Top 10: Air audit, Amazon's Kindle DX, Intel in the EU

The next time you're standing barefoot in a security line at a U.S. airport because having passengers remove their shoes is so vital to safety, aside from the dirt on the floor you might contemplate the findings of a U.S. Department of Transportation audit that found a high risk of cyberattack on air traffic control systems. The audit was in the news this week. But there was some good news for travelers and others who don't want to lug around books, newspapers and magazines -- Amazon showed off its larger-screened Kindle e-reader.

1. Study: US air traffic control vulnerable to cyberattack: Other stories were splashier (the Kindle DX, to name but one), but we're giving this one top billing anyway. A U.S. Department of Transportation audit found a high risk of cyberattacks on U.S. air traffic control systems because those systems link to insecure Web applications used by aviation authorities across the nation. Penetration testers found 763 high-risk vulnerabilities in 70 Web applications for a range of aviation functions, including those that distribute communications frequencies for pilots. They also found 504 medium-risk and 2,590 low-risk vulnerabilities.

2. A guided tour: Hands on with the Kindle DX: Well, we don't know about the fantastic claims that Amazon's larger-screen Kindle, the DX, is going to be the salvation of the newspaper industry (although any help would be most appreciated), but the e-reader sure has captured a lot of attention. And early reviews were positive.

3. EU antitrust ruling against Intel due next Wednesday: This story, with more details, will undoubtedly make next week's list as well -- the European Commission is expected next Wednesday to announce its decision in its ongoing antitrust investigation of Intel. The decision will be one of the Commission's most significant antitrust rulings in its history. That wasn't the only big news out of the European Union this week. (see number 7)

4. GE to spend $6 billion on health tech initiative: Lately, the overwhelming, and depressing, majority of money-related news has been dismal, so we are overjoyed to report that General Electric plans to pump US$6 billion to a health-care initiative over the next six years, with the aim of improving the quality of health care and decreasing its costs. The initiative has a strong health-IT component.

Sign up for ITworld's Daily newsletter
Follow ITworld on Twitter @IT_world

• Email
• Print
• Share
  • Slashdot
  • Digg
  • Stumble
  • Reddit
  • Newsvine