The monthly batch of patches from Microsoft was released. There's plenty of room to debate the wisdom of only releasing patches once a month (I think I'll save that topic for another day), but at least this month none were rated 'critical'. Last month's critical patch was followed by the Sasser worm (the author or which was recently arrested).
Apple has been granted a patent for the interface of the iPod. I have an iPod and love it. I wholeheartedly agree the interface is both novel and an important factor in the commercial success of the product. I am not a fan of software patents, but if ever there were a device I thought could warrant one, it's the iPod. But here's where the absurdity comes in... The patent just doesn't seem useful to Apple. New digital music players are popping up every day and Apple is already launching derivitave products, like the iPod mini. By the time a peice of software is successful and has made enough money to warrant trying to enforce a patent you are already in the financial nirvanna of near zero marginal cost software sales and working on version 2.0.
I suppose it's not a bad defensive strategy. If for nothing else but to signal to your competitors you are sufficiently litigious to make their lives difficult. Maybe that's why Microsoft holds many patents but rarely enforces them.
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