What You Don’t Know About Android

First things first, it was not created by Google! In fact, they bought it from Android Inc.—you read that right, that’s the original company’s name—somewhere in 2005. Whereas Andy Rubin actually created Android back in 2003.

Then, the project went bankrupt

Microsoft didn’t think it was going to be successful

Initially, it didn’t scale images based on device resolution. This feature came later in version 1.6

We once saw it in space—Star Wars—it has now actually been sent to space. Nexus One somehow tests the toughness of electronic devices in space.

Each application in Android runs within its own virtual machine. That is good for both battery and performance.

Firefox and Adobe Reach the Top on Vulnerable Software List

Firefox reached the top of the most vulnerable software this year, while holes in Adobe software gained thrice the amount of holes that it had last year, according to statistics compiled by Qualys, a vulnerability management provider.

Qualys tallied 102 vulnerabilities that were found in Firefox this year, up from 90 last year. The numbers are based on running totals in the National Vulnerability Database.

However, the high number of Firefox vulnerabilities doesn't necessarily mean the Web browser actually has the most bugs; it just means it has the most reported holes. Because the software is open source, all holes are publicly disclosed, whereas proprietary software makers, like Adobe and Microsoft, typically only publicly disclose holes that were found by researchers outside the company, and not ones discovered internally, Qualys Chief Technology Officer Wolfgang Kandek said late on Wednesday.

"Operating systems have become more stable and harder to attack and that's why attackers are migrating to applications, he said. "Adobe is a huge focus for attacks now, around 10 times more than Microsoft Office. However, other widely used targets like Internet Explorer and Firefox are still far from secure."

Adobe customers will have to wait about a month for a fix to the latest critical zero-day hole in Reader and Acrobat.

The company announced on Wednesday it would not patch the vulnerability until its next scheduled quarterly security update release on January 12.

Federal Trade Commission Sues Intel for Anticompetitive Tactics

The Federal Trade Commission announced Wednesday that it is suing Intel, claiming that the chip giant has illegally used its dominance to stymie competition and to strengthen its own monopoly. FTC says, the company has robbed consumers of both choice and innovation in microprocessors, including those that outshone Intel's own: "Intel's anticompetitive tactics were designed to put the brakes on superior competitive products that threatened its monopoly in the CPU microchip market."

However, the chipmaker says that case should have been settled, not sent into litigation.

In November, Intel settled its antitrust dispute with AMD, in a deal that includes a $1.25 billion payment to AMD.

Sony Ericsson is Launching Xperia Smartphone based on Google Android OS

Sony Ericsson is releasing a new smartphone Xperia X10, which is based on Google's latest mobile operating system Android.

It is being code-named Rachel and the technical specs and an official video has also been released. The X10, or Rachel, has a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, which should make this one of the fastest Android phones yet. The phone will sport version 1.6 of Android--aka Donut--and it will run applications from the Android Market and Sony Ericsson's PlayNow arena. The device will also feature an 8-megapixel camera, with autofocus and an LED photo light.

Expect to see the Xperia X10 in stores in the first quarter of 2010.

Microsoft Signature PC's Hitting the Road

The "Microsoft Signature" PCs that are being sold at Microsoft's retail and online stores contain a bunch of extra Windows Live software, but also feature something rarely found on a PC--a clean desktop.

(Credit: Microsoft)

Microsoft has started pushing selling PC's through it's online and retail stores and the difference Microsoft is making is that the PC's being sold contain all Microsoft products, including the complete Windows Live suite, Security Essentials antivirus product, Zune jukebox, and Bing 3D Maps software, as well as Adobe's Flash and Acrobat Reader products. Internet Explorer 8 is the browser, with Bing as its default search provider.

Microsoft calls it "Microsoft Signature Experience". The computers are being sold at Microsoft's two retail stores--the Scottsdale, Ariz., store that opened last week and the Mission Viejo, Calif., outlet that is opening later on Thursday. The software giant is also selling PCs throughout the U.S. via its online Microsoft Store.
The goal of the Signature effort is to give customers what Microsoft feels is the best software experience they can have on a PC.