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OpenStreetMap organizers said computers using a Google Internet address have been tainting its cooperative mapping project.

"Preliminary results show users from Google IP [Internet Protocol] address ranges in India deleting, moving, and abusing OSM data including subtle edits like reversing one-way streets," according to a blog post yesterday from OpenStreetMap founder Steve Coast, OSM sysadmin Grant Slater, and OSM Foundation board member Mikel Maron.

An analysis of data reveals that the activities were from the "same source" as a problem that came to light last week involving improper use of data from a Kenyan online business … Read more

Facebook is pumping up the volume on its Open Graph initiative by rolling out a feature that allows users to listen to songs with their Facebook friends.

The social network announced today the introduction of a "Listen With" button that lets users of music services such as Rdio and Spotify share the exact same song, at the same point in the song, via the music service. However, both parties will have to be registered users of the service.

A chat sidebar spotlights current listening opportunities with a music note. To listen, users hover their cursor over the user'… Read more

Default Folder X is a system preference pane that can save you a lot of time finding and flipping through folders, especially when opening and saving files.

The primary interface pops up with every open and save dialog, across all your applications, giving you faster access to multiple folders and commands. You can jump to favorite and recently used folders (even by clicking on open windows), enter Spotlight metatags, and manage files and folders right from the dialog--so you don't need to go to the Finder for simple tasks like renaming and deleting.

Default Folder X also lets you &… Read more

Open source is winning the Java application-server war in the age of the cloud, according to a new survey.

Web application performance company New Relic released results of its recent study on commercial vs. open-source Java application server usage among enterprises. The result: open source is winning by an overwhelming margin when it comes to web applications.

New Relic surveyed 1,000 customers to get some data on the state of open-source in business today. According to the results, over 80 percent of enterprise users across five main industries (business software, consumer internet, ecommerce, gaming, and social web) are using … Read more

Hoping to aid fancy typography on the Web, font powerhouse Monotype Imaging has released technology called MicroType Express (MTX) so it's free for public use, CNET has learned.

MTX is patented compression technology that shrinks font download sizes, hastening the moment when a person can see a Web page with its intended typography, but Monotype Imaging is releasing the technology under very liberal licensing terms. Microsoft licensed MTX for use in Internet Explorer, and now Monotype has won over another major browser maker, Google, the companies plan to announce today.

With its "make the Web faster" initiative, … Read more

With the help of Cobra's newest charger, your Android phone can automatically reconfigure for driving when connected to your car.

The Cobra JoyRide is no ordinary car charger. This 12-volt plug utilizes the Android Open Accessory framework to automatically trigger the launch of a companion app on an Android phone when connected via its micro USB port.

The Cobra JoyRide app features a car-specific interface that presents the user with large buttons to trigger functions such as voice command, hands-free calling, or launching a GPS navigation app. The JoyRide app can also automatically trigger the changing of phone settings--for … Read more

Welcome to another Yuletide episode from The 404 Podcast! We'll be publishing these podcasts, videos, and rerun episodes until we return on January 10 for a block of live shows from CES in Las Vegas!

This time we're running through all the big tech news from this year, including the launch of the iPad 2, Facebook Timeline, and the death of Steve Jobs.… Read more

Large copyright holders are warning that a new proposal called the OPEN Act is ineffective because it would do nothing to thwart what they view as the Internet's most notorious Web site: ThePirateBay.org.

The owners of the popular BitTorrent search site make money by running advertisements along links to not-exactly-legal versions of movies including "Transformers 3" and "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn."

Because the advertisements are placed by two Israel-based ad networks, they would likely not be affected -- meaning The Pirate Bay's revenues wouldn't be affected -- by an order under … Read more

Six-Guns is a freemium sandbox cowboy game that models itself after the popular console game Red Dead Redemption. While it may not be on par graphically with the game it resembles, Six-Guns definitely still has good-looking graphics as you explore a huge world and complete quests. The control system is like in many first-person shooters on the iPhone: move your character using a control stick on the left side, and look around by swiping the screen on the right.

The game is set in both Oregon and Arizona (with a way to fast-travel between regions). As you explore, you'll … Read more