Anonymous hits Sony again

Several Web sites operated by Sony have been attacked by hacktivist group Anonymous, allegedly for the corporation's support of the US Stop Online Piracy Act, reports Computing.co.uk.

The Sony Pictures Web site and its Facebook page were both hacked and defaced by the attack, although both were quickly recovered and repaired by the company.

The attack follows a video posted on YouTube last month by Anonymous members warning Sony that an attack was imminent.

Israel has said it will respond to cyber attacks in the same way it responds to violent “terrorist” acts, after the credit card details of thousands of its citizens were published online, notes the BBC.

A hacker named OxOmar, claiming to be Saudi, said on Thursday he had leaked the private information.

Credit card companies say at least 6 000 valid cards have been exposed. Reports say OxOmar may be a 19-year-old living in Mexico.

US sales of consumer electronics fell 5.9% this past holiday season, as smartphones cannibalise sales of standalone gadgets like cameras, camcorders and GPS navigation devices, according to the Associated Press.

The NPD Group reported yesterday that electronics sales, including TVs and PCs, totalled $9.5 billion in the five weeks ending 24 December.

Camcorder sales plunged 43%, and sales of digital picture frames fell 38%. GPS units slumped 33%. PC and TV sales slipped just 4%, bolstered by sales of TVs bigger than 50 inches.

Lenovo is trying to make its entry into the television market doubly sweet by adding Google's Ice Cream Sandwich to the mix, writes Cnet.

Better known for its ThinkPad series of laptops, the company yesterday took the wraps off what is thought to be the first television running Google's Android 4.0.

Dubbed the Lenovo K91Smart TV, the device will initially be available only in China, with release in other countries to follow.