Rivals attack Apple`s core

Gadget-makers seeking to rival Apple`s iPod have showcased their gizmos at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, reports the BBC. With more people putting these devices on their wish lists, a raft of manufacturers are looking to mount a serious challenge to the best-selling iPod.

Among those taking Apple head-on is Sandisk. The company, better known for making memory cards, has launched a slim, lightweight iPod Nano clone. But it is going one better than Apple, offering its Sansa e200 which can hold up to 6GB of songs or video.

Others are looking to offer up to 30GB. South Korea`s Samsung has its YM-P1 player, while Singapore`s Creative Labs has its Zen Vision: M. Both devices hold 30GB and play video as well as audio.

Google has outlined plans for a video and television Internet service and a package of programs that might break Bill Gates`s stranglehold on the world`s personal computers, reports Xinhuanet.

The service, called Google VideoStore, allows consumers to buy and download video content from providers such as CBS Broadcasting and the National Basketball Association from its Web site.

The initiatives were announced on Friday by Google co-founder and president Larry Page at the closing keynote address of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Page also unveiled the Google Video Player for playing the videos and a new package of free software, Google Pack, designed to provide users with a basic set of applications for using the Internet.

The first Palm Treo Smartphone to run the Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, reports Sys-con.

"We are ushering in a new era of mobile solutions that provide access to e-mail, Microsoft Office applications and many other functions that extend the value of the PC," said Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft.

"Businesses worldwide are using mobile devices to increase their competitive advantage, and they need solutions that are scalable, low-cost and easy to deploy. The Treo 700w showcases the dynamic blend of Palm`s innovative design, Verizon Wireless`s EV-DO network, and the power of Windows Mobile software to connect professionals to their critical information on the go," said Ballmer.

Exploit code for a malicious worm capable of wreaking havoc through Oracle databases has been tweaked and published, prompting a new round of warnings that an actual attack is inevitable, reports eWeek.

Two months after an anonymous researcher released the first public example of an Oracle database worm, the code has been advanced and republished on the Full Disclosure mailing list, adding additional techniques to attack databases. "It`s still very theoretical right now, but I don`t think any DBA should be underestimating the risk," said Alexander Kornbrust, CEO of Red-Database-Security GmbH.

Kornbrust said the tweaked exploit takes the attack beyond the use of known default username/password schemes. "This exploit connects to the Oracle listener and renames the log file. By doing this, he can create a new database account and set up a scenario where the next time the user connects to the database, the code executes."