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Anonymous Attacked; 25B App Store Downloads; iPad 3 Pricing

Making news over the weekend: Anonymous members were duped into downloading malware, Apple hits 25 billion app downloads, and the next-gen iPad to be unveiled this week could be the same price as the iPad 2.

By PCMag Staff
March 5, 2012

Topping tech headlines over the weekend, members of the hacktivist group Anonymous were alongside one of their distributed denial of service (DDoS) tools, according to a new report from Symantec. The malware was capable of stealing users' online banking credentials, webmail credentials, and cookies.

Also, Apple on Saturday announced that its App Store had . Apple instructed users to visit the official "25 billion app countdown" site at a later date to see who will be taking home the $10,000 App Store gift card for installing the 25 billionth app.

Meanwhile, only a scant few days remain before Apple's big reveal of its iPad 3 – or the iPad HD, or whatever it plans to call the new tablet. While there's been some talk that Apple might jump the price of its new iPad anywhere from $70 to $80 over the launch price of the iPad 2, new leaked information indicates that . And, Apple's pre-existing Smart Covers for the iPad 2 , but additional tapering of the edges on the newer iPads allegedly means that some iPad 2 covers might no longer fit the newer tablet.

Also making headlines over the weekend:

  • : The new Windows 8 versions appear to include "Enterprise," "Home Basic," "Home Premium," and "Professional," among others.
  • : The set-top console could compete directly against Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3.
  • : The new "upgrade" allows users to superimpose funny little masks over their faces – you know, just like the feature that comes with just about any webcam software under the sun nowadays.
  • : Don't worry – the outage isn't unforeseen.
  • : Google's allegedly working on a virtual assistant for Android that would allow users to "accomplish real-life goals" in a manner presumably similar to the voice commands iPhone 4S owners enjoy.
  • : The password problem is just one of the security issues businesses are running up against in an increasingly hostile cyber-world.
  • : The company will shut down production of the Volt from March 19 until April 23, idling 1,300 workers at its Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant.