Apple iTunes for Windows update flaw allowed malware infiltration

Basically when iTunes launched in Windows, (prior to the 10.5.1 update) it would send an unencrypted HTTP request. If you controlled someone's network upstream of their computer, you could intercept this request and proffer an "update" that was malware that could give the government all sorts of information that you might rather they didn't get, including the ability to listen to Skype conversations before they are encrypted.

Just the thing if you're living in an Arab Spring country.

The sad thing is that Apple was informed of this flaw in 2008. They fixed it last week.

It only affected Windows users of iTunes (and probably, by extension, Safari) as the Mac OS-X updater is a more secure subsystem.

http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/iTunes-security-vulnerability-had-been-present-for-over-three-years-1384718.html

http://apple.slashdot.org/story/11/11/25/1343201/itunes-flaw-allowed-spying-on-dissidents

AT&T "temporarily" withdraws proposal to buy T-Mobile

The FCC announced that they were opposed to it, the Justice Dept filed suit against it, now AT&T has temporarily withdrawn (whatever that means) their proposal to merge with T-Mobile. And will apparently have to take a multi-billion write-down to pay off T-Mobile and Deutche Telecomm for failure to perform.

The merger is history for now, but it's likely to come back. AT&T is spouting that it will create jobs and investment opportunities and I don't see how. If the merger goes through, you'll see customer support staff at T-Mobile downsized and AT&T will go on like business as usual. AT&T claims the merger will make it easier to expand, but the reality is that, while both carriers are GSM-based, they use different frequency spectrums and are not cross-compatible. The two networks would either remain distinct, or AT&T would have to re-tool the T-Mobile towers with new equipment to make them compatible, making the orphaned users have to buy new gear.

The most blatant, bald-faced lie is the study that it would cost less for AT&T to build-out their infrastructure for better coverage than it would to buy T-Mobile. This merger was for one reason only -- eliminate a competitor.

The sad thing is that T-Mobile is in financial trouble as they've lost their European partner, so we shall see what happens with them.

http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/11/att-withdraws-tmobile-merger/all/1

http://tech.slashdot.org/story/11/11/24/2348203/att-stops-t-mobile-merger-bid-with-the-fcc