HP planning to bring WebOS to appliances, cars?

HP is currently working to bring its WebOS mobile operating system to cars and appliances, the Wall Street Journal is reporting.

According to the Journal, HP can see a world where many of the products consumers currently use in the home or while on the road will have touch screens that connect to the Web and deliver WebOS functionality.

Speaking to the Journal in an interview, WebOS head Stephen DeWitt said that there is an "enormous amount of interest" from companies that want to bring WebOS to their devices, but he wouldn't say which firms are thinking seriously about it.

HP took control of WebOS after it acquired Palm last year in a $1.2 billion deal. Since then, the company has brought WebOS to its line of smartphones, as well as its latest tablet, the TouchPad.

Not content with its own products, HP has indicated that it would license its operating system to other mobile-device makers, and in June, HP CEO Leo Apotheker said that offering WebOS solely on his company's products would be a mistake.

"I happen to believe that WebOS is a uniquely outstanding operating system," Apotheker said during an interview at the D9 conference. "It's not correct to believe that it should only be on HP devices. There are all kinds of other people who want to make whatever kind of hardware they make and would like to connect them to the Internet."

In March, HP indicated that it was also looking beyond the mobile space with its operating system, saying that it plans to offer WebOS on every single computer it ships starting next year.

However, until today, the company has not made any clear indication that it was actually planning to bring its products to appliances and cars.

If HP does, in fact, break into the car space, it will face serious competition from a host of services, including Ford's Sync technology. That offering is becoming increasingly more-capable, thanks to the integration of application support. The platform also allows drivers to place calls, integrate their MP3 players, and more.

However, the chances of HP finding friends in the car business seem slim, an analyst speaking to the Journal said. According to Thilo Koslowski, car makers are unlikely to invest in a new technology, since most of them already have services in place.

"The automobile industry has no interest in changing suppliers every year," Koslowski told the Journal.

It could be a similar scenario on the appliance side. Whirlpool, which makes a host of appliances under several names, including Maytag and KitchenAid, told the Journal that it won't be integrating WebOS for one key reason: appliances are designed to last a long time, and WebOS might not be able to hold up over that period.

HP did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Source : cnet

Android malware masquerading as Google+ app

A new flavor of Android malware is disgusing itself as a Google+ app in an attempt to capture instant messages, GPS, location, call logs, and other sensitive data.

Uncovered by the team at Trend Micro, the new malware known as ANDROIDOS_NICKISPY.C can also automatically answer and record phone calls. To capture data, the app loads at boot-up and runs certain services that can monitor messages, phone calls, and the user's location, thereby stealing e-mail and other content.

Detailing its findings in a blog last Friday, Trend Micro discovered that the malicious app tries to trick people by installing itself under the name Google++.

But instead of providing access to Google's new social network, the app sends its stolen user data to a remote site where presumably cybercriminals can grab it. Unlike some malware that in the past masqueraded as legitimate apps through Google's Android Market, this particular one must be downloaded by an unsuspecting user from a malicious Web site and then manually installed.

And even if installed, the app can be uninstalled from an Android device by selecting Settings > Application > Manage applications, choosing Google++ and then clicking Uninstall, according to Trend Micro.

Trend Micro gives the app a low-risk rating, but it's still something that Android owners should be sure to avoid.

Android users concerned about security can learn how to better protect themselves through Trend Micro's online guide "5 Simple Steps to Secure Your Android-Based Smartphones."

BlackBerry Bold 9930 goes on sale at Verizon for $250

Without any fanfare, Verizon has started selling the BlackBerry Bold 9930. The 9930 is an update to RIM's classic BlackBerry design. It carries the same features as the Bold 9900, its GSM-based sibling.

Both mix a 2.8-inch, 640x480 touchscreen with a full-size keyboard and are the first to ship running BlackBerry 7. They share a much faster 1.2GHz processor (likely a Snapdragon) and a five-megapixel camera that lacks autofocus but does record 720p video. A total of 8GB of built-in flash provides the storage.


Price for the 9930 on Verizon is $510 contract-free, or $250 with a two-year contract. It should reach retail stores on August 25.

HTC Ruby specs leak out, show dual-core 1.5GHz chip

The forthcoming HTC Ruby has had its specs revealed. The Android device will be powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and will center on a 4.3-inch qHD display. It will also be equipped with dedicated camera and video buttons, which will activate either its 8-megapixel rear camera or its 2-megapixel front camera.

The HTC Ruby, which previously surfaced in a Flickr photostream, will launch on T-Mobile’s network when it arrives in the next few weeks. Although it resembles a cross between HTC’s Sensation and a myTouch, it will not ship as a myTouch device. [via TmoNews]

Apple surges iPhone orders, plans 26m iPhone 5s in late 2011

Apple is significantly increasing the production of iPhones for the back half of 2011, most of which will be the iPhone 5, part suppliers divulged Monday. Volume was going up 12 to 13 percent to over 56 million phones, nearly half of which would be the iPhone 5. While it had trimmed back its iPhone 5 production for the summer down from seven million to no more than 6 million, Digitimes saw that it would more than compensate for this by surging orders in the fall from 14 million to 20 million.

Production of existing phones for the summer also won't taper off in spite of the run-up to a new model, the component makers said. Combined shipments for the iPhone 3GS and both variants of the iPhone 4 would still top 20 million, keeping Apple's shipments roughly on par with the 20.34 million it shipped in the spring. Their shipments should be scaled back to eight million in the fall as the iPhone 5 takes over.

Apple wouldn't quite get to a symbolic 100 million-unit figure in 2011, but it would grow faster than planned at 95 million.

The production queue if accurate suggests Apple will avoid a common pre-launch lull as customers hold off on buying an iPhone before a new model. At 25.5 million to 26 million units just in the summer, Apple would see a spike of 25 percent just over the last quarter. Fall shipments would also keep growing to hit 28 million or more. Unlike last year, Apple will have the advantage of catering to Verizon owners with a genuinely new iPhone launch for the first time and might also reach out to Sprint or T-Mobile with their first models.

Source : electronista

ViewSonic's dual-OS ViewPad 10pro is a tablet for Windows power users

Tablets just became more work-friendly than mere mobile entertainment machines with the introduction of ViewSonic’s dual-OS, Intel Atom running 10.1-inch slate, the ViewPad 10pro. Available in either 16 GB or 32 GB running Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional, the ViewPad 10pro will be in stores later this month.

The ViewPad 10pro is one of the first to market with Intel’s “Oak Trail” Atom Z670, a chip designed specifically for low-powered, fan-less devices like tablets that the chip-maker announced back in April. With most of the current crop of slates running Texas Instrument and Nvidia’s Tegra CPUs, it was only a matter of time that Intel would crash the party bringing Windows 7 in tow.

Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing. For business and Windows power users who have been reluctant to migrate to a tablet running a non-Windows OS, the ViewPad 10pro makes the transition less painful as they get the best of both worlds on one device. Want to play somePlants vs. Zombies? Tap on the Android icon on the home screen to load Gingerbread (Android 2.3) on top of Win 7. Need to get started on that presentation? Run full Excel and PowerPoint without wasting time looking for an app to mimic the programs. Plus, Windows 7 has some native multi-touch controls so it is possible to use the OS on a touch device. Unfortunately, I have not had a chance to see just how well this dual-OS tablet really works in person, so I’ll give its performance the benefit of the doubt.

On the hardware front, the ViewPad 10pro’s Atom Z670 CPU clocks at 1.5 GHz, has Intel’s GMA 600 integrated graphics according to Engadget, 2 GB RAM, offers Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR connectivity, a microSD card slot expandable up to 32 GB, and has a 1024×600 capacitive multi-touch display. But it is not all work and no play: the tablet supports HD 1080p playback and can be hooked up to a HDTV via its built-in HDMI port. The tablet comes equipped with a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera for web conference calls but the press release does not mention a rear camera, which is a surprising omission for a tablet these days. Judging from the photo of the left side of the ViewPad 10pro, the device also includes a full-sized USB port, and a single headphone jack. ViewSonic claims the tablet will last up to eight hours between charges.

This hybrid Windows and Android tablet will be available in two capacities: the 16 GB comes with Windows 7 Home Premium and Android Gingerbread for $599, while the 32 GB is preloaded with Windows 7 Professional and Gingerbread for $699. A dock will be sold separately for $59. Knowing how some Atom-powered netbooks have trouble running Windows 7 quickly, I’m really curious how a tablet with no way to upgrade its RAM could handle two OSes. Assuming it works well, dual-OS tablets could very well be the way of the future with manufacturers eager to convert more Windows users into tablet customers. Watch out Apple, HP and Andriod!

Source: zdnet

BlackBerry Torch 9810 hits AT&T on August 21 for $50

AT&T has announced that the successor to the original BlackBerry Torch 9800, the Torch 9810, will be available on August 21 for $49.99 with a new two-year agreement. The Torch 9810 sports an upgraded processor and touchscreen, and is running the latest OS from RIM: BlackBerry OS 7

Saudi, Iran, Oman high risk for web attacks

Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Oman are all high-risk countries for online threats, with 41% to 60% of unique users subject to web attacks, according to the latest IT Threat Evolution report by Kaspersky Lab.

Other countries in this group include Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Sudan and Belarus. Newcomers to this high threat level group for Q2 2011 are Sudan and Saudi Arabia, while Kazakhstan dropped down a level.

The US is very close to joining the high threat level group with 40.2% of unique users subject to web attacks, due to the number of fake anti-virus detections, according to Kaspersky.

The average risk group which features countries with 21% to 41% of unique users subject to web threats featured 94 countries including: China (34.8%), the UK (34.6%), Brazil (29.6%), Peru (28.4%), Spain (27.4%), Italy (26.5%), France (26.1%), Sweden (25.3%) and the Netherlands (22.3%).

Only 28 countries featured as safe-surfing regions and included Switzerland (20.9%), Poland (20.2%), Singapore (19.6%) and Germany (19.1%).

In the second quarter of 2011, five countries left this group, including Finland which entered a higher risk group with 22.1%

India was one of the top 10 countries in which users' computers ran the highest risk of local infection.

Every second computer in the country was at risk of local infection at least once in the past three months.

"Over the last few years, India has been growing steadily more attractive to cybercriminals as the number of computers in the country increases steadily. Other factors that attract the cybercriminals include a low overall level of computer literacy and the prevalence of pirated software that is never updated," said Yury Namestnikov, senior virus analyst at Kaspersky Lab. "Botnet controllers see India as a place with millions of unprotected and unpatched computers which can remain active on zombie networks for extended periods of time."

The five safest countries to access the internet in are: Japan (with 8.2% of unique users affected), Germany (9.4%), Denmark (9.7%), Luxembourg (10%) and Switzerland (10.3%).

Adobe and Oracle were the only two companies to feature in the Top 10 rating of vulnerabilities, with seven of those 10 vulnerabilities being found in Adobe Flash Player, according to Kaspersky Lab.

Microsoft products have disappeared from this ranking due to improvements in the automatic Windows update mechanism and the growing proportion of users who have Windows 7 installed on their PCs.

The number of fake antivirus programmes detected globally by Kaspersky Lab in Q2 2011 began to increase, with the number of users whose computers blocked attempts to install counterfeit software increased 300% in just three months.

The number of mobile threats targeting various mobile platforms is also increasing exponentially with detected threats running on J2ME doubling during Q2 2011.

The number of detections of malicious programmes targeting A

CEO Larry Page blogs on why Google's buying Motorola Mobility

In a company blog post up early Monday, Google CEO Larry Page lays out the rationale for his software company to pay $12.5 billion for a leading maker of Android-based smartphones and tablets.

Google's purchase of Motorola Mobility will "supercharge the Androidecosystem," Page says in the post, but he offers little detail of how, or why, that will actually happen. Android, the mobile operating system shepherded by Google, and now the world's leading smartphone OS, will continue to be "open," Page says. But, again, he doesn't go into details about what that will mean or ways in which it might change.

Finally, Page makes clear that a key part asset in the acquisition is Motorola's extensive patent portfolio. Those patents will help protect Android from "anti-competive" attacks by Apple and Microsoft, Page says.

Here's the text of Page's entire post, which can be also be found on theGoogle blog:

"Since its launch in November 2007, Android has not only dramatically increased consumer choice but also improved the entire mobile experience for users. Today, more than 150 million Android devices have been activated worldwide -- with over 550,000 devices now lit up every day -- through a network of about 39 manufacturers and 231 carriers in 123 countries. Given Android's phenomenal success, we are always looking for new ways to supercharge the Android ecosystem. That is why I am so excited today to announce that we have agreed to acquire Motorola.

"Motorola has a history of over 80 years of innovation in communications technology and products, and in the development of intellectual property, which have helped drive the remarkable revolution in mobile computing we are all enjoying today. Its many industry milestones include the introduction of the world's first portable cell phone nearly 30 years ago, and the StarTAC -- the smallest and lightest phone on earth at time of launch. In 2007, Motorola was a founding member of the Open Handset Alliance that worked to make Android the first truly open and comprehensive platform for mobile devices. I have loved my Motorola phones from the StarTAC era up to the current DROIDs.

"In 2008, Motorola bet big on Android as the sole operating system across all of its smartphone devices. It was a smart bet and we're thrilled at the success they've achieved so far. We believe that their mobile business is on an upward trajectory and poised for explosive growth.

"Motorola is also a market leader in the home devices and video solutions business. With the transition to Internet Protocol, we are excited to work together with Motorola and the industry to support our partners and cooperate with them to accelerate innovation in this space.

"Motorola's total commitment to Android in mobile devices is one of many reasons that there is a natural fit between our two companies. Together, we will create amazing user experiences that supercharge the entire Android ecosystem for the benefit of consumers, partners and developers everywhere.

"This acquisition will not change our commitment to run Android as an open platform. Motorola will remain a licensee of Android and Android will remain open. We will run Motorola as a separate business. Many hardware partners have contributed to Android's success and we look forward to continuing to work with all of them to deliver outstanding user experiences.

"We recently explained how companies including Microsoft and Apple are banding together in anti-competitive patent attacks on Android. The U.S. Department of Justice had to intervene in the results of one recent patent auction to 'protect competition and innovation in the open source software community' and it is currently looking into the results of the Nortel auction. Our acquisition of Motorola will increase competition by strengthening Google's patent portfolio, which will enable us to better protect Android from anti-competitive threats from Microsoft, Apple and other companies.

"The combination of Google and Motorola will not only supercharge Android, but will also enhance competition and offer consumers accelerating innovation, greater choice, and wonderful user experiences. I am confident that these great experiences will create huge value for shareholders.

"I look forward to welcoming Motorolans to our family of Googlers."