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Several security advisors are warning Skype users to watch out for bogus messages with links that install malicious software. Once installed, a worm virus may pretend to hold the user's files hostage and demand payment for releasing them. Graham ... Cluely of security firm Sophos warns that the scam involves instant messages rather then voice or video chats. Potential victims receive a message containing phrases such as "lol is this your new profile pic?" The message includes a link that takes the user to a Google website featuring their own Skype name. In fact, the link points to "Goo.gl ... (view more)

Facebook has flatly denied that private messages sent between 'Friends' on that social network have appeared on users' public profile pages. Despite widespread reports of this problem in France, Facebook says the claims are a technical impossibility ... and may be the result of confusion. The claims were first reported by the French newspaper Metro, which wrote that "private messages dating from 2007, 2008 and 2009 now appear directly in user's timelines." However, Metro noted the "problem is not systematic." (Source: metrofrance.com ) Cheaters Exposed by Facebook Problem Following the reports, ... (view more)

A privacy protection group based in Germany is threatening court action against Facebook. The group says the social networking site's new "App Center" feature doesn't give users enough information about how their personal data will be shared with ... software developers. The complaint comes from the Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband (VZBV), which translates as the Federation of German Consumer Organizations. The VZBV is made up of consumer groups based throughout Germany. The VZBV is most concerned with Facebook's App Center, which launched in July, and which covers the various smartphone-style ... (view more)

A "user experience specialist" says Windows 8 suffers from not being designed specifically for desktop and laptop computers. That expert goes so far as to say that performance enhancements associated with the new operating system (OS) might be ... meaningless for most people. Raluca Budiu says the things that are easier to do in Windows 8 aren't the tasks most people will want to do. Budiu, of the user experience consulting firm Nielsen Norman Group, works with clients to measure the ease of using specific websites and operating systems. She made her comments on Windows 8 in an ... (view more)

Google has agreed to pay a $22.5 million penalty for misleading users of the Safari browser about its privacy policies. It's the largest penalty ever imposed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for this type of offense. The case involves cookies, ... the small text files which a website places on a user's computer to identify and help track them. In many cases, cookies help advertisers deliver particularly relevant advertisements (Amazon's "Recommended for You" feature is one example). Google Tricks Safari With Bogus Code Since many web users don't like being followed, Apple decided ... (view more)

Microsoft has confirmed its "Do Not Track" feature will be switched on by default in the new Internet Explorer 10 (IE10) web browser. The decision is intended to protect user privacy. However, it has earned a frosty reception from some online ... advertisers. The feature was introduced to prevent users' online activity from being reported to third-party groups, a concern when advertisers began gathering information from multiple websites to compile very detailed pictures about what individuals do online. Since then, browser makers have worked on a variety of measures to combat this ... (view more)

A new Apple iOS app that transmits data via "virtual birdsong" is making file sharing between smart devices easier than ever. "Chirp" is the brainchild of Animal Systems, a company started by researchers in the Computer Science Department at the ... University College of London. Essentially, the app emits a two-second noise that sounds as if it were made by a robotic bird. The noise indicates that an instant download is being received from a trusted source. App Uses Sound to Transfer Data To send a chirp, an individual simply activates the app from their smartphone and selects the desired ... (view more)

A new bug in Microsoft's Skype video chat program reportedly causes instant messages to be sent to the wrong contact. It's a potentially harmful issue that could leave some of Skype's many users embarrassed, frustrated, and angry. The problem was ... initially reported late last week through Skype's user forum. According to reports, the bug affects Mac, Windows, Linux, and Windows Phone versions of Skype. Skype quickly admitted that instant messages can be sent to the wrong personal contact when the program suffers a crash in the middle of an instant messaging session. Last Instant Message Sent ... (view more)

Facebook may begin snooping on smartphone users in order to target them with more relevant advertisements. The strategy could prove a huge money-maker, but may be a step too far for some of the social network's users. The massive social network ... currently makes most of its revenue from advertising. However, it has struggled to cash in when people visit the site using a smartphone. In recent financial filings, Facebook admitted this could become a serious handicap as more and more people choose to access the social media site from their phones instead of their computers. Facebook had already ... (view more)

A security firm has discovered a Trojan horse posing as a smartphone application on both Apple's App Store and Google Play. Both Google and Apple have already removed the app, so it is no longer available for download. The app, called "Find and ... Call," masked as a smartphone organization tool. In reality, however, it was a virus that, after being installed, spread to other devices by means of the device user's contact list. Contact List Uploaded to Remote Server The true nature of "Find and Call" was originally discovered by Kaspersky Lab, a prominent security firm. According to ... (view more)