Google+, Spotify, Cyberattacks on Pentagon, Apple Volume Purchasing
News from 07/15/2011 – Autor: Andrew Hyatt
Google+ goes viral
After getting off to a rough start, Google's new social network has been inviting more and more users. Google has confirmed that their site has now reached over 10 million profiles. It is doubtful, however, that Google poses much of a threat to Facebook. As Zack Whittaker of ZDNet noted, ''Google+ may one day 'be a Facebook', but not while Facebook is still around.''
Spotify come to the U.S.
The Swedish online music-on-demand service, Spotify, which has more than 10 million subscribers in Europe, has arrived in the U.S. The site has teamed up with Warner Music Group to launch its U.S. site, which will allow users to stream any music from its library of 15 million songs. Many are certain that Spotify, which catalogs its digital music by playlists instead of by album and offers speedy and effective services for both computers and mobile devices, will revolutionize the music industry.
Pentagon Hacked
Yesterday, Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn disclosed that in March, foreign hackers stole nearly 24,000 sensitive files in a single cyberattack from the Pentagon. Cyber attacks over the last few years have compromised “our most sensitive systems, including aircraft avionics, surveillance technologies, satellite communications systems and network security protocols,” said Lynn. The country suspected of the March attack has not been named; however, officials in the past have blamed China. The admission of the breach came with the Department of Defense's new ''Strategy for Operating in Cyberspace'', which outlines new security guidelines.
Apple to Add Volume Purchasing for Businesses
Soon Apple iOS apps will be able to be purchased in bulk. For businesses who want to buy a large number of copies of a particular app, Apple will make the process easier: select the desired app, select the number of seats, and pay with a credit card; you will then get a license for each device. It is, however, not yet clear whether discounts will be offered to those buying en masse. This service was previously only offered to educational institutions.
