bug

Intel confirms USB bug in 'Haswell' chipset

Intel confirmed a USB bug in its next-generation "Haswell" chipset.

The bug can cause USB (Universal Serial Bus) 3.0 devices, like thumb drives, to disappear after entering standby. In some cases, removable devices have to be reconnected again, according to a report at BSN.

The company issued the following statement this afternoon. The bug, in Intel parlance, is referred to as an "errata." The chipset is silicon that accompanies the main Haswell processor:

4th gen Core is on track for a midyear launch. Intel issued a PCN (Product Change Notification) documenting a chipset USB errata … Read more

iPhone hack can bypass password

Thursday's CNET Update is reliving the '90s:

Apple is addressing two iOS bugs mentioned in today's tech news roundup. But one isn't so much a "bug" as it is an exploit to bypass a lock-screen passcode through a series of steps. Once bypassed, it's possible to make calls and listen to voice mail messages. Another fix is coming for those that use Exchange Sync. Some iOS 6.1 users were seeing batteries drain faster because it was excessively communicating with Exchange servers.

Also in today's report:

- Research firm IDC breaks down which smartphones dominated … Read more

Apple plans to issue fix for iOS 6.1 Exchange sync bug

Apple announced today that it has identified the cause of a sync problem between iOS 6.1 devices and Microsoft's Exchange service and said that it would issue a fix in the next software update.

Almost immediately after Apple release iOS 6.1 at the end of January, Microsoft Exchange administrators noticed that devices running the new OS version were causing "excessive logging" on servers. The issue was traced back to Apple code used to synchronize a user's Exchange mailbox and calendar events.

The announcement, made on Apple's support page, did not indicate a time … Read more

Assertion bug will crash apps in Mountain Lion if triggered

The Next Web has uncovered a bug in OS X that will crash the current application almost every time if invoked. Reportedly, in applications that support text entry fields, if you type the text "File:" followed by three forward slashes in the field to indicate a file address, then the program being used will freeze and then quit.

The bug is a problem in a core system service called Data Detectors that is responsible for handling dates and locations, part of which is a checking routine for an entered URL address. When you type information into programs that … Read more

The 404 1,199: Where it's a breath of dead air (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Republican senator says video games are a bigger problem than guns.

- DMVs ban txtspeak on license plates.

- The greatest hacker T-shirts this planet has ever seen.

- Amoeba Music finally puts used, errr, rare records for sale online.… Read more

Tap to kill bugs in Bug Smasher for Android

Were you that kid who fried ants under a magnifying glass to watch them burn? Bug Smasher has a whole new way to quench your sadistic desires. You can smash bug after bug as they wiggle across your screen. The game is silly fun, but getting a high score is more a test of endurance than it is skill.

To say this game is simple is a massive understatement. Though it sends multiple crudely colored bugs at you at once, you'd have to be trying to not clear the screen quickly. You're even less likely to miss on … Read more

OkCupid app sets singles up on 'Crazy Blind Dates'

Think that going on a blind date is weird enough, how about one set up by a mathematical algorithm?

That's exactly what online dating site OkCupid is doing with the launch of its new app called "Crazy Blind Date." This app for both iPhone and Android uses mobile technology to set singles up in near real time.

"People will say that Crazy Blind Date is too crazy," OkCupid co-founder Sam Yagan said in a statement e-mailed to CNET. "But for a whole generation of young singles, it's going to be a great adventure, … Read more

Artist creates stunning insects from old watch parts

Despite my small fear of bugs, there's just something creepily cute about these mechanical insects by Justin Gershenson-Gates.

Gates, a self-taught tinkerer, usually sells jewelry accented with watch gears on his Web site A Mechanical Mind, but people can't seem to get enough of his occasional arthropods made from watch parts, tiny lightbulbs, and other bits and bobs.

In an e-mail interview with Crave, Gates revealed the inspiration behind these creepy designs: a recent trip featuring a freak spider encounter -- "with a leg span of about 3 inches," he says -- prompted the idea. After returning from vacation, Gates created a set of spider legs with watch-winding stems and tacked on other watch parts to create his first spider. … Read more

Some find problems with Wii U update

You don't have to wait long for Monday's CNET Update:

Sales of the Nintendo Wii U system began Sunday, following a midnight launch event at the Nintendo World store in New York. But anyone getting a Wii U will need some patience before getting started. A required 5GB firmware update can take an hour or two to download, but be sure to not turn it off once the update has begun! Some users that turned off the console before the download was complete have "bricked" the machine and need to exchange it for a new one. … Read more