Computer scientist Brian Mastenbrook has discovered a fairly serious bug in Safari’s RSS feed handling that can allow a maliciously-crafted web page to access personal information without any knowledge or intervention of the user. The information can include—but isn’t necessarily limited to—e-mails, passwords, and information stored in browser cookies.

This vulnerability affects any Mac OS X user that has Safari set as the default feed reader in Safari’s RSS preferences. You can be affected by it even if you don’t read RSS feeds or regularly use another browser such as Firefox. As for Windows users, the vulnerability only affects those who use Safari to browse the web.

Solution/Workaround for this problem is very simple.

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Windows and Mac visual evolution

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Dear Apple Community,

For the first time in a decade, I’m getting to spend the holiday season with my family, rather than intensely preparing for a Macworld keynote.

Unfortunately, my decision to have Phil deliver the Macworld keynote set off another flurry of rumors about my health, with some even publishing stories of me on my deathbed.

I’ve decided to share something very personal with the Apple community so that we can all relax and enjoy the show tomorrow.

As many of you know, I have been losing weight throughout 2008. The reason has been a mystery to me and my doctors. A few weeks ago, I decided that getting to the root cause of this and reversing it needed to become my #1 priority.

Fortunately, after further testing, my doctors think they have found the cause—a hormone imbalance that has been “robbing” me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy. Sophisticated blood tests have confirmed this diagnosis.

The remedy for this nutritional problem is relatively simple and straightforward, and I’ve already begun treatment. But, just like I didn’t lose this much weight and body mass in a week or a month, my doctors expect it will take me until late this Spring to regain it. I will continue as Apple’s CEO during my recovery.

I have given more than my all to Apple for the past 11 years now. I will be the first one to step up and tell our Board of Directors if I can no longer continue to fulfill my duties as Apple’s CEO. I hope the Apple community will support me in my recovery and know that I will always put what is best for Apple first.

So now I’ve said more than I wanted to say, and all that I am going to say, about this.

Steve

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• Your ego feels like it has a bit more room to move around.
• The Gap in Cupertino has a sale to get rid of the overstock on turtlenecks.
• The Apple guy is wearing a black arm band in the commercials.
• Bill Gates commits suicide (he always rips off original ideas from Apple).
• Apple’s stock price doesn’t have any digits to the left of the decimal point.
• His iPhone is forwarded to John Lasseter.
• A sudden run on floral bouquets in the shape of an apple.
• At the end of Strawberry Fields you can hear John Lennon say “I buried Jobs”.
• MacWorld keynote given by Noah Wylie.
• All next-generation Apple products are square and beige.
• All iPods only play “Nothing Compares 2 U” by Sinead O’Connor.

 Sales of Apple desktop computers fell 38 percent in November, according to retail research firm NPD.The figure compares to a 15 percent drop in U.S. sales of Windows desktop PCs and a 20 percent domestic cut for overall desktop sales during the past month.

Mac U.S. sales were flat in November, falling 1 percent as PC sales grew 2 percent, according to NPD. The numbers appear to reflect a consumer spending tightening and Apple’s reluctance to shift from premium prices.

While PC makers, such as HP and Dell, cut holiday prices by up to 50 percent, Apple introduced 5 percent to 10 percent discounts since December of 2007, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster told the Wall Street Journal Tuesday.

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