US government security group falls short in audit
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is blasting the government's online security branch for its lax security practices. The DHS said in a recently-published audit report [PDF] the US Computer Emergency Response Team (US-CERT) was failing to properly secure its on-premise systems.
Researchers give robots the capability for deceptive behavior
A robot deceives an enemy soldier by creating a false trail and hiding so that it will not be caught. While this sounds like a scene from one of the Terminator movies, it's actually the scenario of an experiment conducted by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology as part of what is believed to be the first detailed examination of robot deception.
Facebook becomes most used website
A total of 41.1m minutes were spent on Facebook in August, equating to 9.9% of total time online. This compared to 39.8m minutes (9.6%) on Google sites, including YouTube and Google.com. Yahoo sites received a total of 37.7m minutes of dwell time (9.1%), down from 12% for the same period in 2009.
US mobile web usage boon for advertisers
Twenty-five per cent of respondents to a Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) survey said they plan to access the web from their mobile device on a daily basis in the next year. The new survey, based on Luth Research's online panel, found that almost half of US adult mobile users expect to access web sites from their mobile phone over the next year.
Cinema chain bans laptops, tablets
Cinema chain Vue is deciding whether to ban mobile phones from its venues, having already decided that laptop computers are a no-no. The Ts&Cs Vue imposes on anyone entering its cinemas - nothing odd there; all entertainment venues have these - forbids punters from taking "sound and video recording equipment" into the auditorium. Vue reserves the right to search visitors to prevent them from sneaking such kit in.
Email worm wants to party like it's 1999 (almost)
A fast-moving email worm that began spreading on Thursday has been able to affect hundreds of thousands of computers worldwide, anti-virus provider Symantec warned. The email arrives with the subject “Here you have.” An executable screensaver that's disguised as a PDF document then tries to send the same message to everyone listed in the recipient's address book. The .scr file is a variation of the W32.Imsolk.A@mm worm Symantec discovered last month.
New Zealand shortlists 14 for broadband
New Zealand has shortlisted 14 companies to participate in its $2.17 billion ultra-fast broadband initiative. The government’s Crown Fibre Holdings, which is managing the state’s $1.08 billion contribution to the ultra-fast broadband network, selected the 14 firms from 33 proposals.
Kindle comes to Best Buy
Amazon has taken the bold step of allowing Best Buy to sell its Kindle eBook reader directly in its stores. The new model Kindles will be available in the huge electronic superstores over in the States in time for Christmas.
Nearly 59 million mobile WiMAX subscribers in 2015, says report
According to new projections from ABI Research, the number of subscribers to mobile WiMAX services will approach 59 million in 2015. That represents a positive forecast in light of recent economic conditions, although research analyst Xavier Ortiz notes, “WiMAX’s growth has not been as early or as strong as many would have hoped several years ago.”
Nokia's new boss is Microsoft man
Nokia has brought in Microsoft's Stephen Elop to replace its CEO, Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, who leaves the company with little more than €4.6m in severance pay and 100,000 Nokia shares. Nokia desperately needs a new head, and with annual love-in Nokia World happening next week the timing is good. Stephen Elop has been president of Microsoft's business division since 2008, prior to which he was with Adobe.
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