October 23, 2009

Sharita Smith
Telc. 445.001
October 23, 2009
Media News Article Review
How Safe Are Facebook Applications?
Recently, Facebook executives discovered that over half a dozen Facebook applications had been compromised by malicious hackers. The hackers’ reach was small with very few users affected, executives were concerned because it was the first time they had seen apps themselves hacked as opposed to Facebook profile pages, a more commonly hacked target. This incident alone wouldn't generate too much concern because of the low-profile nature of the applications affected. It just goes to show how unsafe applications on Facebook really are. “Another researcher just spent an entire month scouring Facebook apps for security vulnerabilities and what he found is disturbing: six of the hacked apps were in the top ten, 9700 applications were affected, and the potential victims totaled 218 million users.” In the case of the hacked Facebook apps, the apps had been compromised by the use of "iframes," which are bits of code embedded in the applications themselves. The iframes were able to load content from malicious websites into the applications' pages on Facebook.com, directing app users to install software on their computers by purporting to be an update for an out-of-date Adobe Reader product. Developers of the app turned out to actually be the victims. Knowing this information, will you still use Facebook?
http://www.nytimes.com/external/readwriteweb/2009/10/16/16readwriteweb-how-safe-are-facebook-applications-57362.html

October 16, 2009

Sharita Smith
Telc. 445.001
October 16, 2009
Media News Article Review
Verizon Bundles Cellphone Savings With Home Service
In June, Verizon added a $10 a month to the price of its triple-play bundles packs. These bundle packs include telephone, broadband and television service. Now Verizon has decided to offer a $15-a-month discount for customers who add a cellphone plan to the package deal. There are lots of options and combinations, depending on features and the number of cellphone minutes chosen. There are also options for people who don’t have landline phones, but only have cell-phone access. There are versions for people who receive television through Verizon’s FiOS service and others for those who buy DirecTV through the phone company. The least expensive triple play plan option is about $109.99 a month, up from $99.99 earlier this year. The same features in a new bundle that includes a cellphone with 450 monthly minutes would cost $134.99, $25 extra. Because the 450-minute Verizon Wireless plan is $40 a month, the new deal represents a $15 monthly discount. Adding a cellphone to a bundle that doesn’t include home phone service saves $5 a month. This is Verizon’s solution to staying competitive with other prepaid carriers offering unlimited calling plans for $40 or $50 a month. Verizon has not yet responded with price cuts. Do you think this bundle package offer will boost Verizon’s sells and profits?
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/19/verizon-bundles-cellphone-savings-with-home-service/?ref=technology

October 9, 2009

Sharita Smith

Telc. 445.001

October 9, 2009

Media News Article Review

Apple’s Profits Rise 47 Percent on Strong Mac Sales

The company announced on Monday that strong sales of the iPhone and Macintosh computers pushed Apple’s net income to $1.67 billion in the quarter that ended Sept. 26, 2009. That is up from $1.14 billion from the quarter last year. Their Revenue rose to $9.87 billion, from $7.9 billion last year. The company continued to post strong gains in the computer segment while its rivals still struggle from the recession’s impact on consumer spending. Apple said it sold 3.05 million Macs in the quarter. Mac sales were helped by back-to-school shoppers, and by the release of new software, Snow Leopard. Snow Leopard sells for $29, but helped to boost Apple’s profit margin. In addition, the new release of Apple’s new iPhone 3GS, helped to boost profits as well. Apple sold about 7 million phones in the last quarter. Apple has had trouble maintaining a steady supply of iPhones, this means the demand for the phone is very high. “We are thrilled to have sold more Macs and iPhones than in any previous quarter,” said Steven P. Jobs, Apple’s chief executive, in a statement. “We’ve got a very strong lineup for the holiday season and some really great new products in the pipeline for 2010.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/technology/companies/20apple.html?ref=technology