The Federal Communications Commission is examining a recent decision by Apple to reject an iPhone application developed by Google. The commission sent letters to executives at Apple, Google and AT&T, which is the exclusive carrier for the iPhone in the United States, saying it was "interested in a more complete understanding of this situation."
British Hacker Loses Appeal Against Extradition
A Briton wanted in the United States for breaking into NASA and Pentagon networks in "the biggest military hack of all time" lost an appeal against his extradition, making a U.S. trial more likely. Gary McKinnon, 43, has fought a three-year battle to avoid extradition, including going to the European Court of Human Rights, but he appeared to have run out of options as Britain's High Court ruled against his latest appeal.
iPhone Has Flaws for Hackers, Security Experts Say
Security experts have uncovered flaws in Apple's iPhone that they said hackers can exploit to take control of the popular device, using the tactic for identity theft and other crimes. Users need to be warned that their iPhones are not entirely secure and Apple should try to repair the vulnerability as soon as possible, they said at the Black Hat conference in Las Vegas, one of the world's top forums for exchanging information on computer security threats.
Court Orders Pirate Bay Blocked in Netherlands
A Dutch court has ruled in favor of antipiracy foundation BREIN, giving three of The Pirate Bay's co-founders 10 days to block traffic to and from the Netherlands, effectively revoking access to its residents.
EBay Works on Technical, Legal Fights with Skype
EBay is working on software to replace the guts of Skype but is worried that it may not succeed, may lose a court battle with Skype's founders over rights to the core technology and may need to do something drastic in the next few years. The company said in a regulatory filing that if it fails in both the legal and technical avenues it's pursuing then "continued operation of Skype's business as currently conducted would likely not be possible."
Regulators Face Complex Issues in Microsoft-Yahoo Deal
Microsoft and Yahoo's blockbuster deal to form a 10-year partnership in Internet search and advertising lands at a time when the Obama administration is taking an especially hard look at consolidation in the high-tech industry. But the companies say it is the only way to form a credible competitor to the industry's Goliath, Google, which holds 65 percent of the market for Internet search advertising.
Lawmaker Wants Regulation of File-Sharing Services
A senior U.S. lawmaker said that it may be time for the government to regulate companies that provide online file-sharing services after a number of people managed to access FBI files, medical records and Social Security numbers. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Edolphus Towns said during a hearing on the safety of peer-to-peer software that he was astonished at privacy breaches involving LimeWire, operated by the Lime Group.
Spam, Botnets Reach Record Levels, McAfee Reports
Spam and botnets have hit their highest levels ever, according to McAfee's second-quarter Threats Report. McAfee's Avert Labs says spam recorded in the second quarter shot up 80 percent compared with the first quarter of the year.
More Internet Users Falling for Fake Security Software
Insufficiently knowledgeable computer users are downloading and paying for fake security software in increasing numbers, creating massive revenue for cybercriminals. "More and more people are acclimating to the Internet and they feel they can make these important security decisions," said Sean-Paul Correll, security evangelist and threat researcher for Panda Security.
Mac Security Expert Finds Flaw Allowing Data Access
A Mac security expert has uncovered a technique that hackers could use to take control of Apple computers and steal data that is scrambled to protect it from identity thieves. Prominent Mac researcher Dino Dai Zovi disclosed the software flaw at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas, one of the world's top forums for exchanging information on Internet threats.
Apartment Tenant Sued Over Tweets About Mold
A tenant who used the micro-blogging service Twitter to complain about mould in her Chicago apartment is being sued. Horizon Group Management filed a lawsuit that has accused Amanda Bonnen of defaming the company with her tweet.
White House Clarifies How Staff Accesses Twitter
Bloggers were all aflutter earlier this month when White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told C-SPAN that, for some reason, Twitter usage was blocked at the White House. Now, White House deputy press secretary Bill Burton said Twitter access is enabled on White House computers for the new media team, but it is blocked on the remainder of White House computers for security purposes–though they're working on getting those restrictions relaxed.
China Bans Websites Glamorizing Mafia Gangs
China has banned websites featuring or publicizing online games which glamorize mafia gangs, saying violators will be "severely punished," state media reported. The Culture Ministry said such games "advocate obscenity, gambling, or violence," and "undermine morality and Chinese traditional culture," the official Xinhua news agency said.
Hollywood Production Companies Sue Pirate Bay
A dozen Hollywood production companies have filed a new lawsuit against file-sharing website The Pirate Bay. Columbia Pictures, Disney Enterprises, Universal Studios and 10 others are demanding the site's operators be fined and prevented from distributing TV-series including "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives" and films such as "Batman."
Taiwanese Firm to Pay Family in iPhone Suicide Case
A Taiwanese firm which makes products for Apple in China is to pay a "condolence payment" to the family of an employee who committed suicide. Sun Danyong killed himself after an iPhone prototype went missing from the company where he worked in Shenzhen.
Michael Jackson's Death Encouraged Cybercriminals
When Michael Jackson died on June 25, his fans mourned -- and cybercriminals swung into action. Within 38 hours, they forged alliances with familiar partners to trigger global spam campaigns that capitalized on the singer's death.
Oracle Sues Qtrax Music Service for $2 Million
Oracle, the giant enterprise software company, has accused Qtrax, the legal peer-to-peer music service, of copyright infringement and breach of contract in a $2 million lawsuit filed in Northern California. Qtrax is the music service that was ridiculed in January 2008 after the four major labels denied the company's claims that it had licensing agreements with them.
BlackBerry Maker May Buy Nortel Wireless Patents
BlackBerry maker Research In Motion has held talks with Nortel Networks on buying next-generation wireless patents that were not part of Nortel's $1.13 billion wireless asset sale, a source familiar with the situation said. Bankrupt Nortel sold a portfolio of CDMA and next-generation LTE wireless assets to Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson.
AVG Virus Software Mistakenly Blocks Some iTunes Users
AVG's free antivirus product temporarily blocked users from getting to iTunes, detecting it as a Trojan, the company said. "AVG discovered the false alarm in the virus signature engine relating to some localization components of iTunes (so not iTunes as a virus but rather some localization components of iTunes) and it was fixed within 5 hours," AVG spokesperson Siobhan MacDermott said in a statement.
Start-Up Seeks to Get Revenue from News-Copying Sites
A start-up called Attributor, based in Redwood City, Calif., is proposing an approach that is more carrot than stick as news organizations try to do something about the many Web sites that simply copy articles and paste them into their own pages. It has developed an automated way for newspapers to share in the advertising revenue from even the tiniest sites that copy their articles.
