TechTalk: Exploring the Latest Technology News, Updates, Reviews, and Gossip

If you’re worried that China will grow to one day rule all things and become the world’s biggest and most feared superpower, it probably doesn’t help to know that a computer security firm published a report that states hundreds of terabytes of governmental and industrial data have been stolen by a single Chinese hacker unit. Computer security firm Mandiant claims that a single hacker unit of the People’s Liberation Army, dubbed Unit 61398, is a prolific hacking force with which to be reckoned, accounting for hundreds of terabytes of stolen data tracing all the way back to 2006. Of course, China’s Defense Ministry denied the reports of a government-backed hacking unit, and said Mandiant’s accusations were unprofessional — not that a government would willingly own up to clandestine security missions that could conceivably start a war with another country of significant power. Mandiant claims it released the report in an effort to “arm and prepare” security experts in the face o...

MOSCOW - In the Soviet days, Russians asked their American friends to bring blue jeans, rock records and other Western goods into the country. Today Russians can buy almost anything they want here — but they are still begging for one item: Apple Inc.'s slick iPhone. The new iPhone went on sale in 21 countries July 11 and will soon be released in 70 nations. Officially, Russia and China are still on hold — neither last year's original iPhone nor the updated model have been launched in those countries because Apple is still negotiating with mobile service providers. And yet analysts estimate that only the U.S. has more iPhone users than Russia and China. In both countries, the device enjoys super-exclusive status, thanks to a thriving market for "unlocked" iPhones adapted for local use. Even Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has been seen using one. Moscow and Beijing have become an iPhone trader's paradise. Russian Web sites were offering the new 3G iPhone for abou...

China launched a second weather satellite on Tuesday to help improve forecasts for this August's Beijing Olympics, state media reported. The 2,295-kg satellite Fengyun-3 will provide mid-range forecasts over 10 to 15 days, Xinhua news agency reported. Detailed weather predictions are important because climatic conditions can have a major impact on Beijing's attempts to rid the skies of pollution fo r the Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said that some endurance events might have to be shifted if the air quality is not good enough and the earlier they know about that possibility, the easier it is to re-schedule. There are also concerns that rain, which is common in early August in the Chinese capital, might ruin the opening ceremony at the roof-less Bird's Nest National Stadium on August 8. Attempts to counter the threat by weather manipulation are also reliant on accurate forecasts. Beijing authorities have claimed some success in stopping rain ove...