The Entertainment Software Rating Board and CTIA have unveiled a new ratings system for mobile software applications intended to help parents monitor activity as the number of children with smartphones and access to wireless content increases. The ESRB has had a similar system in place for video games since 1994, and it said it aims [...]
Researchers at Columbia University have demonstrated that a remote firmware update command in some HP LaserJet printers can be hijacked, according to a report from MSNBC. In one case, a hacked printer was reportedly given commands that might cause it to get hot enough to scorch paper loaded in it. The researchers rewrote a test [...]
A little Wine with your Linux computing session can keep you using your favorite Microsoft Windows programs. What is Wine? Wine is a compatibility layer that’s sometimes referred to as an emulator, though it’s not “that kind” of emulator, according to the project’s wiki. Wine doesn’t do any CPU emulation, hence the acronym “Wine Is [...]
An Apple iPhone 4 began emitting smoke and appeared to spontaneously combust on a recent Regional Express flight to Sydney, Australia. The phone was emitting a significant amount of dense smoke, accompanied by a red glow, according to Regional Express. Standard safety procedures were followed and no one on board was injured. The phone was [...]
Research In Motion on Tuesday announced a mobile device management solution that will include iOS and Android devices. BlackBerry Mobile Fusion will consist of BlackBerry Enterprise Server version 5.0.3, new management capabilities for BlackBerry Playbook tablets, and MDM capabilities for iOS and Android mobile devices. However, Mobile Fusion won’t extend BlackBerry Balance, a feature that [...]
The next generation of Microsoft’s Kinect input device may be able to read users’ lips and emotions. The forthcoming device, which is expected to come bundled with Xbox consoles, reportedly will not just sense motions the way the current Kinect generation does, but will also allow games to read lips, recognize which way players are [...]
The holiday shopping season is in full swing, even for malicious hackers. Cybercriminals are lining up to lay hands on a new exploit that takes advantage of a recently patched critical security flaw in Java, security researcher Brian Krebs warned recently. On the other side of the security line, Twitter is buying up Android security [...]
In a rare showing of bipartisanship, members of Congress and the White House are trying to breathe new life into the effort to enact national cybersecurity legislation. In a recent flurry of activity, mainly between the Obama administration and the Senate, the issue got back on the legislative track. In addition to putting the legislation [...]
As a happy iPad owner, I’ve been messing around with a Kindle Fire, and for the most part, I like what I’m experiencing. The Kindle Fire is a solid tablet with a generally pleasing interface. While it doesn’t compare to an iPad in a real direct way — apples to apples, oranges to oranges — [...]
The European Union may begin an overhaul of its 1995 Data Protection Directive next year to provide one single unified body of legislation on this issue. EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding will propose the reform in January, according to spokesperson Matthew Newman. The legislation will be tabled at the end of January with the European [...]