Microsoft Corp. has taken the rare step of warning about a serious computer security vulnerability it hasn't fixed yet.
The vulnerability disclosed Monday affects Internet Explorer users whose computers run the Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 operating software.
It can allow hackers to remotely take control of victims' machines. The victims don't need to do anything to get infected except visit a Web site that's been hacked.
Security experts say criminals have been attacking the vulnerability for nearly a week. Thousands of sites have been hacked to serve up malicious software that exploits the vulnerability. People are drawn to these sites by clicking a link in spam e-mail.
The so-called ``zero day'' vulnerability disclosed by Microsoft affects a part of its software used to play video. The problem arises from the way the software interacts with Internet Explorer, which opens a hole for hackers to tunnel into.
Microsoft urged vulnerable users to disable the problematic part of its software, which can be done from Microsoft's Web site, while the company works on a ``patch'' _ or software fix _ for the problem.
Microsoft rarely departs from its practice of issuing security updates the second Tuesday of each month. When the Redmond, Washington-based company does issue security reminders at other times, it's because the vulnerabilities are very serious.
A recent example was the emergency patch Microsoft issued in October for a vulnerability that criminals exploited to infect millions of PCs with the Conficker worm. While initially feared as an all-powerful doomsday device, that network of infected machines was eventually used for mundane moneymaking schemes like sending spam and pushing fake antivirus software.
Agencies
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Indian CEOs better than their western counterparts
Despite the grappling impact of the global meltdown, Indian firms are in a more favorable position as against other countries like the U.S. Over last few years, Indian business houses have come into focus for their international competitiveness that sets them apart from their western counterparts, as per a survey.
Professor Harbir Singh said, "Our very unique difference is that Indian leaders think in English, thanks to the Western education. But, act in an Indian context. They internalize Western best practices and adapt them to India." The findings are based on a study titled 'The DNA of Indian Leadership: The Governance, Management and Leadership of Leading Indian Firms'. It was conducted by Singh along with his three other Management Professors from the University of Pennsylvania, named Peter Cappelli, Jitendra Singh and Michael Useem. In the study, each India CEO was asked asset of questions about the leadership skills, competitive advantage and corporate governance.
According to R.Gopalakrishnan, the Executive Director at Tata Sons, the Indian executives' strategic thinking, risk taking abilities, flexibility as well as the setting of the shared architecture of the firm were some of the important leadership capacities. They are occupied with long-term strategic vision, talent nurturing and maintaining the organizational culture.
Also, the Indian leaders perceive the role of their firms in the society, rather than prioritizing the investors in the company. But, for the Western CEOs, the shareholders emerge at the top of the priority list.
However, as per the report, some of the Indians CEOs carry a unique management trait- the "jugaad" factor, which is the tendency to resort to an unplanned makeshift in the company. "While this can be perceived negatively, it can also be a positive trait because of its inherent inventiveness and survival instinct," concluded Singh.
Agencies
Professor Harbir Singh said, "Our very unique difference is that Indian leaders think in English, thanks to the Western education. But, act in an Indian context. They internalize Western best practices and adapt them to India." The findings are based on a study titled 'The DNA of Indian Leadership: The Governance, Management and Leadership of Leading Indian Firms'. It was conducted by Singh along with his three other Management Professors from the University of Pennsylvania, named Peter Cappelli, Jitendra Singh and Michael Useem. In the study, each India CEO was asked asset of questions about the leadership skills, competitive advantage and corporate governance.
According to R.Gopalakrishnan, the Executive Director at Tata Sons, the Indian executives' strategic thinking, risk taking abilities, flexibility as well as the setting of the shared architecture of the firm were some of the important leadership capacities. They are occupied with long-term strategic vision, talent nurturing and maintaining the organizational culture.
Also, the Indian leaders perceive the role of their firms in the society, rather than prioritizing the investors in the company. But, for the Western CEOs, the shareholders emerge at the top of the priority list.
However, as per the report, some of the Indians CEOs carry a unique management trait- the "jugaad" factor, which is the tendency to resort to an unplanned makeshift in the company. "While this can be perceived negatively, it can also be a positive trait because of its inherent inventiveness and survival instinct," concluded Singh.
Agencies
Satellite for convergence of cellphones, satellite phones launched
A new satellite designed to allow the convergence of cellphones and satellite phones throughout the U.S. was successfully launched Thursday, mobile communications provider TerreStar announced.
Weighing 6,910 kg, TerreStar-1 is the largest commercial satellite ever and was launched by Arianespace from Kourou, French Guiana Tuesday.
The satellite will deliver voice, data and video services to the entire US. Its 20-metre antennae are large enough to beam satellite signals to mobile phones, which TerreStar hopes to launch later this year. The satellite component will allow users to use voice, email and data communications all over the US, even when there is no cellphone coverage.
"With the successful launch of TerreStar-1, we are redefining the mobile communications landscape," said Dennis Matheson, chief technology officer of TerreStar. "We are creating a new paradigm in mobile broadband network services to enable true ubiquity and reliability - anywhere in the United States and Canada."
Agencies
Weighing 6,910 kg, TerreStar-1 is the largest commercial satellite ever and was launched by Arianespace from Kourou, French Guiana Tuesday.
The satellite will deliver voice, data and video services to the entire US. Its 20-metre antennae are large enough to beam satellite signals to mobile phones, which TerreStar hopes to launch later this year. The satellite component will allow users to use voice, email and data communications all over the US, even when there is no cellphone coverage.
"With the successful launch of TerreStar-1, we are redefining the mobile communications landscape," said Dennis Matheson, chief technology officer of TerreStar. "We are creating a new paradigm in mobile broadband network services to enable true ubiquity and reliability - anywhere in the United States and Canada."
Agencies
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Will struggling British Airways cut spending?
Troubled British Airways said Friday that it would slash capital expenditure by one fifth in the current financial year after posting another sharp drop in monthly passenger numbers.
"Market conditions continue to be very challenging with trading at levels well below last year," the struggling airline said in a trading update.
"In response to the challenging economic conditions British Airways has reviewed its business plan.
"Forecast capital expenditure has been reduced from 725 million pounds to 580 million pounds for 2009-2010 and is likely to remain at that level in 2010-2011."
The airline also announced it carried 2.93 million passengers last month, 4.9 percent fewer than in June 2008.
And BA repeated that it wanted to slash 3,700 jobs in the current financial year, which runs until March 2010. It has already axed 2,500 jobs worldwide over the past year.
BA also revealed that it would delay the delivery of its fleet of Airbus A380 superjumbos and announced more reductions to its summer 2009 and winter 2009-2010 flight schedules.
"The delivery schedule for the first six Airbus A380 aircraft has been extended by an average of five months with the first delivery still due in 2012," the carrier said.
"The schedule for the remaining six A380s has been extended by an average of two years with the final aircraft arriving in 2016."
In May, BA had reported an annual loss of 375 million pounds, blamed on plummeting demand for tickets as well as high fuel costs.
After diving into a financial loss, BA asked staff to work for free, while promising that chief executive Willie Walsh and finance director Keith Williams would forgo their July salaries.
Agencies
"Market conditions continue to be very challenging with trading at levels well below last year," the struggling airline said in a trading update.
"In response to the challenging economic conditions British Airways has reviewed its business plan.
"Forecast capital expenditure has been reduced from 725 million pounds to 580 million pounds for 2009-2010 and is likely to remain at that level in 2010-2011."
The airline also announced it carried 2.93 million passengers last month, 4.9 percent fewer than in June 2008.
And BA repeated that it wanted to slash 3,700 jobs in the current financial year, which runs until March 2010. It has already axed 2,500 jobs worldwide over the past year.
BA also revealed that it would delay the delivery of its fleet of Airbus A380 superjumbos and announced more reductions to its summer 2009 and winter 2009-2010 flight schedules.
"The delivery schedule for the first six Airbus A380 aircraft has been extended by an average of five months with the first delivery still due in 2012," the carrier said.
"The schedule for the remaining six A380s has been extended by an average of two years with the final aircraft arriving in 2016."
In May, BA had reported an annual loss of 375 million pounds, blamed on plummeting demand for tickets as well as high fuel costs.
After diving into a financial loss, BA asked staff to work for free, while promising that chief executive Willie Walsh and finance director Keith Williams would forgo their July salaries.
Agencies
Friday, July 3, 2009
Win Big Prize Money at Facebook Developer Contest
Facebook would become the first social networking site to showcase apps in Hindi as it calls for entries in English and Hindi to showcase web development skills in two categories of Facebook apps & Facebook Connect Integrations
The day for which the Indian developer community had been waiting has finally arrived. Facebook, whose mission is to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected, announced today the launch of ‘Facebook India Developer Contest’ – a contest for Indian developers to showcase their web development skills by creating Facebook applications and Facebook Connect Integrations. The contest began on July 2 and ends on September 11, 2009 and is located at www.facebook.com/developercontestindia.
This is the first time Facebook is organizing a developer contest in India. Entries will be judged on originality, business potential, social utility, usefulness, expressive features, intuitiveness and potential of the application. There are three cash prizes; $4000 for the first place, $2000 for the second place and $1000 for the third, in each of the two categories.
To enter the contest, participants are required to create a Facebook platform application for use on the Facebook site or Facebook Connect integrations in English or Hindi and register their application in the contest’s homepage. The contest is open to Indian residents over the age of 16 with a facebook.com account
Ruchi Sangvi, engineer and manager of the Facebook platform said, “India ranks second in the number of software developers with 3.9 million software developers; we are very excited to engage with the developer community. Facebook has experienced a tremendous growth in India. Through the contest, we hope to see many rich experiences that leverage the social graph and empower Facebook users to share and connect.”
Facebook Connect enables people to combine their Facebook experiences with any participating Website, desktop application or mobile device. When websites incorporate Facebook Connect, Facebook’s more than 200 million active users around the globe can automatically import profile information and bypass the need to build a friends’ list from scratch. More than 10000 websites have incorporated Facebook Connect since its general availability in December 2008.
The day for which the Indian developer community had been waiting has finally arrived. Facebook, whose mission is to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected, announced today the launch of ‘Facebook India Developer Contest’ – a contest for Indian developers to showcase their web development skills by creating Facebook applications and Facebook Connect Integrations. The contest began on July 2 and ends on September 11, 2009 and is located at www.facebook.com/developercontestindia.
This is the first time Facebook is organizing a developer contest in India. Entries will be judged on originality, business potential, social utility, usefulness, expressive features, intuitiveness and potential of the application. There are three cash prizes; $4000 for the first place, $2000 for the second place and $1000 for the third, in each of the two categories.
To enter the contest, participants are required to create a Facebook platform application for use on the Facebook site or Facebook Connect integrations in English or Hindi and register their application in the contest’s homepage. The contest is open to Indian residents over the age of 16 with a facebook.com account
Ruchi Sangvi, engineer and manager of the Facebook platform said, “India ranks second in the number of software developers with 3.9 million software developers; we are very excited to engage with the developer community. Facebook has experienced a tremendous growth in India. Through the contest, we hope to see many rich experiences that leverage the social graph and empower Facebook users to share and connect.”
Facebook Connect enables people to combine their Facebook experiences with any participating Website, desktop application or mobile device. When websites incorporate Facebook Connect, Facebook’s more than 200 million active users around the globe can automatically import profile information and bypass the need to build a friends’ list from scratch. More than 10000 websites have incorporated Facebook Connect since its general availability in December 2008.
Will India IT sector miss export target of $60 bn by FY10?
India's software sector is likely to miss the much-touted target of touching 60 billion dollar exports by FY10, due to
unprecedented slowdown in key markets like the US and Europe, IT industry body Nasscom said.
"... the aspiration of $60 billion by December 2010 is likely to be delayed by at least three to four quarters due to unprecedented slowdown in 2009 in key markets, particularly the US and Europe," a Nasscom-McKinsey report said.
The technology and business services industry grew substantially to $52 billion in 2008 including $12 billion in the domestic segment.
Now with the financial meltdown taking its toll, the software and services revenue outlook has been revised downwards.
Nasscom had earlier scaled down the growth rate for software exports to 16-17 per cent in FY09 as against 21-24 per cent announced earlier.
However, the report -- Perspective 2020 -- said the future of the IT industry remains secure in the medium to long term, even in the face of current macro-economic trends.
Agencies
unprecedented slowdown in key markets like the US and Europe, IT industry body Nasscom said.
"... the aspiration of $60 billion by December 2010 is likely to be delayed by at least three to four quarters due to unprecedented slowdown in 2009 in key markets, particularly the US and Europe," a Nasscom-McKinsey report said.
The technology and business services industry grew substantially to $52 billion in 2008 including $12 billion in the domestic segment.
Now with the financial meltdown taking its toll, the software and services revenue outlook has been revised downwards.
Nasscom had earlier scaled down the growth rate for software exports to 16-17 per cent in FY09 as against 21-24 per cent announced earlier.
However, the report -- Perspective 2020 -- said the future of the IT industry remains secure in the medium to long term, even in the face of current macro-economic trends.
Agencies
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Picard to fly world's first solar powered airplane
Bertrand Picard and his team is all set to fly an airplane of solar impulse. The initial version of the solar plane spans 61 metres, but weighs about 1500 Kilogram (Kg). It will undergo trials providing evidence that it can fly at night.
Picard wanted to demonstrate the potential of renewable energies. "I love this type of vision where you set the goal and then you try to find a way to reach it, because this is challenging," he told BBC News.
This solar powered is called the HB-SIA is a part of a 70 million pound project, which will fly using 12,000 solar cells, rechargeable lithium batteries and four electric motors. The aeroplane integrates composite materials to keep it extremely light. Picard has decided to make five long trips sharing flying duties with the Project Partner, Andre Borschberg.
"The real success for Solar Impulse would be to have enough millions of people following the project and being enthusiastic about it," said Picard.
Agencies
Picard wanted to demonstrate the potential of renewable energies. "I love this type of vision where you set the goal and then you try to find a way to reach it, because this is challenging," he told BBC News.
This solar powered is called the HB-SIA is a part of a 70 million pound project, which will fly using 12,000 solar cells, rechargeable lithium batteries and four electric motors. The aeroplane integrates composite materials to keep it extremely light. Picard has decided to make five long trips sharing flying duties with the Project Partner, Andre Borschberg.
"The real success for Solar Impulse would be to have enough millions of people following the project and being enthusiastic about it," said Picard.
Agencies
Recession hit Adobe, shuts US operations down for one-week
Adobe Inc, the world’s biggest maker of graphic-design software, shut down North American operations this week, part of a plan to cut operating costs as the recession crimps sales.
Adobe told employees in March it would impose one-week closures in the second, third and fourth quarters, and asked staff to take paid vacation time, the company said today.
“These are in addition to the normal holiday shutdown” between Christmas and New Year’s Day, San Jose, California-based Adobe said in an e-mail.
The company has frozen salaries, trimmed bonuses and variable compensation plans, and curbed travel expenses, Chief Executive Officer Mark Garrett said in an April interview. In December, the company fired about 8 percent of the workforce to help rein in costs during the economic slump.
Second-quarter sales fell 21 percent as customers held off upgrading to the latest version of Adobe’s Creative Suite programs, which account for about 60 percent of revenue. Sales in Europe trailed expectations, the company said on a June 16 conference call.
Adobe advanced 62 cents to $28.62 at 4 p.m. New York time on the Nasdaq Stock Market. The shares have gained 34 percent this year.
Worldwide spending on information-technology products will shrink 9 percent this year as the economy contracts, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc.
Agencies
Adobe told employees in March it would impose one-week closures in the second, third and fourth quarters, and asked staff to take paid vacation time, the company said today.
“These are in addition to the normal holiday shutdown” between Christmas and New Year’s Day, San Jose, California-based Adobe said in an e-mail.
The company has frozen salaries, trimmed bonuses and variable compensation plans, and curbed travel expenses, Chief Executive Officer Mark Garrett said in an April interview. In December, the company fired about 8 percent of the workforce to help rein in costs during the economic slump.
Second-quarter sales fell 21 percent as customers held off upgrading to the latest version of Adobe’s Creative Suite programs, which account for about 60 percent of revenue. Sales in Europe trailed expectations, the company said on a June 16 conference call.
Adobe advanced 62 cents to $28.62 at 4 p.m. New York time on the Nasdaq Stock Market. The shares have gained 34 percent this year.
Worldwide spending on information-technology products will shrink 9 percent this year as the economy contracts, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc.
Agencies
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