Google To Fix Phone Bug That Misdirects Text Messages

Google says it will fix a mobile phone bug that mistakenly sends text messages to the wrong people.

The glitch, which has hit a small portion of the company's Android mobile phones, first emerged last year.

Those affected say some of their texts have ended up in the hands of random recipients.

After investigating the issue, Google said it had "developed a fix" and would be rolling it out soon.

It is nearly a year since the problem was first reported, although the number of incidents appeared to increase last summer.

Initial examinations confused the problem with another, similar bug - but the company admitted yesterday that some users have seen their messages delivered to the incorrect recipient.

"It took us some time to reproduce this issue, as it appears that it's only occurring very rarely," said Nik Kralevich, an engineer on the Android security team.

"Even so, we've now managed to both reproduce it and develop a fix that we will deploy."

It is not clear, however, when users will actually receive the fix - or how it would happen.

Some mobile bugs require a complete software update - which would require plugging affected handsets into a computer - while others can be fixed remotely.

Potentially embarrassing

Although the company was keen to stress that only a tiny fraction of users have reported problems, some users say it has proven embarrassing and potentially costly.

"Today I sent a text asking about a contract from a potential employer - and it went to my current boss," wrote one user on Google's bug forum.

"If this hurts my career, I will be looking into legal action."

Tracking down the bug has become increasingly important for Google since Android - its system to power smartphones - has grown massively in popularity over the past year.

It has rocketed from having a share of just 3% of the worldwide smart phone market in 2009 to more than 25% today.

Most users affected suggested it is an inconvenient, rather than crippling, problem - but those who have experienced the glitch say that it has been troubling.

"I don't know where the SMS messages are going," Christina Bunce, a university program leader from Falmouth, told the BBC.

"But I can see they have been sent and never arrived."

Microsoft Warns of New Windows Bug

BOSTON: Some versions of Microsoft Corp's Windows operating system are vulnerable to attack from hackers exploiting a flaw in the software that could allow them to remotely take control of a personal computer.

The software giant warned of the problem on Tuesday in a special alert. It said it has yet to develop software to plug the hole in Windows or to figure out a workaround to the problem.

Microsoft said it is not aware of any attacks that tried to use the vulnerability, which involves the way Windows renders graphics on versions of Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008.

The problem does not affect Microsoft's most-recent PC operating system, Windows 7, and its newest operating system for servers, Windows Server 2008 R2.

Hotmail E-Mails 'Missing' From Accounts

A number of people with Hotmail accounts have posted complaints on Microsoft forums complaining that their e-mails have been deleted.

Users around the world say e-mails are missing from their inbox and from other folders within their Hotmail accounts.

A spokeswoman for Microsoft said that the issue of missing e-mails was not a widespread problem.

The company said it is working to rectify the problem and apologized to customers for any inconvenience.

Chrome OS

SAN FRANCISCO: What if nearly everything you usually keep on your computer — photos, documents, music and software — was stored online? Your machine would be speedier and perhaps less vital because you could simply use another machine to recoup your digital life should you lose your laptop.

This premise — somewhat scary, yet liberating — is behind Google Inc.'s upcoming Chrome OS, which will make notebook computers more like netbooks than most actual netbooks.

The software powering Chrome OS, which is based on the search giant's eponymously named browser, serves mainly as a tool for connecting your computer to the Web. That's where nearly everything you use is housed and linked to your Google username and password. It's a concept known as cloud computing.

A peek at the upcoming operating system and its vision of cloud computing shows a promising idea that could make computing faster and more convenient. But it still needs a lot of work.

Google expects the first computers powered by Chrome OS to be released this summer, and initially they'll be made by Acer Inc and Samsung Electronics Co.

For now, though, Google is operating a pilot for some individuals and companies to test an unbranded laptop that runs Chrome OS. The company lent The Associated Press one of these machines, which aren't going to be sold to the public.

The laptop itself, called the Cr-48, doesn't really deserve to be critiqued, because it is a stripped-down machine that is chiefly a frame for Google's OS oeuvre. The shell is entirely matte black plastic, without a hint of branding. It has a webcam, a screen that is about 12 inches diagonally and a full-sized keyboard with a search key in place of the caps lock key.

The machine also has 16 gigabytes of flash memory for storing files, if you feel absolutely compelled to download something. Downloads are obviously discouraged, though; my music collection alone would nearly fill this allotment.

Moving on to the main event, Chrome OS brings a few clear benefits: Starting up the notebook takes just seconds — roughly 13 of them, according to my stopwatch — and waking the closed notebook from "sleep" mode is as quick as opening it up (almost too quick, as the notebook couldn't regain its wireless service quite as fast). By contrast, my Windows machine at work takes more than two minutes to boot up.

After you sign in with your Google account, the same username and password you would use to access Gmail, you can pull up a home page showing all the apps you've installed from the Chrome Web Store. Assuming you're connected to the Web, you can just start using apps and surfing the Web right away.

There were plenty of free and paid Web apps and browser extensions available when I tested the notebook. Some are only for the Chrome OS; others also work with Google's Chrome Web browser for other computers.

I installed a range of the free ones, some of which seemed to be just links to existing Web pages. The apps I snagged included Web-based office suite Google Docs, the chatting service Google Talk, Aviary's Advanced Image Editor and balloon-popping puzzle game Poppit.

As with smart phones and tablets such as Apple Inc iPad, publications are also making Chrome apps. USA Today, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal are among them.

On my work computer, it can take ages to open up applications that are stored on my hard drive. With the Cr-48, I could immediately start editing a Google Docs spreadsheet or tweak the colors in a photo using Aviary because the programs are all running online. I only needed a strong Internet connection.

Surfing the Web was a pretty normal experience, with most websites loading speedily, though the Cr-48 was not that good at displaying Flash videos.

But I felt constrained because I had to use the lone browser that comes with the system and the Web-based apps I obtained. Apps loaded slowly when my Internet connection wasn't stellar. This wouldn't be a problem with programs stored on a regular computer's hard drive.

If a Chrome OS-based laptop becomes my primary computer, a data plan would be a must.

I feel anxious just thinking about the possibility that I couldn't access my documents at any time, and I don't even keep anything that important on my own laptop.

I mostly used the notebook with Wi-Fi at home and at the office, though I also tried out its 3G network service, which is provide by Verizon Wireless.

So what happens if you don't have any Internet access? The Cr-48 is pretty useless.

I could still write in an already-open Google Docs document, add notes in Scratchpad and look at photos I'd downloaded. But I couldn't use apps that are not yet opened because they're all connected to the Web.

If you lose your connection while using an app, you may be able to view some information that has been temporarily stored in memory, as I could when browsing The New York Times' app. But you'll need to get online as soon as possible to really use the machine. Faced with this situation, I'd probably just search frantically for an Internet connection or simply put away my laptop.

In its current state, the Chrome OS is far from ready to take over as my main computer, even if I were using it on a more powerful machine than the Cr-48.

Sure, I spend most of my time on the Web already, but I'm not quite ready to rely on having Internet access to do almost anything with my computer.

I can imagine getting comfortable with that in the not-so-distant future, though, and I'm curious to see if Google can make it happen.

BlackBerry Torch Big Booster For RIM

TORONTO: Research In Motion likely sold as many Blackberry's in its last quarter as Apple sold iPhones, aided by a strong showing from its new Torch smartphone, as Google gathers steam and Microsoft enters the fray.

The Torch -- a touchscreen phone with a slide-out qwerty keyboard -- comes with an improved browser and revamped operating system. It shipped to dozens of carriers after an August launch with AT&T in the United States, and an AT&T half-price promotion from early November likely helped sales.

But as the smartphone market explodes, RIM faces a groundswell of skepticism, with even its long-dominant position in mobile corporate communication questioned as banks consider allowing employees to bring in other devices.

RIM has lost some 4 percentage points of global smartphone market share in a year, according to industry tracker IDC.

In the three months to November 27 the Canadian company is expected to have shipped 14.1 million Blackberry's, the mid-range of its own robust guidance, according to 23 analyst forecasts compiled by Reuters. That would tie it with the number of iPhones Apple shipped in its quarter ended September 25 -- a figure Apple chief Steve Jobs boasts as putting RIM firmly in Apple's rear view mirror.

Analysts expect RIM to earn $1.64 per share in the third quarter, according to Reuters data. Revenue is seen at $5.40 billion, with gross margin likely slipping to 42 per cent, in line with management guidance.

RIM has forecast earnings between $1.62 and $1.70 per share and revenue of between $5.3 billion and $5.55 billion. "The biggest concern is that they are just churning phones in their existing base," said Colin Gillis from BGC Partners.

That fear will be exacerbated if RIM misses on net subscriber additions, a metric that is unique to the Black Berry maker. RIM has said it will not report net subscriber additions -- the net change in customers using its network servers -- or average selling price after Thursday's results.

Net additions was the sole laggard last quarter, when RIM made bold forecasts for the quarter to November 27. Analysts expect RIM to record 5.1 million net subscriber additions and post an average selling price of $311, both at the low end of the company's forecast range. That would take its installed base above 55 million.

Rivals Apple and Google, which provides the Android operating system, have won fans with touchscreen devices filled with third-party applications, while Microsoft's return to mobile software also threatens.

The Torch, and a number of product refreshes, have not allayed long-term fears over RIM's competitive strength. "As the handset market goes through profound changes, the company's corporate business is at risk and we see current growth and profitability in the consumer market as an unsustainable combination," Bernstein analyst Pierre Ferragu, one of RIM's harshest critics, wrote in a recent note.

RIM's share price jumped 30 per cent in the three months to the end of November as it drip-fed details of its planned PlayBook tablet computer to investors and technophiles eager to judge the swelling field of competitors to Apple's iPad.

RIM is testing new ground with the PlayBook -- which will launch early next year -- and its QNX-based operating system, which will eventually power its smartphones too. But skepticism on RIM has spread to the tablet market.

"The iPad is now the early incumbent in the enterprise that RIM would need to one-up in its features or one-down in price," analyst Steven Fox from CLSA said in a note in which he shifted from a "buy" recommendation on RIM to "under perform".

He expects Apple will have sold around 17 million iPads by the time RIM sells its first Playbook.

That Anti-Virus Update Can Crash Your PC!

LONDON: Computers running the 64-bit version of Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system could be rendered unusable if users install the latest anti-virus software update from AVG. The company has now withdrawn the product.

The problem affects the most recent free update for AVG 2011, which was made available to users Dec 1.

AVG has acknowledged that the patch can send some 64-bit Windows 7 machines into a crash cycle, forcing a reboot of the computer from which it never restarts. The anti-virus company has withdrawn the update, reports the Telegraph.

The problem is caused by one particular virus database update, which automatically forces the computer to reboot in order to let the update take affect. Upon restarting, the computer will register an error and will not complete the boot cycle.

The software update is no longer available to users, but AVG has released a guide for those customers who have already installed the update and are experiencing problems.

The step-by-step instructions tell how the update can be disabled, by running an AVG "rescue CD".

AVG apologized to users for the software glitch. The company has also recommended an alternative recovery method for those users who no longer have, or cannot create, a "rescue CD".

Google in EU Probe Over 'Abusing its Position'

BRUSSELS: The European Union's competition watchdog will investigate whether Google Inc has abused its dominant position in the online search market -- the first major probe into the online giant's business practices.

The formal investigation announced follows complaints from rival search engines that Google put them at a disadvantage in both its regular and sponsored search results, by listing links to their sites below references to its own services in an attempt to shut them out of the market.

The Commission will also probe whether Google prevented advertising partners from placing ads from competitors on their sites. Competitors allegedly shut out include computer and software vendors, the commission said.

The investigation does not imply any wrongdoing by Google, but shows that the antitrust watchdog is taking the complaints seriously enough to launch an in-depth examination of the company's practices.

Google has maintained that it hasn't done anything wrong. "Since we started Google we have worked hard to do the right thing by our users and our industry _ ensuring that ads are always clearly marked, making it easy for users and advertisers to take their data with them when they switch services, and investing heavily in open source projects,'' Google said in an emailed statement.

"But there's always going to be room for improvement, and so we'll be working with the Commission to address any concerns,'' the company said.

Google's Online Book to Demystify The Web

LONDON (IANS): Google has published an online book on "things you've always wanted to know about the web and browsers but may have been afraid to ask", a posting on the company blog said.

The search engine has commemorated the 20th anniversary of a paper crucial to the Web's development by producing the book.

Writing on Google Blog, Chrome Product Marketing Manager Min Li Chan explained that the book aimed to answer basic questions, the Telegraph reported.

"How do browsers and the Web actually work? What is HTML5 - or HTML , for that matter? What do terms like 'cookies' or 'cloud computing' even mean?" he wrote.

More practically, how can we keep ourselves safe from security threats like viruses when we're online?

"To help answer these questions, we collaborated with the wonderful illustrator Christoph Niemann to publish an online guidebook called "20 Things I Learned about Browsers and the Web."

"This handy guide is for those of us who'd like to better understand the technologies we use every day."

The book uses HTML5, the latest Web language, and can be downloaded.

"We built '20 Things' in HTML5 so that we could incorporate features that hearken back to what we love about books - feeling the heft of a book's cover, flipping a page or even reading under the covers with a flashlight," Min wrote.

Google Bars Data From Facebook as Rivalry Heats up

SAN FRANCISCO: Google Inc will begin blocking Facebook and other Web services from accessing its users' information , highlighting an intensifying rivalry between the two Internet giants.

Google will no longer let other services automatically import its users' email contact data for their own purposes, unless the information flows both ways. It accused Facebook in particular of siphoning up Google contact data, without allowing for the automatic import and export of Facebook users' information.

Facebook, with more than 500 million users, relies on email services such as Google's Gmail to help new users find friends already on the network. When a person joins, they are asked to import their Gmail contact list into the social network service. Facebook then tells the user which email contacts are also on the social network.

In a statement, Google said websites such as Facebook "leave users in a data dead end." Facebook did not immediately provide a comment on Friday.

While Google framed the move as an attempt to protect its users' ability to retain control of their personal data on the Internet, analysts said the move underscored the battle between Google, the world's largest search engine, and Facebook, the dominant Internet social network.

"The fundamental power dynamic on the Web today is this emerging conflict between Facebook and Google," said Gartner analyst Ray Valdes. "Google needs to evolve to become a big player in the social Web and it hasn't been able to do that."

"If people do search within Facebook, if they do email within Facebook, if they do instant messaging within Facebook, all of these will chip away at Google's properties."

RECIPROCITY

Google said that while it makes it easy for other Web services to automatically import a user's contact data, Facebook was not reciprocating.

"We have decided to change our approach slightly to reflect the fact that users often aren't aware that once they have imported their contacts into sites like Facebook, they are effectively trapped," Google said in an emailed statement.

"We will no longer allow websites to automate the import of users' Google Contacts (via our API) unless they allow similar export to other sites," Google said.

Yahoo buys Dapper

SAN FRANCISCO: Yahoo is trying to spruce up its online advertising service by buying a startup called Dapper.

Dapper, started four years ago, offers tools that help advertisers create Internet campaigns that connect with the people most likely to be interested in their products or services. Like many other Internet companies, Yahoo Inc has been trying to target Internet ads by keeping tabs on what types of material individuals tend to click on.

Yahoo needs every competitive edge it can get these days. The company's financial performance has disappointed investors for years. The challenges are mounting as advertisers shift more of their budgets into Google and more fashionable online hangouts such as Facebook.

Financial terms of the deal weren't disclosed. The Dapper acquisition is expected to close before the year ends.

Review: Internet Explorer 9

Of late, Internet Explorer has taken a beating from the younger, brasher browser crowd. But Microsoft hasn't given up yet, and the new IE9 Beta is out.

Available as a free download, IE9 Beta is clean, lean, fast and slick. Probably the most obvious change in IE9 is the minimalist interface. According to Microsoft execs, the browser should now take a backseat to the website.

Take a look at the features, and you'll see that IE has been learning from its competitors. Like Chrome, IE9 now features a unified search and address bar; the default search provider is Microsoft's Bing, but you can always add more (and make it the default too).

Like Chrome, Opera and Safari, IE9 Beta shows you a thumbnail view of recently visited sites, but adds a small indication of how actively you've been using that site. This feature can be turned off too. But the biggest change in IE9 is a new type of bookmarking. You can now open a website and drag the tab down to the taskbar to 'pin' it there. Then onwards, clicking on the icon in the taskbar brings up a new window to the website.

Right clicking on the icon will bring up a contextual menu, specific to that site (for example, links that can take you directly to sub sections in that site). IE9 also features better GPU acceleration. So if your PC has a dedicated graphics card, you'll notice speed improvements.

Unfortunately, IE9 Beta is only available to Windows 7 & Vista users. Why Microsoft chose to intentionally shut out the mass of Windows XP users is baffling, but reports suggest it could be because Windows XP does not support DirectX10 and hardware acceleration, some of the main features of IE9.

By that logic, the final version will never be available to Windows XP users. Microsoft also probably sees it as another way to push Windows XP users into upgrading to Windows 7. How kindly Windows XP users take to this tactic remains to be seen.

Facebook Planning Two Smartphones

Facebook is working with mobile phone maker INQ Mobile Ltd to create two smartphone devices that may have a network tie up with AT&T Inc, Bloomberg said, citing three people familiar with the matter.

The smartphones would carry the popular social networking website's services and were set to be unveiled in Europe in the first half of 2011 and the United States in the second half of the year, the report said.

Privately held Facebook said previously that it was not building its own phone. Jaime Schopflin, a spokesman for Facebook, said the company's current projects included "deeper integrations with some manufacturers."

AT&T, the No. 2 US mobile provider, is still thinking about whether it should be the network carrier for the Facebook smartphone and has not yet made a deal, Bloomberg said.

None of the companies could not immediately be reached for comment by Reuters outside of regular US business hours.

Facebook declined to comment to Bloomberg on plans for specific phones. The company, however, told the agency that it continues to work with INQ Mobile, which has previously sold phones with Facebook features, along with other companies.

INQ Mobile, which is based in London and is backed by Hong Kong telecoms firm Hutchison Whampoa Ltd, declined to comment to Bloomberg.