Qualcomm talks tough on Nokia ... Microsoft to release more critical patches

HIGHLIGHTS
News: Acer takes the number 3 spot in mobile PCs
News: Qualcomm says it doesn't need Nokia patents
News: Qualcomm document talks tough on Nokia
News: Microsoft releases SDK for Windows Home Server
Blog: An iPod virus?
Geek comic of the week: f8d
Podcast: Qualcomm threatens to keep Nokia from using its patents ... New Google software bears striking similarities to rival ... Microsoft to release more critical patches next week


NEWS UPDATES

Acer takes the number 3 spot in mobile PCs
Acer Inc. unseated Toshiba Corp. from its third-place spot in worldwide mobile PC sales during the fourth quarter of last year, according to market researcher iSuppli Corp. Hewlett-Packard Co. saw the strongest year-on-year growth and retained first place.

Qualcomm says it doesn't need Nokia patents
Qualcomm Inc. threatened to forbid Nokia Corp. from using its patents forever, the strongest blow yet in the ongoing battle between the mobile technology companies. At the heart of this threat is a new assertion by Qualcomm that turns the current negotiations between the companies on its head.

Qualcomm document talks tough on Nokia
Qualcomm Inc. is using its Web site for the latest shove against Nokia Corp. in the companies' ongoing legal dispute. A document on Qualcomm's site presents what the company calls contradictory statements that Nokia has made regarding technology licensing.

Microsoft releases SDK for Windows Home Server
Microsoft Corp. on Thursday released a beta of documentation for a free software development kit (SDK) that helps developers build applications for its forthcoming Windows Home Server product.

Google evades question about software similarities
Google Inc. has commented on a new software tool it released in China this week, although it did not address allegations that the software bears more than a passing resemblance to a rival's product.

After emergency fix, more Microsoft patches ahead
Microsoft Corp. isn't finished with its security fixes for the month. Next week the software maker plans to release five more sets of patches fixing critical flaws in Windows and the Microsoft Content Management Server.

Vendors push Fibre Channel on Ethernet
A group of data-center vendors has proposed a standard for putting Fibre Channel traffic on Ethernet networks, saying it could simplify management and cut costs.

Consumer groups call for spectrum auction conditions
A coalition of consumer groups wants open access for a portion of valuable wireless spectrum to be auctioned by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission in early 2008.

Not always encrypted, but IRS PCs do phone home
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) may not be doing a very good job of encrypting data on its laptops, but it does have a way to recover its lost equipment.


BLOG

An iPod virus?
By Robert McMillan

Kaspersky Labs says it's discovered the first virus written for the iPod. A great headline, but a really lame virus.

It's called Podloso, and even Kaspersky admits it "does not pose a real threat." It has no malicious payload and cannot be launched automatically, heck it can't even spread, Kaspersky says.

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ITWHIRLED

Geek comic of the week: f8d
Have you ever wanted to use Courier New or a similar fixed-width font on your tombstone -- you know, so you could include some ASCII art? Do you try to stave off the day when you'll issue the commands rm -f hopes; rm -f dreams on your life? Then we think you and f8d will get along just fine.

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