New tools for iPhone hackers ... Questions remain about eBay info theft ... Dell sets 'carbon neutral' date

IN THE NEWS

New tools help hack into iPhone
iPhone hackers have some new tools now, thanks to HD Moore, one of the developers of the Metasploit hacking software.

Questions remain about eBay members' info theft
Questions abound over the posting of confidential information from eBay Inc. members on one of the vendor's discussion forums, a sinister incident that has many of the online marketplace's buyers and sellers worried.

Vonage gets partial remand in Verizon case
Vonage is downplaying an appeals court decision affirming an earlier verdict of patent infringement on two patents owned by Verizon.

Dell to go 'carbon neutral' by late 2008
Dell Inc. will neutralize its carbon emissions and become carbon neutral by the end of 2008, Chairman and CEO Michael Dell announced Wednesday.

FCC members call for national broadband policy
Two members of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission called for the federal government to create a wide-ranging national broadband strategy to help small businesses compete on a global level.

Microsoft will replace scratched Halo 3 discs
Microsoft Corp. said Wednesday it will replace discs of its Halo 3 Xbox 360 game that were already scratched when users purchased them.

Gmail zero-day flaw allows attackers to steal messages
Accounts on Google Inc.'s Gmail can be easily hacked, allowing any past -- and future e-mail messages -- to be forwarded to the attacker's own in-box, a vulnerability researcher said Tuesday.

Branches' bigger role drives Cisco roll outs
Enterprise branch offices increasingly need the same IT tools that the head office has, and Cisco Systems Inc. is set to unveil branch networking gear Wednesday to help fill that need.


SECURITY TIP

Five ways that software vendors can boost security
Is your software vendor doing everything it can to secure its products? As Sun Microsystems Inc. learned this week, there is always room for improvement.


GADGET GIVEAWAY

It's Fall, and we have a new gadget giveaway ... just for the heck of it. We've brought back the ultimate geek tool, the Swiss Army knife equipped with USB flash drive, LED light, and ballpoint pen.

Enter now for a chance to win!


ITWHIRLED

Web comic of the week: Subterfuge
This ultramoody (and fairly graphic) comic provides an excellent neo-noir punch, one panel at a time. The dark, black-and-grey graphics evoke the days of Bogart, but the action takes place in some unspecified near-future dystopia. It starts with murder and can't end well...

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POLL

Does the iPhone price cut change your mind about buying one?

- Not really - it's still too much for too little
- I'm holding out - it'll come down another $50 or so soon enough
- Now that it's in the sweet spot, I've got my credit card ready
- It sure made me change my mind about having bought one at the old price, I tell you what