Keir Thomas - Author

Stories by Keir Thomas

World's first virtual heist? BitCoin user loses $500,000

Online theft is a fact of life nowadays, but yesterday a BitCoin user woke to find his haul of virtual currency had been plundered.

By Keir Thomas | 16 June, 2011 07:14

Tags: online security, web, internet

Porn site users beware: Hackers may have your email

The mischievous computer hacking team known as LulzSec has turned its attention from consumer electronics maker Sony to the pornography industry -- at least for now.

By Keir Thomas | 14 June, 2011 01:30

Tags: security, twitter, sony

Apple recall could affect iPad supplies

A recall of some Apple iPads could further constrain supplies of the popular tablet device at a time when the company is already struggling to meet demand.

By Keir Thomas | 14 June, 2011 01:19

Tags: tablet PC, Apple, wwdc, apple ipad, at&t, hardware systems, tablets, tablet PCs, laptops

Google releases Chrome 12, adds security and 3D

Google has released an update for its Chrome browser, bringing security and 3D improvements.

By Keir Thomas | 09 June, 2011 02:53

Tags: applications, Google, browser security, browsers, software, chrome

Nokia not ready for a tablet -- yet

If cell phone maker Nokia rolls out a tablet device one day, it will be late to a game where its competitors have a big head start.

By Keir Thomas | 05 June, 2011 02:32

Tags: Google, Microsoft, hardware systems, Nokia, tablets, tablet PCs, laptops, intel, novell, tablet PC

How to check if Sony Pictures hack affects you

A few computer clicks is all it takes to learn if you were a victim of the Sony Pictures hack attack, but be careful.

By Keir Thomas | 05 June, 2011 02:30

Tags: hackers, applications, security, software, sony, data protection

Windows 8 and the ARM Revolution: The pros and cons

During Microsoft's presentation of Windows 8, a handful of the company's hardware partners showed off tablets and notebooks running the OS, some also featuring Microsoft Office. But if you looked closely, you would've noticed that missing from the equation were Intel and AMD, replaced instead by ARM chips made by rival ARM Holdings.

By Keir Thomas | 03 June, 2011 06:08

Tags: research in motion, Windows 8, Microsoft, software, operating systems

Google clearing up more Android malware

Google has had to remove yet more malware-infected apps offered in its Android Market. As spotted by the Lookout Security Team, 50 applications were infected by a variation of the DroidDream malware that hit in March. Lookout is referring to the new malware as DroidDreamLight and says up to 120,000 Android users might have been affected.

By Keir Thomas | 03 June, 2011 06:59

Tags: online security, consumer electronics, Google, app store, Phones, Android

Eric Schmidt: Want security? Get a Mac

Speaking at the All Things Digital D9 conference, Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt said in a wide-ranging Q&A session that the best workstation security is offered by a Mac, coupled with Google's Chrome browser. Additionally, he suggests users of Google's services should activate two-step authentication -- introduced earlier this year -- which requires users to enter a code that's texted to their phone each time they log in on a new computer.

By Keir Thomas | 02 June, 2011 05:53

Tags: Mac, open source, applications, viruses, hardware systems, desktop pcs, software, data protection, chrome, network security, Google

Technology helps pope extend reach into space

Technology has given Pope Benedict XVI a window into space and the astronauts he spoke to the ultimate morale boost.

By Keir Thomas | 23 May, 2011 07:39

Tags: Photo / video, skype, applications, industry news, software, video, audio

Analyst: Foxconn explosion could lead to iPad shortages

The tech world is abuzz again with worries about shortages of popular products, this time because of an explosion at a Chinese factory that killed two people.

By Keir Thomas | 22 May, 2011 03:44

Tags: foxconn, smartphones, iPhone, Phones, tablets, sony, Capita, Hewlett-Packard, tablet PC, Apple, apple ipad, consumer electronics

Firefox brings 'Do Not Track' to mobile browsing

Tired of advertisers that track your Internet surfing? Your mobile device can help you just say No.

By Keir Thomas | 22 May, 2011 03:45

Tags: Firefox, Apple, telecommunication, 3C, mobile, mozilla

No Sony PSN service anytime soon, says latest update

Sony is reneging on a promise to reboot its PlayStation Network and start bringing its 77 million customers back online anytime soon. Sony posted an update to its PlayStation blog Friday stating it was "unaware of the extent of the (network) attack" adding it needs to "conduct further testing of the incredibly complex system" before it can restart its network.

By Keir Thomas | 08 May, 2011 01:14

Tags: hackers, firewalls, network security, security, sony

Android continues to win at Blackberry's expense

More bad news for RIM's Blackberry: A recent survey of cell phone users shows Google's Android is continuing to gobble up its market share.

By Keir Thomas | 08 May, 2011 02:18

Tags: ComScore, consumer electronics, Google, Phones, Android, RIM BlackBerry

Amazon comes clean about the great Cloud outage

Amazon has posted an essay-length explanation of the cloud outage that took offline some of the Web's most popular services last week. In summary, it appears that human error during an system upgrade meant a redundant backup network for the Elastic Block Service (EBS) accidentally took up the entire network traffic in the U.S. East Region, overloading it, and jamming up the system.

By Keir Thomas | 30 April, 2011 03:54

Tags: Amazon Web Services, servers, Cloud, hardware systems, cloud computing, internet