Mobile Tech » Defending the Mobile Universe From a Fraudster Onslaught

As smartphones and other mobile devices move to center stage, consumers and retailers are being threatened by a fresh crop of fraudsters bent of wreaking havoc in the mobile universe. Although walking a tightrope between consumer convenience and fraud prevention is tricky, there are several ways consumers and retailers can protect themselves, while at the same time maintaining real-time response and analysis in mobile commerce. The mobile age...

Mobile Tech » The Wedding Crashers

The U.S. Department of Justice has made its move to prevent AT&T from merging with T-Mobile, filing an antitrust suit to stop the purchase. It's the biggest roadblock yet in what was never expected to be an easy deal, and now it's unclear whether the companies have any hope of winning the fight. Meanwhile, HP has one last go with TouchPad, iTunes changes the channel, and WikiLeaks dribbles more than it meant to. Nobody expected AT&T (NYSE:...

IT Management » Federal CIOs: With More Authority Comes More Accountability

"When you look at the memo, as well as the blog from Steven VanRoekel, they both point to a positive and welcome attitude toward the CIO function," said Forrester analyst Chip Gliedman. "On the other hand, what they describe is really the natural function of a CIO, whether in the public or private sector. So it's a little worrisome that they felt the need to state this in such a formal way when it's mainly describing the obvious." A major initiative...

Internet » What's NOT in a Domain Name

The early domain name launch was a disaster. There were no trademark rules followed. It was nothing but anarchy, with domains handed out on a first-come, first-serve basis while intellectual properties were looted in broad daylight. Soon there were 1 million domain registrations per day and a thriving worldwide cybersquatting industry. The confusion created a boom in reckless advertising and led to huge branding and trademark fights. Esther Dyson,...

Internet » Goodbye TV Show Rentals - and Goodbye External Hard Drives

I don't particularly like the fact that Apple has killed TV show rentals. But I think I can at least understand why it did it. Apple says it was all about popularity, and TV networks may have played a role behind the scenes, but really the elimination of rentals is just part of a broader plan that will simplify media consumption and free us from having to constantly act as our own data micromanagers. My unhappiness with Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL)...

Computing » Microsoft Ties a Ribbon on Windows 8 Explorer

Microsoft will apparently use the Ribbon graphic user interface first seen with Microsoft Office applications on Explorer, the OS' file management utility. The decision's drawing some mixed reactions. Microsoft said it went with the Ribbon after intense study of user behavior, though some users think the Ribbon is either confusing or takes up too much screen space. Speculation about what features Windows 8 will include is sizzling as Microsoft...

Computing » TrueCrypt Locks Down Data In a Rock-Solid Vault

For data sensitive enough to warrant encryption, a tool like TrueCrypt is a great solution. The app creates and encrypted file container of any size on your hard drive or on an external drive. Once mounted using a super-strong password of your own choosing, files can come and go as you please. Once dismounted, they're locked behind a virtually impenetrable wall of encryption. Linux users are blessed with a collection of file encryption tools....

Computing » A Tale of Two Licenses

"Now look what's happened," said blogger Robert Pogson. "They've closed a lot of the source on Android 3.x and no one knows where they stand. Can Samsung trust Google now that Google's bought Motorola? How open is the Open Handset Alliance now that some of the code is closed? This is a huge mistake, and FSF is right to push for GPLv3 or better." Well the wild ride that was August appears to have tapered off a bit as the month drew to a close,...

Computing » WikiLeaks Stews in Its Own Juice

The tables were turned on WikiLeaks when a massive amount of highly sensitive and confidential diplomatic cables it was sitting on became exposed online. "WikiLeaks is the perfect example of thieves stealing from thieves," said Prem Iyer, head of the information security practice for Iron Bow Technologies. "All the info that they stole from others, they decided to store online -- and the password was leaked." Another global security mess is in...

Computing » Mozilla Targets Tablets With New Browser Designs

Tablets have caught the interest of browser maker Mozilla, which is polishing up a new version of its Firefox browser for Android tablets. Previews show a tablet browser with many elements that will be familiar to users of the company's desktop version. However, users generally don't yet seem to be as choosy about the browsers on their mobile devices as they are about the browsers on their desktops. The Mozilla Foundation is enhancing the tablet...

Computing » Big Mango Falls From HTC's Tree

HTC is showing off its first smartphones featuring the Windows Phone Mango update: the Titan and the Radar. Both will be released in select markets next month. The Titan sports a 4.7-inch screen, which is significantly larger than most other smartphones' screens. This follows Samsung's recent release of the 5.3-inch Galaxy Note. Are we witnessing the rise of the Superphones? HTC has shown off its first two smartphones running Mango, Microsoft's...