John Lister

Microsoft has joined a group determined to ditch the traditional password as a security measure. The group wants to develop alternatives that are more capable of protecting our favorite devices and most sensitive data. The group is called the FIDO ... (Fast IDentity Online) Alliance, which is based around the idea that passwords, although widely used and easy to understand, are an inherently flawed security measure because they can be guessed or stolen. Although many new authentication measures -- such as fingerprint scans -- have emerged and are more secure from a technical perspective, FIDO ... (view more)

Microsoft has withdrawn a deadline that would have blocked retailers from selling new Windows 7 computers. But it's sticking to another key deadline: that ending support for the Windows XP operating system (OS). Last week Microsoft posted a note on ... its website saying that computer manufacturers would no longer be able to ship computers running Windows 7 after October 2014. The statement is consistent with previous release schedules for Windows. In the past, retail copies of earlier editions of the OS (like Vista) were sold for one year after a new system was released. Meanwhile, OEMs (or ... (view more)

Dell has announced plans to launch its first 'Chromebook', a laptop using Google's Chrome operating system (OS). Dell's Chromebook will offer unique online storage features, including access to Wyse PocketCloud. Chromebooks are budget-priced laptops ... designed for people who mainly use their computers for working and surfing online. The devices run an OS that's effectively an enhanced version of the Chrome Internet browser. Because most of the actual processing work is done on Google computers, the hardware requirements of the Chromebook, and in turn its price, are much lower. Not having a full ... (view more)

Several major technology firms have reached a deal that could make it easier for people to connect ordinary household gadgets to the Internet. That could make life easier for consumers, but it also raises concerns about security. For many years tech ... experts have talked about "the Internet of things," or the idea that it's limiting to think of the web as simply a bunch of computers connected to one another. Instead, we now have numerous devices that can use an Internet connection: from televisions that can access on-demand services such as Netflix, to heating systems that can check weather ... (view more)

Microsoft says it has significantly disrupted, though perhaps not destroyed, a major network of infected computers (also known as a 'botnet'). It's estimated those behind the scheme have generated $2.7 million a month in revenue. The ZeroAccess ... botnet is thought to involve more than two million computers infected with a kind of malware that allows cybercriminals to remotely control these systems. Rather than try to steal personal data from the computers, the operators used this control to run a major advertising scam. In effect, the operators set up websites to sell pay-per-click advertising ... (view more)

A Russian company is selling a smartphone that features both front- and rear-facing screens. The manufacturer, Yota, says the layout is no gimmick and will help increase the device's battery life. The company first unveiled the 'YotaPhone', which ... runs the Android operating system, last year. Although some analysts questioned whether it would ever see the light of day, Yota says the phone is already available to customers in Austria, France, Germany, Spain, and Russia. It plans to expand sales to another 20 countries next year. The front of the phone features a traditional LCD color screen, ... (view more)

An online posting has exposed more than two million passwords, most of which were stolen from Google and Facebook users. The theft appears to have been made using a malicious keylogger program. The posting, which was made in Russian, was discovered ... by security firm Trustwave Spider Labs. It informed the sites that issued the passwords before publicizing the discovery. It's not yet clear how many of the passwords were still in use when the list was first published, or how many are still in use today. Just over 1.5 million of the details listed on the site were for website logins. The rest were ... (view more)

A leaked document shows the National Security Agency (NSA) is trying to use adult websites to discredit people suspected of participating in terrorism campaigns targeting Americans. However, critics suggest it's a flawed approach that could hurt ... innocent civilians. The document was leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. It refers to agents gathering together evidence on "radicalizers" whose "private and public behaviors are not consistent". In other words, in private these radicalizers do things they would not want other people to know about. The suggestion is that releasing this ... (view more)

A fitness trainer says she was banned from Facebook after criticizing a plus-sized lingerie firm's marketing campaign. The news has reawakened the debate about Facebook's attempt to regulate what it deems offensive content. Maria Kang is no stranger ... to controversy. In October she published a photograph of herself in a sports-style bikini, showing off a lean and toned body. The picture also showed her three young children, the oldest of whom is just three. Kang captioned the picture with the line "What's your excuse?" It was meant to be a dig at mothers who aren't in such athletic shape. ... (view more)

The United States government has agreed to pay $50 million in compensation after effectively committing large-scale piracy. The problem? The US Army installed software on 9,000 military computers without a proper license. The software, which was ... produced by Texas-based firm Apptricity, was used to track the movement of troops and supplies in real time. The system allows staff to get a complete picture of everything they are tracking on a single screen, yet have the ability to drill down to fine detail -- such as finding which particular compartment in a vehicle or plane a specific item is ... (view more)