Supply pinch dogs Microsoft's Surface tablets

Microsoft's Surface Pro 2 and Surface 2 are chronically in short supply. Is this because the new tablets are flying off the shelves or just not reaching the shelves?

A dearth of Surface Pro 2 and Surface 2 tablets has persisted during the holiday shopping season, though that situation may finally be easing a bit.

Are the new Surface tablets flying off the shelves or just not reaching the shelves? That's not clear because Microsoft doesn't provide sales numbers, but limited supply -- not excessive popularity -- of the tablets appears to be a factor.

The Windows 8.1-based Surface Pro 2 and Surface 2 models have been largely "out of stock" at Microsoft Stores -- both the physical stores and online stores. This situation has persisted during much of the holiday season, spanning November and December, according to Microsoft Store sales representatives contacted by CNET.

Take this weekend, for example. The online Microsoft Store, as of Saturday morning, showsonly the 512GB model of the Surface Pro 2 available for $1,799. (Update: the online store later on Saturday showed the 256GB model also available.)

The Windows RT-based Surface 2 is also out of stock at the online store.

Checks by CNET at physical stores on the East and West Coast also indicate limited availability. For example, Microsoft stores in Los Angeles and Boston had only the 256GB Surface Pro 2, which goes for $1,299, as of Saturday morning.

Microsoft said it's working to address the supply issue. "We're actively working with our manufacturing teams and retail partners to get Surface in customers' hands as soon as possible," a Microsoft spokesperson told CNET in a statement.

There are some signs that the supply may be easing, though. More Surface Pro 2s are arriving at Best Buy stores this weekend across the country.

Best Buy store representatives contacted by CNET in the Los Angeles area indicated that, until this weekend, supply had slowed to barely a trickle in the last couple of weeks -- indicating it was less of an excessive popularity issue and more of a supply problem.

"The public response to Surface has been exciting to see," the Microsoft spokesperson said.

But Microsoft is undoubtedly wary of flooding the market with too many units. Back in July, Microsoft announced a $900M Surface RT "inventory adjustment" charge due to a lack of demand for the first-generation Surface RT tablet.

Updated at 11:15 p.m. PT: adds updated Surface Pro availability at Microsoft online store.

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All Things Appy: 5 Best Apps to Make the Most of Apple Sensors

Sensors are a big part of what makes smartphones smart, and Apple mobile devices are packed with them. Most of us use at least some of them every day -- even if we don't realize it -- but there are also apps out there that let you take them even further for a variety of fun and useful purposes. Read on for a look at the five best contenders for iPhone and iPad.

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Your Apple device is full of sensors. The main five consist of a proximity sensor, an ambient light sensor, an accelerometer, a magnetometer and a gyroscopic sensor. Also included in these devices are radios, which aren't strictly sensors but which include the GPS for location services.

In this week's All Things Appy, we take a look at the five best free apps you can get in order to play with your sensors and sensor-like radios -- some of the key features, in other words, that distinguish smartphones from dumb ones.
About the Platform: Apple's apps can be found in the iTunes store. Browse to the store from your device and search for the app you want to download.
No. 1: Commander Compass Lite

Commander Compass Lite is rated 4 1/2 stars out of a possible 5 for all versions based on 4,429 ratings, and 4 1/2 stars out of 5 for the current version based on 895 ratings in the iTunes App Store.

This compass app takes advantage of the magnetic compass magnetometer that's included in recent iPhones and iPads to display directional navigation data -- just like a handheld compass. Position, bearings and speed are tracked.

Heavily magnetic fields can interfere with magnetometer readings, so this app starts using a gyroscopic rotational sensor to compensate for that, as well.
No. 2: Planets

Q Continuum's Planets is rated 3 1/2 stars out of a possible 5 for all versions based on 53,222 ratings, and 4 1/2 stars out of 5 for the current version based on 223 ratings in the iTunes App Store.

Here's an app that takes advantage of the gyroscope sensor. Gyroscopes track localized movement of a device.
Planets is a 3D planetarium-style guide to the solar system. Once the device locks onto a location using GPS or cellular towers, movement of the device maps the planets and stars on the screen with the gyroscope in real time.
No. 3: AccelMeter - 3D Vector Accelerometer

AccelMeter is rated 3 stars out of a possible 5 for all versions based on 269 ratings, and 3 1/2 stars out of 5 for the current version based on 16 ratings in the iTunes App Store.

Whether you knew it or not, the accelerometer is the sensor that orients the phone screen between landscape and portrait -- you've likely been using your device's accelerometer daily when Web browsing, looking at photos and controlling any games.
Peter Breitling's AccelMeter is the best app for visualizing and measuring actual acceleration. It includes all of the three axes -- often labeled x, y and z -- plus reverse acceleration and g-force calculations.
No. 4: Dimmer
Dimmer is rated 3 stars out of a possible 5 for all versions based on 272 ratings, and 3 stars out of 5 for the current version based on 155 ratings in the iTunes App Store.

The light sensor on your iPad or iPhone automatically adjusts screen-brightness levels based on what the Apple programmers think should be optimum brightness -- based on ambient light. Well, that may not be what you think, and this app lets you adjust sensors manually.
Be aware that a dim screen will save power, while a brighter screen makes small screens more readable.
Sleep therapists reckon a burst of light at night fools the brain into thinking it's waking-up time, so use a super-dim screen if you're an insomniac workaholic.
No. 5: Sensor Monitor
Sensor Monitor is rated 4 1/2 stars out of a possible 5 for all versions based on 24 ratings, and 4 1/2 stars out of 5 for the current version based on 11 ratings in the iTunes App Store.

Here's an app that lets you display and log raw sensor values for the accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, GPS, battery, microphone, touch and proximity sensors.
The proximity sensor is the sensor that deactivates the display when the phone is in a call so you ears don't dial phone numbers.
Want to Suggest an Apps Collection?
Is there a batch of apps you'd like to suggest for review? Remember, they must all be for the same platform, and they must all be geared toward the same general purpose. Please send the names of five or more apps to me, and I'll consider them for a future All Things Appy column.
Don't forget to use the Talkback feature below to add your comments. 

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Patrick Nelson has been a professional writer since 1992. He was editor and publisher of the music industry trade publication Producer Report and has written for a number of technology blogs. Nelson studied design at Hornsey Art School and wrote the cult-classic novel Sprawlism. His introduction to technology was as a nomadic talent scout in the eighties, where regular scrabbling around under hotel room beds was necessary to connect modems with alligator clips to hotel telephone wiring to get a fax out. He tasted down and dirty technology, and never looked back.

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Apple strips CEO Cook of $4M in stock grants for poor share performance

First example of company's new stock vesting policy that Cook asked for in June

Computerworld - Apple CEO Tim Cook received a compensation package of $4.25 million for the 2013 fiscal year, a 2% increase over the year before.

But the board also dinged Cook to the tune of nearly $4 million in stock vesting reductions, citing Apple's subpar performance compared to the S&P 500's for the 12-month period.

In a preliminary proxy statement filed Friday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Apple spelled out Cook's compensation for the period ending Sept. 28, as well as that for four other executives: Eddie Cue, who heads Apple's online efforts; CFO Peter Oppenheimer; Daniel Riccio, the company's hardware engineering lead; and Jeffrey Williams, chief of operations.

Riccio, new to the named executives in the proxy, was formerly the hardware lead for the iPad. In mid-2012 he was picked to take Bob Mansfield's place as head of all hardware engineering. Cue is also a proxy debutante.

Cook received $1.4 million in salary, $2.8 million in a bonus, and less than $60,000 for sundry expenses, including Apple's contribution to his 401(k) plan, company-paid life insurance, and $35,000 for vacation time converted to cash.

For fiscal 2013, Cook and the others received the maximum bonus, twice each man's annual salary. According to Apple, the company's net sales and operating income exceeded the targets set previously by the board, triggering the big bonuses.

Cue, Oppenheimer, Riccio and Williams were awarded bonuses of $1.75 million atop their $866,000 salaries, for a total of approximately $2.6 million each.

Apple touted what it called "internal equity" in pay for the executives just below Cook on the company's org chart. "Because the Company's executive officers operate as a team, the Compensation Committee considers internal pay equity to be an important factor in the Compensation Committee's decisions," the proxy read.

That practice is in contrast to that of other companies. At Microsoft, for example, top executives did not receive the same salary or bonuses in fiscal 2013. COO Kevin Turner's salary was 16% higher than the next-highest named executive (and 12% higher than CEO Steve Ballmer's), while his bonus was 35% greater than the next-largest.

While none of the Apple executives, including Cook, were granted stock awards in 2013, the CEO is still enjoying the fruits of the massive grant given him in 2011 when he assumed the chief executive role a month before co-founder Steve Jobs died. Then, the board locked in Cook with 1 million shares that would vest in equal parts in August 2016 and August 2021.

At the time those shares were valued at $383 million; their current worth, if all were to vest immediately, would be $560 million.

However, earlier this year Apple's board revised Cook's vesting schedule at his urging. Rather than the two monster stock handouts -- which only relied on his continued employment -- Cook asked that they be spread out over a 10-year period and tied to the company's stock performance.

Eighty-percent of the 1 million shares were covered by the new pay-on-performance deal, in which half of each year's vesting pool can be eliminated or reduced if Apple isn't in the top third of the S&P 500 as measured by the "total shareholder return" (TSR) metric.

TSR is a combination of share price appreciation and dividends paid to shareholders.

Because Apple's TSR was in the bottom third, Cook forfeited 7,123 shares, which were valued at $3.6 million on August 24, the day they were to vest. At Friday's closing price, the shares Cook lost would have been worth almost $4 million.

But no one should weep for Cook: The 72,877 shares that did vest on Aug. 24 were valued at $36.5 million at the time, and assuming he did not sell any, $40.8 million at Friday's closing.

So far, Cook's 2014 stock grant looks relatively safe, as Apple's TSR has kept pace with the S&P 500's. Since Aug. 25, 2013, Apple's TSR was +12%, while the S&P 500's average was +11.9%. Cook could still forfeit a quarter of the 80,000 shares slated to vest next August if Apple ends up in the middle third of the S&P 500, or 40,000 shares if the company lands in the bottom third.

Apple's shareholders will vote on several proposals at the February 28, 2014, meeting on the company's Cupertino, Calif. campus, including one submitted by trading activist Carl Icahn, who wants Apple to add $50 billion to its stock buyback program. Apple has recommended that shareholders reject the non-binding proposal.

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Apple shows 74 percent of devices now run iOS 7

Apple's iOS 7.

Despite some complaints about Apple's iOS 7redesign, with its flat graphics and zooming animations, it appears the lion's share of users have now adopted the operating system.

Apple published an updated chart on its developer Web site for the iOS App Store, which shows that iOS 7 is now on 74 percent of all iOS devices. This means adoption of the operating system has grown 10 percent since numbers last reported in October.

The tech giant debuted iOS 7 in September, along with the launch of its new iPhone 5S and 5C. Just one month later, Apple released its new iPad Air. All of these latest products are shipped with iOS 7.

According to Apple's chart, 22 percent of devices are still running iOS 6 and 4 percent are using an even earlier operating system. Like previous releases, iOS 7 is not available on some older devices, which include iPhones prior to the iPhone 4, iPods before the fifth-generation iPod Touch, or the original iPad.

Of all of Apple's software releases, iOS 7 has proved to garner the fastest adoption. According to September data from analytics firm Chitika, iOS 7 nabbed more than 50 percent of Apple users in its first week. Beyond the user-facing features, each major software release has included new APIs for developers, who have to balance compatibility with older devices against including the latest software features.

Looking forward, Apple is expected to release iOS 7.1 in the near future. The company released the software in beta to registered developers last month.

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iPhone 5c Lures Android Users to Apple

Price is clearly a big factor motivating uptake of the iPhone 5c, but privacy and security could be key considerations as well. "Although Apple does collect user data, it is not the huge data miner that Google has grown to be," said Darren Hayes, a professor at Pace University. "Moreover, Apple's iOS 7 is a lot more secure, in terms of access and encryption, than most

The new iPhone 5c appears to be working as Apple had surely hoped -- that is, it is enticing consumers with a lower price point to make the jump to the Apple brand, according to new smartphone sales data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.

In fact, during the three months ending October 2013, almost half of iPhone 5c buyers switched from competitor brands, particularly Samsung and LG. A full 80 percent of new iPhone 5s owners, by contrast, were upgrading from a previous iPhone model, said Dominic Sunnebo, strategic insight director at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.
"The cheaper 5c appeals to a broader audience than Apple usually attracts," Sunnebo explained.
In the U.S., the biggest demand for this model is coming from lower-income households, he noted, with some 42 percent of iPhone 5c owners earning less than US$49,000 per year. Just 21 percent of iPhone 5s buyers are in that category.
iPhone 5c customers also tend to be slightly older -- their average age is 38 -- compared with 34 years old for the 5s, Sunnebo said.
In the bigger picture, though, the 5c has not moved the needle all that much. While the new iPhone 5c and 5s models have boosted Apple's market share, they haven't delivered the same oomph that the iPhone 5 did when it was released.

The Lure of Lower Cost ...

Android remains the No. 1 smartphone OS in Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Spain, with a 70.9 percent share, while Apple holds 15.8 percent. Windows, meanwhile, is rapidly growing and now accounts for 10.2 percent of European smartphone sales. Its share in the U.S. is now close to 5 percent.
Windows Phone's momentum remains reliant on low-end handsets, Sunnebo noted.
In Britain, for example, "almost three quarters of Nokia Lumia sales in the latest period were low-end devices such as the Lumia 520 and 620 -- a pattern that is similar across other EU markets."

... and Privacy

There could be other drivers besides cost for people's shift to these lower-end handsets, especially the 5c -- namely, privacy and security concerns, Darren Hayes, a professor at Pace University's Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems, told MacNewsWorld.
"Although Apple does collect user data, it is not the huge data miner that Google has grown to be," he said. "Moreover, Apple's iOS 7 is a lot more secure, in terms of access and encryption, than most Android devices."
A similar migration could happen at the higher end of the smartphone market as well, Hayes suggested.
"According to Gartner, the adoption rate of Android devices is far higher than that of the iPhone, but that may change over time as corporations make more educated decisions about the risk of data exfiltration -- leakage -- versus cost," he said.
At the corporate level, Apple has a tremendous advantage with its Apple Configurator -- "a highly sophisticated and secure framework with enterprise deployment of the iPhone," Hayes pointed out.

Pricing Trumps All

There's no doubt, though, that consumers are being driven primarily by the lower price as they opt for the 5c or the Lumia, Laura DiDio, principal of ITIC, told MacNewsWorld.
There are likely several reasons for this shift, she said. One is that people have realized that product cycles are so fast that it is no longer practical to buy a high-end phone that could be out-of-date within six to 12 months, she said.
Also, lower-end phones are quite good, satisfying the needs of middle consumers, she continued.
All that taken together, she said, "people are naturally asking themselves, 'how much do I want to keep in my pocket to spend on other things?'" -- like a higher-end data plan or, possibly, another phone.

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2014: It's a Tablet, Tablet, Tablet, Tablet World

Tablets will sell better than PCs next year, according to Canalys. Most of them will be Androids, though the iPad will remain the strongest single brand. Samsung and Apple will carry on their bitter rivalry. Microsoft's market share will be slight, but larger than this year, and its acquisition of Nokia should help it to become a stronger competitor.

2014 may be the year when tablets muscle into dominance in the computer marketplace.

Next year, tablets will account for almost 50 percent of total client personal computer shipments globally, according to estimates by Canalys. Desktops, notebooks and tablets having a diagonal screen size of at least 7 inches are categorized as PCs.

285 Million Units

A 50 percent market share for tablets will equate to around 285 million units shipped in 2014. By 2017, that figure will soar to 396 million devices, the firm predicted.
Tablets running the Android operating system are likely to lead the way, accounting for 65 percent of all shipped tablets (approximately 185 million units). Samsung will be the driving force.
Samsung's broad range of tablets has been a key factor in its year-on-year growth, Canalys noted, with a 27 percent share of Android tablet shipments in Q3 2013. However, with hundreds of manufacturers building tablets -- from small vendors in both established and high-growth markets to major players like Acer and HP -- Samsung's market share is likely to start dipping.

Samsung Shift

"Android numbers continue to grow, but the report does not anticipate Samsung efforts to move off of Android in terms of forecast," Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, told the E-Commerce Times. "Nor does it consider profitability, which is poor on the platform, suggesting other firms may also withdraw if they can not find profit -- particularly with Google doing more and more of their own hardware."
Apple, meanwhile, will remain as the single largest tablet brand, with a 30 percent market share, as well as the one that's most profitable. The company has managed to stabilize its desktop and notebook businesses, though its focus on protecting its gross margins will lead to a decline in its PC market share, Canalys said.
Profit is a bigger priority for Apple than market share, it suggested.

Losing Ground

Indeed, Samsung overtook Apple in PC market share in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) region this quarter.
"Tablets have been the fastest-growing endpoint type since their introduction -- faster even than the smartphone," Roger L. Kay, principal analyst for Endpoint Technologies Associates, told the E-Commerce Times.
"Apple was dominant even after Android started making inroads in smartphones, but now Android is doing the same thing in tablets that it did in smartphones," he noted.
"I expect that the rivalry between Apple and Samsung will continue to be white hot and increasingly bitter," Laura DiDio, principal of ITIC, told the E-Commerce Times. "I also expect relations between Apple and the rest of the Android competitors and former friends like Google will be frosty."

Microsoft Share

While Microsoft is predicted to take just a 5 percent market share in 2014 (up from 2 percent in 2012), the acquisition of Nokia will push it toward becoming a full-fledged vendor of smart mobile devices, Canalys suggested.
Yet the company may need to address the dual smart device operating systems of Windows Phone and Windows RT. Having three operating systems is confusing for consumers and developers, Canalys argued. Meanwhile, Microsoft may need to find ways of encouraging app development to boost the mobile ecosystem.
"Microsoft has indicated they will be cutting the number of OSes they have, which would be consistent with this report," Enderle said.
"They are fighting ecosystems that already have critical mass and growing momentum," Jim McGregor, principal analyst at Tirias Research, told the E-Commerce Times. "This is another case of Microsoft missing a major market inflection point, just as it did with handsets.

Market Fragmentation

Elsewhere, price competition is likely to cause further fragmentation. Though major brands like Acer, Asus, HP and Lenovo have entry-level, sub-US$150 products, they may struggle to compete with local companies.
Nextbook in the U.S., and Onda and Teclast in China are examples of firms that ship more units than some major vendors in their home countries, Canalys indicated.

Manufacturer Consolidation

Such a fractured market could lead to consolidation elsewhere. BlackBerry and Barnes & Noble, for instance, have reconsidered their place in the market. Next year is likely to bring mergers, acquisitions and failures, with hardware makers struggling both to sustain desktops and notebooks and to gain a foothold in the tablet market.
"We all have heard over the last year or two that tablet sales are soaring and PC sales are slipping. This report puts some numbers behind that realization," telecommunications analyst Jeff Kagan told the E-Commerce Times.
"The tablet form factor is growing. It will continue to proliferate in size and features," Tirias Research's McGregor offered.
"I would even argue that many of the convertibles or other PC form factors are really tablets," he said. "In any case, this bodes well for the leaders in the tablet space and growth for those that can enter into a niche and growing segment or geography. Look for the emergence of the Chinese vendors, just as we have seen them in PCs and smartphones over the past two years."

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Microsoft Sets a New Threshold for Windows Development

Developers are key to Microsoft's efforts to gain a foothold in the apps market and create a cohesive Windows ecosystem. Its upcoming OS refreshes, code-named "Threshold," will strive for commonality across its three main platforms -- Xbox, Windows and Windows Phone -- making it easier for developers to work on apps that can flow easily from one screen to another.

Microsoft's wave of operating systems updates planned for 2015 has been code-named "Threshold," ZDNet reported.

They involve the addition of a set of common elements -- high-value activities such as Microsoft Office, possibly the coming "Remix" digital storytelling app, Bing, Intune and Workplace -- to Xbox One, Windows and Windows Phone.
The commonality of the updates "makes a lot of sense as Microsoft surely wants to create an ecosystem where apps from a vendor can exist easily across the three screens Microsoft has long touted -- Xbox, Windows and Windows Phone," Wes Miller, an analyst at Directions on Microsoft, told TechNewsWorld.

One Approach to Rule Them All

The Xbox One OS, Windows 8.x OS and the Windows Phone 8 OS currently share a common Windows NT core.
Increasing commonality across all three will be in line with the One Microsoft vision outgoing CEO Steve Ballmer articulated earlier this year.

What Threshold Might Offer

Succeeding with mobile devices, Windows, Office 365 and Microsoft Azure will be foundational, Ballmer said in July. Xbox and Bing also will be key future contributors to financial success.
High-value activities such as serious fun, meetings, tasks, research, information assurance and IT/developer workloads would be championed at the top level, Ballmer said.
"I expect that [from] early 2014 with Windows Phone 8.1, Microsoft will begin beating the drum to promote services of all kinds across all three screens -- Intune, Office 365, Power BI for Office 365, Bing, Xbox Gaming and any other service," Directions on Microsoft's Miller remarked.
Gaming and entertainment, which includes books, music and video, "will surely continue to be a focus," because Microsoft "will try to parlay the Xbox brand into more than just Xbox One," he continued.
Threshold's contribution to serious fun might mean games will "flow more easily between the platforms so you could conceivably play Xbox games off your PC, something I'd advocated years ago -- and, at times, off your tablet and Windows phone," Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, told TechNewsWorld.
The gaming market is huge and growing. Consumers in the United States spent US$1.72 billion on digital games during Q3 2013, according to the NPD Group. They forked over $1.3 billion on new physical video and PC games, and $436 million for used and rented games.

The Hard and Painful Stats

Having commonality across the different OSes will let Microsoft "flow the applications more easily across the platforms and make it even easier for developers to support all of them," Enderle suggested.
The company needs to attract devs. Apps are the lifeblood of mobile systems, and this is an area where Microsoft is lagging far behind Apple.
About 1.7 million apps were downloaded from the Windows Store for Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 in October.
However, Apple's App store saw more than 74 million downloads daily between June and October.

What About RT?

The lack of reference to Windows RT has fueled speculation that this particular Microsoft OS will be phased out.
That possibility was raised after the new head of Windows, Julie Larson-Green, recently told the UBS Global Technology Summit that Microsoft eventually would not have three Windows OSes, although she did not elaborate.
"I don't see Microsoft backing away from the Windows RT investment," Al Gillen, a program vice president at IDC, told TechNewsWorld.
On the other hand, Windows RT "appears to be merging with Windows Phone, which is interesting, given many of us argued that the Windows tablet OS should have come from Windows Phone," Enderle pointed out. "In effect, both will be replaced by an OS that will bridge the two form factors."


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2 million Facebook, Gmail and Twitter passwords stolen in massive hack

Hackers have stolen usernames and passwords for nearly two million accounts at Facebook, Google, Twitter, Yahoo and others, according to a report released this week.

Trustwave said. The virus was capturing log-in credentials for key websites over the past month and sending those usernames and passwords to a server controlled by the hackers.

2 million passwords have been stolen, compromising accounts at Facebook, Gmail, Twitter, Yahoo and ADP.

The massive data breach was a result of keylogging software maliciously installed on an untold number of computers around the world, researchers at cybersecurity firm

On Nov. 24, Trustwave researchers tracked that server, located in the Netherlands. They discovered compromised credentials for more than 93,000 websites, including:
Trustwave notified these companies of the breach. They posted their findings publicly on Tuesday.
"We don't have evidence they logged into these accounts, but they probably did," said John Miller, a security research manager at Trustwave.
ADP, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter told CNNMoney they have notified and reset passwords for compromised users. Google (GOOG, Fortune 500) declined to comment. Yahoo did not provide immediate responses.
Miller said the team doesn't yet know how the virus got onto so many personal computers. The hackers set up the keylogging software to rout information through a proxy server, so it's impossible to track down which computers are infected.
Among the compromised data are 41,000 credentials used to connect to File Transfer Protocol (FTP, the standard network used when transferring big files) and 6,000 remote log-ins.
The hacking campaign started secretly collecting passwords on Oct. 21, and it might be ongoing: Although Trustwave discovered the Netherlands proxy server, Miller said there are several other similar servers they haven't yet tracked down.
Related: Adobe's abysmal security record
Want to know whether your computer is infected? Just searching programs and files won't be enough, because the virus running in the background is hidden, Miller said. Your best bet is to update your antivirus software and download the latest patches for Internet browsers, Adobe (ADBE) and Java.
Of all the compromised services, Miller said he is most concerned with ADP. Those log-ins are typically used by payroll personnel who manage workers' paychecks. Any information they see could be viewed by hackers until passwords are reset.
"They might be able to cut checks, modify people's payments," Miller speculated.
But in a statement, ADP said that, "To [its] knowledge, none of ADP's clients has been adversely affected by the compromised credentials."

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Billionaire investor Icahn steps up pressure on Apple

Apple Inc CEO Tim Cook holds up the new iPad Air during an Apple event in San Francisco, California October 22, 2013. Add caption

(Reuters) - Billionaire investor Carl Icahn said on Wednesday that he has filed a shareholder proposal with Apple for a much smaller stock buyback plan than he has advocated previously, as he continued to pressure Apple to share more of its cash pile.
"Gave $AAPL notice we'll be making a precatory proposal to call for vote to increase buyback program, although not at $150 billion level," Icahn said in a tweet.
CNBC said Icahn's plan calls for a $50 billion buyback program.


Icahn had been urging Apple to buy back $150 billion worth of shares. Icahn owns approximately 0.5 percent of Apple's outstanding shares, according to Thomson Reuters data.
Icahn on Tuesday told Time magazine that he filed a shareholder proposal with Apple on November 26, three days before the deadline for measures to be voted on at the company's next annual shareholders meeting.
Known for decades of strong-arm tactics, including proxy fights, Icahn has repeatedly made it clear that his proposal is not a sign that he is against Apple's management.
Icahn, who has already met Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook and Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer to discuss the issue in the past months, couldn't be immediately reached for comment.
"As part of our regular review process, we are once again actively seeking our shareholders' input on our program, and as we said in October, the management team and our board are engaged in an ongoing discussion about it which is thoughtful and deliberate," Apple spokesman Steve Dowling said. "We will announce any changes to our current program in the first part of calendar 2014."
Pushing for an additional $50 billion buyback is a major step back from his earlier demand that Apple return an additional $150 billion to shareholders. Apple is currently in the midst of returning $100 billion to shareholders, including a share repurchase program of $60 billion.
Icahn told Time magazine that Cook is willing to consider his views and the last conversation he had with the Apple CEO was a 20-minute phone call on November 21.
Icahn said Cook found the "conversation sort of interesting."
"He said, 'Look, you've accomplished a lot, and we want to listen to you.'"

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