John Lister

A group dedicated to protecting civil rights has released a high-tech bracelet that can automatically send out a location-based alert if the wearer is kidnapped. However, the organization says it needs financial assistance to protect more workers. ... The bracelet is produced by the Sweden-based Civil Rights Defenders group, an independent organization that sends workers into foreign countries to help prevent human rights violations. The idea for the bracelet came after the 2009 death of Natalia Estermirova in Chechnya. She was kidnapped and later found murdered. The organization believes she was ... (view more)

One analyst says that Apple is working on several brand new technologies. The most exciting: a 60-inch 'smart' television set that uses features found on the company's popular iPhone and iPad devices. According to Brian White of Topeka Capital ... Markets, Apple plans to start manufacturing its own TV sets. This isn't a new rumor; in fact, previous reports indicated that Steve Jobs was closely involved in such a project before his death in 2011. Based on conversations with a variety of electrical components manufacturers in Asia, White has put together a series of possible features that could ... (view more)

Several manufacturers of Windows RT tablet computers, including Amazon.com, have begun cutting the price of that hardware. But Microsoft is holding firm on the cost of its own tablet, the Surface. The price cuts are for tablet devices running ... Windows RT, an edition of Windows 8 specially designed for ARM processors that can usually be found in smartphones and not desktop or laptop computers. At first glance Windows RT devices look and feel like Windows 8 devices. However, they have a couple of big limitations: you can't switch to the traditional desktop mode used in previous editions of ... (view more)

Apple chief executive officer Tim Cook has apologized to the people of China. But the apology hasn't settled a dispute about whether the company broke any rules and why it came under such fierce criticism. The issue has been in the news since the ... government-run China Central Television station aired the 2013 edition of an annual consumer affairs investigation show. This year, the show's targets included Apple's warranty policies . The show claimed that Apple takes advantage of a loophole in consumer law when dealing with phones that are beyond repair and have to be replaced. According to the ... (view more)

Two techies have each won $25,000 after coming up with plans to block automated "robocalls." The men came up with ideas based around the way some websites check a human rather than a machine in completing a form. The contest is run by the Federal ... Trade Commission (FTC), which regularly deals with complaints that companies have violated rules that restrict robocalls, or automated marketing calls where you pick up the phone only to hear a recorded message. Although the FTC is continuing to pursue offenders through its regulatory and legal powers, it wanted to find technical measures that could ... (view more)

In 2008, IBM's Roadrunner was crowned the fastest computer in the world. Just five years later it's being scrapped. Roadrunner is based at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, where staff work on several projects, including the U.S. ... nuclear weapons program. The computer has some impressive specifications. To put things into context, a new desktop might have the equivalent of two or four processors, perhaps one terabyte (a thousand gigabytes) of hard drive space and four gigabytes of memory. Computer Performance Second-to-None Roadrunner has almost 20,000 different processors. It ... (view more)

Reports suggest Google Glass, Google's futuristic spectacles with all the functions of a smartphone, will be manufactured in the United States. The news comes as one politician seeks a pre-emptive ban on people using the technology while driving. ... Google Glass hardware includes a pair of spectacles with a small display in the corner of one lens, along with a microphone and earpiece in the arms. The company recently confirmed the tech will be compatible with prescription eyewear. According to Google, you'll control the gadget with voice commands. In addition to allowing voice calls, the glasses ... (view more)

A battle between an anti-spam company and a web hosting firm may have caused major Internet service disruptions for many Internet users. However, such claims haven't been verified. The issue involves a dispute between two European companies. The ... first is Spamhaus, which creates and shares lists of web servers known to be used for sending out spam. Companies can use these lists to block unwanted messages. The other firm is Cyberbunker, a controversial web hosting company based in the Netherlands. It's known for viciously defending the rights of its customers, saying it will only block ... (view more)

A new study shows that it's possible to use mobile phone location data to find an individual. Researchers say that, in most cases, getting four confirmed locations for a person is enough to identify their handset. The study's findings appear in the ... latest edition of Scientific Reports. According to the researchers, most users understand and accept that mobile phone service providers track their locations. Customers are usually 'OK' with this because the data is kept confidential and only provided to law enforcement authorities after a warrant has been issued. (Source: nature.com ) Anonymous ... (view more)

Members of Congress have published proposals that could result in longer prison sentences for hackers. The move has shocked some commentators who say existing laws are already too draconian. The House Judiciary committee is looking to expand the ... Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), an anti-hacking bill dating back to 1984. Under the new proposals, damaging a computer after accessing it without authorization would carry a maximum 10-year prison term, double the current punishment. "Trafficking" passwords would also carry a 10-year penalty. Hacking and damaging a "critical infrastructure ... (view more)