John Lister

Both Republican and Democratic politicians are questioning major tech companies about location data tracking features on mobile devices, such as cell phones. Five Republican congressmen who hold key positions on the House of Representatives Energy ... and Commerce committee have recently written joint letters to six companies: Apple, Google, Hewlett-Packard (HP), Microsoft, Nokia and Research in Motion (RIM). User Awareness Comes Into Question The letters demand information about the location data tracking features on the devices that the companies either manufacture or supply with an operating ... (view more)

According to a recent report, the number of records compromised by data breaches fell dramatically in 2010. While that makes for welcome news, the number of actual breaches was much, much higher last year than in 2009. The figures come from ... Verizon's business department, which carries out investigations into security breaches as a commercial service. Unlike its figures for 2009, the company included details of some cases provided by the US Secret Service for the first time in 2010. That makes a direct comparison very tricky, though it turns out the overall trends are clear. Three Times More ... (view more)

Credible reports suggest Microsoft users will be able to carry a copy of Windows 8 in their pocket. It also appears personal settings can be synchronized to the web to allow remote access when on the move. The details come through leaked screenshots ... of what's formally known as Build 7850, but commonly referred to as Milestone 1: the first full-fledged developmental edition of Windows 8. Windows 8 Build 7850 was released to developers late last year but details have only just leaked. Of course, Microsoft is keeping quiet about whether the leaks are genuine, so there's no cast-iron guarantee ... (view more)

A computer programmer will spend two years behind bars after bringing down several high-profile websites. But unlike most modern hackers, Bruce Raisley was motivated by embarrassment rather than greed. Raisley had formerly worked for an online ... vigilante group known as Perverted Justice, which has members pose as youngsters online in order to catch and expose adults seeking an illicit meeting. The group works with television show To Catch A Predator. Eventually, Raisley quit the group following an argument with its founder, Xavier Von Erck, who then carried out a quite spectacular and ironic ... (view more)

A venture capitalist claims that the Windows operating system is on the decline. However, that doesn't mean it's doom and gloom time for Microsoft; instead, Roger McNamee says the software giant will still thrive thanks to its business services. ... McNamee is co-founder of Elevation Partners, a firm that has invested in corporations including Forbes, Palm and Facebook. It's also a major donor to Wikipedia. Speaking in an interview on CNBC, McNamee says Windows has reached a cycle in which it would stop growing. As a result, he predicts Apple will expand significantly, which will actually wind up ... (view more)

The FBI and Justice Department have shut down a network of infected Windows machines used for stealing money. The 'Coreflood' botnet was one of the largest and most longstanding networks of its type. Despite the network shutdown, the malicious ... software used to infect PCs remains in the wild. Over 2 Million PCs Infected with Malicious Software The botnet at one point held control over two million PCs which were infected by malicious software, often downloaded unknowingly by users online the Internet. The malicious software (also known as "malware") easily penetrated Windows defenses ... (view more)

Microsoft has signed a deal with Toyota to put WiFi Internet access in electric and hybrid vehicles. But the services will be less about surfing the web and more about improving the driving experience. The two companies plan to develop an ... electronics system for use in both all-electric and hybrid vehicles. The first vehicles to carry the system should be hybrid vehicles released next year, with a goal to have the system in all Toyota electronic vehicles worldwide by 2015. To develop the system, the two companies have invested a combined one billion yen (approximately US $12 million) into ... (view more)

YouTube has unveiled a section of its site dedicated to live video broadcasts. It could be the first step towards a full set of TV-style channels with original programming. Although the Google-owned site has occasionally broadcast live video (such ... as interviews with politicians and concerts), this is the first time its has had a dedicated section on the site for live streaming. The plan is to allow YouTube users to stream their own content in the future. This will be rolled out gradually, with the intent being to allow the site programmers to work out the kinks, though it may also be so staff ... (view more)

Two of the men who claim they (and not Mark Zuckerberg) created Facebook have failed in a bid to increase a previous settlement. Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss are stuck with the original court ruling awarding the men $20 million plus 1.25 million ... shares in the social networking firm. Twins Sue Zuckerberg for Facebook Rights As memorably depicted in the Oscar-nominated movie The Social Network, the twins sued after alleging that fellow Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg, who they had hired to create a similar networking website, had unfairly stolen the idea to set up his own enterprise. Although ... (view more)

Microsoft has announced that Tuesday's security update will include patches for a record-breaking 64 security problems. They include fixes for a number of particularly high profile problems announced in the past couple of months. The update will be ... made up of 17 bulletins. That ties for the record, though this will be a new highest figure for the number of individual fixes. One of the bugs that's being fixed involved a bug in the Windows Server Message Block ("SMB"), the system that controls networking and file-sharing. The bug was disclosed in February and could theoretically have ... (view more)