***************************************************** Edupage is a service of EDUCAUSE, a nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting the intelligent use of information technology. *****************************************************
TOP STORIES FOR MONDAY, AUGUST 02, 2004 Microsoft Issues Patch for Three IE Flaws Patent Risks in Linux Daum Communications to Buy Lycos Google Web Site Lets Investors Register for IPO Bids D Squared Settles with FTC on Pop-Up Ads Lost Florida Voting Data Found on CD MICROSOFT ISSUES PATCH FOR THREE IE FLAWS Microsoft has released a patch for its Internet Explorer browser that addresses three security holes rated "critical," including one used in a virus attack in July. "Critical" patches address flaws that could result in catastrophic damage to a PC if exploited by an attacker. The patch release is a cumulative update, containing all previously released security patches for the browser, although released earlier than the standard monthly patch updates issued by Microsoft. PCWorld, 30 July 2004 http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,117197,00.asp PATENT RISKS IN LINUX Open Source Risk Management (OSRM), a provider of open-source consulting and risk mitigation insurance, said that it has found 283 issues but not yet court-validated software patents that could be used in patent claims against Linux. The Linux kernel reportedly contains no court-validated software patents. OSRM began offering copyright infringement insurance to Linux users in April 2004 and plans to offer a litigation insurance policy in 2005. According to patent attorney Dan Ravicher, leader of the study and executive senior counsel to the Free Software Foundation, about half of software patents stand up in court. Of the 283 patents issued, he said, about a third are held by organizations or companies perceived to be Linux friendly, including IBM, HP, Novell, and Red Hat. Ten percent are held by Microsoft. eWeek, 2 August 2004 http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1630099,00.asp DAUM COMMUNICATIONS TO BUY LYCOS Daum Communications Corp., reportedly the top Web site operator in South Korea, plans to buy Lycos Inc., the U.S. portal business of Spanish company Terra. The sales price is less than one percent of the price Terra paid for its purchase of Lycos in an all-stock deal in May 2000. Terra said it will keep Lycos's European portal business and its Spanish-language portal in the United States, Terra Networks USA. Washington Post, 2 August 2004 (registration req'd) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A33644-2004Aug2.html GOOGLE WEB SITE LETS INVESTORS REGISTER FOR IPO BIDS Google Inc. has launched a Web site where investors interested in bidding on shares during the company's initial public offering (IPO) can register. The company's IPO will rely on an auction. Only U.S. residents, trusts, corporations, and partnerships are allowed to register for a bidder ID through the site. Bids may be submitted only through one of Google's underwriters. InfoWorld, 2 August 2004 http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/08/02/HNgooglesite_1.html D SQUARED SETTLES WITH FTC ON POP-UP ADS D Squared Solutions reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in which it agreed to stop sending Internet pop-up ads to advertise its ad-blocking software. The FTC filed a civil suit against the San Diego-based company last year. The company agreed that it will no longer send pop-up ads using the Windows Messenger Service or sell software that blocks such ads. It is also prohibited from sending ads that don't permit computer users to opt out of getting them. San Jose Mercury News, 30 July 2004 http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/9283573.htm LOST FLORIDA VOTING DATA FOUND ON CD Election officials in Miami-Dade County, Florida, discovered a CD containing the election data from gubernatorial primary and other elections in 2002. Officials previously thought the data was lost during system crashes in 2003. A citizen's group, the Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition, had requested the data for an investigation of anomalous vote totals recorded on touch-screen voting machines. Federal Computer Week, 30 July 2004 http://www.fcw.com/geb/articles/2004/0726/web-evote-07-30-04.asp ***************************************************** EDUPAGE INFORMATION To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your settings, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/ Or, you can subscribe or unsubscribe by sending e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To SUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SUBSCRIBE Edupage YourFirstName YourLastName To UNSUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SIGNOFF Edupage If you have subscription problems, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For past issues of Edupage or information about translations of Edupage into other languages, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/ ***************************************************** OTHER EDUCAUSE PUBLICATIONS EDUCAUSE publishes periodicals, including "EQ" and "EDUCAUSE Review," books, and other materials dealing with the impacts and implications of information technology in higher education. For information on EDUCAUSE publications see http://www.educause.edu/pub/ ***************************************************** CONFERENCES For information on all EDUCAUSE learning and networking opportunities, see http://www.educause.edu/conference/ ***************************************************** COPYRIGHT Edupage copyright (c) 2004, EDUCAUSE
