service

Apple iPhone, iPod, and iPad users are complaining loudly that the combined software upgrade and elimination of Google Maps has resulted in Apple's new mapping service yielding some odd location-based search results. The problem affects anyone who ... has upgraded to iOS 6, the latest version of Apple's operating system (OS). The new OS for later editions of the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad was released just before the debut of the company's iPhone 5. Apple Cuts Google Maps with Software Upgrade Until recently, Apple used Google's mapping services on its devices. Now it has decided to drop that ... (view more)

US-based Internet firms will begin an anti-piracy partnership with major copyright holders by the end of 2012. However, it's a purely voluntary operation and customers thought to be pirating will get warnings before suffering any consequences. ... Several countries around the world, most notably France, have introduced "three strikes" legislation, under which customers suspected of illegally sharing copyrighted material get two warnings before having their Internet suspended or cut off altogether. These controversial laws have faced legal challenges. Critics argue it's unfair to punish people ... (view more)

The man convicted of infecting 72,000 computers has been sentenced to two and a half years behind bars. Joshua Schichtel created a network of hijacked machines and then -- for a fee -- allowed others to control them. Schichtel first came to the ... attention of authorities in 2004. At the time, he was part of a group charged with using infected computers to carry out distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. Earlier DDoS Attack Goes Unpunished Under a DDosS attack, a hacker uses many computers to send service requests to legitimate website servers. Because servers are set up to respond to all ... (view more)

Microsoft continues to give its products Windows 8-style makeovers as it prepares to release the new operating system in late October, 2012. The latest subject: Microsoft SkyDrive , the software giant's cloud computing service. For those not ... familiar with SkyDrive, it's a cloud storage service that allows users to save important files online and then access them from any Internet-connected device. As with all cloud storage options, SkyDrive offers a great way to back up vital files. However, doing so does involve some risks , too. SkyDrive: Syncs with Office, 7GB Storage Free One of SkyDrive' ... (view more)

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) now says it will help bring broadband Internet service to 400,000 Americans who currently don't have access to high-speed Internet. The program to subsidize networks in rural areas will cost $115 ... million in public funds. The aim of the Connect America Fund is to subsidize the installation of high-speed Internet cables in remote places where doing so is not profitable for private firms. The money will come from the Universal Service Fund. In the past, this fund was spent on subsidies to make sure every American home had telephone service, but ... (view more)

Comcast has unveiled what may be the fastest broadband service ever offered to home users: a maximum speed of 305 megabits per second (Mbps). It's a plan that will cost subscribers $300 a month. The new package is part of Comcast's program to ... increase the speed of its fastest packages, including Xfinity Blast at 50 Mbps, Xfinity Extreme at 105 Mbps, and the new Xfinity Platinum at 305 Mbps. The slightly odd number (305 Mbps) has clearly been chosen to beat out rival Verizon's premium package, which tops out at 300 Mbps. The Verizon service is cheaper -- $205 a month -- but requires a two-year ... (view more)

Google has announced it will finally close its original video hosting service, Google Video, and will keep both YouTube and its video search site running. The decision, along with the closure of four other services, is part of Google's ongoing ... program to ditch ideas that didn't work out. The search giant says it has abandoned more than thirty programs since fall, 2011. Google Video was first unveiled in 2005. It was originally designed to host videos for users who didn't have their own web servers or couldn't cope with the traffic, if a lot of people watched their clips. After buying the ... (view more)

Intel is reportedly working on a new facial recognition system designed to help advertising companies target consumers in a more efficient, direct manner. The ground-breaking hardware is said to be able to recognize distinguishing features about ... people watching a TV screen, and individually select target-specific advertisements to display for them. The system is based on a set-top control box that does not identify specific individuals, but does recognize their general characteristics, such as gender and age. (Source: vancouversun.com ) Precise Monitoring, Feedback Intel is currently asking ... (view more)

Verizon has announced that it will double the download speed of its top-tier broadband service. Observers regard this as a somewhat startling announcement, given that this service is already considered the fastest in the United States. According to ... reports, Verizon subscribers who sign up for its top service will soon have access to download speeds ranging up to 300 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of 65 Mbps. Download Movies in Two Minutes To put these data transfer speeds into context, reports the LA Times, subscribers to this faster broadband service will be able to download a ... (view more)

A new service from Google reportedly will offer users 5 gigabytes (GB) of online storage at no cost. Called 'Google Drive,' it appears the service will launch within the next few days. Google Drive is a 'cloud storage service,' which is a short-hand ... description for the capability of saving information online and accessing it again from any Internet-connected computer. Such online storage capability can provide a valuable backup option, particularly when you consider that most computer systems will experience a hard drive crash or have their device stolen at some point. Without some form of ... (view more)