Bing hit by costly security loophole
It has spent hundreds of millions of dollars trying to take on Google, but Microsoft’s Bing search engine is facing embarrassment, after it emerged that a security loophole could allow users to skim huge sums of money from the system without its knowledge. The security glitch, which is linked to a "cash back" system operated by Bing, potentially leaves users and retailers exposed to fake transactions. But despite an outcry online over the existence of the loophole, the world's largest company has responded to the issue by threatening legal action against the man who discovered the problem.
Guardian

Microsoft disconnects Xbox gamers
Thousands of gamers may have been cut off from Microsoft's online gaming service Xbox Live for modifying their consoles to play pirated games.  Online reports suggest that as many as 600,000 gamers may have been affected. Microsoft said that modifying an Xbox 360 console "violates" the services "terms of use" and would result in a player being disconnected.
BBC

Vodafone looks for extra ways of cutting costs
Mobile phone giant Vodafone extended its cost cutting by another £1bn yesterday after revealing half-year results in line with its hopes. The pledge for the period to 2012 comes after Newbury-based Vodafone achieved its original £1bn savings target a year earlier than expected. It reported adjusted pre-tax profits of £5.48bn, up 3.6 per cent in the six months to September 30, but described competition in a key growth market of India as intense and reported a 5.7 per cent drop in revenues in the UK.
Press and Journal

Ericsson axes 700 UK staff
Swedish telecoms group Ericsson will cut 17 per cent of its UK workforce and scale back its research and development headquarters. Ericsson is to axe up to 700 jobs following a planned pull-out from its research and development headquarters in Coventry. The Swedish telecoms group has begun consultation with staff over the cuts, which form part of a SEK 10 billion (£873m) cost reduction programme aimed at shoring up its future following a collapse in its revenue.
Times online

Spirit of innovation driving growth in Africa
African telecoms operators have faced several challenges in 2009. The global economic downturn, a fiercely competitive landscape, and pressure to expand networks into rural areas have tested the mettle of the region’s carriers both big and small. And yet, forecasts from Informa Telecoms & Media show that mobile subscription growth is still set to increase by 26.6 per cent year on year in 2009, with the total number of active subscriptions to exceed 473 million by the end of the year. This figure is projected to increase to approximately 800 million by 2014, by which time SIM penetration across the region should reach 70 per cent, the analyst predicts.
Telecoms

Nokia: The future is not all in the cloud
There will be a lot more technology and data stored in the so-called network 'cloud' in future, but unlike some the world's leading mobile handset maker remains convinced that devices will not develop into empty vessels carrying very little intelligence.
"We don't think the cloud is the total answer," said Mary McDowell, chief development officer at Nokia. "The cloud will grow, but we think intelligent devices…will play a part."
Total Telecom
 
E-readers will take off for holiday shoppers in 2010, says Gartner
This year is likely to be remembered as a watershed in the evolution of e-books and e-readers with several milestones and product launches standing out as catalysts for change in the market, according to Gartner. However, while the number of electronic readers sold is likely to increase in 2009, it expects 2010 to be the year when e-book readers really become popular consumer electronic devices, culminating in e-reader "mania" for the 2010 holiday season.
DigiTimes
 
Dell Mobile Internet Device: On its Way?
A recent article on SlashGear suggests that we may soon be seeing a Dell mobile-Internet-device released sometime soon, the product has been code-named Streak.
Specifications are unconfirmed, however sources believe that the device will run Android 2.0 and will feature both WiFi and 3G connectivity.
Product News
 
How to launch an iPhone - Orange UK gets it right
The iPhone finally went on sale from a second operator in the UK today. Orange began retailing the King of Smartphones after a long run-up and according to reports, the first day of iPhone sales from Orange has smashed previous records for units sold in a single day. The iPhone has been available in the UK from O2 for a year now. But 30,000 devices were sold by Orange today - more than O2 ever shifted in a single day.
GoMo News
 
Firefox flaws account for 44% of all browser bugs
Firefox accounted for almost half of all browser vulnerabilities in the first six months of 2009, a Web security company claimed today.
According to California-based Cenzic, Mozilla's browser had the largest percentage of Web vulnerabilities over the six-month span, while Apple's Safari had the dubious distinction of coming in second. Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) was third, while Opera Software's flagship browser took fourth place.
Computerworld