Wednesday's Word to the Wise

Hurricanes in the Caribbean and storms all over the net. Fortunately, I've got my Poogle to keep me warm.

1. There's a significant security flaw in Windows (where have I heard that before?) that could allow a worm to be hidden inside a JPEG image. The bug is in GDI+ so any application written in Visual Studio or using the .net framework is vulnerable. Microsoft rates this as a critical vulnerability because a hacker could use it to infect your computer without any action on your part. The company has released a fix for Windows via Windows Update, but you'll have to update Office and other applications individually. In addition there's a scanner available that will pinpoint other vulnerable applications.
2. Another reason to run Windows Update: the new sdbot or spybot worm uses the same flaws as Sasser and MSBlast to sneak a password stealing program on your computer without user intervention. Updated systems and those behind firewalls are not vulnerable.
3. The Samba team released two patches today for a flaw that could crash systems running the software. Samba is used on Linux, Mac, and other Unix operating systems to connect to Windows systems. Only Samba version 3 is vulnerable - the current version, 3.07, is safe.
4. A former credit card help desk employee has plead guilty to selling 30,000 credit card numbers, causing $2.7 million in losses. He faces 14 years in prison and a one million dollar fine.
5. Wal-Mart is taking orders for the new Gameboy. Apparently the Nintendo DS will cost $200 and arrives November 30.
6. The British Consumers' Association is complaining to the government that Apple's iTunes Music Store is a ripoff. It costs UK customers about 11 pence more to buy songs than their European cousins (79p vs 120 Euro cents). Apple says blame the British music industry. This doesn't have anything to do with the Beatles' lawsuit does it?
7. Slashdot notes that Firefox is gaining on Internet Exploder. According to the latest Engadget log files, only 57% of their users are using IE. MSIE has a 60% share on Leoville so far this month. Mozilla 25%. Safari 7%. I'm using Omniweb on the Mac these days and I'm lovin' it.