Microsoft hotfoots fix for javaproxy error in July bulletin

Microsoft's Windows OS and Word are the recipient of three critical security updates released last night. Part of July's bulletin, two of the patches fix holes in the Windows platform, including server editions and also the Internet Explorer browser component of the desktop. The first shores up a problem with Microsoft Color Management Module where an error can occur in validating some formats. ...more

AOL gets interactive with China

The spread of Internet-based services into China was strengthened yesterday by a deal between AOL and a major Chinese PC builder. The joint venture between AOL and Legend Holdings will develop interactive consumer services for the Chinese market. Capital of $200m is backing the new venture, with Legend holding 51 per cent of the equity and AOL 49 per cent. ...more

Italian Senate laid low by gay porn virus

According to the Italian news site ANSA, the Italian Senate has been plagued by a computer virus that displays pornographic images on computer monitors for the past two days. The attack was discovered on Monday morning, when a variant of the Rbot worm caused unusual traffic volumes across the network and blocked access to a number of resources. More unsettling effects included some computers of the displaying gay hardcore pornography on the monitors situated in the Senate's offices in Palazzo Madama. ...more

Virtual PC joins generation X

Connectix has added to the arsenal of major applications to support Mac OS X with the announcement of the next version of its MacUser award-winning PC emulation software, Virtual PC. An OS X compatible preview of Virtual PC was first unveiled at Macworld Expo New York last July, but it was slow and lacked key features. These issues have been resolved and improved, according to Donald Kaye, Connectix's European sales director. ...more

Pirates of the Caribbean gets pirated

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest has achieved a unique double; the swashbuckling sequel starring Johnny Depp became the fastest film to generate $300m at the US box office at the same tip that it topped the unofficial movie file sharing chart. Proving - unsurprisingly perhaps - that piracy and Pirates do go together, the film has made more money in three weeks than its predecessor made in six months. The movie also shot to number one in p2pnet's three file sharing hit parades, which monitor BitTorrent shares and traffic on p2p networks both worldwide and in the US alone. ...more