AOL to buy DoubleTrader for $900 million ... IBM plans new SOA centers ... UK government to loosen data-sharing laws

HIGHLIGHTS

News: AOL offers $900 million for TradeDoublers
News: US Attorney investigating Apple stock options
News: IBM takes community approach to SOA
News: UK proposes sharing data among gov't agencies
News: Siemens launches new IT outsourcing and services group
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Celebrity patents


NEWS UPDATES

AOL offers $900 million for TradeDoublers
AOL LLC is hoping to boost its online advertising business in Europe with an offer to buy TradeDoubler AB, a Swedish provider of online marketing and sales services, for US$900 million.

US Attorney investigating Apple stock options
In a move to beef up its Internet networking expertise, communications vendor Avaya Inc. has agreed to acquire Ubiquity Software Corp. PLC, a developer of software applications using SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) technology.

CES: HD DVD gets boost from adult film industry
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California is investigating the stock options backdating activities of computer and consumer electronics manufacturer Apple Inc.

IBM takes community approach to SOA
IBM Corp. Monday is due to officially announce the first two in a planned series of eight centers around the world designed to help build up local expertise in the service-oriented architecture (SOA) approach to IT development.

UK proposes sharing data among gov't agencies
The U.K. government wants to relax data protection laws so it can share people's personal data across different government agencies, but critics are decrying the proposal as another move toward a "big brother" state.

Siemens launches new IT outsourcing and services group
Siemens AG has launched its Siemens IT Solutions and Services (SIS) division, three months after announcing plans to bundle all of its worldwide IT services and software activities, including Siemens Business Services (SBS), into a new entity, the Munich electronics and engineering company said Monday.


PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
AOL to buy DoubleTrader for $900 million ... IBM plans new SOA centers ... UK government to loosen data-sharing laws ... MPA accuses Google partner of piracy



ITWHIRLED

Celebrity patents
Celebrities -- they're just like us! They stop for coffee, they walk their dogs, they ... file for patents? An enterprising blogger has collected a wealth of patents filed by famous people. They range from the logical (Eddie Van Halen patented a waist-strap guitar support that allowed him to dedicate both hands to his solos) to the head scratching (Zeppo Marx patented a heart rate monitor).