Tokyo

Computer infections with viruses by way of USB flash memory drives are spreading in Japan, according to a Trend Micro Inc. survey released Saturday.

Based on the finding, the Tokyo-based virus-scanning software company called on PC users to take precautions when sharing data with others via USB memory sticks.

A USB flash memory drive is a portable data-storage device that has become popular as an alternative to a floppy disk.

Two researchers have opened a new can of worms that could let hackers wreak havoc on network managers.

Erik Tews and Martin Beck say they have found a way to crack the widely used Wireless Protection Access (WPA), a standard supported by the Wi-Fi Alliance and currently used to secure wireless computer networks. The researchers say they have specifically cracked the Temporal Key Integrated Protocol (a set of algorithms used by WPA), a feat that had been considered nearly impossible.

Industrial conglomerate Siemens AG is poised to sell its 50-percent stake in the joint venture Fujitsu Siemens Computers to Japan's Fujitsu Group, two people familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Monday.

Siemens has been contemplating a sale of its half in the joint venture at least since August. Chief Executive Peter Loescher said then that the company was in talks with Fujitsu about the fate of the unit, which makes personal computers and laptops and posted sales of 6.6 billion euros but a pretax profit of just 105 million euros last year.

Electronic Arts Inc. is turning to online games to boost its limited presence in Asia, the Asia president of the U.S. video game maker said Tuesday.

EA's main business in the West comes from packaged games software for consoles and personal computers, but online games are more popular in Asia, EA President for Asia Jon Niermann told The Associated Press in an interview.

"It's night and day," Niermann.

Niermann was attending the launch of "Need for Speed Undercover," which features a character played by actress Maggie Q.

Later this week, Nintendo will hold its annual fall conference and product presentation, with simultaneous press conferences in Tokyo and San Francisco. Thanks to the Japanese Nikkei news outlet, rumors are swirling that the company is planning to announce an updated version of the Nintendo DS equipped with a camera and music-playing capabilities.

The iPhone may not be selling as fast in Japan as it is in the United States, but a Japanese language application is proving to be a big hit with iPhone owners.

Until now, if you wanted to learn Japanese using technology, you'd resort to electronic dictionaries. Or, if you were running a recent version of Windows, you could download the Global Input Method Editor from Microsoft.

Mitsubishi is working to make recycling e-waste more efficient through a new technology announced last week.

The Vendyak

Justin E. H. Smith

The Vendyak

Justin E. H. Smith

The Vendyak

Justin E. H. Smith