Tech Sightings, July 9, 2014

Posted July 9th, 2014 at 2:24 pm (UTC-4)
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Apple Loses China Patent Case, Separate Suit Against Apple Continues

A Beijing court upheld the validity of a patent held by a Chinese company, which is now cleared to pursue an infringement case against Apple. Apple went to court to argue that Zhizhen Internet Technology and China’s State Intellectual Property Office had invalid patents to a speech recognition technology.

Samsung’s Race to the Bottom

In the highly-congested Android devices market, Samsung has to fight for market share against a whole host of competitors, while Apple only competes with itself. Samsung’s declining revenues already reflect this state of affairs.

Mt. Gox CEO Selling Bitcoins.Com, Will Give Some Proceeds to Burned Investors

The CEO of the bankrupt Mt. Gox bitcoin exchange is putting his information site Bitcoins.com up for sale. The U.S.-based auction house Heritage Auctions will auction off the wesite on July 24 with $185,000 as an opening bid. The site could be sold for as much as $750,000.

Evolving Zeus Malware Used in Targeted Email Attacks

Researchers at Websense Security Labs have uncovered variants of Zeus strains that use Windows Program Information Files or “PIF” extensions to steal user data. The new variants are being used in email campaigns to target financial information.

The Best Way to Completely Wipe Your Android Device

Did you just buy a new Android phone? Chances are your personal data is still stored on the old one you gave away. Security software vendor Avast says personal data erased using Android’s built-in factory reset options can be retrieved using readily available tools. Here are a few steps you can take to protect yourself.

Quitting Facebook for 99 Days: An Experiment in Digital Happiness

A Netherlands-based advertising agency has launched a campaign called 99 Days of Freedom, asking respondents who leave Facebook for 99 days to document how their abstinence affects their lives.

Microsoft Bing’s Prediction Technology Is 13-0 in World Cup Knockout Round

Microsoft Bing did not get a perfect score in predicting results of the early stages of the World Cup. It successfully picked 60 percent of the winning teams early on. But its recent prediction of a 13-0 German win over Brazil was impressive. And, yes, Bing now has a prediction for the next big game between Argentina and the Netherlands …

Aida Akl
Aida Akl is a journalist working on VOA's English Webdesk. She has written on a wide range of topics, although her more recent contributions have focused on technology. She has covered both domestic and international events since the mid-1980s as a VOA reporter and international broadcaster.

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