Netflix has agreed to pay $9 million to settle a suit over its illegally long retention of customer rental records. It is now redoubling efforts to get law changed that keeps it from posting to Facebook lists of the things its customers are renting right now.

The Windows 8 beta will be available by the end of February, and Microsoft has given much thought into optimizing it to run well not just on desktops and laptops, but also on tablets and even smartphones. Part of making an operating system friendly for mobile devices is making it power-conscious, able to do everything you want while using as little power as possible.

It seems like the recent release of Kinect for Windows has caused a resurgence in Kinect hacks over the last few days. The official Microsoft SDK makes it easier than ever to come up with interesting new uses for the depth-sensing camera system, and now there's a Kinect hack you can play with from the comfort of your own home without even buying a Kinect.

An update to the Google Earth ocean-floor-mapping algorithm eliminates what some suspected might be the mythical Atlantis

Did you happen to pick up a HP TouchPad, but wish you'd been among the select few with the gadget running Android instead? Since the accidental Android drama, HP has decided to release the kernel and General Public License (GPL) for its tablet, much to the joy of the hacking community.

Members of Anonymous are claiming credit for a DDOS attack that took down CIA.gov about 3:10 p.m. ,Eastern time. Few other details are available, but it's likely the attack is related to the massive retaliatory strike Anonymous launched in the wake of the MegaUpload raids.

As part of an effort to get the American public involved in the search for terrorists, the FBI has distributed lists warning how a terrorist might behave in each of 25 different types of business. Some are good indicators; most are so generic anyone could be tapped as a terrorist.

We're a week or two (depending on what you pre-ordered) away from the launch of the Playstation Vita, but gamers seem determined to be angry with Sony no matter what they do.

Since Microsoft shared the first obscure hints of expanding the architecture horizon to include running Windows 8 on ARM processors, there has been rampant speculation and anticipation of what that will really mean when the OS finally launches. Microsoft's Steven Sinofsky is providing some more clarity about Windows 8 on ARM (WOA), including the fact that it will have Metro-styled "Office 15" apps.

Microsoft is betting big on Windows 8. But will the immense promotional efforts the software giant is putting behind the latest Windows OS pay off? CIO.com's Rob Enderle handicaps the high-stakes game Redmond is playing.

A report from viaForensics makes clear that Google Wallet, despite efforts by Google to tighten up security after a poor evaluation in December, still stores data in too many places and could make it available too easily to be a secure way to buy things using smartphones.

Faced with declining attendance and revenue numbers, the Apache Software Foundation is seeking to hand off management of one of its semi-annual ApacheCon events.