Latest News | Breaking News | Hot Current news /Hot waves

The Chinese managed to hack Google accounts of human activists and many businesses as they took advantage of vulnerabilities in Microsoft's Interne
t Explorer (IE) browser which were previously unknown, according to reports.

Google has threatened to close its operations and offices in China after hacking and "phishing" attempts to break into gmail accounts of US, China and Europe based Chinese human rights activists.

The company, which agreed to censor of Google.cn at its launch in 2006, has also said it is "no longer willing to continue censoring our results on Google.cn."

Reports quoted security researcher McAfee Inc. as saying that IE is vulnerable on all of Microsoft's operating systems, including Windows 7.

What is now termed as 'operation Aurora', is being perceived as a quite sophisticated attack. the report added that 'phishers' fooled users into clicking on a link to a website. This website then secretly downloaded malicious software onto their computers. The spyware allowed the hackers to take remote control of the computers.

Microsoft has already admitted in its blog that IE browser might be used by hackers to remotely spy on infected computers. It is likely to unveil a software update for the browser. "We need to take all cyber attacks, not just this one, seriously," Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer told CNBC. "We have a whole team of people that responds in very real time to any report that it may have something to do with our software, which we don't know yet," he said.

Google has said that "these accounts have not been accessed through any security breach at Google, but most likely via phishing scams or malware placed on the users' computers."
source-infotech.indiatimes.com

This year's International Consumer Electronics Show, which opens in Las Vegas, Nev., Thursday, is shaping up to be less of what's brand new in the industry and more about new twists on technology still struggling for the limelight.

Evolutionary technology to be highlighted includes an emerging class of mobile devices called smartbooks, tablet PCs, and 3D television, each of which is expected to be in sharp focus at CES. While the product categories are not exactly new, vendors are still trying to win the hearts and wallets of consumers.

Bay Area Internet Solutions Get the latest dope on Microsoft's updated Windows Mobile 6.1 -- the fast growing operating system for mobile devices. Yahoo aims at mobile developers with an open developer platform called Yahoo Go.
Bay Area Internet Solutions
Smartbooks and tablets are mobile computing devices that have been around for awhile, but have yet to excite mainstream consumers. With the latest wave of devices, vendors are targeting teenagers and young adults, who may consider an inexpensive device with a larger screen than a smartphone for quick access to social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, and to Web browsing. The new products are also marketed as entertainment devices that can play back Web video and downloaded movies, as well as be used to buy and play digital music.

Among the vendors showing off a tablet PC is Freescale Semiconductor, which released this week a reference design for a model with a seven-inch touchscreen, optional keyboard, and support for Wi-Fi and 3G mobile broadband. The device would have a starting price of about $200.

While Microsoft will be at CES to talk about Windows 7, the company is also expected to discuss its Courier tablet. HP, Lenovo, and an Indian startup called Notion Ink are also expected to introduce tablet PCs at CES.

On the smartbook side, Lenovo has already grabbed some pre-show attention with the introduction of the Skylight. Scheduled to be available in April, the clamshell device weighs less than two pounds and has a custom interface for quick access to online services. The device has a starting price of $499.

But the company that has probably done the most to re-energize interest in devices that fall between a smartphone and mini-laptop won't be at CES. That company is Apple.
SOURCE-http://www.informationweek.com

NEW DELHI: Mozilla, the world’s second-largest Internet browser firm, is all set to release its Firefox web browser Fennec for mobile phones next
year, in order to compete with existing rivals including Opera Mini, Safari, Chrome, Nokia, Netfront and Internet Explorer for mobile. The war for browser market share is set to be shifted to the mobile market, experts say.

Globally, on the mobile front, Opera commands the largest market share—about 26%, followed by Safari (22%), Nokia web browser (19%) and iTouch (10%). Other web browsers which may face competition from Fennec will be Netfront, Android, Blackberry and Sony PSP.

However, on desktops Mozilla’s Firefox browser commands a global market share of about 25%. Internet Explorer, commands a majority share of almost 63% while Safari has a market share of about 5%. In India, however, Opera is the clear leader on the mobile with a market share of 63%, followed by Nokia at 26%.

The statistics may change next year as Firefox launches Fennec. On the desktop side Firefox has already captured a market share of 30% in India after Microsoft’s Internet explorer which has a market share of 50%.

Indian market is also quick to adopt new technologies. It’s evident from the fact that relatively new Chrome already has a share of about 11% in India, compared to 5%, globally.

Firefox mobile is expected to be available for most open environments like Android, Nokia’s Maemo, Symbian and Microsoft’s Windows Mobile. Apple’s Safari for iPhones will however be in safe territory as Fennec may not be available on iPhone.

Fennec is expected to include touchscreen support, pop-up blockers with a tabbrowsing interface. Mozilla’s Fennec may also be available for desktops based on Windows and Linux, but the prime focus of it will be the mobile phone, for which it will be optimised.

The earlier browser wars were fought from 1995 onwards when Internet Explorer made Netscape vanish from the marketplace by its sheer dominance in operating systems. The years following 2000 saw erosion of IE’s market share by Google, Opera and Firefox and extinction of Netscape Navigator.

Microsoft has still got the largest market share on desktops. But mobile phones being a generally non monopolistic environment may see more upheaval.


source-http://economictimes.indiatimes.com