Morning Xtra: Apple's Billion Apps Sold, New US Cyber Command

Apple Ready for a Billion Apps Sold
In case you haven't realized it, Apple is quickly closing in on one billion app downloads from its App Store. According to TechCrunch, Apple is predicting that it will cross the mark on 1:24:06 AM PST on April 23, and the company already has its billion-download celebration page ready to go. It was impressive when Apple passed the billion-song mark, but creating an entirely new industry out of iPhone apps and reaching a billion sales in under a year is bordering on ridiculous. Well done, Apple. [From: TechCrunch]

New Cybersecurity Command
After yesterday's cybersecurity debacle (wherein hackers stole terabytes of data from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program), it comes as no surprise that the Obama administration plans to create a new military command charged with defending U.S. computer networks and beefing up our offensive capabilities in cyberwar. Expect to see the new command fall under the arm of the Pentagon's Strategic Command, but be sure to check back often, as we'll be watching this story as it develops. [From: WSJ]

Google Profiles: a Service to Ensure Success When Googling Yourself
Let's not be modest here, we've all searched for ourselves on Google. If you've ever been unhappy with the results that come up, Google has the answer. Google Profiles is a new service that gives you greater control over what people see when they search for your name. Search queries will now begin to show Google Profile results, displaying abbreviated info and linking to your full profile, which is then linked to searches on MySpace, Facebook, Classmates, and LinkedIn. Get started on your profile by googling "me." [From: Google Blog]



Mozilla Releases Update to Deal With 12 Security Vulnerabilities in FIrefox
Mozilla has released an update that fixes 12 security flaws in Firefox 3. So get on it and update your browsers, folks! [From: Cnet News]

Facebook for BlackBerry Updated
Expect to see productivity plummet even further, because Blackberry has just updated its Facebook for Blackberry app. According to the press release, users can now access and manage their Facebook contacts list and integrate it with their BlackBerry address book (in other words, you can add Facebook pictures to your BlackBerry address book, though we couldn't get it to work when we tried it out last night). In addition, status updates and Facebook messages are now supported, and birthday updates and events will now be automatically synced to the Blackberry calendar. [From: BlackBerry]

'Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10' Includes Disc Golf and MotionPlus
It's not often that we get too excited about a new golf game, but the newest iteration of Tiger's EA Sports franchise for the Nintendo Wii has us giddy with anticipation. Why? Not because of its implementation of Wii's new MotionPlus system (which brings 1:1 motion control to the Wii remotes), but because it includes a disc golf mode! Check out this trailer to see the disc golf mode in action. [From: Engadget and 1up]

Ancient Manuscripts Now Available Online
Good news for all you amateur anthropologists out there. It now takes drastically less effort to explore thousands of writings from the ancient world, thanks to the United Nations, which is bringing its World Digital Library to the Web. The collection includes more than 1,200 manuscripts, parchments, and documents from all around the world. But don't worry if your Syriac is a little rusty; translations are available for all the documents. [From: Slashdot]

Tweet Your Photos With Picnik
Popular photo editing site Picnik has rolled out some new, Twitter-specific features that allow you to send that photo you're editing directly to Twitter and post it as a tweet. You can also make it your profile picture, or set it as your Twitter background. Picnik also has similar integration with Facebook and Flickr, so all your bases are covered. [From: Mashable]

Bright IDEA Plug-In Hybrid Van Gets 100 MPG
Bright Automotive unveiled its plug-in hybrid concept van, dubbed the IDEA (get it, Bright IDEA?), in Washington, D.C. yesterday. The company claims that the van will get 100 miles-per-gallon, but our friends over at Autoblog have some doubts about the number. Mosey on over to there to check out their analysis and peep some photos of the van. We'll give you a hint. It looks a lot like a fish. [From: Autoblog]

Silicon Valley Execs Go to Baghdad
Tech executives from companies including Twitter, Google, and YouTube are making a trip to Baghdad this week in order to offer advice on jump-starting Iraq's fledgling new media industry. According to the State Department, this is the first visit of its kind. [From: Paid Content]

Tags: breaking news, BreakingNews, morningxtra, top