AT&T to lay off more than 4,000 employees

Telecom giant AT&T plans to lay off 1.5 percent of its employees, primarily in management, in an effort to streamline its operations, the company announced Friday. ...continue reading 'AT&T to lay off more than 4,000 employees'

Oracle to expand SAP lawsuit, may target execs

Oracle plans to expand its lawsuit against SAP to include charges that its TomorrowNow subsidiary stole software applications from Oracle, and that it did so with the knowledge of SAP executives, according to court papers filed Thursday. ...continue reading 'Oracle to expand SAP lawsuit, may target execs'

PayPal to block users with old browsers to curtail phishing

PayPal, eBay's electronic payment service, plans to take the dramatic step of locking out people using older versions of Web browsers in order to stem phishing attacks. ...continue reading 'PayPal to block users with old browsers to curtail phishing'

Bull crams crypto chips into bootable USB hard disk drive

Bull has a gadget for businesses worried about the security of data stored on laptops: a bootable, portable password-protected hard disk drive with an embedded cryptographic processor that protects data if the device is lost or stolen. ...continue reading 'Bull crams crypto chips into bootable USB hard disk drive'

Microsoft confirms testing of 'Albany' low-cost Office suite

Microsoft on Friday confirmed it is planning to release a subscription-based 'value box' of low-end productivity software code-named Albany, and has sent an early version of the product to thousands of beta participants for private testing. ...continue reading 'Microsoft confirms testing of 'Albany' low-cost Office suite'

Android developers' competition draws 1,788 entries

Developers from over 70 countries have submitted 1,788 entries to the Android Developer Challenge, according to Google. ...continue reading 'Android developers' competition draws 1,788 entries'

British police use Facebook to gather evidence

The Greater Manchester Police force has created a Facebook application to collect leads for investigations, marking the first use of the social networking site by U.K. law enforcement. ...continue reading 'British police use Facebook to gather evidence'

Amazon adds support options for hosted services

Amazon is adding new support options for its hosted computing services, a move that could make them more attractive for running business applications. ...continue reading 'Amazon adds support options for hosted services'

MacBook Air spurring LED use in screens: DisplaySearch

The MacBook Air has become the best advertisement for why companies should use LED (light-emitting diode) backlights in notebook screens, and is driving adoption, according to market researcher DisplaySearch. ...continue reading 'MacBook Air spurring LED use in screens: DisplaySearch'

Chinese blogs detail zero-day flaw in Microsoft Works

Chinese-language blogs are detailing a zero-day vulnerability in Microsoft Works, the company's lower-end office productivity suite, according to security vendor McAfee. ...continue reading 'Chinese blogs detail zero-day flaw in Microsoft Works'

IBM buys storage vendor Diligent Technologies

In the latest of a long line of data and storage-related buys, IBM said Friday it has acquired Diligent Technologies for an undisclosed sum. ...continue reading 'IBM buys storage vendor Diligent Technologies'

Google grows profit and revenue in Q1

Google posted solid growth in its revenue and profit during 2008's first quarter and exceeded Wall Street expectations in both categories, amid widespread concern that the search engine giant's results would be weak. ...continue reading 'Google grows profit and revenue in Q1'

AMD reports sixth consecutive quarterly loss

A weak first quarter has yielded a sixth consecutive quarterly loss at struggling chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). ...continue reading 'AMD reports sixth consecutive quarterly loss'

SEMs crave more search ad competition, eye MS-Yahoo

If Microsoft acquires Yahoo, the search engine ad market could gain a viable and sorely needed competitor to Google, but only if the post-merger integration is done with speed and precision. ...continue reading 'SEMs crave more search ad competition, eye MS-Yahoo'

Ray Ozzie talks open source, mesh

Microsoft has 'dramatically' changed because of open-source software, the company's Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie said Thursday as part of a wide-ranging discussion during the annual Most Valuable Professional summit in Seattle. He also talked about Microsoft's mesh concept and the importance of virtualization. ...continue reading 'Ray Ozzie talks open source, mesh'

AMD's Quad-Core Opteron available in Dell servers

Five Dell servers based on Advanced Micro Devices' Quad-Core Opteron processors are available on the computer company's Web site, bringing the number of server models that use the chip to 13, AMD said. ...continue reading 'AMD's Quad-Core Opteron available in Dell servers'

CEO subpoena scam fires up anew

After tricking several thousand executives into downloading malicious software earlier this week, online scammers started up their subpoena phishing scam again Wednesday, but on a much smaller scale. ...continue reading 'CEO subpoena scam fires up anew'

MySpace hack reveals profile visitors

A security problem with MySpace has the potential to botch up law-enforcement efforts to track bad actors on the social-networking site. ...continue reading 'MySpace hack reveals profile visitors'

Ballmer calls Windows Vista 'a work in progress'

As PC users clamor for Microsoft to continue to support Windows XP, company CEO Steve Ballmer called the Vista OS "a work in progress" at an annual Seattle event on Thursday. ...continue reading 'Ballmer: Windows Vista is a work in progress'

SANS solves mystery of mass Web site infections

The SANS Institute has uncovered what they've termed a 'rare gem' as far as computer security investigations go that sheds new light on how up to 20,000 Web sites have been hacked since January. ...continue reading 'SANS solves mystery of mass Web site infections'

Mozilla patches Firefox JavaScript bug

Mozilla on Wednesday patched a single critical security vulnerability in the JavaScript engine of Firefox, updating the open-source browser to Version 2.0.0.14. ...continue reading 'Mozilla patches Firefox JavaScript bug'

Red Hat skips consumer Linux desktop

Red Hat has no plans to create a traditional desktop product for the consumer market, but will continue to place its bets on a desktop for commercial markets. ...continue reading 'Red Hat skips consumer Linux desktop'

Nokia sales up 28 percent, but analysts are disappointed

Nokia Thursday reported net income of €1.22 billion, missing analysts' expectations of €1.39 billion for the first quarter. The Finnish phone giant also had a bleaker than expected outlook. ...continue reading 'Nokia sales up 28 percent, but analysts are disappointed'

Google's Urchin 6 arrives after years-long delay

A major upgrade to Google's Urchin Web analytics server software has finally shipped after a delay of about three-and-a-half years. ...continue reading 'Google's Urchin 6 arrives after years-long delay'

Apple patches $10,000 prize-winning bug

Apple has issued a security patch for its Safari Web browser, fixing the flaw that earned one security researcher US$10,000 at the CanSecWest security conference. ...continue reading 'Apple patches $10,000 prize-winning bug'

MySQL users mostly unfazed by Sun acquisition

Customers at the MySQL conference this week said Sun Microsystems' acquisition of the database company could increase MySQL's credibility among senior IT decision makers still skittish about using open-source software. ...continue reading 'MySQL users mostly unfazed by Sun acquisition'

IBM earnings beat analyst expectations

IBM beat analyst expectations for the first quarter and the company pointed to its global reach in helping to drive growth despite a challenging market. ...continue reading 'IBM earnings beat analyst expectations'

Google Apps hit by session-stealing attack

A security researcher has uncovered a serious flaw in Google Spreadsheets, which could give an attacker access to all of a user's Google services. ...continue reading 'Google Apps hit by session-stealing attack'

Microsoft to offer SQL Server 2005 SP3

Microsoft will release a third service pack for SQL Server 2005, just before the next version of the server software comes out. ...continue reading 'Microsoft to offer SQL Server 2005 SP3'

Novell CEO: Linux for the consumer desktop will take years

Novell's Suse Linux at the desktop is unlikely to be popular with consumers in the next three to five years, according to Novell President and CEO Ronald Hovsepian. ...continue reading 'Novell CEO: Linux for the consumer desktop will take years'

Controversial ad system keeps its eye on the money

Just a few weeks before the deployment of its controversial ad-targeting system, the CEO of Phorm is making a case that the system will allow less popular Web sites to gain more advertising revenue and give ISPs a cut. ...continue reading 'Controversial ad system keeps its eye on the money'

Sound the alarm, IPv6 execs say

The sky is falling on the number of global IP (Internet Protocol) addresses, and IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6) is the solution, executives from major technology companies said Wednesday. ...continue reading 'Sound the alarm, IPv6 execs say'

Open Source Census launches

The Open Source Census, an effort to pin down hard statistics regarding the implementation of open-source software around the world, gets underway on Wednesday. ...continue reading 'Open Source Census launches'

E-paper displays move a step closer to real paper

A new electronic paper display on show Wednesday at the Display 2008 exhibition in Tokyo could allow users to annotate pages in electronic books, make amendments to documents and erase parts of the page with as much ease as using a real pen and paper. ...continue reading 'E-paper displays move a step closer to real paper'

Out with the old, in with the recycled for Sony TVs

Consider it a blast from the past: Sony's latest sleek Bravia flat-panel TVs now contain plastic components partially recycled from old television sets. ...continue reading 'Out with the old, in with the recycled for Sony TVs'

ISPs meddled with their customers' Web traffic, study finds

About one percent of the Web pages being delivered on the Internet are being changed in transit, sometimes in a harmful way, according to researchers at the University of Washington. ...continue reading 'ISPs meddled with their customers' Web traffic, study finds'

Comcast, Pando call for pact on P2P rights

Comcast and Pando Networks, a maker of peer-to-peer software, have kicked off a drive to create a 'P2P Bill of Rights and Responsibilities' to help settle the conflicts between broadband providers and some P2P users. ...continue reading 'Comcast, Pando call for pact on P2P rights'

Intel's first-quarter net income drops

Intel on Tuesday reported that its first-quarter net income fell 12 percent year-over-year, although revenue was in line with analyst expectations. ...continue reading 'Intel's first-quarter net income drops'

Malicious microprocessor opens new doors for attack

For years, hackers have focused on finding bugs in computer software that give them unauthorized access to computer systems, but now there's another way to break in: Hack the microprocessor. ...continue reading 'Malicious microprocessor opens new doors for attack'

Microsoft makes Mundie responsible for Unlimited Potential

Microsoft has moved its Unlimited Potential Group (UPG) to Chief Research and Strategy Officer Craig Mundie's organization and confirmed leadership changes to the group, which oversees Microsoft's efforts to provide technology and education in developing countries. ...continue reading 'Microsoft makes Mundie responsible for Unlimited Potential'

Lawmakers complain that Google 'gamed' auction

Three lawmakers complained Tuesday that Google 'maneuvered' its way into an open wireless network without having to come up with a winning bid in the U.S. Federal Communications Commission's recently completed 700MHz spectrum auction. ...continue reading 'Lawmakers complain that Google 'gamed' auction'

Microsoft looking for embedded innovations

Ever dream of designing a toaster that sears a design of your own making on a piece of bread? If that's the kind of project you might like to tackle in your spare time, Microsoft has a new program that could help. ...continue reading 'Microsoft looking for embedded innovations'

Seagate suit against STEC could raise SSD prices

Seagate Technology filed a potentially far-reaching patent infringement lawsuit against STEC on Monday, over flash memory-based solid state drives (SSDs). ...continue reading 'Seagate suit against STEC could raise SSD prices'

Cisco's Linksys phase-out moving along

Cisco Systems' Linksys brand may disappear sooner than expected, according to a top executive for small business at the company, although he wouldn't say how quickly. ...continue reading 'Cisco's Linksys phase-out moving along'

AOL buys search company

AOL acquired contextual search company Sphere, the ISP (Internet service provider) and portal company said Tuesday. ...continue reading 'AOL buys search company'

Researchers: Microsoft's CAPTCHAs easy to solve

Microsoft's system to thwart automatic registrations of e-mail accounts leads to 'a false sense of security,' according to two researchers who have developed a low-cost way to break the security mechanism. ...continue reading 'Researchers: Microsoft's CAPTCHAs easy to solve'

Microsoft completes Danger acquisition

Microsoft hinted that it might keep the software and hosted architecture built by Danger, the mobile company that designed the software behind the Sidekick. The software giant announced the completion of its acquisition of the mobile developer on Tuesday. ...continue reading 'Microsoft completes Danger acquisition'

MySQL upgrade now slated for June, Sun says

Sun Microsystems pushed out a 'near final' version of MySQL 5.1 on Tuesday, but is holding back the production release of the open-source database until it irons out some remaining bugs, officials said Tuesday. ...continue reading 'MySQL upgrade now slated for June, Sun says'

Nokia will use NFC to bypass carriers, analyst says

Nokia Tuesday introduced the Nokia 6212 classic, which features integrated support for NFC (Near Field Communications). NFC has mainly been seen as a technology for mobile payments, but Nokia has bigger ideas. ...continue reading 'Nokia will use NFC to bypass carriers, analyst says'

Apple and Sony settle Japanese 'flaming Mac' suit

Sony have agreed to pay 1.3 million yen (US$12,000) to settle a lawsuit filed by a Japanese couple whose Mac caught fire when its Sony-made battery went up in smoke. ...continue reading 'Apple and Sony settle Japanese 'flaming Mac' suit'

IBM boosts performance, cuts power intake on chips

IBM demonstrated technology Monday that improves performance and reduces power consumption on chips used in devices from mobile phones to high-performance servers. ...continue reading 'IBM boosts performance, cuts power intake on chips'

Criminals hack CEOs with fake subpoenas

Security researchers say that thousands have fallen victim to an e-mail scam in which senior managers are told that they have been sued in federal court and must click on a Web link to download court documents. Victims of the crime are taken to a phony Web site where they are told they need to install browser plug-in software to view the documents. That software gives the criminals access to the victim's computer. ...continue reading 'Criminals hack CEOs with fake subpoenas'

Salesforce announces integration with Google Apps

Salesforce has integrated Google's online productivity applications with its on-demand CRM (customer relationship management) offerings. The deal heightens an existing partnership between the companies, marked in part by their pact to plug Google's AdWords service into Salesforce. ...continue reading 'Salesforce announces integration with Google Apps'

Samsung, partners push mobile TV

Samsung Electronics and several other vendors at the National Association of Broadcasters show this week are demonstrating a pending mobile TV broadcasting standard that had been forecast for completion last year. ...continue reading 'Samsung, partners push mobile TV'

Green search engine plants trees for clicks

A new Australian search engine that claims to be the first 'green' search engine launched Monday, offering users in 14 countries the ability to contribute to offsetting carbon emissions through tree planting schemes simply by using it to query the Web. ...continue reading 'Green search engine plants trees for clicks'

SaaS providers cut costs, but users won't get discounts

Nine out of ten software-as-a-service providers will rely on open source software by 2010 to save money, but the cost savings likely won't be passed onto customers, Gartner says in a new research note. ...continue reading 'SaaS providers cut costs, but users won't get discounts'

IBM boosts performance, cuts power intake on chips

IBM demonstrated technology Monday that improves performance and reduces power consumption on chips used in devices from mobile phones to high-performance servers. ...continue reading 'IBM boosts performance, cuts power intake on chips'

Criminals hack CEOs with fake subpoenas

Security researchers say that thousands have fallen victim to an e-mail scam in which senior managers are told that they have been sued in federal court and must click on a Web link to download court documents. Victims of the crime are taken to a phony Web site where they are told they need to install browser plug-in software to view the documents. That software gives the criminals access to the victim's computer. ...continue reading 'Criminals hack CEOs with fake subpoenas'

Samsung, partners push mobile TV

Samsung Electronics and several other vendors at the National Association of Broadcasters show this week are demonstrating a pending mobile TV broadcasting standard that had been forecast for completion last year. ...continue reading 'Samsung, partners push mobile TV'

Green search engine plants trees for clicks

A new Australian search engine that claims to be the first 'green' search engine launched Monday, offering users in 14 countries the ability to contribute to offsetting carbon emissions through tree planting schemes simply by using it to query the Web. ...continue reading 'Green search engine plants trees for clicks'

SaaS providers cut costs, but users won't get discounts

Nine out of ten software-as-a-service providers will rely on open source software by 2010 to save money, but the cost savings likely won't be passed onto customers, Gartner says in a new research note. ...continue reading 'SaaS providers cut costs, but users won't get discounts'

Microsoft hints at Live Mesh launch

Microsoft plans to launch its Live Mesh offering next week at the Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco but so far is not revealing details of the service. ...continue reading 'Microsoft hints at Live Mesh launch'

Microsoft patched critical Windows bug in XP SP3 early

The appearance and disappearance of a Windows XP installation snafu indicates that Microsoft patched a critical vulnerability in XP's still-unfinished Service Pack 3 (SP3) weeks before it fixed any other version of Windows. The glitch, which sent some PCs into an endless round of reboots, was strangely similar to one faced by Vista users in February. ...continue reading 'Microsoft patched critical Windows bug in XP SP3 early'

Researcher: BT Home Hub Wi-Fi security easy to crack

A security researcher claims to have found a significant weakness in the wireless encryption of a DSL home gateway made by Thomson and distributed to broadband subscribers in the U.K. by network operator BT. ...continue reading 'Researcher: BT Home Hub Wi-Fi security easy to crack'

Oracle announces content, e-mail archiving products

Oracle on Monday announced a pair of products aimed at securely archiving enterprise content and e-mail. ...continue reading 'Oracle announces content, e-mail archiving products'

Dot What!? sites for file extensions

By Sandra Henry-Stocker, ITworld.com

With nearly 9,000 file extensions listed and 50 users browsing the site on a Saturday night, the Dot What!? claims to be the net's #1 file extension website. It offers visitors an opportunity to suggest additional file extensions and to add comments concerning their uses and associations. While writing this column, I suggested .pl, an extension sometimes used for Perl scripts, and offered explanations for .cgi extensions. A review by a member of the Dot What!? team is necessary before updates and changes are posted. ...continue reading 'Dot What!? sites for file extensions'

Salesforce announces integration with Google Apps

Salesforce has integrated Google's online productivity applications with its on-demand CRM (customer relationship management) offerings. The deal heightens an existing partnership between the companies, marked in part by their pact to plug Google's AdWords service into Salesforce. ...continue reading 'Salesforce announces integration with Google Apps'

First Centrino Atom computer coming in June

The first portable computer based on Intel's Centrino Atom chip package is coming in June, although it will be bigger and more expensive than such devices were expected to be. ...continue reading 'First Centrino Atom computer coming in June'

Citrix sets price and release date for XenDesktop

Citrix will start shipping its desktop virtualization platform XenDesktop on May 20 at the Citrix Synergy conference. Pricing will begin at $75 per concurrent user. ...continue reading 'Citrix sets price and release date for XenDesktop'

Blockbuster offers up to $1.33 billion for Circuit City

Blockbuster has offered to buy Circuit City Stores for as much as $1.33 billion in a deal aimed at taking advantage of the global trend of putting media content on electronic devices. ...continue reading 'Blockbuster offers up to $1.33 billion for Circuit City'

Fujitsu to show laptop with wooden case

Could this be the environmentally friendly laptop PC of the future? Fujitsu will unveil later this week a laptop PC with a case manufactured from wood rather than the more traditional plastic or metal. ...continue reading 'Fujitsu to show laptop with wooden case'

Sun claims big leap with MySQL upgrade

MySQL developers should be able to get their hands on a major update to the open-source database this week when Sun Microsystems hosts its first MySQL conference since acquiring the company earlier this year. ...continue reading 'Sun claims big leap with MySQL upgrade'