McAfee buys Web site security company for $51M ... ODF group abandons format ... Hardware hacker shows his 'art'

In this issue:
- McAfee buys Web site security company for $51M
- Yahoo Messenger deepens social networking features
- Covad sells to private equity firm for $304 million
- San Francisco gallery shows hacker Joe Grand's work as art
- ODF group abandons format in favor of W3C alternative
- OLPC developing new cow, yo-yo powered 'supercharger'
- Distant future to be blighted by Paris Hilton
- Gadget giveaway ends this week. Enter now!


IN THE NEWS

McAfee buys Web site security company for $51M
McAfee will acquire ScanAlert, a web application security vendor, for $51 million, the companies announced Tuesday.

Yahoo Messenger deepens social networking features
Yahoo, disconcertingly unable to develop a popular social networking site, will try to accentuate the social networking capabilities in a beta upgrade of of Yahoo Messenger.

Covad sells to private equity firm for $304 million
Platinum Equity LLC will acquire Covad Communications Corp. for about $304 million, making the communications services company the latest technology company to sell to a private equity firm.

ODF group abandons format in favor of W3C alternative
A group formed to promote the Open Document Format (ODF) is abandoning its support of the file format in favor of a document format governed by the W3C, a move that throws a wrench into the already acrimonious business of creating one global file format for office documents.

OLPC developing new 'supercharger'
As One Laptop Per Child prepares to ship its highly anticipated XO laptops in two weeks, it is developing a "supercharger," a mass battery recharger that will draw power from cows and yo-yos to help the laptops run longer.

Developers upgrading for Leopard
Apple developers continue to hustle Leopard compatibility updates out the door.

San Francisco gallery shows hacker Joe Grand's work as art
Hardware hacker Joe Grand has never really thought of himself as an artist, but he's having his first gallery opening with the show 'When Electronics Become Art' at the 20 goto 10 gallery in San Francisco.


OPINION

Non-Mainstream IT Needs Still Need to be Addressed
By Joel Shore, ITworld

A couple of weeks ago, I dropped by a road show put on by NAPP, the National Association of Photoshop Users (www.photoshopuser.com). Making its way across the country, thousands of people gladly pay between $80 and $100 to see lots of new gee-whiz features demonstrated step by step. These people all use computers, of course, and lots of them are looking for systems help. But what struck me are the systems opportunities that these attendees represent -- often without themselves even knowing it. ...continue


PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
Kodak image viewer attack - FTC spoof spam - Yahoo Messenger gets social

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GADGET GIVEAWAY

Our gadget giveaway ends this week. Don't wait. Enter now!

What's the giveway? A Swiss Army knife that includes a USB flash
drive, LED light, and ballpoint pen -- in other words, the ultimate geek gadget.

Enter now for a chance to win!


ITWHIRLED

Distant future to be blighted by Paris Hilton
As we visualize the awesome, distant future, there are no doubt many great things coming: flying cars, domed cities on the moon, robot servants - and no Paris Hilton! But now that the omnipresent socialite has learned that cryogenics is her key to immortality, our great-great-great-grandchildren will also be forced to endure her antics.

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POLL

Techies who sit all day: What's your solution to back pain?

- Massage
- Chiropractors
- Yoga
- Ibuprofin
- Sitting up straight like my mother taught me, darn it

Vote now!