Weekly Roundup: A few iPhone queries answered

Linksys released the Cisco WRT54G2 router this week to the Australian market. The new router is primarily geared towards companies who are just now making the jump to a wireless network. It is available now for the recommended retail price of $89.95.

The 44 year old Australian man who put his life up for sale on Ebay was disappointed this week when the sale price turned out to be less than he expected. The auction, which sold all of the man’s belongings, relationships, and even his job, ended for $399,900, about $100,000 less than the man had originally hoped for.

With the iPhone launch less than a week away, mobile carriers are hurrying to get in last minute announcements before the 3G device hits stores. Telstra started off the week by announcing that it indeed would carry the iPhone starting on July 11 and was the first of the participating mobile companies to release payment plan details. Apple also announced that US customers who chose not to sign a contract for the iPhone could still purchase it for US$400 more, for either US$599 or $699. Optus ended the week by announcing its pricing plans as well, offering both pre and post paid plan options. Vodafone, the third iPhone carrier, has yet to share its pricing details.

Microsoft is planning to include two new security features in the upcoming beta version of Internet Explorer 8. The measures will focus on screening for phishing attempts and cross-site-scripting attacks. Microsoft says it expects to release the IE8 in August.

Google has released to the public the source code for its Rat Proxy software, which the internet giant says it uses internally to analyse and report web pages for potential security risks. Google says it hopes the tool when come in handy for web developers who are working on web-based services that rely on multiple sites and outside data.

The Guinness Book of World Records has confirmed that Mozilla now holds the record for most downloaded software in a single day for its latest version of Firefox. They recorded that between 6pm June 17th to 6pm June 18th 8,002,530 people downloaded
Firefox 3 around the world. Most of the downloads came from the US, but Germany held the title for most downloads in Europe.

New figures indicate the Windows Vista is replacing Windows XP, rather than adding more to Microsoft’s share of the market. Vista has seen a 2.56 increase in market share over the last year, while Microsoft’s June total was down 2.45 percent from last year. However, it looks as though Windows’ competitors are doing well, as both Mac OSX and Linux have increased their market share over the past year.

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