US military plans future computers

Computers that can perform a quintillion calculations per second are being planned by the US military, reveals The BBC.

The Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency has awarded the first grants to firms it wants to build so-called exascale computers.

These will be far more powerful than current top supercomputers, which manage just over one petaflop - 1000 trillion calculations per second.

Apple has patched a critical iOS vulnerability that allows attackers to install malicious apps on iPhones, iPads, and iPod devices by doing nothing more than luring victims to a booby-trapped Web site or sending them a tainted e-mail, reports The Register.

The update plugs a hole in Apple-designed document-viewing software that allows attackers to inject code of their choosing into PDF files. By default, all three devices open the documents automatically when they are encountered in e-mails or on Web sites, leading to a classic browse-and-get-hacked exploit.

A second vulnerability in iOS allows attackers to break out of the iOS security sandbox and access to the OS's root account, which has unfettered access to the device.

Facebook has released a statement about its stance on the controversial topic of Net neutrality - and it's not in agreement with Google, which recently announced a proposal with Verizon Communications in which it recommends that Net neutrality not extend beyond the "public Internet" of wireline networks, says News.com.com.

"Facebook continues to support principles of Net neutrality for both landline and wireless networks," the company's Washington, DC-based policy spokesman, Andrew Noyes, said in a statement.

"Preserving an open Internet that is accessible to innovators - regardless of their size or wealth - will promote a vibrant and competitive marketplace where consumers have ultimate control over the content and services delivered through their Internet connections."

Microsoft has issued its August monthly security update, containing 14 bulletins addressing 34 vulnerabilities in Windows, Office, Internet Explorer and Silverlight, writes Computing.co.uk.

Eight of the 14 bulletins are labelled 'critical', the highest of Microsoft's security alert levels. If exploited, the vulnerabilities could allow an attacker to remotely execute malicious code on a targeted system.

The remaining six bulletins are rated 'important'. These include fixes for elevation of privilege and remote code execution vulnerabilities.