John Lister

The rivalry between processor makers Intel and ARM is heating up and that may mean cheaper prices on mobile devices like tablets and smartphones. Historically, both firms have been dominant in very different markets. Most laptop PCs use Intel ... processors that are very powerful but drain a battery in just a few hours. Meanwhile, cellphones and smartphones most commonly run processors based on ARM technology. These processors are less powerful, thereby restricting the range of functions available on the device. However, they also place less pressure on a device's battery. The line between these ... (view more)

Inside sources say HTC has dropped plans to release a massive, 12-inch tablet computer running Windows RT. The decision is reportedly based on a lack of consumer demand for Windows RT-based devices. The unconfirmed reports say HTC is still planning ... to release a 7-inch Windows RT tablet, however. Windows RT is a special version of Windows 8 designed for ARM processors, which are more commonly found in smartphones and tablets than in full-blown PCs. These processors aren't very powerful though they do help to extend a device's battery life. The main difference between Windows 8 and Windows RT ... (view more)

U.S. authorities say a website that allowed users to convert money into virtual currency was a front for money laundering operations. The Liberty Reserve site was shut down amid claims it helped criminals 'clean' more than $6 billion dollars. The ... site, which is based in Costa Rica, billed itself as an easy way to transfer money to people, regardless of their location. Unlike PayPal, Liberty Reserve didn't process direct payments between people. Instead, users could convert their cash into either 'Liberty Reserve Dollars' or 'Liberty Reserve Euros,' which were tied to the value of the real- ... (view more)

Facebook says it will review the way it vets hateful and offensive content. The social networking site will also force people who post offensive material to reveal their identity. The move follows an open letter by dozens of groups aiming to ... challenge sexism and abuse against women. These groups argued that Facebook was wrong to allow organizations to post images that make light of violence against women. According to the letter, Facebook has repeatedly failed to remove such content. The letter insists that this is particularly shocking because the site regularly removes harmless images of ... (view more)

Iranian hackers pose a greater threat to the U.S. than their Chinese counterparts, a new report suggests. The theory is that China is more interested in spying on the United States while Iran wants to harm vital U.S. systems. The claims come in ... anonymous briefings given by U.S. government and security officials. They follow equally startling warnings by the FBI and Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which encourage U.S. businesses to share details of security threats so that experts can look for common patterns. Previously, U.S. security officials had pointed to the Middle East as a ... (view more)

It appears the European Union feels Google's suggestions for settling complaints it engaged in anti-competitive behavior don't go far enough. The search giant had promised to change the way it orders search results, but this wasn't enough for the ... groups that brought up the complaints. The EU recently carried out a lengthy investigation into complaints that Google exploited its dominance of the search market to increase advertising revenue. It's a claim Google denies. Google was accused of deliberately favoring sites it owned when determining search rankings. In the United States, Google was ... (view more)

Google is yet again under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This time the probe, which is still at a very early stage, involves the firm's advertising practices. The investigation hasn't been officially announced, but sources have ... told both Reuters and Bloomberg that it is under way. (Source: reuters.com ) This investigation centers on Google's advertising network. Specifically, the focus is on the way it accepts advertisements and then places ads on websites that sell space. Google offers its index of web content to find the site where the ad is most likely to generate ... (view more)

Twitter plans to introduce an "account verification" feature that the social networking site hopes will help beef up security. The move follows a spate of attacks in which high-profile media accounts have been taken over and used to publish bogus ... news claims. The new system is a form of 'two-factor verification', meaning that merely providing a standard password isn't enough. When a person uses two-factor verification security, a hacker who gains access to a password still won't be able to break into an account. If users enable the new system in their account settings, they'll be able to add ... (view more)

Hackers have reportedly threatened to attack the computer system belonging to Cuba-based Guantanamo Bay prison. That has forced the U.S. military to take the facility's wireless network offline. Reports indicate the hack was designed to show support ... for Guantanamo Bay prisoners. More than half of the prison population is currently taking part in a hunger strike focused on raising awareness about the facility's conditions. Guantanamo Officials Fear Hacking Threat Anonymous, a so-called 'hacktivism' group that uses hacking as a form of political protest, began an online campaign to mark the ... (view more)

After lying low for several months, the Chinese military's hacking division has reportedly resumed attacks on U.S. businesses and government agencies. Earlier this year a US security firm published a report that linked cyber attacks to a ... Shanghai-based residence. Given that the building is known to belong to the Chinese army, it was widely concluded that China's military was directly involved in the operation. Chinese officials denied the claims. However, security experts continued to insist that the Shanghai-based unit was responsible for attacking U.S. government agencies, businesses that ... (view more)