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.

Subscribe to Blog Insights - A weekly recap of what bloggers are saying about information technology.


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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PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
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

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Software AG to buy webMethods ... Nokia makes $20M payment to Qualcomm

HIGHLIGHTS
News: Software AG to buy webMethods for $546 million
News: Nokia makes $20M payment to Qualcomm for patents
News: Microsoft e-mail upgrade glitchy for some
News: Google delivers maps mashup tool for non-techies
Hot jobs: Program manager
ITwhirled: Giving due praise to famous pranks
Podcast: Apple offers quad-core 3GHz Xeon systems ... Microsoft wanted Vista SP1 details removed from site ... AMD to ship 3GHz dual-core Opteron chips


NEWS UPDATES

Software AG to buy webMethods for $546 million
Software AG has agreed to buy SOA vendor webMethods Inc. for $546 million in cash, the companies announced Thursday.

Nokia makes $20M payment to Qualcomm for patents
Nokia said Thursday that it has paid Qualcomm $20 million to license some of its patents related to 3G mobile phones through the second quarter of 2007. The two companies are in the process of renegotiating a patent licensing agreement that expires on April 9.

Microsoft e-mail upgrade glitchy for some
Some of the beta testers for Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Live Hotmail service are getting an increase in storage, but the extra capacity isn't being introduced as smoothly as some of them might hope.

Google delivers maps mashup tool for non-techies
Google Inc. has created a tool to let non-technical users create Google Maps mashups, extending this capability beyond the realm of software developers.

Google to build $600M data center in South Carolina
Google Inc. plans to invest $600 million in a new data center in South Carolina, the state government said on Wednesday. The new data center will be built on a 210 hectare site at the Mt. Holly Commerce Park in Berkeley County near Charleston.

Researcher has new attack for embedded devices
Barnaby Jack, a security researcher at Juniper Networks Inc. says he plans to demonstrate a new class of attack that can be used to compromise electronic devices like routers or mobile phones.

Nintendo again revises earnings outlook higher
Japan's Nintendo Co. Ltd. has revised its full-year earnings outlook higher for the second time. The Kyoto-based company said strong sales of its Nintendo DS handheld game device and software for the machine would help push sales for the year to ¥966 billion.

Video of Thai King removed from YouTube
The government of Thailand blocked access to the YouTube Web site on Wednesday because of a video that it deemed insulting to the nation's revered monarch.


CAREERS

Hot jobs: Program manager
A decade ago, most IT initiatives could be undertaken as single projects. Not anymore. The reason: the complexity of IT resources and assets and their impact on a company's business operations. IT initiatives today often require a programmatic approach to ensure proper execution and coordination. This is where the program manager steps in. Program managers are experts in structured frameworks for provision of IT services and in methods for managing processes. Using a disciplined approach, they define needs, establish budgets and manage progress.


ITWHIRLED

Giving due praise to famous pranks
Did the Swedes really believe that their black-and-white televisions could be turned into color sets by the use of pantyhose? Did the Brits believe that spaghetti was grown in Switzerland? Celebrate April Fool's day by reading more.

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Daily IT News Audio Update
Apple offers quad-core 3GHz Xeon systems ... Microsoft wanted Vista SP1 details removed from site ... AMD to ship 3GHz dual-core Opteron chips

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Borders fracture iTunes offerings in Europe ... Microsoft issues emergency Windows patch

HIGHLIGHTS
News: Borders fracture iTunes offerings in Europe
News: Intel looks to bury AMD's 'elegant' Barcelona chip
News: Don't use WEP, say German security researchers
News: Microsoft issues emergency Windows patch
Opinion: Storage Survey
ITwhirled: You can always build a better mousetrap -- or Post-It
Podcast: Microsoft releases emergency patch ... EEye replaces CEO ... US H-1B visa limit reached in record time


NEWS UPDATES

Borders fracture iTunes offerings in Europe
The European Commission's complaint against Apple Inc. and the major record labels over a possible violation of European rules on cross-border trade has served to highlight the inconsistencies in how music is released and priced online.

Intel looks to bury AMD's 'elegant' Barcelona chip
Intel Corp. is betting on a combination of manufacturing prowess and pragmatic chip design to outsell Advanced Micro Devices Inc.'s upcoming quad-core Barcelona processor.

Don't use WEP, say German security researchers
The Wi-Fi security protocol WEP should not be relied on to protect sensitive material, according to three German security researchers who have discovered a faster way to crack it. They plan to demonstrate their findings at a security conference in Hamburg this weekend.

Microsoft issues emergency Windows patch
With attackers finding more ways to exploit a critical flaw in its Windows operating system, Microsoft Corp. has published an emergency software patch. The update, released as expected Tuesday morning, actually fixes seven separate Windows vulnerabilities, but security experts are most concerned about a bug in the way Windows processes .ani Animated Cursor files.

Cisco targets SMBs with unified communications products
Cisco Systems Inc. is aiming ever lower with its network gear for small businesses, rolling out a set of products on Tuesday to meet growing demand in that segment for unified communications.

Sun gives UltraSparc a power boost
Sun Microsystems Inc. has brought new, faster UltraSparc IV+ processors to market, continuing to promote its homegrown chips even as it sells servers with processors from rivals Intel Corp. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc.

Security vendor eEye drops CEO
EEye's board of directors has asked CEO Ross Brown to leave the company after just over six months on the job, replacing him with Kamal Arafeh, the company's senior vice president of sales and marketing.

BT to help SMBs build online presence
BT Group PLC is testing an online service to help small and medium-size businesses build an online presence with nifty features such as blogs, podcasts and click-to-call capabilities.

Licensing deal with Marvell a first for Sun's new unit
Sun Microsystems Inc. is licensing its multithreaded 10G-byte Ethernet networking technology to Marvell Technology Group Ltd. in Sun's first deal since the creation of a separate Microelectronics group within the company one week ago.


OPINION

Storage Survey
By James Gaskin, ITworld.com

HP just paid for a survey of 1,200 mid-sized firms with between 100
and 1,000 employees spread across seven countries. According to the
executive summary, respondents want to improve customer satisfaction
(86 percent) and improve product quality (81 percent). How storage can
do that, I don't know, but companies also worry about business
continuity, upgrading servers, and price. But the details between
countries in the survey surprised me.

Read the full article here.

Subscribe to Enterprise Networking - Strategies for designing, implementing and securing enterprise-level networks.


ITWHIRLED

You can always build a better mousetrap -- or Post-It
A group of freshman engineering students, working in a competition to improve an everyday object, took something seemingly perfect -- the sticky note -- and made it better: you can write on their version without using a pen or pencil.

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PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
Microsoft releases emergency patch ... EEye replaces CEO ... US H-1B visa limit reached in record time

More podcasts

Blog details Vista SP1 plans ... E.C. sues Apple, others over pricing

HIGHLIGHTS
News: European Commission sues Apple, others over pricing
News: British UFO hacker loses extradition appeal
News: Microsoft sues over resold school software
News: Blogger posts Windows Vista SP1 fixes on Web site
Storage Tip: Choosing what data to protect with encryption
ITwhirled: Driving while intexticated
Podcast: Blog details Vista SP1 plans ... EMI to offer DRM-free music ... JavaScript attack code gets out


NEWS UPDATES

European Commission sues Apple, others over pricing
The European Commission has charged Apple Inc. and several big record companies with restrictive pricing practices in the European Union, a spokesman for the Commission confirmed on Tuesday.

British UFO hacker loses extradition appeal
A British hacker who broke into U.S. military computers looking for evidence of UFOs lost another extradition appeal on Tuesday in London's High Court.

Microsoft sues over resold school software
Microsoft Corp. has filed nine lawsuits against companies for allegedly reselling software that was originally sold under discounted educational licenses for schools in Jordan.

Blogger posts Windows Vista SP1 fixes on Web site
The owner of a blog dedicated to software patches has posted online more than 100 fixes he said are expected to be included in Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1), Microsoft Corp.'s first major update to its latest Windows client OS.

XenSource expands its virtualization capabilities
A new version of the XenSource Inc. virtualization hypervisor, released Monday, now works on servers running the Windows 2000 operating system from Microsoft Corp.

FCC strengthens rules against pretexting
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has prohibited telephone and mobile phone carriers from releasing customer records over the phone without a password in an effort to protect against the practice of pretexting.

Jobs unlikely to push for lift of video DRM
Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs may be pushing for music labels to lift copyright protection on digital music but he doesn't appear so eager to do the same for video content, despite his position as the largest shareholder in Walt Disney Co.

JavaScript botnet code leaked to Internet
Software that could be used to turn a Web browser into an unwitting hacker's tool has been posted to the Internet, after it was downloaded by a quick-thinking attendee at last month's Shmoocon hacker conference.


STORAGE TIP

Choosing what data to protect with encryption
By David Hill, Mesabi Group

Planning what to do about encryption should be part of an overall data governance planning process that can also address issues such as data quality and master data management as well as how to meet requirements for responding to the changes in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure for civil litigation. Here's what you need to know.

Subscribe to Storage Strategies - Tips for effective storage management, technology updates and best practices.


ITWHIRLED

Bad idea of the week: Driving while intexticated
Never mind talking on your cell while you drive; that's old news. Does the idea of trying to send a text message from your phone while operating a car strike you as kind of insane? Nationwide insurance estimates that 20% of Americans do it -- 33% of those between 18 and 34. New Jersey is moving towards being the first state to outlaw the practice.

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PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
Blog details Vista SP1 plans ... EMI to offer DRM-free music ... JavaScript attack code gets out

More podcasts

EMI to offer DRM-free music through iTunes ... MySpace bug hunt off to a slow start

HIGHLIGHTS
News: EMI to offer music without DRM through iTunes
News: MySpace bug hunt off to a slow start
News: AT&T wants $3.5 billion Telecom Italia stake
News: With attacks increasing Windows patch coming early
Tip: "Risk" is the next new security label
ITwhirled: Ten ways being a geek makes you more attractive
Podcast: eEye releases Windows patch ... ICANN rejects .xxx domain ... New version of Minimo browser released


NEWS UPDATES

EMI to offer music without DRM through iTunes
EMI Group has announced a plan to sell its music through online retailers without copy protection technologies, a significant move that should give consumers greater freedom in the way they can listen to music purchased online.

MySpace bug hunt off to a slow start
A group of hackers has kicked off its month of MySpace vulnerabilities, which it hopes will make more of a splash than January's month of bugs for Apple Inc.'s software.

AT&T wants $3.5 billion Telecom Italia stake
AT&T Inc. announced Sunday its intention to take an indirect stake in Telecom Italia S.p.A. The company plans to buy one-third of holding company Olimpia S.p.A, which holds 18 percent of Telecom Italia's shares, pending regulatory approval, AT&T said.

With attacks increasing Windows patch coming early
Microsoft has decided to rush out a fix for a flaw in its Windows operating system, saying that the problem has become too serious to ignore.

AMD releases M690 chipset for embedded designs
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. introduced its M690 chipset for embedded devices on Monday, rounding out the company's first chipset line that integrates technology from ATI Technologies Inc.

Intel got its new China fab for a bargain, analyst says
Intel Corp. may have received up to $1 billion in incentives from the Chinese government to build its new chip factory in the country, a Gartner Inc. analyst said on Monday.

Microsoft offers new Vista enterprise licenses
Microsoft Corp. is offering two new licensing options for Windows Vista enterprise customers that want to take advantage of emerging scenarios for large data centers. The first gives enterprise users the ability to run the Windows Vista Enterprise client on a diskless computer. The second option, called the Vista Enterprise Centralized Desktop, lets users run a client version of Windows on servers in a data center so the OS can run locally via virtual machines.

Acquisitions quadruple size of Brocade's market
Executives of Brocade Communications Systems Inc. say their acquisition strategy has given the company access to an estimated $7.2 billion market in 2008 for its storage hardware, software and services technology, four times the market it serves today.


TIP

"Risk" is the next new security label
By Brent Huston, MicroSolved, Inc.

As I look into the blogosphere and other areas of forthcoming knowledge and expression -- I see that "risk" is the next label to be applied to every new and old security product. Suddenly products will be re-branded as "risk reducing", "risk mitigating" or "risk strategy compliant".

Subscribe to Security Strategies - Tips and technologies to protect your enterprise.


ITWHIRLED

She's a 10
Ten ways being a geek makes you more attractive ... Top 10 useless sports traditions ... Top 10 Skype hacks ... The top ten most expensive board games in the world ... The top 10 beat-em-up games of all time

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PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
eEye releases Windows patch ... ICANN rejects .xxx domain ... New version of Minimo browser released

More podcasts