MSN Spaces 'Live' upgrade beset with problems ... IBM to acquire MRO Software

Today's IT News Audio Update
IBM to buy MRO, sell with Tivoli ... Consumer watchdogs displeased with Apple's iTunes posture ... Lenovo blames losses on supply chain problems


HIGHLIGHTS

News: Microsoft MSN Spaces 'Live' upgrade beset with problems
News: IBM to acquire MRO Software for $740 million
News: MacBook hit with wireless hack
News: Apple fails to meet Norwegian iTunes demands
Opinion: Disposable Spyware Cleaners
ITwhirled: I, for one, welcome our French robot overlords


NEWS UPDATES

Microsoft MSN Spaces 'Live' upgrade beset with problems
Microsoft began rolling out the "next generation" version of its blogging and social networking service, dubbed Windows Live Spaces, on Tuesday night, but things got quite bumpy along the way. For more than 12 hours, pages loaded extremely slowly at best, and at worst they didn't render properly at all, according to a message posted late Wednesday by Microsoft on the official MSN Spaces blog.

IBM to acquire MRO Software for $740 million
IBM Corp. agreed to buy MRO Software Inc. for about $740 million in a move to bolster its software and services offerings, the Armonk, New York, company said Thursday.

MacBook hit with wireless hack
Security researchers David Maynor and Jon Ellch performed a digital drive-by Wednesday at the Black Hat USA conference. Their target: an Apple Computer Inc. MacBook.

Apple fails to meet Norwegian iTunes demands
Norwegian consumer authorities are not pleased with the reply from Apple Computer Inc. about demands that the company change some of its iTunes Music Store policies.

Gateway uses latest Intel chip in new desktop
Gateway Inc. will use the new "Conroe" Core 2 Duo chip from Intel Corp. to power a PC that users can configure as either a high-end desktop or a workstation, the company said Thursday.

AOL freebies won't guarantee success
As AOL LLC tears down the few remaining walls that once enclosed its proprietary online service, some question whether it will be able to thrive as a business driven mostly by online advertising.

Deutsche Telekom launches converged cell-Wi-Fi service
German telecommunications service provider Deutsche Telekom AG launched on Thursday a bundled service that combines mobile phone and Wi-Fi telephony services, targeting customers who seek attractive fees and greater mobility.


OPINION

Disposable Spyware Cleaners
By James Gaskin

I've often wondered why spyware and virus programmers were so much more clever than mainstream programmers. After all, they write small, tight code that invisibly traverses the Internet and private networks. They find computers matching certain security parameters and install magically onto systems without disturbing the operating system, applications, or user. Compare this to Microsoft's automatic updates and Windows Genuine Advantage software accusing legal systems of running pirated software up to 20 percent of the time.

Read the full article here


ITWHIRLED

I, for one, welcome our French robot overlords
Tired of being pushed around, the French are building an army of Linux-powered robots. Well, maybe "army" is the wrong word, but they are disconcertingly advanced-looking.

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