Australia to investigate Google

In today's podcast: Australia to investigate Google; Foxconn to raise worker wages; and Yahoo and Facebook become friends.

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The Australian Attorney-General's Department has called on the Australian Federal Police (AFP) to investigate Google's recent collection of data pertaining to Wi-Fi networks, including potentially private data. Confirming the investigation, the Attorney-General's Department said the AFP would be investigating whether the search giant had breached the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979. A Google Australia spokesperson said the company had previously publicly admitted to collecting the data, but had said this had been done in error.

Foxconn plans to raise pay again for workers in Shenzhen, China, to put a stop to a string of suicides at its main factory there, a campus of over 300,000 workers. The company has become the focus of media scrutiny because at least 13 people have attempted suicide at its factories in China, mainly at the massive Shenzhen facility. Foxconn's size and the list of popular products it makes has also put it in the spotlight. Last week, Foxconn announced an immediate 30 percent pay raise for all workers in China, but on Sunday the company said it will take a further step at the Shenzhen facility to raise pay again in October.

Yahoo and Facebook users around the world can now link their accounts to view and share updates with friends on both Web sites, Yahoo announced Monday. Yahoo users can now view their Facebook News Feed via their Yahoo home page, Yahoo Mail, and other Yahoo sites, the company said. Additionally, content created on Yahoo sites, including Yahoo News, Sports, Movies and the photo-site Flickr, can be shared with friends on Facebook. More Yahoo-Facebook integrations are also on the way, the company said.

A new, critical bug in Adobe's Flash Player is giving some attackers a back door into victims computers, Adobe warned late Friday. The bug affects Adobe Flash Player version 10.0.45.2 and earlier on all operating systems, including Windows, Macintosh and Linux. It is also found in the latest versions of the widely used Reader and Acrobat software. When exploited, the flaw can cause Adobe's software to crash, but it can also give attackers control of the computer.

...And those are the top stories from the IDG Global IT News Update, brought to you by the IDG News Service. I'm Sumner Lemon in Singapore. Join us again later for more news from the world of technology.