Google’s Schmidt calls Carrier IQ software a keylogger
Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt today distanced his company from Carrier IQ's software, even as he described the technology as a keylogger. Schmidt's comments came at an Internet freedom conference in the Netherlands.
A Reutersstory from The Hague quotes Schmidt as saying that Carrier IQ's software is a keylogger that "actually does keep your keystrokes."
"We certainly don't work with them and we certainly don't support it," Schmidt said.
It was not immediately clear whether Schmidt's description of Carrier IQ as a keylogger was based on independent knowledge of the software or on recent claims by security researcher Trevor Eckhart. Read more...
Cool stuff: Your 2011 holiday tech gift guide
The two most-hyped shopping days of the year -- Black Friday and Cyber Monday -- have passed with recording-breaking sales. But did you get all the gifts you need for your family, friends and colleagues? Are you sure?
Don't fret -- Computerworld's annual gift guide will help you handle all those last-minute gift decisions.
Every year, we poll our readers to find out what types of tech gear they want to give and/or receive for the holidays. But this year, while the top five categories they chose are pretty much the same as in 2010 -- tablets, e-readers, smartphones, laptops and HDTVs -- the products themselves have changed significantly.
For example, while Apple's elegant iPhone 4S and iPad 2 still top many gift lists, Android powerhouses such as the Samsung Galaxy Nexus phone and the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime tablet are strong contenders. And a new type of tablet has entered the race -- e-readers with color touch screens like Amazon's Kindle Fire have become popular alternatives. We've also added a few interesting tech gadgets that we thought could top up any gift list. Read more...
Microsoft: We can remotely delete Windows 8 apps
Microsoft will be able to throw a "kill switch" to disable or even remove an app from users' Windows 8 devices, the company revealed in documentation released earlier this week for its upcoming Windows Store.
Kill switches -- so called because a simple command can deactivate or delete an app -- are common in mobile app stores. Both Apple and Google can flip such a switch for apps distributed by the iOS App Store and Android Market, respectively.
In the Windows Store terms of use, Microsoft made it clear that it can pull the kill switch at its discretion. Read more...
Holiday shopping scams to look out for
During the holiday shopping season, shoppers cheer, "We're going to save big bucks!" But what they may not realize is bad guys are cheering, "We're going to make big bucks." Yup, that darn Grinch is always lurking especially during festive times. How can you make sure your shopping experience is merry and bright? Don't get ripped off by these common scams, risks and red flags:
Gift card scams
This is a huge problem consumer watchdogs are hearing a lot about lately! Michael Gier from Protect Yourself TV warns: Only buy gift cards from the stores themselves, do not ever buy from an individual selling them because they're usually stolen empty gift cards that were never activated at the register.
If you're purchasing at the store, buy gift cards that people don't have access to. Do not buy from the grab-and-go racks at stores. Thieves can scan the cards on the racks and get the codes on the back of the cards. Then when you pay and get the card activated, they now have a way to use it and spend the money on it. Read more...
Samsung wins round in long legal fight with Apple
Samsung Electronics Co won a round of its bruising global patent fight with Apple Inc on Friday when an Australian court lifted a ban on the sale of its Galaxy tablet computer in time for the busy Christmas shopping season.
But the South Korean firm's triumph in a Sydney courtroom was tempered by a setback the previous day in Paris, where another court rejected its bid to block sales of Apple's iPhone 4S in France.
Apple and Samsung have been embroiled in some 30 legal cases in 10 countries since April, as they jostle for the top spot in the booming smartphone and tablet markets.
The Australian High Court ruling allows Samsung to offer the device to Australian shoppers for the final weeks of the key Christmas shopping season and came a week after a U.S. court denied Apple's plea to ban Galaxy phones and tablets in the country. Read more...
Why ‘Community’ is the only Internet crossover that matters
"Community" creator Dan Harmon likes to get into it on Twitter.
We're talking 3 p.m.-after-school-behind-the-gym into it. What's more, the rocket surgeon of popular culture doesn't need an invitation to throw down.
Take, for example, Harmon's Twitter badness from last November, stemming from a tweet that didn't address @danharmon directly, and only came to his attention via the hashtag #Community:
@ILNY83: I just got done watching the Halloween episode of #Community. It had a lot of laughs, but I'm over the parody episodes. I miss season one.
@danharmon: @ILNY83 I'm over your poop face. Read more...
Kaspersky Dumps Anti-Piracy Group in SOPA Protest
Security vendor Kaspersky has announced it will withdraw its membership of the Business Software Alliance (BSA) over the group’s support of SOPA. The Russian company, which is famous for its anti-virus products, says the pending legislation will hurt both innovation and consumers. In protest, Kaspersky will end its association with the BSA on January 1st 2012.
While the opinions of outright SOPA opponents are well documented, it came as a surprise last month when the Business Software Alliance (BSA), a former staunch supporter, published a blog post indicating it had some reservations on the pending legislation.
The BSA – which counts giants such as Microsoft, Apple, Adobe and Intel among its ranks – declared in their headline that SOPA Needs Work to Address Innovation Considerations.
Nevertheless, for BSA member and security vendor Kaspersky, it’s too little, too late. Read more...
Canadian Songwriters Want to Legalize File-Sharing
While most of the major entertainment industry companies wage war against BitTorrent sites, the Songwriters Association of Canada prefers to embrace file-sharing. Speaking with TorrentFreak, vice president Jean-Robert Bisaillon says that the Internet has revived the music business. Sharing music is part of people’s nature and the songwriters want to legalize file-sharing, while compensating the artists whose works are shared.
With prominent members such Bryan Adams, Eddie Schwartz, Randy Bachman and Carole Pope among its ranks, the Songwriters Association of Canada (SAC) is the voice of more than 1,500 Canadian artists.
In common with many of the groups tied to the music industry, SAC has a strong opinion about file-sharing. But unlike most of the others, they don’t want to shutter sites that allow people to share copyrighted music. Quite the opposite. Read more...