A SecurityFocus report tells of bloggers using the popular WordPress blogging software being vulnerable to attacks and infections because they fail to upgrade their WordPress installations. Security analyst David Kierznowski mentioned a couple of reasons why bloggers haven’t upgraded to the latest version:

• A lot of bloggers are not technical, and therefore, do not fully understand the reasons behind upgrading their software.
• A lot of users do not want to upgrade because their favorite plugins would fail.

Read more…

SmartPhoneToday reported that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved Apple’s iPhone for US release. iPhone is to be released next month (June, 2007) with 4 GB and 8 GB models. iPhone costs around $499 to $599.

We’ll have to see how well it performs under a premium price range. However, iPhone will definitely pose a threat to its smart phone competitors.

Amazon.com’s upcoming MP3-only store will sell unprotected or DRM-free music, according to a Washington Post report. When this move is realized, it will be one of a few companies that will condemn protected music downloads. iTunes and eMusic, with strong  backing from giant record label EMI are among those who have already started selling DRM-free music. Moreover, there are speculations that Yahoo! Music will  join in this DRM-free campaign soon. Yahoo! Music general manger Ian Rogers said in his statement:

We have long advocated for the end of DRM-encrypted music and predicted earlier this year that half of our catalogue would be DRM-free by the end of the year. We’re talking to all of the major labels about the possibilities but can’t comment on the specifics of the discussions.

Read more…

BBC reports that more than one-third of business software used by companies around the world is pirated. According to the Business Software Alliance (BSA), a well known proponent of anti-piracy campaigns, 35% of the programs used by companies are unlicensed. The BSA added that this figure remained unchanged since 2003. The BBC report gave a rundown of the piracy rates around the world:

• Asia - 55%
• Central Europe - 68%
• Latin America - 66%
• Middle East/Africa - 60%
• North America - 22%
• Western Europe - 36%

Read more…

I just received an e-mail from amped.com.ph today about War Rock. For those of you who didn’t know, War Rock is an online first person shooter (FPS) game developed by Dream Execution Technology Co., Ltd of Korea and distributed in the Philippines by ABS-CBN Multimedia Inc.

From the WarRock Philippines Web site:

ABS-CBN Interactive introduces the first Online Military Tactical FPS in the Philippines – WarRock. Developed by Dream Execution Technology Co., Ltd. of Korea, War Rock takes the multiplayer FPS genre to the next level with stunning graphics, state of the art weapons, action packed gameplay and endless fun for everyone. With five different character classes to master, gamers can play individually or in a team. Players can participate in three modes of gameplay including Close Quarters Combat, Urban Ops and Battlegroup. War Rock first started service in Korea then the United States and Japan, and now it’s here!

In War Rock, you play as an elite soldier with hundreds of players from all over the country, showcasing not only your skills but also accuracy and strategy. Complete objectives in mission based game modes or survive exciting team battles. To further enhance your game, there is an optional virtual shop where you can purchase a wide variety of new and better items, content and services – all just a click away. No need for game time fees, in War Rock, you Play 4 Free™. No other games in the Philippines today can compare.

Those of you residing in the Philippines may now download the client and apply for a closed beta account. Just visit the WarRock Philippines Web site for more details. Oh, I forgot- Windows users only.

The Wall Street Journal reports that EBay is in talks to acquire StumbleUpon for a potential price of $75 million. It was said that with the nature of StumbleUpon’s business, EBay could very well use it for its maturing online-auction service.

Read more…

Have you ever heard of Joost? According to Wikipedia:

Joost is a system for distributing TV shows and other forms of video over the Web using peer-to-peer TV technology, created by Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis (founders of Skype and Kazaa).

And I’ve got Joost invites! So jump on and join the bandwagon. Get your share of Joostilicious Internet TV. No strings attached.

Read more…