Digital Media

U.S. warns of security holes in Chinese SCADA apps

Software made by a Chinese company and used around the world by chemical, defense, and energy companies contains security holes that attackers could exploit to hack into critical systems.

In an advisory issued yesterday (PDF), the Department of Homeland Defense warned of two vulnerabilities in software made by Beijing-based Sunway ForceControl (Google Translate English version). The Chinese company makes SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) software, which is used in computer systems that control and monitor manufacturing plants and equipment used by different industries.

Discovered by security researcher Dillon Beresford of NSS Labs, the security holes could allow cybercriminals to

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Nielsen: Smartphone data usage soars 89 percent

Overall, the amount of data used each month rose to 435 megabytes in the first quarter of 2011, compared with 230MB during the same period last year. And those who've grabbed the largest amount of data in the past are grabbing even more now.

Monthly data usage among the top 10 percent of smartphone data users climbed 109 percent over the past year. Data usage among the top 1 percent rocketed 155 percent to 4.6 gigabytes per month from 1.8GB a year ago, according to Nielsen.

The surge in data use is coming mostly from Android and more

Microsoft declares a victory against autorun malware

Microsoft appears to be winning a major battle against autorun malware.

A blog post this week by Microsoft's Malware Protection Center said the company discovered 1.3 million fewer infections on Windows Vista and XP caused by autorun malware from mid-February to mid-May, compared with the three months prior.

A persistent security threat for the past several years, autorun malware typically spreads through flash drives, memory cards, and other external devices courtesy of Microsoft's autorun feature, which automatically executes a command when the device is plugged in.

Autorun has been a trigger for some of the "top families" more

Sony uses Rube Goldberg Machine to tease tablets

Sony is using over-engineered delight to promote its upcoming S1 and S2 tablets.

In a two-minute video, Sony takes viewers on a playful ride through a Rube Goldberg Machine. Though the focus of the video isn't apparent at first, toward the end of the clip, the company's S1 and S2 tablets are shown. The video ends with the line: "To be continued."

According to a description of the clip on YouTube, the video is the first of five in a series showcasing the company's tablets. Sony did not say when future videos will air.

Sony announced its more

Senate group backs prison time for illegal streaming

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill yesterday that would make it a felony to stream copyrighted content that was illegally obtained.

The bill, known as the Commercial Felony Streaming Act, addresses what some lawmakers are calling a loophole in current copyright-infringement laws. It is currently a felony to download or upload copyrighted content, but streaming is not expressly prohibited.

If the bill is eventually passed by lawmakers, streaming illegally obtained content for commercial purposes could lead to five years in prison. According to the bill, a person would be charged when the "offense consists of 10 or more

Oracle seeks billions from Google in Java suit

Oracle is seeking billions of dollars in damages from Google in a lawsuit that accuses the search giant of infringing on patents related to Java.

In the lawsuit filed last August, Oracle claims that Google is infringing on Java copyrights and patents through its use of code related to the programming language in Android. Oracle acquired Java when it officially purchased Sun Microsystems in early 2010.

The amount of damages sought by Oracle was publicly revealed for the first time in a court filing yesterday. Google calls the damages report "unreliable and results-oriented," according to Reuters, and asserts that the

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Apple, Google music clouds can't snub publishers

NEW YORK--Those in digital music should take notice of the olive branches being extended by David Israelite, the president and CEO of the National Music Publishers Association.

Israelite advised NMPA members Tuesday in Manhattan during the trade group's annual conference that it was in their best interest to help legal music sites thrive, Billboard reported. To do this, Israelite wants to streamline the process of licensing rights, a time-consuming task for Internet services that has frustrated managers from SpiralFrog to Apple to Google. Still, Israelite's comments about bridge building with the tech community could surprise some there.

For

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Facebook readying launch of iPad app?

Facebook may finally be ready to give iPad users their own app--more than a year after the device went on sale.

The social-networking giant plans to introduce a free app in the coming weeks that is designed and tailored especially for the tablet computer's touch-screen interface, according to a New York Times report that cited people who have been briefed on Facebook's plans. The app, which has been in development for more than a year, is in the final stages of testing, these sources told the Times.

The Facebook Chat and Groups features have been overhauled, and the more

Former FCC Chairman Powell now talks cable

CHICAGO--Michael Powell left the communications sector six years ago when he finished his term as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. Now he's back.

In March, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association hired him as president and CEO to advocate on behalf of the cable industry.

Powell, who served as the FCC chairman from 2001 to 2005, helped bring FCC regulation into the broadband age. Under his leadership, the FCC began dealing with communications move from voice to data services. And he helped push for more powerful digital applications and away from antiquated analog ones. Powell also pushed the FCC more