Yahoo yesterday announced a huge spike in quarterly profit but was red-faced over a performance by lap dancers at a Taiwan developers’ event.

Net income rose 244% year-on-year to $186 million and operating income was up 30%, despite a 12% fall in revenue, Yahoo said.

While CEO Carol Bartz said revenue was ahead of guidance, the biggest boost came from a 17.7% fall in operating costs for the quarter.

The result beat analysts’ forecasts. Yahoo’s stock rose 5.07% in after-hours trading to $18.04.

Bartz described it as “a solid third quarter that signals our major businesses have stabilized.”

However, the online ad giant has been forced into an apology for inviting lap dancers to its annual Taiwan “Hack Day” last weekend.

Photos and videos of the short-skirted “Hack Girls” appeared online early this week, prompting angry responses from developers and bloggers.

Chris Yeh, the head of the developers’ network, said he acknowledged that the Hack Girls were “not reflective of [the] spirit or purpose” of the event.

But posters to his blog pointed out that the dancers had been invited to the previous year’s developers’ event.

One critic was Flickr co-founder Caterina Fake, who sold the site to Yahoo. Fake Twittered that she was “frankly disgusted” by the incident.
Source:
telecomasia.net
Robert Clark

The beta of Ubuntu 9.10—or Karmic Koala as it's also known—offers the core open-source updates you would expect. But it also provides important enhancements in the areas of disk encryption, tightened system permissions and cloud service integration—all of which combine to make Ubuntu even more attractive as the Linux distro of choice on the desktop.

The Ubuntu project recently set loose a beta version of its next Linux-based operating system release, known as Ubuntu 9.10 or, more fancifully, as the Karmic Koala. I've been testing this in-development Ubuntu version for several weeks now, but this beta milestone seems like a good time to single out a handful of the new or enhanced features that have caught my eye so far.

Karmic will ship with a long list of enhancements and additions, including the sort of core open-source application updates you expect to see with any Linux distribution refresh (new versions of Firefox, OpenOffice.org and the GNOME desktop environment). Beyond these typical updates, however, I've taken particular note of changes around disk encryption, tightened system permissions and cloud service integration.

For screenshots of these new Ubuntu features in action, check out this eWEEK Labs Gallery.

All told, I expect that the 9.10 release will strengthen Ubuntu's position as the most popular Linux option for desktop and mobile implementations. On the server side of the distribution, the Ubuntu project has covered a lot of ground on private and public cloud deployment options with this release, and eWEEK Labs will investigate these enhancements in an upcoming story.

Disk Encryption

Given how easily notebooks and netbooks can be lost or stolen, and how easily an unauthorized person can pull sensitive data from an unencrypted disk, no one should be toting a portable computer around without the protection of hard-drive encryption. The past few Ubuntu releases have offered users the option of encrypting all but their boot partitions with block-level encryption, but this feature has been limited to the text-based alternate install disk, which most users pass over in favor of the default LiveCD-based install disk. What's more, the UNR (Ubuntu Netbook Remix) installer offers no clear path to encrypted hard drives at all.

Rather than build this block-level encryption option into its default installer, the Ubuntu team has been pursuing an encryption scheme that's layered atop the file system and that targets specific system folders, as opposed to encrypting everything on disk.

Version 8.10 saw the addition of an encrypted Private directory for each user. However, to take advantage of the directory's protection, users had to copy files into the directory and, for application configuration folders, create symlinks from the folder to the home directory locations where the applications expected to find these folders. In Version 9.04, the team expanded this protection to cover the entire home directory, but the option to trigger this protection was exposed only in the alternate installer.

In Ubuntu 9.10, this home directory encryption option has finally made its way into the default LiveCD installer. During installation, the Ubuntu installer asked me whether I wanted to configure my system for auto-login, for password-protected login or for password-protected login with home directory encryption. Choosing the home directory encryption option also configures the swap partition for encryption, which is important because sensitive data can hang around in swap, even on systems with plenty of RAM.

In contrast to the block-level encryption option, which is still available in the alternate installer, Ubuntu's home directory encryption should deliver improved performance by ignoring data outside of home or swap directories. Most of what's in the root directory of an Ubuntu system isn't particularly sensitive—after all, both the binaries and the source for most of what you'll find there are available for free public download.

What's more, this home directory encryption scheme allows for unattended booting (the block-level method requires a passphrase at boot time), as well as for multiple home directories, each encrypted with its own key.

For now, however, systems encrypted in this way lack hibernation support, due to the method used to encrypt the swap partition. With that said, the Ubuntu project is working on a solution for re-enabling hibernation.

Firefox AppArmor Policy

Ubuntu has been shipping with the AppArmor enhanced access control framework since Version 7.10, and while the Ubuntu's AppArmor implementation has never been promoted or exposed to users as prominently as SELinux has in Red Hat's Fedora and RHEL distributions, the framework has been making steady progress during the past several Ubuntu releases.

AppArmor bolsters existing Linux access controls by enabling administrators to grant or deny system privileges more granularly than is possible with Linux's default discretionary access control scheme. Ubuntu 9.10 includes a policy for applying these controls to contain the Firefox Web browser. In the beta release I tested, this policy was inactive by default; I activated it by issuing the command "sudo aa-enforce firefox" and then restarting Firefox.

I took a peek at the Firefox AppArmor policy, which is stored as a fairly readable text file, and noted that the policy denied Firefox access to the folder in my home directory that stores SSH keys—a directory that I'm allowed, by default, to view and edit freely. With typical Linux access controls, the applications I run enjoy the same rights that I do, which means that I—or someone who has taken control of my browser—could read and modify sensitive SSH configuration files in that directory from Firefox. With the AppArmor policy for Firefox enabled, however, I couldn't access or modify the SSH directory in my home folder.

I'd like to see the Ubuntu project step up its efforts around AppArmor, potentially by extending the project's Personal Package Archive build service with AppArmor policy generation tools. The other major Linux distribution that ships AppArmor, SUSE, has its own build service, and there may be an opportunity for the two projects to collaborate to bring this functionality to their respective build services.

UbuntuOne

Last May, Canonical, the company that sponsors Ubuntu, launched a closed beta of a Web storage and synchronization service called Ubuntu One. The service provided 2GB of free online storage space or 10GB of space for $10 a month. The service provided storage synchronization between computers running Ubuntu and a Canonical-run Web service that tapped Amazon's S3 for storage. Since then, the beta has gone public, the storage cap for paid subscriptions has been raised to 50GB, and the service has expanded beyond file synchronization to take on data sync duties for specific Ubuntu desktop applications.

For instance, the version of the Tomboy note-taking application that comes with Ubuntu 9.10 includes Ubuntu One among its list of note synchronization targets, making it possible to use the Canonical service to keep one's notes in sync on multiple machines—eventually. So far, I haven't managed to get this feature to work on my test system. Similar sync options have turned up for contact records used with the distribution's Evolution mail client and for Firefox bookmarks, both of which rely on the document-oriented database project CouchDB for syncing up with Ubuntu One.

The Ubuntu One service, and its associated client-side components, are definitely still rough around the edges—the Web-based interfaces for viewing notes and browsing files, in particular, could use an overhaul. However, I'm impressed with the promise of these capabilities to bridge the divide between locally run and Web-based applications on the Linux desktop.

Executive Editor Jason Brooks can be reached at jbrooks@eweek.com.

Seleksi Menteri Kabinet Indonesia Bersatu versi 2.0 dimulai pada hari Sabtu 17 Oktober 2009 di kediaman Presiden Terpilih Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono di Puri Cikeas, Bogor dengan 17 orang calon yang hadir. Pada hari Minggu 18 Oktober 2009 seleksi Menteri KIB-II dilanjutkan dengan 14 orang calon menteri yang dihadirkan, sehingga ada 4 posisi menteri yang belum diseleksi pejabatnya.

Berikut ini adalah rincian pejabat yang menduduki 30 Kementrian atau Lembaga yang setaraf sebagai berikut:

1. Menko Perekonomian : Hatta Rajasa
2. Menko Kesejahteraan Rakyat: Agung Laksono
3. Menko Polkam : Djoko Suyanto
4. Menteri Keuangan : Sri Mulyani Indrawati
5. Menteri Perdagangan : Marie Pangestu
6. Menteri Perindustrian : M.S. Hidayat
7. Menteri Kominfo : Tifatul Sembiring
8. Menteri Pemuda dan Olahraga : Andy Mallarangeng
9. Menteri Perumahan Rakyat : Suharso Monoarfa
10. Menteri Pendayagunaan Aparatur Negara : E.E. Mangindaan
11. Menteri Pariwisata dan Budaya : Jero Wacik
12. Menteri PPN/Kepaal Bappenas : Salim Sagaff Al Jufri
13. Menteri Pendidikan Nasional : Muhammad Nuh
14. Menteri ESDM : Darwin Zahedi Saleh
15. Menteri Pekerjaan Umum : Djoko Kirmanto
16. Menteri Agama : Suryadharma Ali
17. Menteri Lingkungan Hidup : Gusti Muhammad Hatta
18. Menteri Pembangunan Daerah Teringgal : Hilmy Faisal Zaini
19. Menteri Hukum dan HAM : Patrialis Akbar
20. Menteri Dalam Negeri : Gamawan Fauzi
21. Menteri Negara Pemberdayaan Perempuan dan Perlindungan Anak : Linda Agum Gumelar
22. Menteri RISTEK : Suharna Surapranata
23. Menteri Kehutanan : Zulkifli Hassan
24. Menteri Kesehatan : Nila Djuwita A. Moeloek
25. Menteri BUMN : Mustapa Abubakar
26. Menteri Sekretariat Negara : Sudi Silalahi
27. Menteri Transmigrasi dan Tenaga Kerja : Muhaimin A Iskandar
28. Kepala BKPM : Gita Wirawan
29. Kepala BIN : Sutanto

Selain dari tersebut diatas, telah ditetapkan pula Staf Khusus Wakil Presiden, yaitu Kuntoro Mangkusubroto.

Ada 5 posisi Kementrian dan 2 posisi setingkat Menteri yang belum ditetapkan para pejabatnya, yaitu:

1. Menteri Pertahanan
2. Menteri Perhubungan
3. Menteri Luar Negeri
4. Menteri Pertanian
5. Menteri Sosial
6. SekretarisKabinet
7. Jaksa Agung

Ke-empat jabatan yang relatifpenting itu bisa saja dialokasikan bagi kalangan professional ataupun dari partai politik lainnya.

Dari susunan yang ada tersebut diatas, pengamat menilai bahwa para menteri incumbent tetap memegang posisi kunci Perekonomian Indonesia, namun mereka hanya kuat dalam penanganan permasalahan Ekonomi Makro, sedang dalam penanganan permasalahan sektor Perkonomian Riil, tim KIB-II ini dinilai lemah, karena belum punya pengalaman yang sudah terbukti, seperti masalah-masalah tenaga kerja dan industri di Indonesia.

Selain itu, KIB-II ini dituntut agar mampu membenahi birokrasi yang masih dinilai buruk selama ini.

Silahkan ditanggapi dan semoga bermanfaat,

Kelompok Kerja WiFi Alliance telah menyelesaikan spesifikasi standar spesifikasi yang memungkinkan komunikasi langsung antar perangkat terminal WiFi tanpa melalui tranceiver WiFi yang dinamakan WiFi Direct. Produksi perangkat WiFi dengan spesifikasi tersebut diatas akan dimulai dan disertifiaksi dengan jadwal operasional pada pertengahan tahun 2010.

Perkembangan baru ini memungkinkan makin mudahnya komunikasi antar terminal WiFi yang terpasang di Laptop, Handphone dan Smartphone tanpa harus ada tranceiver WiFi sebagai perantaranya seperti yang dilakukan saat ini. Ini mirip dengan komunikasi langsung antar terminal BlueTooths.

Dampaknya tentu akan makin memudahkan komunikasi antar pelanggan dan meningkatkan efisiensi, kecepatan dan produktivitas masyarakat pemakai jasa.

Dengan makin membaiknya layanan Internet Broadband melalui jaringan kabel telpon ADSL (Speedy), kabel Serat Optik (Fasnet, IM2, Metronet, dll), Fixed Wireless (Star-One, Flexi, Esia, WiFi) dan Mobile Wireless (Telkomsel, Indosat, XL, Three, Axis, Fren, Smart) maka akan makin banyak layanan jasa transaksi bisnis dan keuangan yang akan disalurkan melalui jaringan internet Broadband ini.

Perbaikan layanan Internet Broadband ini, walaupun masih jauh dari memuaskan, namun telah dapat meningkatkan jumlah pelanggan jasa ini secara signifkan, terutama berkat kemudahan akses melalui jaringan telpon bergerak (ponsel). Masuknya aplikasi jejaring sosial seperti facebook, twitter, yahoo messenger, dll yang dengan mudah dapat diakses dari ponsel juga secara signifikan meningkatkan traffic internet melalui ponsel.

Ditambah lagi tren baru penggunanan ponsel BlackBerry yang merupakan simbol status terbaru para eksekutif muda dan para pecinta gadget terbaru yang melanda Indonesia dalam beberapa bulan terakhir ini. Tren ini telah mampu meningkatkan penjualan ponsel BlackBerry secara fenomenal dilihat dari pasar BlackBerry global. Indonesia menjadi ajang percobaan berbagai versi terbaru BlackBerry, seperti model curve, bold, dll, sebab pasar Indonesia begitu besarnya, dengan jumlah pelanggan telpon seluler yang mencapai total sebanyak 160 juta pada tahun ini, mampu menyerap beragam produk terbaru dunia. Penjualan Apple iPhone 3G juga laris mains dipasar konsumen Indonesia.

Berita mutakhir dari operator Smat Telecom mengkhabarkan bahwa dalam waktu dekat mereka juga tidak mau ketinggalan untuk meluncurkan produk BlackBerry berbasiskan telpon seluler CDMA yang dibundel dengan paket layanan mereka.

Internet Banking dan Mobile Banking sudah diperkenalkan di Indonesia sejak beberapa tahun yang lalu, namun pertumbuhannya masih relatif lambat, kemungkinan disebabkan para pelanggan bersikap hati-hati dengan gencarnya berita tentang cybercrime melalui jaringan dunia maya ini.

Cybercrime yang sudah sering terjadi adalah penipuan lewat ponsel atau SMS yang mengatasnamakan Opertor Seluler, seperti informasi bahwa pelanggan telah ditetapkan sebagai pemenang undian tertentu dan menanyakan akan ditransfer kemanakah uang mereka itu? Ujung-ujungnya, sipelanggan malah terkuras uangnya yang ada di bank, oleh karena terbujuk-rayu para pelaku cyber crime ini.

Modus baru penipuan yang mulai muncul adalah sebaliknya, si penelpon marah2, mengatakan bahwa Ia sudah mentransfer duitnya ke si pelanggan, tetapi kok barangnya belum dikirim. Ia akan mengancam lapor ke polisi. Kalau kita groggi, maka kita akan kena tipu. Tetapi kalau kita cerdik, kita tanya saja, dimana alamat rumah si penelpon? Ia akan segera menutup telponnya, sebab takut ketahuan tipu-tipuannya.

Dengan makin lancarnya Internet Broadband, maka diperkirakan bahwa berbagai layanan yang tadinya lelet dan tidak menarik minat pelanggan akan menjadi makin menarik. Internet Banking, Mobile Banking, Online Shopping, Forum Jual-Beli Online, Mobile Payment, Voucher Isi Ulang Mobile, Mobile Money, dan lainnya akan tumbuh pesat pada tahun-tahun mendatang.

Sejalan dengan makin besarnya volume dan nilai transaksi Online tersebut, maka akan pula muncul berbagai cybercrime atau tipu-tipuan menggunakan ponsel, SMS atau email untuk mengeruk uang masyarakat pengguna jasa mobile dan Internet. Ini adalah sesuatu hal yang wajar, dimana ada gula, disitu ada semut (bagi para pelaku cybercrime)!. Diramalkan akan makin banyak gangguan atau virus yang akan muncul di ponsel pelanggan, berupa suatu malware yang dapat menyedot informasi rahasia pelanggan, seperti nomor kartu kredit dan password penting.

Para pelaku cybercrime ini yang lebih dikenal sebagai crackers di dunia maya, akan membobol berbagai sekuriti jaringan dan ponsel atau smartphone pelanggan untuk mencuri informasi-informasi penting. Sudahkan masyarakat Indonesia siap dengan situasi yang akan datang ini? Adakah proteksi seperi anti virus, anti spam dan anti malware yang dipersiapkan bagi perangkat-perangkat mobile tersebut? Kami sarankan agar para penegak hukum lebih memfokuskan ke jenis cybercrime ini dari pada mengobok-obok seorang Ibu Rumahtangga yang lemah agar dihukum seberat-beratnya, hanya karena menyalurkan keluhannya ke beberapa kawan-kawannya di Internet! Siapakah yang dibela dan diuntungkan dalam kasus ini???

Benarkah cybercrime akan meluas di Indonesia dengan membaiknya layanan Internet Broadband? Ataukah malah pelaku cybercrime asal indonesia ini akan menyerbu ke pasar luar negeri, sebab layanan Internet Broadband itu melancarkan usahanya dan juga di LN uang yang dapat diraih akan jauh lebih besar lagi?

Silahkan ditanggapi.