Medium-sized firms are the target for a Linux-based Net security appliance, to be released by security firms Intrusion and Check Point Software this month. The small device is aimed at medium-sized firms and branch offices, and will have Check Point’s VPN-1/FireWall-1 security software preinstalled. It will also be available as a managed service, reports IT Week.

A format string bug was recently discovered in screen which can be used
to gain elevated privilages if screen is setuid. Debian 2.1 (slink) did
ship screen setuid and the exploit can be used to gain root privilages.
In Debian 2.2 (potato) screen is not setuid, and is not vulnerable to a
root exploit. screen is, however, setgid utmp in Debian 2.2 (potato) and
we recommend upgrading. The advisory is at LWN.net.

The last two weeks saw 28 patches go into the tree, from 17 different developers, reports the AbiWord Weekly News.

Olinux.com.br has an interview with SourceForge developer Quentin Cregan. (Disclosure: SourceForge and NewsForge are both owned by VA Linux.)

Inter@ctive Week speaks about how groupware applications vendors like Lotus are trying to make their products compatible with wireless PDA and digital-enabled cell phone, and the trouble they are having with WAP.

The MPAA and other copyright holders are worried about people making flawless (digital) copies of movies and other material broadcast in the new digital HDTV format, and want the FCC to help them. The Home Recording Rights Coalition, made up of companies that make the recording devices, wants consumers to have the same rights they have now to make copies of analog broadcasts with VCRs. Both groups are lobbying the FCC like mad. Story @ Inter@active Week.

To the government, the fishermen were simple lawbreakers, illegally feeding the public without a license and a health inspection. The tuna guys say the county sheriff’s department informed them last week that they could cook for their own camp and nobody else — a prohibition that directly conflicts with the festival’s share-freely ethos. More on the end of the Burning Man Festival at Wired.com.

The DotCom Incubator Services programme sponsored by IBM and Conxion Corporation have announced a new initiative to further accelerate e-business in Europe. The incubator is designed to provide qualified European startups dedicated, managed Web hosting service on an IBM Netfinity server, running Windows NT, AIX or Linux operating systems, along with e-business software from IBM and participating technology providers. The press release is at PR Newswire.

ZDNet.uk on a partnership between Palm and Japan’s dominant mobile
operator, DoCoMo, that is expected to bring wireless PDAs to Japan in the first half of 2001.

“More than one in four software companies in China believes piracy is the biggest barrier to the development of China’s software industry, according to a report Friday on the Web site of the official People’s Daily newspaper.” – Brief PcWorld story.