At a conference in Las Vegas focused on technology's security and vulnerabilities, a report came out that there is an Android application that gathers personal information about your phone and sends it to China. Researchers found that this wallpaper application sends "the phone’s SIM card number, subscriber identification, and even your voicemail password, as long as it is programmed automatically into your phone. " 

Machines around the world are safer, thanks to Internet Explorer 8. Microsoft's latest browser has blocked over 1 billion attempts of malware to download itself on to systems. This is thanks to its Smartscreen filter that continually updates its database with addresses of known malware sites. 

Both Walmart and Best Buy are planning on releasing sub $300 laptops just in time for school. Are these Compaq laptops worth purchasing for business? Reviews have been positive, but also know that these systems are great if you just want to do internet work or some basic Office work. Anything more than that, and you should look at better solutions.

Keeping up to date on many different news outlets (online and television), one occasionally finds an interesting nugget of gold. This website, www.billtiger.com, allows you to save your home AND business money. How? You enter your phone (land and cell), internet, and/or television (cable and satellite) bills and they will work with the provider in lowering your service charges without your intervention at all. They are not a bill collector or debt reduction service. You pay NOTHING unless they can save you over $100 and then they only charge you $50. Many people claim they have saved their home and businesses hundreds of dollars a month. They are posted with the Better Business Bureau and Verisign so your information is safe.

This month marks the last patches available for Windows 2000 and Windows XP Service Pack 2 systems. People and businesses will need to upgrade to XP Service Pack 3 or above to continue to receive patches and avoid any malicious attacks on their systems. Microsoft reports that it will be stopping the Bing Cashback service and other programs and services in its huge realm.

There are rumors swirling that Blackberry, facing challenges from Apple and Google in the Smartphone world, is fighting back with a possible Tablet release in 2011. The possible 7" touchscreen tablet would include cameras on the front and back for video conferencing and use Flash.

A new scam has emerged in England that could find its way to America. You may receive a phone call from someone claiming they are from Microsoft and they detected a virus on your system. You will need to pay money (in England its 185 pounds) to go to a website and download a program to "remove" the virus. The website looks authenticate with Microsoft and McAfee approving of it. These are not legitimate and will not only drain you of your money, but the software could leave you open to other scams or actually infecting your computer with malware.

At Renascence IT Consulting, Inc. we look out for scams and malignant software that threaten to cost your company money and time. If you ever need an opinion (or second opinion) on hardware, software, or anything else IT-related, don't hesitate to call or email us. Trust is a hard commodity in the business world, but once established, can be profitable for both companies in the long run.

More on the scam:

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/security/359233/the-unstoppable-tech-support-scam

For those of you who had AT&T Wireless accounts before 2004 might be able to collect money under a claim that the company billed for unauthorized charges, billed minutes under the wrong billing period, and failed to tell customers about some charges.