LITTLE ROCK — Microsoft adds apps to standard phones
SEATTLE - Microsoft Corp. is giving people with regular cell phones access to the same kinds of programs that smart phone owners have embraced.
Microsoft's OneApp software, announced last week, is aimed at developing countries where so-called "feature phones" and prepaid systems are prevalent.
Microsoft's first partner is Blue Label Telecoms Group of South Africa, which sells prepaid cell phone minutes. In a few weeks, Blue Label customers can to download OneApp just as they would a new ringtone. OneApp will come with a preselected set of about a dozen programs including Facebook, Twitter and the software maker's own Windows Live Messenger.
Because many phones have limited storage, OneApp stores some information on central servers rather than the device and sends it out only when necessary.
Future wireless partners will be able to pick different programs to distribute with OneApp, Microsoft said. In that sense, OneApp isn't quite an "app store," a central shop for mobile users to pick which apps they download.
IBM report notes drop in phishing e-mails
SAN FRANCISCO - A report released last week by IBM Corp. shows a big drop in the volume of "phishing" e-mails, in which fraud artists send what looks like a legitimate message from a bank or some other company. If the recipients click on a link in a phishing e-mail, they land on a rogue Web site that captures their passwords, account numbers and other information.
IBM's midyear security report found phishing accounted for 0.1 percent of spam in the first six months of this year. In the same period in 2008, phishing made up 0.2 percent to 0.8 percent of spam.
It's not clear what the decline means. (It also doesn't appear to be a statistical illusion caused by an increase in other kinds of spam. IBM said overall spam volume hasn't expanded, like it did in years past.)
"That is a huge, precipitous decline in the amount of phishing," said Kris Lamb, director of the X-Force research team in IBM's Internet Security Systems division, which did the report. But "I wouldn't tell anybody that phishing has died as a threat."
Lamb believes phishing might have fallen off because computer users are getting smarter about identifying phony Web sites. Security software is also getting better at filtering out phishing sites before Web surfers ever seen them.
Accidental data fees irk wireless users
NEW YORK - Verizon Wireless is looking into ways to prevent subscribers without data plans from accidentally starting up the Web browser on their phones and racking up $1.99 in fees each time.
On many phones, it's easy to inadvertently bring up the Web browser.
"It is obvious to us that we need to fix this aspect of our service," spokesman Tom Pica said.
He said the company is refunding data charges to subscribers who complain.
Customers of the No. 2 carrier, AT&T Inc., have the same problem. Phones will usually warn of extra charges the first time they try to start up the company's MediaNet browser, but if the customer agrees to the charges, there is no warning on subsequent access.
Customers at Tracfone Wireless, the largest prepaid carrier, report similar problems.
Most carriers will turn off all data access at the subscriber's request, but readers The Plain Dealer newspaper in Cleveland talked to reported conflicting information from Verizon Wireless, with some being told that turning off data access would also stop picture messaging.
High-end Xbox 360 price drops by $100
NEW YORK - Microsoft Corp. has slashed the price of the high-end Xbox 360 console by $100, matching Sony's recent $100 price cut for the PlayStation 3.
Now, both the Xbox 360 Elite and the PS3 cost $299. The price cuts in both cases are worldwide.
Microsoft has had three versions of its Xbox 360 available at three different prices. It also said it is phasing out the mid-range, Pro, version of the console. It is available for $249, down from $299.
The cheapest Xbox, the Arcade, which comes without a hard drive, still costs $199.
The price cuts were effective Friday, said David Dennis, a spokesman for Microsoft.
Video game companies hope the price cuts will re-ignite sales in time for the Christmas rush. For the bulk of this year, the industry has suffered from weak sales - hurt by the recession and lackluster game release schedules, which have kept consumers waiting to spend money on new titles.
The announcement from Microsoft leaves only Nintendo Co.
without a price cut for the fall, at least for now. The Wii has cost $250 since its launch nearly three years ago.
Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft has sold more than 31.4 million of the Xbox 360 machines globally, compared with 23.7 million PS3 machines sold by Sony Corp. and 52.6 million Wiis.
Business, Pages 22 on 08/31/2009