Oracle offers $6.7B for BEA Systems ... Universal launches iTunes rebellion ... Top 10 genuine geek movies

In this issue:
* Oracle offers $6.7 billion to buy BEA Systems
* Universal rousing an iTunes rebellion, report says
* Wal-Mart eyes $287 million benefit from RFID
* Google vows to increase Gmail storage limit
* Microsoft adds event planning to Live services
* Opinion: It's Back to the Future For Windows XP
* ITwhirled: Top 10 genuine geek movies
* Poll: What was the first computer magazine you subscribed to?
* Special to ITworld subscribers - Another giveaway!


IN THE NEWS

Oracle offers $6.7 billion to buy BEA Systems
Oracle Corp. announced on Friday that it has offered to buy middleware vendor BEA Systems Inc. for $17 per share in cash.

Universal rousing an iTunes rebellion, report says
The head of Universal Music Group is enlisting the support of other major record labels to launch a new music subscription service that will try to loosen Apple Inc.'s grip on the online music market, according to a news report Friday.

Wal-Mart eyes $287 million benefit from RFID
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. could increase sales by $287 million by fixing just a small portion of its inventory problems using RFID (radio frequency identification) technology, and that could be just the start, an executive said Friday.

Google vows to increase Gmail storage limit
Google said on Friday it is speeding up the rate at which it adds storage space for its Gmail Web-based e-mail service due to the increased storage requirements for attachments such as photos.

Microsoft adds event planning to Live services
Microsoft Corp. is adding an event planning offering to its expanding Windows Live suite of services.

Tech group, broadcasters slug it out on white spaces
A technology trade group has accused U.S. television executives of conducting a "misinformation campaign" about wireless devices designed to operate in unused portions of the television spectrum.

Mobile Firefox likely to work on Symbian
Mozilla Corp.'s mobile Firefox browser, which the company said earlier this week is in the works, will likely be available for phones running Symbian, Windows Mobile and Linux operating systems, a developer working on the project said.

Tech CEOs seek U.S. immigration, regulation overhaul
The U.S. government should give emerging companies a break on regulation and change its immigration laws to encourage well-educated newcomers to stay, panelists said at a conference Thursday.

Wall Street Beat: Google, VMware, Business Objects shine
IT investor confidence in technology is gaining strength. This week, vendors as diverse as Google Inc., Business Objects SA and VMware Inc. led the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index to break the 2800 mark for the first time since January 2001, the second week in a row the market has hit a six-year milestone.


OPINION

It's Back to the Future For Windows XP

A long, long time ago, I can still remember how that software used to make
me smile.

That was back on Oct. 25, 2001, the day Windows XP arrived. That's just shy
of six years ago and we've had only one meaningful update since then,
Service Pack 2 in Aug. 2004. (I don't really count SP1 as "meaningful.") At
last, SP3 has appeared on the horizon, and for those of us who still rely
on XP to get the job done, SP3 is borrowing from the future -- from Windows
Vista, to be precise.

Perhaps by now you've read that news leaked this week about details of the
forthcoming release of Windows XP Service Pack 3, courtesy of a blog on
NeoSmart Technologies' Web site. ...continue reading 'It's back to the future for Windows XP'


PODCAST

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Report of assassinated Russian spammer is a hoax ... Glitch means Tokyo commuters ride for free Friday ... Nokia Siemens transfers radio access R&D group to Wipro ... Listen now!

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GADGET GIVEAWAY

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drive, LED light, and ballpoint pen -- in other words, the ultimate geek gadget.

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ITWHIRLED

She's a 10

- Top 10 genuine geek movies
- Top 10 signs you're addicted to RSS
- Top ten lies a PR firm will tell you
- 10 illegal job interview questions

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POLL

What was the first computer magazine you subscribed to?

- Portable 100
- Computerworld
- Macworld
- 80 Micro (the TRS-80 magazine)
- Wired
- Hi-Res
- Compute!
- Creative Computing
- PC Magazine

Vote now!