The H Week

The start of a new month sees a fresh Community Calender and the latest new Kernel Log. GCC goes C++ and DesktopBSD gains a new lease on life. Firefox Sync becomes an add-on and our editors applaud Mozilla's attitude towards privacy. Secured data on the iPhone is found to be not so secure when the phone is connected to PCs running Linux or Windows and a batch of new Samsung Wave phones are found to be virus infected. Facebook users fell victim to a widespread click-jacking attack.

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This week the H published the June edition of the H Community Calendar, presenting the coming month's events in the UK's various open source communities, the latest Kernel Log covering Linux 2.6.35 and a feature introducing a mini series on the TransferSummit conference that is taking place towards the end of this month.

• The H Community Calendar - June 2010
• Kernel Log: Linux 2.6.35 taking shape
• TransferSummit - The practical magic of open source
  

Open Source

With some provisos, the GNU Compiler Collection developers decided to allow the use of C++ within the compiler code. DesktopBSD gained a reprieve as a small group of German developers agreed to continue its development. Rather than back port security fixes as they have in the past, Ubuntu decided to push Firefox 3.6.4 to Ubuntu 8.04 and above. Firefox Sync, which synchronises bookmarks, passwords, open tabs etc. across a user's multiple installations, became part of the official road map for Firefox and available as an add-on. Mozilla announced a last minute delay on the scheduled release of Firefox 3.6.4 and released an RC version instead. Google open sourced the RLZ library and added VP8 / WebM support to Chrome Dev.

• GCC allows C++ – to some degree
• DesktopBSD lives on under new leadership
• Ubuntu to push latest Firefox to Hardy, Jaunty and Karmic
• Firefox Sync graduates from Mozilla Labs
• Mozilla delays Firefox 3.6.4
• Google opens up Chrome's RLZ library
• Google adds VP8 / WebM support to Chrome Dev channel

Open Source Releases

• Qimo 2.0 edutainment Linux released
• Early 64 bit Firefox for Windows released
• Parsix GNU/Linux 3.5 released
• Indie game Gish source code released
• SystemRescueCd 1.5.5 adds new USB installers
• Amarok 2.3.1 adds new applets
• KDE SC 4.4.4 monthly bug fix release
• Mandriva Linux 2010 Spring RC2 arrives
• Canonical releases Ubuntu 10.10 Alpha 1

Security

The FBI filed charges against three scareware fraudsters. Google decided to ban Windows for its internal use. Early in the week it was discovered that iPhone security could be partially bypassed simply by connecting an iPhone to a Linux machine; further investigation showed the breach to be even bigger when connected to a Windows PC. The developers of the security oriented Qubes operating system discussed a future version implementing Disposable VMs – one-shot Virtual Machines that disappear after use. Social networking fell prey to yet another widespread attack when several hundred thousand Facebook users were click-jacked. The OpenSSL developers issued updates to fix two vulnerabilities in the open cryptographic protocol. A batch of Samsung Wave phones were found to have been shipped with a virus. The H applauded Mozilla's attitude towards privacy with the release of Firefox Sync and in the usual pre-announcement for the coming Patch Tuesday, Microsoft says it will patch a total of 34 holes in a range of its products.

• US authorities file charges against three scareware authors
• Report: Google phasing out internal use of Microsoft Windows
• iPhone leak is getting bigger - Update
• Ubuntu to push latest Firefox to Hardy, Jaunty and Karmic
• Qubes to implement "Disposable VMs"
• Click-jacking for social networks: Like-jacking
• OpenSSL updates fix vulnerabilities
• Kobil smartcard reader hacked
• Virus found on batch of Samsung Wave phones for German market
• Comment: Mozilla does it their way
• Microsoft plans to patch 34 holes

Security Alerts

• Software update for Adobe Photoshop CS4

To see all last week's news see The H's last seven days of news and to keep up with The H, subscribe to the RSS feed, or follow honlinenews on Twitter. You can follow The H's own tweeting on Twitter as honline.

(trk)