data

Researcher says 100,000 passwords exposed on IEEE site

A computer scientist says he discovered that a server of the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) had about 100,000 usernames and passwords stored in plaintext and publicly accessible.

Radu Dragusin, a computer scientist who works at FindZebra and is a teaching assistant at the University of Copenhagen, writes in a blog post that he discovered the problem last week and notified the IEEE about his findings, enabling them to "at least partially" fix the problem.

The data was publicly available on the IEEE FTP (File Transfer Protocol) server for at least a month, potentially exposing … Read more

NYT story on data center waste scares some, frustrates others

The New York Times today kicked of an investigative series on how the cloud's physical structures are affecting the environment with a first installment that offers some scary stats about energy waste. But some say the story unfairly depicts an Internet industry that has been making major strides in this area.

Taking into account a year's worth of reporting and research, the Times' James Glanz concludes that most data centers are wasting huge amounts of energy, which, puts the information industry "at odds with its image of sleek efficiency and environmental friendliness."

"Online companies typically … Read more

Data speeds: iPhone 5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S3 vs. iPhone 4S

Though its thinner profile and longer screen are two of the iPhone 5's top draws, I'm more interested in what's inside Apple's newest handset. Yes, after a long wait, the iPhone 5 finally adds support for 4G LTE data networks. Of course, I have to point out that a galaxy of Android phones (get it!) have long offered the feature, but that doesn't mean I'm not grateful that at long last the iPhone has caught up.

Editors' note: This article was originally posted September 22, 2012. We will continue to update it as we … Read more

Apple said to be planning massive Hong Kong data center

A rumor this morning has Apple putting the finishing touches on what is described as an enormous data center in Hong Kong.

The deets, according to 9to5Mac, involve a site on the Hong Kong side of the Shenzhen China border.

We spoke to a bidding contractor employee who, on the condition of anonymity, told us the planned data center's scale is unprecedented for his business: "There is simply nothing to compare it to and therefore it is hard to make estimates on size based on the materials required." We were told that construction is to begin in … Read more

iPhone 5 may need third antenna for simultaneous voice-data

The ghost of Apple's iPhone 4 "antennagate" looks to be haunting the iPhone 5.

The reason simultaneous voice and data capability on 4G LTE isn't possible on Sprint and Verizon simply seems to be the new device's hardware.

CNET reported earlier today that the iPhone 5 models for both Verizon and Sprint don't support data-use and voice simultaneously while on 4G LTE networks -- meaning that if users make a voice call, they'll also need to be on Wi-Fi to pull data inside their apps, including the Safari Web browser. AT&T … Read more

Verizon, Sprint: iPhone 5 can't do voice plus data on 4G LTE

It appears that AT&T will still have an edge on rival carriers when it comes to one key iPhone 5 feature.

The models for both Verizon and Sprint won't let you do other data-hungry tasks while making a phone call on 4G LTE networks. When you're making a voice call on either of the two networks, you'll need to be on Wi-Fi if you want to pull data inside apps, including the Safari Web browser.

"The iPhone 5 was designed to allow customers to place a voice call on the Verizon Wireless network, while … Read more

How to prevent phone and tablet theft

If you're under the age of 25, there's almost an even chance you have lost your cell phone or had it stolen at least once. According to a Pew Research Center survey conducted last April, 45 percent of cell phone users between the ages of 18 and 24 have had a phone lost or stolen.

The survey also found that 3 out of 10 cell phone users between the ages of 35 and 54 have misplaced their device or had it stolen, as Kashmir Hill reports on Forbes.com.

There's nothing new about cell phones being popular … Read more

Onavo Extend helps you use less data on Android 4.0

If you've only got a 1 or 2GB plan, adding a data-saving app like Onavo Extend might be a step in the right direction. You may remember my post about Onavo Count, an app for calculating your data usage, which is very similar to this one. The big difference between the two is that Extend takes saving data a step further by using its servers to compress data you request before it gets sent to you.

This app does come with a couple of caveats, though. First, it's not ideal for large file downloads, as it will reduce … Read more

Twitter gives some developers literal stamp of approval

Twitter launched a certification program today that clearly identifies which Twitter-based services the company values, no doubt further upsetting developers who have been left out of Twitter's good graces.

The micro-blogging site is focused on promoting companies that "bring some of the most innovative products and services" to businesses and organizations, according to a blog post from Seth Bindernagel, who works on platform marketing for Twitter.

Twitter recently tightened its restrictions for developers, drawing ire from some but solidifying its relationships with developers who created products that tie Twitter into the business world.

These developers include the … Read more

Recover partitions and lost photos with TestDisk and PhotoRec

TestDisk and PhotoRec from CG Security are freeware utilities bundled together in one portable download. TestDisk is a simple but powerful tool for analyzing and recovering disk partitions, including some unusual selections such as Xbox and Mac partitions. PhotoRec is designed to recover lost files from your digital camera's memory or any similar memory device. It can handle most memory types, including USB, CompactFlash, MMC, and SmartMedia as well as optical disks and your hard drives. Though PhotoRec and TestDisk are bundled, they're separate utilities with separate executables.

PhotoRec is designed to be totally safe to use, and … Read more