Anonymous Targets Neo-Nazis Sites: Anti-Hate Groups Condemn Action
A new website launched by the hacker collective known as Anonymous is targeting the neo-Nazi movement in Germany.
Microsoft researcher: Passwords aren't dead but they need fixing
Password use needs an overhaul that is driven not by guesswork but by actually understanding the real damage that can be done when password security is compromised, according to a Microsoft researcher.
Report: iOS, Android downloads topped 1 billion last week
We all know that newly minted iOS device owners spent their Christmas evening loading up their iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches with mobile apps—at least, if you buy into last week’s report by mobile analytics firm Flurry, they did. But the downloads didn’t stop the moment Boxing Day dawned: In its latest report, Flurry contends that the combined number of iOS and Android app downloads broke the 1 billion mark for the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day.
PopClip brings iOS-like text-editing options to Mac OS X
Ever since Mac OS X 10.7 (Lion) was released, there’s been controversy over the obvious influence of Apple’s iOS. From gestures to scrolling to the overall interface, a good number of Mac users have complained that the Mac OS has become too similar to iOS. At the same time, there are people who wish OS X was more like iOS—or at least the good parts of it.
Windows 8 can scrub data from disk, but not up to tough security specifications
Windows 8 includes a reset function that restores the operating system to a clean state and scrubs data applications from the disk, but falls short of making that data unrecoverable, according to Microsoft.
Comcast cable customers to get access to WatchESPN app
The long national nightmare of sports-loving Comcast cable subscribers is about to come to an end. The cable provider announced a long-term content deal with Disney on Wednesday. Amid the details of new cable channels and on-demand content was this tidbit: Comcast's Xfinity TV customers will soon get access to Disney-owned ESPN's WatchESPN app.
CIOs Disconnected From Business Execs
CIOs and their fellow executives have conflicting priorities on cost and competitors, says our 2012 State of the CIO survey
Researcher: Many Stratfor passwords are weak
At Utah Valley University, 120 computers are now working to decode encrypted passwords revealed by the hack of Stratfor Global Intelligence, one of the most significant data breaches of last year.
Microsoft Research delves into economics
You might think Microsoft’s research centers would be all about software, security, mobile technology and the like, but the company’s New England research group highlights in its year-end wrap-up the work it has done in areas such as economics, biology and maybe less surprisingly, social media.
Automator workflow of the month: Automate app backups
Many of us expect updates to our iOS apps to provide greater stability as well as attractive new features. But in some instances, this isn’t the case. A recent Twitter app update, for example, infuriated some users because of its rearranged interface and lack of beloved features found in earlier versions of the app. Making matters worse, when you update an app using iTunes, the previous version of the app is tossed in the trash. Should you empty the trash, good luck reverting to the older version.
How Waste Management's CIO Turned Trash Into Treasure
Waste Management's new e-commerce site creates additional revenue streams for the company and gives its IT team sales quotas to fill
Insync targets Dropbox with new file-syncing service
A new cloud-based file-syncing venture is building on the Google Docs platform, challenging the venerable Dropbox service in the process.
Mozilla persuades Firefox 3.6 users to dump old browser
Mozilla's upgrade call last month pushed more Firefox 3.6 users to grab a newer edition than any month since June 2011, a Web metrics company said over the weekend.
Try Avant Browser 2012 for a Choice of Rendering Engines
The browser arena is often portrayed as a three-horse race among Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer, but there's now a new option that aims to give users the best of all three worlds.