John Lister

A recent study has found that some smartphone applications unnecessarily waste battery life. The worst offenders appear to be free games that make money for their developers by bombarding gamers with advertising. Most free apps fall into one of ... three categories: Promotional tools or pieces of larger information campaigns. Trial or demo versions of apps that charge for their "full" version. Advertising-supported apps that normally display advertising as they operate. Excessive App Power Use: Researchers Identify Causes Apps in the third category -- ad supported -- have attracted the ... (view more)

A new survey suggests social media users frequently engage in political discussions with their friends online, and although they don't always agree on the subject, their differences rarely prompt a break in the relationship. The study, which ... involved interviews with 2,253 adults, comes from the Pew Internet ... (view more)

If you're a long-time Internet user, you may remember NetZero, one of the first free Internet providers. Now the company is making a comeback bid by offering free wireless access. However, there's a catch. NetZero launched in 1998 offering free ... dial-up access, but making users view advertising in a display window they could not close. The idea was that advertisers would support the company by paying for ads in that window. (Source: cnet.com ) The system soon caught on and helped bring hundreds of thousands of new users to the web. Eventually, though, a collapse in online advertising rates ... (view more)

Microsoft has released additional details about its upcoming Internet Explorer 10 web browser. Once again, it appears users familiar with touchscreen devices are those most likely to enjoy the changes. Microsoft has revealed that Internet Explorer ... 10 is designed for the new Metro interface. Of the two different ways to use Windows 8, Metro is the one involving larger "tile" icons and a cleaner screen with less clutter, both of which are most helpful with touchscreens. Metro also lets users install or remove new software approved by Microsoft in a simple manner, much the same as today's ... (view more)

A recent Facebook scam has apparently duped professionals closely linked with NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). A spokesperson for the company later confirmed that no confidential information was leaked. Facebook Friendship Unlocks Personal ... Info Recently, an unknown number of Facebook members accepted a friend request from a person they apparently believed was US Navy chief Admiral James Stavridis, who is also the Supreme Allied Commander of NATO. (Source: guardian.co.uk ) Among those fooled into agreeing to the online friendship were several senior military officers and government ... (view more)

A new video game allows players to shoot at three-dimensional asteroids with weapons controlled only by their eyeballs. Importantly, the technology behind this game could be used for other purposes, too. The game is an update to Asteroids, an Atari ... classic. However, the new version is available only as an old-school standalone arcade cabinet, rather than as software for computers or games consoles. This is necessary because the "eye control" technology requires specialized equipment to accomplish its eyeball tracking. However, PC manufacturer Lenovo has already tried installing the ... (view more)

Members of the hacking group Anonymous have apparently been duped into installing malware on their own machines. The malicious software was disguised as an update to one of the main tools used by the group. Anonymous has little or no formal ... structure; it's often described as an idea rather than an organization. Members generally take action as a form of protest rather than in pursuit of financial gain, portraying most of their victims as opponents of Internet freedoms. The most common tactic used by Anonymous is the distributed denial of service attack. This involves using a network of ... (view more)

The company behind a service that allows access to Windows 7 on an iPad has run into a major problem: Microsoft says the service isn't properly licensed. The service is from a company named OnLive and works in a slightly complex manner. The user ... doesn't actually have Windows on their portable device, but rather uses the Internet to access a copy running on a remote computer operated by the company. (Source: infopackets.com ) iPad Users Access Microsoft Office, Adobe Flash Users of the basic service are able to access Microsoft Office to create documents and can save up to 2GB of documents to ... (view more)

Members of the international hacking group LulzSec ("Lulz Security") have discovered their worst nightmare may have come true. It appears that one of the group's leading figures was working as an undercover FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) ... informer for the past nine months. The news emerged this week with the arrest of five suspects in the United States, the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. All those arrested are said to be members of the LulzSec group, which emerged last summer and quickly made a name for itself as a leading organization of highly proficient hackers ... (view more)

A new generation of Volvo electric vehicles will allow users to recharge from any power outlet and pay for it through their home electricity bills. Among other advantages, this new system will make it easier to take advantage of off-peak discounts. ... The new billing system, called Electric Vehicle Intelligent Infra Structure, or ELVIIS, is the work of Volvo and mobile electronics firm Ericsson. Unlike some older electric vehicles, newer models can recharge from any power outlet, even those at home. Charging is controlled from a touchscreen built into the vehicle, or through a smartphone or ... (view more)