Business

Google says it plans to change the way users install add-on tools (known as "extensions") for its Chrome web browser. It's expected the changes will make the browser more secure. A Chrome extension is the same thing as an "add on" in Internet ... Explorer. It's a tool made by an independent developer that adds new functionality to the browser. For example, Amazon has released a Chrome extension that adds a button to the top of the browser screen. When you are reading a lengthy web page, such as a newspaper article, you can click the button to have a copy of the page sent to your Kindle device in ... (view more)

Microsoft will be issuing Patch Tuesday fixes for several "critical" security problems today. Unfortunately, the firm says the list of fixes doesn't include a patch for a recently reported zero-day flaw affecting Windows and the Microsoft Office ... software suite. The November 2013 Patch Tuesday lineup includes a total of eight bulletins, three of which are marked "critical" -- Microsoft's highest security rating. These flaws involve serious security issues affecting some of Microsoft's most popular products, including the Windows operating system and Internet Explorer, the firm's web browser. ... (view more)

A new report suggests Apple is developing two new technologies for its iPhone device: larger, curved screens and enhanced sensors. It's expected the iPhones featuring these changes will be available this time next year. The story does not come ... directly from Apple (in fact, Apple spokesperson Natalie Kerris declined to comment on the rumors). Instead, the report comes from Bloomberg News, which says it has learned of the changes from someone "familiar with the plans." First Apple 'Phablet' Coming in 2014? The source says Apple is planning to unveil 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone screens. The ... (view more)

A court has ordered Google to remove all links to embarrassing images of an automotive industry icon. Google is appealing the verdict in a case that raises questions about legal, technical, and geographical restrictions on the Internet. The case ... centers on Max Mosley, previously the head of the Formula 1 racing circuit. In 2008, a British newspaper published photographs of Mosley in an intimate setting with several women. Mosley took the case to court and successfully argued that a breach of privacy had taken place. Mosley won a similar verdict in France, where copies of the newspaper had ... (view more)

The man who helped Bill Gates found Microsoft says he thinks it's time to break up the massive Redmond, Washington-based tech firm. Paul Allen says Microsoft should consider spinning off some of its businesses, including Bing search and Xbox. Allen ... and Gates founded Microsoft in 1975. Today, Allen holds a $2 billion stake in the firm. Allen didn't speak directly to the media on this issue. Instead, Paul Ghaffari, the chief investment officer who manages Allen's $15 billion fortune, made the statements on behalf of Allen at the Financial Times Investment Management Summit. Microsoft Distracted ... (view more)

Microsoft has warned users of its software to beware bogus file attachments. The firm says a newly discovered vulnerability in Windows Vista and the Office software suite could allow hackers remote access to a victim's computer. The flaw affects the ... Windows Vista and Server 2008 operating systems. It also affects Microsoft Office 2003, 2007, and 2010, plus Microsoft Lync, a communications package. Later editions of Windows, such as Windows 7 and Windows 8, are unaffected. The problem does not affect Windows XP, either. The problem involves the way the affected software handles image files in ... (view more)

Not very handy around the house? Your first reaction to a leaky faucet may be to pay someone to remedy the situation. But you might be able to save some cash by video chatting with a plumbing expert through a new program called Google 'Helpouts'. ... Google says Helpouts is about people paying experts to carry on live video chat sessions. The firm says anyone who feels they're an expert on a topic can trade their services for some kind of payment. Experts can choose to be paid for a whole task or they can set their rate based on the number of minutes it takes to answer a question. Google Makes ... (view more)

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak is in the news yet again. This time the 63-year-old tech icon is suggesting that, if he was in charge at Apple, he'd push for unprecedented cooperation between that firm and Google. Wozniak recently made headlines by ... proclaiming his disinterest in the new 'iPad Air,' the thinner, lighter version of Apple's popular tablet computer. The problem, according to 'Woz': with a maximum storage capacity of 128GB, the Air just can't hold enough data. Cooperation the Key to Better Hardware, Software Now, in an interview with the BBC, Wozniak says he'd like to see more ... (view more)

A UK retailer has installed advertising screens that can scan a customer's face. The screens, which will be installed by Tesco at its many gas stations, then shows an advertisement based on its reading of the person's age and gender. The move has ... prompted criticism from privacy advocates, while others question how accurate the system will be. The screens are the work of Amscreen, a company owned by British businessman Alan Sugar. Sugar made a name for himself with the Amstrad computer back in the 1980s. Now he's made a deal to supply screens to 450 Tesco gas stations across the United Kingdom ... (view more)

Google's (relatively) new social network, Google+, is skyrocketing in popularity. The firm recently reported a 58 per cent increase in its user base over the past few months. Google+ was launched in an 'invitation-only' format back in June 2011 and ... became available to a wider audience later that year. From the beginning Google's plans were to integrate the social networking site into its growing network of sites and services, which includes YouTube , Gmail , and Google Docs. Google+ Surpasses Twitter, Still Far Behind Facebook But it has taken time for Internet users accustomed to using ... (view more)