Oracle gains more analytics with Sigma buy ... Apple to pay $100 million, settling iPod dispute

Today's IT News Audio Update
IBM to buy ISS for US$1.3 billion ... Apple to pay Creative $100 million to end legal squabbles ... Intel to launch Tulsa chip next week

HIGHLIGHTS
News: Oracle gains more analytics with Sigma buy
News: Lenovo launches services unit, nabs Dell exec
News: Apple to pay $100 million, settling iPod dispute
News: IBM beefs up array of Unix servers
Opinion: Encryption Convolution
ITwhirled: AOL digs for gold in spammer's backyard


NEWS UPDATES

Oracle gains more analytics with Sigma buy
Oracle Corp. plans to add more real-time predictive analytics to its business intelligence, middleware and applications after acquiring intellectual property assets from Sigma Dynamics Inc., a specialist in the field.

Lenovo launches services unit, nabs Dell exec
Lenovo Group Ltd. plans to unite its customer service operations under a new group to be based in Singapore and lead by yet another executive poached from Dell Inc.

Apple to pay $100 million, settling iPod dispute
Apple Computer Inc. will resolve its patent squabble with Creative Technology Ltd. by paying the Singapore-based company $100 million for a license to use a recently awarded patent.

IBM beefs up array of Unix servers
IBM Corp. has added new four-core processing capability to the low end of its System p Unix servers. On Wednesday, the company unveiled the System p5 505Q Express, which IBM is billing as its first 1U (4.4 centimeter thick) system with four processor cores. IBM also announced processor upgrades to its dual-core and quad-core Express systems.

Businesses to spend big on wireless data, study says
Businesses in Western Europe will spend around $12.7 billion on wireless data services by 2010, up more than 50 percent from last year, as they provide more tools for workers to be productive on the move, according to new research from Strategy Analytics Inc.

Qantas cautions on Dell laptops as Sony probes a fire
In response to a recall of 4.1 million laptop computer batteries because of a potential fire hazard issued by Dell earlier this month, Australia's Qantas Airways Ltd. is telling passengers with Dell laptops that they might not be able to recharge their machines in-flight.


OPINION

Encryption Convolution
By James Gaskin

Get ready for the US Congress to "help" the IT business with some new regulations soon. After being embarrassed by the VA laptop fiasco, when unencrypted government data wandered the countryside, our federal leaders now consider themselves data security experts and will soon start passing laws.


ITWHIRLED

AOL digs for gold in spammer's backyard
AOL won a $12.8 million dollar lawsuit against Davis Wolfgang Hawke, but Hawke has been on the lam for more than a year. Thus, the Internet giant is taking the next logical step: digging up Hawke's parents' yard looking for gold and platinum bouillon.