Websense: Most Java-enabled browsers vulnerable to widespread Java exploits

Most browser installations use outdated versions of the Java plug-in that are vulnerable to at least one of several exploits currently used in popular Web attack toolkits, according to statistics published by security vendor Websense.

Apple fans: Microsoft is no longer the enemy

While I was visiting the Microsoft campus a few weeks ago—in suburban Redmond, just across Lake Washington from my beloved Seattle—I kept thinking of the old Vulcan proverb: “Only Nixon can go to China.”

If Microsoft is China, then that makes me Nixon in this story, I realize.

Foxconn's Hon Hai earns record annual profit

Foxconn's Hon Hai Precision Industry posted record annual profits last year, a sign that production of Apple products remains strong despite heightened competition from rival electronics vendors.

Mobile browsing increases 26% in 3 months in steady climb

Mobile-based browsing has tripled in the last two years, and is making significant inroads on traditional Internet access from personal computers, according to statistics from a Web metrics company.

How green is Apple?

Like most electronics manufacturers, Apple doesn’t actuallly make its own products. That can make it hard to assess the environmental impact of its production processes.

Apple issues annual environmental report, touts renewable energy use

While technological progress and the environment often seem to be at odds, many tech companies are working hard to lessen the impact their businesses have on the planet. Over the last several years, Apple has released an annual progress report about its environmental status, and this year is no different. On Thursday, the company updated its Apple and the Environment pages with information about the year gone by, and how it’s improved on its goals vis-a-vis the environment.

Apple buys indoor mapping app startup WiFiSlam

Apple has acquired mapping startup WiFiSlam, which is developing an indoor location service for smartphones, Apple announced Monday.

Mac email clients

Times are changing for email on the Mac. As more people use universally available Web-based services as their primary email accounts, and as POP accounts from Internet providers gather dust, Mac email clients have begun to morph accordingly.

As Windows RT doubts mount, Microsoft exec claims 'bright future' for OS

Consumers and PC makers might be turned off by Windows RT. Microsoft doesn’t share their ambivalence.

Google Drive hit by three outages this week

Google Drive, the cloud storage and applications suite used by millions at home and at work, has suffered three service interruptions this week, making it impossible at times for affected users to access their files and applications.

Torrent site IsoHunt loses copyright-infringement lawsuit appeal

A file-sharing site that's been in a legal tussle with Hollywood for years lost another round Thursday.

Security experts laud Apple for following Microsoft, others on two-factor authentication

Security experts are commending Apple for following the lead of rivals like Facebook, Google and Microsoft by offering two-step authentication to help customers secure their Apple IDs against hacking.

Mac troubleshooting: dealing with hard drive woes

Your Mac has begun showing signs of trouble. Perhaps you frequently get errors when trying to open or save files. You suspect a problem with the hard drive.

New report detailing cyberwar rules, puts hackers in the crosshairs

Deadly force against organized hackers could be justified under international law, according to a document released Thursday by a panel of legal and cyber warfare experts.

Apple's five most important displays

For the past three decades, Apple has made it a point, with few exceptions, to ship the highest quality computer displays it can muster.

Apple takes password reset functionality offline after news of serious vulnerability

Earlier Friday, The Verge reported on a significant security exploit with Apple’s “reset password” functionality for Apple IDs. Armed with only your email address and date of birth, a hacker could tweak a specific URL to reset the password for your account.

Adobe CTO Kevin Lynch resigns to work at Apple

Adobe CTO Kevin Lynch is leaving the company to take a job at Apple, a one-time close partner of Adobe that became the most vociferous critic of its Flash technology.

Apple sets May 1 deadline for UDID, iPhone 5 app changes

Apps that don't support Apple's latest iOS device displays are on their way out, as are apps that haven't been updated to address a longstanding privacy concern. On Thursday, Apple informed iOS App developers that as of May 1, the App Store will stop accepting new apps or app updates that access a device's unique identifier or fail to support Retina devices and the iPhone 5.

Apple's misleading warranties must be punished, says EU Commissioner

The European Commission must take a larger role to monitor and coordinate consumer protection laws, Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding said Tuesday, citing Apple as a prime example of the need for the Commission to get tougher.

This Lego Apple II+ is a must-build project for any vintage computer fan

Every now and then, a remake is better than the original. In the geek world, that happens to be when someone rebuilds an old computer—but in Lego.

How to maximise battery life when you travel

Admit it: Your carry-on bag is stuffed with digital gear that you can’t bear to leave at home.  Your iPhone, iPad, or MacBook will keep you entertained while en route, and it’ll make a great navigation, research, and photo tool when you reach your destination. But keeping these devices charged when you’re constantly on the go or stuck in the air can be a challenge. Luckily, you can do a few things  to extend battery life and conserve power.

Samsung confirms a smartwatch is in the works

Hot on the heels of speculation that Apple is developing a smartwatch, Samsung confirmed reports that it too is preparing a connected wristwatch, probably under the Galaxy brand.

Mobile batteries: Everything you need to know

The batteries in your mobile devices are miracles of chemical engineering, holding huge amounts of energy that can keep your devices running for hours. How do they work, and how can you get the most out of them?

iOS 6.1.3 fixes lock screen bypass, improves maps in Japan

Apple on Tuesday released iOS 6.1.3, a minor update to the operating system that powers iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches. Included in the update is a fix for a recently discovered means of breaking past the lock screen, along with Maps improvements for Japan.

Spam sources cluster in 'Bad Neighborhoods,' report says

Fewer than two dozen "bad neighborhoods" on the Internet are responsible for almost 50 percent of the world's spam, according to a research report [PDF] released last week.

Plasma TV fans get more bad news as Panasonic eyes exit

Plasma television is continuing is slow march toward obscurity, despite its beloved status among some TV enthusiasts.

After Reader, which Google services will be next to fall?

Google’s decision to kill its Reader Web app (and the widely used, never supported API behind it) is a major bummer for RSS devotees. But the company’s decision to kill the beloved product doesn’t just affected newsfeed hounds; its impact reaches anyone who uses any Google apps at all. In announcing Reader’s shutdown, Google said that “usage of Google Reader has declined, and as a company we’re pouring all of our energy into fewer products.”

Hashtags gunning for #globaldomination

If rumors are true, your Facebook friends’ errant hashtags—likely imported from Twitter—will soon stop annoying you and actually have some meaning.

Self-healing chips for iPhones, and Macs?

The next step in the evolution of the computer chip may be developing self-healing integrated chips, according to scientists working on such a project.

Apple releases OS X 10.8.3 with Boot Camp additions, bug fixes, and Safari 6.0.3

After months of betas, Apple on Thursday at long last released Mac OS X 10.8.3, its latest incremental update to Mountain Lion. 

How to migrate from Android to iPhone

Though Android’s global market share is intimidating, two other numbers are enlightening: 22 percent of Android users eventually switch to an iPhone, while only 9 percent of iPhone users go the other way. As those numbers suggest, switching from Android to iPhone isn't that difficult. Here’s how to make that transition as painlessly as possible.

Adobe plans to halt boxed sales of Creative Suite software

Adobe plans to halt boxed sales of its Creative Suite software, making its packages for creative pros available online or by subscription only.

“As Adobe continues to focus on delivering world-class innovation through Creative Cloud and digital fulfillment, we will be phasing out shrink-wrapped, boxed versions of Creative Suite and Acrobat products,” an Adobe spokesperson told us in an email.

Apple vs. Samsung, Round 2 to proceed in California court

A judge in California has ruled that a patent infringement lawsuit between Apple and Samsung Electronics will continue, after indicating earlier that she would like to put the case on hold pending resolution of an appeal in another patent dispute between the two companies before the same court.

Mozilla again rejects porting Firefox to iOS

Mozilla won’t be building Firefox for iOS unless Apple changes its rules, a company executive said over the weekend.

How to think like a Mac geek

Most of us know at least one person who’s not merely a Mac user, but a dyed-in-the-wool Mac geek. You know the type: someone who has a large collection of Macs and is quick to tell you the history of each one; who keeps up with all the latest Apple news and rumors; and who seems to know the answer to any Mac question, no matter how obscure or technical. Though you may be tempted to ridicule a Mac geek’s obsessiveness, you’ll probably resist that temptation because you want to stay on the geek’s good side—since he or she will be the first person you go to for help when something goes wrong with your own Mac!

Apple's iWatch could revolutionize mobile security

Expectations for Apple to release an iWatch reached a new pitch yesterday as Bloomberg reported that such a device could have much higher profit margins than the company's iPad line up and its rumored HDTV.

Mac troubleshooting: What to do when you can't print

You click Print, and then wait a moment. Nothing happens. Your attempt has clearly failed. A brief check confirms that the problem is not limited to one document or one app. You can’t print anything. Now what?

Why iOS needs support for multiple accounts

Picture this common scene: A family shares an iPad, with each person struggling to maintain control of it long enough to play their favorite game, check Facebook, send email, and surf the Web. Most people get around this problem by not using a shared iPad for email and other personal data—but why should they have to limit their use of the device? Apple could easily fix the situation by adding multiple user accounts to iOS.

Seagate to halt production of 7200-rpm laptop hard drives

When it comes time to buy your next high-performance laptop, chances are good that it will feature a solid state drive (SSD). But what if you'd prefer to have a high-speed, high-capacity traditional hard drive instead? Don't look to Seagate, one of the two 800-pound gorillas in the hard drive industry. The company recently said it will stop making 2.5-inch, 7200-rpm laptop hard drives by the end of 2013.

The time is (finally) right for a Mac minitower

There’s been quite a bit of recent speculation about potential upcoming Apple products: TVs, watches, less-expensive iPhones, Retina iPad minis, Retina MacBook Airs, new full-size iPads … almost every Apple product line is apparently being updated, and a number of new products are supposedly on the way.

Wildlife across Canada concerned for the safety of their Apple Kit

Vancouver police are investigating a brazen robbery at an Apple Store Monday night in which three male suspects allegedly sprayed 40 people with a chemical mix designed to ward off bears as they swiped an undetermined amount of Apple laptops, iPads and iPods.

Western Digital claims HDD capacity doubled with nanotech breakthrough

Western Digital has announced what it said is a nanotechnology breakthrough that will allow the company to double data storage capacity on hard disk drives (HDD).

Judge lowers Apple's $1 billion Samsung award, orders partial retrial

A judge has ordered a partial retrial in Apple's patent lawsuit against Samsung in California, and has cut hundreds of millions of dollars from the $1 billion in damages that Apple was awarded last summer.

Music piracy is down: A lesson for Hollywood

Steve Jobs is often credited for offering a revolutionary way to curb music piracy. It wasn’t to drag music fans into court, saddling them with crippling debt and legal fees. It wasn’t about convincing ISPs to institute a copyright alert system to hassle users. No, the Apple co-founder had a much simpler solution: Jobs believed you could convince people to obtain legitimate music tracks by competing with piracy and offering a better user experience.

Adobe kills Photoshop.com photo sharing service; transfers members to Revel platform

Adobe is discontinuing its Photoshop.com storage and sharing website and replacing it with the company's Adobe Revel cloud photo service. Adobe plans to move subscriber images stored at Photoshop.com to its Revel site in an automated process that will start on April 2 and end on June 18. This is part of a strategy to transition Photoshop.com from a photo service to an informational and resource Website. This transition will also affect Photoshop Express and Photoshop Elements subscribers in the U.S. and worldwide. 

iTunes U surpasses 1 billion downloads

Apple announced Thursday that its iTunes U educational service has now topped 1 billion content downloads since its launch in 2007.

Silent email filtering makes iCloud an unreliable option

These days, so much important communication is conducted by email that we expect it to be rock solid. So when emails don’t arrive—or even worse, we don’tknow that they didn’t arrive—it can be worrisome.

Tokyo court rules Apple doesn't violate Samsung patent

A Tokyo court ruled Thursday that Apple did not infringe a Samsung patent, a small win for Apple in the continuing legal wrangling between the two companies.

Refined iOS 6 highlighted by stunning Maps overhaul

Following on the heels of the massive update that was iOS 5, iOS 6 might seem like merely a modest update. But that doesn’t make it insignificant by any means: A key app has received a substantial overhaul in this latest update, Apple has added an intriguing new—if yet unproven—built-in app, and the company has even, for the first time, removed a piece of software present since the iPhone’s launch.