John Lister

Think you're a safe driver because you use hands-free technologies to communicate with friends and family while behind the wheel? Think again. The American Automobile Association (AAA) is recommending drivers not use such tools at all while driving ... their vehicles. The recommendation follows a study by a cognitive distraction researcher and his team at the University of Utah. The researchers carried out a series of tests that showed drivers could still be distracted when using hands-free communications tools. AAA chief Robert Darbelnet said the group's suggestion to avoid the technology might ... (view more)

Researchers at the organization where the world wide web was first created have a good idea about what was on the first-ever web page. But now they've taken another step closer to finding the oldest surviving version of that page. The web was ... created by Sir Tim Berners-Lee while working at CERN, the physics research centre that currently houses the Large Hadron Collider. While the Internet (a global "network of networks") existed before Berners-Lee, there was no easy way to navigate to a particular document on a particular machine. Berners-Lee developed the idea of the web using hypertext ... (view more)

Leaked documents claim the U.S. government has direct access to user data for some of the web's most popular services. Officials admit the program exists but insist it's only being used to targeting foreigners who may pose a threat to U.S. national ... security. The documents were reportedly leaked from a National Security Agency (NSA) program called PRISM to the British newspaper The Guardian. The documents say the program involves NSA officials gaining direct access to the servers of nine tech companies, including Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, PalTalk, YouTube, Skype, AOL and Apple. ( ... (view more)

The Zeus malicious software tool, which is designed to steal bank account information, is reportedly making a resurgence. This time Zeus is being spread through misleading Facebook pages. The Zeus malware, which has been circulating for roughly six ... years, poses as a legitimate file and tricks victims into installing it on their PCs. It then waits until a victim logs into an online banking site before using keylogging tools to capture log-in details. With enough information, the people behind Zeus can empty bank accounts. Malware Targets Bank Accounts, Social Security Numbers To make things ... (view more)

The long-running patent dispute between Apple and Samsung took a surprise turn this week when a U.S. federal agency banned earlier models of the iPhone and iPad. However, an appeal court or the White House could block the ban. The order doesn't come ... from a court, but rather the United States International Trade Commission (ITC), a semi-independent federal agency with some legal powers. The ITC's job is to advise the government on trade issues. However, it does have some power to make rulings on unfair trade practices, such as alleged violations of trademarks and patents. This week, the ITC ... (view more)

The rivalry between processor makers Intel and ARM is heating up and that may mean cheaper prices on mobile devices like tablets and smartphones. Historically, both firms have been dominant in very different markets. Most laptop PCs use Intel ... processors that are very powerful but drain a battery in just a few hours. Meanwhile, cellphones and smartphones most commonly run processors based on ARM technology. These processors are less powerful, thereby restricting the range of functions available on the device. However, they also place less pressure on a device's battery. The line between these ... (view more)

Inside sources say HTC has dropped plans to release a massive, 12-inch tablet computer running Windows RT. The decision is reportedly based on a lack of consumer demand for Windows RT-based devices. The unconfirmed reports say HTC is still planning ... to release a 7-inch Windows RT tablet, however. Windows RT is a special version of Windows 8 designed for ARM processors, which are more commonly found in smartphones and tablets than in full-blown PCs. These processors aren't very powerful though they do help to extend a device's battery life. The main difference between Windows 8 and Windows RT ... (view more)

U.S. authorities say a website that allowed users to convert money into virtual currency was a front for money laundering operations. The Liberty Reserve site was shut down amid claims it helped criminals 'clean' more than $6 billion dollars. The ... site, which is based in Costa Rica, billed itself as an easy way to transfer money to people, regardless of their location. Unlike PayPal, Liberty Reserve didn't process direct payments between people. Instead, users could convert their cash into either 'Liberty Reserve Dollars' or 'Liberty Reserve Euros,' which were tied to the value of the real- ... (view more)

Facebook says it will review the way it vets hateful and offensive content. The social networking site will also force people who post offensive material to reveal their identity. The move follows an open letter by dozens of groups aiming to ... challenge sexism and abuse against women. These groups argued that Facebook was wrong to allow organizations to post images that make light of violence against women. According to the letter, Facebook has repeatedly failed to remove such content. The letter insists that this is particularly shocking because the site regularly removes harmless images of ... (view more)

Iranian hackers pose a greater threat to the U.S. than their Chinese counterparts, a new report suggests. The theory is that China is more interested in spying on the United States while Iran wants to harm vital U.S. systems. The claims come in ... anonymous briefings given by U.S. government and security officials. They follow equally startling warnings by the FBI and Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which encourage U.S. businesses to share details of security threats so that experts can look for common patterns. Previously, U.S. security officials had pointed to the Middle East as a ... (view more)