WWWorld.ru · Темы дня · Разделы дня · Интересы дня · 2012 · Свежие новости

YouTube and Paramount Pictures have reached a deal to make nearly 500 films available to rent online, even while their parent companies continue to feud over a $1 billion lawsuit. The agreement announced Wednesday makes Paramount the fifth major Hollywood studio to join YouTube's online video store, a growing rental library that typically charges $2 to $4 per viewing. 20th Century Fox is now the only major studio holdout. But Paramount seemed less likely to join given that its parent company, Viacom Inc., is still pursuing a 2006 lawsuit that seeks damages for alleged piracy by YouTube, which is owned by Google Inc. A federal judge in New York ruled in 2010 that YouTube hadn't broken U.S. laws governing digital piracy, but Viacom is appealing the decision. The Paramount films will be available on YouTube Rentals and Google Play. Online movies and pay-per-view options have spurred heated competition between Google, Apple Inc.'s iTunes store, Amazon.com Inc.'s Web site and the subscription video service from Netflix Inc. "Paramount Pictures is one of the biggest movies studios on the planet," said Malik Ducard, director of content partnerships at YouTube. "We're thrilled to bring nearly 500 of their films to movie fans in the U.S. and Canada on YouTube and Google Play." The deal brings YouTube's collection to nearly 9,000 titles. For most movies, renters have up to 30 days to begin watching a video but must complete the viewing within 24 hours after starting. Some Paramount films have already been added, while others will be made available in the next few months. Among the films are Martin Scorsese's "Hugo," Michael Bay's "Transformers" and Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather" trilogy. NBC Universal, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., the Walt Disney Co. and many independent studios have made deals to rent their latest releases through YouTube. newsfactor.com »

You can log onto JetBlue Airways' Web site through your smartphone in an average of 4.237 seconds. Log onto United Airlines, and it'll take you 18.284 seconds to load the page. Researchers at Compuware, a company that monitors Web site and application performance, say those 14.047 seconds might as well be hours. More travelers are depending on their mobile phones to book and track their travel, and a slow mobile site with glitches could quickly turn them off. Nearly 60% of Web users say they expect a Web site to load on their mobile device in three seconds or less, according to an Equation Research study commissioned by Compuware. If they have trouble loading a site, nearly half would be unlikely to return to it, and 57% wouldn't recommend it to others. "What organizations are learning is that the performance of mobile devices is critical to their revenue," says Eric Schurr, a senior vice president at Compuware. Although mobile technology is newer than personal computers, people expect more of mobile sites. "They're on the run, they're on the go, they're waiting in line, they have a minute, and they want to get something done," Schurr says. For a third-consecutive year, JetBlue has earned top honors in Compuware's Best of the Web Mobile Leader category. United Airlines was at the bottom. "As technology has advanced, customers have become more accustomed to faster products and richer experiences," says Jonathan Stephen, senior producer of mobile products for JetBlue. "It's the job of every organization to make sure they're leveraging it." Compuware's rankings were based on the Web pages' loading time, their availability and consistency. Consistency measures variations in loading times across geographic regions, computer networks and times of day. Among the findings: Airlines rounding out the top 10 in mobile site performance were Delta Air Lines, AirTran Airways (which is merging with... newsfactor.com »

The Federal Communications Commission is spearheading an effort to crack down on the theft of smartphones and tablets, which account for roughly 40 percent of all theft-related crimes in major metropolitan markets such as New York City and Washington, D.C. Among other things, the new Protects Initiative will establish a national database that will enable wireless carriers and consumers to reduce the black market value of stolen devices by turning them off. Other elements of the new program include providing consumers with the requisite tools for locking a lost or stolen mobile device or remotely erasing personal data. Through the CTIA wireless trade association, major mobile device makers and the major U.S. network operators have agreed to ensure that devices they sell include automatic prompts to make consumers aware that they need to set up passwords. "We're sending a message to consumers that we've got your back, and a message to criminals that we're cracking down on the stolen phone and tablet resale market and making smartphone theft a crime that doesn't pay," said FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski on Tuesday. New Opportunities and Challenges The CTIA said Tuesday that the major U.S. wireless networks using GSM mobile technology have agreed to initiate, implement and deploy database solutions using unique identifying numbers. "U.S. GSM providers will implement this database [by the end of October] so that stolen GSM smartphones will not work on any U.S. GSM network," the CTIA said in a statement. The CTIA's wireless provider members have also agreed to educate consumers about smartphone security features as well as third-party apps for remotely locking or wiping data from a lost or stolen device. Additionally, the trade association's device manufacturer members have agreed to have a software mechanism in place by April, 2013 that will prompt new smartphone purchasers to establish a... newsfactor.com »

Should students and teachers ever be friends on Facebook? School districts across the country, including the nation's largest, are weighing that question as they seek to balance the risks of inappropriate contact with the academic benefits of social networking. At least 40 school districts nationwide have approved social media policies. Schools in New York City and Florida have disciplined teachers for Facebook activity, and Missouri legislators recently acquiesced to teachers' objections to a strict statewide policy. In the New York cases, one teacher friended several female students and wrote comments including "this is sexy" under their photos, investigators said. A substitute teacher sent a message to a student saying that her boyfriend did not "deserve a beautiful girl like you." Such behavior clearly oversteps boundaries, but some teachers say social media -- in particular Facebook -- can be a vital educational resource if used appropriately, especially because it's a primary means of communication for today's youngsters. "Email is becoming a dinosaur," said David Roush, who teaches media communications and television production at a Bronx high school. "Letters home are becoming a dinosaur. The old methods of engaging our students and our parents are starting to die." New York Chancellor Dennis Walcott plans to release social media guidelines this month, saying recently that teachers "don't want to be put in a situation that could either compromise them or be misinterpreted." Roush does not accept students as friends on his personal Facebook page but has created a separate profile to communicate with them -- something that runs afoul of Facebook rules restricting users to a single profile. He used the page to get the word out quickly about a summer internship on a cable-access show, and a student who learned about it from the Facebook post won it. "If I would have emailed him, if I had tried calling... newsfactor.com »

If you think smartphones have virtually reached the end of their evolutionary ladder, get ready. Researchers are working on a chip that would allow cell phones to see through walls, paper and, yes, clothing. The new device, if and when it comes to market, could give any owner one of Superman's signature powers. A team of scientists at the University of Texas at Dallas has presented research at a recent International Solid-States Circuit Conference about new microchip technology that uses terahertz (THz) band wavelengths, which can travel through solid objects, to create images. 'Major Concern' Is Privacy The team is working on building a functioning imaging system. The terahertz band is located between the microwave and infrared wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum, and it can penetrate through objects, not unlike x-rays. Previous devices to read those wavelengths have been large, bulky and relatively expensive. The team envisions using Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor, or CMOS, chips that are designed to receive and image THz waves. Lest you imagine that everyone would then be as revealed as in the Garden of Eden, the researchers have decided to limit the viewing capability to 4 inches. Dr. Kenneth O, director of the Texas Analog Center of Excellence at UT Dallas and the leader of the research team, told news media that "the major concern for this technology is privacy, so we've made it that you need to place the imaging device very close to the object you are looking at." "We are talking about a distance of 10 centimeters," he said, which would make it difficult to look through someone's clothing -- unless he or she wanted you to do so. Useful Applications Such a seeing-through device could have countless useful applications. These can include detecting cancer tumors, diagnosing disease through breath analysis, monitoring air toxicity, detection of counterfeit money, finding studs in... newsfactor.com »

Apple generates more gossip than the British royal family. There's a constantly spinning mill of rumors about Apple products, most of which turn out to be untrue. What's unusual [now] is that talk has revived of a smaller iPad model, an idea company founder Steve Jobs derided publicly a year before he died. Apple and its suppliers aren't commenting. Rumors of a smaller iPad, or "iPad mini" have percolated ever since the first iPad was launched two years ago. This time around, they're fed by media reports from South Korea, China and Taiwan, saying Apple has ordered Samsung screens that are 7.86 inches measured on the diagonal. That would make for a screen about two-thirds the size of the current iPad, which has a diagonal measurement of 9.7 inches. Why It's a Good Idea A smaller tablet would help Apple further its lead in the tablet market. "From a competitive standpoint, we believe an iPad mini with a lower price point would be the competition's worst nightmare, says Shaw Wu, an analyst at Sterne Agee. "Most (competitors) already have a tough enough time competing against the iPad 2, as well as the new iPad." Apple has successfully fended off competitors who have tried to sell tablets in iPad's size range. But last year, Amazon.com Inc. figured out how to crack Apple's stranglehold on tablets by making a half-size, no-frills tablet. The result was the Kindle Fire, which sells for $199 _basically, the cost of production. Amazon has sold millions of them. Apple sells the iPod Touch for $199, but its screen is about a quarter of the size of the Kindle Fire -- a big disadvantage for people who want to enjoy books, movies and games. It also sells the older iPad model for $399. It has nothing in between. Price isn't the only reason customers might... newsfactor.com »

Industry analysts expect Apple will refresh its Mac computers midyear to reinvigorate growth, which may have softened somewhat in the first three months of 2012. Last week, for example, Piper Jaffray noted that Apple's core MacBook and iMac lines, which account for half of Mac sales, have not had a meaningful refresh in over a year. "We believe that [the] MacBook, iMac, and potentially MacBook Air, lines could all be refreshed during the June quarter, which we believe would result in a reacceleration of Mac sales," noted Piper Jaffray analysts Gene Munster and Douglas Clinton in a recent investor note. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo wrote in an investor note cited in media reports Monday that he expected Apple to launch new laptop products that combine the respective advantages of its current MacBook Air and MacBook Pro offerings. Intel's Ultrabook push in partnership with a number of laptop vendors deploying new models based on Ivy Bridge -- Intel's latest generation of processors for ultra-slim designs -- is putting pressure on Apple to introduce even slimmer products. "We note Apple blogs have speculated that MacBooks may be updated with a slimmer body style," Munster and Clinton said. Kuo believes it is possible that Apple will also move to embrace Intel's Ivy Bridge this year. However, the KGI Securities analyst also believes Apple is likely to discontinue its 17-inch MacBook Pro -- the largest notebook offering in the company's product portfolio. Apple's Consumer Edge During 2012's first quarter, the global PC market experienced an anemic 1.9 percent year-over-year growth overall, due to intensified competition for consumers' budgets. "Questions remain on whether low-end systems can attract consumers, as their attention has moved to other devices," said Mika Kitagawa, a principal analyst at Gartner. On the other hand, Kitagawa thinks vendors such as Apple can be clear... newsfactor.com »

The mysterious caller claimed to be from Microsoft and offered step-by-step instructions to repair damage from a software virus. The electric power companies weren't falling for it. The caller, who was never traced or identified, helpfully instructed the companies to enable specific features in their computers that actually would have created a trapdoor in their networks. That vulnerability would have allowed hackers to shut down a plant and thrown thousands of customers into the dark. The power employees hung up on the caller and ignored the advice. The incident from February, documented by one of the government's emergency cyber-response teams, shows the persistent threat of electronic attacks and intrusions that could disrupt the country's most critical industries. The House this week will consider legislation to better defend these and other corporate networks from foreign governments, cybercriminals and terrorist groups. But deep divisions over how best to handle the growing problem mean that solutions are a long way off. Chief among the disputes is the role of the government in protecting the private sector. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business groups oppose requiring cybersecurity standards. Rules imposed by Washington would increase their costs without reducing their risks, they say. Obama administration officials and security experts say companies that operate power plants, communication systems, chemical facilities and more should have to meet performance standards to prove they can withstand attacks or recover quickly from them. The rift echoes the heated debate in Washington over the scope of government and whether new regulations hamper private businesses. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Friday that without standards for critical industries, there will be gaps that U.S. adversaries can exploit. "That system, which is mostly in private hands, needs to all come up to a certain baseline level," she said. The proposed formation of a system that allows U.S. intelligence agencies and the... newsfactor.com »

Hidden in AT&T Inc.'s financial statements is a story that runs counter to its optimistic profit projections: The company is generating less revenue from each new smartphone subscriber. Calculations by The Associated Press, based on AT&T's public statements, indicate that the average monthly bill for its smartphone subscribers has fallen from $88 to $80 in the space of a year. That number should be of great concern to Dallas-based AT&T, because like most big phone companies, it is struggling with a slowdown in new subscribers. Nearly all adults -- and many kids -- in the U.S. already have cellphones. AT&T's executives have been touting smartphones as the solution, since the devices require consumers to pay for data use in addition to voice calls. Smartphone subscribers, therefore, pay more. So moving customers from regular phones to smartphones will keep boosting revenue, AT&T has said. But an analysis of AT&T's own figures indicates that smartphone bills have shrunk by 9 percent over a year, challenging the company's picture of long-term revenue growth. The AP's calculations are based on various figures AT&T makes public -- and a bit of basic algebra. The company doesn't disclose the average smartphone bill, but says it's 90 percent higher than the average non-smartphone bill. AT&T reveals the number of smartphone and non-smartphone subscribers, and the average monthly bill for a contract-based plan, which is $64.46. Together, these numbers allow for an approximate calculation of the average smartphone bill. AT&T did not explicitly confirm the calculations, but its chief financial officer, John Stephens, said that the composition of new smartphone customers is changing. The early smartphone adopters were business people and others willing and able to pay high monthly fees. Now, AT&T and other phone companies are going after people who can't pay as much. "We go after the biggest spenders at the start,... newsfactor.com »

Watching and controlling home surveillance cameras from your smartphone. Remotely setting all the energy devices in your house. These have been the stuff of home automation dreams for years, but now Microsoft, hoping to move things along, is releasing new details on progress made by its HomeOS research project. In a new video and white paper, the technology giant presents the platform, which treats virtually any electronic device in the home as a controllable peripheral. The research paper, An Operating System for the Home, mentions that the platform has been running as a prototype in a dozen homes for four to eight months, and that a variety of applications have been built by students and researchers. 'A Single Logical PC' The idea of a connected home is not a new one, and dozens of companies and labs have discussed, developed, and proposed concepts and solutions in recent years. In 2010, for example, Microsoft released a white paper about HomeOS, along with a HomeStore for apps, drivers and drives. The newly released research paper and video describe the prototypes and applications that have been developed from that concept. Home automation and control has not yet achieved critical mass because of such factors as technical complexity, a huge array of manufacturers for home devices, lack of standards, setup time, and cost. Microsoft's newest research attempts to address all of these issues. Microsoft's proposed solution, as the paper states, is to create a platform where "all devices in the home appear as peripherals connected to a single logical PC," which could be a smartphone or tablet. The company said the HomeOS platform has been under development for more than two years. Microsoft has also had a prototype smart home in operation in Redmond, Wash., the company's headquarters, for some time. The key aspects of the platform are a device-agnostic... newsfactor.com »

On nearly every trip DaWane Wanek takes for work, he finds himself reaching into his pocket to pay for something that he can't -- or won't -- charge his employer. Sometimes it's a generous tip for a particularly good waiter. Other times, it's a cab ride when he could have taken a free shuttle. If the USB key he uses to get on the Internet is too slow, he'll pay for the hotel's faster Wi-Fi and forgo a reimbursement because he considers it double-dipping. "I'm never going to get hung up on $30, $40 or $50," he says. "It adds up, but that's my choice. I'm making the choice for quality of life." The days of martini-guzzling Mad Men on unlimited expense accounts have long gone. For the last few years, companies have been reluctant to even let their employees travel for work. Now, they're unleashing them again, but reining in their expense accounts. Many business travelers say they've gotten used to spending their own money on the road. At times, it's voluntary. If they go over budget, whether by chance or by choice, they take care of it themselves. Other times, the companies refuse to cover all their costs. "Companies are focusing on getting the value out of their trips," says Joe Bates, senior director of research at the Global Business Travel Association, made up of business travel managers and planners. "They want to make sure their travelers are being mindful of the amount they're spending to watch the bottom line. "When I talk to travel managers, they're wringing their hands, saying, 'We try to balance the needs of the traveler -- keeping them healthy and happy and well-fed and content -- and also the needs of the company.'" According to a recent Global Business Travel Association study, the number of business trips taken in 2011... newsfactor.com »

Mobile technology is opening new channels for remotely monitoring family members and others who need to be tracked. Several companies, including medical device manufacturer Boston Scientific, have struck deals with major wireless carriers to support a new generation of products that incorporate sensors, accelerometers, GPS and technologies that use cell towers to help triangulate positions and locate people. ABI Research, a research firm, estimates the market for GPS personal tracking devices will grow 40% or more annually and exceed $1 billion by 2017. Family members use them to track toddlers or parents with Alzheimer's. And doctors and military medics have adopted the technology to remotely track the health conditions -- EKG readings, body temperature, heart rate, and stress or dehydration levels -- of recently released patients or soldiers on dangerous assignments. Wireless carriers, looking for ways to make money beyond transmitting data along their networks for smartphones and tablets, are fueling the boom. "We think this is the single-biggest growth opportunity -- that every device is connected," says Glenn Lurie, head of AT&T's emerging devices team. But for consumers, the tracking services aren't cheap, requiring an upfront cost for devices and a subscription plan, ranging from $10 to $40 a month. Limited emergency medical alert systems have been around for years, relying on the telephone landline. But the new devices are vastly superior in locating people, assessing motion and sending comprehensive data in real time to doctors, parents and other caregivers, companies say. "GPS alone would only work when you're outside and you have a good view of the sky," says Daniel Graff-Radford, vice president of sales for Omnilink, a tracking-device maker. "You need sensors. You need cell towers and the software to locate cell towers and satellites." Some examples: Comfort Zone is a Web-based service for remotely monitoring a person with Alzheimer's. The alert device, which is... newsfactor.com »

Research In Motion on Tuesday rolled out the BlackBerry 10 platform at BlackBerry World in Orlando. Now, RIM is trumpeting success in attracting developers. But is it enough to turn the ailing smartphone maker around? RIM execs are putting on a good show and have been working hard with app developers to make sure the next generation of BlackBerry devices have plenty of content and apps available at launch. RIM just released a developer toolkit in beta for BlackBerry 10 so developers can build and test their apps before new devices roll out later in 2012. Martyn Mallick, vice president of global alliances and business development at RIM, said she hears from partners every day who want to start building apps for BlackBerry 10. RIM trotted out a handful of developers to support that point -- and even ventured into China with an app contest. Massaging Developers "RIM has got it right with the BlackBerry 10 platform. They have really streamlined the app-development process," said Adam Linford, Truphone head of labs and mobile applications. "The platform's support for open-source components flattens the learning curve, enabling us to build a new application quickly and cost-effectively and have it ready to go when the first BlackBerry 10 devices debut." Gameloft is also on board. Ludovic Blondel, vice president of OEM at Gameloft, said the company already has 11 titles, including its popular physics-based puzzle game Shark Dash and more hard-core games such as N.O.V.A. 3: Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance being optimized for the platform. "When evaluating the technical viability of a platform, we consider three areas: camera, sensors, and processing and graphics capabilities," said Jeffrey Powers, Occipital co-founder and CEO, makers of 360 Panorama, a panoramic photo app. "BlackBerry 10 met and often exceeded our expectations for each of these areas." RIM is even working to encourage university... newsfactor.com »

Racing to branch out from traditional personal computers where most of its chips are used, Intel Corp. is making a huge bet on Ultrabooks, a laptop-tablet hybrid that runs exclusively on its microprocessors. Although it doesn't make the devices itself, the Santa Clara Goliath has announced a $300 million fund to invest in Ultrabook technologies and just launched an Ultrabook ad campaign costing an additional "hundreds of millions of dollars," its biggest marketing push since 2003. Some industry observers have high expectations for the gadgets, including research firm IHS, which predicts the machines will grab 40 percent of notebook sales worldwide by 2016. But if Ultrabooks flop, some experts say, it will raise major doubts about Intel's ability to promote its chips for other mobile products, especially smartphones, where it's been locked out of the market. "They have to hit this," said tech analyst Rob Enderle. "If they don't, they are out of mobile--at least out of the mainstream of mobile products. This is probably the biggest risk they've faced since they were formed." Intel isn't the only company with a big stake in its bet. Because Ultrabooks are widely viewed as a notebook form that can compete with tablets, many companies that make notebooks and related personal-computer components hope the hybrid resuscitates their businesses, too. "This is kind of 'do or die' for the PC industry," said Patrick Moorhead of Moor Insights & Strategy. So far, 21 Ultrabook models have been offered by such manufacturers as Hewlett-Packard Co., Dell Inc., Acer Inc., AsusTek Computer Inc., Lenovo Group Ltd., LG Electronics Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. and Toshiba Corp. Lightweight and less than an inch thick, the first ones to hit stores late last year were promoted as quick to start with batteries lasting at least eight hours, data protection features and screens of up to 15... newsfactor.com »

Kodak will close its online photo service on July 2 after a federal bankruptcy judge approved selling the business to Shutterfly for $23.8 million. Shutterfly Inc. emerged last month as the sole bidder for Eastman Kodak Co.'s Kodak Gallery. The judge issued an order approving the sale last week. Kodak, which filed for bankruptcy protection in January, is selling the photo printing, storage and sharing business to generate cash and to narrow its focus. The two companies offer similar services, where basic sharing of photos is free and users pay for prints, photo books, digital copies on DVDs and other products. The services still make money, but demand has declined in recent years as people increasingly share photos online through Facebook and other social networks. In an email to Kodak Gallery users on Monday, Kodak said people who do not want their photos transferred will have to inform Kodak by May 28 by visiting its Web site and choosing to "opt out" of the migration. After July 2, customers won't have access to any photos on Kodak Gallery. Shutterfly will contact users in June with details on the transfer. Users can link a Kodak Gallery account with an existing one on Shutterfly, or have a new one on Shutterfly created automatically. Kodak warned that because the migration "will be a massive undertaking, involving the movement of billions of photos," customers' images may not appear on Shutterfly for months. Photos will appear under a "Kodak" folder in Shutterfly. Kodak said customers must complete orders for prints and other products by July 2, or order from Shutterfly after that. Kodak allows full-resolution downloads of photos for free, but Shutterfly does not. That means users wanting the originals for free must retrieve them before July 2. Users can also buy DVDs with the full-resolution files through either service. newsfactor.com »

The global controversy surrounding the treatment of assembly-line workers who manufacture iPhones and iPads -- and just about every other consumer device -- is triggering an unprecedented effort by Apple Inc. and its chief supplier, Foxconn, to lift the veil of secrecy that normally surrounds their operations in China and highlight how they have improved conditions for those employees. Since a series of reports about troubling conditions at Foxconn plants, including suicides and charges of forced overtime, worker abuse and unsafe conditions, Apple and Foxconn have moved quickly to address the issue, stepping up audits of all Apple suppliers and giving workers pay raises. Now the companies are ready to show off what they've done. Recently, a reporter and photographer for the San Jose Mercury News were invited by Apple and Foxconn to visit a factory campus in Shenzhen, a coastal city in southern China, to spotlight efforts to change the work environment for hundreds of thousands of workers across the manufacturer's vast empire in China. The daylong visit included unhindered access to parts of the nearly 1-square-mile complex, and interviews with five employees chosen by Foxconn who have participated in a college program sponsored by the two companies that offers classes ranging from English to engineering, and awards two-year associate degrees. The journalists, though, were not allowed inside a factory. The sprawling complex known as Foxconn City resembles a college campus as much as it does one of the world's most famous tech factories, where gadgets of all shapes roll off assembly lines that operate around the clock. It is dotted with grocery stores, restaurants and recreation facilities and has its own security guards, who diligently check bags of pedestrians and trunks of vehicles leaving the compound to ensure device prototypes are not removed without permission. Though Foxconn has long denied it exploits... newsfactor.com »

Apple's Macs have been subject to a variety of high-profile security threats in recent months. Now, according to Kaspersky Labs, Apple has asked the security firm for a vulnerability analysis. According to the chief technology officer for Kaspersky, Apple has approached his company to analyze its platform. Nikolay Grebrennikov told reporters about this development and added that, in his opinion, the computer maker had not previously taken security issues "seriously enough." Apple has not confirmed the arrangement. '10 Years Behind Microsoft' As one example, Grebrennikov cited a vulnerability in Java, which was exploited by the Flashback Trojan earlier this year and which infected a reported 600,000 Macs. Apple, he said, released its Java fix several months after Oracle did. In April, shortly after the extent of the widely distributed Flashback Trojan on Macs became known, Kaspersky Lab CEO and co-founder Eugene Kaspersky charged that Apple was "10 years behind Microsoft in security," and he predicted that Apple products would increasingly become a more inviting target for malware. While the comments of Kaspersky executives could well be seen as self-serving, Apple appears to have gotten at least some of this message. In February, developer previews of the new OSX 10.8 Mountain Lion included a new feature called Gatekeeper. This optional setting will enable Mac owners to allow only apps that have a free, signed certificate provided to legitimate developers by Apple. For years, Macs have enjoyed a reputation -- undeserved, according to most experts -- of being virtually impervious to malware. But, as their sales have increased, so has their appeal as a target. Last month, security firm Sophos reported that it had conducted a study which showed that as many as 20 percent of all Macs had some form of malware -- which had actually been designed for Windows machines. In addition, the study, which surveyed 100,000... newsfactor.com »

Verizon Wireless customers are up in arms about an apparent move to end unlimited data plans. Some are even taking to Twitter to express their disgust over a plan to force users who were grandfathered in to the unlimited package for 3G to subscribe to tiered plans when they upgrade to the faster 4G LTE network. CFO Fran Shammo, speaking at the J.P. Morgan Technology, Media and Telecom conference Wednesday, said Verizon would offer tiered family plans allowing shared data usage for 4G LTE this summer, and current unlimited package subscribers with 3G would have to change to one of those plans to get LTE service. Now, in an official statement, Verizon seems to be backpedaling a bit. "As we have stated publicly, Verizon Wireless has been evaluating its data pricing structure for some time," Verizon Wireless spokeswoman Brenda Raney said in a published statement. "Customers have told us that they want to share data, similar to how they share minutes today. We are working on plans to provide customers with that option later this year." Tweeters Still Angry Are Verizon Wireless customers satisfied? No, at least not yet. It seems that bad news travels faster than updates, especially ambiguous ones. Customers are still on Twitter talking about the end to unlimited data packages. "Switch to the network with unlimited data...or not...there's always that," tweeted a user named Garrett. Others, like Liza Sabater, are taking to Twitter to call Verizon Wireless "evil." It seems Verizon will have to work a little harder to undo the ill will its CFO inadvertently created. "We will share specific details of the plans and any related policy changes well in advance of their introduction, so customers will have time to evaluate their choices and make the best decisions for their wireless service," Raney said. "It is our goal and... newsfactor.com »

Samsung, the world's No. 1 mobile-phone maker, appears to have another hit device on its hands even before it goes on store shelves overseas at the end of the month. The Galaxy S III, the latest flagship phone from the South Korean electronics giant, has already racked up 9 million pre-orders, according to a report published in a South Korean business newspaper. The Korea Economic Daily, citing an unnamed Samsung official as its source, said the orders came from a hundred carriers and the company was producing about 5 million Galaxies per month. The phone will launch in Europe on May 29th but isn't expected in the U.S. until June. The price and wireless-carrier partners in the U.S. have not been announced. Timing Is Good Neil Shah, senior analyst for wireless mobile strategy at Strategy Analytics, told us the Android 4.0.4 device's reported pre-order figure is credible because of timing and past numbers. "Considering the iPhone 4S effect is slightly fading since it launched last year and a lot of people are anticipating the iPhone 5, the Galaxy S III numbers could be very healthy," Shah said. "Demand is going to be pretty high, considering the average selling rate for Samsung flagship devices the last two or three quarters have been between 5 million and 6 million per quarter," he said. "The Galaxy S II reached 20 million in February 2011 [after a year], which is an average of 5 million per quarter." The company's unique Galaxy Note, a cross between a tablet and smartphone, reached 5 million units shipped in March after only four months on the market, he noted. "If these two units can sell 6 to 7 million units per quarter and Samsung has a great distribution reach across more than 100 countries and hundreds of operators, 6 to 10 million [for the S... newsfactor.com »

In my five years on Facebook, I've shared a lot of photos, links and other tidbits about my life. I've commented on what my friends share, and I've endorsed plenty of their posts by hitting the "like" button. I've gained Facebook friends over the years, and I've lost some. [I] decided it was a good time to take CEO Mark Zuckerberg up on his offer to give back to me everything I've put up on Facebook. In announcing the Download Your Information feature in 2010, Zuckerberg promised "an easy way to quickly download to your computer everything you've ever posted on Facebook and all your correspondences with friends: your messages, Wall posts, photos, status updates and profile information." It was billed as part of Facebook's effort to give you more control over your data. Why might you want this? Internet services sometimes lose data. A few of my Facebook posts have inexplicably disappeared over the years, so it's reassuring to know that I can download a backup anytime. The feature also allows me to close my Facebook account without giving up all of my memories, should I ever want to. As long as Facebook keeps offering the feature, I can post to my heart's content and rest assured that I always have the option to leave without losing my digital investment. Perhaps one day another social network will overtake Facebook. It would be great if you could populate that with years' worth of photos and musings from Facebook, rather than have to start over. There's no good way of doing so now. I'm surprised rival Google Plus doesn't have a huge "import" button for transferring over your Facebook life. But having that archive is a start, and it'll just take someone to build that transfer capability. I'll also add that a Facebook archive could be useful if a... newsfactor.com »

Brace yourself, parents: You may have to share your monthly wireless data allotment with your Netflix-loving kid. In a bid to sell and connect more devices to their wireless networks -- and generate more money per subscriber -- major carriers are preparing to introduce "data share" plans. In such plans, customers get a fixed bucket of monthly data and share it among family members or among multiple wireless-enabled devices such as tablets, smartphones and security monitors. For example, a plan could have 5 gigabytes for two devices, instead of 3 GB for one. A typical current wireless family plan allows you to share voice minutes, but any data allotment has to be assigned to individual devices. The changes come as wireless companies are trying to improve profit margins even as they invest heavily in the next new generation of fast wireless networks, called 4G LTE. The carriers are tinkering with their data plans to maximize revenue and also to try to bring in new waves of users still using call- and text-only phones. Fran Shammo, CFO of Verizon Communications, which controls Verizon Wireless, told analysts Wednesday that it will introduce a data-share plan and phase out unlimited data plans. "Customers have told us that they want to share data, similar to how they share minutes today," Verizon Wireless said in a statement Thursday, confirming Shammo's comments. "We are working on plans to provide customers with that option later this year." Ralph de la Vega, CEO of AT&T Mobility, has said in recent days it will have a similar plan. Sprint declined to comment. Verizon and AT&T didn't give pricing or details of their data-share plans. But analysts say they'll be structured to make it easier for users to add new devices and to expose more people to the Web or streaming a movie while on the move. "Now, if you... newsfactor.com »

Five top cable-TV providers have banded together to offer Wi-Fi hotspots across the country in a bid to add more value to cable subscriptions amid challenges from a wide range of competitors. By visiting www.cablewifi.com, customers of Brighthouse Networks, Cox Communications, Optimum Online and Xfinity can now find hotspots across the country available with their customer log-in. The CableWiFi network monicker will eventually replace those of the individual cable companies. 'New Era of Opportunity' The coalition members "will allow each other's high-speed Internet customers access to over 50,000 hotspots," the Web site tells visitors. "CableWiFi is the network name created as an extension of the Wi-Fi services offered by the Internet service providers listed here." Wi-Fi searchers can browse the site by specific location (i.e., Grand Central Station), by location type or by city and check for indoor hotspots, outdoor hotspots and partner hotspots. "The way customers are using our service continues to evolve," said Cox Communications COO Jill Campbell in a joint statement issued by all five companies Monday. "This is a new area of opportunity that we need to explore." Rob Marcus, President and COO of Time Warner Cable, added: "We have long been the leading providers of high-speed Internet services in our customers' homes. Through our rollout of Wi-Fi and the benefits of this collaboration we greatly increase the value and reach of our high-speed Internet service, providing access to broadband outside the home and in cities across the country." The new effort expands a 2010 deal between Cablevision, Comcast and Time Warner Cable for sharing Wi-Fi in New York City, Long Island, New Jersey, Philadelphia and Connecticut. "This is critical to stay competitive," said technology consultant Rob Enderle of the Enderle Group. "They have to be able to compete with DSL suppliers who all have cell phone capability as well and allow customers to... newsfactor.com »