Windows phone Nokia spell a challenge for Apple

iPhones and Android phones seem to be everywhere I look in Silicon Valley. The future is obvious, isn't it? IPhone, Android and no one else. They will form an exclusive duo in smartphones, just as Windows and Mac have in personal computers.

Make way, however, for Windows Phone. Yes, Windows Phone. Despite Microsoft's multiple, abject failures with mobile phones since 2002, many software developers and industry watchers expect Microsoft to become the second-largest smartphone player worldwide.

The evidence isn't visible today, nor will it appear anytime soon. Even at year's end, Android will have a 39.5 per cent share of smartphones worldwide, according to projections from IDC, the research firm. Symbian - used by Nokia, though it is not a major presence in the United States - would be second, at 20.9 per cent, while Apple's iOS, the software that powers the iPhone, would be third, at 15.7. Windows Phone 7 and its predecessor, Windows Mobile, would be far behind, at 5.5 per cent.

These rankings are likely to change thanks to one player, Nokia, which has seen its market share shrink in the United States. It has formed an alliance with Microsoft and will switch from Symbian to Windows Phone software on its smartphones.

As a result, according to IDC predictions for 2015, Windows Phone 7 will occupy second place, at 20.9 per cent of the market, ahead of iOS, which is projected to stay near 15 per cent. BlackBerry, then as now, would be No. 4.

Software to transfer files by just touching screens

Transferring files from one computer to another is a major pain.

Now, you can just pick up stuff from one machine and put in the other - thanks to a programme developed by an Indian-origin scientist of the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Pranav Mistry has developed a programme, called 'Sparsh', that lets you transfer files from one device to another by simply touching the screen.

"The user touches a data item they wish to copy from a device, conceptually saving it in the user's body," New Scientist quoted him as saying.

"Next, the user touches the other device to which they want to paste the saved content," he added.

The first touch copies the item to a temporary file in either a Dropbox or an FTP account. The second touch retrieves the data.

This requires both devices to be running the software and for a user to be signed into their Dropbox or FTP account.

Malicious attack hits a million Web pages

More than one million website pages have been hit by a sophisticated hacking attack that injects code into sites that redirect users to a fraudulent software sales operation.

The so-called "mass-injection" attack, which experts say is the largest of its kind ever seen, has managed to insert malicious code into websites by gaining access to the servers running the databases behind the Internet, according to the technology security company that discovered it.

Websense, which first found evidence of the attack earlier this week, has called it 'LizaMoon,' after the site to which the malicious code first directed its researchers.

Users can see that they are being redirected when they attempt to visit an infected address, and can close the window with no ill effects, said Patrik Runald , a senior manager of security research at Websense.

The attack has largely affected small websites so far, he said, with no evidence that popular corporate or government websites have been compromised.

If users do not close the window after typing an infected address, or clicking an infected link, they are redirected to a page showing a warning from 'Windows Stability Center' -- posing as a Microsoft Corp security product -- that there are problems with their computer and they are urged to pay for software to fix it.

Google foe won't take 'no' on Buzz cash

An internet privacy group that prodded US regulators to scrutinize Google Inc is miffed about getting cut out of a class action settlement over the search behemoth's Buzz social network.

The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) objected to the settlement in a court filing this week, claiming Google and others decided to fund groups already benefiting from the company's largesse.

EPIC, led by prominent privacy advocate Marc Rotenberg , filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission last year, saying Buzz threatened the privacy of Gmail users. Google settled with the FTC on Wednesday and agreed to independent privacy audits.

Google also agreed last year to resolve a separate class action lawsuit brought by a Gmail user. Part of that deal provided for more than $6 million to be distributed to groups advocating for internet privacy issues.

EPIC requested $1.75 million and while Google and plaintiff lawyers doled out money to groups like the American Civil Liberties Union , the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Brookings Institution , EPIC did not get a cent. A federal judge will have to sign off on the disbursement plan.

Govt plans energy efficiency labels for mobile phone chargers

Soon, you will be able to know how energy efficient your mobile phone charger is.

The Power Ministry is preparing to introduce energy labelling system for mobile phone chargers, as part of its efforts to promote energy conservation.

"We are working on introducing star (energy) labelling system for mobile phone chargers. It will be voluntary (for the makers of chargers) in the beginning and later, we plan to make it mandatory," a senior Power Ministry official said.

The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), under the Power Ministry, implements the Standards & Labelling programme. The energy efficiency labelling is aimed to reduce energy consumption of appliances.

A top BEE official said that energy efficiency labelling for mobile phone charges would be introduced "relatively soon".