Business

It appears that Microsoft and its users may be experiencing a security problem potentially as dangerous and devastating as the 2010 debacle that hit Playstation owners. Back then, innocent purchasers of PlayStations were hit by one of the most ... stunning security invasions in recent memory. Millions saw their supposedly-secure account information leaked, including credit card data. The problem ran so deep that Sony felt compelled to offer substantial compensation packages. The current problem may prove just as significant, unless Microsoft changes how it stores sensitive customer information. ... (view more)

After several years of trending market share losses by Internet Explorer (IE), Microsoft's flagship browser appears to be winning back some customers. However, experts suggest the resurgence may not represent a permanent reversal of fortune. Web ... statistics firm Net Applications now reports that the proportion of web users worldwide who are running Internet Explorer has risen in each of the past three months, while Google Chrome has consistently dropped during the same period. The recent growth is a notable change in a long-term Internet Explorer trend of losing its dominance over Google's ... (view more)

Apple chief executive officer Tim Cook has now visited Foxconn, the eastern Chinese manufacturing facility that has been at the center of a media storm these past few months. Last week Cook toured Zhengzhou Technology Park, where many Apple ... products, including the newest version of the popular iPad, are produced. Cook has never before visited China. According to reports concerning the high-level visit, at one point Cook met with and was subtly scolded by a top Chinese official. Foxconn Workers Report Being Treated Like 'Animals' Zhengzhou, which employs about 120,000 people, is the best known ... (view more)

On the first April Fool's Day to fall on a weekend in five years, there was less opportunity to trick people surfing the web at work. But that didn't stop Google from posting a slew of clever and very bogus tech-related stories. The company ... unleashed at least seven different gags, many of which were gathered together in a "promotional video". It seems as if Google was using a scattergun approach in the hope that even people who spotted most of the jokes would get caught out by at least one. Google Maps Gets Major Downgrade Rather naughtily, Google's first gag came before the day of ... (view more)

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has become the victim of an online identity fraud attack. According to reports, a former United States Army soldier used a debit card linked to one of Allen's accounts to attempt several fraudulent transactions. ... Federal investigators have revealed that Brandon Lee Price, a 28-year-old U.S. Army deserter from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was able to change the address on a bank account owned by Allen and have a new debit card sent to his home. (Source: suntimes.com ) Citibank Fooled by Classic Scam In order to acquire the card, Price simply phoned Citibank ... (view more)

It has only been a few days since the first reports of the new iPad 3 overheating emerged, and now Apple is facing a new round of criticisms about its latest tablet computer. According to a recent report, the third-generation iPad's battery life may ... also cause users some problems. Complaints about the new iPad's battery life first emerged late last week in a report from industry analysts at DisplayMate Technologies. That report stated the device informs users too soon that it's completely charged, usually at a time when it actually needs to remain plugged in an additional one to two hours for ... (view more)

Microsoft has struck a blow against cybercriminals, thanks to a major takedown of servers being used to steal login information and passwords from computers around the world. Experts say the move could place a huge restraint on what is considered ... one of the world's most advanced cybercrime schemes. On Monday, Microsoft revealed that its special cybercrime investigation division had executed both legal and technical maneuvers to reduce the number of computers capable of spreading Zeus. This is important because Zeus is malicious software designed to infect innocent users' computers and steal ... (view more)

Google is currently getting grilled by French officials over the way it handles customer privacy. At the same time, the search giant is also facing stern criticism from British politicians regarding the way it deals with complaints involving illegal ... websites. The French authority that governs data handling in the country, the Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertes, (CNIL) has even slapped the company with a deadline of April 6, by which it must answer to the Commission. The CNIL is currently leading a Europe-wide probe into Google's recent changes to its privacy policies. ... (view more)

Microsoft is pursuing a new patent that could lead to television viewers paying subscription fees, based on what and how they choose to watch. Under Microsoft's new system, called "Control-Based Content Pricing", the whole TV sponsorship model could ... see a major overhaul. The technology could conceivably turn available television channel selections into an "a la carte menu". The theory behind Control-Based Content Pricing could lead to highly targeted advertising and media content (TV programs) designed specifically for the individual viewer. Watch What You Want, Pay For What You Watch To ... (view more)

A new report suggests that Apple's third-generation iPad tablet computer -- which just launched on Friday, March 19, 2012 -- runs considerably hotter than its predecessors. In fact, some customers have publicly complained that it runs far too hot ... for comfort. Consumer Reports, a well-respected product review publication, has already published a write-up on the brand new iPad and reports that extensive use of instant-best-seller can generate heat levels as high as 116 degrees Fahrenheit. Overall, that's said to be about 13 degrees, or nearly 13 per cent, hotter than its predecessor, the iPad 2 ... (view more)