John Lister

Security researchers have demonstrated how both Windows Mobile and iPhone handsets can be hacked simply be sending a text message. It's also emerged that a flaw in the way secure websites worked could cause problems for Firefox users. The news comes ... from the annual Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas, where it's joked that "black hat" hackers find these issues for criminal reasons, while "white hat" hackers are merely trying to improve security. However, it's generally understood that those who speak at the conference do so to highlight problems rather than exploit them. SMS from a SOB ... (view more)

Apple is trying to make it more attractive for iTunes shoppers to buy full albums rather than just single tracks. The plan involves giving customers additional electronic material to simulate the experience of owning a physical product, like a CD. ... Codenamed 'Cocktail,' Apple's scheme reportedly has the support of all four major record labels. It would mean album buyers not only received electronic copies of album covers, liner notes, lyrics lists and other printed material, but that there'd be some degree of interactivity -- for example, by having the track listing act as a menu. (Source: ... (view more)

Microsoft and the European Union have agreed to a compromise to their ongoing disagreement over the default use of Internet Explorer in Windows. Buyers of Windows 7 on the continent will be offered a choice of browsers at start-up, though the ... changes may not be made in time for the system's release. The European Union has not officially made any final decision on whether Microsoft has breached any competition rules by including Internet Explorer -- and only Internet Explorer -- in Windows. That verdict does seem extremely likely and the only real question at this stage is what punishment ... (view more)

Adobe has vowed to fix a critical security hole in its Flash software within a week. But the Department of Homeland Security (DoHS) has taken the extremely unusual step of advising users to switch off the feature until the patch is available. The ... hole can be used for so-called 'drive by' attacks occurring when a user simply visits an infected website. However, the relevant code is also shared with Adobe's Acrobat software, meaning it can cause security problems through PDF documents which have Flash embedded in them for greater interactivity. That technique had already been criticized as a ... (view more)

A senior Microsoft figure recently made the statement that the success of Windows 7 could lead critics to change their minds about 'ol Vista. But a major newspaper is predicting Vista's unpopularity means the upgrade process to Windows 7 will be ... "frustrating, tedious and labor-intensive" for many. Steve Guggenheimer is Microsoft's vice president in charge of OEM, meaning he oversees the way the company's products are pre-installed by computer manufacturers. In an interview with ChannelWeb, he argued that once Windows 7 is released in October, people will realize that Vista had its strong ... (view more)

The agency in charge of U.S. road safety kept secret hundreds of pages of data about the dangers of using cellphones while driving. The former head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says he feared publishing the details could ... jeopardize Congressional funding. Dr. Jeffrey Runge says the data was so compelling that he wanted to write to all of the country's state governors and warn them of the dangers. He also wanted to publish the data, including a July 2003 memo concluding with the advice that "drivers not use wireless communication devices, including text messaging ... (view more)

A Texas company is suing at least 20 major consumer goods firms for allegedly violating a touchpad technology patent. The case has been filed in Texas' Eastern District Court, which has become notorious for patent lawsuits. Tsera LLC was granted a ... patent in 2003 (following a 1999 application) for a system by which a "touchpad is mounted on the housing of the device, and a user enters commands by tracing patterns with his finger on a surface of the touchpad. No immediate visual feedback is provided as a command pattern is traced, and the user does not need to view the device to enter ... (view more)

Some senior Microsoft search bosses have reportedly flown to California for face-to-face talks with Yahoo management over a search merge. The two sides are said to be at their closest point to a deal to date. According to a report by the All Things ... Digital site, the two sides are being even more secretive than usual. However, it quotes a source as saying "It is down to the short strokes, for sure; it is just a question if we can finally close this." (Source: allthingsd.com ) Naturally, the finer points of any potential deal are under wraps at the moment. However, some general principles have ... (view more)

A senior Microsoft executive says it will build some of its forthcoming retail stores near those of rival Apple. He also says Apple complained about the recent "Laptop Hunters" campaign, which he feels validates the ads' success. Microsoft announced ... plans to open retail stores back in February, hiring former Wal-Mart executive David Porter to oversee the project. At the time it appeared the firm wanted to take advantage of cheap retail unit rentals thanks to the recession. However, Microsoft's decision to build these stores, and to build them near rival Apple's outlets, might be ... (view more)

Apple has formally applied to launch the iPhone in China. The move, earlier than expected, appears to have been made possible once the firm agreed to drop WiFi capability. There are both political and technical reasons for WiFi issues in China. ... Until April this year, the government refused to allow any WiFi handsets. Officially that was because of fears users would add Internet phone services such as Skype and use those to make calls, to the detriment of China's phone companies. Unofficially it was thought the government believed WiFi would make it harder to monitor communications. Censorship ... (view more)