Kingston Technology announced the further expansion of its digital media product offerings with the new MMCplus cards in 256MB, 512MB and 1GB capacities and the 256MB MultiMediaCard (MMC) card. Based on the high-speed MMC card format, the new MMCplus cards offer increased performance and flexibility. MMCplus is based on the latest MultiMediaCard System Specification Version 4.0. This new standard offers five times the reading speed over the previous MMC standard and is suited for data-intensive applications such as digital imaging and digital music.

Even with increased popularity, the Firefox Web browser won’t face as many security problems as Internet Explorer, according to the president of the Mozilla Foundation. Some critics challenge that assumption. Symantec CEO John Thompson and other security executives have claimed that open-source programs will become more vulnerable as they pick up more users, because more hackers will become attracted to it.

Just when wireless hot-spot surfers thought it was safe to get back into the water, hackers have come up with new methods for mimicking corporate Web sites and intranets in the 802.11 environment. Wi-Fi’s “evil twin” is basically a hacker who infiltrates a company by picking up its SSID (Service Set Identification) and learning what type of encryption is being used while sitting in a convenient spot outside the building.

Mio Technology has introduced the Mio136 GPS navigation system to North America as part of a worldwide launch. The new device is a straightforward, easy-to-use GPS navigation system combined with an extensive street atlas of the North American continent and Hawaii in a sleek silver palm-sized chassis. Incurring no setup fees or monthly charges and reasonably priced, the Mio136 is a perfect aftermarket option for automobile owners without today’s expensive built-in GPS systems, yet is ideal for those who are on-the-go or on foot as well.

Hawkins, who created the Palm handheld, is forming a company that will specialize in systems able to recognize patterns, make predictions about familiar phenomena and in general function like human gray matter. An early software application he has helped create can recognize drawings, a challenge that has bedeviled scientists to date.

Apple Computer has closed a security hole that allowed an underground program to tap into its iTunes Music Store and purchase songs stripped of antipiracy protections. The PyMusique software, created by a trio of independent programmers online, emerged last week as a copy protection-free back door into the popular iTunes store. Apple released a statement Monday saying the problem had been fixed, and that some iTunes customers would need to upgrade their software.

Electric Pocket’s Ringo application has been updated with new features that allow users to more quickly identify incoming callers and customize their user experience with high-resolution icons that leverage the vibrant screens of Treo 650 smartphones. Further, the company announced EPSpeak, an add-on to Ringo that identifies incoming callers with a voice that verbally announces the caller’s name.

Five lawsuits alleging Nokia failed to warn that cell phones emit “unsafe” radiation were kicked back to state courts, following a federal appeals court decision this week. The U.S. Appeals Court for the Fourth District returned the cases to state courts because they lacked federal issues. The ruling did not reach a conclusion on the merits of the cases or whether cell phones are a health hazard. The five lawsuits allege that mobile phones emit unsafe levels of radio frequency radiation and that Nokia has put the public at risk by marketing the devices without headsets.

Australian telecom Telstra has started a 10-week trial of Internet-enabled public payphones that allow people to send email and text, picture and video messages. The 10 payphones will undergo a trial in Sydney’s central business district. They will feature full-color LCD touch screens and allow customers access to other services, including video messaging via email using the built-in Web camera.

Laridian has released a version of its PocketBible software for use with Microsoft Windows Mobile-based Smartphones. This new smartphone version adds another convenient way to read, search and study the Bible for today’s mobile consumer. Over a dozen Bible translations are currently available for use with the program, including the best-selling New International Version.