John Lister

Thu
08
Nov
Dennis Faas's picture

Windows Live Messenger Eclipsed by Skype

Microsoft is getting ready to ditch its instant messaging service. Now that it owns Skype, according to reports, Microsoft will be switching off the Windows Live Messenger service in March, 2013. Windows Live Messenger first became available back in ... 1999, when it was known as MSN Messenger. Back then it was designed as a rival to AOL's highly popular messaging services. The original MSN Messenger service allowed users to chat with other users via text messages in real time without a public chat room, or even email. Over the years, Microsoft added more complicated features, including video and ... (view more)

Wed
07
Nov
Dennis Faas's picture

Anonymous Attacks Security Firm Symantec: Report

The hacking group Anonymous claims it successfully stole data from security firm Symantec on Monday, November 5, 2012. However, Symantec denies the claim. Anonymous also claims to have gained access to servers belonging to ImageShack, a service that ... hosts pictures online. However, there has been no independent confirmation of that reported security breach, either. November 5th is an important date for Anonymous because it marks the anniversary of Guido 'Guy' Fawkes' attempt to blow up the English Parliament buildings in 1606. In England the event is remembered as 'Guy Fawkes Day.' Over time ... (view more)

Mon
05
Nov
Dennis Faas's picture

Microsoft Sued Over Windows 8 User Interface

Windows 8 has a totally new look and feel. But one company says it's not all that original and is suing Microsoft for copyright infringement. Portland tech firm SurfCast is suing Microsoft over its use of "live tiles" on the main display screen, the ... one that appears whenever a user starts up Windows. The tiles are the large rectangular blocks that link to various tools and applications; they're designed to make them easier to use on touchscreen devices. The tiles don't actually have a fixed image or text and they update automatically by using Internet resources. For example, a weather tile ... (view more)

Fri
02
Nov
Dennis Faas's picture

Airline Firms Warned About Privacy Violations

Delta and United Airlines are among 100 firms that have been told they are breaking California's privacy laws. The problem: these companies have smartphone and tablet applications that don't give customers adequate information about the way they ... handle personal data. Kamala Harris, California's attorney general, insists companies are breaching the California Online Privacy Protection Act, which says app users must get clear details about the personal data collected and how it will be used. These 100 companies are among many more offenders but happen to own the 100 most popular apps breaching ... (view more)

Fri
02
Nov
Dennis Faas's picture

Megaupload Founder Starts New Filesharing Service

Despite the threat of deportation to the United States for trial, the man who started the controversial Megaupload filesharing service says he is working on a replacement. Kim Dotcom also says his new filesharing service will work in a way that will ... keep him safe from the long arm of the law. Megaupload allowed users to store files online, and also to access and download the files through either a private or public link. Not surprisingly, many people used the service to share copyrighted files, such as digital music and movies, without paying for them -- clearly a case of copyright ... (view more)

Wed
31
Oct
Dennis Faas's picture

Yahoo, Microsoft Disagree on IE10's 'Do Not Track'

Yahoo has confirmed it will not honor "Do Not Track" requests from Microsoft's Internet Explorer 10 web browser. Do Not Track is designed to protect web browser users from having their Internet activity tracked. Experts say the Yahoo decision is ... based on the way Microsoft has implemented Do Not Track and is not a sign that Yahoo stands opposed to the basic concept. Do Not Track is designed to stop websites from passing details of a web browser's online activity to advertisers. It works by voluntary compliance with the Do Not Track request, not by any enforcement method. Advertisers argue that ... (view more)

Tue
30
Oct
Dennis Faas's picture

Security Experts Reveal Most Predictable Passwords

A security firm has revealed the twenty-five most common passwords used on websites. For the most part, they leave users particularly vulnerable to hacking. One reason? "Password" is still the most common password. The list, from analyst firm ... SplashData, is based on login details published by hackers online. Sadly, the amount of data that becomes publicly available this way seems to be ever increasing. Following "password", the next most popular passwords in decreasing order are "123456", "12345678" and "abc123", all of which appear to have been chosen by users who obviously cared ... (view more)

Mon
29
Oct
Dennis Faas's picture

Airport Security Secrets Revealed by Boarding Pass

The barcodes on airline boarding passes may look innocent. However, one security researcher says that a smartphone camera allows anyone to figure out whether or not they'll be selected for a security check. Aviation expert John Butler recently ... noted, via his blog, that the information on barcodes isn't encrypted. (Source: wordpress.com ) Although airport staff use special scanners to read the barcodes, it turns out that a camera phone can scan the barcode and the proper app can convert it to a string of codes. You can then use the Internet to find out what these codes mean. Pre-Check ... (view more)

Thu
25
Oct
Dennis Faas's picture

Windows RT Surface Tablet: Early Reviews Mixed

Early reviews of Microsoft's Surface tablet computer are beginning to appear online. Though they are mixed, a common theme is that the hardware design is impressive, but the software is a concern. Microsoft's Surface is designed for a niche between ... an iPad and a Windows-based laptop. It ships with only a touchscreen, but with a $100 carry case that includes a physical keyboard it can expand to function like a conventional laptop. The Surface goes on sale October 26, the day Windows 8 is officially released. The first models will run Windows RT, the special version of Windows 8 designed ... (view more)

Wed
24
Oct
Dennis Faas's picture

Web Survey Firm Stole Credit Card Data: FTC

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says an Internet firm claiming it collected only shopper opinions about the products they bought was actually collecting personal data. The firm, Compete, is negotiating a court-approved settlement of the charges. ... So far, the punishment the company will face has not been publicly revealed. Compete used online ads to recruit customers into its "Consumer Input Panel", telling them they can give their opinions and win prizes. To participate, however, consumers needed to install special tracking software on their computers to monitor what websites they visited. ... (view more)

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