thefts

Mobile phone and tablet games are fast becoming the repository for all things retro, and there's no better indication of that than tomorrow's release of Grand Theft Auto 3: Ten Year Anniversary Edition.

Available from the App Store and the Android Marketplace on December 15 for $4.99, it's the exact same PS2 game I remember fondly--with improved graphics and a touch interface, of course.

This isn't the first GTA game to hit mobile: Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars is a port of a Nintendo DS and PSP game, but relied more on top-down gameplay. GTA 3 is a third-person game that's the precursor to the console-based Grand Theft Autos we know today, complete with a truly 3D Liberty City. It's all there to browse, cruise, and complete secret missions in. After spending some time this morning playing the final version, I can attest that it's as good as a touch-based GTA could be.… Read more

Along with being home to Silicon Valley, California is also an epicenter of cybercrime.

That led California Attorney General Kamala Harris to announce today the creation of a new state Justice Department unit to combat crimes that enlist technology.

The eCrime unit aims to "make sure that vulnerable populations are safe, that consumers are safe, and that we allow good behavior to occur," Harris said at a news conference in San Jose, Calif (see video of news conference below). "But where there are predators and predatory practices, we want to ensure we have the skills and technology … Read more

You're responsible for securing the private information you store on your computer or transmit over the Internet. But what about your personal data that's in the hands of some organization you've trusted with it?

From the IRS to your local florist, your private information is widely shared. And every day some organization loses sensitive data about its clients or customers--whether due to a hack attack or (more likely) from the loss or theft of a computer or storage device.

Here are three recent examples from the Open Security Foundation's Data Loss Database:

CNET Australia transplant Ty Pendlebury joins the cast of The 404 to talk about the brand-spanking-new GTA V trailer, online sales tax, and Aussie Rules Football.

It's been a while since Rockstar Games even mentioned the Grand Theft Auto franchise, let alone gave details on the next installment in what's widely regarded as the most infamous video game series in history. We'll chat about the new trailer and whether or not it impresses.

Next up we'll talk online sales tax and how it may become a reality for consumers who shop at sites like Amazon.com. We've been enjoying tax-free shopping for years now, but will that soon be coming to an end?… Read more

Last week, Rockstar Games released a teaser site and logo for the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto V, which led to widespread speculation as to where the next game in the open-world chaos simulator would take place.

This morning we finally have an answer, as the first-ever trailer for GTA V has been released. The game will take place in a fictional Los Angeles-inspired town.

We're sure there will be much more about GTA V in the coming months, but what are your thoughts based on this trailer?

Clutch those iPhones tightly.

Some evidence suggests that thieves are targeting the handset more than ever.

The good news is that, thanks to technology from Apple, as well as third-party security apps, authorities have a better chance of catching the bad guys and retrieving the phones. Not only can the device's GPS system help hunt down a handset, but apps such as iGotYa will snap photos of whoever is in possession of the phone.

The bad news is that sometimes, the cops grab innocent people.

Last week, police in Petaluma, Calif., kicked in the door of Moriah Stafford, and … Read more

Nokia shows off its first Windows Phone handsets, Amazon's Kindle Fire is in hot demand, and Big Blue appoints Virginia Rometty as its new CEO.

Links from Wednesday's episode of Loaded:

Whew! Today was an extralong episode, and we start things off speculating about the mysterious location of Grand Theft Auto V. The teaser Web site from Rockstar Games hints at a financial theme, so we're definitely thinking an American city known for its financial institutions...Washington, maybe? Or maybe it's Billings, Mont.? Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, perhaps? We'll know for sure on November 2.

Bringing up GTA inevitably devolves into a discussion on the negative effects of video game violence on children (Godwin's law, too), but luckily the ophthalmologists over at the Micro Surgical Eye Clinic in Kolkata, India, are using games for good.

This team has found that a modified version of the first-person shooting game Unreal Tournament can be used to strengthen the eyesight of teenagers suffering from amblyopia, or "lazy eye syndrome." Still no progress being made on the cure for "lazy everything else" syndrome.… Read more

More than three years after the launch of Grand Theft Auto IV, the creator of the franchise, Rockstar Games, has finally revealed that another entrant is on the way.

Web users who head over to the Rockstar Games Web site today will not be able to access its pages. Instead, the site has been replaced with the Grand Theft Auto V logo, along with a promise to launch a game trailer on November 2. Other than that, Rockstar hasn't divulged any details on the game.

Rumors have been swirling for years that Rockstar would launch a new Grand Theft Auto game. However, the company has stopped short of announcing the title, deciding instead to focus its efforts on other popular games it has launched recently, like Red Dead Redemption and L.A. Noire.… Read more