Apple has amended its lawsuit against Psystar to allow for the possibility that other parties are backing the company. It's always been a bit puzzling to ponder how Psystar emerged seemingly overnight with designs on challenging one of the tech industry's richest companies, retaining one of Silicon Valley's star law firms along the way.
Ex-Prosecutor Avoids Charges After Release of E-mails
A prominent Texas prosecutor who fell from grace after the mistaken release of racist, political and pornographic e-mails found on his office computer will not face charges stemming from the scandal, his replacement said. An eight-month investigation didn't turn up enough evidence to prosecute former Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal for criminal misconduct, said interim prosecutor Ken Magidson.
Accused British Hacker Gets Another Court Date
A British systems administrator who hacked into U.S. military computers in 2001 and 2002 will have another chance to make his case of why he shouldn't be extradited to the United States. A High Court judge will decide on Jan. 20 whether another court should review Gary McKinnon's case again, said Karen Todner, his attorney.
Apple Urges Mac Users to Install Anti-Virus Software
Apple has urged Mac owners to use anti-virus software. In a note posted on its support site in late November, Apple said it wanted to "encourage" people to use anti-virus to stay safe online.
Bush Briefed on Attack on Pentagon's Computers
Senior military leaders took the exceptional step of briefing President Bush on a severe and widespread electronic attack on Defense Department computers that may have originated in Russia -- an incursion that posed unusual concern among commanders and raised potential implications for national security. Defense officials would not describe the extent of damage inflicted on military networks.
Two-Thirds of Employers Monitor Web Use, Survey Says
Two-thirds of employers monitor staff use of the Internet during working hours and block access to sites deemed irrelevant to the job, a survey of managers revealed yesterday. The Chartered Management Institute said the censoring of employees' web browsing was an example of old-fashioned thinking in boardrooms where senior executives have not caught up with the business benefits of exploiting new technology.
Judge Affirms Ruling Against Qualcomm in Broadcom Case
A U.S. federal court affirmed a ruling against Qualcomm in its long-running battle with Broadcom over some video technology patents, but voided a part of the lower-court decision that said Qualcomm could not enforce the patents. The ruling was "slightly favorable to Qualcomm" because of the part on enforceability, Charter Equity Research analyst Ed Snyder said.
Croatian Police Detain Critical Web Activists
Croatian police have detained and questioned Web activists who are criticizing or ridiculing the government, media and the opposition say, accusing authorities of violating basic civil rights. Media said police had detained organizers of a group on Facebook, the online social networking site, which called an anti-government rally in several towns, including the capital Zagreb, for December 5.
After Brief Drop, Spam Rising Again, Researchers Say
Spammers knocked offline two weeks ago when their hosting company, McColo Corp., was shut down are finally coming back online, security researchers said. Spam volumes, which dropped about 80 percent when McColo was shut down on November 11, remained relatively flat since then until a few days ago when they started climbing up, said Matt Sergeant, senior antispam technologist at MessageLabs, now owned by Symantec.
Obama Puts Transition Website Under Open License
Barack Obama's Presidential transition website Change.gov added OpenID login for commenters and now the entire site has been put under a Creative Commons license. These concepts are no longer just the dreams of "crack-pot fringe case" advocates -- they're the official policy of the U.S. President Elect.
EU Plans Increased Action Against Cybercrime
Remote searches of suspect computers will form part of an EU plan to tackle high-tech crime. The five-year action plan will take steps to combat the growth in cyber theft and the machines used to spread spam and other malicious programs.
Dutch Software Dealer Sues Over Microsoft Pricing
A Dutch software dealer has filed a complaint against Microsoft with the European Commission, arguing that the company's pricing policy in Europe violates antitrust laws. Company owner Samir Abdalla's complaint is that Microsoft charges at least a third more for its software in Europe than it does in the U.S.
FCC Chairman Pushing for Vote on Free WiFi Plan
Outgoing Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin is pushing for action in December on a plan to offer free, pornography-free wireless Internet service to all Americans, despite objections from the wireless industry and some consumer groups. The proposal to allow a no-smut, free wireless Internet service is part of a proposal to auction off a chunk of airwaves.
Net Gambling Cheating Scandals Raise Legal Questions
Even as Internet gambling grows in popularity and profits, with millions of players and billions of bets, the two biggest cheating scandals in online gambling are raising fresh questions about the honesty and security of a freewheeling industry that operates outside of U.S. law. Unlike brick-and-mortar casinos that undergo rigorous security checks, many Internet gambling sites operate in a shadowy world of little regulation and even less enforcement, a joint investigation by The Washington Post and CBS's "60 Minutes" has found.
Malware Distributors Launch Attack on CBS Website
TV network CBS has become the latest big name to have its Web site used to host malware, a security company has reported. It appears that Russian malware distributors were able to launch another iFrame attack on a subdomain of the cbs.com site so that it was serving remote malware to any visitors.
Danish Court Orders Pirate Bay Website Blocked
The IFPI has welcomed a Danish court ruling involving the Pirate Bay Web site, ordering it to be blocked in Denmark. The Sweden-based Pirate Bay is a file-sharing site that currently has 3.1 million registered users.
Judge Rules Against Limits on Internet Wine Sales
Massachusetts consumers may soon be able to order wine on the Internet from anywhere in the country -- from the largest wine makers to the smallest family vineyards. A federal judge ruled that the state's restrictions on direct shipments of wine purchased over the Internet discriminated against out-of-state wineries.
Baby Bought Online Headed to Dutch Officials for Care
A Belgian baby bought over the Internet for adoption by a Dutch couple must be placed in the temporary care of the Dutch authorities, a court ruled. According to media reports, the couple bought the boy in July from a Belgian couple in Ghent.
Group Cites Progress in Video Game Report Card
The National Institute on Media and the Family is unveiling its 13th annual video game report card to help parents choose games that are appropriate for their children as the holiday shopping season picks up. This year, citing the positive steps taken by industry officials and retailers, the group is focusing on ways parents can play a more active role in safeguarding their children from games that glamorize sex, drugs and violence.
Jury Convicts Woman in MySpace Suicide Case
A federal jury convicted a Missouri woman of three misdemeanor charges of computer fraud for her involvement in creating a phony account on MySpace to trick a teenager, who later committed suicide. The defendant, Lori Drew, 49, faces up to three years in prison and $300,000 in fines, according to federal sentencing guidelines.
