applications

Apple has joined Mozilla in releasing a browser security update for a bug affecting numerous Windows programs. It means Safari and Firefox are the only major browsers that have been issued a fix. In both cases, the problem is the much talked-about ... Windows DLL bug that deals with dynamic link libraries (DLLs). It involves the way Windows works and the settings of individual applications, many of which aren't produced by Microsoft. Windows DLL Bug Affects All Versions of Windows In short, the problem is that when an application tries to load a DLL but doesn't say where the file is located, ... (view more)

Microsoft has issued an automated Windows tool designed to limit the effects of a recent DLL bug . The company has also noted it is only classing the problem as an "important" rather than "critical" risk. Windows Dynamic Link Library (DLL) Bug As ... noted previously, the problem involves dynamic link libraries (DLLs), a type of shortcut that allows multiple applications to access the same code in Windows. Many applications are set to automatically open any DLLs stored within their program folders. It's now emerged that it is easier than previously thought to create bogus files that can exploit ... (view more)

A security expert says he's seen a record response to the recently-named "Windows DLL bug," which can allow hackers to remotely control infected PCs. Mati Aharoni predicts the number of affected applications will soon be in the hundreds. This week, ... Microsoft published a temporary workaround that prevents the exploit from occurring. It's working with third-party application developers to find individual and permanent solutions, but is still extremely wary of issuing a fix to Windows itself. The issue involves a system in Windows known as dynamic link libraries (DLL), a shortcut for ... (view more)

User Account Control (UAC) is a technology and security infrastructure introduced with Microsoft's Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 operating systems, with a more refined version also present in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. The UAC ... aims to improve the security of Microsoft Windows by limiting application software to standard user privileges until an administrator authorizes an increase or elevation. In this way, only applications trusted by the user may receive administrative privileges, and malware should be kept from compromising the operating system. User Account Control (UAC ... (view more)

Apple's iTunes Store has reportedly been hacked, with a developer named Thuat Nguyen using the opportunity to propel his own applications into 40 of the top 50 spots on the iTunes iBook section. The hack included unauthorized charges to hundreds, ... perhaps thousands of iTunes accounts. The story broke over tech blog TheNextWeb during the long weekend. Nguyen reportedly took advantage of a posted hack to the iTunes system and charged unsuspecting users for his own applications. The majority of these charges came for a set of books called Conan, Thuy Hu, and Vien Ngoc Rong, which all sell for $4. ... (view more)

Apple chief Steve Jobs has quashed speculation that the company might switch Mac computers to an App Store system. It comes as a relief to software developers who won't have to go through the same approval process as with portable Apple devices. A ... report published by programmers Rixstep last week claimed that Apple was to end the current system by which, as with most computing platforms, any compatible software can run on a Mac computer and can be installed at will by the user. Rixstep claimed that software developers would have to pay $99 for membership in an Apple program, that they'd have ... (view more)

CrossLoop CrossLoop is a program that allows you to connect to remote PCs over a network (such as the Internet). It allows you to share the screen and control the mouse and keyboard -- all is as if you are working side by side at the same PC. This ... is especially convenient when you need to show a friend how to use a PC but can't explain it over the phone. http://www.crossloop.com Applications Priority Master Applications Priority Master is a program that allows you to pre-define CPU priority for specific programs -- before you launch them. This is useful for programs that are CPU intensive, or ... (view more)

Microsoft and Intel have teamed up to promote Windows 7, both claiming that the new operating system (OS) is faster, more energy efficient, and that it takes advantage of Intel-based computers. Energy Savings for Multi-Processor Systems The new ... features relate to the way both the Windows system itself and individual applications draw on the processors at the heart of a computer. Previously, Windows would make regular automated demands on the processor as a matter of course. This automatically 'woke up' any processor that the application had allowed to become idle because it wasn't needed at ... (view more)

You can "blame Canada" in a good way for Facebook's recent decision to stiffen its privacy controls. In response to demands from Canada's Privacy Commissioner, the social networking site revealed new guidelines that target third party applications ... and the information they're allowed to access. Back in July, the Canadian Privacy Commissioner's office hastened a campaign to identify and publicize the concerns many people have with Facebook's policy towards third-party applications. In the past, some of these applications have been able to access a significant amount of member private data, ... (view more)

A government audit has found more than 3,800 vulnerabilities were reportedly found in the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA's) web-based air traffic control system applications. 763 of the vulnerabilities are high-risk and some could put air ... travelers at risk. Congress requested the audit of air traffic control (ATC) computer systems in order to ensure air travelers were safe. (Source: cgisecurity.com ) The FAA has been using commercial software and Internet Protocol-based technologies in order to modernize ATC systems, moving away from the proprietary software the systems were ... (view more)