John Lister

According to a a recent study, Windows 7 is already being used on more computers than Mac OS. In fact, Windows 7's usage outperforms all versions of Apple's system put together. According to Net Applications, 5.14% of online users were running ... Windows 7 last Sunday, compared with Apple's average of 5% for the week as a whole. However, Windows 7 only averaged 4.15% for the week, which is a fairer comparison. Figures for Sunday alone aren't available for Mac OS yet. (Source: tomshardware.com ) It's possible Apple's figures for the Sunday will turn out to be higher than its weekly average as, ... (view more)

The iPhone has been hit by a virus for the second time this month. And this time the consequences are more significant than an unwanted picture of Rick Astley . A couple of weeks ago, a worm virus left some users of the iPhone with the image of 80s ... singer Rick Astley as their wallpaper. The virus only worked on phones which had been jailbroken: that is to say, their owners had altered them so that they could run software without Apple's authorization. Unfortunately, some of those who did so left the handset prey to a major security breach if they failed to change the default password for ... (view more)

Microsoft's CEO says Windows 7 is selling twice as fast as any of its predecessors. However, he was careful not to sound too arrogant, noting that even the tiniest fraction of market share lost to rivals is important to the Redmond-based software ... firm. Steve Ballmer last week spoke at Microsoft's annual meeting in Washington state, broadcast live on the Internet. He said Windows 7 had already sold twice as many units as any previous Microsoft operating system (OS) in the same period, calling the sales a "fantastic start". (Source: csmonitor.com ) Ballmer didn't give sales numbers or revenue ... (view more)

If you run over your computer with a monster truck, stick dynamite in the USB slot or attach it to a Slinky and roll it down the stairway, you can reasonably expect to lose any warranty or cover care you have on it. But now there's another rash ... activity that can leave you out of pocket if a fault develops: smoking. The Consumerist website, run by the same group behind Consumer Reports magazine, says two readers have found Apple refused to fix computers because they were smokers. Both had purchased the extended warranty Applecare package. In one case, the problems with the machine were blamed ... (view more)

Microsoft has given Internet Explorer 9 its first public airing. The browser looks set to make up a significant gap in speed compared with its rivals but will reawaken controversy over Microsoft's policy on web standards. It's no secret that many ... tests show Internet Explorer is much slower in loading pages, particularly those that use javascript. However, it was still surprising to see the firm's Steven Sinofsky openly admit that gap, with his presentation even noting one test which showed Internet Explorer achieving just 50% of the speed of some rivals. According to Sinofsky, Internet ... (view more)

YouTube has struck a content deal with the largest provider of Spanish language television in the United States. The partnership with Univision could be a major breakthrough in the Latino market. As well as a self-titled channel, Univision runs ... TeleFutura and Galavision. It's best known for its broadcasting of telenovellas, a form of soap opera that air in Mexico and Venezuela. However, those won't be part of the YouTube deal because Univision only has TV broadcast rights rather than online rights to the U.S. market. (Source: wsj.com ) The content which most definitely will air includes ... (view more)

U.S. President Barack Obama has told Chinese Internet users that online freedom is a "source of strength". But the comments themselves appear to have become the victim of censorship. The president spoke at a "town hall" event attended by students in ... Shanghai. Questioned about online communication he said "I've always been a strong supporter of open Internet use. I'm a big supporter of non-censorship...unrestricted Internet access is a source of strength and I think it should be encouraged." He also argued that the criticism which came with online freedom of speech made him a better president ... (view more)

A senior Microsoft figure in the UK has said Windows 7 tries to mimic the look and feel of a Mac. Microsoft headquarters responded by calling him "inaccurate and uninformed." Simon Aldous, Microsoft's partner group manager, recently gave an ... interview to PCR, a computer industry magazine. As you'd imagine given the timing, the interview covered the development of Windows 7, which he agreed was like "Vista on steroids". However, he went on to say: "One of the things that people say an awful lot about the Apple Mac is that the OS is fantastic, that it's very graphical and easy to use. What we've ... (view more)

Microsoft is examining claims that a bug in Windows 7 could allow a hacker to remotely disable a computer. The news comes just as the firm urges users of previous editions of Windows to give priority to one particular patch in this month's security ... update. The Windows 7 bug, reported by a security researcher who's posted what he claims to be code for exploiting the bug, involves the Server Message Block. That's a section of Windows used in networks for features such as file and printer sharing. Bug Allows "Infinite Loop" Attack Laurent Gaffie says that the bug could make it possible for a ... (view more)

If your iPhone's wallpaper has suddenly changed to a picture of singer 1980's singer sensation Rick Astley, it's not just a prank by a friend. Instead, it's a worm virus that could lead to significant harm. The problem only affects "jailbroken" ... handsets, those which have been adapted by the user to allow them to run applications without any restrictions. Note that a jailbroken iPhone is different from an unlocked iPhone, which allows the phone to make calls on any network. The worm takes advantage of the fact that many people who have jailbroken their phone go on to use a file transfer system ... (view more)