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June 8, 2011, 8:58 am

Happy IPv6 Day

By VERNE G. KOPYTOFF

Get out the confetti. Wednesday is World IPv6 Day.

If you are unaware of the event, you’re hardly alone. Few people know about it and if it is a success, it should stay that way.

The day nevertheless marks an important step in the Internet’s evolution. The event is intended as a “test flight” for a successor to the current Web address system that – if successful – will help to ensure that the Internet runs smoothly into the future.

IPv6, as the Web address system is known, is intended to relieve the strain on a system that has been used since the Internet’s inception. IPv4, the original address system, was devised without consideration for how big the Internet would eventually become as a means for buying diapers, downloading music and sending risqué photos.

The problem is that IPv4 addresses are nearly all taken. The last batches were made available in February and are expected to be claimed by the end of the year.

The addresses are not the Yahoo.com, Facebook.com and Google.com that nearly everyone recognizes. Rather, they are the basic numeric addresses that those domains stand-in for.

IPv4 addresses consist of 32 zeros and ones in different sequences. There are roughly 4.3 billion such addresses.

IPv6 addresses consist of 128 numbers. Given all the possible combinations of zeros and ones, the system offers around 320 undecillion numbers.

Leslie Daigle, chief technology officer for the Internet Society, a nonprofit group that is promoting World IPv6 Day, put it this way: There are more IPv6 addresses “than there are grains of sand on Earth.” Read more…

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June 7, 2011, 4:30 pm

Facebook Changes Privacy Settings to Enable Facial Recognition

By NICK BILTON
DESCRIPTIONscreenshot via Facebook Facebook automatically turned on facial recognition for its users but it can be disabled in the privacy settings on the Web site.

Facebook is pushing the privacy line once again, according to a new report from a security and antivirus company.

According to the report, from Sophos, Facebook recently began changing its users’ privacy settings to automatically turn on a facial recognition feature that detects a user’s face in an image. Once the person’s face is detected, the Web site then encourages Facebook friends to tag them. Facebook introduced this feature last year for its North American users; it is now rolling it out globally.

Facebook also doesn’t give users the option to avoid being tagged in a photo; instead, people who don’t want their name attached to an image must untag themselves after the fact.

In response to a reporter’s inquiry, posted on a Facebook blog, the company said, “We should have been more clear with people during the roll-out process when this became available to them.” Read more…

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June 7, 2011, 2:34 pm

Thiel: Tech Bubble? What Tech Bubble?

By CLAIRE CAIN MILLER

There has been lots of chatter about a technology bubble in Silicon Valley. LinkedIn’s initial public offering, Groupon’s upcoming I.P.O. and bloated start-up investments and valuations are bringing back painful memories of the dot-com bubble’s burst roughly a decade ago.

Peter Thiel says the technology industry is missing a key component for a bubble: the ability for the public to invest money.David Paul Morris/Bloomberg NewsPeter Thiel says the technology industry is missing a key component for a bubble: the ability for the public to invest money.

But this time there is no bubble, says Peter Thiel, the PayPal co-founder, early Facebook investor and hedge fund manager.

“We don’t have a tech bubble for a variety of reasons,” Mr. Thiel said in an interview. “If anything, we need to be encouraging people to be doing more in tech.”

Mr. Thiel isn’t shy about calling out bubbles. He was outspoken about the dot-com bubble, the housing bubble and what he now thinks is a bubble in higher education.

But he says the technology industry today is missing a key component for a bubble: the ability for the general public to invest and potentially lose money. Despite a couple much-hyped I.P.O.s, almost all the new tech companies are still private, so venture capitalists are the only ones risking their money.

“The first component of a bubble — something a lot of people believe and can act on — doesn’t even exist,” Mr. Thiel said. “Most of these companies are privately held. There is no way for the public to become involved.” Read more…

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June 7, 2011, 7:29 am

Apple iCloud May Not Be a Threat to Online-Storage Services

By VERNE G. KOPYTOFF

10:25 a.m. | Updated to add a comment from Drew Houston, the chief executive of Dropbox, an online storage service.

A herd of start-ups officially learned they had a new rival when Apple introduced its iCloud online storage service on Monday.

Steven P. Jobs did not discuss whether people would be able to store all kinds of file formats in iCloud during his presentation on Monday.Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated PressSteven P. Jobs did not discuss whether people would be able to store all kinds of file formats in iCloud during his presentation on Monday.

People will be able to store documents, presentations, photos, digital books and apps in a Web-based locker and get access to them from their Internet-connected devices, Apple said.

It is a niche that has plenty of competition, as I discussed in an article in Monday’s paper. The rival companies are all trying to help people get into  documents saved on their computers, smartphones and tablets without having to e-mail files to themselves.

The question is whether Apple, with its huge base of customers and deep pockets, will squash the companies already in the niche, like Dropbox, Box.net and Cx.com. The technology giants Microsoft and Amazon also have similar online storage services.

Maybe Apple will kill them all. But an early look at iCloud, which is supposed to be available sometime in the fall, makes this unlikely. Read more…

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June 6, 2011, 7:41 pm

Sony’s Security Problems Could Take Years to Fix

By NICK BILTON
Screenshot, via the Pirate BayLulzSec, a group of hackers, has attacked Sony several times in the past week and posted the company’s propriety server code online.

It’s been a tough couple of months for Sony. The company’s PlayStation Network was breached by hackers in late April and now several other units of the company have suffered broad security breaches.

In the last week alone, half a dozen Sony Web sites and servers, including some in the United States and Brazil, have been breached. On Monday a group of hackers calling themselves LulzSec posted proprietary Sony source code on file-sharing Web sites.

Although the members of LulzSec have gone after other organizations in the past, including Fox.com and PBS.org, the attacks against Sony have been unrelenting.

“These attacks are a combination of Sony’s lax security and a number of groups being very vigilant about breaking in to show how powerful they can be,” explained Frank Kenney, vice president of global security at Ipswitch, a company used to securely transfer files online. “What Sony has to do is re-examine their entire security system including the type of code they are using and the type of servers; they have to acknowledge that their brand is at stake.” Read more…

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June 6, 2011, 4:25 pm

Apple Sounds the PC Death Knell

By NICK BILTON
Steven P. Jobs iCloudJustin Sullivan/Getty Images Steven P. Jobs discussing iCloud, which will automatically sync photos, videos and music without the need of a PC.

If Steven P. Jobs, Apple’s chief executive, gets his way, the PC could be on its last legs.

For over two years now, Mr. Jobs and other Apple executives have been pushing the concept of a “post-PC era” where most people no longer have, or need, traditional computers and instead engage with the digital world though iPhones, iPods and iPads.

Although the company has been discussing this concept for some time, it has not offered a solution to ditch the PC and go completely mobile. Apple iOS mobile device still needed a PC to transfer or back up music, photos, videos and other files.

Until now, that is.

On Monday, during a presentation in San Francisco to showcase its new software and services, Apple finally began giving people the option to bypass a PC altogether. Read more…

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June 6, 2011, 3:23 pm

Which Apps Are Threatened by Apple’s Upgrades?

By SAM GROBART and JENNA WORTHAM
Among the updates to Apple's OS X operating system was a Safari reading list that works much like Instapaper.Beck Diefenbach/ReutersAmong the updates to Apple’s OS X operating system was a Safari reading list that works much like Instapaper.

How do you know if you’ve created a really great, useful iPhone app? Apple tries to put you out of business.

That may be overstating it, but a number of new features for Apple’s operating systems that it announced at its Worldwide Developers Conference have been available through existing apps and services for some time. Some of those apps are quite popular, and have been lucrative for the people who developed them. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the services and applications that will be living in a changed world thanks to Apple’s new operating systems for Macs and iPhones:

Instapaper and Read It Later: Safari’s new Read Later feature allows you to access Web pages that you have saved for later across multiple iOS devices. You know, like Instapaper. (Update: The creator of Instapaper comments on the announcement.)

Readability: The new Reader mode in Apple’s Safari browser strips down online articles to images and a rolling column of text. Readability basically did the same thing. Read more…

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June 6, 2011, 12:31 pm

Live Blogging Apple’s iCloud Announcement

By MIGUEL HELFT
Steven P. Jobs at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference.Jim Wilson/The New York TimesSteven P. Jobs at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference.

SAN FRANCISCO — At Monday’s Apple Worldwide Developers Conference at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, Apple’s chief executive, Steven P. Jobs, announced upgrades to both the Macintosh and iOS operating systems and unveiled iCloud, a cloud-computing service that will store music, photos and documents remotely, as well as eliminate the need to sync devices to a PC.

Below is a log of posts made from the event as it unfolded. Stay tuned for a new article wrapping up all the news. Read more…

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June 6, 2011, 7:45 am

H.P. Tests Mobile Technology in Fight Against Malaria

By NICK BILTON
DESCRIPTIONHewlett-Packard A nurse in Botswana using a new app on a Palm Pre 2 smartphone to detect and track malaria outbreaks.

For years Hewlett-Packard has been equated with computers and printers. The company is looking to be a player in a new era of mobile health monitoring.

H.P. said on Monday that it was beginning a yearlong clinical trial in Botswana that will equip doctors and nurses with Palm Pre 2 smartphones and an application that is designed to collect information about malaria outbreaks. Read more…

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June 4, 2011, 12:12 am

Sony Admits That Web Site Was Hacked

By THE NEW YORK TIMES

Sony Pictures Entertainment confirmed on Friday that hackers had broken into one or more of its Web sites and said it was taking steps to prevent a recurrence.

In a statement, Michael Lynton, chairman and chief executive, and Amy Pascal, co-chairwoman, said: “We also retained a respected team of experts to conduct the forensic analysis of the attack.”

In addition, the company said it had reported the breach to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

A hacker group calling itself LulzSec claimed responsibility on Thursday for breaking into a Sony site and stealing the personal data of about 52,000 customers. A Sony Pictures Entertainment spokesman said Thursday that the company was “looking into these claims.”

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June 3, 2011, 6:46 pm
Worth Reading: The Mouse Is Dead | 

MG Siegler at the Techcrunch blog lays out the evidence that the computer mouse is dead. He says Apple is leading the way, but his argument gains strength (despite a mixed metaphor) when he points out what Microsoft is doing with its next Windows release.

The mouse. I say it’s dead. Well not dead, dead — yet. But the wheels are clearly in motion. Many disagree. And I thought it was worth bringing up again upon seeing the demo video that Microsoft put out there for Windows 8.

I mean, does anyone still think the mouse isn’t dead?

via Still Think The Mouse Isn’t Dead?.

June 3, 2011, 6:30 pm

Apple Patents Way to Prevent Concert Piracy

By NICK BILTON
Apple Infrared Camerapatentlyapple.com A new Apple patent demonstrates an infrared camera which could automatically disable recording during concerts.

A new Apple patent intended for mobile devices could help the music and film industries stop people from illegally recording a concert or a movie playing in a theater.

The patent describes an invisible infrared sensor integrated into mobile iOS devices with a built-in camera — which includes iPhones, the iPod Touch and iPad 2. As the Apple patent explains, an infrared sensor in a mobile phone could be used to search for another signal that would say whether it is O.K. to activate and record footage with the phone’s camera.

The recording industry could easily use this technology to disable a camera during a music concert by blasting an infrared signal from the stage and in turn disabling an iPhone from recording the concert for purposes of sharing it online, violating copyright laws. Read more…

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June 3, 2011, 6:15 pm

Tetris Expands Beyond Gaming, and Claims a New Record

By NICK BILTON
TetrisTetris will soon be available as themed apparel, Halloween costumers, soup and furniture.

When it began nearly 30 years ago, Tetris quickly became one of the most popular video games sold. Now, the Tetris Company, which owns the Tetris brand, says it plans to expand beyond videogames and soon hopes to introduce dozens of new Tetris-themed products. These will include Tetris branded T-shirts, Halloween costumes, tabletop games, chocolates, candy, waffles, furniture that nests together, and even Tetris soup.

The company also plans to introduce a new version of the game in 3-D for the Nintendo 3DS at the E3 gaming conference in Los Angeles next week.

The plans for the expanded products and the 3-D version of the game were announced in a news release in which the company also said the game broke a new record after people paid for and downloaded Tetris 132 million times on mobile devices. “No title has been able to sell more paid downloads on mobile than Tetris,” the company claimed.

Lisa Linnenkohl, the head of licensing for Tetris, said in a phone interview that the company releases “Tetris on every platform that is out there” including the Apple iPhone and iPad, and Android mobile phones and tablets. Ms. Linnenkohl said the price of Tetris varies on each platform, with downloads costing between $1 and $13 each.

Read more…

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June 3, 2011, 3:55 pm

Group Posts What It Says Are Iranian Government E-Mails

By NICK BILTON
The Pirate BayThousands of e-mails apparently taken from within Iran’s government networks were uploaded to file-sharing Web sites on Friday.

Anonymous, a group of activist computer hackers, posted more than 10,000 e-mails on Friday that it said were taken from Iranian government servers.

Most of the e-mails were related to visa requests for people hoping to enter Iran, with the bulk of the messages being sent from the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to visa-seekers. The group apparently intended the release to demonstrate that it could successfully penetrate Iranian networks.

A file containing the e-mails was originally uploaded to the file-sharing Web site The Pirate Bay and shared freely with the hope that a large number of people would download the messages. Anonymous members later posted the files on dozens of other file-sharing sites, asking people to help distribute and archive the documents. Read more…

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June 2, 2011, 8:45 pm

IPad Rivals Fail to Gain Traction, a Report Says

By NICK BILTON
JPMorgan Chase ReportJPMorgan Chase A report issed by JPMorgan Chase warned of an oversupply of tablet computers.

Technology companies who hoped to outdo the Apple iPad by offering alternate slate-like products are not seeing the demand they hoped for from consumers, according to an analyst’s report issued by JPMorgan Chase.

The report, which was issued on Wednesday, said companies building products to compete with the iPad have slowed production by as much as 10 percent since this time last March. At that time, the report said,  competing tablet companies created 81 million tablets; this year the number has fallen to 73 million.

The report named the list of iPad rivals that have failed to gain traction, including Asustek’s Eee Pad Transformer, Motorola’s Xoom, Research In Motion’s PlayBook, and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab. Although the Eee Pad sold out in stores when it debuted, it is now easily available and in some cases overstocked.

Apple said in March that since the original iPad was introduced in April 2010, the company has sold an estimated 20 million of the devices. That number does not include sales of the iPad 2, which was unveiled this year. The iPad 2 is in extremely high demand, with most Apple stores across the country still sold out on a regular basis.

Analysts have noted that it won’t be easy for competitors to catch up to the iPad, especially because of the head start Apple has in its App Store, which has become a cornerstone of its success.

The author of the report, Mark Moskowitz, has warned in the past of a possible tablet bubble burst, suggesting that a slew of iPad competitors could flood the market and sit there, not tempting customers and leaving a huge oversupply of products.

“We still think a tablet bubble burst could occur later this year,” Mr. Moskowitz wrote in Wednesday’s report, but said the latest reduction of competing products “slightly temper our prior concerns.”

“Non-Apple tablet hopefuls have adjusted to the weak showing so far,” he said.

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From The Times

Countering Video Game Rivals, Nintendo Introduces a Touch-Screen Wii

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Facebook ‘Face Recognition’ Feature Draws Privacy Inquiries

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