U.K. representatives at the International Standards Organization have objected to Microsoft Corp.'s request to fast-track a proposed specification that would let developers directly program applications for its .Net Framework using the C++ programming language. A paper filed with the ISO by the U.K. representatives said that the proposal is too dissimilar from the ISO's current C++ standard.

Mozilla release adds security updates

Mozilla Corp. has released a new version of its Firefox browser containing critical security updates and several stability fixes that address problems that can slow the performance of some systems. The eight security fixes in Version 1.5.0.1 of the browser have been cumulatively rated as "highly critical" by Copenhagen-based Secunia because some could let hackers gain control of an unpatched PC.

IBM courts Russian software developers

IBM has launched an effort to convince Russian developers to use its middleware and hardware. As part of the initiative, IBM established DeveloperWorks Russia, a Russian-language version of its technical resources program. The program helps developers access tools, download source code and obtain access to information on IBM software and hardware, as well as Linux and Java.