Piracy concerns over Apple's new Mac download store

The Mac App Store offers programs for computers including the Macbook Air

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Pirates have targeted Apple's new software download service just one day after it launched.

Several groups claim to have found security flaws in the company's new Mac App Store, which launched on Thursday.

The new service allows people to find and download approved applications to their Apple computers.

However pirates suggest that the loopholes mean many pieces of paid-for software are vulnerable to unauthorised copying.

Apple chief executive Steve Jobs had hailed the launch as "innovative", but the company has yet to respond to the claims.

While Mac users have been able to purchase and install programs on their computers for many years, the Californian technology giant hopes the new system can emulate the success of its music and mobile download services.

The store has more than 1,000 programs for download, including best sellers such as Angry Birds and Twitter.

Apple scrutiny

Unlike ordinary software downloads, however, every program in the store is scrutinised by Apple and must pass a series of tests before gaining approval.

Almost immediately after the launch, however, pirates and Apple experts outlined a series of loopholes that could allow software to be copied or shared illegally.

One flaw, which only affects some applications including the popular Angry Birds game, involves simply copying and pasting the purchase code to allow paid-for programs to be used for free.

At the same time, a group known as Hackulous says it has developed a program called Kickback which can break the protection on any piece of App Store software.

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“Start Quote

We don't want to devalue applications and frustrate developers.”

End Quote "Dissident" Representative of Hackulous

However the organisation, which has previously broken the copy protection systems used by the iPhone and iPad, says it will not release its work until next month.

"We're not going to release Kickback until well after the store's been established," said "Dissident", a spokesman for the group. "We don't want to devalue applications and frustrate developers."

Google battle

Although Apple's approval process is intended to boost security, prominent blogger John Gruber - who writes extensively about the company - said the loopholes showed gaps in the system.

"Apple should test for this in the review process, and reject paid apps that are susceptible to this simple technique," he wrote.

In the past the company has come under fire for the opaque nature of its approval scheme, which has sometimes resulted in applications being blocked without an obvious reason.

Most notably Google complained after its Voice application for the iPhone was turned down. It was eventually given approval, but only after a protracted battle between the two companies.

The news also comes after it emerged that as many as 50,000 fraudulently-obtained iTunes accounts were for sale on Chinese auction site TaoBao.

Laos general and Hmong leader Vang Pao dies in exile

Vang Pao, accused of subversion against Laos in 2007, was revered for his war record

Vang Pao, the former general and leader of his Hmong ethnic group in Laos, has died in exile in the US, aged 81.

He had been in hospital for about 10 days before his death late on Thursday.

As a young man, he had fought against the Japanese during World War II, and with the French against the North Vietnamese in the 1950s.

He led a CIA-sponsored secret war in Laos during the Vietnam War and, when it was lost, led many of his people into exile.

Former Central Intelligence Agency chief William Colby once called Gen Pao "the biggest hero of the Vietnam War".

Gen Pao was a controversial figure, deeply loved by many Hmong for his insistence on freedom from foreign domination. He was also accused of subversion.

Americans who first came into contact with him found a man skilled in warfare and with the charisma necessary to sustain a dangerous 15-year long operation in support of the US against the North Vietnamese.

Last of his kind

The CIA airline, Air America, carried Gen Pao and his fighters across the country.

The Hmong

• Ethnic group that complains of marginalisation and persecution in Lao society
• Backed the US in 1960s as conflict spread from Vietnam into Laos and Cambodia
• Many fled abroad in 1975 when the communists took power in Laos
• Big Hmong communities in California, Minnesota, Thailand and Australia

• Laos' forgotten Hmong

On the ground, he and his men disrupted Vietnamese supply lines and engaged in pitched battles to try to stave off the Vietnamese-backed communist victory in Laos.

When that effort failed in 1975, Gen Pao led many thousands of Hmong into what are now well-established exile communities in the US.

The Central Valley of California, Minneapolis and cities throughout Wisconsin have a significant Hmong presence.

"He's the last of his kind, the last of the leadership that carries that reference that everyone holds dear," said Blong Xiong, a Fresno city councilman and prominent Hmong-American.

"Whether they're young or old, they hear his name, there's the respect that goes with it."

In his later years, Gen Pao was accused of leading rebellions or sponsoring subversion against the People's Democratic Republic of Laos.

In 2007, he was charged along with nine others with plotting to use AK-47 rifles, missiles and mercenaries to overthrow the Lao government. Charges against him were later dropped.

Regarded by some as an exiled head of state, he also worked as a security guard at a supermarket.

MQM party to rejoin Pakistani PM Gilani's coalition

Yousuf Raza Gilani has been caught between the demands of political opponents and the IMF

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has pulled his government back from the brink, persuading a former ally to rejoin the coalition.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), which walked out this week, relented a day after Mr Gilani defied the IMF with a climbdown on fuel price rises.

After talks with the MQM in Karachi, Mr Gilani also confirmed there would be no tax reform soon - another IMF demand.

As well as rampant militancy, Pakistan faces the threat of hyper inflation.

The sense of crisis has been growing since an outspoken liberal governor of the ruling Pakistan People's Party was assassinated on Tuesday by his own bodyguard.

The country is also struggling to cope with the aftermath of devastating summer floods, which caused $10bn (£6.5bn) in damage.

'Mistake'

Mr Gilani's car was showered with rose petals as he arrived to meet MQM leaders on Friday in Karachi, the capital of the southern province of Sindh.

Analysis

M Ilyas Khan BBC News, Islamabad

---

With MQM on its side, PM Yousuf Raza Gilani's PPP-led coalition has regained its majority, even though the government wasn't in imminent danger of collapse, because of a divided opposition.

But it is not clear how long this detente will last, given that disputes central to the two parties' rift still bedevil their partnership in the province of Sindh.

Many here view the MQM's decision as "auspicious" against the backdrop of a recent surge in religious extremism - but the economic cost of the reunion is likely to be high.

The prime minister has had to reverse a 9% increase in fuel prices in order to woo back his estranged ally.

This is going to hit government revenue and will displease the IMF - which agreed a staggered $11bn loan for the country. Nor will it cheer the US, which has been urging Pakistan to end all such subsidies.

"The Muttahida Qaumi Movement announces it will sit on the government benches in the larger interest of the country and democracy," MQM chief Raza Haroon told a news conference with Mr Gilani afterwards.

But he said the party would not rejoin the federal cabinet.

Mr Haroon said the decision to back the government was because "at this time when extremism is on the rise in the country, it is important that progressive forces stand united".

The MQM's change of heart comes a day after the prime minister told parliament that fuel prices, which had been raised 9%, would be restored to the levels they were on 31 December.

Mr Gilani's U-turn was criticised by the US and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which has been withholding part of an $11bn loan to Pakistan.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said it was a "mistake", while the IMF called the fuel subsidy "inefficient and untargeted".

During Friday's news conference, the prime minister also confirmed there would be no reformed general sales tax until political consensus was reached.

The government has already delayed the levy, an IMF condition for the release of the next chunk of its loan, agreed in 2008.

The MQM withdrew two ministers from the federal cabinet last month.

Then on Sunday it said it would join the opposition benches in parliament, blaming fuel prices and high inflation.

The defection had left the beleaguered prime minister facing a possible no-confidence vote.

South Sudan holds final rallies ahead of secession vote

The rally will proceed to the grave of John Garang, the late southern rebel who signed the peace deal

Final rallies have started in south Sudan's capital, Juba, ahead of Sunday's vote on independence for the south of the country from the north.

The BBC's Peter Martell in Juba says there is a carnival atmosphere as hundreds of people take part in what is called the "final walk to freedom".

Later this evening, there will be a concert where musicians will celebrate the referendum.

It is part of a 2005 deal that ended a two-decade north-south civil war.

US envoy to Sudan Scott Gration has told the BBC he is optimistic the referendum will take place successfully.

He said the north and south had reached out to each other in recent days and promised not to destabilise each other.

"It has been a tough ride until now but the parties have really come through. [They] have made agreements," he told the BBC.

On Wednesday, a ceasefire was signed by the authorities in Southern Sudan with a renegade officer, Lt Gen George Athor.

Gen Gration added that the south had promised Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir that it would not support rebels from Darfur.

He also said he had had reports that the ruling party in the south had asked some Darfur rebels to leave and that they had moved back into the northern region or into other countries.

Analysts say President Bashir is under intense pressure from northern politicians, who fear that the secession of the south may lead to a further splintering of the country.

'There will be no war'

“Start Quote

I will not be a second-class citizen, I want to be the first only, so that is why I am happy”

End Quote Anne, Juba resident

Meanwhile Uganda's leader Yoweri Museveni said the referendum would be an opportunity to enhance security and stability in East Africa.

During the civil war he backed the southern rebel movement, while the Sudanese government supported the Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army rebel group.

"If the people of Southern Sudan decided to stay with Khartoum willingly then, of course, there will be no war," he told the BBC's Network Africa.

"On the other hand, if they decide to go away and form their own country then there will be no war. So either way that benefit will be there, the benefit of better security."

Our reporter in Juba says Friday's rally started at the city's football stadium and is proceeding to the grave of John Garang, the late southern rebel leader who signed the peace deal with Khartoum.

He says people have been dancing on top of trucks, listening to the music and singing along to songs in support of separation from the north of the country.

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President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda speaks to the BBC's Joseph Warungu

Many school children and students have also joined the parade.

"We are Christian, they are Arab, and they are Muslim. Why unite with them?" Paul, a secondary student, told the BBC.

Cheers rang out when the march passed a giant countdown sign, our reporter says.

"I will not be a second-class citizen, I want to be the first only, so that is why I am happy," another marcher, Anne, said.

A second rally is expected on Friday afternoon at Juba's university ahead of a concert, where organisers are promising top billing to four popular musicians.

Southern Sudanese will have a week to cast their vote on the future of the region, one of the least developed areas in the world.

Sudan: A country divided

• Geography
• Ethnic groups
• Infant mortality
• Water & sanitation
• Education
• Food insecurity
• Oil fields

Show regions

The great divide across Sudan is visible even from space, as this Nasa satellite image shows. The northern states are a blanket of desert, broken only by the fertile Nile corridor. Southern Sudan is covered by green swathes of grassland, swamps and tropical forest.

Egypt on alert as Copts celebrate Christmas

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Pope Shenouda III, head of Egypt's Coptic church led the midnight mass in Cairo

Coptic Christians have celebrated Christmas Eve amid tight security, following a bomb attack on a church in Egypt in which 23 people died.

Armed police protected churches as Copts, who mark Christmas according to the Julian calendar, gathered in large numbers, many wearing black.

Some Muslims held vigils outside Coptic churches in a gesture of solidarity.

The services passed off peacefully, despite some radical Islamist websites urging more attacks.

Heightened security measures were expected to remain in place on Friday for Coptic Christmas Day.

At the scene

Jon Leyne BBC News, Cairo

---

Worshippers entered the churches for Christmas Eve Mass in a ring of security. Most roads outside churches were blocked off. Metal detectors were installed at the gates, and those arriving were asked to show identity.

In some churches, Muslims came to show solidarity. Egyptian state TV broadcast a message of national unity. So far it seems to have worked. Despite incitement to new attacks on some extremist websites, there have been no reports of trouble, though one small crude explosive device was found and made safe at a church in southern Egypt.

Many Egyptians have been keen to emphasise the tradition of tolerance in their country, but there are still fears that antagonism between Christians and Muslims is on the rise.

The bombing of the al-Qiddissin, or Saints', Church in Alexandria on New Year's Day was the worst act of sectarian violence in Egypt in a decade.

It triggered days of protests and riots by Christians blaming the government for encouraging discrimination and not doing enough to protect them.

In response, the Egyptian authorities stepped up security around many churches, with explosives experts on hand.

Armoured vehicles have been stationed in key areas.

Earlier on Thursday, one device containing nails and fireworks was found in a church staircase in the southern city of Minya but it had no detonator.

Police in Cairo, Alexandria and other places checked the identities of those entering churches.

A street away from the Saints Church in Alexandria, two dozen Muslims held a solidarity gathering holding banners saying "No to terrorism, yes to citizenship" and "Long live the cross and the crescent."

One Muslim woman, Hanan Mahfouz, told the Associated Press at a Mass in a Cairo suburb: "Coming here seemed like the least I could do."

Coptic Orthodox Church

• Main Christian Church in Egypt, where it has between 6m and 11m members
• About 1m members abroad, including US, Canada, Australia, France, Germany and Sudan
• Copts believe Church dates back to 50 AD, when the Apostle Mark is said to have visited Egypt
• The Coptic Church is one of the Eastern Orthodox churches and shares their general beliefs
• In 451, the Church split from other Christian churches in a major schism over its belief in monophytism, which states that Christ had only one nature, not two (divine and human)
• Scriptures and services continue to be in Coptic
• Led by Pope Shenouda III, the Patriarch of Alexandria; he is based in Cairo
• Copts suffered persecution under the Romans, and after Egypt became a Muslim country; modern Copts say they are still disadvantaged

However, radical Islamist websites have been circulating lists of Coptic churches in Egypt and Europe with instructions on how to attack them.

"Blow up the churches while they are celebrating Christmas or any other time when the churches are packed," says a line from a video attributed to al-Qaeda, entitled Jihadi Encyclopaedia for the Destruction of the Cross, that has been widely circulated on the internet.

Pope Benedict XVI used his weekly address in St Peter's Square in the Vatican on Thursday to send "heartfelt greetings and best wishes to our brothers and sisters of the Eastern Churches who will celebrate Christmas tomorrow".

In the wake of the Egypt attack, he said: "May the goodness of God... strengthen the faith, hope and charity of everyone and give comfort to the communities that are being tested."

Some European governments have also announced security measures at churches.

It was during Coptic Christmas Eve celebrations in southern Egypt in 2009 that six Christians and a Muslim security guard were killed in a drive-by shooting.

The country's Coptic Christian minority makes up between 7% and 14% of Egypt's 80 million people.

Algeria youths riot for second night

Riots in the capital have intensified since Wednesday

Algerian youths have rioted for a second night across the capital, Algiers, and in several other cities.

The riots have been linked to rising food prices, housing shortages, and wider social and political grievances.

A BBC correspondent says Algiers has emptied out in the late afternoon over the last two days, before rioters take to the streets, clashing with police.

The riots follow a period of rare unrest in neighbouring Tunisia, which has led to at least three deaths.

The BBC's Mohamed Arezki Himeur reports from Algiers that there has been sporadic rioting in Algeria since the new year, when the price of many food products increased sharply.

But the protests have intensified since Wednesday, our correspondent says.

Political frustration

They also spread to Bab el-Oued, a working class neighbourhood of symbolic importance. It was at the centre of the protest movement in 1988, at the beginning of a period of unrest that led to an Islamist insurgency in the 1990s.

The riots are widely seen as drawing on deep frustrations with the ruling elite and a lack of political freedom, as well as more immediate concerns about the cost of living, housing, and jobs.

During the riots this week, youths have ransacked shops, lit tyres in the street, and hurled stones at police.

Security forces responded with tear gas and high-pressure hoses.

Rioting has also been reported in cities including Constantine, Oran, and Bejaia.

The demonstrations in Tunisia began after a man set fire to himself on 17 December in the Sidi Bouzid region to protest against the police confiscating fruit and vegetables that he was selling without a permit.

Protests are rare in Tunisia, where there are tight controls aimed at preventing dissent.

As in Algeria, the unrest has been linked to frustrations with the president and the ruling elite, as well as to concerns over jobs and living costs.

10 websites to watch in 2011

By Josh Catone, Mashable January 5, 2011 -- Updated 1542 GMT (2342 HKT) | Filed under: Web

Hipmunk is fixing everything that's wrong with flight searches with a tool whose usefulness is immense.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform for creative endeavors
• Grooveshark might be the next big thing in online music
• Diaspora is an open source social network platform

RELATED TOPICS

• Foursquare Labs Inc.
• Google Inc.
• Internet
• Kickstarter Inc.

(Mashable) -- There are more than a trillion URLs in Google's index. Yes, that's a one with twelve zeros after it. And Google crossed that milestone two and a half years ago. With so many sites on the web in 2011, how do you know which to pay attention to?

Mashable's editors haven't quite visited a trillion pages, but we've checked out a lot in the past year, and we've compiled a list of 10 websites we think are poised to have big years in 2011.

Some of these are relatively new sites we think will catch the mainstream's attention next year and others are older sites that we think will finally hit the big time in 2011.

Check out our list below and let us know in the comments which websites you have your eye on for the coming year.

Kickstarter

Kickstarter, a crowdfunding platform for creative endeavors, was founded in April 2009 and had what many would consider a break-out year in 2010. But the site could be poised for an even bigger 2011.

The unique all-or-nothing approach to funding has struck a chord with both creators and funders and is allowing enterprising individuals to bypass traditional establishments to create films, music albums, events, products and even new companies.

Kickstarter helped hundreds of projects raise millions of dollars in 2010. Look for that number to continue going up in the next year.

OpenLeaks

OpenLeaks may very well be the WikiLeaks alternative in 2011, not as a destination, but as an enabler for media organizations to do the same as WikiLeaks.

OpenLeaks, unlike WikiLeaks, seeks to be an intermediary between whistleblowers and other organizations and includes former members of WikiLeaks, most notably, Daniel Domscheit-Berg.

The site will focus more on being a technological service for news organizations, likely enabling them to make it easier for their readers to submit such leaks to their own sites.

This may keep the scrutiny from politicians and officials -- something WikiLeaks has had to battle with this year -- away from OpenLeaks, as they won't be the ones publishing the material.

Klout

As social marketing starts to surpass traditional marketing methods, companies will look for influential individuals who can rep their product well. Klout is one of the tools that companies use to gauge who the social influencers are. Look for them to make some big moves in 2011.

Hipmunk

Hipmunk is fixing everything that's wrong with flight searches with a tool whose usefulness is immense. Once people get used to the interface and start telling their friends about it, Hipmunk's popularity will skyrocket.

Gilt Groupe

Gilt Groupe, which hired its 500th employee in 2010, is rapidly expanding into new verticals (such as location-specific group buying deals, a la Groupon) and territories (like Japan).

Its next target? Full-priced retail. It's launching a men's e-commerce site in February. Expect to see further development in that area and the geographical expansion of its existing products in 2011.

Diaspora

Diaspora, the open source social network platform, released its code and opened up to private alpha invites recently. The platform was dubbed the alternative to Facebook, during Facebook's privacy fiasco, and generated a lot of buzz.

But as the platform opens up to more users in 2011, we'll see how people react to it and whether it's something that will actually be an alternative option to the social networking giant.

Quora

Quora has clearly found its place with the early adopter set and a number of active, high profile users who make the service interesting to engage with. In 2011, it will be interesting to see if the company is able to expand its audience while maintaining the quality Q&A that has made it so attractive to users thus far.

In turn, we'll see if it's the next big thing or has a destiny more like that of FriendFeed, a community that was initially popular with early adopters but never found a mainstream audience (but ultimately found a home at Facebook).

Grooveshark

Among the many music streaming services in existence today, Grooveshark is one of the few that is both free and available to Europeans.

It has a sleek, Google-like interface and a database with a huge amount of music (the service lets anyone upload music, so you can find many obscure, unknown, local or upcoming bands there).

It also has an interesting array of features, such as skinnable interface, playlists, music sharing and promotions that don't feel like ads, and it relies on a freemium business model that offers just enough to entice users to subscribe.

Barring possible problems with copyright holders and cash flow issues, which always threaten to shut down services like this, Grooveshark might be the next big thing in online music.

Drupal

WordPress might get most of the love in the open source CMS space (for good reason), but Drupal provides a powerful option for individuals, organizations and brands that want to power complex, robust sites.

With Drupal 7 set for release in early 2011, the Drupal team is actively addressing the one area the CMS has always received criticism: Usability.

Thanks to shops like Development Seed and Lullabot, the Drupal ecosystem is becoming extremely impressive. Acquia, the commercial company from Drupal founder Dries Buytaert, continues to raise funding and offer an array of commercial and support services that better enhance the platform as a whole.

Foursquare

I expect Foursquare to scale to an even bigger level in 2011. I won't be surprised if it starts to acquire smaller companies or make a major move to Silicon Valley, in order to make that happen.