Section: Computers, Security, Features  Three men have been arrested in Slovenia in connection with the Mariposa botnet. Mariposa was disabled last year but had managed to infect several million computers before it was laid to rest. It stole personal information and launched several Denial of Service (DDoS attacks). For awhile it managed to avoid detection by rapidly changing its code, somestimes as much as once every 48 hours. Its downfall was brought on by the bot herders themselves-in an act of true stupidity, one of them used his real name to register the domains used to host Mariposa’s command and control servers. The registar, unfortunately for them, was happy to cooperate with investigators!
Read [PCWorld] Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Business News, Gadgets / Other It looks like Amazon is getting a little greener with their most recent delivery announcement. Amazon is going to be offering deliveries using recyclable tote bags. Yes, tote bags as opposed to boxes. Of course, like most programs of this nature, the delivery area is limited. At least as of this posting, it includes only the Seattle area. But the nice part is that the tote deliveries mean free two-day shipping and also give you the option to keep or return the tote after delivery. Read [Amazon] Via [Gizmodo] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Email / IM, Smartphones, Broadband Cards, Mobile  With AT&T, and soon it seems, Verizon, dumping their unlimited data plans for tiered pricing plans, does the mean the end of unlimited mobile data? Sprint and T-Mobile still offer it, but for how long? One thing unlimited data usage has shown us is that bandwidth is not so unlimited. AT&T has faced sharp criticism over it’s poor data network, which is frequently overwhelmed by users of the data hogging iPhone. Apple themselves have even criticized it (yet then turned around and gave the company the exclusive rights to provide data service to the iPad. Go figure!) Their response was to switched to tiered pricing data plans. Data cards used to come with unlimited data, but every carrier has since slapped a 5GB cap on them, blaming bandwidth issues. These days cell phones have gone from simply being phones to being all in one communications and internet devices. It used to be that you’d hear the kids yapping away on their phones. Then Nextel phones and Direct Connect became all the rage and they screamed into them instead. Now you see most of them typing rather than talking. I’d be willing to bet most people text, email, and surf the web on their phones more than they talk on them!
I think it’s clear that if we want unlimited data to stay, there are going to have to be some serious commitments to improving network infrastructure and increasing bandwidth. What do you think? Are you okay with tiered pricing? Do you use a lot of data each month? Let us know what you think about the future of mobile data. Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Apple, Communications, Smartphones  A consulting firm says they’ve conducted tests that prove that the iPhone 4’s “death grip” problem is real and unique to the phone. PA Consulting Group says they compared the iPhone to other smartphones and it performed just as well until it was held in the “death grip.” when performance plummeted. Mr. Jobs, are you listening? Here’s a video showing the results of the tests. Watch and let us know what you think!
 Read [ReadWriteWeb] Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Haven’t caught all of the Gadgetell news this week? Here's your chance to catch up on this week’s top 10 articles! - Rumor: Samsung Epic 4G to launch August 20
” One of the highly anticipated Android devices for the Sprint network, the Samsung Epic 4G, is rumored to launch August 20. Basically, Samsung uploads a promotional video on Samsung's Galaxy S On Demand Live Show for every Galaxy S phone…” MORE » - Apple: iPhone 4 available in 17 additional countries starting July 30
” During Apple’s last press event, Steve Jobs announced the iPhone 4 would be launched into 17 additional markets starting July 30. Since the press event largely focused on the iPhone 4s antennagate issue, not much attention was given…” MORE » - Time magazine rolls out Android app
” Time Magazine has announced the introduction of an app for the Android platform. Users can read web and magazine content, listen to podcasts, view photos, watch video clips and add pieces of the app’s content to their homescreens as widgets. Content can be…” MORE » - Tweet reveals 2.2 (Froyo) coming to HTC Desire?
” According to a translated tweet from HTC Benelux regional director (who probably should know better), The HTC Desire should be getting an upgrade to Android 2.2 this week. The tweet was followed up by comments that not everyone would get it shortly due to bandwidth limitations…” MORE » - Rumor: Verizon rolling out Android 2.2 upgrade for Droid, Droid Incredible & Droid X on August 6th
” According to rumor, Verizon is going to begin rolling out Android 2.2 to their higher end Android phones as of August 6th. The details are coming by way of the AndroidSpin blog who have reportedly received the information from a tipster who “stated that this not…” MORE » - Gadgetell Review: LG Sentio by T-Mobile USA
” I have spent a few weeks trying out the LG Sentio on T-Mobile and it is a pretty solid featurephone even with its limited hardware. It doesn't come with any earth-shattering features, but it does what…” MORE » - Looking for an inexpensive Android tablet? How about the Augen Gentouch, its at K-Mart for $150
” It looks like Android is coming to Kmart—in the form of a 7 inch tablet. The device is called the Gentouch and coming by way of a…” MORE » - HP giving $50 gift cards with AT&T branded Palm phones
” We have already seen the HP website begin selling Palm phones a few weeks back, but now it looks like they have decided to sweeten the pot on AT&T branded models. As of…” MORE » - Apple proves Motorola Droid X suffers from similar Death Grip
” In an attempt to drag as many smartphones into Apple’s “self-made debacle” as possible, the Cupertino giant recently added the Motorola Droid X to its growing list of imperfect smartphones. Apple uploaded a video…” MORE » - Firefox 4 Beta 2 adds App Tabs
” It was just a week ago that we saw the release of the first Firefox 4 beta. A few days ago we saw a new feature that’s being tested for the browser in App Candy. Now we…” MORE »
Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Computers, Security, Features  Researchers have discovered that a Russian gang is conducting a check counterfeiting operation using money mules and the Zeus botnet. The botnet was used to pump out spam advertising lucrative sounding ads advertising “payment processor” jobs, harvest email addresses from job search sites like Monster and Careerbuilder, steal check images from sites that store them digitally using SQL injection attacks, crack CAPTCHAs and even conduct a little spear phishing campaign on the side. It’s raked in over $9 million so far.
If you’re looking for work you’ve probably seen one of their ads. They describe a job as a “payment processor” and the story usually goes that they are a company wanting to do business overseas but needing help processing payments from customers who pay via check. Their usual excuse is something like it’s too expensive for them to do it in their country or there are tax issues. They promise a big salary for 1-3hrs of work a day and all you have to do is agree to receive checks from their “customers” , take them to your bank, cash them, keep your percentage and send the rest of the cash to them via Western Union. Needless to say it’s all a scam. The checks they send you are fake, made from the images they stole, and when they eventually bounce, they criminals will be long gone and the “payment processor” will be left holding the bag. The researchers haven’t yet been able to pinpoint the individuals responsible for the operation but they are working on it. Read [CNet] Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Web, Web 2.0 / Social Networking  Facebook says the alleged contract web designer Paul Ceglia says he has that entitles him to an 84% ownership stake in the company is most likely a forgery. They point out that Ceglia has so far refused to produce an original copy of it for anyone, including the court, and that at the time the contract was supposedly signed by Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook didn’t exist in any form and there for it would have been impossible for him to give Ceglia an ownership claim in a non-existent company and that further more, the statue of limitations has expired.
Zuckerberg hired Ceglia back in 2003 to create a site called “The Face Book” which eventually evolved into today’s 500 million user strong social networking site. It’s not known why he waited so long to produce his claim and he has had no comment about Facebook’s statement. Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Web, Web 2.0 / Social Networking, Web Apps  You can now connect their Amazon account to their Facebook account. Once you do, you’ll get a list of your friends’ birthdays along with gift suggestions and you’ll also see recommendations based on what your friends like. You and your friends will have a profile on the site listing your favorite books, movies, and TV shows. Amazon was quick to make it clear that they won’t share your purchase history, post on you wall without your permission, share any of your info, or contact your friends. It appears they take user privacy seriously.
Have you connected your accounts yet? If so please leave a comment and tell us what you think! Read [ZDNet] Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Apple, Gadgets / Other  Three people from Northern California have filed a lawsuit against Apple, irate over the device’s habit of overheating quickly when exposed to sunlight. User reports suggest it overheats and shuts down after only a mere 10 minutes in the sun, something the plaintiffs say is unacceptable:
“The iPad does not live up to the reasonable consumer’s expectations created by Apple insofar as the iPad overheats so quickly under common weather conditions that it does not function for prolonged use outdoors, or in many other warm conditions,” the filing reads.
Amazon must be quite amused. As you may recall, the iPad was hailed as a “Kindle Killer” when it was first announced. Some may still believe that it is, but hey, the Kindle doesn’t overheat as soon as it’s exposed to the sun and the screen doesn’t become completely useless because of glare either. Take that Apple! iPad owners, let’s hear from you. Have you experienced the overheating issue? Read [PCWorld] Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Computers, Gadgets / Other, Features, Originals, Columns, Who's On Crack What's the most common phrase heard around the Gadgetell newsroom? Is it "I love Apple?", "that's cool!" or "sweet!" ? Answer: none of them, it's "they are on crack". This week we take a look back at the things that made us chuckle in the tech world. Let's get to the suspects: - RIM’s iPad killer
- E-readers price drop, does it matter?
- AT&T goes all-in for Windows 7 phones
 RIM’s iPad killer “Just a few days ago, RIM acquired the domain name blackpad.com, but hasn't filled the site with anything.” Our Natesh Sood reported on the domain name and possible product that could come from it. Sood laid out his reason why the Blackpad could be an “iPad killer”: “the iPad is extremely popular today mainly because there aren't many strong competitors.” For a company that still hasn’t mustered an iPhone killer, should Apple be shaking in their boots at the idea of a BlackPad? Don’t get me wrong, OS 6 looks like a huge step forward for RIM, but they were two steps back to start with. Do we really believe the company can whip out something that will attract developers to begin an app building frenzy? And I’ll disagree with Mr. Sood on why the iPad is “extremely popular.” The industry has been throwing tablets around for a while, (HP anyone?) and they’ve gone no where. Rather than just be a sideshow stunt, the iPad isn’t succeeding because we’ve not been inundated with $100 Android tablets. I think there is something more than a lack of competitors or even a surplus of fanbois. Without an app army pointing to the flock of developers hoping to make some iMoney. So, a clunky OS combined with a small app store - is this something you’d pour resources into to build? Count on BlackBerry to keep mum about a tablet for fear of looking like Palm and the Foleo. 
E-readers price drops again, but does it matter? Here at Gadgetell, Sue Walsh is our e-reader expert. She’s a Kindle aficionado and keeps us grounded in our iPad lust. Sue posted this week on the effect of lowering e-reader prices and for possibly the first time in history, we completely agree. Sue says, That leads me to wonder, what good are falling e-reader prices when the publishers are determined to jack up the price of ebooks? I will never understand why they hate ebooks so much. Everyone I know who has an e-reader says they actually read MORE books since getting it. Sales of Kindle books outdid sales of hardcovers on Amazon. Overall sales of ebooks have skyrocketed while sales of traditional books have shown much less growth.
So, with prices of books on the increase, it seems logical that e-readers pricing will reduce. Only, the reduction has been limited. Amazon dropped a $139 WiFi Kindle this week and it raised some eyebrows. However, we’re still way above a $99 excitement pricepoint and still miles away from a free e-reader. If Sue’s data is correct, we’ll consume more books if given an ebook reader (we’ll avoid the discussion on the effect buying more books to justify the expense of the e-reader for now, OK?). Would a price increase on books, say $2, help cover the costs of the give-a-way and keep Amazon and others in the red? What I see, is the need for a lending library, Netflix like app for books. When I can download books from my local library, share books with friends and family, then ebooks will become a must have for me. If Amazon or B&N won’t offer this, chances are we’re just a cool app away from it. Whoops, the iPad lust is showing through again. 
AT&T <3's Windows 7 phones This week we learned that AT&T will be the premiere carrier for Windows 7 phones (am I the only one that thinks there was some high-fiving going on in Redmond after getting AT&T on the hook?). Our Natesh Sood reports, “a spokeswoman from AT&T said, "We'll be the premier carrier for Windows Phone 7" in an email to PC World. No word on how many devices AT&T plans on selling when WP7 launches in the fall, but Altimeter Group analyst Michael Gartenberg said AT&T signed up to sell 8 million smartphones.” 8 million Windows 7 phones huh? Put another way, AT&T signed up for selling as many Windows 7 phones in a year as they sell iPhones in one quarter. Despite that, 8 million is a tall order. How can AT&T be so confident they’ll move that many? Maybe it was a snub to Verizon who many blame for the botched KIN from Microsoft? I am not sure what the title “premiere” entitles a carrier too, but if it is anything like we’ve seen in the past from Windows licenses, we’ll see a bunch of inane names for phones being launched on multiple carriers with slight cosmetic changes. The question quickly becomes, why would anyone choose a Windows Mobile, whoops, I mean Windows 7 phone? Loyalty, most likely, has gone out the window as most customers ditched Windows Mobile 6 devices at least a year ago. iPhone and Android hype has infected us all and Microsoft needs more than a Zune-like competitor here. Folks waiting on Windows 7 device must number in the tens of, well, just tens. Have more examples of companies acting like they may need some rehab? Let us know in the comments. Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile The FCC has revealed what seems to be the first LTE phone for the US market. The phone comes courtesy of Samsung and is the SCH-R900. Feature wise we can tell you that the Samsung SCH-R900 will come touting goodies such as Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g and Bluetooth along with support for dual-band 1700/1900 LTE and EvDO data networks. Of course, this listing also does one thing, further confirm what we already knew. And in this case, it is that the Samsung SCH-R900 is heading to MetroPCS. Read [FCC] Via [Engadget] and [Phonescoop] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Computers, Security, Web  A senate committee hearing was held on Tuesday and they couldn’t agree on anything. Not exactly news is it? The Senate Commerce committee held the hearing over concerns about online privacy. Everything from Google’s accidental interception of some WiFi traffic during a Google Streetview run to Facebook’s privacy issues and AT&T’s recent iPad related security breach. Representatives from Google and Facebook testified. Despite the lengthy hearing, the committee couldn’t agree on what to do about them, and in fact some of the senators seemed downright clueless about the internet. Take Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D. W.Va) who referred to Amazon as a “machine”, and Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) who asked the Google rep if there was privacy information contained in printed out grocery store coupons (the representative politely told her Google doesn’t offer grocery coupons).
What I think everyone can agree on is that if there is anything to be done about issues like online privacy, net neutrality, and cybersecurity, we are going to need to elect some tech-savvy senators and congresspeople! Read [CNet] Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Web, Web Apps, Google  Google’s promised to get all of Los Angeles’ city employees switched over to Google Docs by June 30th, then promptly broke that promise. They say now it will take at least until mid August, and are blaming the LAPD. They insist that their data not be mixed in with any other data Google maintains, and they want background checks done on anyone who accesses it. Fulfilling the requests has been time consuming because Google, like most services, stores user data together on many different servers. The delay caused by the LAPD’s demands, however reasonable they may be, will cost Google $135,000, the amount it takes to run the city’s current Novell setup. It will be interesting to see if they make their new deadline!
Read [PCWorld] Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Gadgets / Other, ebooks  While Amazon and Barnes and Noble and their dueling e-readers fight it out in price wars, Sony announced that they really aren’t interested in joining in and appears to have no plans to change their pricing:
“Pricing is one consideration in the dedicated reading device marketplace, but Sony won’t sacrifice the quality and design we’re bringing book lovers to lay claim to the cheapest eReader,” said Phil Lubell, VP of digital reading at Sony Electronics. “Our global customers expect to get the best digital book reading experience and we’re concentrated on delivering that by investing in Sony’s award-winning design and original digital reading enhancements, such as eBook library borrowing and the only full touch screen on the market.”
Whether the company plans to release any new versions of its two readers remains to be seen as well. Frankly I don’t think the Kindle or Nook have anything to worry about. The rumored $99 e-reader coming out this fall might be cause for concern however. In this economy customers will be looking for real bargains this holiday season. It’ll be interesting to see how things shape up once it hits the market. Read [New York Times] Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile  It looks like existing T-Mobile customers can get a deal on the navigation minded Garminfone. The handset had recently been dropped to $129.99 for everyone, and now current customers can get the phone with an additional $30 savings—$99.99. That said, same rules apply in order to get the price. Aside from being a current T-Mobile customer you will also need to sign a new two-year agreement on a qualifying monthly voice and data plan. All things considered, this is a shame, the Garminfone could have been a nice offering. But the way things are going, it seems like it will get less and less expensive and then disappear. Of course, given the current crop of Android phones and the fact that most of them come with free turn-by-turn navigation from Google—I cannot imagine that a GPS dedicated phone is a must have for all that many.
Read [T-Mobile Scoop] Via [DroidDog] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Gadgets / Other, Miscellaneous  Law enforcement agencies in the Northwest are preparing to test a new kind of non-lethal weapon. The Dazer Laser, made by North Carolina based company Laser Energetics, emits a ray of bright green light that it says temporarily blinds and disorients. It has less side affects than the popular taser and can be used at distances up to a mile and a half, far longer than pepper spray. It also requires much less training, which can save police departments money, The company says the blindness and disorientation can last up to a few hours depending on the person its used on. For safety’s sake, it’s activated only by a security code and can be set to deactivate if it falls into the wrong hands. It is not available to the general public.
Read [CNet] Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Web, Websites, Google Hackers Google-bombed the Vatican’s website over the weekend, redirecting people searching for it to a site called pedofilo.com. Pedofilo is italian for pedophile. Some reports said it was a Mexican religious site, but it has since been taken offline. Obviously it was someone trying to make a statement regarding the messy scandal. the church has found itself i It was Vatican officials themselves that spotted the issue and they immediately contacted Google. A spokesperson for Google refused to confirm or deny there was an attack. Read[The Register] Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Computers, Desktops, Hardware, Laptops  Dell has reached a settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over an investigation into the company’s accounting and financial reporting practices. They were accused of being deceptive about their commercial relationship with Intel. CEO Michael Dell will also pay a $4 million personal penalty for his role.
This has not been a good month for Dell. In addition to the settlement, they were forced to admit some of their servers shipped with malware riddled firmware, then they announced they were accepting pre-orders for Dell Streak phone, only to yank the announcement 24 hours later saying it was a mistake. Read [PCWorld] Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Accessories, Smartphones, Mobile Nothing like being able to walk in and purchase a case when the phone that is supposed to go in the case is nowhere to be found. Heck, at this point neither Verizon or Motorola have even made an official announcement. Of course, this is the Droid 2 that I am speaking about. But honestly, with all of the leaked information we have seen up till this point, this comes with little surprise. That said, if you are planning to pick up a Droid 2 when it comes available, rest assured in knowing that you can get your case and have it ready beforehand. Via [Engadget] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Computers, Mobile Computers  Samsung’s new Android tablet has been reconfirmed to the public thanks to a report from Reuters. The new tablet, dubbed the “Galaxy Tab”, is expected to have a 7” screen and hit the market sometime in Q3 of this year.
Although there is a lack of information concerning the device other than what I have mentioned above, an interesting picture has popped up:  As you can probably guess, the picture of this post is a cropped picture of what this man is holding. According to UnwiredView, this is the rumored tablet in all of its glory. Unwired’s sources are all in French so I could not quite make out what they were trying to say, so take this with a grain of salt. However, based on what is in the picture, it is a tablet that we have not seen before, and it has definitely got a sleek look. If Samsung can get this to market soon, I would not mind picking one up myself. Read [Unwired View] and [Reuters] Full Story » | Written by Hunter Clarke for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Apple, Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile What do you do when you have been waiting and waiting for July 30th to arrive so you can get an iPhone 4 and then find yourself greeted with the sign pictured above? Well, personally I cannot say, but maybe those in New Zealand will be better able to answer that question as it has reportedly happened to them. Simply put, potential customers found exactly that while heading to at least one Vodafone in New Zealand. And furthermore, according to the message that was accompanying the image; “nothing available anywhere. All sorts of rumours going around in NZ anyway”
With that, we are left wondering what has happened. So far, nothing from Apple or Vodafone. Either way though, I can imagine there are lots and lots of angry Apple fans. Read [Twitter @psychorn] Via [TiPB] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Video, Portable Video, Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones, Mobile  Despite the message and pre-order form they put on their website Tuesday, Dell insists the much anticipated device will not be released this month. The announcement, which was posted on Tuesday. informed visitors that the mini internet tablet would go on sale at the end of the month and that they could return the next day to pre-order it. The announcement was yanked Wednesday morning as Dell claimed it was a mistake. Those that sent in pre-orders will be sent an email entitling them to upgrade to a new phone for $299 with a new contract. There was no apology given and the FAQ stating the device would be available in late July was quietly deleted as well.
What gives, Dell? First you ship servers with malware ridden firmware, now this? I also have to wonder why you made the Streak to run on AT&T, which we all know has the worst network. Perhaps you missed the all the grumbling from iPhone users who? Now a new data hungry device is being added to the network. and it’s bound to make things worse. Will you be getting a Dell Streak? Why or why not? Read [PCWorld] Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile  Sprint has taken to Twitter and officially confirmed the Android 2.2 rollout plans for the HTC EVO 4G.
“Sprint is the first wireless carrier to bring Android 2.2 to customers using the HTC EVO™ 4G beginning Tues, Aug. 3”
The nice part here is that while there is still a possibility of delay, this is an official notification, which certainly sounds better than a rumor coming from leaked documents. And just like that, Sprint will become the first US carrier to update an Android handset with Froyo. As for what HTC EVO 4G users have to look forward to, some of the updates will include; - Voice Dialing Over Bluetooth.
- Application Storage on External Memory, giving users more storage room for all their apps.
- Camera 4-way rotation allows the camera icons to rotate with the camera.
- Improved Browser Performance including a faster JavaScript engine and Flash 10x Support improving the user's ability to view videos and available content associated with web pages.
Read [Sprint] Via [Twitter @Sprint] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
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