Two more indicted on E-Rate fraud charges

The former owner of three Kansas computer services vendors and his mother have been indicted on charges related to defrauding a government program designed to help schools and libraries in poor areas connect to the Internet, the U.S. Department of Justice said. ...continue reading 'Two more indicted on E-Rate fraud charges'

Spammers ramp up siege on Google's Blogger via bots

Spammers are using an automated method to create bogus pages on Google's Blogger service, again highlighting the diminishing effectiveness of a security system intended to stop mass account registrations, according to security vendor Websense. ...continue reading 'Spammers ramp up siege on Google's Blogger via bots'

Vodafone, China Mobile and Softbank team on mobile Internet

Vodafone, China Mobile and Softbank are putting together a Joint Innovation Lab (JIL) to accelerate the roll-out of mobile Internet services. They plan to formalize the arrangement later this year. ...continue reading 'Vodafone, China Mobile and Softbank team on mobile Internet'

Microsoft completes FAST purchase

Microsoft has completed its US$1.2 billion purchase of FAST Search & Transfer and will install the company's CEO as head of a newly formed enterprise search group, it said Friday. ...continue reading 'Microsoft completes FAST purchase'

Skype tests application for mobile phones

EBay-owned Skype has released into open beta testing a client for mobile phones that supports phone calls, chat and other features of the popular VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) application. ...continue reading 'Skype tests application for mobile phones'

Researchers 'poison' Storm botnet

A group of German researchers has unveiled the first publicly released research attempting to actively disrupt a peer-to-peer botnet - using as their case study the notorious Storm worm. ...continue reading 'Researchers 'poison' Storm botnet'

Sony, Samsung to spend US$1.8B on new LCD line

Sony and Samsung are reaffirming their alliance in LCD (liquid crystal display) panel manufacturing with plans to jointly construct a third flat-screen factory in South Korea. ...continue reading 'Sony, Samsung to spend US$1.8B on new LCD line'

Samsung Q1 soars on strong displays, mobile phones

Samsung Electronics posted its strongest profit gain in years in the first quarter as sales of LCD screens and mobile phones beat expectations and its chip business didn't perform as badly as feared. ...continue reading 'Samsung Q1 soars on strong displays, mobile phones'

Dell phasing out customer service centers in Canada

Dell's facilities in Canada are being hit by the company's efforts to save US$3 billion over the next three years, with customer service centers in the country being phased out. ...continue reading 'Dell phasing out customer service centers in Canada'

Microsoft considers life without Yahoo

Microsoft reiterated Thursday that it is prepared to withdraw its offer to buy Yahoo and said it believes it has the engineering talent to succeed on the Internet even without the acquisition. ...continue reading 'Microsoft considers life without Yahoo'

Sun buys processor startup Montalvo Systems

Sun Microsystems acquired microprocessor startup Montalvo Systems for an undisclosed sum, the company confirmed Thursday. ...continue reading 'Sun buys processor startup Montalvo Systems'

Firms getting blindsided by social networking

Still thinking about building a social-networking site for your employees? Sure they haven't started without you? Check Facebook, you might get a surprise. ...continue reading 'Firms getting blindsided by social networking'

Researcher finds new way to hack Oracle database

Security researcher David Litchfield has released technical details of a new type of attack that could give a hacker access to an Oracle database. ...continue reading 'Researcher finds new way to hack Oracle database'

Microsoft earnings flat, despite server launches

Microsoft on Thursday reported quarterly earnings in line with Wall Street expectations but down slightly from the same quarter last year, reflecting the challenges the software giant faces in an increasingly competitive market. ...continue reading 'Microsoft earnings flat, despite server launches'

3G iPhone due on June 9, analysts say

The 3G iPhone will be announced June 9, the likely date of Apple CEO Steve Jobs' keynote at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference, analysts said in research notes on Thursday. ...continue reading '3G iPhone due on June 9, analysts say'

No change in XP plan despite Ballmer comment, Microsoft says

Comments by Steve Ballmer at a press conference in Europe on Thursday have led to speculation that Microsoft is reconsidering its June 30 deadline to stop selling most new Windows XP licenses. A spokeswoman from Microsoft's public relations firm said Thursday that there is no plan for a change in deadline, however. ...continue reading 'No change in XP plan despite Ballmer comment, Microsoft says'

Yahoo to radically open its platforms

Yahoo is swinging the doors of its Web platforms wide open to let outside developers create applications across its network of sites, as well as radically stitching together its online services under the social profile concept. ...continue reading 'Yahoo to radically open its platforms'

France 'suspends' creation of big-brother database

The French government will 'suspend' the use of new software for recording the personal habits and affiliations of its citizens in a police database, following an outcry by civil rights groups. ...continue reading 'France 'suspends' creation of big-brother database'

Ballmer: Microsoft could walk away from Yahoo deal

Microsoft gave its first hint that it may abandon its $44.6 billion bid for Yahoo, as it approaches the deadline for a threatened proxy battle to oust Yahoo's board. ...continue reading 'Ballmer: Microsoft could walk away from Yahoo deal'

Motorola's loss grows during Q1 as handset sales drop

Slowing phones sales have hit Motorola, which Thursday reported a first-quarter net loss of $194 million, compared to a $181 million loss for the same quarter last year. ...continue reading 'Motorola's loss grows during Q1 as handset sales drop'

DOJ nets two more guilty pleas in E-Rate fraud charges

Former co-owners of DeltaNet, a New Jersey computer service provider, have agreed to plead guilty to charges related to defrauding a government program designed to help schools and libraries in poor areas connect to the Internet, the U.S. Department of Justice announced. ...continue reading 'DOJ nets two more guilty pleas in E-Rate fraud charges'

China worries hackers will strike during Beijing Olympics

While CNN recently faced distributed denial-of-service attacks from Chinese hackers angry about the television network's coverage of a recent Chinese crackdown in Tibet, Chinese security officials remain worried hackers will strike while the Olympic Games are being held in Beijing. ...continue reading 'China worries hackers will strike during Beijing Olympics'

Why Windows Update should be redesigned

Using off-the-shelf tools, exploits for software vulnerabilities can be crafted in as little as 30 seconds after studying the vendor's patch, giving hackers plenty of time to find vulnerable machines while Microsoft is in the process of distributing patches through Windows Update, according to a recently published research paper. ...continue reading 'Why Windows Update should be redesigned'

Strong Mac sales boost Apple's quarterly earnings

Apple on Wednesday reported strong earnings for the second quarter of 2008, with Macintosh computer sales overriding weak growth in iPod shipments. ...continue reading 'Strong Mac sales boost Apple's quarterly earnings'

Vista SP1 released to Automatic Update

Windows Vista customers can now receive the first service pack for the operating system via the Microsoft Automatic Update service, Microsoft said Wednesday. ...continue reading 'Vista SP1 released to Automatic Update'

Google launches mobile banner ads

Google joined a handful of other companies by announcing that it is delivering mobile banner ads. ...continue reading 'Google launches mobile banner ads'

Customers balk at Dell XPS One update. Is it legit?

Some Dell customers were left scratching their heads after Dell sent out a recent firmware update for the company's XPS One desktop systems. ...continue reading 'Customers balk at Dell XPS One update. Is it legit?'

So what is an enterprise mashup, anyway?

Big vendors like Oracle, IBM and Microsoft are all over the show floor at the Web 2.0 Expo this week, testimony that new Web-based technologies are making their way into the enterprise. But some attendees are still wondering, what is an enterprise mashup, and what will it do for me? ...continue reading 'So what is an enterprise mashup, anyway?

OLPC switch to Windows on XO is 'muddled,' developers say

Open-source developers should stop bickering, unite and jointly develop a Windows user interface to make XO laptops more appealing to users, One Laptop Per Child Chairman Nicholas Negroponte has urged in a public note to that community. ...continue reading 'OLPC switch to Windows on XO is 'muddled,' developers say'

Gartner: CRM market to grow 14 percent in 2008

The worldwide market for CRM (customer relationship management) software will grow 14.2 percent to US$8.9 billion in 2008, according to a Gartner estimate. ...continue reading 'Gartner: CRM market to grow 14 percent in 2008'

SANS: Pressure on vendors can prevent security woes

Companies are having more success in pressuring software vendors into baking security into their products, a trend that vendors are resisting less, the director of research for the SANS Institute said Wednesday. ...continue reading 'SANS: Pressure on vendors can prevent security woes'

EU Parliament approves Galileo navigation system

The European Parliament gave its assent to the creation of the Galileo satellite navigation system Wednesday, clearing the way for the European Union's most ambitious technology project to date. ...continue reading 'EU Parliament approves Galileo navigation system'

Microsoft reveals Mesh folder-sharing and sync platform

Microsoft revealed a Web-based service on Tuesday, called Live Mesh, that lets people share data folders across different PCs and devices. ...continue reading 'Microsoft reveals Mesh folder-sharing and sync platform'

IBM turns server sideways for Web 2.0 build-out

IBM has designed a new type of rack-mount server specifically for companies running heavily trafficked 'Web 2.0' sites such as Facebook and MySpace, the company announced Wednesday. ...continue reading 'IBM turns server sideways for Web 2.0 build-out'

Report: Apple buys low-power processor designer PA Semi

Apple has acquired a fabless semiconductor company, PA Semi, according to a report at Forbes.com. ...continue reading 'Report: Apple buys low-power processor designer PA Semi'

Sony to buy Gracenote music data company

Sony Corp. of America will buy Gracenote, which made its name with software that identifies digital music files, for about $260 million. ...continue reading 'Sony to buy Gracenote music data company'

Microsoft mislabels Skype as adware

Skype users who have been getting strange error messages from Microsoft's security products over the past week can breathe easy now. It was all a mistake. ...continue reading 'Microsoft mislabels Skype as adware'

CNN site hit by China attack

After being called off Friday, the on-again, off-again cyber attack against CNN's Web site again picked up steam early this week, according to network security analysts. ...continue reading 'CNN site hit by China attack'

Yahoo grows earnings and revenue in Q1

Yahoo grew its revenue and net income and exceeded Wall Street's expectations for both categories during its first quarter of 2008, arguably one of the closest-watched earnings reports of its history, as it tries to fend off an acquisition attempt by Microsoft. ...continue reading 'Yahoo grows earnings and revenue in Q1'

Microsoft eyes management as key to virtualization

Microsoft is targeting system management as a way to differentiate itself from competitors in the virtualization market, the company said Tuesday. ...continue reading 'Microsoft eyes management as key to virtualization'

EBay files governance lawsuit against Craigslist

EBay has filed a lawsuit alleging that some changes made by Craigslist's board of directors have diluted eBay's investment in the online classified site. ...continue reading 'EBay files governance lawsuit against Craigslist'

Seagate ships one-billionth hard drive

Seagate announced Tuesday that it has shipped 1 billion hard drives since pioneering an industry that shows no signs of slowing down 29 years later. ...continue reading 'Seagate ships one-billionth hard drive'

Comcast peer-to-peer blocking was widespread, says FCC chairman

Comcast's slowing of peer-to-peer traffic appeared to be more widespread than the company has disclosed, the chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission said Tuesday. ...continue reading 'Comcast peer-to-peer blocking was widespread, says FCC chairman'

Corel CEO resigns as company mulls going private (again)

The CEO of Corel Corp. plans to resign, two weeks after an investment firm that owns a majority stake in the Ottawa-based graphics and desktop applications software vendor offered to acquire all of the remaining shares and take the company private for the second time in five years. ...continue reading 'Corel CEO resigns as company mulls going private (again)'

Sun looks to free up the rest of Java

Sun Microsystems is stepping up efforts to boost Java usage in Linux shops by working to remove some final encumbrances in the open-source Java platform. ...continue reading 'Sun looks to free up the rest of Java'

The 5 quickest returns on your green investment

By Darrell Dunn, Computerworld

'There is so much 'fat' inside most data centers, that it's not that difficult to make a business case where you can make operations greener and save money at the same time,' says Simon Mingay, an analyst at Gartner. Here are five fairly straightforward improvements that don't take years to implement or bring return. ...continue reading 'The 5 quickest returns on your green investment'

Microsoft to host partner software

Microsoft will soon detail ways that partner companies will be able to deliver their services based on Microsoft's hosted services, the software company said on Tuesday. ...continue reading 'Microsoft to host partner software'

Microsoft rewriting applications for hosted offerings

Microsoft is rewriting many of its applications to offer them in a hosted fashion, an executive said on Tuesday. ...continue reading 'Microsoft rewriting applications for hosted offerings'

Wireless and data push AT&T income, revenue up in Q1

AT&T reported net income of $3.5 billion for the first quarter of 2008, up from $2.8 billion in the first quarter of 2007. Strong wireless and data revenue drove the results. ...continue reading 'Wireless and data push AT&T income, revenue up in Q1'

Photobucket opens API, seeks developers

Photobucket plans to release an API on Tuesday that will allow external developers to create applications that include content and functions from the photo- and video-sharing Web site. ...continue reading 'Photobucket opens API, seeks developers'

SugarCRM, NetSuite get boost from BT deal

BT said Tuesday it will sell enterprise software products from NetSuite and SugarCRM to its small and medium-sized business (SMB) customers. ...continue reading 'SugarCRM, NetSuite get boost from BT deal'

Linux expanding into mid-range phones

Linux is expanding its influence outside of the world of smartphones, and is poised to take a significant share of the mid-range mobile phone market as well, according to a new study from ABI Research. ...continue reading 'Linux expanding into mid-range phones'

Microsoft data show Web attacks taking off

Criminals changed tactics in the last six months of 2007, dropping malicious e-mail in favor of Web-based attacks, according to data reported to Microsoft by Windows users. ...continue reading 'Microsoft data show Web attacks taking off'

Asustek to share Eee PC at Taiwan open source summit

Asustek Computer plans to share its experience with open-source software in its popular Eee PC low-cost laptop at the OpenTechSummit Taiwan 2008, which runs from April 25 to 29, the company said. ...continue reading 'Asustek to share Eee PC at Taiwan open source summit'

Report: Apple plans nonexclusive iPhone deal in Italy

Telecom Italia has signed a nonexclusive deal to distribute Apple's iPhone in Italy -- and the phone will be a newer model, compatible with 3G (third generation) networks, according to a report Monday in the Rome daily newspaper La Repubblica. ...continue reading 'Report: Apple plans nonexclusive iPhone deal in Italy'

Samsung's last 'Ultra edition' handset goes on sale

The latest and final handset in Samsung's Ultra edition range of cell phones goes on sale in the U.K., France and Germany this week and will be available in most other GSM markets by the end of May, the phone maker said Monday. ...continue reading 'Samsung's last 'Ultra edition' handset goes on sale'

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online goes GA

Microsoft will announce Tuesday that Dynamics CRM Online, the Microsoft-hosted version of Dynamics 4.0, is generally available in North America. ...continue reading 'Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online goes GA'

Apple aims to patent IM features on iPhone

A recent patent filing indicates that Apple is getting closer to adding its own instant messaging client to the iPhone. ...continue reading 'Apple aims to patent IM features on iPhone'

HP's Upline hosted storage service remains down

Hewlett-Packard said its new online storage service will protect your data 'whether your hardware fails, your computer is lost or catastrophe strikes.' ...continue reading 'HP's Upline hosted storage service remains down'

Mac hack contest bug had been public for a year

When Charlie Miller won $10,000 for hacking into a Macbook Air laptop last month, he exploited a flaw that had been publicly disclosed nearly a year before the contest. ...continue reading 'Mac hack contest bug had been public for a year'

China faced with severe botnet problem

China faces a serious threat from botnets, networks of computers infected with software that allows them to be controlled remotely for denial-of-service attacks and to send spam, according to a report issued by China's National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team (CNCERT). ...continue reading 'China faced with severe botnet problem'

Asus, Intel team up for PC recycling in Taiwan

Asustek Computer and Intel have teamed up with electronics retailer Tsann Kuen Enterprise to promote PC recycling in Taiwan, the companies announced Tuesday. ...continue reading 'Asus, Intel team up for PC recycling in Taiwan'

Sony delays PlayStation Home again

The delayed PlayStation Home community online service for the PlayStation 3 console is to be delayed again, Sony Computer Entertainment said Tuesday. ...continue reading 'Sony delays PlayStation Home again'