Technology

Analysts expect Red Hat's launch of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 (RHEL5) to solidify its position as the leader in commercial open source software. Red Hat appears unaffected by competitive pressure from Microsoft and Oracle, say analysts from WS Hambrecht and Co.

“We continue to believe the release of RHEL5 should solidify Red Hat's position at the forefront of the Open Source movement,” commented Hambrecht analysts, Robert Stimson and Jason Ko in a note to investors this morning.

Almost all password-protected PDF files are vulnerable to new software that can crack them in seconds, developer Elcomsoft announced today. The Russian firm earlier beat legal action prompted by PDF creator, Adobe, after releasing a program to defeat e-book encryption in 2001.

Weak 40-bit encryption, which is used in “most” PDF files, according to Elcomsoft, can usually be broken in a few minutes with the most advanced version of the new software, the company claimed in a press statement released in Moscow today.

A new 'secure' mobile phone designed to stop staff spying on their employers and prevent data theft was unveiled today by Japan's largest mobile phone firm. The device incorporates an unprecedented number of restrictions on its use.

Users must first prove their identity via a biometric fingerprint pad to start using the phone. Although the phone has a camera, memory slot and USB port, they are all permanently disabled, to prevent it being used to photograph documents, steal files or spread malware.

New printing technology, described as “radically inventive” by some analysts, could replace RFID tags, according to its creators. The new technology codes objects with invisible infrared markings, which can be read by a handheld scanner or even a mobile phone.

Could Google's search interface get any simpler? Google is testing a new service that aims to make common searches even easier – after discovering that many users are confused by its basic search page. The directory-style 'Google Navigator' service being trialled in China is simply a page full of the most common search phrases.

Confused users just click on the one they want.