Security firm exploits serious Google Chrome browser bug
VUPEN Security has announced the discovery of a vulnerability in Google’s Chrome browser software.
Google Chrome has survived assaults at the Pwn2Own contest for the last three years. Now, French security firm VUPEN says it is unhappy to announced that it has officially “Pwned” Google Chrome and its protective Sandbox measures.
VUPEN uploaded a video of the browser exploit in action which bypasses all security features including ASLR/DEP/Sandbox, without exploiting a Windows kernel vulnerability. It works on all Windows systems and with the latest versions of the Chrome browser.
In the video, a web page is loaded displaying just a text message - “Your browser is being Pwned!” - and after a few seconds of inactivity (and without a visible crash in Chrome), the windows calculator application runs. According to the VUPEN write-up, the calculator executable is downloaded and executed.
At Pwn2Own in March this year, VUPEN successfully attacked Safari in much the same way. A specially crafted web page was loaded and several seconds later, the Mac OS X calculator application was launched and a file was written to the hard drive to demonstrate that the Sandbox had been compromised.
For obvious reasons, the write-up does not disclose technical information on the exploit, only to say that it is one of the most sophisticated codes they have used so far.
Nvidia buys up mobile chipmaker Icera for $367 million
Nvidia has confirmed its plans to purchase the mobile chipmaker Icera for $367 million in cash in an effort to better compete with Qualcomm and Intel.
The deal will let Nvidia join the market for baseband/radio chips.
With the deal, Nvidia should be able to package its Tegra processors with cellular baseband chips, making it more potent.
The company says Icera should help it double revenue generated from sales of each tablet/smartphone.
Both Qualcomm and Intel offer combos of processors and radio chips, although Intel has yet to see much demand for its mobile processors or architectures.
Android Gingerbread still on only 4 percent of devices
In Google’s latest note on Android release figures, it appears that 2.3 Gingerbread is still not seeing any distribution, with the operating system being seen on only 4 percent of all Android devices.
The 4 percent is a slow but gradual growth from the 1.7 percent share it held in March, although many current devices do not even have a timeframe for receiving 2.3.
Android 2.2 Froyo kept increasing its share, this time to 66 percent.
Google’s tablet-centric Android 3.0 Honeycomb is only on 0.3 percent of all devices, showing widespread lack of adoption for the Xoom. At .3 percent share, it would imply that only 150,000-200,000 Xoom units have been sold since launch.
YouTube adding 3000 movie rentals to catalog
Google has confirmed that it will be adding 3000 movies to its YouTube movie rental service.
It is unclear what films will be available but reports have stated that Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. have all signed up.
Says Salar Kamangar, Head of YouTube:
Today, we’re going to start adding around 3,000 new movie titles for rent available to users in the U.S. (more on this in a post later today) that will be accompanied by reviews and behind-the-scenes movie extras. Whether it’s short movie trailers, funny movie parodies or full-length blockbuster films, we encourage you to sit back and settle in to the YouTube movies experience.
In addition to expanding our movie offerings, we’re also bolstering our investment in the content that’s already being viewed by hundred of millions of people on YouTube. Our 20,000+ partners—folks like Machinima, Annoying Orange and Ryan Higa—are producing original content for the web and commanding TV-size audiences for their own brand of programming. Through YouTube Next, we’re helping fuel the creation of this type of content with initiatives like the YouTube Creator Institute and YouTube NextUp, following past initiatives like Partner Grants (which brought us Key of Awesome, creators of one of 2010’s most-watched videos) and $1,000 B&H Photo credits. In the coming year, we’ll bring even more content to YouTube. Building on the success of Partner Grants and YouTube NextUp, we’re providing even more resources to creators who you’ll know from TV or Hollywood, and to existing YouTube partners who have already built loyal audiences on the site. Look out for more details on this in the coming months.
Microsoft set to buy Skype for $7 billion in its largest acquisition, ever
Microsoft is on the verge of purchasing Internet phone company Skype for over $7 billion, in what would be the company’s largest ever acquisition.
Negotiations are in the final stages but the deal could still fall apart, say multiple sources speaking to WSJ.
Skype has 663 million users globally and says 207 billion minutes of voice and video calls were made over the service in 2010.
In 2007, Microsoft overpaid for online advertising firm aQuantive, paying $6 billion in what is their current largest deal, ever. In 2008, Microsoft offered $48 billion for Yahoo but was turned down and eventually the deal collapsed. Yahoo is valued at $25 billion today so it certainly appears that Microsoft dodged a bullet.
The Skype deal will be very expensive given the company’s history of no profits.
In 2010, Skype had nice revenue of $860 million but lost $7 million. Google and Facebook were reported as being interested in the VoIP company, as well.
RIM BlackBerry PlayBook getting video chat and Facebook apps
The RIM BlackBerry PlayBook tablet will be getting Facebook and video chat apps in the next month, giving owners two of their most wanted demands.
RIM says the FB app was built specifically for the PlayBook’s larger screen, working off the BlackBerry’s popular smartphone app.
As is standard, the app will allow for watching videos and viewing photos, using FB chat, commenting/liking, and viewing other friend’s profiles.
Says RIM’s social networking boss:
There are over 30 million users of our Facebook for BlackBerry smartphones app who are staying in touch with their social network while on the go. Now with Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook we can also offer customers highly engaging social experiences optimized for the PlayBook, including the ability to share FaceBook pictures and videos with friends and family on an HDTV.
Giving users a native video chat app (like FaceTime for iOS), PlayBook owners can use Wi-Fi and the built-in 5MP front-side camera to video or voice chat with other PlayBook owners.
Adds the company:
BlackBerry is a renowned mobile communication solution for connecting users to the people and information that matter most throughout their day. With the BlackBerry PlayBook Video Chat application we are excited to be enabling our customers to share important moments and events with family and friends via video calls. With the BlackBerry PlayBook’s high-resolution video cameras and stunning display, a Video Chat call is the next best thing to being there.
Sony says 50 million PS3s shipped
As of the end of last month, Sony has shipped 50 million PS3 units worldwide and it appears that most of those consoles have been sold to consumers.
Additionally, Sony has sold 8 million Move motion control systems as of April 3rd.
The PS3 launched in late November and the Move was released in September 2010.
Including PSP owners, the PlayStation Network has 75 million registered accounts, with over 40 million expected to be active.
Sony is about 3 million units behind the Xbox 360, which had a one-year head start and has seen extremely strong sales since the release of the Kinect motion control system.
Apple earnings round-up: Profit and revenue explode
Apple reported its latest quarterly earnings and both revenue and profit soared year-over-year (YoY).
Revenue grew 83 percent to $24.7 billion, and profit jumped 95 percent to $6 billion.
The iPhone was, by far, the biggest revenue driver, with sales jumping to 18.6 million, over 100 percent growth YoY.
iPad sales, on the other hand, sputtered, falling well below analyst expectations at 4.7 million units sold.
Worries of the Japanese tsunami disaster affecting the top or bottom line were quickly assuaged, with COO Tim Cook saying revenue would drop just $200 million and that the supply chain is still intact, with no delays.
When speaking of iPad 2 sales, Cook said the demand was “staggering” and that the company “sold every one that we could make.”
As expected, iPod sales fell for the 10th straight quarter, down to 9 million, or down 17 percent YoY.
Samsung’s first LTE device, the Droid Charge, coming next week
Verizon has said today that Samsung’s first LTE device, the Droid Charge, will be available on April 28th.
The Droid Charge runs Android 2.2, has a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED screen, a 1GHz processor, an 8MP rear camera with LED flash and a 1.3MP front-side camera.
Samsung has pre-loaded Flash and the Samsung Media Hub, offering up movies and TV shows for rental or purchase.
Verizon says LTE users should have down speeds of 5-12Mbps and upload speeds of 2-5Mbps.
The Droid Charge will also feature mobile hotspot, allowing up to 10 devices to connect to the LTE. For now, Verizon is offering that feature for free.
Starting next week, the Charge will cost $300 with two-year contract, and it comes with free $25 credit to Samsung Media Hub.
RIM BlackBerry PlayBook now available
The RIM Blackberry PlayBook is now on sale in the U.S. and Canada, hitting stores with a mixed bag of critical reviews.
Selling for $499 for a 16GB/Wi-Fi model, RIM is hoping to break into the tablet market dominated by the Apple iPad.
The PlayBook features the standard 1GHz dual-core processor and 1GB RAM but its real differentiating factor is its Internet experience. The browser has support for Adobe Flash, Adobe AIR, and HMTL 5 and many reviews say it is the best browser on a tablet, ever.
Additionally, the PlayBook has a 7-inch screen, 1024×600 resolution, dual cameras, a microHDMI port and the BlackBerry App World, which has thousands of apps.
Models with 4G access will be available during the summer.
