bug

Google Doodle celebrates Franz Kafka with a cockroach

Google's latest Doodle is a bit buggy, but not in the usual way.

Displaying a giant hard-working cockroach walking through the door, the Doodle pays tribute to famed German-language author Franz Kafka, who was born on July 3, 1883. The bug refers to one of Kafka's most unusual works, namely "The Metamorphosis," the tale of a traveling salesman who was one day turned into a big bug, typically thought to be a cockroach.

As an English translation of the book puts it: "One morning, when Gregor Samsa awoke from his troubled dreams, he found himself … Read more

Microsoft rolls out first Windows 8.1 bug fixes

The Windows 8.1 Preview has received its first set of bug fixes less than a week after its debut.

Rolled out Tuesday, the six updates address several issues, two of which are rated important and four rated as recommended items.

One of the important updates is simply a virus definition update for Windows Defender, the default security program for Windows 8 and 8.1. The other update improves the compatibility between Windows 8.1 and several third-party programs, such as AutoCAD, Parallels Desktop, Norton security software, and AVG Internet Security.

Among the four recommended updates, the first one fixes … Read more

Apple invites some MacBook Air owners to test Wi-Fi fix

Apple is asking certain MacBook Air owners for help in resolving a Wi-Fi bug.

Released in early June, the new 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Airs come with the latest version of Wi-Fi, namely 802.11ac. However, some people who bought the new models have complained of lost wireless connections. After investigating the issue, Apple has been providing affected users with replacement Airs and now has a new fix ready for field testing.

MacBook Air owners invited to check out the MacBook Air WiFi Update 1.0 fix have received the following message, according to 9to5Mac:

You have been selected to … Read more

More to watch on Apple TV

CNET Update streams on:

In this episode of Update:

- Access HBO and ESPN programming on Apple TV (that is, unless you have DirecTV).

- Share your emoticons with the Facebook iOS update.

- Catch up on the latest in the NSA saga, as Google challenges the DOJ's gag order.

- Keep an eye out for Sony's fix to the buggy PS3 update.

- Consider the Following: Bill Nye the Science Guy has an iOS app.

CNET Update delivers the tech news you need in under three minutes. Watch Bridget Carey every afternoon for a breakdown of the … Read more

Microsoft offers up a bounty for finding bugs in beta

Microsoft on Wednesday announced it will launch a "bug bounty" program, designed to stamp out security vulnerabilities in its software before and after its products are launched.

The software giant has previously offered as much as $250,000 for security vulnerabilities disclosed as part of its BlueHat prize during contests, but the company had yet to offer a long-term, ongoing bug bounty program to encourage researchers to find flaws in its products.

"This is the smartest thing we can do," Katie Moussouris, senior security strategist lead at Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC), told ZDNet on the … Read more

Chromebooks land at more retail stores

CNET Update is charging up:

In this episode of Update:

- Before you buy that cheap Chromebook at Walmart, learn if you can live with it.

- Don't be surprised if your kid starts using a Surface RT tablet at school.

- Chip in for the new group Amazon Birthday Gift on Facebook.

- Avoid a Z10 security breach with the latest BlackBerry 10.1 update.

- Watch how AT&T's solar charging stations work in New York City.

CNET Update delivers the tech news you need in under three minutes. Watch Bridget Carey every afternoon for … Read more

Time Machine corruption bug may prevent backups

A bug apparently exists in Apple's Time Machine backup routines in Mountain Lion that can prevent recent backups from being used for a full restore.

By default, Time Machine mirrors the entire boot drive of an OS X system, and should update on an hourly basis to keep the backups current with changes to your system. By combining hard links to old backups along with new backup data, it quickly creates a full representation of your system by copying only changed files to the backup.

In this sense, in its default configuration each backup represented in Time Machine should … Read more

Google Maps for iOS auto-dimming is driving users crazy

The latest version of Google's Maps software for Apple's iOS includes an undocumented feature that dims the screen between navigation instructions in order to save the battery, but instead it's driving users batty.

The feature was designed to save battery life between navigation directions, something that can be very useful during long trips when an iPhone is not plugged into a power source. In fact, Google quietly added the feature inside of an update nine weeks ago after users complained that the initial version of the software was slurping up too much juice on road trips.

Users … Read more

Intel confirms USB bug in 'Haswell' chipset

Intel confirmed a USB bug in its next-generation "Haswell" chipset.

The bug can cause USB (Universal Serial Bus) 3.0 devices, like thumb drives, to disappear after entering standby. In some cases, removable devices have to be reconnected again, according to a report at BSN.

The company issued the following statement this afternoon. The bug, in Intel parlance, is referred to as an "errata." The chipset is silicon that accompanies the main Haswell processor:

4th gen Core is on track for a midyear launch. Intel issued a PCN (Product Change Notification) documenting a chipset USB errata … Read more

iPhone hack can bypass password

Thursday's CNET Update is reliving the '90s:

Apple is addressing two iOS bugs mentioned in today's tech news roundup. But one isn't so much a "bug" as it is an exploit to bypass a lock-screen passcode through a series of steps. Once bypassed, it's possible to make calls and listen to voice mail messages. Another fix is coming for those that use Exchange Sync. Some iOS 6.1 users were seeing batteries drain faster because it was excessively communicating with Exchange servers.

Also in today's report:

- Research firm IDC breaks down which smartphones dominated … Read more