Archive for the ‘Google’ Category
Google Skipfish scans Web apps for security
Google has released an open-source Web security scanner called Skipfish that is designed to allow people to scan Web applications for security holes.
The tool scans a Web application for flaws including “tricky scenarios” such as blind SQL or XML injection, Google developer Michal Zalewski said in the Skipfish wiki.
Skipfish prepares a site map annotated with interactive crawl results, highlighting flaws, after a recursive crawl and dictionary-based probing of the target site. The tool can also generate a final report that can be used as a basis for a security assessment.
Read more of “Google releases Skipfish Web-security scanner” at ZDNet UK.
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http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-20000884-83.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
Google acquiring Web-based photo editor Picnik
Picnik, which makes an online photo editor, announced on its blog Monday that the company is being acquired by Google.
The editor works directly with online photo libraries like Flickr, Facebook, and Picasa Web Albums. Users can also upload files to the service and download them again when they are done. The editing capabilities it offers are a natural complement to a Picasa, even though the technology appears to be a mismatch: Picnik works in Flash, while most advanced Google apps use the slower JavaScript. (Google, however, is working to improve JavaScript performance with its Native Client technology.)
Neither Picnik nor Google provided financial terms of the deal in their blog posts.
Flickr uses Picnik by default. It will be interesting to see how Yahoo, which owns Flickr, deals with the new owner of its preferred photo editor.
Picnik is a Webware 100 winner. It competes with Pixlr, Fotoflexer, and Aviary.
Google revamps DoubleClick ad management tech
This is what Google had in mind when it acquired DoubleClick.
Google unveiled its rebranded display ad serving technology Monday, bringing together the DoubleClick DART for Publishers and Google Ad Manager products under a new name: DoubleClick for Publishers. The new ad-management software has a redesigned user interface, links to the DoubleClick Ad Exchange, and APIs for company developers to build applications on top of the technology.
The idea is to give Web publishers that run “Ads By Google” a better way to control where their clients’ ads appear. Similar work on search ads has made many a millionaire at Google, and the company believes it can give display advertisers the same amount of precision and analytical tools that are available for text advertisers.
Hence the $3.1 billion acquisition of DoubleClick in 2008. Last year Google unveiled the new DoubleClick Ad Exchange, which matches ad buyers looking for a discount with ad sellers hoping to fill excess inventory.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-30684_3-10457609-265.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
Is Google preparing to challenge iTunes in the cloud?
As the four biggest record companies wait to hear more about a proposed iTunes cloud music service, word comes now that Google has kicked the tires on a start-up specializing in cloud media.
Google has showed interest in possibly acquiring Los Angeles-based Catch Media, a company that intends to help make it simple for consumers to enjoy their digital movies, music, and books across numerous different hardware and service platforms, according to sources with knowledge of the negotiations. It’s unclear whether talks between Google and Catch have gone beyond informal discussions.
(Credit: Greg Sandoval/CNET)
If Google did acquire the company, it could help the search giant keep pace with Apple’s expected efforts to take iTunes to cloud computing. Last month, CNET reported that Apple has spoken to the top labels about plans to offer a streaming music service free of charge to consumers. Before agreeing to any new licensing deals, the labels are waiting for Apple to supply more information.
A Google spokesman responded to a request for comment by writing: “While we’re always talking to various people about various things, we don’t comment on rumor or speculation.” A representative from Catch declined to comment.
Catch doesn’t offer or store content. The company wants to be to digital media what Plus, Cirrus, and ATM networks are to the banking industry. Catch has developed a technology that helps hardware companies and service providers register, track, route and clear digital media as it moves across different platforms.
If Catch has its way, consumers will one day access media from different vendors and devices as easily as people withdraw money from any available ATM.
Founded in 2003 by brothers Boaz Ben-Yaacov and Yaacov Ben-Yaacov, Catch is focused on cloud-based music at this early stage in its development, sources said. In order to enable the cross-platform accessing of songs, Catch has licensed music from all four major record labels: Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, and EMI Music.
Conceivably, Catch is one way Google could equip Android cellphone owners with a means to access their iTunes music libraries.
Google’s interest in a start-up focused on cloud music has sparked speculation within the recording industry about the search engine’s music plans.
According to a December story in The Wall Street Journal (subscription required), Google was attempting to buy Lala, but Apple won out.
In December, Apple paid more than $80 million to acquire the company, which enables users to store a copy of their music libraries on the its servers and then access those songs from anywhere they can connect to the Web.
Barely two months prior to Lala’s acquisition, Google made news by partnering with the streaming service on a music-search deal. One music industry source said Google began circling Catch soon after losing Lala.
Because Google was pursuing an acquisition of Lala, some in the music industry see the search engine’s interest in Catch as part of a larger effort by Google to go deeper into digital music.
According to music sources, the industry would welcome a new music venture from Google CEO Eric Schmidt with open arms, sort of like how the chiefs of three of the largest labels literally welcomed Schmidt to the Vevo launch party in December.
Google’s YouTube has already become one of the Web’s biggest music outlets. Music videos at YouTube and Vevo, a site created by three top labels with YouTube’s help, attract millions of viewers each day.
The music industry has said for years that it would prefer an iTunes rival to emerge. As Apple and Google’s businesses increasingly begin to collide, who better than to face down Jobs and Apple than Schmidt and Google?
Source :
http://news.cnet.com/8301-31001_3-10455535-261.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20