Now Siri brushes up on Russian, Japanese languages
Apple is already testing Chinese, Japanese and Russian language support for its voice-activated personal assistant technology Siri - and will roll out the new functionality next month as its efforts to cosy up to customers in these lucrative markets gathers pace.
Chinese tech site DoNews spoke to an Apple development engineer working on the Chinese language version of Siri who said at present only Chinese Mandarin would be supported, alongside Japanese and Russian, although it’s likely that Cantonese and other dialects won’t be too far behind. Read more...
Google Wallet PIN security cracked in seconds
A researcher at website categoriser zvelo has discovered Google Wallet's PIN protection is open to a brute-force attack that takes seconds to complete. And Google is powerless to fix the problem, it seems.
The attack is limited to instances where physical access is available, or the phone has been previously "rooted" by the user. Once the assault succeeds the attacker can read the contents of the wallet including credit card numbers and other details such as the transaction history. Worse still, Google can't address the flaw without shifting responsibility for the PIN onto the banks, who might not want it. Read more...
Web-based counseling — Telepsychiatry — is taking off
Dr. Avrim Fishkind, a psychiatrist in Houston, rarely sees any of his patients in person, and that's the way they like it.
Fishkind is part of a fast growing movement in the mental healthcare field where therapists counsel patients via inexpensive, Web-based video conferencing technology.
"We've had just over 60,000 patient encounters. To my knowledge, only six have refused to be seen via teleconferencing," he said. "When it comes to mental health issues and the difficult things you need to talk about in a crisis, a lot of patients feel it's less threatening and easier to be open and communicate via telemedicine."
Fishkind said telepsychiatry is limited only by insurance reimbursements. As more insurance companies start to reimburse for telepsychiatry treatments at the same rate as they do for in-person visits, the emerging medical field will grow exponentially. Read more...
Foxconn said to have been hacked by group critical of working conditions
Hackers claimed to have stolen internal data from Apple supplier Foxconn, and leaked the information online, in response to media reports of poor working conditions at the electronics manufacturer's factories in China.
The hacker group, Swagg Security, announced the attack in a Twitter message on Wednesday, and also leaked data stolen from the Foxconn site to The Pirate Bay. It said the data included user names and passwords. "The passwords inside these files could allow individuals to make fraudulent orders under big companies like Microsoft, Apple, IBM, Intel, and Dell," the hackers said in a message on Pastebin. Read more...
Obama’s H-1B answer in forum may haunt him
Until President Barack Obama responded to a question about H-1B visas during an online forum last week, the administration had said little about the controversial program.
But that has changed, thanks to the question posed by Jennifer Wedel of Fort Worth, Texas.
Wedel wanted to know why the government continues to issue H-1B visas when many U.S. tech workers are jobless. Her husband, Darin Wedel, a semiconductor engineer, was laid off from his full-time job at Texas Instruments three years ago following a plant shutdown, she told Obama. Read more...
Yahoo in another shakeup as chairman and directors depart
The shakeup at Yahoo continues.
It was a little more than a month ago when Yahoo announced that Scott Thompson would take over as the company's CEO. The spot had been vacant since former CEO Carol Bartz left in September.
Then later last month, Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang left the company.
The turmoil continued this week with the announcement that Yahoo Chairman Roy Bostock and three other directors from the company's board were out as well. Read more...
Microsoft to launch Windows 8 beta Feb. 29
Microsoft on Wednesday said it will host a launch event for the Windows 8 beta on Feb. 29 in Barcelona, the site of the Mobile World Congress.
Previously, Microsoft had promised that it would distribute a public beta -- the company used the label "Consumer Preview" instead -- in "late February." Wednesday, Feb. 29 is the last day of the month.
Microsoft did not offer any additional details on the Consumer Preview, including whether it planned to also introduce it at a similar U.S. event. A spokeswoman said that Microsoft would provide more information at a later date.
The company will not present the Windows 8 preview at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), but instead at a Barcelona hotel between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. local time. The MWC runs from Feb. 27 through March 1. Read more...
Four crazy tech ideas from Google’s Solve for X project
Google promised radical technology proposals would be a part of its Solve for X project, and its initial offerings so far haven't disappointed.
In a series of lectures about radical new technology posted on the Google Solve for X page, several entrepreneurs and academics have outlined ideas for technology that seemingly come straight out of science fiction movies. While not all of these technologies are anywhere close to becoming a reality anytime soon, companies and universities are doing the basic research and laying the groundwork for what could be some amazing technological breakthroughs in the years to come. In this article, we'll run down the five craziest, most far-out technology proposals outlined on Solve for X so far and hopefully give you some insight into the future of high-end technology. Read more...
Citadel banking malware is evolving and spreading rapidly, researchers warn
A computer Trojan that targets online banking users is evolving and spreading rapidly because its creators have adopted an open-source development model, according to researchers from cyberthreat management firm Seculert.
Called Citadel, the new piece of malware is based on ZeuS, one of the oldest and most popular online banking Trojans. ZeuS was abandoned by its creator in late 2010 and its source code leaked online a few months later.
Since its public release, the ZeuS source code has served as base for the development other Trojans, including Ice IX and now Citadel. Read more...
Pen-shaped e-reader concept leads to more questions than answers
After the introduction of the iPad in 2010, focus has shifted away from traditional eReaders. The leading manufacturers in the field — Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo — have all since introduced small tablets that are only e-readers in terms of software. The evolution of the e-ink reader is no longer on the forefront of most tech enthusiast’s minds.
But that hasn’t stopped a company called Paperus from trying something new. And by something new, we really mean it. As you can see above, Paperus’s concept video shows a pen-shaped device that lets you read by simply rotating it. It isn’t clear what tech is behind the device, or if it is even going to be manufactured. What we have is a concept video, a notice of “patent pending,” and a German website that promises “the new star will be born.” Read more...