A programmer who goes by the nickname "09Droid" has just illuminated security concerns sure to come into sharper focus as tech and financial services corporations move to popularize mobile device banking. Antivirus supplier F-Secure says 09Droid offered more than 50 mobile banking applications for sale through Google's Android Marketplace, the app store for smartphones based on the Android operating system.
Google apologizes for E-mailing Sensitive Business Data
Google is apologizing after it mistakenly e-mailed potentially sensitive business data to other users of its business listings service. The company's Local Business Center allows businesses to create a listing for Google's search engine and Maps application, as well as add videos, coupons or photos.
Adult Film Star Says Violent Video Games Worse for Kids
Violent video games have "a much bigger negative influence on kids" than pornography, a leading porn star has claimed. He said parents should be more worried about the harmful effects of such games.
Court Blocks Webcast of Trial, But Changes Possible
The Supreme Court indicated that it might soon have something significant to say about whether and when video coverage of federal trials is appropriate. Shortly before a federal trial over same-sex marriage began in San Francisco, the court temporarily blocked a judge's plan to broadcast the trial on the Internet.
Iranian Hackers Blamed for Attack on China's Baidu
China's top search engine, was unavailable in China, and some Internet users reported seeing signs of an attack on the site by Iranian hackers. Users reported seeing a banner for the "Iranian Cyber Army," complete with an Iranian flag and a shattered Star of David, when they tried to access Baidu's home page.
Google Seeks to Improve Work with Chinese Authors
Google has agreed to hand over a list of books by Chinese authors that it has scanned in recent years, company executives said, in an apparent effort to placate writers who say their works were digitized without their permission. In a letter sent to an association of 8,000 Chinese writers, Google also apologized for any misunderstanding that might have angered authors and said it would work to forge an agreement on digitizing books by early summer.
Blind Groups Settle Kindle-Related Discrimination Suit
Two organizations representing the blind have settled a discrimination lawsuit against Arizona State University over its use of Amazon's Kindle e-reader device. Arizona State is among several universities testing the $489 Kindle DX, a large-screen model aimed at textbook and newspaper readers.
Judges Question FCC's Authority to Fine Comcast
Federal judges questioned whether the Federal Communications Commission has the authority to enforce rules that require Internet providers to give equal treatment to all traffic on their networks. In a hearing in a dispute between the agency and Comcast Corp., the judges questioned whether the FCC acted properly when it ordered the Philadelphia-based cable giant to stop blocking subscribers from using file-sharing services.
Judge Rules Against CTA's Ban on Video Game Ads
In a solid win for the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), a U.S. District Court ruled that the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) cannot ban computer and video game ads. In a press release posted to the ESA's website, Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer's ruling was quoted as saying that the ads the CTA wanted to ban are "expression that has constitutional value and implicates core First Amendment concerns."
FCC to Delay Report on National Broadband Plan
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission will delay submitting its highly anticipated National Broadband Plan report to Congress by one month to better digest all the data and public input, an FCC official said. The report, a framework to promote affordable high-speed Internet access and use among Americans, is due to be submitted to Congress on February 17, as mandated by President Barack Obama's massive economic stimulus package.
Suit Says Chinese Firms Stole Code for Monitoring Program
A software company in California has sued two Chinese technology firms, charging that they stole its computer code to make an Internet-monitoring program that China's government sought to install on every computer in the country last year before backing down. The lawsuit by Cybersitter also names as defendants seven computer makers, including Sony, Lenovo and Acer, accusing them of willingly joining a Chinese government plan to spread the software, known as Green Dam Youth Escort, throughout the country.
French Report Urges Tax on Net Advertising Companies
A report financed by the French government recommends that Google, MSN, Yahoo, and other big advertising companies -- as well as Internet service providers -- be taxed, with the revenue set to help fund the music and publishing sectors. Google is "profiting without any consideration" for music artists and book publishers, according to the report, written by Jacque Toubon, France's former minister of culture, Patrick Zelnick, a former music executive who produced French First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy's songs, and Guillaume Cerutti, an executive at Sotheby's France.
Google, Viacom Seek Meeting with Judge in Copyright Case
Google and Viacom are preparing to throw legal blows at each other as part of Viacom's $1 billion copyright lawsuit against YouTube, according to documents filed with a federal court last month. Both parties have requested a meeting with the judge to discuss the individual motions for summary judgment that each plans to file.
New French Internet Piracy Law Takes Effect
The first effects of France's new law against Internet piracy will begin to be felt as the new year begins. The law was passed after a long struggle in parliament, and in the teeth of bitter opposition from groups opposed to internet restrictions.
Chinese Police Arrest Thousands in Net Porn Crackdown
Chinese police arrested thousands in a drive against Internet pornography throughout 2009, officials said, vowing a deepening crackdown that critics say is being used to tighten overall censorship. The Chinese government has run a highly publicized campaign against what officials said were banned smutty and lewd pictures overwhelming the country's Internet and threatening the emotional health of children.
Hacker Pleads Guilty to Stealing Credit Card Numbers
A 28-year-old college dropout pleaded guilty to charges that he stole tens of millions of payment card numbers by breaking into corporate computer systems. The hacker, Albert Gonzalez, told a federal judge in Boston that he had engineered electronic thefts at companies including the card processor Heartland Payment Systems, the convenience store 7-Eleven and the Hannaford chain of New England grocery stores.
Digital Piracy Spreading Quickly Among E-Books
Digital piracy, long confined to music and movies, is spreading to books. And as electronic reading devices such as Amazon's Kindle, the Sony Reader, Barnes & Noble's Nook, smartphones and Apple's much-anticipated "tablet" boost demand for e-books, experts say the problem may only get worse.
Facebook Scam Artists Snag FCC Chairman
Facebook scam artists have closed out 2009 by snagging a prominent victim: Julius Genachowski, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. It's not clear how Mr. Genachowski's Facebook account was compromised; perhaps he or a family member clicked on a malicious link, allowing his account to be taken over.
TSA Drops Subpoenas Issued to Internet Writers
The Transportation Security Administration dropped the subpoenas it had issued to two Internet writers in its effort to learn who leaked an airline security directive. The security directive ordered extra measures after a Christmas Day attack on a Detroit-bound airliner.
Cyber Bullies in South Korea Hide Behind Anonymity
In recent years, celebrities, authors and ordinary South Koreans have been subjected to relentless online assaults -- at times with disastrous, or even lethal, effects. Most South Korean cyber bullies are teenagers hiding behind the cloak of Internet anonymity, analysts say, products of a highly regimented culture in which the young are discouraged from speaking their minds with parents, teachers and bosses.
