Spotify Platform launches in beta, lets devs create music apps in Spotify
Music streaming service Spotify on Wednesday unveiled the Spotify Platform, which lets third party developers build apps into the popular Spotify streaming music service.
The platform launches with apps from thirteen partners, including Billboard, Fuse, Last.fm, The Guardian, Moodagent, Pitchfork, We Are Hunted, Rolling Stone, Songkick, Soundrop, and TuneWiki. The apps can be accessed through Spotify's App Finder, which launches in beta today.
Researcher uncovers keylogging 'rootkit' in Android phones
Earlier this month, Android developer Trevor Eckhart looked into an always-on process in his HTC Android phones called Carrier IQ, and discovered the application was actually capturing all user actions (ostensibly for the purposes of "mobile service intelligence") without providing users the ability to opt out or shut off the process.
In fact, Eckhart suggested the only option to escape the keylogging behavior of the application was for users to root their phone and install new firmware without it. For this reason, Eckhart classified Carrier IQ as a rootkit.
Facebook agrees to FTC security audits after it 'deceived customers'
Leading social networking service Facebook has agreed to settle with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on charges that its privacy settings were deceptive to customers, and that it made privacy promises that it didn't keep.
The FTC's original complaint (.pdf here) against Facebook cites eight different cases where Facebook "made promises it didn't keep." These were: deceptive privacy settings, unfair and deceptive privacy changes in 2009, misleading scope of platform applications' access to user information, disclosure of user information to advertisers, deceptive verified apps program, contrary or improper disclosures about retention of user photos and videos, and improper compliance with the US-EU Safe Harbor Framework.
Columbia researchers show remote HP printer hijack [video]
Columbia University's Intrusion Detection Systems Lab has found a significant core vulnerability in certain networked HP printers that lets a remote system infiltrate print jobs, remotely inject malware into the printer's firmware that takes control of the machine.
The lab, headed by Professor Salvatore J. Stolfo, has been doing research on the vulnerabilities of embedded systems for the last year, identifying more than 540,000 publicly accessible embedded devices configured with factory default root passwords: this includes routers, VoIP phones, webcams, digital energy systems, and IPTV/Cable boxes.
FCC lets AT&T pull back from T-Mobile wireless license acquisition
In a press conference Tuesday afternoon, the Federal Communications Commission announced that it will grant the request for AT&T and T-Mobile to withdraw their applications to transfer control of wireless licenses in AT&T's proposed $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile.
The commission will also release a redacted version of the staff report that examines the pros and cons that would arise if AT&T acquired T-Mobile.
Futuremark to bring 3D benchmarking tools to Android
PC benchmarking software company Futuremark announced on Tuesday that it has begun developing a version of its 3DMark software for Android tablets which it expects to have ready in 2012.
"In 2012 we will bring 3DMark to the Android platform with a professional grade benchmark that can be trusted by manufacturers, suppliers and vendors to provide the definitive measure of gaming performance on Android while showcasing the very best in real-time graphics and effects," said Jukka Mäkinen, CEO of Futuremark in a statement on Tuesday.
Seagate's 3rd gen Momentus XT hybrid HDD/SSD is ready to steal the show
Seagate has officially taken the wraps off of its third generation hybrid HDD/SSD drive, the Momentus XT, a drive which the company has tailored to the demands of tech savvy users and "prosumers."
In its third generation, Seagate's XT line finally looks to be mature and ready for widespread use.
Authorities squash 150 sites that sell counterfeit professional sports attire
Department of Justice officials on Monday seized 150 domain names for selling counterfeit goods such as professional sports jerseys, golf equipment, DVD sets, footwear, handbags and sunglasses.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) announced the seizures today, as a continuation of "Operation Save our Sites," a federal initiative to crack down on counterfeiting and piracy on the Internet.
RPost debuts registered email app for BlackBerry
RPost provides a service for serious emailers that turns e-mails from any origin into official registered documents that can be encrypted, tracked, and verified for legal purposes or "e-signed" for contractual reasons.
This week, RPost is officially launching its registered email service for BlackBerry with the RPost app for BlackBerry. This application integrates into BlackBerry's native email client, and lets users choose to "Send Registered" emails from their mobile devices, which are the same trackable, encrypted, time-stamped messages that are sent from RPost's other platforms.
Counter holiday consumerism with a little Android 'maker-ism'
Today marks the official beginning of the holiday gift shopping season in the United States; a time when commerce shifts into high gear and product sales spike for the year.
And with each passing holiday, retailers seem to focus even more closely on consumer electronics.
PhatPad for Android tablets launches in beta: dumb name, but great app
PhatWare, makers of WritePad, CalliGrapher, PenOffice, and PhatNotes, launched the public beta of PhatPad for Android on Wednesday, a brainstorming, note taking and free drawing app for tablets.
PhatPad lets users draw with their fingers, jot handwritten notes, or use a mixture of pictures and drawings, handwritten text, typed text, and audio notes in a single field. With its handwriting recognition engine, users can hand write notes, and then convert them to copy-and-pasteable text. Documents created in PhatPad can then be synchronized with Dropbox, or exported as a PDF to local storage.
Nokia Siemens to lay off 17,000, eliminate unfocused business groups
Network infrastructure joint venture Nokia Siemens Networks announced on Wednesday its plans to cut more than a billion Euro in overhead by the end of 2013. These plans involve refocusing on mobile broadband infrastructure, and cutting its global workforce by 17,000 workers.
As of November first, Nokia Siemens Networks employed 74,000 globally, so this will constitute a 23% reduction in workforce.
FCC: AT&T/T-Mobile merger would cause massive US job losses
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Julius Genachowski on Tuesday put forth an order for a hearing to re-examine the proposed merger between national wireless carriers AT&T and T-Mobile. If approved, the hearing would have to take place after the Justice Department submits the merger to an antitrust trial, and could delay the merger by a few more years.
"The FCC’s action today is disappointing. It is yet another example of a government agency acting to prevent billions in new investment and the creation of many thousands of new jobs at a time when the US economy desperately needs both," said Larry Solomon, senior vice president of Corporate Communications of AT&T. "At this time, we are reviewing all options."
Nvidia shows off Asus Transformer Prime tablet running Android ICS on Tegra 3
Using the upcoming Asus Transformer Prime which was rumored to be the first Tegra 3 tablet graphics company Nvidia on Tuesday officially showed off what Tegra 3 and Android 4.0, "Ice Cream Sandwich" can do.
This early demonstration quickly shows off the 1080p video playback, and an all-too short demo of Android game Tegra 3-optimized racing game Riptide GP from games studio Vector Unit.
Microsoft acquires VideoSurf to make Kinect do what Google TV can't
Microsoft announced on Tuesday that it had acquired video search company VideoSurf, which in September launched its technology for identifying video content based upon images captured with a mobile phone camera. Microsoft says it will add this technology into the Xbox 360 ecosystem, improving the search and discovery of entertainment content on Xbox Live.
To bring live television to Xbox Live, Microsoft has partnered with more than 40 different content providers in over 20 countries, including television networks and multi-service operators. Microsoft on Tuesday said the acquisition of VideoSurf will help these companies integrate their content into Kinect voice search.
Tim's Bio
Tim Conneally was born into dumpster tech. His father was an ARPANET research pioneer and equipped his kids with discarded tech gear, second-hand musical instruments, and government issue foreign language instruction tapes. After years of building Frankenstein computers from rubbish and playing raucous music in clubs across the country (and briefly on MTV) Tim grew into an adult with deep, twisted roots and an eye on the future. He most passionately covers mobile technology, user interfaces and applications, the science and policy of the wireless world, and watching different technologies shrink and converge.
© 1998-2024 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy.