Technology
Latest stories
Lenovo Shipped Laptops with Security Flaw, Experts Say

If you've recently purchased a laptop computer made by Lenovo, you may want to hear this: Experts say the world's biggest computer maker shipped laptops with pre-installed software that could let hackers steal passwords or other sensitive information when you use the web to shop, pay bills or check email.

Lenovo said Thursday that it has disabled the offending software, known as Superfish, and will provide customers with a tool that permanently removes the program from their computers. The company initially said its own investigation didn't find "any evidence to substantiate security concerns." But it later removed that sentence from a statement on its website.

W140 Full Story
Suit Says Apple 'Poached' Electric Battery Maker Staff

Apple has been sued by developers of an advanced automotive car battery for allegedly poaching key employees, providing evidence that the California tech giant is working on an electric vehicle.

The lawsuit filed Wednesday in Massachusetts by A123 Systems claims that five employees were recruited by Apple in violation of a "non-compete" clause in their contracts.

W140 Full Story
YouTube Releasing Android App for Kid-Friendly Viewing

YouTube on Thursday revealed plans for the U.S. release of a mobile application built with children -- and their parents' concerns -- in mind.

A free YouTube Kids app tailored for Android-powered devices and "built from the ground up with little ones in mind" is set to hit the Google Play store on Monday.

W140 Full Story
Review: Freedom! These Smartwatches Leave the Phone Behind

Strap on the Samsung Gear S or the Sony SmartWatch 3 if you want to take a jog on the beach or head out for a bike ride without your phone clunking along.

One of my frustrations with early smartwatches has been how little they can do on their own. Sure, your phone might be with you most of the time, but sometimes you want to leave it behind. The Gear S and SmartWatch 3 still need to be close to an Android phone for a lot of things, but both do more solo than other smartwatches.

W140 Full Story
Cuba Temporarily Cuts Price of Internet Access

Cuba has temporarily reduced the hourly charge for using state-run Internet cafes in the country's first small but substantive public move to increase online access since the declaration of detente with the U.S.

President Barack Obama said late last year that Cuba had promised to increase Internet access, although U.S. and Cuban officials have since provided few specifics.

W140 Full Story
DeSoto Cab Company Taking on Name of Mobile App Flywheel

A San Francisco taxi company is ditching its 82-year-old brand and renaming itself after a smartphone app in the latest sign of how mobile technology is changing the way people get a ride.

The transformation dumps DeSoto Cab's Depression-era identity in favor of Flywheel, an app that helps traditional taxis compete against increasingly popular ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft.

W140 Full Story
'Modern Family' to Air Episode that Takes Place only Online

How to keep the "modern" in "Modern Family" in its sixth season? Create an episode that plays out completely on a computer and in the realm of social media.

That's what's in store Feb. 25 on the ABC comedy's "Connection Lost," a half-hour that revolves around Claire Dunphy's (Julie Bowen) frantic effort to locate daughter Haley (Sarah Hyland) after they squabble.

W140 Full Story
Did NSA Plant Spyware in Computers around World?

Did the National Security Agency plant spyware deep in the hard drives of thousands of computers used by foreign governments, banks and other surveillance targets around the world?

A new report from Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab said its researchers identified a new family of malicious programs or worms that infected computers in multiple countries, primarily overseas. Targets appeared to be specifically selected and included military, Islamic activists, energy companies and other businesses, as well as government personnel.

W140 Full Story
Sony Steps up in Wearable Space with SmartEyeglass

Sony on Tuesday began taking orders for SmartEyeglass Internet-linked eyewear, moving ahead in the market as Google steps back to revise its Glass strategy.

The offering from the Japanese consumer electronics comes amid growing interest in wearable computing, but also questions about whether consumers will warm to connected eyewear.

W140 Full Story
Apple Patent Lets iPhone be Part of VR Reality Display

Apple on Tuesday was awarded a patent on a headset that could let iPhones be part of augmented or virtual reality displays.

The patent titled "Head Mounted Display Apparatus For Retaining A Portable Electronic Device With Display" depicts a large eyeglass-style frame into which a smartphone could be seated.

W140 Full Story