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Google has removed from the official Android Market about two dozen apps found to contain malware that can compromise data, mobile security firm Lookout is warning.

Between 30,000 and 120,000 Android devices may have been affected, Lookout said.

"This weekend, multiple applications available in the official Android Market were found to contain malware that can compromise a significant amount of personal data," the company said in a blog post late last night. "Likely created by the same developers who brought DroidDream to market back in March, more than 25 applications were found to be infected … Read more

SAN FRANCISCO--Hoping to bring magazine-style layout tools to Web publishing, Adobe Systems tonight released a prototype browser specifically designed to let Web developers test the company's proposed formatting technology.

The technology, called CSS Regions, lets programmers easily create multi-column layouts, place text in various polygonal shapes, and flow around objects in the middle of text. That technology has existed for years in the print publishing world, but it's generally missing from the Web, and its absence grows ever more conspicuous as magazines and newspapers move to digital publishing, especially on tablets such as Apple's iPad.

The formatting … Read more

Zynga is beefing up its board of directors by announcing today that it has added Jeffrey Katzenberg, the CEO and co-founder of DreamWorks Animation.

Katzenberg, who created the animation studio along with Steven Spielberg and David Geffen, marks the sixth board member of the privately held social-games company, which earned a jaw-dropping profit of $400 million on $850 million in revenues last year.

Zynga CEO and founder Mark Pincus made the announcement in a blog post today on the company's Web site: "I knew he'd be a great fit for the board after he suggested that the … Read more

Google apparently has used a kill switch to remove 21 malware-infected apps from both its Android Market and from people's Android devices.

Calling the Trojan the "mother of all Android malware," enthusiast site Android Police said yesterday the infected apps were discovered by a Reddit user. That Reddit user found that pirated versions of legitimate apps were infected by a Trojan called DroidDream, which uses a root exploit dubbed "rageagainstthecage" to compromise a device.

This piece of malware is especially virulent because it apparently cannot only capture user and product information from a device but … Read more

LAS VEGAS--After a long, hard day at CES, there's nothing like a good massage, even if it is performed by a small robot.

Stopping at the booth for an Israeli company called DreamBots, I got a hands-on, or rather backs-on, demo of its WheeMe portable massage robot.

Fitting in the palm of your hand, the tiny massager works its magic around your back by digging in with four studded wheels, or fingerettes. The WheeMe is able to navigate your body without falling off through a series of sensors that tells it when to stop and when to shift into … Read more

No massage could ever come close to those given by Eleanor, the miracle worker who is CNET's in-house masseuse (we do have to pay for her time, but rates are good). Sometimes, however, even she needs a day off, and for those sad occasions, we're thinking CNET might want to invest in a few WheeMe massage robots.

Yes, they wash our hair and give us sponge baths, and now robots are climbing atop our backs to massage our aching muscles, too.

Employing tilt sensor technology, the palm-size bot from Israel's DreamBots automatically steers itself around at 4.5 centimeters per second, gently caressing your muscles with "patented fingerettes" that make it look like the love child of a toy car and a rubber caterpillar.

DreamBots points out that WheeMe works best on horizontal surfaces such as the back or stomach (although one or two photos on the DreamBots site hint at more provocative targets). The company promises the robot won't fall off or lose its grip as it silently maneuvers around your achy-breaky body. … Read more

And now, for your dose of morning cute..."Sesame Street" is making its way to video game and audio accessories.

The products, featuring the likenesses of iconic "Street" stars like Elmo, Grover, and Oscar the Grouch, come courtesy of a new partnership between game accessory maker DreamGear and Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind "Sesame Street."

The first officially licensed gaggle of gear, released late last month and selling at Toys "R" Us and Best Buy, includes cases and decals for the Nintendo DSi, DS Lite, and DSi XL; Elmo and Cookie … Read more

I've been getting requests to review the HP DreamColor LP2480zx for the better part of the last year. Sorry it's taken so long, but here it is. Better late than never.

It's an interesting endeavor, to review a product that costs well over $2,000. This is especially true when other devices that serve the same basic purpose exist and can be procured for fraction of the cost.

In this situation, the intended audience has to be considered. Does it meet their needs as best you can tell? Are there lower-priced alternatives?

This leads to comparisons that … Read more

As a fan of the Chumby and Sony Dash, the HP DreamScreen seemed like a natural addition to my collection of Internet-connected superscreens. HP offers two models, one with an 10-inch screen ($249), and a version with a 13-inch screen ($349) for those who live large.

Like the Sony Dash, the DreamScreen promises to be your one-stop solution for a digital photo frame, Facebook status updates, Internet radio, video player, weather reporter, and alarm clock. Unfortunately, sluggish performance and a few big bugs make the DreamScreen mostly a pain in the butt.

To HP's credit, the screen part of … Read more