Development

If you've been familiar with the malware scene over the past few years, you know one of the prominent attacks on personal computers and information has been the DNSChanger scam.

DNSChanger is a Trojan horse that was distributed in many forms, and when installed it actively changes the infected system's DNS settings to rogue servers that redirect legitimate searches and URLs to malicious Web sites that attempt to steal personal information and generate illegitimate ad revenue for the scammers.

The DNSChanger malware was first discovered around 2007, and since this time has infected millions of computers, around 500,… Read more

Recently Apple announced to developers that beginning in March 2012, all applications submitted to the Mac App Store will require support for Apple's sandboxing routines.

Since Apple initially scheduled to implement this requirement in November of this year, this announcement is nothing new and is more of a timeframe shift than anything else; however, it still raises questions and concern over what this means for developers and end users.

What is sandboxing? Sandboxing is a security technique that acts as a last line of defense against exploited, buggy, or otherwise compromised applications, which Apple is implementing to ensure programs … Read more

While software piracy may be enticing for some people, its drawbacks, besides theft, not only include running potentially unstable software, but also provide an avenue for malware to wreak havoc on your system and your personal information.

Many times when software packages are offered for free, they are done so by thieves as a lure to spread Trojans and other malware among the systems of unsuspecting people who are trying to get away without paying for software.

This practice is nothing new, and a couple of years ago a Trojan horse called iServices was found embedded in pirated copies of … Read more

Apple is expected to unveil a 4G iPhone next year as competition in the LTE smartphone market heats up, according to a DigiTimes report.

Citing industry sources in Taiwan, DigiTimes says that Apple will join Nokia, RIM, and Sony Ericsson in diving into the 4G market next year as more carriers kick off LTE services around the world.

HTC, Samsung, Motorola, and LG all currently sell LTE handsets, but HTC leads the U.S. market with a 60 percent share of 4G customers, say DigiTimes' sources.

Apple has expressed some reticence about jumping onboard the LTE bandwagon in light of … Read more

Amazon has retooled and renamed the format for electronic books, embracing Web technologies and adding better abilities for graphics and complex layouts.

The previous format, Mobi 7, will be replaced by Kindle Format 8, aka KF8, according to an Amazon announcement yesterday.

"As showcased on Kindle Fire, KF8 enables publishers to create great-looking books in categories that require rich formatting and design such as children's picture books, comics & graphic novels, technical and engineering books, and cookbooks," Amazon said in its announcement. "Kindle Format 8 replaces the Mobi format and adds over 150 new formatting capabilities, … Read more

The latest malware scam that has been found for OS X is a fairly obscure installer program that is being disguised as an Adobe Flash Player installer. It was first discovered in late September.

This Trojan horse is a minimal threat. It works by installing a payload executable file on the system and then configures environmental variables on the system so that the payload will be launched when certain applications are opened. The payload then communicates with a remote server in an apparent attempt to steal personal information.

The initial version of the malware installed the payload in various locations … Read more

Struggling BlackBerry maker RIM knows it has to change if it's to hold the interest of developers--and that means making the new operating system, BBX, a friendlier place for Android developers to play.

That's the subtext at the BlackBerry Developer Conference in San Francisco today, which played out in live demos of Android games that have been ported over to the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. The real message, however, is evident in the new PlayBook OS 2.0 beta software for developers.

RIM stressed in a press release that the PlayBook 2.0 beta includes the BlackBerry Runtime for … Read more

Google is set to pull the wraps on Ice Cream Sandwich tonight, but a series of leaked screenshots already offer a peek at some of the redesigned widgets in the latest update to Android.

Snapped by someone known as Geek Vundotra and posted online by Android Police, the screenshots show what the Gmail, e-mail, and calendar widgets will apparently look like in the new Ice Cream Sandwich flavor.

The Gmail widget sports a somewhat cleaner interface compared with its Honeycomb counterpart, complete with a different and more readable screen font. The e-mail widget has been given the same coat of … Read more

We may have to wait a few more days (or is it weeks?) until we get to see our first official glimpse of Ice Cream Sandwich, but that doesn't mean we can't take a peek in the meantime. Android lovers were treated to a number of leaks today, which provide a clear look at the next release of Android, including screenshots, video, and apps.

A number of images showing the basic aesthetics of Ice Cream Sandwich appear to confirm the influence of Honeycomb's navigation and layout. Starting with the unlock screen, it's obvious that this version of Android is not going to be a minor upgrade.

The process for adding icons and widgets, for example, should be nearly identical to the process found on most of today's Android tablets. What's more, the experience shouldn't be diminished by a smaller screen size. Some readers will notice that the launcher and navigation buttons closely resemble the leaked video from last week, lending credibility to the admittedly strange set of occurrences.

A video of the purported Galaxy Nexus gives us a basic look at how things will work, including adding widgets and accessing applications. Although there's a definite 3.0 presence to the experience, new and longtime Android users should have no problem adapting to the interface.

On a related note, the chaps at Android Police have stumbled upon Google+ 2.0 and Music 4.0 apps that support the Ice Cream Sandwich experience. Each title has its own set of changes, some of which may go unnoticed by casual users.

Hard-core Android enthusiasts will recognize that the Music app shows a much cleaner experience, with modified options and controls, less obtrusive buttons, and the ability to rate music with a thumbs up or thumbs down. Presumably this last item will tie into the Google Music cloud experience that learns your preferences and queues up more of what you want to hear and less of the other stuff. … Read more