City Engineer Convicted for Not Disclosing Passwords

A former San Francisco network engineer was convicted of felony computer tampering after a trial in which prosecutors portrayed him as bent on protecting his "kingdom" -- the city system he created -- by refusing to surrender passwords to his bosses. Terry Childs, 45, of Pittsburg, was found guilty of a felony charge of denying computer access.

Microsoft-HTC Patent Deal Could Signal Android Fight

Will the next big legal battle be Microsoft vs. Google regarding the search engine giant's Android mobile operating system? Microsoft signed a patent agreement with HTC that provides broad coverage under Microsoft's patent portfolio for Android-based HTC phones, but media reports suggest that Microsoft is now publicly asserting that Android infringes on Microsoft intellectual property.

Gizmodo Lawyer Considers Suit Over iPhone Warrant

A lawyer for Gizmodo says the gadget blog could sue the sheriff's office in San Mateo County, Calif., for raiding an editor's home as part of a criminal probe into an errant iPhone prototype. The option of a lawsuit "is available because search is not the appropriate method in this situation," said Thomas R. Burke, a media lawyer and partner in the San Francisco offices of Davis Wright Tremaine.

Senators Express Privacy Concerns to Facebook

U.S. lawmakers told Facebook they were concerned about changes in its privacy policy that would allow personal information to be viewed by more than friends, and options on other websites that would allow third parties to save information about Facebook users and friends. In a letter to Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg dated April 27, Senators Charles Schumer, Michael Bennet, Mark Begich and Al Franken objected to changes that made a user's current city, hometown, likes, interests and friends publicly available, where they were previously only seen by friends.

Conservative Group Wants Apple to Drop Porn Apps

The socially conservative Parents Television Council thinks a wealth of salacious apps are currently available for iPhone users -- things like "My Vibe," which converts the iPhone into a vibrator, and "Love Positions Free," which has drawings of couples having sex. The group has publicly demanded that Apple stop providing porn to children -- and clean up its act.

Fake Antivirus Offerings Rising, Google Reports

A rise in fake antivirus offerings on Web sites around the globe shows that scammers are increasingly turning to social engineering to get malware on computers rather than exploiting holes in software, a Google study indicates. Fake antivirus -- false pop-up warnings designed to scare money out of computer users -- represents 15 percent of all malware that Google detects on Web sites, according to 13-month analysis the company conducted between January 2009 and February 2010.

Senator Urges FTC to Examine Social-Networking Privacy

New York Senator Charles Schumer has come out swinging against new announcements by Facebook that modify how much member data is shared with third-party companies, suggesting that the Federal Trade Commission needs to promptly address the issue of social-network privacy. A press release from Schumer's office announced that he has written to the FTC to ask that the agency "examine the privacy disclosures of social-networking sites to ensure they are not misleading or fail to fully disclose the extent to which they share information... (and) provide guidelines for use of private information and prohibit access without user permission."

Authorities Seize Computers in iPhone Leak Case

Gawker Media said that computers belonging to one of its editors, Jason Chen, were seized from his home as part of an apparent investigation into the sale of a next-generation iPhone. One of Gawker’s blogs, Gizmodo, published articles last week about the future phone after purchasing the device for $5,000 from a person who found it at a bar in California last month.

Apple Sued for Inaccurate iPhone Liquid Indicators

A class action lawsuit against Apple is alleging that the company relies on a faulty technology in its iPhones and iPods to determine whether a device has been exposed to liquid and can be repaired under warranty. Filed in the Northern District of California by Charlene Gallion on April 15, the class action lawsuit claims that the Liquid Submersion Indicators technology that Apple uses is inaccurate, which could lead to false positive results.

Israel Now Allowing Imports of iPads

Israel will begin allowing people to bring Apple iPads into the country, two weeks after customs began confiscating the tablet computers for fear they would interfere with other wireless devices. "Following the completion of intensive technical scrutiny, Israel Minister of Communications Moshe Kakhlon approved the import of (the) iPad to Israel," the Communications Ministry said in a statement.

College Students Addicted to Electronic Media, Study Says

American college students are hooked on cellphones, social media and the Internet and showing symptoms similar to drug and alcohol addictions, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of Maryland who asked 200 students to give up all media for one full day found that after 24 hours many showed signs of withdrawal, craving and anxiety along with an inability to function well without their media and social links.

Chinese Company to Appeal Damages for Microsoft Infringement

A Chinese insurance company said it will appeal a court order to pay damages to Microsoft Corp. for intellectual property infringement, and accused the software giant of acting in a monopolistic manner. A Shanghai court ordered Dazhong Insurance Co. to pay 2.17 million yuan ($318,000) to Microsoft for using unlicensed copies of the U.S. company's software.