretive Apple does not release iTunes revenue figures, but Forrester conducted an analysis of credit card transactions over a 27-month period. And this year's numbers aren't good.

While the iTunes service saw healthy growth for much of the period, since January the monthly revenue has fallen by 65%, with the average transaction size falling 17%. The previous spring's rebound was not repeated this year.

Mozilla has released the first alpha version of Firefox 3. Named Gran Paradiso, this unstable version is only recommended for developers, reports Tectonic.

Still in its early stages, much of the work being done on the project still involves planning, scoping and assigning of tasks. To view the progress on this or to become involved, visit the Gran Paradiso Planning Centre.

Firefox 3 is scheduled for release before the end of 2007, possibly as early as May. Run on the Gecko 1.9 platform, the new version contains many changes, some of which were held back from the version 2 release.

Research In Motion (RIM) is suing handheld device maker Samsung, claiming the company is causing confusion and diminishing the brand power of RIM's BlackBerry by selling a smartphone known as the BlackJack, reports Tech News World.

In a suit filed in the US District Court for the Central District of California, Waterlook, Ontario-based RIM asked a judge to issue an injunction ordering Samsung to stop selling its BlackJack and Black Carbon lines of phones.

The suit also claims the rival is guilty of "false designation of origin", or of misleading consumers by suggesting the devices are somehow related to the BlackBerry.

China is enforcing more monitoring of online games after some were found to contain banned religious or political material, reports BBC News.

The announcement adds to government controls on Chinese newspapers, television and other media. China has more than 23 million online gamers, generating revenue of more than $850 million a year.

Distributors must now obtain approval before releasing new games, the BBC quotes the Xinhua news agency as saying.