Editor’s Note: Related tickers: Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM), Baidu.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU)
Apple fixing security flaw to prevent hacking in iPhones, iPads (FinancialExpress)
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)‘s next software update for its iPhones and iPads will fix a security flaw that allows hackers to engage in spying and cyber crimes when the victim connects the device to a fake charging station, the company said on Wednesday. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s devices are vulnerable to attacks until the company releases its iOS 7 software update, which is slated for this fall. Three computer scientists, who alerted Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) to the problem earlier this year, demonstrated the security vulnerability at the Black Hat hacking convention in Las Vegas on Wednesday where some 7,000 security professionals are learning about the latest threats posed by computer hacking.
Google’s Motorola unveils Moto X phone (AsianAge)
Motorola on Thursday unveiled a new smartphone that consumers can personalize with a choice of colors and materials, hoping to stand out in a crowded market and justify the $12.5 billion that Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) paid for the ailing handset maker. The highly anticipated “Moto X” marks the cellphone maker’s first flagship device since Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) bought the company in 2012, and is its latest attempt to break into a smartphone market dominated by Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Samsung Electronics. The phone’s customization options are a novel touch which may appeal to fashionistas, analysts said.
One is dead, and the other has long since departed the corporate world for charitable pursuits. The rivalry between Steve Jobs and Bill Gates that dominated the computer industry for decades is over. And it’s clear that Gates won. With his net worth of $66 billion, Gates still sits atop the Forbes 400 list of richest Americans, as he has since 1995. Founding the most successful technology company in the world has its rewards. In fact, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s victory over Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) was so decisive that current CEO Steve Ballmer and third co-founder Paul Allen, sitting on $16 billion and $15 billion, respectively, are substantially wealthier than Jobs’ widow, who must subsist on a mere $11 billion.
Exxon Mobil Relinquishes Biggest Company Crown to Apple (Equities)
Shares of Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) are down nearly 2 percent in afternoon trading on Thursday, accelerating losses from the last six days after hitting an all-time high of $95.49 on July 23. At $92, shares are off by 3.6 percent from those highs. With the slide in Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) value and recent appreciation in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), the gas and oil behemoth and tech giant have once again flip-flopped positions as the world’s most valuable company, with the iPhone maker re-assuming the position as king. This morning, Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) released its estimated results from the second quarter, showing its smallest quarterly profit in three years.
Google unplugs its India Music Service (MediaMughals)
Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) has recently closed its music service in India in less than three years after its launch. The news comes in as the tech giant Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) has been fusing its product and services, a program that it began in 2011. Earlier this year, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) has also closed down services such as the Google Reader that permitted people to keep tabs on their preferred websites; the Building Maker that was used for creating three-dimensional building models for Google Earth and maps; and the voice app for Blackberry, in the middle of others.
Download Crackdown and Dead Rising 2 Free in August with Games with Gold Program (BioGamerGirl)
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has announced the next lineup of games Xbox LIVE Gold Members will receive for free as part of the Games with Gold program. Players can currently download a free copy of the hit game Crackdown, and beginning on August 16, 2013, players will be able to download the two games Dead Rising 2 and Dead Rising: Case Zero free of charge. Crackdown saw success during the earlier years of the Xbox 360 with an open world adventure that featured exciting cooperative gameplay with players dealing out justice as a futuristic police squad.
