u.s

The U.S. and China both say they want to directly discuss the issue of cybersecurity, but the odds of an open discussion are slim at best.

The Chinese government today responded to a U.S. invitation to enter into a dialogue with the U.S. over acceptable behavior in cyberspace, Reuters reported.

At a daily news briefing, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chuying said that "China is willing, on the basis of the principles of mutual respect and mutual trust, to have constructive dialogue and cooperation on this issue with the international community including the United States to maintain … Read more

U.S. Cellular subscribers can now add Samsung's 4G Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet to their shopping lists.

As of today, the 4G Note 10.1 is available at U.S. Cellular retail outlets and the carrier's online store. The tablet sells for $499.99 when paired with a plan offering 2GB or more of data per month.

The Note is the latest Samsung 4G device to join U.S. Cellular's lineup. The carrier already sells the Galaxy S3, the Galaxy Note 2, and the Galaxy Tab 10.1.

Outfitted with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the … Read more

U.S. Cellular is about to kick off a phone that can reportedly resist water, dust, shock, and vibrations.

Set to sell online this Wednesday and in stores on Thursday, the Kyocera DuraPro is designed for people who need a feature phone that can handle rugged conditions. The phone can survive in around three feet of water for up to 30 minutes, according to U.S. Cellular and Kyocera.

It also meets Military Standard 810G, which guarantees that it can withstand extreme temperatures, heavy rain, low pressure, salt, fog, humidity, and even solar radiation. The phone itself is protected by … Read more

China is surpassing the U.S. as the world's largest market for active smart devices, according to new data released today.

A year after becoming the fastest-growing market for smart devices, China is expected to account for 246 million active Android and iOS smartphones and tablets at the end of February, compared with 230 million in the U.S., according to mobile analytics firm Flurry. That will reverse January's rankings, in which the U.S. held the top spot with 222 million smart devices compared with China's 221 million.

Flurry, which based its conclusions on the tracking … Read more

U.S. Cellular may not be the nation's largest carrier, but that won't stop it from extending its 4G network.

The regional provider announced this morning that by the end of 2013, it will take its 4G LTE network to cities in three new states -- California, Nebraska, and Kansas -- and will also add new markets in some states where it already has a presence.

If you live in the following states, keep an eye out for a switch from 3G to 4G service in the coming year: Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, … Read more

Learning a lesson from the Stuxnet attack, Iran has beefed up its cyber forces and poses a greater threat to the United States.

At least, that was the word of warning from U.S. Air Force General William Shelton yesterday, according to Reuters. Speaking with reporters, Shelton said that the Iranian government has increased its cyber efforts since and as a result of being hit by Stuxnet.

In 2010, the infamous computer worm was unleashed in Iran and other countries. Designed to seize control of power grids and other industrial control systems, Stuxnet infected computers at Iran's Natanz nuclear … Read more

It was one year ago today that an unprecedented outcry against the Stop Online Piracy Act proved to Washington officialdom that sufficiently irritated Internet users are a potent political force. After Wikipedia, Google, Craigslist and other major sites asked their users to contact their representatives, the deluge of traffic knocked some Senate Web sites offline, and votes on both bills were indefinitely postponed.

The massive public outcry that, by some counts, involved more than 10 million Internet users concerned about the proposals' impact on free expression has turned the protests into a cautionary tale on Capitol Hill. Aides now worry … Read more

A politically ambitious Justice Department official who oversaw the criminal case against Aaron Swartz has come under fire for alleged prosecutorial abuses that led the 26-year-old online activist to take his own life.

Carmen Ortiz, 57, the U.S. attorney for Massachusetts who was selected by President Obama, compared the online activist -- accused of downloading a large number of academic papers -- to a common criminal in a 2011 press release. "Stealing is stealing whether you use a computer command or a crowbar," Ortiz said at the time. Last fall, her office slapped Swartz with 10 additional … Read more

Entrapment is one of MegaUpload's claims in its legal battle against the U.S. government. The feds are now saying this claim is "baseless."

"Megaupload's allegations are baseless, as even a cursory review of Megaupload's pleading and the search warrant materials at issue disproves the allegation that the government misled the court as part of a conspiracy to entrap Megaupload," the government wrote in a Friday filing (PDF).

MegaUpload, which was founded by Kim DotCom, is the highest-profile service to be accused of criminal copyright violations by the U.S. government -- and … Read more