Worst-ever software security blooper?
November 11, 2008
T-Mobile has issued an over-the-air fix for a laughable Android security bug that caused anything typed into its G1 phone to be interpreted by a root shell process. Prior to the fix, hackers briefly enjoyed root shell access, leading to such fun as Debian installations on SD cards. (more…)
Lorex Technology is shipping a smart camera targeting home and small-business surveillance applications. The Easy Connect Network IP Camera LNE3003 runs Linux on an ARM9 processor, and with the help of PC software can stream 3GPP video to phones, Lorex says.
[Updated Nov. 13] — Linux hobbyists and hackers have gained access to two of the most highly miniaturized hardware platforms shipped to date. Yoggie has started shipping ope-source based, user-modifiable versions of its inline and USB key-shaped security appliances.
Symbian was the only major operating system (OS) to lose share over the last year in a smartphone market that grew 28 percent, says a Canalys study. Other findings include big gains for Apple and RIM, and a 49 percent increase in sales of Linux smartphones.
[Updated: Nov. 11, 2008] — TriPeaks announced a new version of its “TP InstantBoot” fast-boot technology for embedded Linux devices. TriPeaks also announced a reseller relationship with CodeSourcery, and plans to integrate CodeSourcery's SourceryG++ tools with an upcoming Linux distribution and development…
Continuous Computing (CCPU) announced it will make Wind River the default Linux networking distribution for its ATCA-compliant FlexTCA 3G/4G wireless equipment. CCPU will provide its Long Term Evolution (LTE) and Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) customers with reference designs based on Wind River Linux, says CCPU.
Japanese embedded Linux house Lineo has announced a quick-start technology that it claims can boot Linux in 2.97 seconds on a low-powered system. The technology appears similar to but much faster than Linux's existing “suspend-to-disk” capability.
Microsoft's bottom line is hurting from Linux gains in netbooks, says a Bloomberg.com story. A recent drop in Windows revenues is due in part to the fact that leading netbook vendors Acer and Asus run Linux on about 30 percent of their netbooks, says the story.
Yet another Linux device maker has been sued over alleged GPL violations. Diebold subsidiary PES allegedly used a GPL-licensed copy of the Ghostscript Postscript interpreter in its optical-scan voting machines, without abiding by the license's terms, claims Ghostscript copyright holder Artifex Software.
Axiomtek announced a fanless, aluminum-cased embedded computer that targets industrial automation, DVR (digital video recorder), and digital signage applications. The eBOX830-831-FL runs Linux, while offering dual gigabit Ethernet ports, six USB ports, four COM ports, and two IEEE 1394a ports, says…
Linux professional services and consulting firm Embedded Alley (EA) says it can help device developers choose between available NAND flash devices and filesystems. The company has launched a consulting practice around modeling tools it created to predict flash memory longevity under specific Linux software…