spying

LAS VEGAS --Being fond of movies in which people aren't what they seem, I was moved to hear that there are spies at CES 2012.

I had already been suspicious, as--being one who stares at people's names and companies on their badges--I saw more than one person yesterday whose employer was "U.S. Government."

However, there is allegedly a whole troop of spies out here, sniffing around everything: employees of Apple.

Paid Content, for example, bumped into Apple's Head of iOS marketing Greg Joswiak yesterday. He allegedly sported a "sheepish grin."

I have … Read more

Most IT professionals are fine human beings, especially as they often hold the workings of modern capitalists gently within their hands.

However, as in any profession, there are rogues who wish to use their skills for nefarious ends.

A story has reached me of one such gentleman. I won't betray his place of employment, save to say that it is in a large corporation in New York.

I will, though, betray his simple method of, well, amusing himself. He takes pictures of the ladies in his office with his watch. His gentlemanliness is such that he takes these pictures … Read more

Patricia Dunn, the former chairman of Hewlett-Packard who resigned five years ago after acknowledging she approved a plan to spy on board members and journalists, has died, according to a published report.

William Jahnke, Dunn's husband, confirmed her death in an interview with The Wall Street Journal today and later said that Dunn died Sunday of ovarian cancer. She was 58.

HP provided a statement: "Pattie Dunn worked tirelessly for the good of HP. We are saddened by the news of her passing, and our thoughts go out to her family on their loss."

Dunn is likely … Read more

You probably know that keyloggers are programs that capture a computer user's keystrokes, most often surreptitiously. As the name suggests, IwantSoft's Free Keylogger is a freeware keylogging app. It can track and record keystrokes, clipboard activity, and Net surfing on individual PCs or networks (with administrative access) without users being able to see it or disable it. Of course, you need access to a user's PC to install Free Keylogger, and there are ethical and potential legal issues involved when you monitor someone else's computer use. But for parents who need to know what their kids … Read more

It seems that the Cleveland mall operator who last week declared it was tracking mall shoppers in California and Virginia via their cell phones has had a change of, perhaps, heart.

CNN reports that Forest City Commercial Management might have been encouraged to change its mind, heart, and attitude by a phone call from the office of Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY).

The phone call might have directly relayed the substance of a press conference the senator gave on Sunday.

In it, he suggested that perhaps a more polite way to go about these things was to ask shoppers if they'… Read more

SAN JOSE, Calif.--More than four and a half years after a California judge effectively dismissed criminal charges against the major players in Hewlett-Packard's spying scandal, federal prosecutors are bringing the case back to life.

A father-and-son team of private investigators went before a judge today in the U.S. District Court in San Jose intending to plead guilty on charges relating to HP's controversial probe of boardroom leaks to journalists, which took place in late 2005 and early 2006.

Matthew DePante, 32, and his father Joseph DePante, 64, were arraigned last week on charges of conspiring to … Read more

Depending on your opinion of Hyundai's Fluidic Sculpture design language, the 2013 Genesis Coupe is either about to get a lot better-looking or much worse.

On the automaker's Korean-language blog, the clearest shots yet of the next iteration of the sportiest Hyundai can be found. The frontal shot clearly shows off the new, more Veloster-like front end that we got a blurry look at some time ago. LED fog lamps are also visible in the shot beneath the ornate headlamps.

A rear shot showcases a new spoiler, new organically styled taillamps, and what looks like sensors for a … Read more

A father-and-son team of private investigators was charged in federal court last week on charges of conspiracy to commit Social Security fraud in connection with Hewlett-Packard's 2006 spying scandal, a court representative confirmed today.

The charges filed Thursday against Matthew DePante and his father, Joseph DePante, in U.S. District Court in San Jose, Calif., stem from allegations that HP had indirectly hired their Florida-based private investigation firm, Action Research Group--a subcontractor to another firm--to probe boardroom leaks to journalists, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

In what evolved into an embarrassing boardroom drama, HP came under fire for … Read more

Euclid Elements today is unveiling a product that lets storeowners know exactly how many people walk into--or even pass by--their shops on the sidewalk or in the parking lot.

The company, based in Palo Alto, Calif., also snagged $5.8 million in first-round of venture funding.

The idea, in short, is to give merchants the sort of visibility into customer behavior that's long been available for websites owners: How many people come in your store? How long do they stay? How many came by but didn't enter?

Call it innovative. Call it powerful. Just don't call it … Read more