Google tries to replace wallets with smartphones

By PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer- Google Inc. is trying to nudge consumers and merchants into a world where the smartphone has replaced the wallet as the container for credit cards, coupons and receipts.

In Google's vision detailed Thursday, shoppers will touch their phone screen to select a card, then tap the phone to a credit-card reader in a store or restaurant. Google would make money by selling coupons and advertising that come along with the experience.

It's a goal shared by others. The Internet search and advertising company faces tough competition from cellphone companies, payment card issuer Visa Inc., eBay Inc.'s PayPal payment service and others. All of them want to play the central role of tying together phones, retailers and banks into a new payment system.

This isn't Google's first attempt at electronic payments. The company, based in Mountain View, Calif., introduced an online payment service called "Checkout" five years ago. It hasn't posed a serious threat to PayPal.

I think this is a very good idea! less things to carry around, all you need is your phone! but if you lose your phone there goes your credit cards...

Internet rules at center of 'e-G8' forum in Paris

By JAMEY KEATEN, Associated Press- France wants better regulation of the Internet. Google's executive chairman says policymakers should tread lightly and avoid "stupid" rules.

Bridging such differences about how the Internet could or should be more regulated took center stage Tuesday at an "e-G8" meeting aimed to parlay the digital world's growing economic clout into a cohesive message for world leaders at the Group of Eight summit later this week in Normandy.

The two-day Paris gathering has brought together Internet and media world gurus such as Google Inc. executive chairman Eric Schmidt, News Corp. Chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch and Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. And the discussion includes issues such as protecting children from "evil stuff" on line, preventing illegal downloading of copyrighted materials and shielding Facebook users from unsolicited invitations.

The e-G8 comes amid concerns in the industry that some countries — including several in Europe such as France — have taken measures or enacted laws that could curb Internet freedoms.

This is not what we need! Law makers need to stay out of the internet! You cant regulate and make laws about it, so go ruin something else. What is your say on Internet laws?

Sony reports $3.2 billion annual loss

TOKYO – written by: By MARI YAMAGUCHI, Associated Press: Sony Corp. is expecting an annual loss of $3.2 billion, reversing its earlier projection of a return to profit, as the electronics giant struggles with production disruptions from Japan's tsunami and a hacker attack on its online gaming service.

The Japanese maker of PlayStation 3 video game machines and Bravia flat-panel TVs said Monday that the projection of a 260 billion yen ($3.2 billion) net loss for the fiscal year ended March 2011 was largely due to writing off 360 billion yen ($4.4 billion) related to a tax credit booked in a previous quarter.

Sony announced the loss ahead of its official earnings announcement Thursday under Tokyo Stock Exchange guidelines. The company had earlier projected a 70 billion yen ($860 million) profit.

Like many other Japanese manufacturers, Sony has been hampered by the production disruptions set off by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that killed more than 25,000 people, destroyed many factories and sent the nation's economic recovery into reverse.

Looks like there might be some set backs for upcoming Sony products. PS4? Doesn't look like its going to be in the near future :(

Its Official, Amazon now sells more e-books than print books

In a major e-book news, Amazon.com announced Thursday that it now consistently sells more Kindle e-books than print books.

Since April 1 of this year, Amazon sold 105 Kindle e-books for every 100 print books sold, hardcover and paperback combined.

Kindle e-book sales, which do not include Amazon's popular free e-book downloads, have been bolstered by the popularity of the newest, cheapest Kindle. The company says the $114 Kindle -- whose price is low because it includes advertising -- is the bestselling Kindle ever.

The original Kindle introduced in November 2007 cost $399.

Amazon also notes that year-to-date sales of Kindle e-books total more than three times those sold in the same period last year. But what those numbers are is not known.

Although Amazon is quick to share news of the popularity of its e-books, it does not make public actual numbers of Kindles sold or e-books sold.

I am actually surprised it took this long for digital books to outsell print books. I think this is very exciting and it will slowly make its way into schools too. What do you think about this?

Sony Playstation Phone??

The Xperia Play as it is called has some truly impressive specs. It doesn't have a dual-core processor, but it has as much RAM as an XBox 360, the standard front-facing camera, and between six and eight hours of talk time. Its screen is almost as sharp as the iPhone's, and it comes with unique Android features, such as Google Voice Search and the latest Google apps.

What makes it a PlayStation phone, though, are its gaming features -- like a slide-out controller with shoulder buttons and analog thumbpads, plus apps that let you buy PlayStation games and access the PlayStation Network. And it's not just 10-year-old classic games that are being featured on the Xperia Play,either; over 60 games are being sold through its built-in store, including exclusives, and the Android Market has its own gaming section.

The problem for Android and PlayStation gamers, though, is that the iPhone has the Xperia Play beat when it comes to exclusive games -- at least games that aren't found on any other smartphones. And while some of these games, like "PopCap's," are coming to Amazon's "Appstore for Android," publishers like Epic Games have held back, according to Gizmodo, for a variety of reasons

Even companies that develop games for both platforms typically write for the iPhone first, and for Android much later (if at all). Square-Enix's called "Chaos Rings," that is an iPhone/iPod/iPad exclusive.

I really do like this concept but i think its a bit much for a phone. I dont see this as a threat to the I-Phone at all. What is you opinion on this? Would you buy it?

One in 14 Downloads Is Malicious

The next time a website says to download new software to view a movie or fix a problem, think twice. There's a pretty good chance that the program is malicious.

In fact, about one out of every 14 programs downloaded by Windows users turns out to be malicious, Microsoft said Tuesday. And even though Microsoft has a feature in its Internet Explorer browser designed to steer users away from unknown and potentially untrustworthy software, about 5 percent of users ignore the warnings and download malicious Trojan horse programs anyway.

Five years ago, it was pretty easy for criminals to sneak their code onto computers. There were plenty of browser bugs, and many users weren't very good at patching. But since then, the cat-and-mouse game of Internet security has evolved: Browsers have become more secure, and software makers can quickly and automatically push out patches when there's a known problem.

So increasingly, instead of hacking the browsers themselves, the bad guys try to hack the people using them. It's called social engineering, and it's a big problem these days. "The attackers have figured out that it's not that hard to get users to download Trojans," said Alex Stamos, a founding partner with Isec Partners, a security consultancy that's often called in to clean up the mess after companies have been hacked.

Social engineering is how the Koobface virus spreads on Facebook. Users get a message from a friend telling them to go and view a video. When they click on the link, they're then told that they need to download some sort of video playing software in order to watch. That software is actually a malicious program.

Watch out next time your downloading something, you don't want these hackers ruining your computer!

Eee Pad tablet transforms into laptop!

The tablet computers that compete with the iPad have mostly been uninspiring. The Eee Pad Transformer stands out with a design that isn't just copied from the iPad: It's a tablet that turns into a laptop.

For $399, $100 less than the cheapest iPad, you get a tablet computer with a 10-inch screen and hardware that doesn't cut corners. It's fully usable on its own. For another $149, you can buy a keyboard that connects to the tablet. Together, they look and open like a small laptop.

The Transformer is made by Asustek Computer Inc., the Taiwanese company that started the brief "netbook" craze a few years ago by selling small, inexpensive laptops. With the keyboard attached, the Transformer is nearly indistinguishable from a netbook.

Is this the I-Pad killer? I think this is a very smart concept but not sure it will catch on. Do you think it will?