Batteries, PS3 push Sony to Q2 operating loss ... Secunia finds another IE7 bug

HIGHLIGHTS
News: Batteries, PS3 push Sony to Q2 operating loss
News: Scottish school is first to use palm-vein biometrics
News: SAP co-founder Plattner backs new Open Source Forum
News: Bug causes Microsoft to push Vista RTM to Nov. 8
Opinion: The inevitability of cruft
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: GPS system drives obedient German into trouble


NEWS UPDATES

Batteries, PS3 push Sony to Q2 operating loss
The global recall and replacement of millions of laptop batteries, and start-up costs for the PlayStation 3 console, pushed Sony Corp.'s operations into the red for the July to September quarter, despite a jump in sales.

Scottish school is first to use palm-vein biometrics
The cafeteria at Todholm Primary School, in Paisley, Scotland, has gone cashless and students are buying lunches by holding their hands over a palm-vein recognition unit produced by Glasgow-based Yarg Biometrics Ltd.

SAP co-founder Plattner backs new Open Source Forum
Hasso Plattner, the billionaire co-founder of business software maker SAP AG, has teamed with IBM Corp. and Deutsche Telekom AG to host a forum aimed at giving open source software entrepreneurs an opportunity to present their business ideas to venture capitalists and other IT experts.

Bug causes Microsoft to push Vista RTM to Nov. 8
PC manufacturers that expected to get their hands on the final version of Windows Vista on Wednesday have to wait a couple more weeks for the OS, according to sources familiar with the company's plans.

Mozilla team downplays first Firefox 2.0 bug reports
Of the two vulnerabilities in Firefox 2.0 reported since the browser's release on Tuesday, the first was patched in a previous version and the second alleged problem couldn't be replicated during testing, said Mike Schroepfer, vice president of engineering.

Cisco acquires Orative for $31 million
Cisco Systems Inc. continued its buying spree by announcing Thursday it will acquire privately-held mobile telephony software company Orative Corp. for $31 million in cash.

Capgemini to acquire IT services firm Kanbay
French IT services company Capgemini SA has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Kanbay International Inc., an IT services firm in Rosemont, Illinois, to boost its services delivery from India, and its business in the financial services sector. The deal values Kanbay at
$1.25 billion.

Secunia claims second IE 7 flaw
Just one week after claiming that users of Microsoft Corp'.s Internet Explorer 7 browser could be at risk to an online attack, Danish security vendor Secunia ApS is reporting a new bug in the browser.


OPINION

The inevitability of cruft
By Sean McGrath

The word 'cruft' is a truly excellent word. From the moment the subject of this article entered my head, I knew I wanted to use it in the title. Now I have a dangerous habit of using words because they sound right at the time, even if they are not the right words in the sense of their meaning. Needless to say this can be a problem. Call it a character flaw. I thought it expedient to hit the dictionaries on 'cruft' just to be sure.

Read the full article here


PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
Oracle to offer full support for Red Hat Linux ... Secunia finds another IE7 bug ... Vista bug won't derail November release

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ITWHIRLED

GPS system drives obedient German into trouble

An 80-year-old man and his wife were driving near Hamburg with the aid of one of those new-fangled talking GPS systems. They followed the computerized directions faithfully -- right past a barrier and sign that read "closed for construction" and into a pile of sand.