Google searches patent database ... Sony confident of hitting PS3 targets

HIGHLIGHTS
News: Google now searches U.S. patent database
News: Sony confident of hitting PS3 targets
News: Skype to start charging U.S., Canada users for calls
News: HP and Microsoft challenge IBM with new deal
Tip: Litigation holds require a formal data retention strategy
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Latest advertising technology hits snag


NEWS UPDATES

Google now searches US patent database
If you've ever dreamed up an ingenious new invention and then wondered if someone else has already made it, Google Inc.'s new patent search offering is for you. The new site lets anyone search for U.S. patents by keyword, patent number, inventor and filing date. Users can view a scanned image of the original patent and zoom in on pages.

Sony confident of hitting PS3 targets
Sony Corp. is confident it will hit shipment targets for its recently launched PlayStation 3 game console, its president said Thursday. Prior to the launch of the PS3 in November, Sony said it would ship 2 million consoles this year in Japan and the U.S. and 6 million by the end of its financial year in March 2007.

Skype to start charging U.S., Canada users for calls
Internet phone service provider Skype Ltd. plans to start charging U.S. and Canadian users $29.95 per year for unlimited calls to regular phones in both countries, as the end of a free trial offer looms.

HP and Microsoft challenge IBM with new deal
Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) is strengthening ties to Microsoft Corp. to provide a broadened portfolio of business software products to the enterprise market while delivering a competitive blow to rival IBM Corp.

Ingres goes with Infor as first ERP partner
Open-source database vendor Ingres Corp. Wednesday named Infor Global Solutions as its first ERP (enterprise resource planning) partner since Ingres spun off from CA Inc. over a year ago.

Third Word exploit released
Hackers have released attack code that exploits a critical vulnerability in Microsoft Corp.'s Word software -- the third such bug to be disclosed in the past week.

Grameen outsources open-source development to India
The Grameen Foundation has outsourced to Aditi Technologies Pvt. Ltd. the development of open-source software to meet the automation needs of microfinance agencies worldwide.

Symantec launches $15M piracy suit
Symantec Corp. last month filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles seeking more than $15 million in damages from a network of U.S. and Canadian businesses that are alleged to have sold counterfeit versions of Symantec's products, including Norton AntiVirus, pcAnywhere and Veritas Backup Exec.

Congress wants HP's Hurd to explain stock sale
Two U.S. Congressmen have asked HP CEO Mark Hurd to explain why he sold $1.37 million worth of HP stock just before the company's spying scandal became public.


TIP
Litigation holds require a formal data retention strategy
By David Hill, Mesabi Group

The new changes to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP) will have considerable impact on IT in general and storage administration in particular. Litigation holds are likely to be an especially thorny issue. A litigation hold means that you are required to preserve data that may be the target of a lawsuit against your company so that you can make the necessary information (e-discovery) available if required. But a huge gap exists between your legal department asking you to put a litigation hold on data and your ability to actually do so. And that is your challenge.


PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
HP, Microsoft team up against IBM ... Google in talks to buy South Korean software company's U.S. subsidiary ... Symantec sues alleged software pirates


ITWHIRLED

Latest advertising technology hits snag
CBS Outdoor was ready to unleash a whole new experience on the staid world of advertising: "Got Milk?" ads in San Francisco bus shelters that emitted the odor of delicious freshly baked cookies. But the city's lawmakers pulled the plug on the campaign after only a day, worried about potential allergic reactions.