Google, Sprint to allow mobile payments using NFC
Google on Thursday will unveil near field communication (NFC) technology to allow mobile payments on smartphones from Sprint, reports said Tuesday.
Google officials could not be reached to confirm the report, first carried by Bloomberg. A Sprint official said the carrier does "not comment on rumors and speculation."
The Android phones will use NFC short-range wireless technology to allow contactless payments at NFC receiver terminals in stores and transit stops, according to the reports. Read more...
Apple admits Mac scareware infections, promises cleaning tool
Apple on Tuesday promised an update for Mac OS X that will find and delete the MacDefender fake security software, and warn still-unaffected users when they download the bogus program.
The announcement -- part of a new support document that the company posted late Tuesday -- was the company's first public recognition of the threat posed by what security experts call "scareware" or "rogueware."
"In the coming days, Apple will deliver a Mac OS X software update that will automatically find and remove Mac Defender malware and its known variants," Apple said in the document. "The update will also help protect users by providing an explicit warning if they download this malware." Read more...
Oracle returns growth to Sun server business: IDC
Oracle logged a small milestone in its Sun acquisition during the first quarter, expanding sales of Sun's server hardware for the first time in three-and-a-half years, IDC reported Tuesday.
Sun's server business was already in decline when Oracle announced plans to buy the company a little over two years ago. Sales plummeted further amid the uncertainty over what CEO Larry Ellison planned to do with the business.
Oracle has worked hard over the past year to convince customers it will continue to invest in Sun's hardware, and those efforts appear finally to be paying off. Read more...
Update: Sony Ericsson online store, Sony BMG Japan hacked
Sony Ericsson Canada today confirmed that it was hit by a security breach that allowed about 2,000 customer records, including first name, last name, email addresses and the hash of encrypted passwords to be illegally accessed.
No additional personal or credit card information was compromised, the company said in a statement to the IDG News Service this afternoon.
Earlier today, The Hacker News (THN) had reported that it received a tip from a Lebanese hacker who had breached the site and accessed email addresses, passwords and names of thousands of users of Ericsson's Eshop online store in Canada. The information was then posted on Pastebin.com. Read more...
Is Windows 8 Coming Out in 2012 or Not?
Microsoft on Monday night backtracked on statements from Steve Ballmer about the release of its next operating system.
"It appears there was a misstatement," a Microsoft spokeswoman said in a statement. "We are eagerly awaiting the next generation of Windows 7 hardware that will be available in the coming fiscal year. To date, we have yet to formally announce any timing or naming for the next version of Windows."
Microsoft's statement comes after Ballmer appeared at a Microsoft Developer Forum in Tokyo on Monday and said the "next generation of Windows systems ... will come out next year."
"As we progress through the year, you ought to expect to hear a lot about Windows 8. Windows 8 slates, tablets, PCs, a variety of different form factors," Ballmer said. Read more...
One-Fifth Of Americans Are Proud To Be Geeks
America: Land of the free, home of the geek?
In celebration of National Geek Pride Day (May 25), a survey released by IT staffing service Modis reveals some very interesting statistics about the nascent social acceptability of being a geek.
According to the survey, 17 percent of Americans self-identify as geeks. I don't have solid numbers in front of me, but I have to assume this is a monumental rise since the days when Robert Carradine was battling the dark powers of Ted McGinley.
Speaking of nerds, the survey makes a special point of addressing the differences between that term and geek. It seems that though nearly one-fifth of our population would write the latter on their OKCupid profile, very few are willing to also label themselves as nerds. Though 61 percent of respondents would call themselves nerds, the vast majority (87 percent) see a tangible difference between "geek" and its seemingly pejorative cousin. Read more...
What Really Matters From A Software Developer
The Key To Finding The Right Developer
A good software developer can be easily spotted by looking at their development methods. One popular procedure is to take a personalized approach. This practice is when a developer takes the time to understand your business needs, and create a product designed to work for business and yours alone.
The main alternative to the personalized development method, is to outsource the job. Many countries with strong IT backgrounds and cheap wages, offer amongst a variety of services, custom software development. The major benefit to outsourcing is it is cheap, which means you get a product with a low initial investment. Read more...