Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Mac Malware Strikes Again With SabPub Trojan

Mac Malware Strikes Again With SabPub Trojan

Mac Malware Strikes Again With SabPub Trojan

Posted: 16 Apr 2012 03:06 PM PDT

Two more related Trojan exploits that target Macs have been discovered. They appear to be two versions of the SabPub information-stealing Trojan, discovered by antivirus software vendor Kaspersky last weekend. They have existed undetected in the wild for two months, according to Kaspersky's Costin Raiu. "We're aware of two versions [of the Trojan]," Michael Sutton, vice president of security research at Zscaler ThreatLabZ, told MacNewsWorld.

Sergey Brin Pounds Fists Against Walled Gardens

Posted: 16 Apr 2012 11:25 AM PDT

The concept of the open Web is under greater threat than ever before, Google cofounder Sergey Brin said during a recent interview. The threat is a combination of increased attempts by governments to control the Web, the entertainment industry's efforts to crack down on piracy, and the rise of walled gardens such as those controlled by Facebook and Apple, which restrict what software can be released on their platforms, Brin said. Brin's comments drew mixed responses from observers.

Twitter Digs Its Feet Into Japan

Posted: 16 Apr 2012 08:39 AM PDT

Twitter CEO Dick Costolo said Monday that the company will bolster its investments and staff in Japan. Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, Costolo did not gives specifics on the number of employees or the extent of investment. But he did make clear that Japan is a key component of the company's global reach. Citing Semiocast, a social media research company, Bloomberg said that Japan has the third-most Twitter users in the world at about 30 million; the U.S. is No. 1 with more than 100 million.

Flashback Mac Trojan Sputters and Stalls

Posted: 16 Apr 2012 06:00 AM PDT

A week after the Flashback Trojan began running rampant on Macintosh computers, the malware appears to be in remission. The number of infections from the Trojan have plummeted to around 270,000, from a high of more than 600,000, according to the latest numbers from Symantec. "Many of the domain names that were in charge of the botnets have been taken over, so the chances of the attackers building their botnets again from those machines is pretty slim," Symantec Researcher Liam O Murchu explained to TechNewsWorld.

Printer Pro Gets Docs From iPad to Printer, Though It's Not Always a Direct Flight

Posted: 16 Apr 2012 05:00 AM PDT

I don't know why, but printing is still -- after all of these years -- rife with pain, agony and confusion. Usually, I like buying new electronic gadgets, but when it comes to printers, it's painful. There's the cost of ink to consider, all the byzantine methods of connecting to printers, setting them up, updating the drivers and trying to troubleshoot WiFi connectivity vs. direct USB. Printing over a network. If you have a multifunction printer, the questions and potential problems just keep coming.

Cars and FOSS: Sweet Ride, or Crash in the Making?

Posted: 16 Apr 2012 05:00 AM PDT

With the frequent focus on mobile machinations and desktop deliberations here in the Linux blogosphere, it would be easy to assume that all else in the FOSS fiefdom is relatively conflict-free. Easy, perhaps -- but dead wrong, nonetheless. Case in point: cars. There's a growing movement to apply the open source model to the design and manufacturing of electric cars. Sounds cool, right? Only problem is, not everyone thinks so, and -- just like in the PC realm -- the naysayers tend to be a vocal lot.

On Innovative Ways to Conquer the World

Posted: 16 Apr 2012 05:00 AM PDT

One of my favorite lines from the original "Conan" movie came when he was asked "what is the best in life?" Conan's response: "To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women!" Maybe I watch too many old movies, but I could swear I saw three companies channel Conan recently. Last week, there were two big announcements, and I got my first formal interview with Michael Dell. Looking underneath the skin of all three events, there were some excellent lessons on competition, winning, and jujitsu strategies.

The People vs. Apple

Posted: 14 Apr 2012 05:00 AM PDT

Apple has been accused of acting as ringleader of a price-fixing racket, enlisting half a dozen market-dominating companies in a conspiracy to profiteer through anticompetitive practices and artificial price inflation. The market: e-books. The U.S. Department of Justice has sued Apple along with a handful publishers, accusing them of orchestrating a sales agreement that effectively changed the business model under which e-books were sold. The syndicate, according to the DoJ, pushed an agency model upon the industry.

Sizing Up CISPA's Security Bona Fides

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 03:35 PM PDT

The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, which seeks to improve cybersecurity in the United States, is receiving a mixed reception. Supporters include big names in the U.S. tech industry. Facebook, security vendor Symantec, Verizon, CTIA, IBM, Intel, Microsoft and Oracle are among them. However, civil liberty advocates oppose the legislation, also known as Bill H.R. 3523. They've characterized the bill as akin to SOPA, the antipiracy legislation that went nowhere fast following massive online protests earlier in the year.

Facebook Lets Users Download Their Own Dossiers

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 11:37 AM PDT

Facebook has begun rolling out an updated version of its Download Your Information tool that gives users more access to their account history on its site. The move adheres to recommendations made by the Office of the Irish Data Protection Commissioner in December following an investigation into Facebook's privacy practices. However, Max Schrems, an Austrian student whose complaints kicked off the probe, isn't satisfied. Schrems has complained that the social networking giant is in effect holding out on consumers by releasing information in only some of the 84 categories it maintains.

Federal Court Rules Pilfered Source Code Isn't Stolen Loot

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 10:55 AM PDT

Computer source code isn't a physical object under federal stolen property laws, according to a federal court of appeals that overturned the conviction of a former Goldman Sachs programmer. Sergey Aleynikov, the programmer, was wrongly convicted under the National Stolen Property Act and the Economic Espionage Act of 1996, according to a decision from the Second Circuit Court of Appeals Wednesday. The court ruled that while the stolen code was meant to be secret to maintain a competitive advantage, it doesn't qualify as "tangible" property.

Strange Internet Rumblings Coming From China

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 08:56 AM PDT

China's Internet users on Thursday were restricted from accessing foreign websites for about an hour, setting off speculation that the nation was instituting -- or at least testing -- a new online censorship technique. According to The Wall Street Journal, "At around 11 a.m. local time Thursday, China's Internet suddenly began behaving very strangely ... Simultaneously, Internet users outside China, including in Hong Kong, reported difficulties accessing key Chinese sites, like search engine Baidu and the website of the People's Bank of China."

Phonedeck: This Manager's Half Asleep at the Dashboard

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 05:00 AM PDT

If there's been a common thread to some of the recent "How To" articles I've written for Technewsworld and my Android app reviews for LinuxInsider, it might be the taming of the ever-proliferating devices that are taking over my living space. I seem to be collecting things at an alarming rate -- so much so, that I had to make a run to IKEA recently to buy a bigger coffee table, as the infestation of black plastic objects was starting to take over the sofa too. Is the miniaturization of electronics allowing us to live in ever-smaller dwellings? In my case, I don't think so. I need to get rid of some of these things.

Entertainment Device Convergence: The State of Play

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 05:00 AM PDT

The tumultuous convergence of entertainment devices, greater interaction with the television-viewing experience, and increased involvement of social networks were all in the Klieg lights at the IP&TV World Forum, the Internet television show I attended recently in London. I was immersed in the future of television content delivery mashed with user interaction. Here's a rundown of some of the show's highlights, along with an explanation of some of the more interesting technologies and a look at the state of play today.

Sony Slaps Android on the Wrist

Posted: 12 Apr 2012 12:04 PM PDT

Sony on Thursday announced its SmartWatch Android smartphone accessory. The device, worn on the user's wrist, links to the user's smartphone through Bluetooth. It acts as an intermediary to let users perform simple functions on their smartphones. The SmartWatch works with most smartphones running Android version 2.1 or higher, Sony said. It's offered at $150. The device can also be used with Sony tablets, Stephen Sneeden of Sony Mobile Communications told TechNewsWorld, but "our initial focus is on compatibility with Android phones."

Researchers Leap Into Quantum Networking

Posted: 12 Apr 2012 08:58 AM PDT

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics have set up a quantum network consisting of two coupled single atoms. These atoms communicate quantum information through the coherent exchange of single photons. Decoherence, which can be thought of as the loss of information from a system into the environment, is one of the obstacles to building a working quantum computer because such computers require that coherent states are preserved. So enabling coherent exchange of information is an important step in quantum computing.

2 Countries, 2 Companies, 1 Big Headache

Posted: 12 Apr 2012 08:49 AM PDT

This one is a little muddy: A judge in Seattle has ruled that Motorola Mobility Holdings can't seek to ban Microsoft's Xbox or Windows products in Germany. BusinessWeek unpacks some of the details: "Motorola Mobility, which owns patents related to industry standards for video compression and WiFi, petitioned a German court to ban Microsoft products that comply with those standards. Microsoft asked U.S. District Judge James Robart in Seattle to bar Motorola Mobility taking any further steps in the German case until after a trial can be held on the contract dispute between the two companies."

Why iPhone Users Hate Mobile WiFi Slightly Less Than Android Users Do

Posted: 12 Apr 2012 05:00 AM PDT

A cool study caught my attention recently. It says that iPhones have significantly higher rates of WiFi utilization than Android phones in the U.S. and the UK. I immediately found that point weird, because after all, most Android smartphones also come with contracts that require users to pay for a data plan. These plans are usually fairly comparable to the iPhone data plans, which means they aren't cheap. And yet, comScore found that 71 percent of all unique iPhones used both mobile and WiFi networks to connect to the Internet.

Who Cares About Software Freedom?

Posted: 12 Apr 2012 05:00 AM PDT

Well it's been a disconcerting kind of week here in the Linux blogosphere, not least because of all the darn construction going on down at the Google+ Grill. First it was the hammering giving Linux Girl a headache. Then, on Wednesday, she walked in after lunch and could barely recognize the place. What is this interface sorcery, she wants to know? Then, of course, there was the retirement of Linux Girl's old friend, Maverick Meerkat, in the past few days as well. Alas, dear distro -- we hardly knew ye!

Run Your Software From a USB Stick for Security and Speed

Posted: 12 Apr 2012 05:00 AM PDT

Historically, freelancers have carried their software tools as compact discs, or as copies of the discs on a portable hard drive. Both have needed to be installed on the library, or client's computer. This has been time-consuming additional work. Security has also been an issue, with temporary document files and software footprints being left behind after an install -- a thorough cleanup being even more onerous at the end of the job. Along came cloud-driven apps, with some speed and security benefits over a hard-drive install, although hidden files can still be left behind -- think browser cache for one.

Is Google+'s Facelift the Sincerest Form of Flattery?

Posted: 11 Apr 2012 02:07 PM PDT

Google on Wednesday announced new features for its Google+ social network. The Internet giant on Wednesday introduced what Google+ head honcho Vic Gundotra called a "more functional and flexible" version of the service. "With Google+, we're building a seamless and consistent social layer across Google," said company spokesperson Kat Eller. "Today's foundational changes let us move even faster toward a simpler, more beautiful Google." That consistency might result in an industry-wide similarity of features.

You're No Phone of Mine: Carriers Agree to Disown Stolen Handsets

Posted: 11 Apr 2012 10:52 AM PDT

The Federal Communications Commission and five major U.S. wireless providers have announced an initiative to create a database of stolen mobile phones in an effort to combat smartphone theft. AT&T, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, Sprint and Nex-Tech Wireless, carriers that together provide service to about 90 percent of wireless customers in the U.S., said they will not reactivate phones that have been reported stolen. The program will begin by Oct. 31 in the U.S. and will expand globally across carriers over the next 18 months.

Tweaks to Chrome OS Stir Up Existential Questions

Posted: 11 Apr 2012 09:22 AM PDT

A new version of Google's personal computer operating system, Chrome OS, was released for developers Tuesday. It adds design elements of more conventional offerings like Windows and OS X. The new Aura interface includes a home screen with a task bar, or shelf, from which you can launch applications. Previous versions required all activity to take place within a browser-like window. The OS also supports multiple windows that can be minimized and maximized, as well as resized.

Russia Mulls Putting ISPs on the Hook for Piracy

Posted: 11 Apr 2012 09:07 AM PDT

Russia is considering holding ISPs responsible for unlawful file-sharing. From Giga OM: "Reports in the local media say that the country's Ministry of Internal Affairs is looking to bring in fresh laws that would make service providers responsible for illegal file-sharing between those using their networks. In general, those providers accused of assisting infringement have argued that they are merely dumb pipes that push data around without discrimination."

qOrganizer Squares Away Everything but Its Own Interface

Posted: 11 Apr 2012 05:00 AM PDT

One of my biggest problems in managing appointments, to-do tasks, notes and reminders is that I work on a variety of desktop and laptop computers in multiple locations. To bridge the access gaps, I rely on a tablet computer and a smartphone tapped into cloud storage. When I find a really good PIM app, frustration builds because the accumulated information stays bound to a single computer. Surpisingly, a relatively obscure app called qOrganizer goes a long way toward solving that problem.
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