John Lister

A battle between an anti-spam company and a web hosting firm may have caused major Internet service disruptions for many Internet users. However, such claims haven't been verified. The issue involves a dispute between two European companies. The ... first is Spamhaus, which creates and shares lists of web servers known to be used for sending out spam. Companies can use these lists to block unwanted messages. The other firm is Cyberbunker, a controversial web hosting company based in the Netherlands. It's known for viciously defending the rights of its customers, saying it will only block ... (view more)

A new study shows that it's possible to use mobile phone location data to find an individual. Researchers say that, in most cases, getting four confirmed locations for a person is enough to identify their handset. The study's findings appear in the ... latest edition of Scientific Reports. According to the researchers, most users understand and accept that mobile phone service providers track their locations. Customers are usually 'OK' with this because the data is kept confidential and only provided to law enforcement authorities after a warrant has been issued. (Source: nature.com ) Anonymous ... (view more)

Members of Congress have published proposals that could result in longer prison sentences for hackers. The move has shocked some commentators who say existing laws are already too draconian. The House Judiciary committee is looking to expand the ... Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), an anti-hacking bill dating back to 1984. Under the new proposals, damaging a computer after accessing it without authorization would carry a maximum 10-year prison term, double the current punishment. "Trafficking" passwords would also carry a 10-year penalty. Hacking and damaging a "critical infrastructure ... (view more)

Chances are you've never told your Facebook friends which brand of toilet cleaner you use. But if you buy a bottle at the grocery store, you might see an ad for it the next time you log in to Facebook. The social networking company has announced ... deals with four companies to supply data to make Facebook advertisements more relevant. This means that, for the first time ever, the ads you see on the site won't be based on your activity on the social networking site. The four companies collect data in a variety of ways. Two maintain a database of purchasing activities in retail stores. Another ... (view more)

In one of the most spectacular research projects ever carried out online, an anonymous security researcher has scanned the entire Internet for security holes. They found that millions of devices have no password protection whatsoever. The project ... was simple in concept: the researcher tried to contact and then access devices by trying every possible IP (Internet Protocol) address using IPv4, a system by which every device connected to the Internet uses 12 digits as identification. This means that IPv4 allows for a maximum of around 4.2 billion IP addresses. The researcher tried to contact ... (view more)

The Bluetooth technology behind smartphones and other mobile devices has been adapted for medical purposes. Swiss scientists have developed a blood-testing gadget that is implanted under the patient's skin and can wirelessly communicate vital health ... information. The matchstick-shaped gadget is just under half an inch long and can be injected into the skin through a needle. It then lies in the interstitial tissue, which is just below the skin. Once in place, the implant can test for the presence and levels of five different substances in the blood, including proteins, organic acids, glucose, ... (view more)

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has agreed to pay Amazon $600 million over the next ten years. However, the CIA isn't purchasing books or DVDs -- instead, it's buying access to Amazon's massive, private data system. The deal is with Amazon's ... Web Services department, which already offers cloud computing to individuals and businesses. Cloud computing doesn't simply mean offering online storage, but also online data processing. The Amazon cloud service works on a pay-as-you-go basis. This makes it ideal for organizations that need data processed intermittently rather than all the time. ... (view more)

A man who illegally accessed personal data stored on Apple iPads has been sentenced to a 41-month prison term. However, defenders of Andrew Auernheimer believe the sentence is unduly harsh and question whether his actions should even be considered a ... crime. Auernheimer was among a group of computer enthusiasts who discovered a flaw in AT ... (view more)

China has launched an attack on the way Apple treats consumers through a government-controlled television station. The criticism appears to have sparked a coordinated social media campaign designed to embarrass the tech giant. Apple was among the ... companies featured on this year's installment of the "Ides of March," an annual broadcast marking World Consumer Rights Day on China Central Television Station (CCTS). CCTS is watched by hundreds of millions of Chinese citizens. Each year it examines shady practices by major businesses operating in the country. Volkswagen, which is expected ... (view more)

Reports indicate that Microsoft has sold just 1.5 million Surface tablet computers since the device launched late last year. Surprisingly, it appears consumers prefer the newer and more expensive Surface Pro to the cheaper Surface RT. The Bloomberg ... financial news agency says three separate sources have provided it with Surface sales figures. Though not confirmed by Bloomberg, it appears these sources may be Microsoft staff. The sources claim the company has sold just 1.5 million Surface tablets so far, including 1.1 million Surface RTs and 400,000 Surface Pros. (Source: bloomberg.com ) It's ... (view more)