Cynthia Harvey

Security vendor Symantec says Google Play has been flooded by a new type of scam app in recent months. Some of these apps demand users pay “subscription” fees as high as $3,000. PCWorld’s Jeremy Kirk reported, “A steady stream of questionable applications is flowing daily into Google’s Play store for Android devices, according to security […]

Apple is once again coming under fire because of working conditions at its suppliers’ Asian factories. This time China Labor Watch is reporting abuses at Pegatron. The Wall Street Journal’s Paul Mozur, Chao Deng and Eva Dou reported, ” A new report from a Chinese workers-rights group alleges labor abuses at a major Apple Inc. […]

According to documents filed by Samsung, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has invalidated Apple’s “pinch to zoom” patent, one of the patents at issue in the litigation between the two companies. The USPTO decision is labeled “final,” but in reality, Apple still has time to appeal. ZDNet’s Liam Tung reported, “The US Patent […]

Consumers may be buying fewer Apple products these days, but in a survey, they still said that Apple devices are their favorite. For the second year in a row, a Harris Interactive poll has found Apple to be the top brand for computers, mobile phones and tablets. The Mac Observer’s Jeff Gamet reported, “Apple is […]

Prosecutors have indicted five foreign nationals for involvement in what they say is the largest known hack attack in the U.S. The men are accused of stealing millions of account numbers, leading to $300 million in losses for American companies. Bloomberg’s David Voreacos reported, “Four Russians and a Ukrainian were charged in what prosecutors called […]

A CNET report based on anonymous sources says the U.S. government has requested that Internet companies hand over user passwords, as well as the encryption algorithm and salt, which companies use to protect passwords. The article says that firms are very reluctant to comply with these demands. CNET’s Declan McCullagh broke the story, writing, “The […]

Apple is no longer the world’s most profitable smartphone maker. Archrival Samsung has claimed that title, according to a new report from Strategy Analytics. CNET’s Don Reisinger reported, “Research firm Strategy Analytics proclaimed Friday that for the first time in four years, Apple is no longer the most profitable handset maker in the world. That […]

BlackBerry has confirmed that it has laid off 250 more workers. The company has been restructuring extensively in efforts to compete with more successful mobile phone companies, like Apple and Samsung. All Things D’s John Paczkowski reported, “In a statement to AllThingsD, a BlackBerry spokesman confirmed that the company sacked 250 employees working at a […]

On Wednesday, Google made several big product announcements. It rolled out a new Nexus 7 tablet that runs the latest version of the Android operating system—Android 4.3. In addition, it debuted a brand-new device called Chromecast that allows users to stream content from their PCs and mobile devices to their TVs. Alexei Oreskovic with Reuters […]

Facebook posted a quarterly financial report that was nearly all good news. Revenue was up 53 percent year over year, and the social network made strong gains in mobile. Tomio Geron with Forbes reported, “Facebook posted second quarter earnings that beat analysts’ estimates, sending shares up sharply in after-hours trading. The social network posted earnings […]

While once a determined enemy of open source, Microsoft has embraced yet another open source technology. This time the company is working with Azul Systems to bring an open implementation of Java to its Azure cloud computing platform. Jonathan Brandon with Business Cloud News reported, “MS Open Tech, Microsoft’s open source-focused subsidiary announced a partnership […]

A new report indicates that sales of Mac desktops and laptops declined sharply in June. However, PC sales in general were also down. All Things D’s John Paczkowski reported, “It has been a slower summer than usual for Mac sales. According to the latest market data from NPD Group, Apple’s domestic Mac sales declined 5 […]